Automattic CEO Matt Mullenweg calls WP Engine a "cancer to WordPress" and says it profits off confusion between the WordPress project and commercial services (Paul Sawers/TechCrunch)

Mediagazer: Automattic CEO Matt Mullenweg calls WP Engine a “cancer to WordPress” and says it profits off confusion between the WordPress project and commercial services (Paul Sawers/TechCrunch)

Top News:

Vanity Fair:

The relationship between Olivia Nuzzi and Robert F. Kennedy Jr. casts renewed scrutiny on the ethical line between all journalists and subjects— An allegedly inappropriate relationship between the New York reporter and 2024 presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. has rocked the media world
Discussion: The Daily Beast, Adweek, Jeremy Fassler, Poynter, New York Post, Page Six, SheKnows, New York Times, @lxeagle17, @will_bunch, HuffPost, @j_fassler, @bethfertig, @drmarinaarcher, Us Weekly, @clayranck@threads.net, @dankennedy_nu@threads.net, The Wrap, Arizona Republic, Know Your Meme, Slate, 6abc, Fox News, Defector, Hollywood Life, NPR, ComingSoon.net, New York Daily News, The Guardian, The Hill, Business Insider, Breitbart, Newser, TMZ.com, Politico, CNN, Variety, Mediaite, Deadline and The Hollywood Reporter

Discussion:

Lily Mae Lazarus /
The Daily Beast: RFK Jr.'s Friends Whine Olivia Nuzzi ‘Set Him Up’ Using Nude Pics

Ryan King /
New York Post: Olivia Nuzzi initially denied sexting tryst with RFK Jr. when confronted by boss: report

Vanessa Serna /
Page Six: Married RFK Jr. bragged about ‘intimate’ photos he had of reporter Olivia Nuzzi amid sexting scandal: report

Delilah Gray /
SheKnows: RFK Jr. Once Had 43 ‘Mistresses’ in His Cellphone, Insiders Allege Amid Cheating Scandal

Katie Robertson /
New York Times: Olivia Nuzzi, New York Magazine Writer, Put on Leave Over R.F.K. Jr. Relationship

Lakshya Jain /
@lxeagle17: It is extremely funny that 90% of the male journalists on Twitter have been simping for Olivia Nuzzi, while all of the female journalists are beyond livid for her committing an incredibly serious and obvious breach of ethics.

Will Bunch /
@will_bunch: 1. Re: the Olivia Nuzzi thing. I was surprised that she's only 31 so I read her bio. Dropped out of Fordham to cover the 2016 election for Daily Beast. My generation, no one did this — you worked at a smaller paper or 2 and covered zoning meetings and learned from your dumb...

Will Bunch /
@will_bunch: 2...mistakes by the time you were ready to work in a major-league newsroom. Maybe there was some wisdom in that system, no?

Jeremy Fassler /
@j_fassler: Olivia Nuzzi's behavior with RFK Jr. is an indictment on journalism itself, but the fact that she's been allowed to rise to the top despite being so awful at her job, and that she's been defended so often, should also cause self-reflection. My latest: https://jeremyfassler.medium.com/ ...

Beth Fertig /
@bethfertig: “As the American media faces a whole new level of distrust and attacks, the ethical line between journalist and subject could not be more important to keep clear.” Vanity Fair https://www.vanityfair.com/...

Dr. Marina Archer /
@drmarinaarcher: The entire access journalism issue matters. DC's press/politics “commingling” matters. Giuliani had Ken Vogel. Michael Cohen had Haberman. There are others. This isn't @ sex - it's @ politicians and media figures “using” each other for personal benefit. https://www.vanityfair.com/...

Kaitlin Simpson /
Us Weekly: RFK Jr. and Olivia Nuzzi's Relationship Was ‘Emotional and Digital’ But Not ‘Physical’: Report @clayranck@threads.net: I really feel like the journalists telling us how great Nuzzi is are actually just telling on themselves.

Dan Kennedy /
@dankennedy_nu@threads.net: This July 4 Olivia Nuzzi piece on a fading Biden was influential in how some of us thought about his future in politics. Obviously it wasn't the sole reason that he ended his campaign. But @nymag's claim that Nuzzi's relationship with RFK Jr. didn't affect her journalism is as wrong as can be. … The Wrap: DC Journalists Defending Olivia Nuzzi Draw Ridicule From Peers: It's ‘Journalism Malpractice Full Stop’

Bill Goodykoontz /
Arizona Republic: Yes, the RFK Jr.-Olivia Nuzzi mess matters. Here's why

Adam Downer /
Know Your Meme: Journalist Implies RFK Jr. and Olivia Nuzzi's 70-31 Age Gap Is Problematic, Recalling The Halcyon Days Of Twitter Hot Takes

Will McDuffie /
6abc: New York Magazine places reporter on leave after alleged relationship with RFK Jr.

Patrick Redford /
Defector: ‘New York’ Suspends Olivia Nuzzi Over “Inappropriate Relationship” With Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

Elisabeth McGowan /
Hollywood Life: Is Olivia Nuzzi Married? Meet Her Fiance Ryan Lizza Amid RFK Jr. Rumors

Rachel Treisman /
NPR: Magazine writer Olivia Nuzzi is on leave over an alleged relationship with RFK Jr.

Anubhav Chaudhry /
ComingSoon.net: What Happened to Olivia Nuzzi? RFK Jr. Affair Rumors Explained

Muri Assunção /
New York Daily News: NY Mag places Olivia Nuzzi on leave over alleged RFK Jr. relationship The Guardian: Reporter Olivia Nuzzi on leave after alleged personal relationship with RFK Jr revealed

Dominick Mastrangelo /
The Hill: New York Magazine puts Olivia Nuzzi on leave after report of relationship with RFK Jr.

Peter Kafka /
Business Insider: Q&A with ex-CNN reporter Oliver Darcy, who launched his one-man independent newsletter about media in August and who uncovered the RFK Jr./Olivia Nuzzi story Variety: New York Magazine's Olivia Nuzzi on Leave for Alleged ‘Personal Relationship’ With Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

Michael Luciano /
Mediaite: Olivia Nuzzi on Leave from New York Magazine After Romantic Relationship with RFK Jr.

Glenn Garner /
Deadline: New York Magazine Reporter Olivia Nuzzi Placed On Leave Over Alleged Relationship With RFK Jr.

Associated Press:

Al Jazeera says Israeli forces raided its Ramallah bureau in the West Bank early September 22 with a military order to immediately close the office for 45 days— Israeli troops raided the offices of the satellite news network Al Jazeera in the Israeli-occupied West Bank early Sunday …

Discussion:
Al Jazeera, Adweek, CNN, BBC, Sverre Haanæs on LinkedIn, Sandra Rasheed on LinkedIn, Deadline, Rolling Stone, @mkpetkova@mastodon.world, Broadband TV News, Raw Story, @fkamiah17@syzito.xyz, The Guardian, Committee to Protect …, Reuters, @afp, @biesanak, @sahouraxo, @gazanotice, @mariambarghouti, New York Times, Associated Press, @Amputado@mastodon.cc, ABC, The Times of Israel, NDTV, @attackerman.bsky.social and National Union of Journalists …

Discussion:

Jacqueline Howard /
BBC: Israel orders 45-day closure of Al Jazeera West Bank office

Sverre Haanæs /
Sverre Haanæs on LinkedIn: Jonathan Cook: Having destroyed Al Jazeera's office in Gaza, and killed much of its staff there, — having outlawed Al Jazeera from broadcasting in Israel, …

Sandra Rasheed /
Sandra Rasheed on LinkedIn: Freedom of the press is a fundamental right that serves as the backbone of any democratic society. It ensures that information flows freely …

Max Goldbart /
Deadline: Israel Shuts Down Al Jazeera Bureau In West Bank

Mariya /
@mkpetkova@mastodon.world: After assassinating several colleagues in #Gaza (and in 2022 Shireen Abu Akleh in Jenin), Israel closed AJ in the West Bank: — “Al Jazeera's Jivara Budeiri said Israeli forces fired tear gas in the vicinity of the Al Jazeera bureau and the Manara Roundabout in the heart of the occupied West Bank city... Israeli soldiers confiscated their cameras. …

Julian Clover /
Broadband TV News: Israeli forces raid Al Jazeera base in Gaza @fkamiah17@syzito.xyz: The “only democracy in the Middle East” shuts down the news agencies who say things they don't like. — #IsraelIsATerroristState #Aljazeera — https://www.aljazeera.com/... Committee to Protect Journalists: Israeli forces raid Al Jazeera's West Bank office, issue 45 day ban on its journalism

Muhammad Al Gebaly /
Reuters: Israeli forces raid Al Jazeera bureau in West Bank with closure order @afp: #UPDATE Al Jazeera says Israeli forces have raided its office in Ramallah in the occupied West Bank. “There is a court ruling for closing down Al Jazeera for 45 days,” an Israeli soldier told an Al Jazeera journalist, the Qatari network reported, citing a conversation aired live

Biesan Abu-Kwaik /
@biesanak: Breaking: The Israeli army just stormed the Al Jazeera office in the Ramallah in the West Bank and they are handing a military order to close the office for 45 days without providing an explanation. [video]

Sarah /
@sahouraxo: HAPPENING NOW: Israeli soldiers are raiding Al Jazeera's office in Ramallah and forcing it to stop broadcasting in the West Bank for 45 days. Israel is planning something terrifying across the West Bank, and doesn't want the world to see. [video] @gazanotice: Al Jazeera journalists are now on the street, all their TV gear has been confiscated, they are not allowed to go get their cars from the parking. It is 3.52am in Ramallah. The area is fully surrounded by Israeli forces. The number of soldiers involved in this operation is quite [video]

Mariam Barghouti /
@mariambarghouti: BREAKING: The Israeli military is raiding downtown Ramallah, broke into Al-Jazeera offices and ordered its closure for 45 days by military order. This is around 3:20 a.m. local. [video]

Associated Press:
Hezbollah hits back with rockets as it declares an ‘open-ended battle’ with Israel @Amputado@mastodon.cc: Israeli troops raided the offices of the satellite news network Al Jazeera in the Israeli-occupied West Bank early Sunday, ordering the bureau to shut down amid a widening campaign by #Israel targeting the Qatar-funded broadcaster as it covers the Israel-Hamas war in the #Gaza Strip. … The Times of Israel: Report: Israeli forces storm Al Jazeera's Ramallah bureau with military order to close it for 45 days

Pushkar Tiwari /
NDTV: “Take All Cameras And Leave”: Israel Raids Al Jazeera's West Bank Office

Spencer Ackerman /
@attackerman.bsky.social: Al Jazeera reports that the IDF is raiding its West Bank bureau. [image]

BBC:

Peter Jay, the former economics editor of the BBC and the Times, presenter of ITV's Weekend World, and launch chairman of TV-am, dies at age 87— Peter Jay, the former economics editor of the BBC, has died aged 87. — At various times, Jay was also economics editor of the Times newspaper …

Discussion:
@adamboultontabb, The Guardian, @markesutherland, @oliverkamm, @faisalislam and @dsmitheconomics

Discussion:

Adam Boulton /
@adamboultontabb: Peter Jay - always a man worth listening to and founding chairman of TVam among other accolades

Nadeem Badshah /
The Guardian: Peter Jay, journalist and diplomat, dies aged 87

Mark Sutherland /
@markesutherland: RIP Peter Jay. Such an astonishing career. Economics Editor of The Times & later the BBC. Founder presenter of Weekend World. British Ambassador to Washington. Founder Chairman & Chief Executive of TV-am. [image]

Oliver Kamm /
@oliverkamm: Sad news of the death of Peter Jay, an immensely influential commentator & distinguished figure at @thetimes. I once debated Europe with him (like his father, Douglas Jay, he was an inveterate opponent of UK membership of EEC/EU) and found him fascinating. https://www.bbc.com/...

Faisal Islam /
@faisalislam: Sad to say my predecessor Peter Jay has passed away... Famously told colleague one of his complex pieces was written for an audience of 3, & he wasn't one of them... in room with LBJ and Okun when they came up with the definition of recession. Criticised the “bias against

New York Magazine:

An interview with Ta-Nehisi Coates on his new nonfiction book The Message, how US journalistic institutions failed about the Israeli-Hamas conflict, and more— A decade after “The Case for Reparations,” he is ready to take on Israel, Palestine, and the American media.

Discussion:
@dwallacewells, @brianstelter and @ryuspaeth

Discussion:

David Wallace-Wells /
@dwallacewells: “'The fact of the matter is,' he said, 'that kid up at Columbia, whatever dumb shit they're saying, whatever slogan I would not say that they would use, they are more morally correct than some motherfuckers that have won Pulitzer Prizes...'” https://nymag.com/...

Brian Stelter /
@brianstelter: Ta-Nehisi Coates: “What I suspect is that American media in general thinks of itself as separate from the ends and goals of American power. And I don't think that's true.” https://nymag.com/...

New York Times:

X capitulates in Brazil and could return next week, as the company's lawyers say it took down some accounts, paid fines, and named a new formal representative— In an abrupt reversal, the social network's lawyers said it was complying with court orders that it had previously defied.

Discussion:
The Guardian, Adweek, Breitbart, Washington Post, Forbes, Reuters, Reclaim The Net, Rob Karpati on LinkedIn, Michael Markovitz on LinkedIn, CNBC, @claudferraz, @zeynep, @mmarkovitz, @senrickscott, @wicary, @timurkuran, @morningbrew, @chrchristensen, Agence France-Presse, Deadline, @vpace.bsky.social, @mediumboi@threads.net, @kateaconger@threads.net, @josiah.mortimer@threads.net, @fridaghitis@threads.net, TechCrunch, @nicholasgrossman.bsky.social, Engadget, @stalbaum@mastodon.social, @mmasnick.bsky.social, @clearspark.bsky.social, @dnas.is, @mattdpearce.bsky.social, @researchbuzz@researchbuzz …, The Verge and MEDIANAMA

Discussion:

Lucas Nolan /
Breitbart: Elon Musk Bends the Knee to Brazil's Censorship in X/Twitter Free Speech Fight

Antonio Pequeño IV /
Forbes: Musk Backs Down In Brazil: X May Return After Complying With Court Orders

Cindy Harper /
Reclaim The Net: Is X Yielding to Brazil's Censorship Pressure?

Rob Karpati /
Rob Karpati on LinkedIn: Social media platforms are key parts of our infrastructure, but we treat the huge platforms like private fiefdoms. …

Michael Markovitz /
Michael Markovitz on LinkedIn: Musk backing down in Brazil is a win for digital sovereignty. It has nothing to do with freedom of expression and everything to do with legal accountability. …

Claudio Ferraz /
@claudferraz: Seems like the war of attrition might get to an end for X in Brazil. Also seems like in the end profits and size of the market might be more important than individual ideology

Zeynep Tufekci /
@zeynep: So after all that, it seems X complied with the Brazilian courts and all the rulings of judge Moraes —who Musk had repeatedly said belonged in jail— and banned the accounts as ordered, paid the fines, named an official representatives, etc. [image]

Michael Markovitz /
@mmarkovitz: Musk backing down in Brazil is a win for digital sovereignty. It has nothing to do with freedom of expression & everything to do with legal accountability. Fun to watch Musk process in real time that X needs Brazil more than Brazil needs X. https://www.theguardian.com/ ... [image]

Rick Scott /
@senrickscott: Brazil banning @X is an overreach of power from a judge with a long history of robbing those with a conservative view of their free speech. It's time we deny or revoke visas for Justice De Moraes and other members of the Brazilian Supreme Court complicit in these undemocratic [image]

Stephen Wicary /
@wicary: Elon Musk backs down and decides to comply with court orders in Brazil, an attempt to end a monthslong clash that culminated in the banning of his social network X in Latin America's largest economy, @danielcarvalho_ reports https://www.bloomberg.com/...

Timur Kuran /
@timurkuran: Free speech just took a hit. X has backed down in Brazil. It will comply with court-ordered censorship after all. Throughout the world, governments eager to control speech will take note. @morningbrew: Brazil has won its battle with X and Elon Musk Per the New York Times, X has decided to comply with orders from the country's Supreme Court Brazil could lift its ban on X as early next week [image]

Christian Christensen /
@chrchristensen: Musk agrees to take down accounts, pay fines, comply with #Brazil's request for X/Twitter to appoint a legal representative. Case was about a nation-state having sovereignty over its own media ecosystem in the face of the whims of a billionaire, and it looks like sovereignty won. [image]

Caroline Frost /
Deadline: Elon Musk Backs Down In Battle With Brazil Lawmakers To Restore X After Blocking Users

Ryan Simkins /
@mediumboi@threads.net: Hahaha Elon Musk bent the knee to Brazil.🤣 “After defying court orders in Brazil for three weeks, Musk's social network, X, has capitulated. In a court filing on Friday night, the company's lawyers said that X had complied with orders from Brazil's Supreme Court in the hopes that the court would lift a block on its site”

Kate Conger /
@kateaconger@threads.net: After defying court orders to remove accounts, Elon Musk pulled a surprise retreat and blocked them, ushering in X's return to Brazil https://www.nytimes.com/...

Josiah /
@josiah.mortimer@threads.net: Haha. Musk caves in, in Brazil. But not before losing millions $, plus losing millions of users to Threads and BlueSky 💯 https://www.nytimes.com/...

Frida Ghitis /
@fridaghitis@threads.net: Elon Musk's X Backs Down in Brazil. The former Twitter says it is removing the accounts that Brazil says had become a threat to it's democracy, and following other rules Musk had rejected, such as keeping a local representative. Brazil had banned XTwitter in the country. It won.

Anthony Ha /
TechCrunch: X reverses course in Brazil

Nicholas Grossman /
@nicholasgrossman.bsky.social: So claims of a principled stand for free speech in Brazil were always BS, it was trying to bully a govt Musk doesn't like, out of sympathy for Bolsonaro and Jan 8 rioters, part of a global far right push? — Huh. — As if that wasn't already clear from X censoring for govts Musk likes in Turkey and India.

Cheyenne MacDonald /
Engadget: X is reportedly now complying with orders from Brazil's Supreme Court @stalbaum@mastodon.social: This is very good news for democracy. A man whose Napoleonic ego thought it could bully a nation of voters, he lays down, concedes to justice. You are going to see Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin with the same dumbfounded expression on their faces too, soon enough. #ElonMusk #Twitter #Brazil …

Mike Masnick /
@mmasnick.bsky.social: I suggested this was likely happening yesterday and now it seems like it is: www.techdirt.com/2024/09/20/ e... Question now: of our new Brazilian friends here on Bluesky, how many will go back to the bad place? [embedded post]

Matt Pearce /
@mattdpearce.bsky.social: Probably helps here that places like Bluesky are viable competitors when Elon feels like going fash and defying court orders in democratic countries. www.nytimes.com/2024/09/21/w... @researchbuzz@researchbuzz.masto.host: #Twitter #ElonMusk #Brazil — 'X's lawyers said the company had done exactly what Mr. Musk vowed not to: take down accounts that a Brazilian justice ordered removed because the judge said they threatened Brazil's democracy. …

Alex Cranz /
The Verge: X is capitulating to Brazil's Supreme Court

Sharveya Parasnis /
MEDIANAMA: X Faces Daily Fines Up To $920,000 For Defying Ban in Brazil

Notes From Poland:

Facebook removes images and text from articles that Polish outlets post, citing legal doubts over Poland's implementation of an EU copyright directive— Facebook has caused anger among Polish media outlets by removing images and text from their articles when they are posted on the social media platform.

Semafor:

A look at Tim Miller's “Never Trump” outlet The Bulwark's surging popularity on YouTube, with subscribers up from 50,000 in September 2023 to 631,000 now— The Scoop — Tim Miller doesn't enjoy making the MrBeast face, the wide-eyed, open-mouthed smile of a million YouTube thumbnail images.

Discussion:
@peterhamby and @samstein

Discussion:

Peter Hamby /
@peterhamby: The Bulwark — a real media company! Great @maxwelltani piece, starring a lot of @Timodc face https://www.semafor.com/...

TechCrunch:

Automattic CEO Matt Mullenweg calls WP Engine a “cancer to WordPress” and says it profits off confusion between the WordPress project and commercial services— Automattic CEO and WordPress co-creator Matt Mullenweg unleashed a scathing attack on a rival firm this week, calling WP Engine a “cancer to WordPress.”

Discussion:
Nate Hoffelder, @varunkrish, WordPress News and Matt Mullenweg, more at Techmeme »

Discussion:

Varun Krishnan /
@varunkrish: Why is @photomatt suddenly worked up? Saw this and his recent tweets against WP Engine. What's happening ? https://wordpress.org/...

Matt Mullenweg /
WordPress News: WP Engine is not WordPress Matt Mullenweg: On WP Engine — I wrote a bit more on Lee Wittlinger / Silver Lake and WP Engine over on WordPress.org …

Bloomberg:

Sources: Netflix is eager to pitch partners on less money up front for TV shows with potential for more later based on success; Netflix denies wanting to do so— Streaming services have three choices to catch up with Netflix. We examine the pros and cons of each one.

Discussion:
The Streamable and Cord Cutters News

Discussion:

New York Times:

A look at Racquet, a tennis magazine whose co-founders, David Shaftel and Caitlin Thompson, are in a legal dispute over their differing visions for the magazine— The indie magazine Racquet aims to become a major player in the business of tennis — after a messy dispute between its two founders.

Discussion:
@jtes

Discussion:

The Hollywood Reporter:

Netflix co-CEO Greg Peters talk about the company's choice to add advertising, its plans to “Netflix-ify” NFL games it will show in December, AI, and more— Peters also discussed AI, how a “desperate situation” got Netflix into the ad business, and how Amazon took a totally different approach to ads.

Financial Times:

Docs: in Perplexity's new ad model, brands will be able to bid for a “sponsored” question, which features an AI-generated answer approved by the advertiser— AI search start-up develops ‘sponsored’ question system in effort to gain share of $300bn digital ads industry

Discussion:
@antoniogm, @baekdal, @eric_seufert, @balancecrafting, @james.tartarus.org and Pixel Envy

Discussion:

Antonio García Martínez /
@antoniogm: This is entirely correct. The attribution challenges here (both for the ads, and the data provenance) will be vast and fascinating. It's an entirely new world straining to be born, while the old one of search (and Google dominance) ends. Entire empires waiting to form.

Thomas Baekdal /
@baekdal: Maybe I'm just too old-school, but this is confusing to me. If the AI answers have been pre-approved, why not just let the brands write the answers themselves and allow the brands to define and control their ad messages? ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Eric Seufert /
@eric_seufert: More information about Perplexity's ad product, which, as I inferred last month, is built for brand advertising: brands will bid for sponsored questions that deliver answers they approve. [image]

James Aylett /