A former News Corp executive testifies in Google's ad antitrust trial that News Corp weighed switching from Google ad tools in 2017 but would have lost $9M (Thomas Barrabi/New York Post)

Mediagazer: A former News Corp executive testifies in Google's ad antitrust trial that News Corp weighed switching from Google ad tools in 2017 but would have lost $9M (Thomas Barrabi/New York Post)

Top News:

Financial Times:

GB News and UnHerd owner Paul Marshall acquires The Spectator for £100M and plans to expand the magazine overseas; Spectator chair Andrew Neil resigns— Acquisition bolsters hedge fund boss's position as one of UK's most influential right-leaning media barons
Discussion: @frasernelson, Spectator, @afneil, @peterjukes, @ian_fraser, Bloomberg, BBC, New Statesman, @peterjukes, The Spectator Australia, @danwootton, Irish News, Bloomberg, Reuters, @semaforben, @aphclarkson, @jamesrbuk, @notthatbigian, London Evening Standard, The Independent, @colinbraziertv, Press Gazette, @sangitamyska, @peterjukes, @rowandean, @twlldun, @nfmusic, The i Paper, @montie, @lefoudubaron, @jdportes, @aphclarkson, Irish News, Sky News, @mattwridley, @peterjukes, Telegraph, @semaforben, @danielthomasldn, New York Times, The Guardian, White \u0026 Case, The Times and Guido Fawkes

Discussion:

Fraser Nelson /
@frasernelson: Congratulations to Sir Paul Marshall, new owner of The Spectator. The price, £100m, is a huge vote of confidence in The Spectator, its writers and (most of all) its potential. After a long auction, the next chapter in our 196-year history can finally begin https://www.spectator.co.uk/ ...

Fraser Nelson /
Spectator: The Spectator's new owner - and new era

Andrew Neil /
@afneil: My Farewell to The Spectator 1/2 It is with great sadness that I write to tell you I am resigning as Chairman of The Spectator, with immediate effect. I made it clear many months ago that I would step down when a new owner took over. That time has now come. It has been my

Andrew Neil /
@afneil: My Farewell to The Spectator 2/2 My greatest regret is that I have not been able to find you a new home guaranteed to nurture the unique chemistry of The Spectator, which makes it so special and successful. I'm sorry about that but the matter was taken out of my hands. We

Peter Jukes /
@peterjukes: Siri. Give me an example of how cheaply you can buy the British intelligentsia

Ian Fraser /
@ian_fraser: Reminder of the hateful “likes” of hedge fund manager Paul Marshall, who has just snapped up The Spectator for £100m. Marshall is piecing together a right-wing media empire which already includes GB News and Unherd. @arusbridger https://www.prospectmagazine.co.uk/ ...

Alison Phillips /
New Statesman: Is Paul Marshall challenging Rupert Murdoch's media empire?

Peter Jukes /
@peterjukes: Oof. Sharp passing shot at Marshall “No doubt the new proprietor will bring assets to the table, perhaps even bigger budgets. However you can have all the resources in the world but if you don't understand what really makes The Spectator tick then they will be as naught.”

Dan Wootton /
@danwootton: Last year Sir Paul Marshall arrived at The Spectator's summer party only to discover his name had been taken off the guest list. He had to turn around and leave. Today he's just paid £100 million to buy The Spectator. His first decision may well be to sack its chairman Andrew [image]

Paul Sandle /
Reuters: Britain's Paul Marshall buys The Spectator magazine

Ben Smith /
@semaforben: A domestic owner with populist right politics, after the government blocked foreign ownership ....

Alexander Clarkson /
@aphclarkson: Andrew Neil ends up like the National Review editors and commentators in the US who were steamrollered by ideological forces they were instrumental in unleashing

James Ball /
@jamesrbuk: Warm post from Fraser paying tribute to the Spectator's outgoing chairman Andrew Neil and its old owners. But to a general audience the observations on business model and valuation might be more interesting - no to clicks and programmatic ads, yes to value through loyalty...

Ian Acheson /
@notthatbigian: I am proud to have played a v small role as a contributor to the best current affairs magazine in the country, brilliantly led & populated by writers I am frequently in awe of. We need intelligent thought diversity more than ever and I know @spectator will continue to deliver.

Henry Saker-Clark /
London Evening Standard: GB News backer Sir Paul Marshall buys The Spectator magazine for £100m

Alex Croft /
The Independent: Andrew Neil steps down as Spectator chair after £100m sale to GB News investor finalised

Colin Brazier /
@colinbraziertv: Fantastic news. The @spectator remains one of the most important voices in Britain's public square. It will continue to provide a shop window for some of the writers - Moore, Liddle, Murray - who consistently diagnose our nation's ills with wisdom, waspish humour and courage.

Bron Maher /
Press Gazette: Paul Marshall pledges to fix ‘underinvestment’ in Spectator as sale goes through

Sangita Myska /
@sangitamyska: Andrew Neil 🧵 takes a pot shot at Paul Marshall, the Spectator's new owner and biggest shareholder at GB News, implying he will not grasp that an Editor must be free of interference from the proprietor & external influences for it to be a credible news/current affairs outlet.

Peter Jukes /
@peterjukes: For all my many many criticisms of @afneil he at least had the decency to walk away from Paul Marshall's GB News. Is this a case of ‘better the devil you know’. Will we actually miss him?

Rowan Dean /
@rowandean: Andrew Neil's sad but superb letter of resignation from The Spectator. Andrew is a legend of the media whose mentorship will be greatly missed but The Spectator Australia and Flat White readers can rest assured that the magazine and the website will continue in the magnificent

Godspeed You Black Tamperer /
@twlldun: Oh this is bad news. The spectator might end up publishing all sorts. Mad cranks, racists, climate change deniers, people who praise the Wehrmacht... Hold on. I'm just hearing something from my producer

Neil Fisher /
@nfmusic: “The digital temptations that can lure publications to their grave ('Look at the clicks! Drop the opera review!') are dangerous-they come dripping in what looks like supportive data. You can end up not just being edited by algorithm but stripping a publication of nuance and soul”

Tim Montgomerie /
@montie: The biggest congratulations should go to @FraserNelson. At a time when print journalism is fighting for its life, Fraser and @afneil have turned The Spectator into a hugely profitable and influential magazine and because of its innovative digital products - it has its biggest @lefoudubaron: A grateful farewell to @afneil - an iconic journalist and friend for 25 years. Andrew nurtured @spectator with integrity and flair. He was an example and inspiration. He didn't interfere, but he set a tone of independence, authority and ethics. I've been privileged to

Jonathan Portes /
@jdportes: Reminder of a few of @afneil's “highlights” as Chairman of the Spectator -Taki's endorsement of what *Neil himself* described as an “openly Nazi” party Murray's call for ethnic cleansing in Gaza Liddle's toxic racism.. Puff pieces for Zemmour, the AfD and Thierry Baudet..

Alexander Clarkson /
@aphclarkson: Owner of GBNews and Unherd expands his right wing media empire. T here is a risk here for a Conservative Party that has increasingly abandoned a traditional Tory ethos that Marshall's particular obsessions drag it further away from the broad mainstream of British society

Sarah Taaffe-Maguire /
Sky News: Spectator magazine finally sold to GB News investor Sir Paul Marshall

Matt Ridley /
@mattwridley: A great journalist who made a journal greater.

Peter Jukes /
@peterjukes: Shocking insight into former Speccie owners - the Barclays “Suddenly and without warning we were placed in receivership because our then proprietors had used us as collateral for massive debts unrelated to us (without ever telling us). They then failed to pay these debts”

James Warrington /
Telegraph: GB News owner Paul Marshall completes £100m deal for The Spectator

Ben Smith /
@semaforben: Extraordinary farewell from a legendary figure who the would-be US/Gulf buyers made a huge mistake in taking for granted. Also, this Ben Shapiro interview really holds up: https://www.youtube.com/...

Daniel Thomas /
@danielthomasldn: The Spectator has only its 15th owner in its 200 year history after hedge fund tycoon Paul Marshall completed his acqusition today for £100m. The FT reveals the plans for the storied title sold at a whopping price https://www.ft.com/... via @ft White \u0026 Case: White & Case advises Sir Paul Marshall and Old Queen Street Ventures Limited on acquisition of The Spectator magazine

Helen Cahill /
The Times: Paul Marshall buys Spectator for £100m

New York Post:

A former News Corp executive testifies in Google's ad antitrust trial that News Corp weighed switching from Google ad tools in 2017 but would have lost $9M— News Corp considered switching away from Google's advertising products in 2017 - but decided against it after determining it would cost …

Discussion:
Reuters, Mumbrella, The Verge, New York Daily News, Digiday, New York Times, The Media Leader, AdExchanger and Adweek

Discussion:

Jody Godoy /
Reuters: News Corp would have lost $9 billion in 2017 by ditching Google ads, ex-exec testifies

Lauren Feiner /
The Verge: US v. Google redux: all the news from the ad tech trial

Seb Joseph /
Digiday: From power play to courtroom drama: a timeline of tumultuous turns to Google's ad tech trial

Sabrina Quagliozzi /
The Media Leader: Google's antitrust trial over online advertising begins today

Allison Schiff /
AdExchanger: DOJ vs. Google, Day One: Who's Testifying And Google's Main Arguments In Brief

RELATED:
Reuters: In the first day of the antitrust trial focused on ads, US prosecutors allege Google abused its size to dominate the sector through acquisitions and more

Discussion:
Marketplace, Yahoo Finance, MediaPost, Associated Press, MarTech, Bloomberg, Financial Times, @jason_kint, @okayy_dan, @leah_nylen, @vidushi_law, Politico, @vafrmmd, The Verge, The Information, Digital Content Next, New York Times, Digital Journal, New York Post, Semafor, City A.M., CNN and Washington Post, more at Techmeme »

Discussion:

Stephanie Hughes /
Marketplace: Google loses long fight with EU over epic antitrust fine

Alexis Keenan /
Yahoo Finance: Clash of the titans: Google and US attorneys kick off ad tech trial with clash over defining the market Associated Press: Google and Apple lose legal battles in Europe and now owe billions in fines and back taxes

Samuel Stolton /
Bloomberg: Apple, Google Defeats to Fuel EU's Crackdown on Big Tech

Alex Rogers /
Financial Times: US accuses Google of dominating ad tech market as antitrust trial begins

Jason Kint /
@jason_kint: Cited G emails “we'll do to display what we did to search” striking after losing search trial last month"-Bender and “use AdX or you don't get access to our demand.”-Spencer /3

Jason Kint /
@jason_kint: US subtly established stock market metaphor early (ad market is 342x larger than stock market transactions per day) with bonus reminder of evidence purge ("a written email Google actually preserved"). /2

Daniel Hart /
@okayy_dan: Haha “word and tech salad.” A bit like “Just keep writing good content, and we'll catch up.” “The helpful systems are now baked into the core and applied broadly” “You can recover in a couple of weeks, no, I meant several... sorry, did we say anyone was going to recover?”

Vidushi Dyall /
@vidushi_law: Oh boy, it's finally a wrap of Day 1 DOJ v. Google II. They call it the rocket docket for a reason, and Judge Brinkema is wasting no time pushing this trial full steam. We heard from 4 witnesses already! It's day one but we are ahead of schedule. Breakdowns coming shortly.

Vidushi Dyall /
@vidushi_law: From 2008-2022, there has been 18x growth in digital ads In 2010, G got about 15% of that rev In 2022, it got 10% This is a sign of a health marketplace that is not in need of govt interference. It's also a market that is rapidly evolving.

Vidushi Dyall /
@vidushi_law: Google's opening statements countered the DOJ, saying this case was actually about a transformative innovation that G has invested heavily in to the benefit of itself, small publishers, and users who want free content and a free internet.

Vidushi Dyall /
@vidushi_law: G argued: https://1.it/'s innovations supercharged the market 2.Choices in ad tech tools have increased 3.G has helped grow the ad tech pie

Vidushi Dyall /
@vidushi_law: Next up was Andrew Casale, the president and CEO of Index Exchange, an exchange focused on the programmatic market aka automating ad transactions.

Edith Hancock /
Politico: Google loses EU court battle over €2.4B antitrust fine @vafrmmd: Prosecutors say Google has largely dominated the technological infrastructure that funds the flow of news and information on websites through more than 150,000 online ad sales every second. https://www.reuters.com/...

Lauren Feiner /
The Verge: Google and the DOJ's ad tech fight is all about control

Martin Peers /
The Information: Google's Antitrust Trial No. 2 Starts

David McCabe /
New York Times: U.S. Argues Google Created Ad Tech Monopoly

Thomas Barrabi /
New York Post: DOJ launches case against Google in historic trial over digital ad dominance, attorney warns of ‘unintended consequences’

Marta Biino /
Semafor: Google faces its next major antitrust test Washington Post: The US DOJ's case against Google's ad business may benefit Meta, Amazon, and news organizations that pay Google a cut of revenue for brokering their website ads

Axios:

The New York Times Tech Guild, which represents 600+ employees, votes to authorize a strike after over two years of stalled contract talks with NYT management— - The Wirecutter union held a five-day walkout over the Black Friday holiday weekend in 2021 and struck a deal with management days later.

Discussion:
@nytguildtech and @beep@follow.ethanmarcotte.com, more at Techmeme »

Discussion:
@nytguildtech: THERE IS NO DEBATE: We have approved a strike, with just weeks until Election Day. Read more here: https://www.nyguild.org/... [image]

Ethan Marcotte /
@beep@follow.ethanmarcotte.com: Per https://bsky.app/... , 95% of the votes were “yes.” This strike authorization didn't squeak by; this is what happens when management's failed for *years* to properly sit at the negotiating table. — This is also how you bring them *back* to the table.

Axios:

Veteran journalist Peter Kafka is reviving his old Recode Media podcast under a new name, Channels, starting September 11 with the Vox Media podcast network— - He also worked out an arrangement with Vox Media CEO Jim Bankoff where he'll own the podcast, giving him freedom and flexibility.

Discussion:
MediaPost, Nieman Lab, @cgates123, @sarafischer, @jakesherman, @mossbergwalt@threads.net, @pkafka, @pkafka@threads.net and Talking Biz News

Discussion:

Ray Schultz /
MediaPost: Vox To Start Multi-Media Podcast Franchise

Joshua Benton /
Nieman Lab: The old Recode Media podcast is returning to a familiar home

Christopher Gates /
@cgates123: Congrats @pkafka on the restructuring and launch! I have seen Vox utilize this structure more and more. It is smart. Give creators ownership and help them with production, distribution and advertising. As a maker of shows, ownership is 🗝️ https://www.axios.com/...

Sara Fischer /
@sarafischer: Big news for media biz: @pkafka bringing his infamous pod back to @voxmedia, rebranding it “Channels” -He'll remain w @BusinessInsider -Will still be a weekly intv show -Peter will own the show. Vox Media is production, distribution and sales partner https://www.axios.com/...

Jake Sherman /
@jakesherman: I think @pkafka does a great podcast. So this is cool.

Walt Mossberg /
@mossbergwalt@threads.net: Just checked on Apple Podcasts. Channels is automatically there in the feed previously occupied by Recode Media. Can't wait!

Peter Kafka /
@pkafka: And if you were previously subscribed to Recode Media you *should* have gotten my trailer in your feed this morning. But never hurts to check. Thanks to everyone at @voxmediapods for getting this thing up and running. Glad to be back.

Peter Kafka /
@pkafka: Professional news: I have two jobs! Very excited to start chatting again. Sara has the backstory below. You can get tomorrow's show - an interview with the New Yorker's David Remnick - and every one after that, for free, by heading here https://link.chtbl.com/kafka

Peter Kafka /
@pkafka@threads.net: I'm putting on my podcast pants again, starting tomorrow: Channels will be a long-form interview show dropping every Weds. First guest: David Remnick, the New Yorker's longtime editor. — Subscribe now (for free!) on the app of your choice: https://link.chtbl.com/kafka 1/2

Chris Roush /
Talking Biz News: Kafka revives podcast for Vox Media

Financial Times:

UK culture secretary Lisa Nandy is considering mutualizing the BBC, giving direct ownership to license-fee payers, as part of a review of funding options— Culture secretary Lisa Nandy says ‘nothing off table’ as government and broadcaster prepare for talks over funding

Discussion:
@mediareformuk and London Evening Standard

Discussion:
@mediareformuk: Encouraging that @lisanandy is looking into mutualising the BBC as part of funding reviews. For too long the public have been treated as passive consumers & our investment treated as ‘venture capital’ for an increasingly commercialised service. https://www.ft.com/...

Second Rough Draft:

An interview with The Minnesota Star Tribune CEO Steve Grove on the newspaper's reboot, becoming a “paper of relevancy”, ending political endorsements, and more— From paper of record to paper of relevancy … RT: So, Steve, you announced five focus areas for your coverage …

Discussion:
@grove

Discussion:

Adweek:

Amazon says it is testing sponsored ads in chats with Rufus, its AI-powered shopping assistant, in the US— But ad buyers are cautious about the placements — Amazon is starting to plug ads into generative AI. — Sponsored ads—Amazon's core search ad format—could start appearing …

Discussion:
Adam Epstein on LinkedIn and Jeremy Dodge on LinkedIn

Discussion:

Adam Epstein /
Adam Epstein on LinkedIn: It will be fascinating to see the outcome of Amazon bringing ads to Rufus. — Sponsored Ads (primarily search) are Amazon's cash cow, accounting for 80% of all Ad revenue. …

The Guardian:

A writer who works for a tech company describes how he helps train AI models how to write, by making up pretend responses to hypothetical chatbot questions— Journalists and other writers are employed to improve the quality of chatbot replies. The irony of working for an industry …

Discussion:

Anika Collier Navaroli /
Columbia Journalism Review: AI companies have a news problem. Journalists have the skills they need to fix it.

Rui Vale /
Rui Vale on LinkedIn: «In Fritz Lang's classic 1927 film Metropolis, the ancient Canaanite deity Moloch is reincarnated as an insatiable industrial machine. …

Tim Kendall /
@timkendall_path: A clear explanation of AI's voracious thirst for human created content and knowledge. That demand is generating work for human creators, and may never be slaked. Humans are always needed and not replaced. The same may be true of computational pathology. https://www.theguardian.com/ ... @niemanlab: “Instead of using these grandiloquent chatbots to automate us out of our livelihoods, tech companies are contracting us to help train their models.” “https://www.theguardian.com/ ...

Jane Rosenzweig /
@rosenzweigjane: Here's the piece, in which @jackapollo1 describes “a new economic phenomenon that rewards writing, that encourages it, ...all while simultaneously deeming it an encumbrance, a problem to be solved, an inefficiency to be automated away.” https://www.theguardian.com/ ...

Marty Swant /
@martyswant: Lots of great thoughts/lines in this @guardian story about the irony of writers improving LLM-powered chatbots. https://www.theguardian.com/ ... [image]

The Verge:

ESPN's AI-generated articles recapping women's soccer games are bland and basic, failing to note key moments like one player's final game and emotional farewell— This weekend, ESPN began publishing AI-generated recaps of women's soccer games, with more sports to come.

Discussion:
@blandpseudonym.bsky.social, Defector, @itnewsbot@schleuss.online, Poynter, The Present Age, Awful Announcing and ESPN

Discussion:

Iain Hepburn /
@blandpseudonym.bsky.social: This is the kind of crap I fear seeping into the system over here. Lower leagues and women's football - deemed necessary to cover but of lesser value by news leadership - relying on match reports basically generated out of editorial Lego blocks. [embedded post]

Luis Paez-Pumar /
Defector: ESPN Masks Cynical AI Pivot As Benevolent Coverage Of “Underserved” Sports @itnewsbot@schleuss.online: ESPN is now using AI to recap women's soccer and people have feelings - Image: Cath Virginia / The Verge — This weekend, ESP... - https://www.theverge.com/...

Parker Molloy /
The Present Age: ESPN's AI Fumble: How Robot Recaps Missed Alex Morgan's Final Match

Sean Keeley /
Awful Announcing: ESPN AI recap of Alex Morgan's final professional match fails to mention Alex Morgan

The Guardian:

A UK inquest finds “insufficient evidence” to rule that a man's suicide was due to a 2019 appearance on the Jeremy Kyle Show, which was subsequently canceled— Coroner finds ‘insufficient evidence’ that appearance on ITV show led Steve Dymond to take his own life

Discussion:
Irish News, London Evening Standard, BBC and @Lazarou@mastodon.social

Discussion:

Matt Watts /
London Evening Standard: ‘No causal link’ between Jeremy Kyle guest Steve Dymond's appearance on show and his death, coroner rules

Talking Biz News:

Unionized editorial workers at LexisNexis-owned Law360 go on strike after failing to reach an agreement on a new contract; the union represents ~250 people— The unionized editorial workers at LexisNexis-owned Law360 went on strike at midnight after the union was able to reach an agreement on a new contract with management.

Discussion:
MediaPost, The NewsGuild, @claire_bushey, @fakebenjay, @newsguild, @law360union, The NewsGuild and @law360union

Discussion:

Dylan Manshack /
The NewsGuild: Newsletter: We're on strike at Law360!

Claire Bushey /
@claire_bushey: I used to cover the legal beat. Journalists @Law360 do great work, and lawyers read them all the time. But going forward, please refrain. As of today, @law360union is on strike. Don't click on the website, don't open the newsletters. Show that company who does the work.

Ben Jay /
@fakebenjay: Thrilled to launch @law360union's strike publication - Outlaw360: Strike Authority! This is the place to go for strike updates and coverage of the stuff you'd normally go to Law360 for (don't cross the digital picket!). We're at https://outlaw360.org/ https://law360guild.org/ @newsguild: 🚨 We're on strike at @law360union! 🚨 @Law360 laid off 10% of our Guild-represented staff and violated U.S. labor law — right after LexisNexis boasted record revenue. We're holding power to account and on the picket line today!✊ Sign the pledge: https://newsguild.org/law360 [video] @law360union: TIME'S UP @Law360 and @LexisNexis: We've offered you plenty of opportunities to reach a fair contract and remedy your unlawful practices at the table but tonight, just after midnight, we will walk off the job on an open-ended ULP strike. [image]

Axios:

The Los Angeles Local News Initiative, which plans a nonprofit news org to support local newsrooms in LA, raised $15M from media leaders and philanthropists— - The research included input from 900 L.A. residents about gaps in community coverage, said Monica Lozano, the Initiative's board chair …

Discussion:

Feven Merid /
Columbia Journalism Review: L.A. Local News Initiative launches

Kevin Merida /
Kevin Merida on LinkedIn: A big, ambitious effort to advance local news in L.A. launches with $15m raised. This new nonprofit organization is spearheaded by philanthropists … American Journalism Project: Media leaders and philanthropists join forces to revitalize local news in Los Angeles @journalismproj: The L.A. Local News Initiative, announced today, is a $15M effort to grow & support #localnews in the region. The initiative will operate & support local newsrooms covering neighborhood, regional & state levels in service of LA communities. https://www.theajp.org/...

Sara Fischer /