Google faces increasing legal challenges from Russia and fines in non-US courts, after YouTube blocked three Russian channels following the invasion of Ukraine (Upmanyu Trivedi/Bloomberg)

Mediagazer: Google faces increasing legal challenges from Russia and fines in non-US courts, after YouTube blocked three Russian channels following the invasion of Ukraine (Upmanyu Trivedi/Bloomberg)

Top News:

New Jersey Digest:

The Star-Ledger, New Jersey's largest newspaper, plans to end its print edition on January 30, 2025, citing growing costs and a shrinking demand for print— The Star-Ledger, New Jersey's largest newspaper, will stop publishing its print edition on January 30, 2025, transitioning fully to a digital format.
Discussion:

Alexandra Steigrad /
New York Post: New Jersey Star-Ledger will end print edition in 2025

Doug Cunningham /
UPI: Star-Ledger, other New Jersey newspapers to end print editions in early 2025

Ed Kane Cudahy /
@jaspertylerkane: I interned at The Star-Ledger and was fortunate enough to write on a byline and they paid me. It was a great experience and taught me a lot and gave me confidence in my writing.

Ed Kane Cudahy /
@jaspertylerkane: This is terrible news for older news consumers who don't consume news on digital platforms

Joe Concha /
@joeconchatv: As it should. Don't know a soul who reads the print edition. Online only is the only way forward.

Jason Notte /
Jason Notte on LinkedIn: I learned to read by reading ads from The Star-Ledger on my grandmother's floor in Belleville, N.J. — That paper made me want to become a journalist and it …

David Folkenflik /
@davidfolkenflik: The future is now: NJ's largest newspaper, the Star-Ledger, will kill its print edition in 2025. Was once a top 12 US circulation paper. Sister paper Trenton Times too. https://www.nj.com/...

Jeff Jarvis /
@jeffjarvis@mastodon.social: Here's the Star-Ledger/NJ.com/Advance Local announcement. Note that all its NJ papers continue online except the Jersey Journal (where my office once was), which is fully folding. https://www.nj.com/...

Bobby Olivier /
@bobbyolivier: Yes, The Star-Ledger print edition is going away. The electronic version of the newspaper will remain. As will all of the work we already do on NJ dot com. It's a sad but necessary step for us as a digitally focused newsroom. Details in the story. https://www.nj.com/...

Brian Stelter /
@brianstelter@threads.net: Three daily papers in New Jersey — The Star-Ledger, The Times of Trenton and the South Jersey Times — are ending print publication in February. Same old story: “Rising costs, decreasing circulation and reduced demand for print.” https://www.nj.com/...

Kevin Whitmer /
Kevin Whitmer on LinkedIn: Inevitable. ... Sad. ... And totally unavoidable news that dropped today. — I hurt for my friends and former colleagues in departments whose jobs will be affected. …

Bloomberg:

Google faces increasing legal challenges from Russia and fines in non-US courts, after YouTube blocked three Russian channels following the invasion of Ukraine— Law experts raise concerns about nationalism rearing its head in courts around the world — When YouTube blocked three Russian channels …

Discussion:
The Moscow Times, Broadband TV News, Business Insider, Digital Trends and Gizmodo

Discussion:

Joshua Nelken-Zitser /
Business Insider: A Russian court hit Google with a fine larger than the world's GDP, stretching credulity

Jacob Roach /
Digital Trends: Russia's fine of Google amounts to 23,809,523 times all of the money that exists on Earth

Washington Post:

CCDH: of 283 X posts in 2024 with false election claims that Community Notes members had responded to, only 20 had notes with enough votes to be publicly shown— X's crowdsourced fact-checking program has been hailed as a bold idea for social media. Research shows it's failing at a critical moment.

Discussion:
@willoremus and

Discussion:

Will Oremus /
@willoremus: New research by @CCDHate and our data team find that Community Notes users often propose accurate fact-checks of misleading election posts — but 91% of those are never approved or shown on X. Gift link: https://www.washingtonpost.com/ ... w/ @TrishaThadani & @jeremybmerrill

Will Oremus /
@willoremus: NEW: We dove deep into X's “Community Notes” fact-checking program to see how it's faring against a tide of election misinformation, drawing on our own analysis & independent research. The verdict: It's an ingenious idea that is, at this crucial moment, completely overmatched. [image]

RELATED:

Engadget:
X says it has “re-architected” the scoring system for its Community Notes feature so that notes can now appear less than 20 minutes after a post is published

Discussion:
Reclaim The Net, @_jaybaxter_, @elonmusk and @communitynotes

Discussion:

Cindy Harper /
Reclaim The Net: Harris-Walz Social Media Machine Is Silencing Critics and Boosting Supporters

Jay Baxter /
@_jaybaxter_: Notes show up way faster now!! Behind the scenes, the eng team pulled off a rewrite of much of the backend scoring system to make this a reality. Really happy to see it paying off!! ⚡️

Elon Musk /
@elonmusk: Big upgrade to Community Notes! @communitynotes: Introducing Lightning Notes ⚡ People want fast notes. So we re-architected the system to score notes faster. Since rolling this out, we've seen notes go live in as little as 14m33s after being written, and 18m20s after the post itself was written. Ludicrously fast? Now reality! [image]

Nieman Lab:

A decade after the Serial podcast launched, public radio executives say they think true crime podcasts can bolster interest and support for their organizations— Amid the downturn in audio, some executives think the public radio model — with a dash of true crime — might provide a way forward.

Discussion:
@jeffjarvis@mastodon.social, Nieman Lab and

Discussion:

Jeff Jarvis /
@jeffjarvis@mastodon.social: The desperate tabloidization of public radio.... The future of true crime sounds like...public radio? https://www.niemanlab.org/...

Laura Hazard Owen /
Nieman Lab: 10 years after Serial: Nieman Lab looks at crime news now

Axios:

Sources: NBC News plans to promote Way Too Early host Jonathan Lemire as the co-host of the “Morning Joe” 9am hour in January 2025— - His Red Sox obsession gives him plenty to banter about with Scarborough and co-host Willie Geist — along with Liverpool soccer, “Star Wars,” presidential biographies and table tennis.

Discussion:
TVNewsCheck, RedState, Raw Story and @maxwelltani

Discussion:

Max Tani /
@maxwelltani: Big, well-deserved move for @JonLemire

The Guardian:

Australia's ABC Chair Kim Williams says pursuing “digital titans for a fair cut of the revenues drained from mainstream journalism” is a “democratic imperative”— Kim Williams says funding local news and public interest journalism is crucial in a world where 'the distortion …

Discussion:
Crikey

Discussion:

The Hollywood Reporter:

Amazon invests in Spotter, a creator platform that counts MrBeast as a client and provides capital and tools to creators, as part of a wider partnership— Spotter, which counts MrBeast, Deestroying, and Dude Perfect as clients, will give the tech giant new ways to monetize content …

Discussion:
Variety, The Wrap, Axios, Business Insider, Deadline and @kerrymflynn

Discussion:

Todd Spangler /
Variety: Amazon Invests in Spotter, Which Has Paid Out More Than $940 Million to Creators

Lucas Manfredi /
The Wrap: Amazon Bets on Creator Economy With Investment in Spotter, Firm Behind MrBeast and Try Guys

Kerry Flynn /
Axios: Amazon invests in creator company Spotter

Lucia Moses /
Business Insider: Dude Perfect's new Texas headquarters will also serve as a studio for YouTube creators

Variety:

Barcelona-based Grup Mediapro launches a €1B sports rights brokering fund, targeting established and emerging sports— Grup Mediapro, the Barcelona-based global holding including The Mediapro Studio, is launching and will manage a €1 billion ($1.1 billion) sports rights brokering fund …

NPR:

The LA Times has lost 10,000 to 18,000 subscriptions, or up to 4.5% of its subscribers, since owner Patrick Soon-Shiong axed the paper's Harris endorsement— Subscribers keep deserting The Washington Post after it announced it would not endorse any candidate in the race for the White House.

Discussion:
Washington Post, Nieman Lab, HuffPost, One America News Network, New York Post, CNN, American Press Institute, Axios, The Wrap and Fox News

Discussion:

Elahe Izadi /
Washington Post: After non-endorsement, 250,000 subscribers cancel The Washington Post

Sarah Scire /
Nieman Lab: The Washington Post's non-endorsement led to record-breaking weeks at other news orgs

Dave Jamieson /
HuffPost: The Biggest Non-Endorsements Of 2024 — A partial list of people and institutions withholding …

James Meyers /
One America News Network: Report: Washington Post Loses 250K Subscribers Over Decision Not To Endorse Harris

Ariel Zilber /
New York Post: Washington Post loses 250K — or 10% — of subscribers over decision not to endorse Kamala Harris: report

Liam Reilly /
CNN: More than 250,000 Washington Post readers cancel subscriptions in revolt over non-endorsement

Rebecca Falconer /
Axios: WaPo subscribers flee en masse after Bezos' endorsement decision The Wrap: Washington Post Has Lost 250K Subscribers, LA Times 18,000 Since Owners Axed Kamala Harris Endorsements

The Guardian:

Source: WaPo subscription cancellations hit 250,000 on Tuesday, or 10% of subscribers, since October 25, based on the number of cancellation emails sent out— Reader backlash against decision not to make presidential endorsement rolls on despite Bezos defense of decision

Discussion:
@craig.forman@threads.net, @davidfolkenflik, freebeacon.com, HuffPost, Techdirt, @hadas_gold, @craig.forman@threads.net, @jakeadelstein, Minneapolis Star Tribune, @craig.forman@threads.net, @myhlee, Newser, @stacycowley, @kenvogel, @GossiTheDog@cyberplace.social, Poynter, @genevaoh@threads.net, Le Monde.fr, Daring Fireball, MediaPost, Fox News, The National Pulse, @Balkingpoints@mastodon.online, The Handbasket, @edmundlee@threads.net, Gizmodo, @nelson@tech.lgbt, @carlmalamud@official …, @mpm@mstdn.social, UnHerd, The Wrap, The Hill, The American Conservative, Washington Post, Semafor, NPR and Crooked Timber

Discussion:

Craig Forman /
@craig.forman@threads.net: A $30M reduction in annual revenue is what @washingtonpost faces due to accelerated churn of 250,000 subscribers sparked by its altered 2024 presidential-endorsement policy. This is simply the math from reports that 10% of the company's subscribers thus far cancelled in the wake of the decision by proprietor Jeff Bezos to halt presidential endorsements. …

David Folkenflik /
@davidfolkenflik: UPDATE: The number of cancellations since Friday's revelation now exceeds 250,000, NPR can report. That represents approximately 10 percent of all paid circulation.

Alana Goodman /
freebeacon.com: EXCLUSIVE: WaPo Opinion Editor David Shipley Blames Bezos for Endorsement Drama, Tells Staff They Can Quit as Distraught Journalists Slam Bezos for 'Conflict …

Marita Vlachou /
HuffPost: Over 250,000 Subscribers Flee The Washington Post After Non-Endorsement Decision

Mike Masnick /
Techdirt: Dear Jeff Bezos: The ‘Hard Truth’ Is That Cowardice Like Yours Is Why People Don't Trust The Media

Hadas Gold /
@hadas_gold: The Washington Post's own reporters confirm the high subscription cancellation rate (around 250,000) that @davidfolkenflik first reported https://www.washingtonpost.com/ ...

Craig Forman /
@craig.forman@threads.net: While Bezos can easily fund the widening operating gap as The Post tries to return to sustainable growth after losing a reported $170 million since 2022, these long-tenured subs were likely individually highly profitable since the cost of acquiring them was accounted for long ago. … @jakeadelstein: @myhlee @washingtonpost Michelle-sama, Keep up the good work! I'm not cancelling my subscription. I did write a letter to the editor. Dear @washingtonpost, Over the years, I've proudly contributed to your paper. My love for this institution has never wavered. But I'm deeply frustrated by your recent

Craig Forman /
@craig.forman@threads.net: That would - indeed - be a shame. Because while there is always the opportunity to find efficiencies as well as do different things differently, The Post will likely need more investment - not less - in product, technology and the right people going forward. I'm certain @jeffbezos understands that, maybe more than anyone else. …

Michelle Ye Hee Lee /
@myhlee: A heartfelt thank you to everyone affirming their support for the journalists and journalism of @washingtonpost through the #whyisubscribe hashtag here, especially from our competitors. It's encouraging after a difficult few days (and months).

Evann Gastaldo /
Newser: Washington Post Subscription Cancellations Hit 250K

Stacy Cowley /
@stacycowley: Cancelling subscriptions to the Washington Post hurts their newsroom of essential journalists, not Bezos. I love tons of its reporters' work, but a special shout-out to @DaniDougPost for her fierce & vital coverage of the endlessly confusing student loan maze #whyIsubscribe

Kenneth P. Vogel /
@kenvogel: The partisan podcasters, pundits & aggregators would have nothing to talk about if everyone followed their advice & cancelled subscriptions to news outlets that produce the actual accountability reporting upon which the podcasters, pundits & aggregators base their content.

Kevin Beaumont /
@GossiTheDog@cyberplace.social: First screenshot, NY Times story from October 14th this month about how Washington Post is losing $100m a year and they're very happy to have added 4000 subscribers. — Second screenshot, a few weeks later after Jeff Bezos set fire to his own company. — [images]

Geneva Overholser /
@genevaoh@threads.net: If the owner of an essential newspaper makes shockingly clear that he values his personal gain over the newspaper's integrity, we as subscribers should protest. Right there, on the grounds where he made this shameful decision. As for our colleagues, whom we value — what favor does our acquiescence in such an unacceptable step do them? …

John Gruber /
Daring Fireball: Cancelling Your Amazon Prime Membership to Protest Bezos's Bootlicking at the Washington Post Is Like Pissing in the Ocean Fox News: WaPo staffers livid after chief editor downplays rate of cancellations: 'No one believes a word he's saying' @Balkingpoints@mastodon.online: As mentioned last night, the fallout about this is better for VP Harris than the endorsement ever would have been. — Hard to say it better: Billionaire wants Republican president. This is all about Bezos dammit and he should get lower taxes and less regulation... - #election #news …

Marisa Kabas /
The Handbasket: Billionaires are not journalists — It's not about presidential endorsements—it's about the very future of our field.

Ed Lee /
@edmundlee@threads.net: still having a hard time squaring this: — “I wish we had made the change earlier than we did, in a moment further from the election and the emotions around it. That was inadequate planning, and not some intentional strategy.” — His edit board pulled together an endorsement weeks earlier (at least), and he doesn't tell them about his decision? …

Matt Novak /
Gizmodo: Washington Post Loses 250,000 Subscribers After Jeff Bezos Kills Harris Endorsement

Nelson Minar /
@nelson@tech.lgbt: I wasn't alone!. The WashPo has lost 250,000 subscribers, 10%, in response to Bezos' cowardly dictat.

Carl Malamud /
@carlmalamud@official.resource.org: Joined 250,000 of my fellow readers in cancelling my WaPo subscription. https://www.theguardian.com/ ... Sent some money over to the @guardian instead.

Mark McCahill /
@mpm@mstdn.social: Another day, another 50,000 #WashingtonPost subscriptions cancelled. — ""The publication has now shed 250,000 subscribers, or 10% of the 2.5 million customers it had before the decision was made public on Friday, according to the NPR reporter David Folkenflik. — A day earlier, 200,000 had left according to the same outlet. …

Dominick Mastrangelo /
The Hill: Carville: WaPo mass cancellations show ‘enthusiasm’ for Harris

Joseph Addington /
The American Conservative: Bezos Declares New Era at Washington Post

Jeff Bezos /
Washington Post: Jeff Bezos says presidential endorsements “create a perception of bias” and WaPo ending them is a “principled decision”, but wishes the change was made earlier Semafor: WaPo subscribers canceling shows how much its anti-Trump stance was marketing, as many seemed to be there for the mission, not necessarily the content

David Folkenflik /
NPR: Sources: more than 200,000 people had canceled their WaPo digital subscriptions by midday Monday, or ~8% of the paper's paid circulation of 2.5M subscribers

Eszter Hargittai /
Crooked Timber: Washington Post cancellations

Talking Biz News:

Consumer Reports gets a $5M investment from Craig Newmark Philanthropies to conduct new investigations into cyber harms, AI systems, privacy concerns, and more— Consumer Reports has received a a new investment of $5 million from Craig Newmark Philanthropies that will accelerate its vision …

Discussion:
Innovation at Consumer Reports and @consumerreports

Discussion:

Stacey Higginbotham /
Innovation at Consumer Reports: Expanding Consumer Reports' Partnership with Craig Newmark Philanthropies @consumerreports: One of our priorities is making sure the digital marketplace is safe for consumers. A new $5M grant from @CraigNewmark Philanthropies will help expand our work on issues like cybersecurity, AI, & digital finance. #CybersecurityAwarenessMonth https://innovation.consumerreports.org/ ...

Columbia Journalism Review:

Journalists and liberal critics blast the NYT and other US news outlets for “sanewashing”, false equivalence, and more, and call for sharper political reporting— From sanewashing to false equivalence, many readers have had it with their favorite news publications. Editors would do well to listen.

Discussion:
Balloon Juice: I want to Change Bourbon Brands, but What About all the Distillery Workers, and the Craft of Distilling Itself?!? @jeffjarvis: .@CJR gave me the opportunity to write the story I've so wanted to write about the wave of liberal anger with the NY Times, Washington Post, et ilk, over campaign coverage, quoting many journalists and exploring theories. https://www.cjr.org/...

Jay Rosen /
@jayrosen_nyu: By @jeffjarvis: “I will not cancel my subscriptions, for I both want to support the good and necessary journalism still produced there and to stay on the case of these institutions. But I am disappointed in them, and often angry...” https://www.cjr.org/... Recommended.

Jennifer Schulze /
@newsjennifer: Like @jeffjarvis, I've spent my life as a journalist. I believe it is essential work now more than ever. I point out sanewashing, stenography, false equivalence, misleading headlines & other missteps for the simple reason that I want the journalism work to improve.

Steve Kettmann /
@stevekettmann: Great, great CJR piece by Jeff Jarvis, who many of us rely on to stay abreast of media trends. Please read. Very important article.

James Fallows /
@jamesfallows: Very good piece by @jeffjarvis in @CJR @flo_a: @jeffjarvis @CJR “Bouie regularly calls on history for explanation, something I wish more newsroom journalists would do.... Journalists like to say they write the first draft of history. Too often that means they ignore history.” @MissConstrue@mefi.social: Y'all, you know I have thoughts about the current state of American news. I have not been shy about what I think about the sanewashing and the clear and present danger of billionaires being in charge of information dissemination. …

Jeff Jarvis /
Jeff Jarvis on LinkedIn: The Columbia Journalism Review gave me the opportunity to write the story I've so wanted to write about the wave of liberal anger with the New York Times …

Bruce MacDonald /