Google launches News Showcase in Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania; several publishers added a feature where Google pays for reader access to paywalled content (Marek Miller/The Keyword)

Mediagazer: Google launches News Showcase in Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania; several publishers added a feature where Google pays for reader access to paywalled content (Marek Miller/The Keyword)

Top News:

Adweek:

Subscription platform Zuora is acquiring AI company Sub(x) to use AI to enhance paywall offerings for the news industry; Sub(x)'s 10 employees will join Zuora— EXCLUSIVE: With Sub(x), Zuora moves beyond propensity scoring to reinforcement learning — Subscription technology platform Zuora …
Discussion: Chris Scott on LinkedIn, @markstenberg3 and Zuora

Discussion:

Chris Scott /
Chris Scott on LinkedIn: The Sub(x) acquisition is so important because it adds #ReinforcementLearning to Zephr. These days, publisher can't rely on legacy technologies like propensity scores: …

Mark Stenberg /
@markstenberg3: New: The subscription platform Zuora has acquired Sub(x), an AI firm whose technology aims to “eliminate A/B testing” in paywall strategy. Zuora, whose clients include The NYT and The FT, will use Sub(x) to improve retention and reduce churn. For @ADWEEK:https://www.adweek.com/ ...

Wired:

ISIS created two YouTube channels falsely branded as CNN and Al Jazeera channels in March; their videos stayed on YouTube for a month and a half before removal— One video focused on giving ISIS credit for a terror attack that Russian disinformation blamed on Ukraine.

Discussion:
@paddydugganj, @SteveThompson@mastodon.social and @daithaigilbert

Discussion:

Paddy Duggan /
@paddydugganj: “The campaign is just the latest sign of the Islamic State's growing sophistication in circumventing content moderation efforts.”

Steve Thompson /
@SteveThompson@mastodon.social: They hardly need to create fake Al Jazeera broadcasts...but “fake news to debunk fake news”... 🤨 — “ISIS Created Fake CNN and Al Jazeera Broadcasts” — https://www.wired.com/... “One video focused on giving ISIS credit for a terror attack that Russian disinformation blamed on Ukraine. …

David Gilbert /
@daithaigilbert: A rare example of a disinformation nesting doll: ISIS created a fake CNN video in order to debunk Russian disinformation blaming Ukraine for a deadly attack in Moscow in March. “It was essentially fake news to debunk fake news,” @MoustafaAyad says https://www.wired.com/...

The Keyword:

Google launches News Showcase in Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania; several publishers added a feature where Google pays for reader access to paywalled content— News and Publishing Partner Manager, Central and Eastern Europe — For more than two decades, Google has partnered with journalists …

Discussion:
Neowin

Discussion:

Aditya Tiwari /
Neowin: Google's curated news panels are now available in more countries

Austin American-Statesman:

Gannett's Austin American-Statesman names Courtney Sebesta executive editor; she began her career at the Statesman 22 years ago as an editorial assistant— Courtney Sebesta, a homegrown journalist who has risen from an entry-level newsroom position to top management at the Austin American-Statesman …

Discussion:
Courtney Sebesta on LinkedIn and Austin Business Journal

Discussion:

Courtney Sebesta /
Courtney Sebesta on LinkedIn: Some professional news. This newsroom raised me and showed me what true community journalism was all about. I am beyond honored and grateful to lead it into the future. …

@brianstelter:

Email to staff: Jeff Bezos names and copies Will Lewis and says WaPo “needs to evolve” and has his “commitment on maintaining quality, ethics, and standards”— New: Jeff Bezos writes to newsroom leaders and says “the journalistic standards and ethics at The Post will not change.” [image]

Discussion:
Fox News: Jeff Bezos tells upset Washington Post staffers that standards won't change under embattled publisher

Edward Helmore /
The Guardian: Jeff Bezos stresses commitment to ‘quality, ethics and standards’ in Washington Post memo

Sara Fischer /
Axios: Washington Post turmoil reels in familiar faces

Oliver Darcy /
CNN: Jeff Bezos moves to calm concerns at The Washington Post as new publisher faces mounting ethics questions

Zachary Leeman /
Mediaite: Jeff Bezos Emails Washington Post Staff, Signals Support For CEO Amid Ethics Scandal

Natalie Korach /
The Wrap: Jeff Bezos Assures Washington Post Staffers ‘Standards,’ ‘Ethics’ Won't Change Under New Leadership

Kara Swisher /
@karaswisher@threads.net: One note on the Bezos note: The journalistic standards and ethics at the Post HAVE changed and, IMHO, in the wrong direction. Others can disagree and I get it, since the media biz is definitely tougher. I was a young reporter under folks like Ben Bradlee and the Grahams, so my standards might be too high for the current low bar age we find ourselves in.

Corbin Bolies /
The Daily Beast: Yachting Jeff Bezos Throws WaPo CEO Will Lewis a Lifeline (For Now)

Alexandra Bruell /
@alexbruell: Also have learned that Bezos continues to support Lewis in his role as CEO amid a series of controversies

Sean O'Kane /
@sokane1@threads.net: prompt: write an all-staff email to the newsroom assuring them that i care without mentioning anything specific of value. don't mention that i'm currently vacationing in greece on my $500 million yacht.

John Robinson /
@johnrobinson: @brianstelter This is...insufficient. Doesn't address the elephant in the room: the new chief executive and incoming editor.

Kara Swisher /
@karaswisher@threads.net: The one time I hate that I was correct about what Bezos might do: Wait the newsroom out while reassuring them what is happening is not happening and that their instincts are off.

Paul Farhi /
@farhip: Jeff Bezos finally breaks his silence re: turmoil at the @washingtonpost. This memo to leadership can be read, at best, as non-commital—check back later. But I'd say it's mostly being read as a validation of the status quo by a very restive newsroom. [image]

Hadas Gold /
@hadas_gold: I do not think Bezos' email will do much to quell the concerns I've heard from Post staffers....

Kara Swisher /
@karaswisher@threads.net: Maybe there is another shoe to drop especially if there is more problematic reporting on Bezos picks — dump the rat boy hire for optics, for example — so we will see. Amazon always was a company that always and forever modulated with more data and I don't think that will be different here.

John McQuaid /
@johnmcquaid@threads.net: Good that Bezos is backing the Washington Post's high standards. But this is a tortured workaround. Ethically-compromised publisher lacks the credibility to assure the newsroom he will not lower standards, so it falls to the owner, who cc's the publisher

Variety:

Netflix plans to open two permanent in-person experience venues, in Dallas and near Philadelphia, in 2025, a continuation of its previous pop-ups— They're not exactly theme parks, but the new Netflix Houses — to open next year in King of Prussia, Pa., and Dallas — will feature a wide array …

Discussion:
CNN, Netflix Tudum, Brian Millman on LinkedIn, BGR, The Verge, Quartz, Peter Csathy on LinkedIn, @0xchalie, The Hollywood Reporter, The Wrap, Deadline and Media Play News

Discussion:

Henry Goldblatt /
Netflix Tudum: Netflix House Will Let You Experience Your Favorite Shows, Movies in Real Life

Brian Millman /
Brian Millman on LinkedIn: Today was a big day for our friends at Netflix. The first two Netflix House locations have been announced: Dallas and King of Prussia. …

Andy Meek /
BGR: People love Netflix's live pop-up experiences so much, they'll soon be permanent in two cities

Andrew Liszewski /
The Verge: Netflix House will fill the voids left by dead department stores

Bruce Gil /
Quartz: Netflix will open in-person ‘experiences’ at malls — but it won't use movie theaters

Peter Csathy /
Peter Csathy on LinkedIn: Okay, THIS is a “wow” move! And doing it former department store locations? Brilliant! For years, I've written that Netflix's brand …

Adam Chitwood /
The Wrap: Netflix to Make Live Experiences Permanent With Netflix House Entertainment Venues in Dallas and King of Prussia

Denise Petski /
Deadline: Netflix To Open First Two Permanent Immersive Entertainment Venues In 2025

Financial Times:

French ad agency Havas plans to invest €400M in AI and data-led initiatives in the next four years, and prepares for a four-way breakup of parent Vivendi— French company launches AI strategy as it prepares to split from parent group Vivendi — Havas will invest €400mn …

Discussion:
The Media Leader, Adweek, PRWeek, @havas, @davidclinchnews, Ad Age, MediaPost and Havas

Discussion:

Rebecca Stewart /
Adweek: Havas Bets $400m on AI, Readies Vivendi Spin-Off Plans

Gideon Spanier /
PRWeek: Havas pushes integration with new ‘Converged’ strategy and invests €400m in AI and tech @havas: Today marks a significant milestone for Havas as we proudly unveil our new global strategic plan: #Converged. After a decade of our #Together strategy, this new chapter represents a bold step forward for our organization. https://www.havas.com/... [image]

David Clinch /
@davidclinchnews: AI + advertising may become a scattered nightmare, but has the potential to create a new dynamic with better Ads being seen by real people in a validated context and based on actual attention time to minimize waste. I hope it is the latter.

Joe Mandese /
MediaPost: Havas Unveils ‘Converged,’ New Four-Year Strategic Plan

Variety:

Venu Sports, the Fox/WBD/Disney streaming venture, announces more hires, including Chief Business Officer Tim Connolly, who had led Apple TV+ subscriber growth— Key senior hires include chief business officer Tim Connolly, CTO Skarpi Hedinsson and CMO Brian Borkowski

Discussion:
The Desk, Radio & Television …, The Wrap, Next TV, Deadline and Barrett Media

Discussion:

Matthew Keys /
The Desk: Venu Sports drafts execs from Paramount, FanDuel, SiriusXM to fill leadership roster

Lucas Manfredi /
The Wrap: Venu Sports Adds Tim Connolly, Skarpi Hedinsson to Sports Streaming Venture Leadership Team

Daniel Frankel /
Next TV: Venu Sports Announces Management Team Under CEO Pete Distad

Dade Hayes /
Deadline: Venu Sports Streaming Venture Fills Out Executive Roster With Appointments Across Departments

Axios:

A NewsGuard study of 10 top chatbots, including from OpenAI, shows how often they repeat Russian disinfo and cite fugitive John Dougan's fake local news sites— - Entering 57 prompts into 10 leading chatbots, NewsGuard found they spread Russian disinformation narratives 32% of the time …

Discussion:
Fox News and @pernillet@mastodon.online, more at Techmeme »

Discussion:

Fox News:
House GOP launches investigation into federally funded news ratings group's impact on free speech

Pernille Tranberg /
@pernillet@mastodon.online: Entering 57 prompts into 10 leading chatbots, NewsGuard found they spread Russian disinformation narratives 32% of the time — #misinformation #disinformation #ai #genai #chatbot #chatgpt — https://www.axios.com/...

Digiday:

Daily Mail plans to launch a dozen long-form shows on YouTube by the end of 2024, focusing on popular verticals including entertainment, sports, and the royals— In a bid to earn more ad revenue, Daily Mail is making a big push into long-form video with plans to debut a dozen shows on YouTube by the end of this year.

Discussion:
The Media Leader, StreamTV Insider and Press Gazette

Discussion:

Jack Benjamin /
The Media Leader: Daily Mail unveils new global video strategy

Adrian Pennington /
StreamTV Insider: Daily Mail unveils expanded video strategy

Axios:

Forbes' lawyer demands that Perplexity AI remove articles sourced from Forbes, seeks assurances that Perplexity AI won't infringe on Forbes copyrights, and more— - The chatbot tried to give credibility to the Forbes story it presented by citing other “sourced” reports that were actually …

Discussion:
@johnvoelcker

Discussion:

The Guardian:

Australia complains to the Chinese embassy over efforts to block the view of Australian journalist Cheng Lei, who previously was detained in China, at an event— Anthony Albanese describes behaviour of officials at Parliament House during Chinese premier Li Qiang's visit as ‘clumsy’

Discussion:
The Australian, The Age, Daily Mail, Sky News Australia on YouTube, CNN, ABC News (Australia) on YouTube, @wmdglasgow, Sky News Australia on YouTube, ABC, Australian Financial Review, Agence France-Presse, Daily Mail, Taipei Times, @taliaotg, @stephendziedzic, The Canberra Times, @3awneilmitchell, The Australian, Reuters, @knottmatthew, ABC, @stephendziedzic, The Australian, Australian Financial Review, The Conversation, Australian Financial Review, The Times, The Daily Telegraph, BBC, Breitbart and Voice of America

Discussion:

Greg Sheridan /
The Australian: Cheng Lei incident diminishes PM, nation The Australian: ‘Shooting themselves in the foot’: Cheng Lei the focus after security bid to keep her from view The Age: ‘Rude, inappropriate’: Albanese toughens language on Cheng Lei incident as Chinese premier departs

Brett Lackey /
Daily Mail: Aussies turn against Anthony Albanese after his unbelievable response to China's disgraceful act inside Parliament - as the PM is forced to finally call out the behaviour Sky News Australia on YouTube: ‘Condemn it on the spot’: Albanese under fire for not defending Cheng Lei sooner CNN: Chinese officials' attempt to ‘block’ formerly detained journalist mars Australia goodwill tour ABC News (Australia) on YouTube: Australian government flags Chinese officials' censorship of Cheng Lei | ABC News

Will Glasgow /
@wmdglasgow: An illustrative example of the limits of Chinese diplomacy in the Xi era: The two Chinese embassy staff will likely be applauded for showing “fighting spirit” as they try to block Cheng Lei from view. Most Australians will be appalled by their behaivour https://www.theaustralian.com.au/ ...

Andrew Tillett /
Australian Financial Review: Australia criticises China for sea skirmish in sign tensions remain Agence France-Presse: Australia's Albanese concerned over ‘ham-fisted’ China diplomats incident with journalist

Max Aitchison /
Daily Mail: Cheng Lei blocked off by Chinese media officials as Li Qiang visits Australia @taliaotg: @daithaigilbert @MoustafaAyad Man the countering disinfo field that got co-opted by grifter disinfo manufacturers sure has deteriorated.

Stephen Dziedzic /
@stephendziedzic: Absurd. Chinese officials try to block cameras from getting a shot of Australian journalist Cheng Lei and Premier Li Qiang in the same frame. Good on PMC officials for putting a stop to it all https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/ ...

Neil Mitchell /
@3awneilmitchell: If Albo really does not know about the Chinese bullying of Cheng Lei it is absurd he was not told. But now he does know what will he do? This was on OUR soil,

Matthew Knott /
@knottmatthew: Australian officials try to intervene after officials from the Chinese embassy try to block journalist Cheng Lei from being filmed at a signing ceremony at Parliament House [video]

Stephen Dziedzic /
@stephendziedzic: Prime Minister Anthony Albanese says Chinese officials who attempted to block cameras from filming Cheng Lei in Parliament House behaved in a “pretty clumsy” manner and Australian officials have expressed concern to the Chinese Embassy [image]

Nick Bonyhady /
Australian Financial Review: ‘Grow a backbone’: Dutton accuses PM of misleading public

Michelle Grattan /
The Conversation: Albanese told Chinese premier that officials' behaviour towards Cheng Lei was ‘unacceptable’ and ‘not appropriate’

Hannah Ritchie /
BBC: Chinese officials appear to block freed journalist

John Hayward /
Breitbart: Police Accused of Repressing Protesters as Chinese Premier Visits Australia

Reuters Institute:

RISJ's 2024 Digital News Report with a survey of 90K+: six platforms, like TikTok, reach 10%+ of respondents for news use, compared to just two a decade ago— This year's report comes at a time when around half the world's population have been going to the polls in national and regional elections …

Discussion:
Rutger Verhoeven on LinkedIn, Nieman Lab, Reuters Institute, @andrewstroehlein …, Reuters Institute, Boing Boing, Media Voices, Diya Banerjee on LinkedIn, LatAm Journalism Review, Journalism.co.uk, Jacob Granger on LinkedIn, @jeffjarvis@mastodon.social, Press Gazette, WAN-IFRA and Reuters

Discussion:

Rutger Verhoeven /
Rutger Verhoeven on LinkedIn: A great read! First and foremost we're proud of the mentioning of @smartocto in the latest https://lnkd.in/... regarding the User Needs Model 2.0 …

Andrew Stroehlein /
@andrewstroehlein@mastodon.social: News use across online platforms fragmenting: 6 networks “now reaching at least 10% of our respondents, compared with just 2 a decade ago”. — YouTube used for news by 31% each week, — WhatsApp 21%, — TikTok 13%, — Twitter 10%. — https://reutersinstitute.politics.ox.ac .uk/ ...

Allan Rose Hill /
Boing Boing: 40% of people don't care about the news, survey says

Esther Kezia Thorpe /
Media Voices: 5 things we learned about the state of podcasts from the Digital News Report 2024

Diya Banerjee /
Diya Banerjee on LinkedIn: The Digital News Report of 2024 is out, and let's dive in. — With vertical video and short-form #content topping the chart in formats, people prefer viewing byte-size news multimedia content. …

Katherine Pennacchio /
LatAm Journalism Review: Using Facebook for the news in decline and concerns grow over AI's influence on misinformation: Reuters Institute report

Jacob Granger /
Jacob Granger on LinkedIn: Happy Digital News Report day! The study I look forward to most every year. Huge congratulations to the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism team for another incredible body of work …

Jeff Jarvis /
@jeffjarvis@mastodon.social: Excellent, as ever, @risj_oxford news report. Interest in news down (UK halved since '15), avoidance up (now 39%). Facebook down 4%. TikTok & news up, beating Twitter (should it really be banned in an election?) Subscription flat & destination strategies borked (should publishers market more?) …

Clara Aberneithie /
Press Gazette: Trust in news up slightly in UK but remains lower than global average

Teemu Henriksson /
WAN-IFRA: Digital News Report 2024: Business challenges mount as subscription growth slows

Sheila Dang /
Reuters: Survey: 52% of US and 63% of UK respondents say they would be uneasy with news produced mostly using AI; 59% worry about false news content online, up 3% YoY

RELATED:

Press Gazette:
A look at news influencers in the US, the UK, and France: a majority are mainstream journalists in the UK, much higher YouTube use for news in the US, and more

Discussion: