McClatchy's Charlotte Observer is scaling back print editions to three days a week starting September 16, down from six days, and will rely on USPS for delivery (Tony Mecia/The Charlotte Ledger)
Mediagazer: McClatchy's Charlotte Observer is scaling back print editions to three days a week starting September 16, down from six days, and will rely on USPS for delivery (Tony Mecia/The Charlotte Ledger)
Top News:
Ars Technica:
A House committee report claims the Global Alliance for Responsible Media colluded to cut Twitter revenue after Musk's acquisition; GARM guidance is non-binding— Congress accused advertisers group of colluding to tank X's revenue. — After the House of Representatives Committee …
Discussion:
Javier Espinoza /
Financial Times: EU accuses Elon Musk's X of deceptive practices over blue ‘checkmark’
Eric Owens /
@ericowensdc: Elon Musk is asking government to imprison advertisers who choose not to advertise on Twitter, and people who urge advertisers not to advertise on Twitter. Amazing.
Kate Rouch /
@kate_rouch: It's not just the platforms like X or the Daily Wire that face these kinds of subjective rules. Companies - including Coinbase - can struggle to get their paid messages out via mainstream media unaltered.
Mike Masnick /
Techdirt: Elon Says ExTwitter Will Sue The Group ExTwitter ‘Excitedly’ Joined Just Last Week
Ron Kampeas /
@kampeas: No one owes you ads, @elonmusk.
Bruce Mirken /
@BruceMirken@mas.to: “Free speech absolutist” #ElonMusk wants to prosecute those who use their free speech rights to urge a boycott of his Nazi bar. #Twitter — https://arstechnica.com/...
Dan Gillmor /
@dangillmor@mastodon.social: Musk is inviting his red-state pals to prosecute people who dare advise advertisers to stay away from his toxic swamp. — https://arstechnica.com/... This is what right-wing extremists like Musk actually think about free speech. (They hate it when it's directed, unfavorably, at them.) …
Bret Carmichael /
@bretcarmichael@mastodon.social: #Musk's businesses have long benefited from government subsidies. He now wants government to mandate that other businesses pay subsidies to his #Twitter / #X. Musk said of boycotting advertisers, “Hopefully, some states will consider criminal prosecution.” … @juergen_hubert@thefolklore.cafe: Elon Musk is up to his usual bullshit again. — Though to be honest, given the state of the American judiciary, I am worried that this might actually be successful. — https://arstechnica.com/...
Steven Nelson /
New York Post: Bombshell report details how a little-known corporate cartel targets outlets — including The Post — claimed to be spreading ‘misinformation’
RELATED:
Bloomberg:
After X hyped shows with Paris Hilton, Tucker Carlson, and others in January 2024, the deals have fizzled, a source says due to a lack of advertiser interest— X is having a tough time cracking into the TV business, but first... Promises, promises — Six months ago, executives …
Discussion:
Jeff Stoller /
@jjstoller.bsky.social: This reminds me, I don't think I've seen or heard anything at all about Tucker White Nationalism Carlson since maybe his Aaron Rodgers interview(?), even over on the bird site. Dude is completely off the map and irrelevant. [embedded post]
Chris Dobbertean /
@chrisdobbertean.net: LOL. No wonder Elno is threatening advertisers. [embedded post]
Braak /
@braak.bsky.social: Don't worry Musk has a solution to this it's called “Put companies in jail until they agree to advertise on Paris Hilton's Twitter tv show” [embedded post]
Rudeboy Tomjanovich /
@aceanbender.com: lmaoooooooo seeing this after seeing the headline that elon wants to sue companies that boycott advertising on twitter made my morning [embedded post]
Nails Nathan /
@chadstanton.bsky.social: Launching a show hinging on Paris Hilton 's star power in 2024 is just an incredibly bad read of the moment. [embedded post]
TechCrunch:
Three US senators introduce the COPIED Act, which aims to give journalists, songwriters, and artists tools to fight AI models using their work without consent— A bipartisan group of senators has introduced a new bill that seeks to protect artists, songwriters, and journalists from having …
Discussion:
Senate Of The United States: Content Origin Protection and Integrity from Edited and Deepfaked Media Act U.S. Senator Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee: Blackburn, Cantwell, Heinrich Introduce Legislation to Combat AI Deepfakes & Put Journalists, Artists & Songwriters Back in Control of Their Content @public_citizen: Everyone has a right to know when they're seeing, hearing or engaging with AI-generated content. The COPIED Act would combat the rise of harmful deepfakes, setting crucial guidelines to protect journalists, actors, & artists against AI-driven theft & hold violators accountable.
Marty Swant /
@martyswant: Yesterday, @SenatorCantwell, @MarshaBlackburn and @SenatorHeinrich introduced the COPIED Act that would create new federal transparency standards for generative AI. Here's my @Digiday story about the bill & yesterday's committee hearing on AI & privacy. https://digiday.com/... @commercedems: Today, @SenatorCantwell, @MarshaBlackburn and @SenatorHeinrich introduced the COPIED Act that will increase transparency, combat AI deepfakes and put creators back in control of their content. https://www.commerce.senate.gov/ ... [image] @riaa: We appreciate @SenatorCantwell, @MarshaBlackburn, & @SenatorHeinrich leadership with the COPIED Act of 2024 that would grant much needed visibility into AI development and pave the way for more ethical innovation and fair and transparent competition in the digital marketplace. [image]
Marty Swant /
Digiday: AI Briefing: Senators propose new regulations for privacy, transparency and copyright protections
Stuart Dredge /
Music Ally: US music bodies welcome ‘Copied Act’ proposed AI legislation
Eray Eliaçık /
Dataconomy: To fight AI's copycat games, the COPIED Act proposes...
Financial Times:
Sources: Axel Springer CEO Mathias Döpfner and KKR are in talks to break Axel Springer in two, separating media assets from its digital classifieds business— Deal would separate group's media assets from its digital classifieds operation — German billionaire Mathias Döpfner …
Discussion:
Axios, Bloomberg, Reuters, @froomkin, @semaforben and The Information
Discussion:
Dan Primack /
Axios: Axel Springer reportedly weighs company breakup
Dan Froomkin /
@froomkin: “The possible split comes as Döpfner [who once asked colleagues to pray for Trump's reelection] has been stepping up his efforts to build influence in the US media.” [my brackets]
Ben Smith /
@semaforben: Wow — big @ArashMassoudi scoop on Axel Springer: The company would split, giving the media assets to CEO Matthias Dopfner, the real estate and job sites to KKR https://www.ft.com/...
Jessica E. Lessin /
The Information: Why Women Are Disappearing From Tech
Journal Sentinel:
Civic Media says its decision to make two pre-broadcast edits to a Biden interview on Earl Ingram's WAUK show fell short of “journalistic interview standards”— Jessie Opoien Molly BeckMilwaukee Journal Sentinel — MADISON — Civic Media, a Wisconsin-based progressive talk-radio network …
Discussion:
Civic Media, Fox News, Mediaite, Newser, Poynter, @peterbakernyt, @corbinbolies, @grynbaum, Inside Radio, KNSD-TV, Breitbart, New York Times, The Wrap, New York Post, CNN, The Daily Beast, Deadline and @toussaint@newsie.social
Discussion:
Sage Weil /
Civic Media: Civic Media — Statement regarding edits to the July 4th interview with President Biden
Jamie Frevele /
Mediaite: ‘Outrageous!’ Fox's Dana Perino Scolds Biden Administration Over Asking For Interview Edits
Evann Gastaldo /
Newser: Radio Network Admits Portions of Biden Interview Were Cut
Peter Baker /
@peterbakernyt: Biden has given fewer interviews than any president in modern times and not a single one to a major newspaper. Instead he prefers friendly interviewers — and it turns out that his campaign has long fed some of them softball questions to ask. @kenbensinger https://www.nytimes.com/...
Corbin Bolies /
@corbinbolies: Biden campaign says: “Hosts have always been free to...air the segments they think will best inform their listeners.” Doesn't explain why they made the request. When I called host Earl Ingram to chat, he promised a call back...and then ignored follow-ups. https://www.thedailybeast.com/ ...
Michael M. Grynbaum /
@grynbaum: What a disaster Biden's two under-the-radar radio interviews last week turned out to be. His campaign was caught planting questions (which got one host fired) and asking one station to cut lines they felt were embarrassing. And Biden still had gaffes like “first Black woman.”
Zoë Richards /
KNSD-TV: Wisconsin radio network said it edited out portions of Biden interview at his campaign's request
Paul Bois /
Breitbart: Milwaukee Radio Station Says it Agreed to Edit Joe Biden Interview, Removed Embarrassing Statements
Ken Bensinger /
New York Times: Biden Campaign Has Long Fed Softball Questions to Friendly Interviewers
Jacob Bryant /
The Wrap: Biden Campaign Asked Wisconsin Radio Station for Edits to President's Interview
Victor Nava /
New York Post: Milwaukee radio station admits it scrubbed multiple Biden remarks from interview — at campaign's request
Corbin Bolies /
The Daily Beast: Radio Station ‘Sorry’ for Editing Biden Interview at Campaign's Request
Ted Johnson /
Deadline: Milwaukee Radio Station Says It Made Edits To Joe Biden Interview At Request Of Campaign @toussaint@newsie.social: Biden's first interviews after the debate were with tiny radio stations to practice for the ABC interview. Biden got one lady fired for being given the questions by the campaign and not telling anyone until after the fact. The other was carefully edited to take out a phrase black PEOPLE hate to hear; ‘the blacks’ or ‘more blacks’. …
The Charlotte Ledger:
McClatchy's Charlotte Observer is scaling back print editions to three days a week starting September 16, down from six days, and will rely on USPS for delivery— News organization will deliver newspaper by U.S. mail on Wednesdays, Fridays, Saturdays; a ‘bold step’ toward embracing digital, editor says
Discussion:
Anchorage Daily News: Anchorage Daily News will reduce print to 2 days a week, continue emphasis on digital growth
Rana L. Cash /
The Charlotte Observer: The Charlotte Observer set to change print days as digital transition evolves
Gerry McCarthy /
@gjmccarthy: Holy crap this is huge. I'm assuming more large metros will follow suit.
Tim Peeler /
@packtimpeeler: Holy crap. 3 times a week? The newspapers of my youth: The Lincoln Times-News, the Hickory Daily Record, the Cherryville Eagle and the Charlotte Observer.
Frank Ahrens /
@ahrensf: Wow. This was one of the great regional papers young journalists aspired to. Won several Pulitzers, not that that seems to matter for readership or circulation.
Randy Capps /
@randycapps: Many more will fall. But wow.
Brian /
@sportsmatters: So many thoughts, so few available characters. Glad I had a big number of bylines there. Different world now, however.
Mike Orren /
@mikeorren: We're going to see a lot of this in the coming months. The rare holdouts will be those who own their presses, meaning the overhead makes it worth printing daily until they go to zero.
Phillip Gilfus /
@phgukpol: @will_doran My parents (and I) have made the transition to online local in Fay (CityView). Obviously still need a workable business model for it, but that may be the evolution for metros.
Will Doran /
@will_doran: I spent a decade in the newspaper industry and would expect most papers to go this route (many already have) in the next few years. They'll still be putting out new reporting every day online—physical papers will just now be used to highlight the best investigations, photos, etc
Ally /
@allybfraz: Watching the slow death of what was The Newspaper in one of the biggest cities in North Carolina has been so painful. Y'all do realize this is absolutely mad, right?
Warren Bingham /
@warrenbingham: @kbphotos Obviously, print versions and perhaps digital versions of all of the old school newspapers are going to disappear entirely. 😢
Warren Bingham /
@warrenbingham: Gollygeewow! As one who grew up reading the Observer and the afternoon Charlotte News in their heyday, this is really tough news for this old Boomer.
Ben Thompson /
@bentnews: After 138 years in business, Charlotte Observer announces it's cutting publication to 3 days a week (Wed, Fri, Sun). Digital content will continue 7 days a week. Statement says paper is still hiring journalists. #CLT https://www.charlotteobserver.com/ ...
Tommy Tomlinson /
@tommytomlinson: Inevitable, and probably should've happened sooner, but still... a long tradition, broken.
David Menconi /
@ncdavidmenconi: @tommytomlinson Also: Delivered by the US Postal Service? Hmm... [image]
David Menconi /
@ncdavidmenconi: @johnrobinson @newsobserver It's going to come with the mail now? Not great for those of us whose mail arrives late in the day. [image]
John Robinson /
@johnrobinson: This is seismic for NC papers. Is the @newsobserver next?
Rest of World:
A profile of FlowGPT, a Chilean artist who made a hit song using AI to clone Justin Bieber and Bad Bunny's voices and calls his AI songs “demos”— Meet the Chilean artist who made it big using others' voices. … 9 JULY 2024 • SANTIAGO, CHILE
Discussion:
Garbage Day
Discussion:
The Verge:
How Ben Faw, co-founder of BestReviews and Advon, allegedly led a scheme to add affiliate links to product reviews that benefited companies Faw had a role in— The man behind the AI gaffes at Sports Illustrated and USA Today has a yearslong history of filling the internet with garbage.
Discussion:
@verge@mastodon.social, @miarsato, @dannygroner, @daisandconfused and @miarsato
Discussion:
Mia Sato /
@miarsato: NEW: Ben Faw is an Army vet who went to Harvard Business School + worked at Tesla and LinkedIn. He's well-connected in media. He was also behind the disastrous Sports Illustrated AI incident. And he's been pushing garbage out on the internet for years: https://www.theverge.com/...
Danny Groner /
@dannygroner: “As publishers stare down the barrel of Google Search traffic drying up to zero, outlets big and small, trustworthy and less so, are leaning into product review content, hoping it will buoy a sinking ship. But the ecosystem of online reviews is essentially the Wild West.”
Daisy Alioto /
@daisandconfused: I will never understand why mercenaries enter the media industry and try to make money. Go make easy, dumb money in literally any other industry.
Bloomberg:
Saudi Arabia will host the inaugural Olympic Esports Games in 2025, as part of a newly announced 12-year partnership with the Olympic Committee— Saudi Arabia will host the inaugural Olympic Esports Games in 2025 under an agreement announced Friday by the International Olympic Committee and the kingdom.
Discussion:
Engadget, Deadline and Olympics.com, more at Techmeme »
Discussion:
Melanie Goodfellow /
Deadline: Saudi Arabia Proposed As Host For Inaugural Olympic Esports Games
The Verge:
Q&A with Nick Thompson, CEO of The Atlantic and former EIC of Wired, on the magazine's two-year OpenAI deal, AI lawsuits, the future of search, and more— CEO Nicholas Thompson discusses the deal: 'AI is coming. It is coming quickly. We want to be part of whatever transition happens.'
Discussion:
MediaPost and @fionabradley@fediscience.org
Discussion:
Laurie Sullivan /
MediaPost: OpenAI Search Is Coming, ‘The Atlantic’ CEO Says
Fiona Bradley /
@fionabradley@fediscience.org: So many interesting points in this interview with The Atlantic about their OpenAI deal. I think this point from the interview is particularly salient for those of us still pushing for open access to quality information: “we're getting to a place where the high-quality work is behind the paywall …
Bloomberg:
Audible proposes a new royalties model where Audible pays publishers and authors from a pool of revenue to be divided up among titles users listen to each month— The Amazon subsidiary wants the industry to make more audiobooks available for bottomless consumption — Hello, and welcome back to Soundbite.
Discussion:
The Wrap and Audible.com
The Wrap:
The LAist Union says the nonprofit newsroom lost at least 21 staffers to layoffs and buyouts this week; LAist announced a voluntary buyout program in May— The nonprofit newsroom announced its intended buyouts in May, citing mounting expenses and declining revenue
Discussion:
@currentpubmedia, @hexpositive, @caitlinherdez, @mybackyardpara1, @rainey_l, @hearinladotcom, @busblog, @hearinladotcom and @laistunion
Discussion:
Current /
@currentpubmedia: LAist has accepted 21 buyouts and is eliminating seven additional positions, according to a spokesperson. https://current.org/...
Suzy Exposito /
@hexpositive: Layoffs at CNN, Entertainment Tonight and now LAist... In the past 24 hours alone! Do I need to host another media layoff survival workshop???
Caitlin Hernández /
@caitlinherdez: As a steward at LAist, I'm incredibly disappointed to share that we're losing valuable colleagues today. @mybackyardpara1: @hearinladotcom ... Don't rage at LAist. What's happening there is not mismanagement. It's happening everywhere at every news outlet. And don't think that Twitter is so goddamn important. It's not.
Libby Rainey /
@rainey_l: I'm a union steward at @LAist. We went through layoffs last year too. We all deserve better. @hearinladotcom: If @LAistUnion went on strike and listed why and added all the fucked up reasons and struggles the once-beloved station and blog has been going through, it would make national news and save jobs. It would finally echo the spirit of its namesake LAist. Or the union could do [image]
Tony Pierce /
@busblog: There's nothing I love more than ppl who have never met me telling me - not to rage - especially over the painfully slow demise of the best thing I was ever involved with: The Meteoric Rise of LAist. That's like telling a victim of abuse, “just take it. Stop resisting.”
@hearinladotcom:
For those of you too young to remember, @LAist rose to the top via courage, sass, edge and having its finger on the pulse of younger Angelenos. At the same time @KPCC established themselves as being the radio station your smart, older Obama-voting friends listened to. When [image]