Paramount Global and Skydance Media announce a merger of the two companies in a complex transaction, ending months of chaotic talks (Dawn Chmielewski/Reuters)

Mediagazer: Paramount Global and Skydance Media announce a merger of the two companies in a complex transaction, ending months of chaotic talks (Dawn Chmielewski/Reuters)

Top News:

Reuters:

Paramount Global and Skydance Media announce a merger of the two companies in a complex transaction, ending months of chaotic talks— Skydance Media and Paramount Global (PARA.O) agreed to merge, the companies announced late Sunday evening, opening a new chapter for one of Hollywood's oldest studios.
Discussion: The Wrap, IndieWire, New York Times, Business Insider, Bloomberg, Axios, CBS News, Axios, The Hollywood Reporter, @loudmouthjulia, New York Times, Sara Fischer on LinkedIn, Deadline, Wall Street Journal, Media Play News, Los Angeles Times, Reuters, The Information, The Daily Beast, Cord Cutters News, @lucas_shaw, The Hollywood Reporter, @lucas_shaw, Variety, The Wrap, New York Post and The Media Leader

Discussion:

Lucas Manfredi /
The Wrap: Done Deal: Paramount Global Sells to Skydance Media in $8 Billion Acquisition

Brian Welk /
IndieWire: It's Official: Paramount and Skydance Are Merging

Lucas Shaw /
Bloomberg: Source: Paramount board's special committee approves Skydance merger; the board is set to approve the deal today, with an announcement coming as soon as Monday

Sara Fischer /
Axios: Paramount's special committee approves Skydance merger

Julia Alexander /
@loudmouthjulia: If I'm to understand what just happened between Paramount and Skydance — the selling of one former mogul family's declining media empire to a wealthier new mogul family who got a strong boost from the patriarchal tech lord — then this guy is about to be CEO. [image]

Benjamin Mullin /
New York Times: Meet David Ellison, Paramount's Future Boss and Hollywood's Newest Mogul

Sara Fischer /
Sara Fischer on LinkedIn: #Breaking: It's a done deal. Paramount's board has approved a deal to merge with Skydance Media. — The deal breathes new life …

Dade Hayes /
Deadline: Skydance Media Gets Board Committee Approval For Control Of Paramount Global After Lengthy Chase

Jessica Toonkel /
Wall Street Journal: Paramount Global Agrees to Skydance Deal

Erik Gruenwedel /
Media Play News: Paramount Agrees to Tentative Merger With Skydance Media Los Angeles Times: Paramount and Skydance agree to merge, marking a new chapter for the storied media company

Reuters:
Special committee of Paramount Global endorses plan to merge with Skydance Media, source says

Martin Peers /
The Information: Ellison's Skydance Gets Closer to Paramount Deal

AJ McDougall /
The Daily Beast: Paramount Board OK's Merger Deal With Skydance After False Start: Report

Luke Bouma /
Cord Cutters News: The Sale of Paramount+ & Pluto TV to Skydance Gets Several Major Approvals to Move Forward

Lucas Shaw /
@lucas_shaw: The deal still needs to be formally signed. Considering everything that has happened in this negotiation... it's official when it's announced.

Alex Weprin /
The Hollywood Reporter: New Paramount-Skydance Deal Nears Finish Line As Board Special Committee Signs Off

Lucas Shaw /
@lucas_shaw: Shari Redstone has agreed to sell her company to David Ellison. Paramount's special committee has agreed to merge with Ellison's Skydance. Neither one blessed this deal last month. What changed? https://www.bloomberg.com/...

Lucas Shaw /
@lucas_shaw: News: Paramount's board has approved a merger with Skydance. Link TK. A deal should be announced officially tomorrow.

Cynthia Littleton /
Variety: Skydance Media, Paramount Global and National Amusements Reach Sale Agreement

Josh Kosman /
New York Post: Paramount investor Mario Gabelli ‘may not sell stock’ in proposed Skydance merger

Ella Sagar /
The Media Leader: Paramount merger saga: The story so far

The Philadelphia Inquirer:

WURD says Biden's interview, with questions provided by his aides, was conducted without management knowledge and is parting ways with Andrea Lawful-Sanders— The Philadelphia radio host who admitted to using questions prepared by President Joe Biden's campaign in one of his first postdebate interviews …

Discussion:
WURD Radio, Axios, Fox News, New York Times, The Wrap, @brianstelter, CNN, @brianstelter, New York Post, @alexthomp, Ashanti Maya Martin on LinkedIn and Mediaite

Discussion:

Rebecca Falconer /
Axios: Radio host resigns after asking Biden questions sent by his campaign Fox News: Radio station ‘parts ways’ with host after admitting White House gave her questions before Biden interview

Simon J. Levien /
New York Times: Radio Host Resigns After Asking Biden Questions His Campaign Had Provided

Stephanie Kaloi /
The Wrap: Black-Owned Station Parts Ways With Host Who Asked Biden Questions Provided by the Campaign

Brian Stelter /
@brianstelter: Host Andrea Lawful-Sanders “and WURD Radio have mutually agreed to part ways, effective immediately,” because Lawful-Sanders used “pre-determined questions provided by the White House,” the station says (statement via @AlexThomp) [image]

Eva Rothenberg /
CNN: Radio host who interviewed Biden leaves station after admitting campaign aides gave her pre-selected questions

Brian Stelter /
@brianstelter: “WURD Radio is not a mouthpiece for the Biden or any other Administration,” the station says. “Internally, we will commit to reviewing our policies, procedures, and practices to reinforce WURD's independence and trust with our listeners. But mainstream media should do its own

Ryan King /
New York Post: Radio station cuts ties with host who revealed she only asked President Biden questions fed to her by campaign

Alex Thompson /
@alexthomp: Update: WURD, which had Biden's first interview post debate but used q's drafted by the Biden team, says they have parted ways w/ the host. Adds: “practice of de-legitimizing Black voices continues today. WURD Radio is not a mouthpiece for the Biden or any other Admin” [image]

Ashanti Maya Martin /
Ashanti Maya Martin on LinkedIn: WURD Radio had an exclusive interview with Joe Biden that aired last Thursday. It was his first post-debate interview. …

Joe DePaolo /
Mediaite: JUST IN: Philadelphia Radio Station Parts Ways With Host Who Asked Biden Questions Supplied in Advance By His Team

RELATED:
New York Times:

Biden aides provided questions for radio interviews on The Source on Philadelphia's WURD, on July 3, and The Earl Ingram Show on Wisconsin's WAUK, on July 4— The host of “The Source” on WURD in Philadelphia said officials provided her with a list of eight questions to choose from.

Discussion:
ABC News, Fox News, @justinbaragona, Mediaite, @charlesarthur, @jonkarl, @jabeale, @victorblackwell, @alexthomp, @aghamilton29, TMZ.com, Deadline, @ethank@threads.net, CNN, CBS News, Axios, The Wrap and ABC News

Discussion:

Olivia Rubin /
ABC News: 2nd local radio host says they were given questions ahead of Biden interview

Fox News:
FLASHBACK: Biden has history of coordinating ‘scripted’ interviews, press conferences with media ahead of time

Justin Baragona /
@justinbaragona: After it was revealed that her interview with Joe Biden featured questions drafted and fed to her by Biden aides, WURD Radio announced today that they've “mutually agreed to part ways” with host Andrea Lawful-Sanders. https://wurdradio.com/... [image]

Joe DePaolo /
Mediaite: Second Biden Interviewer Confirms He Too Was Given Questions in Advance By Biden's Team: 'Didn't Get a Chance' to Ask Everything ‘I Wanted’

Charles Arthur /
@charlesarthur: This is pitiful, on both sides. You dictate the questions? You accept the questions?

Jonathan Karl /
@jonkarl: This is malpractice. When you give the interviewer questions, it is no longer an interview. Why did the White House do this?

Jason Beale /
@jabeale: The radio host who interviewed Biden two days ago - Andrea Lawful-Sanders - just told @CNN that the White House sent her 8 questions in advance and she picked four of the 8 WH questions to ask Biden during the interview. @victorblackwell: A radio host who interviewed President Biden Wednesday tells me the White House sent her the questions before the interview. [video]

Alex Thompson /
@alexthomp: New: Biden's team drafted the questions for his 2 first post-debate interviews (both on Black radio). The WH was involved in drafting the q's, per person familiar WH Black media director wasn't part of the process Biden campaign denies WH's involvement. https://www.axios.com/... @aghamilton29: Holy smokes. The Biden camp has been pointing to the local radio interviews he did after the debate as evidence that he's fine, but the radio hosts who conducted those interviews told CNN this morning the questions were scripted and provided by the White House. [video]

Glenn Garner /
Deadline: Philadelphia Radio Host Resigns After Revealing Biden Team Gave Her Questions To Ask

Ethan Kaplan /
@ethank@threads.net: Quick: everyone who has ever worked with a publicist, hide your media briefs you've received or given. What in the ever fuck is going on with the beltway media right now?

Ethan Kaplan /
@ethank@threads.net: One guy's press shop pre-screens questions (as any press shop does, you think late night interviews are “spontaneous?"). The other candidate is a felon whose supporters staged a coup at his direction. Media: we gotcha Joe! Fucking clowns.

Stephanie Kaloi /
The Wrap: White House Gave Radio Hosts Questions to Ask Biden Ahead of Interviews | Video

Sydney Morning Herald:

Memo: Nine's Pedestrian Group restructures as CEO departs, staff faces cuts, and licensing deals to publish Vice, Gizmodo, Kotaku, others in Australia get axed— The chief executive of Nine-owned Pedestrian Group, Matt Rowley, will leave the youth publisher as part of a major restructure …

Discussion:
The Guardian and @alexkidman@aus.social

Discussion:

Josh Taylor /
The Guardian: Vice, Kotaku, Refinery29 to no longer publish in Australia after Pedestrian Group announces restructure

Ars Technica:

As Glaze, a free tool to help artists prevent AI from copying their style, sees an “explosion in demand”, researchers say its protections can be bypassed— Artists must wait weeks for Glaze defense against AI scraping amid TOS updates. — For many artists, it's a precarious time to post art online.

Discussion:

Debora Bae /
Debora Bae on LinkedIn: Last year, I had the incredible opportunity to join the ekip consortium as part of Nextatlas. Our role involves closely monitoring online conversations …

Maximilian Schreiner /
The Decoder: Glaze anti-AI image theft tool sees rush of artists following Meta's plans

Charles Wiltgen /
@charles.wiltgen@threads.net: I understand how non-technical folks are so dazzled by snake oil solutions like the massively-oversold and easily-defeated Glaze and Nightshade. It's a fun “f#@k Big AI” fantasy, but the only things that will make an actual difference are regulation and legal consequences.

Christopher Parsons, Ph.D /
Christopher Parsons, Ph.D on LinkedIn: Many creatives are concerned about how their art can be used as training data for generative AI technologies. …

Bloomberg:

Discovery investors reach a $125M settlement over claims that company insiders reaped improper benefits worth $1B+ in its $43B merger with WarnerMedia— - Settlement involves payment by Advance/Newhouse partnerships — Merger created one of world's largest entertainment companies

Discussion:
Deadline

CNN:

A look at concerns about Saudi Arabia “sportswashing” as it hosts the Esports World Cup; Saudi Arabia's PIF has bought some of the biggest gaming companies— In the heart of Saudi Arabia's capital, a seismic moment for esports is underway; one which has triggered both excitement and concern across the industry.

Discussion:
@slasher, @liquid112, @lsxyz9, @slasher, @liquidnazgul, @lsxyz9, @devrelcallum, @pengu, @bekahboo1290, @jacobwolf, @middlecottisme, @thechowderhead, @rlewisreports, @moneyfolder5, @ewc_en, @teadvocated, @jacobwolf, @dszajnuk, @jimohagan, @myra__davis, @mattomattik, @hoffasaurusx, @owcesports, @fishstix, @rlewisreports, @obiexyz, @jimohagan, @daesanghyeokie, @fishstix, @ow_svb, @invert_lol, @cointree_ow, ABC News (Australia) on YouTube, BBC, VG247, BBC News on YouTube, The Esports Advocate, CBC News

Discussion:

Rod Breslau /
@slasher: I spoke to CNN on the Saudi govt's growing control of esports with the launch of EWC. there's no going back now https://www.cnn.com/... [image] @liquid112: In my last retweet, Victor explains the competitive and commercial considerations that influenced our choice to participate in this year's inaugural EWC. We have not come to this decision lightly, and the video details our concerns about human rights in Saudi Arabia, the @lsxyz9: Don't know how in any world I'm reading negative or ironic tweets or quote retweets on this. Change doesn't happen overnight. People can scoff that it doesn't mean anything but it does even if it's just a needle. Planck's principle will absolutely occur regardless, and actions

Rod Breslau /
@slasher: Team Liquid players and teams across all games have been permitted and will wear Pride jerseys while competing at EWC in Riyadh, team confirms.

Victor Goossens /
@liquidnazgul: On our participation in the Esports World Cup: [video]

@lsxyz9:
@MiddlecottIsMe It doesn't matter if it benefits them, it benefits lgbt of saudi arabia and others too. Why do you not care that it's a micro win just because it isn't big? You're not going to change their government, large change isn't going to happen, it will come via 1000 micro wins from all

Callum UwUnderwood /
@devrelcallum: A non-games friend texted me about it, and I heard it on the BBC that “thousands of gamers are heading to Qatar” yet I'd seen barely any discussion on twitter, other than some folks apologising for working it [image] @pengu: The lack of streams for EWC have been very puzzling? Huge event, loads of big teams, and all it would take is 1 spectator and a co-streamer or community casters - so many upsets, yet no vods or hype to really share it =(

Bekah /
@bekahboo1290: I hope EWC doesn't make everyone forget that Saudi Arabia and their Crown Prince MBS murdered an American citizen and has some of the worst human rights abuses in the world. Don't let streamers try to make it sound glamorous.

Jacob Wolf /
@jacobwolf: SGDQ, a community event to benefit charity, has more viewers than the Esports World Cup, a Saudi state-backed tournament with the largest prize pool in esports history. I'm sure the Crown Prince is very happy with their investment 👍 [image] @middlecottisme: The whole purpose of sports washing is the sanitisation of the external view of Saudi Arabias government. Gestures like this further their aims by demonstrating that Saudi is a “safe” place for western members of the LGBT community to go and work. Emphasising that the Saudi @thechowderhead: Now, personally, if I was the Saudi government and I saw that my like 60+ million dollar event was having the brakes beaten off it in terms of viewership by fucking Mario Kart DS, I'd be slightly miffed. [image]

Richard Lewis /
@rlewisreports: And everybody clapped. https://x.com/... @moneyfolder5: no offense to the numerous people im going to offend but if the survival of OW esports hinges on saudi oil money, maybe it doesnt deserve to survive anyway @ewc_en: His Royal Highness Faisal bin Bandar bin Sultan Al Saud greeting the South Korean representatives from @T1LoL and @GenG at the #EsportsWorldCup 2024. [image] @teadvocated: Double Dip: TEA has unearthed some early details on the @QiddiyaGaming Club Program, which encourages esports orgs to set up shop in the Kingdom. Orgs that are already a part of the @EWC_EN Club Support Program will likely be a part of this. ✍🏻 @jfudge https://esportsadvocate.net/ ... [image]

Jacob Wolf /
@jacobwolf: Anyone who thought EWC was going to do any better than other regular esports events — aka mid viewership with exception of the major calendar hallmarks of each game — is super dense. It's not the lack of money that's the industry's problem. It's the lack of interest.

David Szajnuk /
@dszajnuk: The fact that the most viewed stream was Twitter and not where gaming culture actually is should tell all You'll see “200K for the opening ceremony” mentioned a lot and the feeling of 2018 VC talk will come flooding back

James O'Hagan /
@jimohagan: This is textbook sportswashing. It is a cruel paradox, highlighting freedoms those who live in the shadows see but not experience. North Korean playbook in full effect here. @myra__davis: LinkedIn is full of people who value a direct influx of unsustainable cash into their industry over building sustainable ecosystems not beholden to the Saudi Crown's blood money. The event is a soulless attempt at SA rebranding via (e)sportswashing and will be dead within 2 years @mattomattik: Esports World Cup created by Saudi Arabia's is rather interesting, Saudi Arabia has no place in esports today, or very little, because the market was too controlled by Europe/America/China, it's going on all weekend, and so far the production looks good, I get the impression

Michael Hassall /
@hoffasaurusx: I'd worry that this move could limit the potential of women and LGBT people to be employed in roles within esports organizations. Notionally, you'd be required to operate an a full office in the KSA and staff it. Or you could operate a kind of token office for the money. @owcesports: Masaa will not be attending EWC, stating he does not want to support the Saudi Arabian regime 🚫 [image]

Ben Goldhaber /
@fishstix: The Esports World Cup has officially kicked off with a $60,000,000+ prize pool, most in esports history, and I've legitimately seen more “hype” and discussion about it on LinkedIn than X.

Richard Lewis /
@rlewisreports: @FishStix That's because that's who it's for, the esports grifter class who've found a reservoir of tainted money to keep their careers alive. @obiexyz: hot take: the US also sportswashes its military all the time. The number of times Football & Baseball games have fighter jets fly above, all the military events. It's all propaganda just that American citizens are used to it https://www.cnn.com/...

James O'Hagan /
@jimohagan: Watching the #sportswashing play out in real time at the @EWC_EN in Riyadh, while Manahel al-Otaibi sits in al-Maraz prison less than 20 miles from the spectacle, is a cruel juxtaposition of fantasy and the reality of rights for the Saudi people. https://esportsadvocate.net/ ...

Liz /
@daesanghyeokie: Hello, just want to say this. I know majority are boycotting EWC. Valid by the way. But I still want to say this and I hope you take this with an open mind. While we label this as an event “for funsies” for our LoL teams, I hope we also understand that these are pro games. +

Ben Goldhaber /
@fishstix: It's a much needed lifeline for a sponsorship-dependent industry who has had gambling and crypto sponsors evaporate over the past half decade. Yeah, I'm extremely conflicted, but oil money is already all over the biggest sports in the world. Esports is not immune or special. @ow_svb: Esports went from taking from gambling/crypto to Saudi blood money & yet they've learned 0 lessons along the way If the only way esports can be viable is as pump & dump marketing gimmicks for scummy people to dupe some teens then... maybe not all games should try to be esports @invert_lol: Generously, half the esports LinkedIn crowd is composed of snake oil salesmen and inauthentic entry points into the space. Any “hype” coming from that group is not surprising to me @cointree_ow: Overwatch esports need Saudi oil money to survive this year so it can actually have a chance to attract more worldwide investment next year After that, you can do whatever you want without Saudi money getting in the way of morals This year might unironically be Overwatch's last [image] ABC News (Australia) on YouTube: Esports World Cup boss defends holding event in Saudi Arabia | The World

Andrew Rogers /
BBC: Esports World Cup boss defends holding event in Saudi Arabia

Connor Makar /
VG247: First F1, the World Cup, and golf - now esports: gaming's biggest ever sports-washing tournament starts today BBC News on YouTube: Esports World Cup: ‘Everyone is welcome - but adhere to Saudi culture’, says CEO | BBC News

James Fudge /
The Esports Advocate: Qiddiya City Club Program Details Unearthed

RELATED:

Bloomberg:
A look at the inaugural Esports World Cup, a multi-genre tournament in Riyadh funded by Saudi Arabia, featuring 1,500+ gamers and a record $60M+ prize pool

Discussion:
Insider Gaming, DAZN, The Sun, BBC, The UBJ, The Sun, VSPN Tournaments Limited, USA Today and VentureBeat

Discussion:

Grant Taylor-Hill /
Insider Gaming: The $60 Million Esports World Cup Is Now Live in Riyadh

Nyle Smith /
The Sun: Esports World Cup 2024 prize money: How much cash be won at huge gaming tournament?

Sourabh Singh /
The UBJ: With millions of dollars on the line, the Esports World Cup has begun: Timetable and methods for viewing.

Nyle Smith /
The Sun: Esports World Cup 2024: FULL schedule, stream, TV channel and results for first-ever Saudi gaming competition VSPN Tournaments Limited: Esports World Cup Enters Full Swing, Co-organizer VSPO Brings Immersive Coverage

Amaris Encinas /
USA Today: The Esports World Cup, with millions at stake, is underway: Schedule, how to watch

Jordan Fragen /
VentureBeat: These 27 brands are sponsoring the 2024 Esports World Cup

New York Times:

A reporter describes how college journalism classes helped him go from being in jail to becoming a NYT Local Investigations Fellow and Wisconsin Watch reporter— While serving a sentence for burglary, I enrolled in a college journalism class. When I interviewed my correctional officer, my world broadened.

Discussion:
Marc Lacey on LinkedIn, @ricfouad, @joshrmoore, @jmalewitz, @jordancoll21, @mariokoran and @keribla

Discussion:

Marc Lacey /
Marc Lacey on LinkedIn: “I never expected to become a real reporter. While the other students in my first journalism class could go out into the community to interview sources, my options were limited. …

Ric Fouad /
@ricfouad: A moving, thoughtful piece. When the NYT aligns itself with justice, good things happen. And to be clear, it often aligns with rank injustice.

Josh Moore /
@joshrmoore: Powerful story of how college journalism — while in jail — opened up the world for @MarioKoran. 👏

Jim Malewitz /
@jmalewitz: We're so privileged to work with Mario at @WisconsinWatch. His thoughtful work is delivering impact for some of the state's most vulnerable people. Read his powerful essay.

JordanColl /
@jordancoll21: Riveting reporting from the inside out! “My experiences inform who I talk to — and who talks to me — and how I approach my reporting. For better or worse, I am forever a member of this community. And that's the very spirit of local journalism.” Reporting by @MarioKoran @nytimes

Mario Koran /
@mariokoran: 14 years ago, I wrote my first news story from the library of a Wisconsin jail. For the past year, I've been writing about the state's prison system as a New York Times Local Investigations fellow. This is the story of how I went from jail to journalism. https://www.nytimes.com/...

Associated Press:

Former Marion County Record reporter Deb Gruver agrees to accept $235,000 to settle part of her lawsuit over a police raid on the Kansas paper in August 2023— A former reporter for a weekly Kansas newspaper has agreed to accept $235,000 to settle part of her federal lawsuit over a police raid …

Discussion:
Deadline, New York Times, @apjdhanna and

Discussion:

Bruce Haring /
Deadline: Police Raid On Kansas Newspaper Offices Leads To Reporter's $235K Settlement

Emmett Lindner /
New York Times: $235,000 Settlement Is Reached in Police Raid of a Kansas Newspaper

John Hanna /
@apjdhanna: Gruver's lawsuit is among five federal lawsuits filed over the raid. One was filed by a fellow Record reporter, one by the paper's office manager, one by the paper and its publisher, and the fifth by a city council member whose home also was raided. #ksleg

Variety:

At the half-year mark, Hollywood media giants have had double-digit stock price declines, except Disney and Fox, and will likely stay underwater in 2024— Disney and Fox Corp. buck the downtrend for showbiz shares at the midyear mark — As always, the numbers tell the tale.

New York Times:

How xenophobic content on Chinese social media, directed towards Japan, the US, Jews, and others, became the subject of a debate and spreads despite censorship— Violent attacks on foreigners have prompted a debate about extreme nationalism online in a country that heavily censors information the government bans.

Discussion:

Li Yuan /
@liyuan6: China has the world's most sophisticated censorship system.Yet its internet is laden with hate speech toward Japanese,Americans,etc. Now violent attacks on foreigners have prompted a debate whether online xenophobia is teaching real-world hate. My latest https://www.nytimes.com/... @scs_disputes: “In the past, if CCTV made a significant error in its reporting, you could mock it, right? But now, even if they blatantly lie, there's nothing you can do about it.” Misinformation incl state-sanctioned xenophobia thrives in Xi's ‘Thought Unity’ world. https://www.nytimes.com/...

@scs_disputes:
When information - on everything - is routinely weaponised, censored and rewritten by the single-party state, what is allowed to be read, seen and discussed is itself a state message. @LiYuan6 [image]

Alfons López Tena /
@alfonslopeztena: China's dictatorship has the world's most sophisticated system to censor the internet when it wants to. Yet the Chinese internet is laden with hate speech toward Japanese, Americans, Jews, and Africans, and violent attacks on foreigners are spreading https://www.nytimes.com/...

David Mulroney /
@david_mulroney: Is Xenophobia on Chinese Social Media Teaching Real-World Hate? https://www.nytimes.com/... “If the backbone of a society is completely submerged by the tide of nationalism, the future fate of the country is predictable”

Kenneth Roth /
@kenroth: “To stop the Chinese public from talking about Xi Jinping, a social media platform censored 564 names that users had come up with to refer to him....A regulator gave a video platform a database of more than 35,000 terms about Mr. Xi that it wanted policed.” https://www.nytimes.com/...

Michael D Pendleton /
Michael D Pendleton on LinkedIn: “Xenophobic online content like the schoolyard video is the subject of debate in China right now. Last week, a Chinese man stabbed a Japanese mother and her son in eastern China. …

Dr. Nils Seibert /
Dr. Nils Seibert on LinkedIn: „Yet the Chinese internet is laden with hate speech toward Japanese, Americans, Jews and Africans, as well as Chinese who are critical of the government. …

Gabriele Iuvinale /
Gabriele Iuvinale on LinkedIn: The video posted last year on Chinese social media showed more than 100 Japanese children, supposedly at an elementary school in Shanghai, gathered in their schoolyard. …

VentureBeat:

ElevenLabs launches Voice Isolator, a freemium AI tool for removing background noise from audio files for film, podcast, and interview post production— ElevenLabs, the AI voice startup known for its voice cloning, text-to-speech and speech-to-speech models, has just added another tool to its product portfolio: an AI Voice Isolator.

Discussion:
@racheltobac, @elevenlabsio, @ammaar, @elevenlabsio, ElevenLabs, Maginative, Cryptopolitan and Hacker News, more at Techmeme »

Discussion:

Rachel Tobac /
@racheltobac: Now I don't need to independently edit the voice I want to voice clone out of a noisy environment before cloning it — I can just isolate the voice and then clone it easily. Voice cloning is only going to get easier for hacking, folks. @elevenlabsio: We plan to make Voice Isolator available via API in the coming weeks. Share your email in the form on the bottom of the landing page to be notified as soon as it's available: https://elevenlabs.io/...

Ammaar Reshi /
@ammaar: We just launched our Voice Isolator! 🚀 The best way to remove any background noise and extract crystal clear dialog from your content There was a method to our madness yesterday [video]

@elevenlabsio:
Introducing Voice Isolator. Remove unwanted background noise and extract crystal clear dialogue from any audio to make your next podcast, interview, or film sound like it was recorded in the studio. Try it free: https://elevenlabs.io/... [video]

Richard Banfield /
Maginative: ElevenLabs Launches AI Voice Isolator to Clean Up Messy Background Noise

Enacy Mapakame /