Recent moves at the Los Angeles Times and NBC News, and the lack of a Washington Post presidential endorsement, raise concerns that owners are appeasing Trump (David Folkenflik/NPR)

Mediagazer: Recent moves at the Los Angeles Times and NBC News, and the lack of a Washington Post presidential endorsement, raise concerns that owners are appeasing Trump (David Folkenflik/NPR)

Top News:

NPR:

Recent moves at the Los Angeles Times and NBC News, and the lack of a Washington Post presidential endorsement, raise concerns that owners are appeasing Trump— Recent episodes involving major U.S. news organizations have stoked fears that outlets are preemptively self-censoring coverage …
Discussion: @sbasspersonal, @azi, @bgrueskin, @davidfolkenflik, HotAir, Washington Times, Daily Mail, The Gateway Pundit, New York Times, The Wrap, Newser, Semafor and The Daily Beast

Discussion:

Steve Bass /
@sbasspersonal: I don't know how much endorsements matter. However, if owners are fearful about endorsements, will they stand behind critical reporting? Raises questions for sure.

Azi™ /
@azi: “One of the central media stories in the U.S. right now is the people who run big media companies making accommodations for a second Trump presidency and thinking about how to avoid antagonizing him” — @semaforben

Bill Grueskin /
@bgrueskin: This behavior by the Washpost edit page — and the editors' unwillingness to be upfront about it — is bizarre. Smacks of “anticipatory obedience” as @TimothyDSnyder would put it. Via @davidfolkenflik Link below [image]

David Folkenflik /
@davidfolkenflik: Did the L.A. Times and other news outlets pull punches to appease Trump? My story for NPR - (with cameos from @semaforben & @ianbassin) https://www.npr.org/...

Mallory Wilson /
Washington Times: L.A. Times owner says editorial board was given choice, ‘chose to remain silent’ on endorsement

Germania Rodriguez Poleo /
Daily Mail: LA Times boss says editors were asked to come up with ‘fair’ analysis of Trump AND Kamala - but chose not to

Jim Hᴏft /
The Gateway Pundit: LA Times Owner Exposes Editorial Board's Bias After Refusing to Draft Balanced Analysis of Trump and Kamala Harris Policies — Opts for Silence Instead of Informing Voters

Katie Robertson /
New York Times: L. A. Times Editorial Chief Quits After Owner Blocks Harris Endorsement

JD Knapp /
The Wrap: LA Times Owner Denies Vetoing Presidential Endorsement: ‘The Editorial Board Chose to Stay Silent’

Jenn Gidman /
Newser: LA Times Is Missing One Big Endorsement

Max Tani /
Semafor: Sources: Dr. Patrick Soon-Shiong decided the Los Angeles Times will not endorse a presidential candidate; it also didn't endorse from the mid-1970s until 2008

Corbin Bolies /
The Daily Beast: L.A. Times' Billionaire Owner Patrick Soon-Shiong Blocks Endorsement in Presidential Race

RELATED:

Columbia Journalism Review:
Mariel Garza, editorials editor of the Los Angeles Times, resigns after the outlet's owner blocked the editorial board's plans to endorse Harris for president

Discussion:
@drpatsoonshiong, Vanity Fair, Newsbusters, The Hollywood Reporter, The Wrap, Raw Story, BizPac Review, Semafor, Breitbart, Media Nation, @elonmusk, Matt Pearce, Blaze Media, New York Times, @loisbeckett, Townhall, @kateaurthur, Poynter, HuffPost, Associated Press, Twitchy, @loisbeckett, @latguild, Fox News, Washington Examiner, @saralibby, @deggans, @cagirl80, @williambibbiani, @gerrickkennedy, @kylebuis, @ragregg, @nickpowellchron, @davidfolkenflik, @mattdpearce, @lanana421, @jamesrbuk, @silvermanjacob, @maxapotter, @lara_korte, @byrobinepley, Newser, @laura_nelson, @michaelzlin, @mrneuropolitan, @johnrmoffitt, @mediamorphis, @robrtgreene, @jnicholsonindc, @sewellchan, @sdkstl, @matildabress, @newsjennifer, @byelsieramos, @sewellchan, @mac_ryan_@threads.net, Axios, The Hill, @jswatz_tx@threads.net, Status, The Guardian, UPI, Ken Peterson on LinkedIn, @ryanboswell@sfba.social, @mattsheffield@mastodon.social, The Gateway Pundit, Bloomberg, New York Post, SFGATE, The Independent, @ianrosewrites@scicomm.xyz, @dangillmor@mastodon.social, The Editor's Desk, CNN, Washington Times, @ChrisHolladay@mastodon.social, @barney@mas.to, @Basmitharts@weird.autos, @coachfinstock.bsky.social, @marisakabas.bsky.social, @Bellison22@mastodon.social, @WarnerCrocker@mastodon.social, @jeffjarvis@mastodon.social, The San Francisco Standard, Deadline, Adweek and r/Journalism

Discussion:

Dr. Pat Soon-Shiong /
@drpatsoonshiong: So many comments about the @latimes Editorial Board not providing a Presidential endorsement this year. Let me clarify how this decision came about. The Editorial Board was provided the opportunity to draft a factual analysis of all the POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE policies by EACH

Natalie Korach /
Vanity Fair: Los Angeles Times Owner's Attempt at 2024 Neutrality Backfires

Justine Brooke Murray /
Newsbusters: Head of LA Times Editorial Board QUITS, Calls Paper Racist and Sexist for Not Endorsing Kamala

Katie Kilkenny /
The Hollywood Reporter: Los Angeles Times Editorial Page Editor Resigns Following Paper's Decision Not to Endorse Presidential Candidate

Sharon Knolle /
The Wrap: LA Times Editorial Page Editor Resigns After Paper Skips Presidential Endorsement | Exclusive

Terresa Monroe-Hamilton /
BizPac Review: LA Times editor quits after paper refuses to endorse Kamala Harris: ‘Makes us look craven’

Paul Bois /
Breitbart: Los Angeles Times Editor Resigns After Owner Blocks Kamala Harris Endorsement

Dan Kennedy /
Media Nation: More fallout from the LA Times; plus, the Sun shines in Colorado, and news deserts spread

Elon Musk /
@elonmusk: @DrPatSoonShiong @latimes Makes sense Matt Pearce: That doesn't make any sense, Patrick — An embarrassing and avoidable episode for the owner of the Los Angeles Times.

Chris Enloe /
Blaze Media: LA Times owner tells the truth about Kamala Harris non-endorsement fiasco — and it exposes the rot in journalism

Lois Beckett /
@loisbeckett: @elonmusk ... Hey @elonmusk, did you ask @DrPatSoonShiong to not allow the @latimes editorial board to endorse Kamala Harris?

Leah Barkoukis /
Townhall: Here's What the LA Times' Editorials Editor Did After Owner Decided Not to Run Presidential Endorsement

Kate Aurthur /
@kateaurthur: @elonmusk ... You plus-one-ing him means that this is for sure a deplorable decision on Soon-Shiong's part. Thanks for clarifying!

Tom Jones /
Poynter: The Los Angeles Times won't endorse a candidate for president. Its owner offers a nonsensical explanation

Marita Vlachou /
HuffPost: Los Angeles Times Editor Resigns After Owner Blocks Presidential Endorsement Associated Press: ‘Los Angeles Times’ editor resigns after newspaper withholds presidential endorsement

Warren Squire /
Twitchy: Newspaper's Surprising ‘Neutral’ Turn Has Democrat Activist Editor Rushing for the Door

Lois Beckett /
@loisbeckett: There's been a lot of Twitter speculation about whether @DrPatSoonShiong's decision to block an @latimes endorsement of Kamala Harris was related to his relationship with @elonmusk. Musk just responded to @DrPatSoonShiong's tweet about not wanting to run an endorsement: [image] Fox News: LA Times editor resigns over the paper not endorsing Harris for president: ‘Not okay with us being silent’

Jenny Goldsberry /
Washington Examiner: Los Angeles Times editorials editor quits when owner won't endorse Harris

Sara Libby /
@saralibby: It's understandably difficult for members of the public to fully grasp the distinctions between the news side and the opinion side of a paper. But what's laid out here is NOT an editorial, and presumably the owner of a newspaper would know that. https://x.com/... @deggans: Such an analysis would neatly avoid questions about how Trump is conducting himself publicly, his promises to go after political opponents, his lies about not losing the 2020 election or immigrants eating pets, etc. Perhaps the owner should leave journalism to journalists...

Claudia P. Granados /
@cagirl80: So BOTH coastal papers of record— the @latimes & @nytimes decided to sit out the MOST impt election of our lifetime! Am guessing it's in their best economic interest to sit it out instead of doing their jobs. Noted. The press is important in democracies. This is #NoBueno

William Bibbiani /
@williambibbiani: So people are - rightfully - angry that he prevented the Los Angeles Times from making a presidential endorsement, and his defense is yes, he DID prevent the Los Angeles Times from making a presidential endorsement, because he doesn't know how newspapers work. Shameful.

Gerrick Kennedy /
@gerrickkennedy: LAT does a fantastic voters guide...this side by side policy comparison could have existed as a piece. Endorsements serve a particular purpose. Either way, your continued interference in newsroom decisions shows your staff that you don't trust their editorial judgment.

Kyle Buis /
@kylebuis: This is not how endorsements work, and really comes off as someone looking to protect his interests by blunting his staff's work. Very bad look by the LA Times owner.

Remington A. Gregg /
@ragregg: This isn't how editorials work. Coming up with this silliness *in this one instance* makes this interference even more laughable.

Nick Powell /
@nickpowellchron: What he's describing is not how any editorial board worth its salt operates when it comes to endorsements. Readers look to us to give authoritative opinions on candidates and their policies. Otherwise what the hell is the point of endorsing?

David Folkenflik /
@davidfolkenflik: LAT owner @DrPatSoonShiong says below he gave editorial board the charge of assessing both candidates not making an endorsement per se. Unlikely to soothe roiled waters inside LAT

Matt Pearce /
@mattdpearce: Endorsing or not is traditionally the owner's prerogative, but publicly dumping on the staff is classless. @lanana421: @DrPatSoonShiong @latimes With all due respect, that's not how endorsements work. The L.A. Times makes endorsements in election cycles for up and down- ballot candidates, ballot measures, propositions, etc. Just say you overruled your editorial board's endorsement of VP Harris in favor of tax cuts.

James Ball /
@jamesrbuk: Unlike Donald Trump, Kamala Harris has not been president. So this explanation doesn't even remotely make sense on its own terms. Except, of course, to the owner of this site, who's replied: “makes sense”.

Jacob Silverman /
@silvermanjacob: Of course Musk is appreciative that Soon-Shiong blocked the paper from endorsing Harris. [image] @maxapotter: “This is a point in time where you speak your conscience no matter what.” —@marielgarzaLAT What this editor did ain't easy. I submit that this is what walking the walk of journalistic integrity looks like. And she said it like a journalist — succinctly and truthfully.

@maxapotter:
“Owning a newspaper carries great public responsibility. In my view, media proprietors should hire leaders they trust and then let them exercise their judgment.” — @sewellchan reporting the story.

Lara Korte /
@lara_korte: Garza argues the non-endorsement has thrown the board's integrity into question. [image]

Robin Epley /
@byrobinepley: .@marielgarzaLAT is incredibly courageous and I admire her so deeply for making this decision. Our readers deserve to know without doubt that no one calls an editorial board's shots, not even our employers.

Evann Gastaldo /
Newser: LA Times Editor Resigns After Harris Endorsement Is Blocked

Laura J. Nelson /
@laura_nelson: The non-endorsement undermines “every single endorsement we make, down to school board races,” Garza wrote. “People will justifiably wonder if each endorsement was a decision made by a group of journalists after extensive research and discussion, or through decree by the owner.”

Aaron McCall /
@mrneuropolitan: It is not popular - and I don't know if there is enough public trust for public funded media - but our current model that depends on ad clicks and billionaires is bad for our democracy.

John Moffitt /
@johnrmoffitt: Today is when people will need to do brave things.

Dwayne Winseck /
@mediamorphis: The bad media mogul—and the kind that throttle editorial & journalistic freedom—is regaining force amidst the crisis of ad-funded news media. Coupled with authoritarian populist bullying by Trump, @PierrePoilievre, Orban, etc, , these are lethal blows to media freedom, 1/

Robert Greene /
@robrtgreene: @marielgarzaLAT is a journalist of unimpeachable integrity.

Jonathan Nicholson /
@jnicholsonindc: The list of ex-LAT talent grows longer and more impressive. Sigh.

Sewell Chan /
@sewellchan: @latimes Hours after @semafor reported on Tuesday that Soon-Shiong had blocked the endorsement, Trump's rapid-response team sent out an email calling the newspaper's decision “the latest blow” for Harris. https://www.semafor.com/...

Sewell Chan /
@sewellchan: This year, the @latimes' assessment would have carried more weight than other publications', because Harris is the first major-party nominee from California since Ronald Reagan.

Sewell Chan /
@sewellchan: On Oct. 11, Patrick Soon-Shiong, who bought @latimes in 2018, informed the editorial board that the Times would not be making an endorsement for president. The message was conveyed to Garza by Terry Tang, the paper's editor.

Sewell Chan /
@sewellchan: @latimes @semafor I was the newspaper's editorial page editor in 2020 and 2021, and presided over the board's endorsement of Joe Biden in 2020. Months earlier, before I took the job, Soon-Shiong had stopped the editorial board from making an endorsement in the Democratic presidential primary.

Sewell Chan /
@sewellchan: It's the owner's prerogative and right to decide whether (and whom) to endorse. But in both the 2020 D primary, and now, the decision not to make an endorsement needed to better communicated and explained.

Sewell Chan /
@sewellchan: @marielgarzaLAT is an outstanding—and upstanding—journalist. During our collaboration our colleague @robrtgreene for editorial writing. Mariel's departure is a big loss for @latimes and for California journalism.

Staci D Kramer /
@sdkstl: “I am resigning because I want to make it clear that I am not okay with us being silent. In dangerous times, honest people need to stand up. This is how I'm standing up.” - Mariel Garza

Matilda Bress /
@matildabress: Thank you, Mariel & love to all the fantastic journalists at @latimes “I am resigning because I want to make it clear that I am not OK with us being silent,” Garza told me in a phone conversation. “In dangerous times, honest people need to stand up. This is how I'm standing up.”

Jennifer Schulze /
@newsjennifer: “It makes us look craven and hypocritical, maybe even a bit sexist and racist.” Fallout from the @latimes owner blocking planned endorsement of Harris⤵️ https://www.cjr.org/... [image]

Elsie Ramos /
@byelsieramos: “I am resigning because I want to make it clear that I am not OK with us being silent,” ⁦@marielgarzaLAT⁩ https://www.cjr.org/...

Sewell Chan /
@sewellchan: My friend Mariel Garza just resigned as editorials editor of @latimes after the newspaper's owner blocked the editorial board's plan to endorse Kamala Harris for president. https://www.cjr.org/...

Ryan Mac /
@mac_ryan_@threads.net: like clockwork

Ryan Mac /
@mac_ryan_@threads.net: and another thing: im not mad. please dont put in the newspaper (that i own) that i got mad.

Rebecca Falconer /
Axios: LA Times editor resigns after owner blocks Harris endorsement plans

Juliann Ventura /
The Hill: L.A. Times editorial editor quits after owner blocks plans to endorse Harris

John Schwartz /
@jswatz_tx@threads.net: Thank you, @sewellchan — a great story with real moral clarity https://www.cjr.org/...

Oliver Darcy /
Status: A Puzzle at The Post — The Washington Post building. (Photo by Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)

Sheri Walsh /
UPI: L.A. Times editorials editor quits over decision to withhold presidential endorsement

Ken Peterson /
Ken Peterson on LinkedIn: “In dangerous times, honest people need to stand up. This is how I'm standing up.” — Those are the words of former Los Angeles Times …

Ryan Boswell /
@ryanboswell@sfba.social: And I was just starting to appreciate reporting from the LA Times more in the last few months. — The actual reporting team is still doing a decent job, but the owner has failed us all. — But it is important that word does get out that the editorial team did fully intend to endorse Harris, had they not been blocked. …

Matthew Sheffield /
@mattsheffield@mastodon.social: MAGA Media censorship strikes again: Los Angeles Times editorial page editor resigns after being blocked by paper's owner from publishing staff endorsement of Kamala Harris https://www.cjr.org/...

Jim Hᴏft /
The Gateway Pundit: Leftist LA Times Editorial Page Editor Resigns in Protest After Owner Blocks Endorsement of Kamala Harris

Christopher Palmeri /
Bloomberg: LA Times Editorial Chief Quits After Harris Endorsement Quashed

David Propper /
New York Post: Los Angeles Times editorial boss resigns after billionaire owner Patrick Soon-Shiong scraps Harris endorsement

Farley Elliott /
SFGATE: LA Times editor quits after billionaire owner blocked paper's presidential endorsement

Josh Marcus /
The Independent: LA Times editorials editor quits after billionaire owner reportedly blocked paper from endorsing Harris

Ian Rose /
@ianrosewrites@scicomm.xyz: I know how hard the news business is, but the billionaire hobby model is not going to be the way out. The sooner we realize that, the better. — News-about-the-news can seem like very inside baseball, but I urge everyone to be aware of what is happening at the LA Times. — #uspol #news #journalism …

Dan Gillmor /
@dangillmor@mastodon.social: LA Times owner seems to be in league with Trump, vetoing a Harris endorsement and then letting the campaign use standard-issue lies to smear the paper for something it didn't do. — The editorial page editor quit in protest and she deserves our respect. …

Andybechtel /
The Editor's Desk: A passive approach to political endorsements

Liam Reilly /
CNN: Los Angeles Times editor resigns after newspaper owner blocked plans to endorse Harris

Mallory Wilson /
Washington Times: L.A. Times, California's largest paper, decides to not endorse home-state Kamala Harris @ChrisHolladay@mastodon.social: @Mediagazer — LA Times really needs to rethink this hill they want to die on.

Barney /
@barney@mas.to: The Los Angeles Times' editorials editor has resigned, to protest the new pro-fascist owner's ban on presidential candidate endorsements. — #USPol #Journalism — https://www.cjr.org/... @Basmitharts@weird.autos: #USPol — Some quality Streisand effects — happening out in LA. — https://www.cjr.org/... @coachfinstock.bsky.social: He's literally saying I asked for both sidesism and doesn't see a problem with that.

Marisa Kabas /
@marisakabas.bsky.social: this fucking guy [image] @Bellison22@mastodon.social: LA Times editorials editor resigns after owner blocks endorsement — “The non-endorsement undermines the integrity of the editorial board & every single endorsement we make, down to school board races. People will justifiably wonder if each endorsement was a decision made by a group of journalists after extensive research and discussion, or through decree by the owner.” …

Warner Crocker /
@WarnerCrocker@mastodon.social: Stand up move. — Los Angeles Times editorials editor resigns after owner blocks presidential endorsement — #politics #media #journalism — https://www.cjr.org/... [image]

Jeff Jarvis /
@jeffjarvis@mastodon.social: Thank you, Mariel Garza. — Los Angeles Times editorials editor resigns after owner blocks presidential endorsement https://www.cjr.org/... The San Francisco Standard: L.A. Times opinion editor quits after billionaire owner kills endorsement

Ted Johnson /
Deadline: Los Angeles Times Editorials Editor Resigns Over Owner's Decision Not To Endorse In Presidential Race

Brad Pareso /
Adweek: LA Times' Billionaire Owner Blocks Paper's Planned Endorsement in Presidential Race

Notes From Poland:

A state-owned Polish radio station relaunches with AI “presenters” after firing its journalists; station head says layoffs were due to a lack of listeners— A Polish radio station has stirred controversy after relaunching one of its channels in a new version run almost completely …

Discussion:
Marcos Bravo C. on LinkedIn and Associated Press

Reuters:

IAB, cable trade group NCTA, and the Electronic Security Association sue to block the US FTC's “click to cancel” rule, alleging it oversteps the FTC's authority— An industry group representing cable and internet providers sued along with two others on Wednesday to block …

Discussion:
MediaPost, Variety, Politico, The Verge, USA Today, Engadget, Cord Cutters News, AV Club and Policyband

Discussion:

Wendy Davis /
MediaPost: IAB And Cable Lobby Challenge Click-To-Cancel Regs

Todd Spangler /
Variety: Cable Industry Trade Group Sues FTC, Seeking to Block ‘Click-to-Cancel’ Rule Politico: Should Kamala Harris embrace Lina Khan? Democrats are split — and some worry it will cost her

Lawrence Bonk /
Engadget: Of course telecom companies are suing the FTC to block the new ‘click-to-cancel’ rule

Luke Bouma /
Cord Cutters News: Cable TV & Internet Industry Sues to Stop FTC's “Click to Cancel” Rule

William Hughes /
AV Club: Media group sues FTC for making canceling subscriptions less of a pain in the ass

Bluesky:

Bluesky says it has 13M+ users, has raised a $15M Series A, and plans payment services to creators and a subscription for features like higher quality video— Bluesky now exceeds 13 million users, the AT Protocol developer ecosystem continues to grow, and we've shipped highly requested features like direct messages and video.

Discussion:
TechCrunch, The Verge, Engadget, Gizmodo, @parismarx.bsky.social, @chrismessina@mastodon.xyz, @pixel@desu.social, @hikarisoph.bsky.social, @eramdam.me, @rose.bsky.team, @brendelbored.bsky.social, @danilo@hachyderm.io, @bsky.app, @bnewbold@social.coop, @rose.bsky.team, @coreypein.bsky.social, @triangulator.org, @coachfinstock.bsky.social and @tante@tldr.nettime.org, more at Techmeme »

Discussion:

Amanda Silberling /
TechCrunch: Bluesky raises $15M Series A, plans to launch subscriptions

Matt Novak /
Gizmodo: Bluesky Teases Creator Payments While New Sign-Ups Explode After Elon Musk's Destruction of Twitter

Paris Marx /
@parismarx.bsky.social: this isn't going to help with the ongoing concerns about this place being run by crypto people and what might eventually happen with it once commercial pressures increase [embedded post]

Chris Messina /
@chrismessina@mastodon.xyz: Bluesky raises $15M Series led by Blockchain Capital with participation from Alumni Ventures, True Ventures, SevenX, Amir Shevat of Darkmode, co-creator of Kubernetes Joe Beda, and others. — https://bsky.social/...

Andy /
@pixel@desu.social: Ah yes, Bluesky announced that they will pull off a subscription model for higher quality audio and profile customization. — Bluesky Nitro. — https://bsky.social/... @hikarisoph.bsky.social: People losing their minds over the word “blockchain” should consider reading 😭 [embedded post]

Rose /
@rose.bsky.team: To grow sustainably, we're working on a subscription model for premium features like higher-quality video uploads and profile customizations (think colors and avatar frames), but Bluesky will always be free to use. We believe information and conversation should stay accessible to everyone.

Rose /
@rose.bsky.team: We're proud of our vibrant community of artists, writers, developers, and more, and in the near future, we will build a way for you to support them directly. Read more about Bluesky's Series A fundraise and our plans here: bsky.social/about/blog/1...

Brendel /
@brendelbored.bsky.social: Devs threading the needle here between wanting the millions of dollars and also knowing there's words in there that'll cause all of us to hoot and holler like feral maniacs [embedded post]

Danilo Campos /
@danilo@hachyderm.io: Bluesky has raised a $15m series A — This just in time for the weekend, so we'll be treated to endless tirades about the satanic rites of venture capital — and why the One True Way of building a pure and decent social platform is a grumpy dude paid a terrible wage to ignore user feedback … @bsky.app: Our lead, Blockchain Capital, shares our view that tech should serve people, not the reverse, and their extensive experience with dev communities is helpful as we invest in the ATmosphere. — This does not change the fact that the Bluesky app and @atproto.com do not use blockchains or cryptocurrency.

Bryan Newbold /
@bnewbold@social.coop: bluesky got more funding, and is working on several sustainable revenue models: subscriptions, domain registration, and payments. — work continues on atproto: tooling for independent Lexicon development; more docs/specs and testing for interop; more complete and documented SDKs — https://bsky.social/... …

Rose /
@rose.bsky.team: Paid subscribers won't get special treatment elsewhere in the app, like upranking premium accounts or blue checks next to their names. We won't sell your data. And we won't hyperfinancialize the social experience (through tokens, NFTs, etc.).

Corey Pein /
@coreypein.bsky.social: This is fine. 🔥 [embedded post]

Kevin Webb /
@triangulator.org: Honestly, I hope this works out for everyone involved...hard to raise big sums of money these days and not take the cryptobucks. — Also, TIL: Bob Young, founder of Red Hat, participated in their seed round. Wish the industry had more folks like him around. [embedded post]

@coachfinstock.bsky.social:
Hoping the new investor has seen that this isn't a place that's down with crypto because the user base will be looking for Bluesky 2 somewhere else if that shit starts to show up [embedded post] @tante@tldr.nettime.org: What's going on over at Bluesky? — Oh they fundraised and got a whole bunch of money from a blockchain investor who has money in basically ever fucked up scam you have heard of. — Great. — https://bsky.social/...

Music Business Worldwide:

TikTok strikes a licensing deal with indie music distributor UnitedMasters, a member of Merlin; the current TikTok/Merlin licensing deal ends October 31— TikTok has announced that it has struck a multi-year direct deal with prominent indie artist services and distribution platform UnitedMasters.

Discussion:
Billboard, TikTok, Social Media Today, Digital Music News and Music Ally

Discussion:

Kristin Robinson /
Billboard: UnitedMasters Forges Direct Deal With TikTok After Merlin Negotiations Collapse

Andrew Hutchinson /
Social Media Today: TikTok Establishes New Deal With UnitedMasters to Promote Independent Musicians

Ashley King /
Digital Music News: And Just Like That, TikTok Inks a Direct Deal with UnitedMasters — Bypassing Merlin

Stuart Dredge /
Music Ally: Merlin member UnitedMasters signs a direct deal with TikTok

TechCrunch:

Goodreads co-founder Otis Chandler launches Smashing, an app that aims to create community around articles, podcasts, and more, and has an AI Questions feature— Smashing, a new app curating the best of the web from Goodreads co-founder Otis Chandler, is now available to the public.

Discussion:
Andrew Moseman on LinkedIn, more at Techmeme »

Reuters:

Israel publishes documents it says it found in Gaza, which it claims prove that six Al Jazeera reporters in Gaza were also members of Hamas or Islamic Jihad— The Israeli military named on Wednesday six Palestinian Al Jazeera reporters in Gaza it said were also members of the Hamas …

Discussion:
The Times of Israel, UPI, New Jersey Online, Canary, Middle East Monitor, International Center …, Middle East Eye, Associated Press, The Times of Israel, New York Times, New York Post, Al Jazeera, Adweek, freebeacon.com, Algemeiner.com, Fox News, National Union of Journalists …, Jerusalem Post, Breitbart, RedState and The Wrap

Discussion:
The Times of Israel: IDF releases more documents it says show cooperation between Hamas and Al Jazeera

Doug Cunningham /
UPI: Blinken announces $135 million in U.S. aid for Palestinians after Qatar talks

Aysha Qamar /
New Jersey Online: More journalists have been killed in Gaza than any other conflict zone, nonprofit finds

Marwa A /
Middle East Monitor: Israel setting stage for more killings of Palestinian journalists, says Al Jazeera

Sharon Moshavi /
International Center for Journalists: ‘Another Difficult Journey to Nowhere:’ One Journalist's Account of Life in Gaza

Rayhan Uddin /
Middle East Eye: Fears for six Palestinian journalists after Israel names them as targets

The Times of Israel:
IDF says Gaza documents prove 6 Al Jazeera journalists are Hamas, PIJ operatives

Aaron Boxerman /
New York Times: Israel Accuses 6 Al Jazeera Reporters of Belonging to Militant Groups

Ronny Reyes /
New York Post: IDF names 6 Al Jazeera journalists as members of Hamas, Islamic Jihad after uncovering documents

Brad Pareso /
Adweek: Israel Names Al Jazeera Reporters as Gaza Militants, Network Condemns ‘Unfounded Allegations’

Adam Kredo /
freebeacon.com: Six Al Jazeera Journos Are Actually Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad Terrorists, Declassified Israeli Intel Shows

Corey Walker /
Algemeiner.com: IDF Identifies Six Al Jazeera Journalists as Members of Hamas, Islamic Jihad Terror Groups

Fox News:
IDF claims 6 Al Jazeera journalists are members of terror groups, network responds to ‘fabricated accusations’ National Union of Journalists (NUJ): NUJ strongly condemns IDF accusations against Al Jazeera journalists

Joel B. Pollak /
Breitbart: IDF: Documents Expose 6 Al Jazeera Journalists as Hamas, Islamic Jihad Terrorists

Wall Street Journal:

At a conference, Perplexity CEO Aravind Srinivas says he'd like the company to reach ad revenue sharing agreements with publishers, rather than licensing deals— Journal parent Dow Jones sued the AI startup this week, alleging copyright infringement — Perplexity wants to reach revenue …

Discussion:
MediaPost, Reuters, San Francisco Business Times, The Hollywood Reporter, Digiday, Adweek, Business Insider and MEDIANAMA

Discussion:

Ray Schultz /
MediaPost: Perplexity CEO ‘Surprised’ By Dow Jones Lawsuit San Francisco Business Times: Perplexity AI's quest for curiosity and cash, Mira Murati's new startup: Week in AI

Alex Weprin /
The Hollywood Reporter: Perplexity CEO Speaks at News Corp. Event Days After Lawsuit: “Let's Talk About the Elephant in the Room”

Marty Swant /
Digiday: Perplexity faces new legal pressure even as it attempts to win over publishers and advertisers

Melia Russell /
Business Insider: The CEO of Perplexity said the AI-powered search engine isn't trying to replace the news

Associated Press:

Medill's State of Local News report finds a net gain of 81 US digital news sites over the past year, 127 closed newspapers, ~2,000 lost newsroom jobs, and more— Newspapers in the United States closed at the rate of more than two per week during 2023, but a burst of activity among digital …

Discussion:

Sara Fischer /
Axios: Most U.S. counties have little to no local news sources

Zach Metzger /
Local News Initiative: The State of Local News @niemanlab: “In raw numbers, the loss of jobs in newspapers is the single largest drop in all industries tracked by the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey.” https://www.niemanlab.org/...

Nicholas Dawes /
@nicdawes: When you are working to build a local news alternative in a city that many believe is media saturated, you get very frustrated with the standard units of analysis for the local news crisis: the number of outlets per county, and its associated heuristic, the news desert. 1/

Nicholas Dawes /
@nicdawes: The 2024 edition of the @LocalNewsIni report has vital data on outlets per capita, and for New York, the numbers are bad. With 2.28 outlets per 100,000 residents, the Empire State ranks 31st out 50 states plus DC. https://localnewsinitiative.northwester n.edu/ ... [image]

Nicholas Dawes /
@nicdawes: I have some methodological quibbles, but for New York's five boroughs, the market I know best, the raw numbers complied by @LocalNewsIni paint a directionally accurate picture of a city both gravely underserved and deeply inequitable. 5/

Steven Waldman /
Steven Waldman on LinkedIn: The invaluable Medill Local News Initiative 2024 report is out. Mostly very bad news, with some signs of hope: …

Tim Franklin /
Tim Franklin on LinkedIn: The was some positive news in the new Medill Local News Initiative Northwestern University Medill School State of Local News Report released today. …

Sophie Culpepper /
Nieman Lab: Medill's 2024 State of Local News report expands what it qualifies as local news — and asks readers to point out what it missed

Paul Farhi /
Columbia Journalism Review: Green shoots in local news, but not where they're needed most

Reuters:

Cambodia frees reporter Mech Dara, detained on October 1 on charges of inciting social unrest, on bail, after the government released a video of him apologizing— An award-winning Cambodian journalist who was arrested on charges of inciting social unrest was freed on bail on Thursday …

Discussion:
The Guardian, Raw Story, New York Times and Reuters

Discussion:

Rebecca Ratcliffe /
The Guardian: Journalist who exposed Cambodia's scam industry released by authorities

Variety:

PLBY Group, which owns Playboy and related brands, says its board unanimously rejected Cooper Hefner's $100M takeover offer— PLBY Group, the company that owns Playboy and related brands, announced that its board unanimously rejected an unsolicited $100 million-plus takeover offer from Cooper Hefner …

Discussion:
The Wrap, The Daily Caller and The Hollywood Reporter

Discussion:

Adam Chitwood /
The Wrap: Playboy Rejects Cooper Hefner's $100 Million Offer to Buy Company, Says It ‘Substantially Undervalues’ Assets

Punchbowl News:

A group of Republican lawmakers led by senators Tom Cotton and Mitch McConnell ask for a probe into “systematic” leaks from the FTC and DOJ to Bloomberg News— In a letter dated Wednesday, the senators point to twelve instances since 2023 when Bloomberg broke stories …