Sources detail continued financial losses at WaPo, internal competition for the top newsroom job, and staff dissatisfaction with a new return-to-office policy (Charlotte Klein/New York Magazine)
Mediagazer: Sources detail continued financial losses at WaPo, internal competition for the top newsroom job, and staff dissatisfaction with a new return-to-office policy (Charlotte Klein/New York Magazine)
Top News:
CNN:
Sources: MSNBC's Morning Joe meeting with Trump was driven by fears of retribution from the incoming administration, including governmental and legal harassment— New York CNN — — “Morning Joe” co-hosts Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski announced Monday, in dramatic fashion …
Discussion: The Guardian, The Daily Beast, Mediaite, The Independent, Adweek, Newsweek, New Jersey Online, @keitholbermann, @brianstelter, @wjcarter, @mediaevan, @emmavigeland, @adamjohnsonchi, Variety, @prettybadlefty, Raw Story, @brianstelter, @schooley.bsky.social, @marceelias, @cherijacobus, The Wrap, @daveweigel, @brianstelter, @meidastouch.bsky.social, @mattwelch, @brianstelter, @timfullerton.bsky.social, @brendannyhan.bsky.social, @jeffgoldesq, Washington Examiner and Eschaton
Discussion:
Marina Dunbar /
The Guardian: MSNBC's Joe Scarborough brushes off backlash to his meeting with Trump
Dan Ladden-Hall /
The Daily Beast: ‘Morning Joe’ Dismisses Online Anger Over Trump Meeting
David Gilmour /
Mediaite: Joe Scarborough Said in April That There's No ‘Meeting In The Middle’ With Trump
Katie Hawkinson /
The Independent: ‘Morning Joe’ defends Trump meeting claiming ‘massive disconnect’ between ‘social media and the real world’
Lauren Sforza /
New Jersey Online: Why MSNBC hosts caved to Trump
Keith Olbermann /
@keitholbermann: Amazing. @JoeNBC keeps digging It's one thing to be a transparent suckup to fascists who then pretends to fight them because that's the way the wind blows, then reverts to dictator-sucking It's quite another to be all that - and a coward #VichyMSNBC https://www.cnn.com/...
Brian Stelter /
@brianstelter: According to two sources with direct knowledge of the matter, Scarborough and Brzezinski were credibly concerned that they could face governmental and legal harassment from the incoming Trump administration. https://view.newsletters.cnn.com/ ...
Bill Carter /
@wjcarter: Only they can know what skeletons they fear could be unearthed by a ruthless prosecution. But rolling over without even putting up a fight is a terrible look for anyone who believes the first half of “ without fear or favor.”
Evan DeSimone /
@mediaevan: It's going to be hard for folks that built their brand on 2016 resistance to these the needle between what their audience wants and fending off Trump revenge. Washington Post was patient zero, Joe and Mika are next up.
Emma Vigeland /
@emmavigeland: You're supposed to be journalists first, not hysterical millionaires shitting their diapers. It's the marginalized and less powerful Trump will target. This is a fireable offense. It's an abdication of their core responsibilities. They met with Trump and didn't even record it.
Adam Johnson /
@adamjohnsonchi: I'm sorry this is post facto spin. In no universe is Joe Scarborough worried Trump is going to send his jackbooted thugs to 30 Rock, he just wants to be on the side of those in power and, as a conservative republican, also happens to agree with 90% of Trump's agenda
Todd Spangler /
Variety: Joe Scarborough Defends Trump Meeting, Blames Viewer Backlash on ‘Massive Disconnect Between Social Media and the Real World’ @prettybadlefty: Even if this were true, which I don't believe it is, it is kind of telling that, as a “journalist”, Joe Scarborough feels like his own personal comfort comes before any journalistic integrity. Why would anyone watch him if that's his position?
Matthew Chapman /
Raw Story: ‘Credibly concerned’: Retribution fear reportedly prompted ‘Morning Joe’ Trump meeting
Brian Stelter /
@brianstelter: Several sources pointed out that Steve Bannon, just last week, warned MSNBC staffers to “preserve your documents” while predicting Gaetz's DOJ would pursue cases against them. Bannon name-checked Andrew Weissmann and Ari Melber and said “you young producers” better “lawyer up.”
Schooley /
@schooley.bsky.social: Positive press driven by fear of retribution. Healthy sign for democracy surviving this! [embedded post]
Marc E. Elias /
@marceelias: Put plainly: They choose anticipatory obedience.
Cheri Jacobus /
@cherijacobus: They had no problem selling me out in 2016 when Lewandowski defamed me on their show, and they refused to let me on to defend myself and refute Lewandowski, even though I had receipts proving he lied. Nor would they say on the show that I dispute the claims. Then Trump defamed me
Josh Dickey /
The Wrap: ‘Morning Joe’ Hosts Took Donald Trump Meeting Over Retribution Concerns | Report
David Weigel /
@daveweigel: “This reporter was perhaps a little hasty and would like to reaffirm his allegiance to this country and its human president.”
Brian Stelter /
@brianstelter: Within MSNBC, there are a variety of opinions about what Trump and his allies might do. For that reason, there are a wide range of feelings about the “Morning Joe” meeting, according to half a dozen employees 🧵
Brian Stelter /
@brianstelter: The two sources agreed with Joe and Mika's impression of the situation - namely, that the incoming Trump admin could use its wide-ranging powers to punish people deemed enemies. Others at MSNBC are not so sure. Here's my story about the internal debate >> https://www.cnn.com/...
Brian Stelter /
@brianstelter: Knowing that Trump has threatened retribution against his perceived political opponents, and that Trump has promoted lies about Scarborough and Brzezinski in the past, the MSNBC hosts decided to reach out to the president-elect.
Matt Welch /
@mattwelch: It's worth specifying what “wide-ranging powers” the executive branch has “to punish” cable television networks.
Brian Stelter /
@brianstelter: To be sure, there are some inside MSNBC who believe the fears are overblown. At the management level, there was no concern over Scarborough and Brzezinski's meeting. An MSNBC rep declined to comment for my story... https://www.cnn.com/...
Brian Stelter /
@brianstelter: Some MSNBC staffers are taking a realpolitik view, saying that access to Trump is valuable. Others are troubled by Joe and Mika's meeting, calling it a troubling sign of capitulation to a would-be dictator. Some hosts privately wonder if they will be targeted by the Trump admin.
Tim Fullerton /
@timfullerton.bsky.social: The media won't save us because they're focused on saving themselves. — Talk about a real profile in courage here. 🙄 — Exactly why we need to build our own media infrastructure. [embedded post]
Brendan Nyhan /
@brendannyhan.bsky.social: Genuinely sinister and an example about how authoritarians creating fear and uncertainty compromises opposition and media scrutiny in advance [embedded post]
Jeffrey Evan Gold /
@jeffgoldesq: Obviously so. If I was @joenbc and @morningmika lawyer I would also have advised to use their connections, kiss some butt to avoid the problems. BUT also be more honest with your audience than try to gaslight them that they are crazy for being offended by the unexplained move.
Jenny Goldsberry /
Washington Examiner: Joe Scarborough spends show defending Trump meeting amid backlash from legacy media
Atrios /
Eschaton: Vive la Résistance! — Choose your fighters. — Yesterday, as outraged “Morning Joe” …
RELATED:
CNN:
MSNBC co-hosts Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski face criticism after revealing they went to Mar-a-Lago to meet President-elect Donald Trump
Discussion:
Mediaite, The Hill, @katiephang, RedState, New York Post, Daily Caller News Foundation, The Daily Beast, Raw Story, Wall Street Journal, @oliverdarcy@threads.net, Fox News, New York Times, Washington Examiner, @brianstelter, @joenbc, Status, @froomkin, @bristei, @nick_field90, @brianstelter, @iamchanteezy, @jeffjarvis, @brianstelter, @j_fassler, @chrisfromga68, @wendyday5013, @thetnholler, @jeffjarvis, Daily Mail, HuffPost, Politico, @jeffjarvis, @brianstelter, freebeacon.com, The Wrap, The Gateway Pundit, One America News Network, Variety, The Hollywood Reporter, The Daily Caller, People, Breitbart, Trending Politics …, Alternet.org, IJR, @brianstelter.bsky.social, @kfile.bsky.social, @justinbaragona.bsky.social, TVLine, Newsbusters, HotAir, Vanity Fair, @samsteindc.bsky.social, al.com, Barrett Media and Washington Times
Discussion:
David Gilmour /
Mediaite: Joe Scarborough Brushes Off Backlash Over Trump Meeting As ‘Massive Disconnect’ Between ‘Social Media and the Real World’
Isaac Schorr /
Mediaite: Everyone Howling About ‘Normalizing’ Donald Trump Should Be Relentlessly Mocked Into Exile
Dominick Mastrangelo /
The Hill: Scarborough dismisses Trump meeting backlash: ‘Massive disconnect’
Katie Phang /
@katiephang: Normalizing Trump is a bad idea. Period.
Mike Miller /
RedState: Sunny Hostin Has Brief Moment of Clarity About ‘Morning Joe’ Trip to Mar-a-Lago, Then Reverts to Form
Taylor Herzlich /
New York Post: Jon Stewart slams ‘Morning Joe’ hosts' hypocrisy over meeting with Trump: ‘You said he was Hitler’
Harold Hutchison /
Daily Caller News Foundation: Scarborough Says He Was ‘Flooded’ With ‘Very Supportive’ Calls After Mar-A-Lago Visit
David Edwards /
Raw Story: ‘They never face the consequences’: Ex-MSNBC host blasts Joe and Mika's Trump meeting
Isabella Simonetti /
Wall Street Journal: The Hosts of MSNBC's ‘Morning Joe’ Changed Their Tune on Trump—Again
Oliver Darcy /
@oliverdarcy@threads.net: Those in the news industry often wonder why trust in the mainstream press is so low. But it is pretty obvious! — More in Status: https://www.status.news/... [image]
Michael M. Grynbaum /
New York Times: ‘Morning Joe’ Stars Reveal a Mar-a-Lago Reunion With Trump
W. James Antle III /
Washington Examiner: Morning Joe and the perils of ‘normalizing’ the president
Brian Stelter /
@brianstelter: “Morning Joe” fans are telling Scarborough how they feel about his Trump detente:
Joe Scarborough /
@joenbc: Trump said the meeting was “extremely cordial.” “Many things were discussed, and I very much appreciated the fact that they wanted to have open communication,” he said. “In many ways, it's too bad that it wasn't done long ago.” https://www.foxnews.com/...
Oliver Darcy /
Status: Morning Groveling — Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski. (Screen grab via SnapStream)
Dan Froomkin /
@froomkin: HuffPost: [image]
Brian Steinberg /
@bristei: The best headline I've seen so far re: the Morning Joe disclosure this AM is ‘MORNING NO’
Nick Field /
@nick_field90: Scarborough is 100% calling every NBC exec he knows complaining about this so make sure we all have Katie's back https://x.com/...
Brian Stelter /
@brianstelter: MSNBC host seemingly reacting to Joe and Mika's meeting at Mar a Lago:
Brian Stelter /
@brianstelter: Loyal “Morning Joe” viewers are furious about the Trump meeting. @jeffjarvis called it a “betrayal of their colleagues, democracy, and us all. It is a disgusting show of obeisance in advance.” Some fans are vowing not to watch the show anymore. https://www.cnn.com/...
Jeremy Fassler /
@j_fassler: Well, there goes my ever taking Joe and Mika seriously again. Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice...well, you don't get fooled again.
WendySpirit /
@wendyday5013: This 🧵is exactly why the outrage at #MorningJoe was so strong this morning. A slap in the face of viewers and a waste of any goodwill they had from the pivot to covering Trump as a threat to democracy. @thetnholler: This @Morning_Joe @JoeNBC headline sounds a lot like what @ianbassin warned us about. 🫤 https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/ ... [image] @jeffjarvis: To those of you waking up at this hour and thinking of watching the rerun of the first hour of @Morning_Joe, this is what you are in for: @JoeNBC's and @morningmika's betrayal of their colleagues, democracy, and us all. It is a disgusting show of obeisance in advance.
Stephen M. Lepore /
Daily Mail: Megyn Kelly tears into Morning Joe hosts ‘grifters’ after secret Mar-a-Lago meeting to make amends with Trump
Graeme Demianyk /
HuffPost: Joe Scarborough Defends Trump Reconciliation: 'We're All Working Towards A Better America'
Andrew Howard /
Politico: ‘Morning Joe’ hosts visited Mar-a-Lago for Trump meeting
@jeffjarvis:
Oh, Lord. Joe and Mika went to Mar-a-lago. “What we did agree on,” Mika said, “was to restart communications.” Access. “He seemed interested in finding common ground with Democrats.” Credulity. They revert to their mean. [image]
Brian Stelter /
@brianstelter: Joe and Mika went to Mar a Lago to talk with Trump over the weekend. First face-to-face meeting in seven years. “We didn't see eye-to-eye on a lot of issues and we told him so,” @JoeNBC says. “What we did agree on - was to restart communications,” @morningmika says. [video]
Andrew Stiles /
freebeacon.com: WATCH: Matt Gaetz Donor Makes Pilgrimage to Mar-a-Lago To Kiss the Ring
Jacob Bryant /
The Wrap: Megyn Kelly Calls Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski ‘Dishonest Jokes of Faux Journalists’ After Trump Interview | Video
Mike LaChance /
The Gateway Pundit: Megyn Kelly Goes Scorched-Earth on Hypocrites Joe Scarborough and Mika for Meeting With Trump (VIDEO)
Abril Elfi /
One America News Network: MSNBC's ‘Morning Joe’ Co-Hosts Met With Trump ‘To Restart Communications’
Zack Sharf /
Variety: 'The View's' Sunny Hostin Criticizes ‘Morning Joe’ Anchors Joe and Mika for Meeting Trump: You Don't Need to ‘Sit Down for 90 Min. at Mar-a-Lago and Kiss His Ring’
Etan Vlessing /
The Hollywood Reporter: ‘The View’ Co-Host Sunny Hostin Criticizes Joe Scarborough, Mika Brzezinski for Meeting Donald Trump to “Kiss the Ring”
Charlotte Phillipp /
People: Morning Joe Hosts to ‘Restart Communications’ with Donald Trump After Revealing They Visited the President-Elect
Wendell Husebo /
Breitbart: Morning Joe Cohosts, Who Likened Trump to Hitler, Open Dialogue with Him at Mar-a-Lago
Mark Steffen /
Trending Politics Conservative Breaking: REPORT: Loyal ‘Morning Joe’ Fans Vow To Boycott Program Over Meeting With Trump
Alex Henderson /
Alternet.org: ‘Bend the knee’: MSNBC hosts set off shockwaves after meeting with Trump at a Mar-a-Lago
Brian Stelter /
@brianstelter.bsky.social: “In order to Make America Great Again, it is very important, if not vital, to have a free, fair and open media or press,” Trump told Fox News this morning. www.foxnews.com/politics/tru...
Andrew Kaczynski /
@kfile.bsky.social: Trump says Joe and Mika, “congratulated me on running a 'great and flawless campaign, one for the history books.” — www.foxnews.com/politics/tru...
Justin Baragona /
@justinbaragona.bsky.social: After Morning Joe announced this morning that they bent the knee at Mar-a-Lago, Trump goes to Fox News and says they “congratulated me on running a ‘great and flawless campaign’” and told him they liked many of his Cabinet picks “very much.” — www.foxnews.com/politics/tru...
Nick Caruso /
TVLine: The View's Sunny Hostin Takes Swipe at Morning Joe Co-Hosts for ‘Kissing the Ring’ After Their Meeting With Trump — Watch
Mark Finkelstein /
Newsbusters: Friendly with ‘Fascists’? Joe and Mika Meet Trump at Mar-a-Lago!
Sam Stein /
@samsteindc.bsky.social: curious quote here from DJT. which media kept him “in the game”? — www.foxnews.com/politics/tru... [image]
Kevin Manahan /
al.com: MSNBC hosts try to ‘restart communications’ with Trump, get dragged on social media Barrett Media: News Media Reacts to MSNBC Hosts Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski Meeting with Donald Trump
The Wrap:
In a statement, Jay Penske says The Hollywood Reporter has replaced co-EIC Nekesa Mumbi Moody with Shirley Halperin, following staff cuts in June and August— Halperin recently resigned as editor of Los Angeles Magazine — The Hollywood Reporter replaced co-editor in chief Nekesa Mumbi Moody …
Discussion:
Reuters, Talking Biz News and The Hollywood Reporter
Discussion:
TechCrunch:
Bluesky has 20M+ users after hitting 15M on Nov. 13; Appfigures: it's been #1 in US App Store since Nov. 13; Similarweb: its DAU gap with Threads is narrowing— Bluesky, the social network and X competitor has been benefiting from a surge of departures from the Elon Musk-owned app formerly known as Twitter.
Discussion:
Engadget, The Hollywood Reporter, @willoremus@threads.net, @mosseri@threads.net, @henrymance.bsky.social, @timboard.bsky.social, Similarweb, @nachristakis.bsky.social, @evankirstel.bsky.social, @johnspurlock.com, @conorsen.bsky.social, Business Insider, @jay.bsky.team, @paleofuture.bsky.social, @o.simardcasanova.net, @keithedwards.bsky.social, @oremus.bsky.social, theJasmineBRAND, Press Gazette, The Irish Times and Forbes, more at Techmeme »
Discussion:
Karissa Bell /
Engadget: Bluesky hits 20 million users
Will Oremus /
@willoremus@threads.net: Instagram chief Adam Mosseri says Threads has “many times” as many daily active users as Bluesky has total signups, contradicting Similarweb's estimate that the ratio is just 1.5x post-election. Not sure how Similarweb is arriving at its estimates but maybe Meta could clear things up with some more transparency on Threads DAUs...
Adam Mosseri /
@mosseri@threads.net: There is no way this is the case as we have many times as many daily users as they have total signups. Maybe this data is web data?
Henry Mance /
@henrymance.bsky.social: Bluesky has only 20mn users compared to Threads's 275m, but it gets almost as many visits worldwide because obviously most Threads users would rather die than actually spend time there techcrunch.com/2024/11/19/b... [image]
Tim Board /
@timboard.bsky.social: U. S. App Store — No. 1 #bluesky — . — No. 4 threads — . — . — . — No. 41 xitter — Allow me a hearty guffaw! — techcrunch.com/2024/11/19/b...
David F. Carr /
Similarweb: Bluesky Sees Greatest Sustained Growth So Far in the US and UK
Nicholas A. Christakis /
@nachristakis.bsky.social: Bluesky tops 20M users, narrowing gap with Instagram and Threads. This chart is amazing, indicative of an overnight cultural shift rather than typical tech adoption. techcrunch.com/2024/11/19/b... [image]
Evan Kirstel /
@evankirstel.bsky.social: Bluesky has 20M+ users after hitting 15M on Nov. 13; Appfigures: it's been #1 in US App Store since Nov. 13; Similarweb: its DAU gap with Threads is narrowing (@sarahpereztc / TechCrunch) techcrunch.com/2024/11/19/b...
John Spurlock /
@johnspurlock.com: 'The firm's data also indicates that Bluesky overtook Threads in daily website visits in both the U.S. and the U.K., which signals strong interest from potential new users. Not yet globally, but it's come very close as of mid-November.' — techcrunch.com/2024/11/19/b... [image]
Conor Sen /
@conorsen.bsky.social: This chart is pretty insane. More of an overnight social/political-type shift than typical tech adoption imo: techcrunch.com/2024/11/19/b... [image]
Katie Notopoulos /
Business Insider: Bluesky has ‘the juice’ — but it still doesn't have the normies
Jay /
@jay.bsky.team: Bluesky now has over 20M people!! 🎉 — We've been adding over a million users per day for the last few days. To celebrate, here are 20 fun facts about Bluesky:
Matt Novak /
@paleofuture.bsky.social: Quite a surge there [embedded post]
Olivier Simard-Casanova /
@o.simardcasanova.net: Excellent piece by @sarahp.bsky.social about Bluesky's and Threads' numbers — According to SimilarWeb, the gap of daily active users between Bluesky and Thread has significantly narrowed down — Despite a large number of monthly active users, Threads may not be that big of a platform — 1/5 …
Keith Edwards /
@keithedwards.bsky.social: Wow. Threads has 14x Bluesky's user base but just 1.5x their daily active users — a more prized metric. — That must be why Meta is always boasting about their monthly active users.
Will Oremus /
@oremus.bsky.social: Bluesky remains far behind Threads in total signups but has dramatically narrowed the gap in daily active users, a more prized metric, per new data from Similarweb. Threads has 14x Bluesky's user base but just 1.5x the daily actives. techcrunch.com/2024/11/19/b... by @sarahp.bsky.social
Aaron Keenan /
theJasmineBRAND: Bluesky Hits 20 Million Users As People Flee X
Bron Maher /
Press Gazette: The Economist, The Week, ITV News, and others have joined Bluesky in the past week, while Politico, Semafor, Tortoise have resumed their activity on the site
Brad Adgate /
Forbes: X Rival Bluesky Is Adding Millions Of Users Post-Election — Reaching 18 Million Users
TechCrunch:
Spines, an AI-powered self-publishing service for book authors that provides suggestions on edits, cover design, more, raised a $16M Series A after a $6.5M seed— Generative AI has upended how we write things, or even if we write at all. Now a startup wants to be the main character …
Discussion:
Michael Eisenberg on LinkedIn, Oren Zeev on LinkedIn and Spines
Discussion:
Michael Eisenberg /
Michael Eisenberg on LinkedIn: Publishing a book?? Our protco Spines just raised $15mm series A after a year of 10X growth in AI disruption of book publishing. …
Oren Zeev /
Oren Zeev on LinkedIn: Excited to be backing Spines. It's my third time backing a company in the book business. First was Audible which invented and dominates the digital audio book …
Apple:
The NYT's The Daily tops Apple Podcasts' most popular US shows in 2024, followed by Crime Junkie, The Joe Rogan Experience, Dateline NBC, and SmartLess— Today, Apple shared the most popular podcasts of 2024, with year-end charts localized for listeners in nearly 100 countries and regions.
Discussion:
Variety, AppleInsider, BGR, @alexweprin and 9to5Mac
Discussion:
Malcolm Owen /
AppleInsider: Top Apple Podcast charts for 2024 show what everyone's been listening to
José Adorno /
BGR: Apple reveals most popular podcasts of 2024
Alex Weprin /
@alexweprin: If you are keeping track, Joe Rogan's interview with Trump was the most-watched election-related video on YouTube, and the second most-listened to podcast on Apple podcasts. https://www.apple.com/...
New York Magazine:
Sources detail continued financial losses at WaPo, internal competition for the top newsroom job, and staff dissatisfaction with a new return-to-office policy— Even before 250,000 digital readers unsubscribed from the Washington Post in protest, the paper was on track to lose at least as much money as it lost last year: $77 million.
Discussion:
New York Post, @nymag, @claeshs.bsky.social and @charlottetklein.bsky.social
Discussion:
Ariel Zilber /
New York Post: Washington Post warns staff who refuse return-to-office mandate: ‘We will accept resignation’ @nymag: The Washington Post was already set to lose at least as much money as it lost last year—$77 million—before 250,000 people canceled their subscriptions over Jeff Bezos spiking a planned Kamala Harris endorsement. https://nymag.com/...
Claes Holtzmann /
@claeshs.bsky.social: WaPo's top stories convert 200 readers to subscribers. Slightly more than we see on our local titles 🥲 — But at least we didn't lose 250,000 subs in one swoop 😵 — “You're doing your best work, hoping you convert 200 subscribers. And we lost 250,000 through naïveté and poor decision-making”
ABC News:
Filing: Alex Jones asks a judge to halt the sale of Infowars; a company affiliated with him, which was the losing bidder, seeks to disqualify The Onion's bid— Jones called The Onion's winning $1.75 million bid “sheer nonsense.” — Alex Jones of Infowars talks to the media while visiting …
Discussion:
CNN, Austin American-Statesman, @passantino@threads.net, @benmullin, Bloomberg Law, Associated Press, Reuters and New Republic
Discussion:
Hadas Gold /
CNN: Alex Jones and his allies are desperately trying to stop the sale of Infowars to The Onion
Karoline Leonard /
Austin American-Statesman: Alex Jones attempts to stop sale of Infowars, Free Speech Systems to The Onion
Jon Passantino /
@passantino@threads.net: Alex Jones and his allies are desperately trying to stop the sale of Infowars to The Onion, filing lawsuits and emergency motions arguing Sandy Hook families “colluded” for a “flagrantly non-compliant Frankenstein bid” via @_hadasgold https://www.cnn.com/...
Ben Mullin /
@benmullin: NEW: The court-appointed trustee overseeing the sale of Infowars just responded to the emergency motion to disqualify The Onion's bid, calling it “a disappointed bidder's improper attempt to influence an otherwise fair and open auction process.” [image]
Dave Collins /
Associated Press: Elon Musk's X steps in as Alex Jones-affiliated company tries to halt Infowars sale
Dietrich Knauth /
Reuters: Alex Jones-affiliated company challenges the Onion's Infowars purchase
Ellie Quinlan Houghtaling /
New Republic: You Won't Believe Who's Trying to Stop The Onion Buying Infowars
NBC News:
Social media users criticize Coca-Cola over an AI-generated Christmas video; many creatives say it is distasteful to use AI tech instead of the work of artists— The video was meant to pay homage to a classic 1995 Coca-Cola commercial. — Coca-Cola is facing backlash online …
Discussion:
Adweek, Reuters, TODAY.com, Barbara Czarnecka on LinkedIn, @discussingfilm, @ronnui_, @kyl0ooart, Metro.co.uk, @munstamasta, Breitbart, @techhalla, @eggsnocntxt, @stoptweetingmia, Dataconomy, @dominicknero, @punishedhoots, @code_rgb, @alexarrelia, @srirachachau, @brendengallager, @beantwilly and Ad Age, more at Techmeme »
Discussion:
David Cohen /
Adweek: AI-Powered Holiday Ad Earns Coca-Cola a Lump of Coal
Rishi Kant /
Reuters: Andreessen Horowitz-backed studio Promise to start producing movies, series using AI
Joseph Lamour /
TODAY.com: Coca-Cola's AI-generated holiday ad fizzles with consumers
Barbara Czarnecka /
Barbara Czarnecka on LinkedIn: 🔴 AI in advertising 🔴 — Is AI really a threat to real advertising? Brands needs to tread carefully because AI-generated ads may result in mixed reactions from consumers. … @discussingfilm: Coca Cola's annual Christmas commercial has been created with AI this time. [video]
Ron Iver /
@ronnui_: More than anything, what makes the holiday season so special is that it highlights the humanity of togetherness. That's why we had ten thousand CPUs burp out sixty seconds of slop for your idiot minds.
MastaMunsta /
@munstamasta: The fucking audacity to put polar bears in this commercial like they didn't just melt another iceberg with this @techhalla: Coca-Cola has used AI for their upcoming Christmas ad. This is a game-changer for generative AI. [video] @stoptweetingmia: You don't actually legally own the rights to images created with AI, so Pepsi has the chance to do the funniest thing.
Dom Nero /
@dominicknero: calling it right now, 2024 was the year of slop. it's the year slop took over every facet of culture. google became slop. slop drowned out journalism. not just ai slop-there were slop games like Concord. movie slop like Borderlands. we let a slop ceo get a slop president elected
Hoots /
@punishedhoots: Looks like shit lol
Chris Barber /
@code_rgb: The company I work for, Silverside AI, just created an ad for @CocaCola (yes THE Coca-Cola)!! We were asked to bring the classic Coca Cola Holidays are Coming ad back through the use of AI. Check it out: [video]
Alex Arrelia /
@alexarrelia: It's actually incredibly disingenuous to conceal the fact that this required an immense amount of post production with traditional animators to avoid existing false advertising laws, and so Coca-Cola's logo appeared correctly in every frame.
Mr. Chau /
@srirachachau: Coca-Cola doing a generative AI remake of I'd Like to Buy the World a Coke and immediately getting sued because all of the people were ripped straight out of Midsommar
Brenden Gallagher /
@brendengallager: Such a great example of how AI cannot generate new ideas but simply smush together what was previously created. Yes this looks like a poor imitation of the typical Coca-Cola Xmas commercial
Deadline:
Donald Trump selects Fox Business' The Bottom Line co-host and former congressman Sean Duffy to be his nominee for secretary of transportation— Duffy, a former congressman, is the co-host of Fox Business' The Bottom Line and is a contributor to the news network.
Discussion:
Fox News, TVNewsCheck, @mattyglesias, TheTruthAboutCars, @challengeteamtv, Alternet.org, Hollywood Life, AV Club, @seanduffywi, @timjacobwise, @brianstelter, @emilmichael, NBC News, BBC, Newsweek, Reuters, Barrett Media, The Daily Beast, The Hill, Rolling Stone, Axios, CNN, Variety, WPR, USA Today, New York Times, NPR, The Wrap, The Guardian, Politico, Axios, Bloomberg, New York Post, Must Read Alaska, Talking Biz News, Washington Post and Yahoo Finance
Discussion:
Greg Wehner /
Fox News: Trump nominates former Wisconsin Rep. Sean Duffy for Secretary of Transportation
Ted Johnson /
TVNewsCheck: Trump Nominates Fox Business Host Sean Duffy As Secretary Of Transportation
Matthew Yglesias /
@mattyglesias: I've been waiting for a Secretary of Transportation nomination and we got ... Rep Sean Duffy of Wisconsin who I don't know to have any distinctive record or views on transportation issues. If you know more than me, let me know! @challengeteamtv: Sean Duffy transitioned from The Real World and winning two seasons of The Challenge to becoming the Secretary of Transportation for Trump 💀 [image]
Elisabeth McGowan /
Hollywood Life: Who Is Rachel Campos-Duffy? 5 Things About Sean Duffy's Wife
Matt Schimkowitz /
AV Club: Real World: Boston star nominated to lead Department of Transportation
Sean Duffy /
@seanduffywi: Thank you, Mr. President. I'm eager to help you usher in a new golden age of transportation. #MAGA [image]
Tim Wise /
@timjacobwise: Um, just because Sean Duffy won a reality show called “Road Rules” doesn't make him qualified to be the Secretary of Transportation.
Brian Stelter /
@brianstelter: Another Fox News hire by the president-elect: Trump says Sean Duffy (who joined Fox as a contributor in 2020 and currently co-hosts the 6pm Fox Business show “The Bottom Line") is his pick for Transportation Secretary
Emil Michael /
@emilmichael: I want to thank everyone who supported my candidacy for Secretary of Transportation. It was the honor of a lifetime to even be considered. I know that @SeanDuffyWI will do an incredible job for @realDonaldTrump and I stand by ready to assist and support in any and every way.
Zoë Richards /
NBC News: Trump picks a second Fox host to join his Cabinet, with Sean Duffy for Transportation
Holly Honderich /
BBC: Trump nominates ex-congressman and Fox host as transport secretary
David Shepardson /
Reuters: Trump picks former lawmaker Sean Duffy to be transportation secretary
Matt Young /
The Daily Beast: Trump Picks ‘The Real World’ Star Sean Duffy to Be His Transport Secretary
Charisma Madarang /
Rolling Stone: Trump Taps Former ‘Real World’ Cast Member as Transportation Secretary
Sareen Habeshian /
Axios: What to know about Sean Duffy, Trump's Transportation secretary pick
CNN:
Trump picks former congressman and Fox Business host Sean Duffy as next Transportation secretary
J. Kim Murphy /
Variety: Fox Business Host Sean Duffy Tapped by Trump to Lead Department of Transportation and ‘Make Our Skies Safe Again’
Joey Garrison /
USA Today: Trump picks Fox host, former Wisconsin congressman Sean Duffy for Transportation secretary
Mark Walker /
New York Times: Sean Duffy, Fox Stalwart, Gets Trump's Nod for Transportation Secretary
Joel Rose /
NPR: Trump taps Sean Duffy, Fox host and former congressman, for transportation secretary
Chris Marquette /
Politico: Trump taps former lawmaker and reality TV star for Transportation
Sareen Habeshian /
Axios: Trump taps Fox News' Sean Duffy for Transportation Secretary
Samuel Chamberlain /
New York Post: Trump picks Fox News contributor and former Rep. Sean Duffy for transportation secretary
Suzanne Downing /
Must Read Alaska: Sean Duffy named Secretary of Transportation
LeighAnn Caldwell /
Washington Post: Live updates Trump confirms plans to use military for mass deportations
John Gallagher /
Yahoo Finance: Trump to name Fox TV host Sean Duffy to head DOT
TechCrunch:
Amazon says Amazon Music Unlimited subscribers in the US, the UK, and Canada can now listen to one audiobook per month from Audible's catalog for free— Amazon said on Tuesday that it will let Amazon Music Unlimited subscribers access one audiobook per month from Audible's catalog for free.
Discussion:
9to5Mac, Publishers Weekly, Digital Music News, Neowin, CNET, Music Business Worldwide, @ashleycarman@threads.net, Engadget, Bloomberg, Digital Trends, @ashleycarman@threads.net, Billboard, About Amazon, Variety, The Hollywood Reporter, @amazonmusic, Music Ally, The Verge and The Bookseller
Discussion:
Ryan Christoffel /
9to5Mac: Apple One is missing a key service that could really use some help
Ed Nawotka /
Publishers Weekly: Amazon Music Adds Monthly Audible Title Access to Subscription Service
Dylan Smith /
Digital Music News: Amazon Music Unlimited Adds Monthly Audiobook Following Spotify Bundling Frenzy — Is Another Royalty Reduction Forthcoming?
Ramat Adetunji /
Neowin: Amazon Music Unlimited now includes a free audiobook every month
Meara Isenberg /
CNET: Amazon Music Unlimited Subscribers Can Now Listen to Audible Audiobooks
Murray Stassen /
Music Business Worldwide: Amazon Music to bundle Audiobooks from Audible - and unlike Spotify's bundling move, publishers say it won't decrease revenue for songwriters
Ashley Carman /
@ashleycarman@threads.net: Audible faced competition from Spotify when the service began giving subscribers 15 hours-worth of audiobook listening per month. Could Amazon Music cannibalize subs?
Kris Holt /
Engadget: Amazon Music Unlimited subscribers can now borrow audiobooks from Audible's library
Ashley Carman /
Bloomberg: Amazon Music Takes a Page From Spotify, Offers Free Audiobooks
Ashley Carman /
@ashleycarman@threads.net: New: Spotify is turning into YouTube and Amazon is turning into Spotify
Kristin Robinson /
Billboard: Amazon Music Now Has Audible's Audiobook Catalog — And the NMPA Is ‘Optimistic’ About It
Todd Spangler /
Variety: Amazon Music Unlimited Adds Access to Audible's Entire Catalog of 1 Million Audiobooks — but You Can Listen to Only One Title per Month
Caitlin Huston /
The Hollywood Reporter: Amazon Music to Include Free Audiobooks From Audible @amazonmusic: Never let them know your next listen. Audible is now included in the Amazon Music app. [video]
Bloomberg:
Source: Microsoft reaches a deal with News Corp's HarperCollins to use nonfiction titles to train AI models; HarperCollins says authors can opt out— - Nonfiction books will be used for training AI models — AI companies and publishers have butted heads in lawsuits
Discussion:
Publishers Weekly, @uwestenderphd.bsky.social, The Guardian, Music Ally, @nicolap.bsky.social, @amykristinsanders.bsky.social, The Verge, @kagan@wandering.shop, @samleecole.bsky.social, @tylerking.bsky.social, @adrienneleigh.bsky.social, @felixgillette.bsky.social, @parodius.bsky.social, The Bookseller, BGR and Library Journal infoDOCKET, more at Techmeme »
Discussion:
Uwe Stender /
@uwestenderphd.bsky.social: So it's #HarperCollins and #Microsoft. Unacceptable. — www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
Stuart Dredge /
Music Ally: HarperCollins lets authors opt in to its AI licensing deals
Nicola Pittam /
@nicolap.bsky.social: This is so disheartening - they may be contacting authors for a chance to opt in or out but the fact they've even done the deal in the first place is worrying and frightening 🤬🤬🤬
Amy Kristin Sanders /
@amykristinsanders.bsky.social: Buckle up, academics and journalists. — Just when you thought the book publishers and journals couldn't exploit your free labor anymore than they already were. [embedded post] @kagan@wandering.shop: I was all set to rant and rail against HarperCollins, and then I saw that they're doing something very unusual: — They're *asking the authors* for their consent. And it's opt-in, not opt-out. — (This is probably because copyright. …
Sam Cole /
@samleecole.bsky.social: this follows the news that HarperCollins is asking authors to opt-in to AI training data deals, and offering to pay some of them a fee if they agree: www.404media.co/harpercollin...
Tyler King /
@tylerking.bsky.social: Seems like HarperCollins is backtracking on the “this is happening whether you like it or not” provision. — www.404media.co/harpercollin...
Felix Gillette /
@felixgillette.bsky.social: Turns out it's...Microsoft who reached a deal with HarperCollins to train its AI models — www.bloomberg.com/news/article... @parodius.bsky.social: Quite an honour to train the next generation of AI, moreso now that it is optional though :) The Bookseller: HarperCollins signs contract with tech company to use ‘limited’ number of titles to train AI
Gary Price /
Library Journal infoDOCKET: 404 Media Reports “HarperCollins Confirms It Has a Deal to Sell Authors' Work to AI Company”
Engadget:
Instagram says it is testing letting users reset the algorithmic suggestions that power Feed, Reels, and Explore, and the update “will soon roll out globally”— The app will offer users a chance for a “fresh start” with the algorithm. — If your Instagram recommendations …
Discussion:
The Hill, Fortune, 9to5Mac, @metanewsroom, BGR, Mashable, Meta, TechCrunch, Neowin, The Independent, Business Insider, The Verge and Bloomberg, more at Techmeme »
Discussion:
Miranda Nazzaro /
The Hill: Instagram rolls out option to reset recommendations
Chris Morris /
Fortune: Instagram feed filled with junk? Site tests way for you to ‘reset’ suggestions @metanewsroom: In an effort to ensure all have safe, positive and age-appropriate experiences on @Instagram, we're testing a new way to reset content recommendations in Explore, Feed and Reels. https://about.fb.com/... [image]
Rebecca Ruiz /
Mashable: Instagram will let users ‘reset’ their recommended content
Pradeep Viswanathan /
Neowin: New feature lets you reset Instagram recommendations
Sarah Jackson /
Business Insider: Tired of your Instagram algorithm? You'll be able to reset it soon for a ‘fresh start.’
Jess Weatherbed /