Mediagazer: ACLU challenges DoJ warrants for Facebook account information of users involved in anti-Trump protests, arguing the requests are overbroad (Zoe Tillman/BuzzFeed)

2:50 PM ET, September 29, 2017

Top News:

Zoe Tillman / BuzzFeed:

ACLU challenges DoJ warrants for Facebook account information of users involved in anti-Trump protests, arguing the requests are overbroad — Three Facebook users are challenging newly disclosed search warrants for their account information, arguing that the warrants are overbroad …

Discussion: CNN, LawNewz, The Wrap, Slate, Mashable, AOL, ACLU of DC, Gizmodo, Fortune, Splinter, IJR, KTLA, New York Post, Engadget and Fast Company, more at Techmeme »

CNNMoney:

Sources: Russian Internet Research Agency linked to one fake Twitter account and one fake Facebook account using “blacktivist” name; FB account had 360K likes — Russia bought Black Lives Matter ad on Facebook — A social media campaign calling itself “Blacktivist” …

Discussion: EL PAÍS, The Hill, New York Times, @jdakwar, Fast Company, The Root, @pierre, Variety, Boing Boing, The Daily Caller and Atlanta Black Star

Twitter:
Twitter finds Russia Today purchased $274K in ads and promoted 1,823 tweets in US in 2016, and pledges to work with FEC and Congress on political ad disclosure

Hadas Gold / CNNMoney:
Russia's foreign ministry spokeswoman warns of retaliation if the US takes action against Russian government-funded media

Discussion: @mikefarb1, @cnn, @asharangappa_ and @michaeldweiss

Tony Romm / Recode:
Sen. Mark Warner, top Democrat on Senate Intel Committee, said Twitter's briefing on Russian accounts was “inadequate” and “deeply disappointing”

Discussion: IJR, The Wrap, Fortune, CBS News, Axios, @katiebowill, Reuters, @delrey and Business Insider, more at Techmeme »

Tony Romm / Recode:
Twitter told Congressional investigators it found ~200 Russia-linked accounts with 22 directly matching the 470 accounts Facebook identified

more at Techmeme »

Craig Timberg / Washington Post:
Oxford University researchers find Twitter bots spread misinfo and propaganda at higher rates in 2016 battleground states in 10-day period around Election Day

Discussion: The New York Observer, @motherjones, The Hill, The Hill, Mother Jones and The Computational …

Dhrumil Mehta / FiveThirtyEight:

Compared to other US natural disasters in the past few weeks, Hurricane Maria has had less coverage online and on TV — While Puerto Rico suffers after Hurricane Maria, much of the U.S. media (FiveThirtyEight not excepted) has been occupied with other things: a health care bill that failed to pass …

Discussion: @emilybell, @redheadkxc, @elizabarclay, @crispinburke, @paulkrugman, @rjsevans, @_vanessa_diaz, @johnupton, @bencasselman and CNNMoney

Hadas Gold / CNNMoney:

Reporters face damaged infrastructure, spotty electricity and phone service, and difficulty finding gas, food, and water while covering Puerto Rico — Reporting from Puerto Rico in the aftermath of Hurricane Maria has been one of the toughest assignments for journalists …

Discussion: TVNewser, Columbia Journalism Review, Fast Company, The Root, @michelletoh235, @joshuachavers, @amandadickson and The Week

Bloomberg:

AT&T, CenturyLink, industry associations ask US Supreme Court to overturn Obama-era net neutrality rules barring ISPs from slowing or blocking rivals' content — Appeal adds to pressure on rule that FCC might weaken — Rule bars service providers from slowing some web traffic

Discussion: The Verge, Multichannel News, Broadcasting & Cable, Motherboard, Recode, Techdirt, Free Press Blog and Broadcasting & Cable, more at Techmeme »

Joe Rossignol / MacRumors:

Apple says iPhone 7 and 8 don't have FM radio chips, after FCC chairman Ajit Pai urges Apple to activate iPhone FM radio chips to help after natural disasters — Amidst renewed pressure from the National Association of Broadcasters, FCC chairman Ajit Pai has now issued a statement urging Apple …

Paul Sawers / VentureBeat:

Podcast startup Anchor raises $10M Series A led by GV for its audio broadcasting app, which makes it easy for creators to record and distribute audio — A recent spate of investments in the podcast space continues today with news that Anchor has raised $10 million in a series A round of funding led by Google's venture capital arm, GV.

Discussion: TechCrunch, AlleyWatch, AlleyWatch, The Industry Observer, Anchor - Medium and RAIN News, more at Techmeme »

Julie Reynolds / The Nation:

How private equity bears blame for newspapers' decline, buying up 679 properties since 2004 then squeezing for profit, selling assets, and laying off staff — As many as destroying America's hometown newspapers can buy him. — In 2013, a reclusive New York tycoon and his wife began buying …

Discussion: @bruvs, @atompkins, @dmastrull, @darrendcarroll and @coreyhutchins

Lucia Moses / Digiday:

Publishers including NBC News, HuffPost, and Condé Nast say they're shifting resources from Facebook to platforms like Apple News, Snapchat, and Instagram — Facebook is often used interchangeably with platform domination. But some publishers are shifting their attention beyond Facebook.

Discussion: @chrismoranuk, @lucy28southern, @jason_kint, @soktaykilic and @jackmarshall

Emine Saner / The Guardian:

Profile of Laura Kuenssberg, the BBC's political editor, who says she remains committed to impartiality while facing criticism from the left and right — Political editor has faced intense abuse over perceived bias - both leftwing and pro-Tory - but colleagues say she is ‘the ultimate pro’

Discussion: Press Gazette, @rachelh20257338 and New York Times

Daniel Funke / Poynter:

How Politifact staffers worked to build trust with Tulsa Republican leaders by describing sourcing methods and more in a meeting — TULSA, Oklahoma — The Wi-Fi password at the Tulsa County Republican headquarters is Reagan2016. Capital R, no dashes. — It was there …

Discussion: Vanity Fair, @mantzarlis and @jpgillin

Ricardo Bilton / Nieman Lab:

Chartbeat survey shows Google AMP and Facebook Instant Articles deliver promised faster load times but ad revenue and audience increases remain in question — For publishers, Google's AMP and Facebook's Instant Articles are two different efforts with the same goal: creating a faster …

Discussion: @niemanlab

Gabriel Sherman / Vanity Fair:

Q&A with Gretchen Carlson on life after bringing down Roger Ailes, her advocacy work, new book, and Donald Trump — A year after her lawsuit, the former Fox & Friends host has reinvented herself as a women's rights activist: “I felt if I didn't do it, who was going to?”

Discussion: FTVLive and Mediaite