Top News:
Max Read / New York Magazine:
Studies suggest that less than 60% of web traffic is human, with fake metrics, news, and bot-driven conversations and transactions, leading to falling trust — In late November, the Justice Department unsealed indictments against eight people accused of fleecing advertisers of $36 million …
Discussion:
@chronotope, Hit & Run, Marketing Land, @ekp, @necolas, @slpng_giants, @scottwamplerbmd, @joshtpm, @mikeisaac, @mollymckew, @toryanarchist, @trumpery45, @chronotope, @toad_spotted, @mantzarlis, @kristapley, @johnb78, @scottwamplerbmd, @mattdpearce, @taylorlorenz, @seldo, @fs0c131y, @politicalshort, @mdudas, @katienotopoulos, @taylorholiday, @hselftax, @saschasegan, @robpegoraro, @mjrobbins, @chronotope, @sheril_ and Boing Boing, more at Techmeme »
Patrick Radden Keefe / New Yorker:
A profile of Mark Burnett, the Hollywood producer behind the TV hit “The Apprentice” which elevated Trump from a tabloid figure of fun to an icon of success — With “The Apprentice,” the TV producer mythologized Trump—then a floundering D-lister—as the ultimate titan, paving his way to the Presidency.
Discussion:
The Wrap, Mediaite and The Daily Beast
Austin Murphy / The Atlantic:
Austin Murphy, a former senior writer at Sports Illustrated, on switching from a career in journalism to working for Amazon delivering packages — There's a certain novelty, after decades at a legacy media company, in playing for the team that's winning big.
Discussion:
@byslprice, @ramonashelburne, @journalistslike, @kscheib, @wajahatali, @ausmurph88, @claytravis, @robbysoave, @lizflock, @aliciakennedy, @freeblackgirl, @alexandrascaggs, @brett_a_taylor, @alyssamastro44, @jozenc, @veenavenugopal, @ron_fournier, @lynn_henning, @abhishekmadan, @knittins, @mickfoley76, @davidwohl, @grantwahl, @sternbergh, @sitimlayden, @theatlantic, @johnsharkman, @kurtschlichter, @jposnanski, @adamduerson, @bwilliamsonnfl and @davidfolkenflik
Emily Birnbaum / The Hill:
MSNBC says it beat Fox News in the ratings for the first time in 17 years last week, surpassing it in total viewers between December 17-21 — MSNBC beat out Fox News last week in key ratings for first time in 17 years, topping its competitor in total viewers for the first time since 2000, according to a news release from MSNBC.
Discussion:
NBC Universal, Newser and AOL
Jeff Jarvis / Whither news?:
What German media academics and journalists, including Mother Jones' CEO, are saying about the Der Spiegel scandal and the lessons to be learned — “Everyone who writes knows the seduction of the narrative.” — Bernhard Pörksen in Die Zeit — The German journalism world …
Ken Doctor / Nieman Lab:
Lessons for journalists from 2018 and a look ahead: emphasis on subscriptions, possible newspaper chain consolidation, and regional news network experiments — We live in transgressive, new-Orwellian times. Fact has been subverted by forces beyond our imagination, both newly minted and old school.
Discussion:
@jayrosen_nyu and @niemanlab
Michael M. Grynbaum / New York Times:
A look at Trump's relationship with the press in 2018: 70+ interviews granted but traditional briefings eschewed, anti-press rhetoric that led to violence, more — It can be easy to forget that, two years ago, the White House press briefing took place nearly every day.
Taylor Lorenz / The Atlantic:
A look at Speakr, a social media influencer management platform that some influencers say has failed to pay them, with trouble starting in late 2017 — The agency Speakr set influencers up with brands for lucrative campaigns—and then stiffed them. — After rising to MySpace fame in the mid-aughts …
Discussion:
@bigmeaninternet, more at Techmeme »
Mat dos Santos / ACLU:
Reporters in Portland, Ore. declined mayor's invitation to police command center; only those with “fair and consistent” coverage invited, presented with NDA — After months of facing criticism for how Portland has been policing protests, the city's mayor and police bureau recently …
Discussion:
Portland Mercury and Willamette Week
Variety:
Movie theater revenue bounced back in 2018 after a slow 2017; one analyst says investors are skeptical of sustained gains amid Netflix and Amazon competition — Reports of the death of movies are greatly exaggerated. — The exhibition business came roaring back in 2018, as blockbusters such as …
Discussion:
@lucas_shaw, @lucas_shaw, @lucas_shaw, @lucas_shaw and CNBC
Andrew Roth / The Guardian:
A list of 44 BBC reporters working in Russia, most of them Russians, was leaked online along with their photos, amid growing pressure on the broadcaster there — Leak comes after Times published names of journalists working for Moscow-backed Sputnik's UK bureau
Discussion:
@jimwaterson
Margaret Sullivan / Washington Post:
An overview of journalism in 2018, from the revival of the LA Times to the horrific murder of Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi — In 2018, those who follow the fortunes of journalism in America probably heard a name — and, separately, a terrible nickname — for the first time.
Discussion:
@dabeard, @sewellchan, @lfung, @deborahblum, @noelle_phillips, @cmonstah, @danielledknight, @ibarguen, @lenfestinst, @alanmillernlp, @knightfdn and @sulliview
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