Top News:
CNN:
Three Capitol Hill press orgs issue statements supporting CNN's Manu Raju after Sen. Martha McSally's “liberal hack” remark, calling it “inappropriate” — New York (CNN Business)The Capitol Hill press corps on Friday rallied behind Manu Raju, CNN's senior congressional correspondent …
Discussion:
Martha McSally / @senmcsallyaz: A) you are. B) here's the video. https://twitter.com/... pic.twitter.com/cfFdotLjFK
Manu Raju / @mkraju: Sen. Martha McSally, a Republican facing a difficult election race, lashed out when I asked if she would consider new evidence as part of the Senate trial. “You're a liberal hack - I'm not talking to you. You're a liberal hack.” She then walked into a hearing room.
Kyle Cheney / @kyledcheney: A little insight into how calculated this was. McSally attacked Manu in the 10am hour. She had registered the domain name “ http://LiberalHack.com ” by the 11am hour. (16:24 UTC = 11:24 EST) pic.twitter.com/TkBHt8S2BZ
@pressclubdc: Joint statement issued by @PressClubDC & @NPCInstitute in support of @CNN's @mkraju: “Manu Raju is a consummate professional who is respected by his journalistic peers and the people he covers, politics notwithstanding. Stating the contrary is factually and ethically wrong.” pic.twitter.com/DjgxI9aVpy
Jake Tapper / @jaketapper: The question was perfectly reasonable and topical, politely asked, and Manu is respected on the Hill by Democrats and Republicans. https://twitter.com/...
Paul Waldman / @paulwaldman1: The fact that McSally herself is promoting this suggests that she has decided if she's going to win in November it will only be by going all-in for Trump, in both substance and style. Watch for her to be celebrated for it on “Hannity” tonight, followed by a shout-out from Trump. https://twitter.com/...
Peter Baker / @peterbakernyt: Apparently daring to ask a straightforward question of a senator makes a reporter a “liberal hack.” https://twitter.com/...
Yashar Ali / @yashar: I'd also note (not that it matters to most folks) that Senator McCain loved and respected @mkraju and would often jokingly give him a hard time instead of disrepecting him. Other Republicans and Dems feel the same way https://twitter.com/... https://twitter.com/...
Jake Tapper / @jaketapper: Given that McSally was appointed to serve our the remainder of Sen John McCain's term, I asked a member of the family for thoughts on McSally's comments today. The response was “There's no love lost between our family and her.” https://twitter.com/...
Dan Pfeiffer / @danpfeiffer: A vulnerable Republican Senator having a meltdown before the trial even starts suggests that maybe McConnell's position on impeachment is not the winner Republicans want you to think it is. https://twitter.com/...
Gale Anne Hurd / @gunnergale: Not the temperament I'd want in my US Senator... We still live in a free society where the press can ask questions, and it seems she'd prefer we didn't. #ThursdayThoughts https://twitter.com/...
Josh Feldman / Mediaite: Fox News' The Five Mocks CNN Over Manu Raju, Sen. McSally Spat: Does He Need a ‘Therapy Llama?’
Matt Shuham / Talking Points Memo: GOP Sen. Facing Tough Election Takes Trumpy Victory Lap After Calling Reporter A Hack
RELATED:
Oliver Darcy / CNN:
Senate impeachment trial press restrictions force reporters into pens and prevent them from the common practice of interviewing senators in the Senate basement — New York (CNN Business)Reporters on Capitol Hill are facing a security crackdown that limits their ability to question US Senators during …
Discussion:
NPR, @davidlauter, @aclu, @aclu, @demandprogress, The Reporters Committee …, @digiphile, @penamerica, @jzaragoza1, @digiphile, @barbaraboxer, @crewcrew, @johnfpfaff, Letters from an American, @mzanona, @gottalaff, @jimrutenberg, @rollcall, @steventdennis, @rcfp, @mzanona, @senbooker, @jenhab, Law & Crime, @digiphile, @penamerica, Roll Call, Kate Tillotson, @alextdaugherty, @alextdaugherty, @emma_dumain, Politico and Committee to Protect …
Discussion:
David Lauter / @davidlauter: 58 news organizations and press advocacy groups, including @latimes signed a letter organized by @rcfp to Senate leader McConnell urging the Senate to stop new rules that severely limit reporters from asking senators questions about #Impeachment https://www.npr.org/...
@aclu: BREAKING: We're calling on the Senate to rescind its proposed regulations restricting press access to the impeachment trial. The public should have a full, unobstructed view of this historic event, which brings our entire democratic system under scrutiny pic.twitter.com/OPfZNcM3K7
@aclu: The Senate is trying to severely restrict press access to the upcoming impeachment trial, an unprecedented move. We're demanding @SenateMajLdr and @SenSchumer immediately rescind the proposed restrictions. The public should have a full, unobstructed view of this historic event. https://twitter.com/...
@demandprogress: We share the concerns of the Standing Committee of Correspondents and the 57 press freedom organizations that signed @rcfp's letter. https://www.rcfp.org/... The Senate should lift these press restrictions. https://twitter.com/...
Gabe Rottman / The Reporters Committee …: Reporters Committee and 57 news organizations urge Senate to reconsider impeachment trial press restrictions
Alex Howard / @digiphile: A coalition of 17 transparency & 1st Amendment organizations calls on @senatemajldr @SenSchumer @RoyBlunt @senamyklobuchar to rescind the unprecedented restrictions on the press during the Senate impeachment trial & let @CSPAN position cameras: https://s3.amazonaws.com/... #opengov https://twitter.com/...
PEN America / @penamerica: Security crackdown intensifies ahead of impeachment trial as press access is severely limited with increased law enforcement presence: https://apnews.com/.... See PEN America's statement on the security restriction proposals targeting the media: https://pen.org/....
Jason Zaragoza / @jzaragoza1: Last night AAN and 57 other media orgs sent a letter to Senate Leader Mitch McConnell and the U.S. Capitol Police opposing restrictions on the press during the upcoming Senate impeachment trial of Trump. Thanks to @rcfp for leading this effort. #FreePress https://www.rcfp.org/...
Alex Howard / @digiphile: While congressional proceedings should be open to the public as a matter of general principle, the public interest value of transparency in an impeachment trial supersedes all others. https://s3.amazonaws.com/... https://twitter.com/...
Barbara Boxer / @barbaraboxer: GOP Senators, apparently unable to take the heat of the Trump impeachment, have imposed new rules to contain and separate them from the press. I know press questions can be annoying and hard to answer but that's a small price to pay for freedom. https://www.npr.org/...
@crewcrew: NEW: CREW just signed on to a letter with other transparency groups calling for press to be allowed to cover Trump's impeachment trial without the unprecedented restrictions that have been proposed. The American people and the world are watching. https://s3.amazonaws.com/...
John Pfaff / @johnfpfaff: Imagine seeing this happen in another country. We'd be outraged—and rightly so!!—at hypothetical cries of “security!!” being used to deny media access to political leaders during a highly consequential and contested political event. https://twitter.com/...
Heather Cox Richardson / Letters from an American: January 17, 2020 — Ever since it has become clear that the House …
Melanie Zanona / @mzanona: Bottom line: whether you're Republican, Democrat, or Independent, you deserve to know how your senator is approaching one of the most consequential votes they can take.
@jimrutenberg: Dear Reading Public, When Senators use police to stop reporters from asking them questions in the place where they do the people's business — where you pay the electric, the water, the maintenance & their salaries — they are doing it to so you can't see what you're paying for.
Roll Call / @rollcall: The absence of any written guidance on press restrictions has created frustration in the Senate as action on impeachment begins https://www.rollcall.com/...
Steven Dennis / @steventdennis: The new restrictions in the basement basically cut in half the question time you might get with a reluctant senator. Before, the senators-only elevator provided them relief from reporters asking about the issue of the day. Now they just need to reach the escalator. 8/
@rcfp: Nearly 60 news organizations including @NPR signed a letter organized by the @rcfp on Thursday urging Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., and Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., to relax the new restrictions on reporters. https://www.npr.org/...
Melanie Zanona / @mzanona: A quick story/thread on why the new press restrictions in the Capitol are such a disservice to the American people during the impeachment trial.
Sen. Cory Booker / @senbooker: A free press is essential to any democracy. The impeachment trial is an important moment in our nation's history. As we prepare to do our jobs and uphold the Constitution, the press should have the access needed to do theirs. https://www.washingtonpost.com/ ...
Jennifer Haberkorn / @jenhab: The problem here is that sometimes, perhaps OFTENTIMES, the senators who are unwilling to accommodate the restrictions in order to talk with reporters are the ones the public most wants to hear from. https://twitter.com/...
Colin Kalmbacher / Law & Crime: First Amendment Groups Take Sen. McConnell to Task for Press Restrictions at Impeachment Trial
Alex Howard / @digiphile: Reporters felt the impact of the Senate's new restrictions on #PressFreedom at the @uscapitol today: https://apnews.com/... It is outrageous that @CapitolPolice interupted interviews, but maybe even more so that the US Senators involved didn't push back. More on this tomorrow.
PEN America / @penamerica: Read our full statement on these inappropriate, excessive restrictions for reporters covering the impeachment trial. https://pen.org/...
Katherine Tully-McManus / Roll Call: Lack of official guidance on impeachment press restrictions causes confusion
Alex Daugherty / @alextdaugherty: To be clear, this isn't a criticism of the police, who are doing their jobs, it's a criticism against the Senate rule makers who've decided that impeachment merits cutting off access to elected officials.
Alex Daugherty / @alextdaugherty: Was just blocked by Capitol police from continuing an interview with @marcorubio on Puerto Rico aid. He wanted to talk, but the insane rules in place on the press for the impeachment trial prevented me from asking another question.
Emma Dumain / @emma_dumain: When you're talking to a senator and he wants to keep talking to you but the cops said you can't talk in the middle of the hallway so you have to step behind a rope in order to continue the conversation. This is how ludicrous these restrictions are.
Marianne LeVine / Politico: Here's what's next in the Senate impeachment trial
Wall Street Journal:
Sources: Spotify in early talks to buy The Ringer, founded by Bill Simmons, which has a podcast network that had revenue of $15M+ in 2018 — The Ringer, founded in 2016 by former ESPN commentator Bill Simmons, has over 30 podcasts — Spotify Technology SA is in talks to buy sports …
Discussion:
Vox, Vulture, @markdistef, @pkafka, Awful Announcing, @alexweprin, @edmundlee, @jackallisonlol, Variety, @damanr, @mgsiegler, @james_dasilva, @kerrymflynn, @pkedrosky, @pkafka, @mskimberlychin, @dieter, @cwarzel, @cheriehu42, @cianaf, @pkafka, @pkafka, @goldman, @pkafka, @jacksondahl, @smartfootball, @katienotopoulos, @webbarr, @pkafka, @jfberke, @byianthomas, @tomgara, @nwquah, The Wrap and Input, more at Techmeme »
Discussion:
Peter Kafka / Vox: Spotify may buy The Ringer. Here's why that makes sense.
Nicholas Quah / Vulture: Spotify Reportedly In Talks To Purchase Bill Simmons' The Ringer
Mark Di Stefano / @markdistef: I spend wayyyyyyy too much time consuming Ringer content. So this is great news! https://twitter.com/...
Peter Kafka / @pkafka: Heard last fall so may have been kicking around for a while. Overwhelming majority of ringer revenue is podcasting, so logical acquirers are a small group.
Andrew Bucholtz / Awful Announcing: Spotify is reportedly in early talks to buy The Ringer
Alex Weprin / @alexweprin: They must really want Bill's podcast as an exclusive, huh. https://twitter.com/...
Edmund Lee / @edmundlee: Spotify looking to buy @BillSimmons @ringer, good scoop from @AnneMarieSteele @BenMullin https://www.wsj.com/... Here's the why: The more podcasts Spotify has, the more total listen time is eaten up by something that isn't owned by a music label so more $$ stays with Spotify.
Jack Allison / @jackallisonlol: I wonder if they still don't pay their podcast hosts https://twitter.com/...
Daman Rangoola / @damanr: Makes a lot of sense. The Ringer is a podcast company effectively, their podcast network is incredibly impressive with of course BS's own podcast being a generational force. Spotify has been investing in podcasts heavily for a reason: https://stratechery.com/... https://twitter.com/...
M.G. Siegler / @mgsiegler: Gonna need an 🚨emergency pod🚨 on this topic immediately. https://twitter.com/...
James daSilva / @james_dasilva: I love The Ringer, though I am concerned with what we'll learn about revenue. Like, is 95% podcast, 5% website out of the question? My consumption of the site is pretty much the inverse of that, but I figure I'm the oddball. https://deadspin.com/...
Kerry Flynn / @kerrymflynn: “Though the Ringer's website doesn't draw as many visitors as some of its largest competitors, such as ESPN and Bleacher Report, its podcast network generates significant revenue.” https://www.wsj.com/...
Paul Kedrosky / @pkedrosky: Spotify is all-in on this whole content thing. Spotify in Early Talks to Buy Sports and Pop-Culture Outlet the Ringer https://www.wsj.com/...
Peter Kafka / @pkafka: Fwiw I know Spotify's acquisition of gimlet a year ago was of intense interest for Simmons. But then again that was true for everyone in podcasting.
Kimberly Chin / @mskimberlychin: The deal would bring the streaming giant a podcasting network that attracts more than a 100 million downloads a month https://www.wsj.com/... via @WSJ
Dieter Kurtenbach / @dieter: Listen, we can poke fun and joke and laugh about Simmons all we want, but the dude has proven to be ahead of every major shift in sports media for pretty much his entire career. It's wildly impressive. https://www.wsj.com/...
Charlie Warzel / @cwarzel: the ringer is great. one of the few places today that always seems to be doing experimental stuff that's feels born of the internet. spotify would be lucky to get it https://twitter.com/...
Cherie Hu / @cheriehu42: Episode #1094938423 of Spotify slowly peeling off its Halloween costume of “music company” and revealing itself as “traditional media company” https://www.wsj.com/...
Cian / @cianaf: No idea what to make of this. Guess they really just want the podcasts. Might be a bad sign for writing over there. https://twitter.com/...
Peter Kafka / @pkafka: Happy Friday. Here's what I know about the Spotify/Ringer talks, the state of Spotify and @BillSimmons' podcast businesses, and Apple's view of podcasts. https://twitter.com/...
Peter Kafka / @pkafka: @BillSimmons tldr: *talking since last fall *Ringer talked to WarnerMedia about a deal a year ago, talks ended before Spotify started buying podcast cos *Spotify spent $400mm on podcasts next year, looks like it may do more *Apple is unlikely to compete with Spotify for podcasts.
Jason Goldman / @goldman: I listen to at least three Ringer podcasts a week; hope the creators get paid. https://twitter.com/...
Peter Kafka / @pkafka: Oh. While we are at it: Simmons talked to Turner/AT&T about a sale ~ year ago.
Chris B. Brown / @smartfootball: 1) wow, but logical 2) would be a fun deal to work on in terms of negotiating/structuring (I'm entirely uninvolved and just reading about it, to be clear) 3) fascinating to see Ringer financials disclosed if/when rolled up into Spotify's 4) Simmons/HBO will do extremely well https://twitter.com/...
Katie Notopoulos / @katienotopoulos: Congrats to Ringer employees, who will now get 6 months paid parental leave, so literally no reason NOT to fuck https://twitter.com/...
Web / @webbarr: Almost a year ago, I played the M&A guessing game with Spotify & podcast companies. Buying the Ringer is perfect for what they're building. Expect a high number. https://www.wsj.com/...
Jeremy Berke / @jfberke: Curious to know what the ringer's asking price is. $15 mm revenue last year is no joke for podcasts. https://twitter.com/...
Ian Thomas / @byianthomas: Woah, if this happens, talk about Spotify making a splash in sports podcasting pretty quickly. https://twitter.com/...
Tom Gara / @tomgara: I don't understand podcast economics at all, but The Ringer having $15 million annual revenue and 100 million monthly podcast downloads sounds weird? Like, wouldn't you make more than that on 100 million *pageviews* a month? https://www.wsj.com/...
Insurance Lizard / @nwquah: this, more so than Gimlet, would probably warrant the Howard Stern-SiriusXM comparison, but even that's limiting https://twitter.com/...
Rosemary Rossi / The Wrap: Spotify in Talks to Acquire Bill Simmons' Sports and Pop-Culture Outlet The Ringer
Tom Maxwell / Input: Spotify is reportedly in talks to acquire The Ringer
Variety:
Disney drops the “Fox” brand for some units, with 20th Century Fox becoming 20th Century Studios and Fox Searchlight Pictures changed to Searchlight Pictures — The mouse has officially killed the fox. — In a move at once unsurprising and highly symbolic …
Discussion:
@jbenton, CNN, New York Times, NME, CNBC, Movie City News, @goldman, @classicfilmgeek, @mollyjongfast, @keithboykin, The A.V. Club, @jbenton, @frankpallotta, @jbenton, @eddierobson, @somebadideas, @kevinmkruse, @jdickerson, @zakiscorner, @scriptpipeline, @williambibbiani, @jbenton, @the_moviebob, @gretchencarlson, @davidfolkenflik, @jayrosen_nyu, @arguingmeadows, @zeddary, @andyeduardo77, Business Insider, @mattgertz, @mlcalderone, @slpng_giants, @michael_nielsen, @ilvestoomas, @mantia, Concurrent Media, The Independent, Ad Age, The Week, The Guardian, /Film, The Verge and TVWeek.com
Discussion:
Joshua Benton / @jbenton: 141 years ago, on New Year's Day, a boy was born in Tolcsva, a village connected only a few years earlier to the rest of Hungary by rail. He was the first of what would eventually be 12 born to parents Michael and Hannah. Nine months later, the family set sail for America. 1/x
Brooks Barnes / New York Times: Disney Drops Fox From Names of Studios It Bought From Rupert Murdoch
Sarah Whitten / CNBC: Disney ditches Fox name from branding, emails and logos
Ray Pride / Movie City News: Fox Bomb: Disney Labels Now “Twentieth Century” and “Searchlight Pictures”
Jason Goldman / @goldman: The Fox brand is so toxic that Disney is only keeping the part of the “20th Century Fox” name that means “out of date” https://www.nytimes.com/...
Samantha Ellis / @classicfilmgeek: Me, still trying to look on the bright side: I understand why they did it. It makes me sad, but they don't own Fox network or Fox News so they had to distance themselves. What matters is what they'll do with their film library, and their lack of transparency there is terrifying. https://twitter.com/...
Molly Jong-Fast / @mollyjongfast: I wonder why Disney doesn't want to be associated with judge box of whine and all the other polymaths https://twitter.com/...
Keith Boykin / @keithboykin: The Fox brand is so toxic that Disney has renamed Twentieth Century Fox as 20th Century Studios. That makes sense, but why not update to 21st Century Studios? https://www.nytimes.com/...
William Hughes / The A.V. Club: Disney kicks the Fox out of “20th Century Fox”
Joshua Benton / @jbenton: Disney knows branding, and it wants to avoid the taint of Fox News — a deeply polarizing brand that's now part of a different company. (Ironically, the “20th Century” part of the name will now outlive the “Fox” part — despite it being, you know, no longer the 20th century.)
Frank Pallotta / @frankpallotta: 20th Century Fox is an icon of Hollywood history. Its epic fanfare title card has appeared in front of The Sound of Music, Star Wars and other major films over the past 85 years. But in 2020, that name is no more. https://www.cnn.com/...
Joshua Benton / @jbenton: The Fox name lives on, of course: there's that polarizing news channel, local TV stations, multiple TV networks, TV production studios. His bizarre persistence in American life will continue on.
Eddie Robson / @eddierobson: Sidenote: 20th Century-Fox was created in 1935 by a merger of Twentieth Century Pictures (a company formed two years earlier by Joseph Schenck of United Artists and Darryl F. Zanuck of Warner Bros.) and the almost-bankrupt Fox Film. So this is a reversion to the 1933 name https://twitter.com/...
Aaron Stewart-Ahn / @somebadideas: At first I was like ‘why would you destroy this legacy’ but then you read it and realize that Rupert Murdoch poisoned the Fox name forever with his news channel https://twitter.com/...
Kevin M. Kruse / @kevinmkruse: So Disney decided that part of the phrase “20th Century Fox” sounded old and outdated and needed to be dropped, and it wasn't “20th Century”? Huh. https://twitter.com/...
Zaki Hasan / @zakiscorner: People are already losing their minds over this, but it makes all the sense in the world. The TV networks (which Disney doesn't own) all still carry the Fox branding, so of course they want to create some corporate distance. That said, they'd best keep the Alfred Newman fanfare. https://twitter.com/...
Script Pipeline / @scriptpipeline: Oh no, who will fill the vacuum now that there's no major “fox” brand in the industry? .......................... ................. ...... Hi. 🦊 https://twitter.com/...
William Bibbiani / @williambibbiani: Just so we're clear. Disney is renaming “20th Century Fox” for the 21st Century. But they decided to keep the “20th Century” part...? https://twitter.com/...
Joshua Benton / @jbenton: But a corporate quirk has kept William's memory alive for decades. He lost control of his movie empire in 1930 — but the money men who took it over kept its name. William — born Vilmos Fried Fuchs in that Hungarian village in 1879 — had Americanized his last name to... Fox.
Bob Chipman / @the_moviebob: I mean... I wouldn't spend that much money and remain even a little bit associated in people's minds with FoxNews etc, either. https://twitter.com/...
Gretchen Carlson / @gretchencarlson: What a shock ....... or anything to do with massive harassment issues https://twitter.com/...
David Folkenflik / @davidfolkenflik: Some Fox News executives have taken issue with the assessment of some of their corporate peers that the Fox brand is toxic among large swaths of the public, while highly popular with its core base. (sounds like a politician.) Disney appears to have concluded that's the case. https://twitter.com/...
Jay Rosen / @jayrosen_nyu: This is a significant event. They polluted the information space, the Fox brand is poison, and a company that has to have its ear pitched to these frequencies knows it needs to separate. https://twitter.com/...
Jose Argumedo / @arguingmeadows: William Fox's name will no longer be associated with the movie studio he founded, but will be associated with television networks he had nothing to do with. It's a surreal turn of events, isn't it? https://twitter.com/...
YYZedd / @zeddary: One of the most iconic, instantly recognizable and exportable American brands. Rendered utterly toxic within a single generation by one division's relentless brain poisoning of aging white people. https://twitter.com/...
Kieran Corcoran / Business Insider: Disney is scrubbing the word ‘Fox’ from 20th Century Fox, chipping away at Rupert Murdoch's legacy
Michael Calderone / @mlcalderone: “20th Century Fox, a name and klieg-lit logo that stretches back 85 years in Hollywood, is dropping the word Fox so that consumers do not mistakenly think the movie studio has anything to do Rupert Murdoch's polarizing Fox News media empire.” https://www.nytimes.com/...
@slpng_giants: The Fox brand is toxic. Toxic for advertisers. Toxic for investors. Toxic for the companies with which they do business. You can't spend two decades vilifying minority groups, spewing conspiracies and covering up sexual harassment and expect it not to be. https://www.nytimes.com/...
@michael_nielsen: This is very funny. I've been wondering - for 20 years! - when they'd change “20th Century”, but it seems they had other, higher priorities. https://twitter.com/...
Toomas Hendrik Ilves / @ilvestoomas: Perhaps the name “Fox” and its association with a similarly named TV network was bad for ticket sales. https://twitter.com/...
Louie Mantia, Jr / @mantia: 20th Century Fox → 20th Century Studios Fox Searchlight → Searchlight Pictures Honestly, this is a fairly elegant way to remove “Fox” branding, which now refers exclusively to Fox Corp brands like Fox News and Fox Sports. https://twitter.com/...
Paul Sweeting / Concurrent Media: Weekend Mix: Newest Story in the Book
Clémence Michallon / The Independent: Disney drops the word ‘Fox’ from 20th Century Fox name
Brendan Morrow / The Week: Disney is getting rid of the Fox in 20th Century Fox
Chris Evangelista / /Film: Disney is Killing the Fox Name, Will Use 20th Century Studios and Searchlight Pictures Instead
New York Times:
Oprah confirms Russell Simmons pressured her to drop support for a documentary about women who accused him of rape or assault — Ms. Winfrey acknowledged that Russell Simmons pushed her to abandon a documentary about his accusers, but said her own concerns led her to pull support.
Discussion:
@nycjim, @yasmeenhassan7, @askingamy, @mehpatrol, @melsil, The A.V. Club, @nicsperling, @dawnc331, @caro_milanesi, Deadline, @jessewashington, Associated Press, @pkafka, @nytimes, The Wrap, Los Angeles Times, @cagoldberglaw, Variety, @joecoscarelli, @sisario, @nytimesarts, @sikivuhutch, @kimworldwide, @rockandrollprof, IndieWire and Hollywood Reporter
Discussion:
Jim Roberts / @nycjim: Woman who accused Russell Simmons of rape says she feels as if she's “experiencing a second crime” after Oprah Winfrey abandoned documentary about his accusers. https://www.nytimes.com/... https://twitter.com/...
Yasmeen Hassan / @yasmeenhassan7: “Oprah shouldn't get to decide for any of the #SilenceBreakers in the film whether or not this movie is worth seeing and Oprah shouldn't get to decide for the whole rest of the world.” @DearDrewDixon on her desire to have @OnTheRecordDoc aired https://www.nytimes.com/...
Amy Dickinson / @askingamy: I don't know how common it is for a producer to take a film to a different director to have it critiqued, but that happened here. Isn't that like my publisher asking another writer to give notes on my book post edit/ pre publication? https://www.nytimes.com/... via @NYTimes
Cganz / @mehpatrol: What really went on behind the scenes as Oprah Winfrey pulled her support of a doc about women accusing Russell Simmons of sexual misconduct? @sisario and @nicsperling: https://www.nytimes.com/...
Melissa Silverstein / @melsil: I am so sad for the survivors who really have been thrown under the bus. Why would anyone go on camera and put themselves through this if it wasn't true? You can't say you believe survivors and then question their credibility. Not even @oprah can do that. https://www.nytimes.com/...
William Hughes / The A.V. Club: Oprah says Russell Simmons tried to “pressure” her to abandon doc about his accusers
Nicole Sperling / @nicsperling: “He did reach out multiple times and attempted to pressure me,” said @Oprah about Russell Simmons. “I told him directly that I will not be pressured either into, or out of, backing this film. I am only going to do what I believe to be the right thing.” https://www.nytimes.com/...
Dawn Chmielewski / @dawnc331: “I feel like I'm experiencing a second crime,” said Drew Dixon, the accuser. “I am being silenced. The broader community is being intimidated. The most powerful black woman in the world is being intimidated.” https://twitter.com/...
Carolina Milanesi / @caro_milanesi: A much more complex story than how it initially looked liked when it was announced that @Oprah was walking away from project https://twitter.com/...
Bruce Haring / Deadline: Oprah Winfrey Says She Asked Ava DuVernay For Opinion On Russell Simmons Documentary Before Exiting
Jesse Washington / @jessewashington: “Winfrey sent the documentary to the filmmaker Ava DuVernay, asking her to watch it with an eye toward how well the two filmmakers, who are white, captured the nuances of hip-hop culture and the struggles of black women. “DuVernay gave a harsh critique.” https://www.nytimes.com/...
Peter Kafka / @pkafka: Quite a story about Oprah, Apple, Russell Simmons — and the woman who accused him of sexual misconduct — from @sisario and @nicsperling https://www.nytimes.com/... https://twitter.com/...
@nytimes: Russell Simmons pressured Oprah Winfrey “multiple” times to pull support for a documentary detailing sexual misconduct allegations against him, she told The New York Times. But she maintains she abandoned the project over creative differences. https://www.nytimes.com/...
Brian Welk / The Wrap: Oprah Winfrey Says Russell Simmons ‘Pressured’ Her to Drop Documentary From Apple TV+
Christi Carras / Los Angeles Times: A timeline of Oprah Winfrey's involvement with the Russell Simmons documentary
Carrie A. Goldberg / @cagoldberglaw: “Incapable” of violence toward women. How's that work? “She added that “written accounts and sworn testimony” showed that Mr. Simmons was “incapable” of being violent toward women, but when asked for that material did not provide it.” https://www.nytimes.com/...
Matt Donnelly / Variety: Oprah Winfrey Says Russell Simmons ‘Attempted to Pressure’ Her to Drop Rape Accusers' Doc From Apple Slate
Joe Coscarelli / @joecoscarelli: “I am being silenced. The broader community is being intimidated. The most powerful black woman in the world is being intimidated.” https://www.nytimes.com/...
Ben Sisario / @sisario: Russell Simmons's pressure campaign targeted Oprah as well as the women who spoke out in a documentary. https://www.nytimes.com/...
@nytimesarts: “I feel like I'm experiencing a second crime,” Drew Dixon, the woman at the center of a documentary about Russell Simmons's accusers, said after Oprah Winfrey pulled her support. https://www.nytimes.com/...
Sikivu Hutchinson / @sikivuhutch: So much for ‘sistahood’, it's all about propping up Black patriarchy: For those who worship @ the altar of #Oprah neolib ministry of female empowerment, she just threw another Black woman sexual assault survivor under the bus to save Russell Simmons' ass https://www.nytimes.com/...
@kimworldwide: #Oprah pressured & after concerns cancels involvement in film? Did the intimidation of those many women speaking out just make people more interested? #RussellSimmons #usa #MeToo #harpo @TIMESUPNOW #TimesUp #Sundance @sundancefest https://twitter.com/... https://twitter.com/...
Michael A. Olivas / @rockandrollprof: https://www.nytimes.com/... This sounds like exactly the smear & disinformation campaign waged by Weinstein & Cosby against their accusers, minus Jello ads & Israeli investigators. Oprah seems the real loser here, as she green-lighted the project & now killed or derailed it
New York Times:
In a Q&A, Joe Biden says Section 230 should be immediately revoked for Facebook and other platforms and that Zuckerberg should be submitted to civil liability — The editorial board is a group of opinion journalists whose views are informed by expertise, research, debate and certain longstanding values.
Discussion:
The Verge, @kellymakena, @kevinroose, Politico, @caseynewton, @cwarzel, @caseynewton, @mmasnick, @jess_miers, Kotaku, @raju, Press Watch, Vox, @andymstone, @castrotech, @jess_miers, @blakereid, @jkosseff, @qjurecic, @jess_miers, @evanhamilton, @jess_miers, @ericowensdc, @coralproject, @tolles, @fuzheado, @cwarzel, @kthomasdc, @techdirt, @walterisaacson, @davidafrench, Gizmodo, Variety, Reason, Ars Technica, Mashable, Boing Boing, Techdirt, The Hill, Jezebel, Engadget, The Week, The Wrap, Business Insider and Mediaite, more at Techmeme »
Discussion:
Makena Kelly / The Verge: Joe Biden wants to revoke Section 230
Makena Kelly / @kellymakena: joe biden really went OFF on CDA 230 in his interview with the @nytimes: “The idea that it's a tech company [Facebook] is that Section 230 should be revoked, immediately should be revoked, number one.” https://www.nytimes.com/... pic.twitter.com/wC3Cl5tJo4
Kevin Roose / @kevinroose: personally i love being lectured about the necessity of fact-checking politicians by a company that explicitly refuses to fact-check politicians
Cristiano Lima / Politico: Biden: Tech's liability shield ‘should be revoked’ immediately
Casey Newton / @caseynewton: what worries me is that he's just mad at Facebook and has decided to destroy the internet because of it
Charlie Warzel / @cwarzel: i was not expecting and was pretty shocked he said it...having...not previously addressed that anywhere else to my knowledge
Casey Newton / @caseynewton: The weakness of his logic here is staggering, and disqualifying https://twitter.com/...
Mike Masnick / @mmasnick: I had more important stuff to be working on this morning, but @JoeBiden said a whole bunch of stupid stuff about the internet, innovation, and free speech this morning, so that happened. https://twitter.com/...
Jess Miers / @jess_miers: Obvious issues with Biden's response aside [ https://nyti.ms/3629l0r ], I'm deeply concerned with what is actually an implicit call for RTBF laws here. But I'm also troubled by the blurring of privacy and defamation in this context. #Section230 (thread) pic.twitter.com/AbQ5in2wbD
Ethan Gach / Kotaku: Unsolved Mystery: Which Game Industry Exec Did Joe Biden Just Call A ‘Little Creep’?
Raju Narisetti / @raju: Really important to understand unintended consequences of proposed public/regulatory policy. This would be terrible for all the good that @Wikipedia & many other non-profiteering, vital knowledge projects do. @verge: @JoeBiden wants to revoke #Section230 https://www.theverge.com/...?
Dan Froomkin / Press Watch: Why is the mainstream media so gentle to Joe Biden?
Theodore Schleifer / Vox: Mike Bloomberg throws shade at Joe Biden as a looming “lame duck”
Andy Stone / @andymstone: And the @nytimes helpfully includes in its annotation a note that 230 is also what allows the publication to host user comments on its site. Oh wait, they didn't do that!
Daniel Castro / @castrotech: Biden says the U.S. should completely eliminate Section 230 and pass European-style privacy laws... I'm not sure if I can keep reading. https://www.nytimes.com/...
Jess Miers / @jess_miers: Yes, Section 230 defends against both claims of third party privacy violations and defamation. But we should acknowledge the deeper policy reason for why that is: preventing content and information suppression.
Obi-Law Kenoblake / @blakereid: Disappointing to see @JoeBiden drop a misinformed call to abolish Section 230 on the mistaken premise that doing so would somehow make Facebook liable for misinformation. https://www.nytimes.com/...
Jeff Kosseff / @jkosseff: Probably worth noting today that Facebook is not the only platform that receives Section 230 protection.
@qjurecic: I say this as someone who is deeply critical of 230: this is a TERRIBLE idea and speaks to a lack of understanding on Biden's part of the issues at stake https://www.theverge.com/...
Jess Miers / @jess_miers: Without Section 230, the inevitable perversion of defamation law as a privacy shield would be ruinous for the Internet and UGC as we know it. Just look to the current abuse of Copyright law as an ominous example. [ https://bit.ly/2NBRAyF ].
Evan Hamilton / @evanhamilton: Facebook's actions and Section 230 are not the same thing. This is dangerous thinking that could significantly destroy internet communities and free speech. https://twitter.com/...
Jess Miers / @jess_miers: But we should also recognize the very precarious position Section 230 is in when it comes to rewarding bad behavior (FB) and preserving user generated content. Facebook is simply not worth returning to an Internet of walled gardens.
Eric Owens / @ericowensdc: Section 230 ALLOWS free speech on the internet because it shields business owners from most liability when yahoos say false or libelous things. If you like to tweet, or use Facebook, or leave website comments, or post on Instagram, thank the wise legislators who wrote §230.
Coral by / @coralproject: Here is a bunch of smart people (including the Head of Coral) explaining to @communitysignal why this is a very very bad idea http://www.communitysignal.com/ ... https://twitter.com/...
Chris Tolles / @tolles: This is a terrible point of view and how in the *world* is it “brave”? Good to know you don't like the hoi polloi getting to opine in public.
Andrew Lih / @fuzheado: I'm pretty sure Biden has not thought through all the ramifications revoking Section 230 for US-based Internet content sites, most of all, @Wikipedia https://twitter.com/...
Charlie Warzel / @cwarzel: he's very mad at Facebook. I can't remember the precise wording (it's all on camera!) but afterward when he shook my hand he said something similar to the creeps line and i think called them really bad guys or something along those lines and i was like yeesh
Ken Thomas / @kthomasdc: “I've never been a fan of @Facebook, as you probably know. I've never been a big Zuckerberg fan. I think he's a real problem,” Biden tells @nytopinion https://www.nytimes.com/...
@techdirt: Joe Biden Can't Tell The Difference Between The 1st Amendment & Section 230; Still Thinks Video Games Cause Violence https://tdrt.io/hIQ
Walter Isaacson / @walterisaacson: He is right. Brave stance. https://twitter.com/...
David French / @davidafrench: Repealing Section 230 would — in practical reality — result in the single-greatest wave of censorship in the modern history of the United States. Politicians on both sides of the aisle have re-interpreted its protection of individual liberty as a “giveaway” to Big Tech. Wrong. https://twitter.com/...
Todd Spangler / Variety: Joe Biden Slams Facebook, Calls for Revoking U.S. Law Shielding Internet Companies From Liability for Speech
Eric Boehm / Reason: Joe Biden Wants To Destroy Free Speech on Social Media
Kate Cox / Ars Technica: Biden wants Sec. 230 gone, calls tech “totally irresponsible,” “little creeps”
Rachel Kraus / Mashable: Joe Biden calls Zuckerberg ‘a real problem’ and wants to revoke Section 230
Xeni Jardin / Boing Boing: Biden says Section 230 tech liability shield should end for Facebook, Zuckerberg should be subject to civil liability
Mike Masnick / Techdirt: Joe Biden Can't Tell The Difference Between The 1st Amendment & Section 230; Still Thinks Video Games Cause Violence
Chris Mills Rodrigo / The Hill: Biden calls for revoking key online legal protection
Esther Wang / Jezebel: Joe Biden Lies to the New York Times About His Attempt to Gut the ACA's Contraceptive Coverage …
Igor Bonifacic / Engadget: Joe Biden says Facebook spreads ‘falsehoods they know to be false’
Kathryn Krawczyk / The Week: Joe Biden says ‘you can keep’ your private insurance 'if your employer doesn't take it away from you'
Aaron Holmes / Business Insider: Joe Biden slams Mark Zuckerberg and Facebook for having too much power: 'I've never been a big Zuckerberg fan.
Rebecca Ballhaus / Wall Street Journal:
Facebook removes a network of several dozen Pages that were coordinating posts defending a Trump impeachment probe figure, which BuzzFeed first revealed in Nov. — Some of the pages describe themselves as representing groups of supporters of President Trump from different states
Discussion:
@rebeccaballhaus, @passantino, @slpng_giants, @rebeccaballhaus, @rebeccaballhaus, @craigsilverman, @jason_kint and @karenkornbluh
Discussion:
Rebecca Ballhaus / @rebeccaballhaus: New: A network of at least 30 FB pages purporting to represent groups of Trump supporters from different states all appear to be set up by Robert Hyde, the latest impeachment figure. This week, they've shared dozens of posts defending Hyde. https://www.wsj.com/...
Jon Passantino / @passantino: Facebook has finally taken down dozens of coordinated pro-Trump pages defending Robert Hyde https://www.wsj.com/... that were first revealed in November by @BuzzFeedNews https://www.buzzfeednews.com/ ...
@slpng_giants: .@facebook: Our Terms of Service prohibit coordinated inauthentic posting. Also Facebook: https://twitter.com/...
Rebecca Ballhaus / @rebeccaballhaus: UPDATE: Facebook late Friday took down a network of several dozen Facebook pages that were coordinating posts defending Robert Hyde, the congressional candidate embroiled in the impeachment inquiry. W/@EmilyGlazer https://www.wsj.com/...
Rebecca Ballhaus / @rebeccaballhaus: Buzzfeed reported on these pages last year when they were spreading a “Lock up Adam Schiff meme.” At the time, Hyde told Buzzfeed he didn't run the pages and said “I like positivity and like to follow all Trump media.” https://www.wsj.com/...
Craig Silverman / @craigsilverman: We revealed these pages back in November and tied them to Hyde at the time. I tweeted about this earlier this week. It shouldn't take more than a dozen paragraphs to credit us. His company was only added as owner of the pages after we went to FB last year. https://www.wsj.com/...
Jason Kint / @jason_kint: I'm missing a detail, @rebeccaballhaus. The pages collectively have 120k likes and BuzzFeed reported they were violating policy last year? Why were they still alive? The answer here matters. If the press isn't even enough to get Facebok to do its job then chaos is coming. https://twitter.com/... https://twitter.com/...
Madhumita Murgia / Financial Times:
Exec at ICO, the UK's data protection regulator, says adtech companies are not complying with GDPR and must “prepare for the ICO to utilize its wider powers” — The UK's data protection regulator is braced to do battle with the country's £13bn online advertising industry …
Discussion:
Natasha Lomas / TechCrunch: Privacy experts slam UK's ‘disastrous’ failure to tackle unlawful adtech
Wolfie Christl / @wolfiechristl: “If these measures are fully implemented they will result in real improvements to the handling of personal data within the adtech industry” (ICO) No enforcement. https://ico.org.uk/...
Jason Kint / @jason_kint: Pay attention to this if you work for a media business and have any audience in the EU. Facebook seems like the most obvious case. https://twitter.com/...
Alex Hern / The Guardian:
Study finds the world's biggest brands, including Samsung and L'Oreal, are unwittingly running ads alongside climate misinformation videos on YouTube — Avaaz says firms are unaware commercials being played alongside misleading videos — Some of the biggest companies in the world …
Discussion:
Ketan Joshi / @ketanj0: There is a massive, lucrative advertising machines fuelling climate change denial on @youtube ->> “YouTube ads of 100 top brands fund climate misinformation - study” https://www.theguardian.com/ ...
Marty Swant / @martyswant: For all marketers' assurances of brand safety on platforms like YouTube and Facebook, a heck of a lot still slips through the cracks. https://www.theguardian.com/ ...
@dhh: As long as Google and Facebook is allowed to target ads based on personal data rather than the nature of the content, these nasty examples will persist. Climate denialism videos are just as profitable to Google as climate fact videos. https://www.theguardian.com/ ...
Ben Sisario / New York Times:
Recording Academy's removal of its CEO came three weeks after she filed a memo about voting irregularities and financial mismanagement — The chief executive was placed on administrative leave following an “allegation of misconduct,” three weeks after sending a memo about voting irregularities and financial mismanagement.
Discussion:
@quicktake, @nytimesmusic, @motormouthmedia, @bwerde, Vanity Fair, Page Six, Jezebel, Hollywood Reporter, BBC, Deadline and The Guardian
Discussion:
QuickTake by Bloomberg / @quicktake: Deborah Dugan, the 1st female CEO of the Recording Academy, has been placed on administrative leave as investigators look into an internal misconduct allegation made against her. The announcement comes a little over a week before the #GRAMMYs https://twitter.com/...
@nytimesmusic: “When our ability to speak is not restrained by a 28-page contract and legal threats, we will expose what happens when you ‘step up’ at the Recording Academy, a public nonprofit,” Deborah Dugan's lawyer said https://www.nytimes.com/...
Judy MillerSilverman / @motormouthmedia: Woman gets million $ job Woman replaces man who let things rot Woman has to work with mans old cronies & acolytes + yrs of institutionalized lies Woman steps into madness & finds resistance in quest for change Woman has enough, accuses non- profit of misdeeds Woman shown door https://twitter.com/...
Bill Werde / @bwerde: I can't wait to read this memo. That's not me being hungry for salacious detail. It's my belief that transparency and openness = the most powerful way for any organization to be its best, most accountable self. I'm sure everyone on the Recording Academy board wants that. Right? https://twitter.com/...
Dan Adler / Vanity Fair: “Something Seriously Amiss” and a “Coup”: What Is Happening at the Grammys?
Hazel Cills / Jezebel: Grammys Head Fired Over Misconduct Claim, But Other Employees Allege a ‘Coup’
Melinda Newman / Hollywood Reporter: Recording Academy President Placed on Administrative Leave a Week Before Grammys
Bruce Haring / Deadline: Lawyer For Ousted Grammys CEO Deborah Dugan Slams Recording Academy - Update
Ben Beaumont-Thomas / The Guardian: Grammys chief Deborah Dugan suspended after misconduct allegation
RELATED:
Variety:
Deborah Dugan, hired as Recording Academy CEO to address diversity issues, is placed on leave 10 days before the Grammys after a misconduct claim against her
Deborah Dugan, hired as Recording Academy CEO to address diversity issues, is placed on leave 10 days before the Grammys after a misconduct claim against her
Discussion:
NBC News, @sisario, @variety, Los Angeles Times, @courtneyesmith, @nytimes and @latimesent
Discussion:
Ben Sisario / @sisario: Breaking: Grammys chief was ousted after sending blistering, detailed memo accusing academy of rampant conflicts of interest, financial mismanagement and other serious claims. https://www.nytimes.com/...
@variety: Deborah Dugan's sudden ouster from the helm of the Recording Academy was a “coup” https://variety.com/...
Randy Lewis / Los Angeles Times: Sexism? Cronyism? Mismanagement? After sudden ouster of Grammys chief, spin and finger-pointing begin
Courtney E. Smith / @courtneyesmith: I don't even know where to BEGIN with this but thank you @jemaswad for the excellent reporting. https://variety.com/...
Joe Pompeo / Vanity Fair:
A deep look at NYT's Opinion section, with changes coming in February that will streamline operations, blending the editorial board with the op-ed team — Even as controversies (Bret Stephens) explode like bombs, Opinion chief James Bennet, the second-most powerful journalist at the Times, pursues his cacophonous plans.
Discussion:
@adriana_lacy, @errrica, @vanityfair, @raju, @nikkiusher, @joepompeo, @qjurecic, @rizzotk, @will_bunch, @roeiwrites, @will_bunch, @jayrosen_nyu, @lindsaycrouse, @bgrueskin and @will_bunch
Discussion:
Adriana Lacy / @adriana_lacy: I think this is a question that will be relevant for many newsrooms in the coming years. https://www.vanityfair.com/... https://twitter.com/...
Erica Palan / @errrica: There's lots I want to react to in this piece on revamping the NYT Opinion section, but let's start with this 💯quote: “I'm always worried about opinion creeping into news, I'm not worried about solid journalistic techniques creeping into Opinion.” https://www.vanityfair.com/...
@vanityfair: “We get accused of trolling and being provocative for the sake of being provocative, and I don't think that's our role,” says the Times Opinion head. “This isn't about page views. It's about seriously trying to engage really hard questions” https://www.vanityfair.com/...
Raju Narisetti / @raju: “There was widespread agreement...that the current board feels younger, fresher, more diverse, as does the overall department, which has grown from ~70 full-time journalists in 2016 to ~115 now.” Inside the @nytimes @nytopinion Makeover https://www.vanityfair.com/...? via @VanityFair
Nikki Usher, Ph.D. / @nikkiusher: “there's not a lot of satisfaction that lessons are being learned or that this isn't just gonna happen again in 10 weeks” https://www.vanityfair.com/... https://twitter.com/...
Joe Pompeo / @joepompeo: @nytopinion @JBennet A few insidery tidbits: Arthur Sulzberger Jr. considered getting rid of NYT editorials altogether. Also, more than once, he had suggested bringing on Bret Stephens, years before Bennet hired him, around which time WaPo also was scouting Stephens. https://www.vanityfair.com/...
@qjurecic: see also this Vanity Fair piece, which describes a) a genuinely innovative effort to rethink what an editorial section can do right now in the era of 1,000 takes, and b) an editorial section that is slowly moving away from being, well, an editorial section https://www.vanityfair.com/...
Sal Rizzo / @rizzotk: “You could argue that most of the outrage directed at Bennet's Opinion section happens on Twitter” https://www.vanityfair.com/...
Will Bunch / @will_bunch: ... a place like the Inquirer Opinion section (where I work), we do it with 7-8 people, and we do it well. But we could do such much more, and we want to. Please support your hometown news organizations with your subscriptions. Democracy will die if the NYT is Amazon and...
Roei Eisenberg / @roeiwrites: As one of the people to *actually* cancel their subscription after calling in for over a year with concerns, let me say it again: hiring James and firing the copy editors was never going to end well. https://www.vanityfair.com/...
Will Bunch / @will_bunch: ....the Washington Post is Walmart and everyone else shrinks to nothing. If you live in Philly or the suburbs, you can subscribe to the Inquirer here https://checkout.inquirer.com/ ...
Jay Rosen / @jayrosen_nyu: If you follow the goings-on at @nytopinion this Vanity Fair story has some good information. I will pass along some of the nuggets. https://www.vanityfair.com/... One is that the Times has decided to use its “institutional voice” (meaning: no byline) less often. Only for big things. 1/
Lindsay Crouse / @lindsaycrouse: “Opinion's good work doesn't get nearly the same level of media attention as the screwups: a multiplatform series on women and sports that shattered NDA's and forced Nike to investigate abuse allegations.” Reading about my work at work-and concur! https://www.vanityfair.com/...
John Koblin / New York Times:
In 2019, ~130 original nature shows aired, more than previous three years combined; BBC America Saturday viewership rose 35% after shift to wildlife programming — Wildlife's global, family appeal, when the environment is “the issue of the age,” gives Netflix and its rivals a rich supply of new content.
Ian Burrell / The Drum:
In London, Microsoft pitched UK and EU publishers on its lengthy ties to news outlets and its new AI-powered tools that sift datasets, index videos, and more — While Facebook and Google are habitually denounced for their impact on the news industry, and Apple is regarded by publishers with suspicion …
Discussion:
Dave Kane / @davekane23: “Has journalism finally found its big tech ally? Inside Microsoft's pitch to publishers” Great story from our event yesterday on the work @microsoftnews has been doing to help journalists with some great @BenThePCGuy quotes. https://www.thedrum.com/... via @thedrum