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/...
Bryan Behar / @bryanbehar: We've now reached the point where suggesting that trials should have witnesses makes you a “liberal hack.” 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/...
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/...
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/...
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/...
Peter Baker / @peterbakernyt: Apparently daring to ask a straightforward question of a senator makes a reporter a “liberal hack.” https://twitter.com/...
Josh Feldman / Mediaite: Fox News' The Five Mocks CNN Over Manu Raju, Sen. McSally Spat: Does He Need a ‘Therapy Llama?’
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, @aclu, @aclu, @davidlauter, @demandprogress, @digiphile, @steventdennis, The Reporters Committee …, @rollcall, @mzanona, @mzanona, @gottalaff, @jzaragoza1, @crewcrew, @rcfp, @penamerica, @jimrutenberg, @digiphile, @johnfpfaff, @barbaraboxer, @senbooker, @jenhab, @digiphile, @penamerica, Law & Crime, @emma_dumain, @alextdaugherty, @alextdaugherty, Roll Call, Kate Tillotson and Politico
Discussion:
@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/...
@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
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/...
@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/...
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/...
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/
Gabe Rottman / The Reporters Committee …: Reporters Committee and 57 news organizations urge Senate to reconsider impeachment trial press restrictions
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/...
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.
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.
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/...
@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/...
@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/...
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/....
@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.
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/...
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/...
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/...
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/...
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/...
Colin Kalmbacher / Law & Crime: First Amendment Groups Take Sen. McConnell to Task for Press Restrictions at Impeachment Trial
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.
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.
Katherine Tully-McManus / Roll Call: Lack of official guidance on impeachment press restrictions causes confusion
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, @kerrymflynn, Vulture, @markdistef, @bonettiespn, @damanr, @pkafka, @pkafka, @pkafka, @pkafka, @smartfootball, @jackallisonlol, @pkedrosky, @james_dasilva, @tomgara, @goldman, @jacksondahl, @katienotopoulos, @mgsiegler, @dieter, @cianaf, @cwarzel, @nwquah, @cheriehu42, @byianthomas, @pkafka, @mskimberlychin, @webbarr, @jfberke, @pkafka, @edmundlee, @pkafka, @alexweprin, The Wrap, Variety and Awful Announcing, more at Techmeme »
Discussion:
Peter Kafka / Vox: Spotify may buy The Ringer. Here's why that makes sense.
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/...
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/...
Matteo Bonetti / @bonettiespn: Good for Bill. Reading his articles multiple times over throughout high school is what made me even want to get into this industry. His podcast is always first on my queue. 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/...
Peter Kafka / @pkafka: Don't assume a theoretical ringer Spotify deal means existing ringer pods will become exclusive on Spotify. That's not what happened with gimlet, which is why you can still hear this episode of reply all on Apple podcast. https://podcasts.apple.com/... 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.
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.
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/...
Jack Allison / @jackallisonlol: I wonder if they still don't pay their podcast hosts https://twitter.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/...
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/...
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/...
Jason Goldman / @goldman: I listen to at least three Ringer podcasts a week; hope the creators get paid. 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/...
M.G. Siegler / @mgsiegler: Gonna need an 🚨emergency pod🚨 on this topic immediately. https://twitter.com/...
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/...
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/...
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/...
Insurance Lizard / @nwquah: this, more so than Gimlet, would probably warrant the Howard Stern-SiriusXM comparison, but even that's limiting 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/...
Ian Thomas / @byianthomas: Woah, if this happens, talk about Spotify making a splash in sports podcasting pretty quickly. https://twitter.com/...
Peter Kafka / @pkafka: Oh. While we are at it: Simmons talked to Turner/AT&T about a sale ~ year ago.
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
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/...
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.
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.
Alex Weprin / @alexweprin: They must really want Bill's podcast as an exclusive, huh. https://twitter.com/...
Rosemary Rossi / The Wrap: Spotify in Talks to Acquire Bill Simmons' Sports and Pop-Culture Outlet The Ringer
Andrew Bucholtz / Awful Announcing: Spotify is reportedly in early talks to buy 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, Mediaite, CNN, New York Times, @profgalloway, The Playlist, The Week, @gretchencarlson, @jbenton, @jbenton, @jbenton, NME, @frankpallotta, @michael_nielsen, @jayrosen_nyu, @classicfilmgeek, @zeddary, @eddierobson, @ilvestoomas, @davidfolkenflik, @mlcalderone, @arguingmeadows, @andyeduardo77, @goldman, @slpng_giants, @keithboykin, @mattgertz, The A.V. Club, Business Insider, @mollyjongfast, @jdickerson, @scriptpipeline, @somebadideas, @kevinmkruse, @zakiscorner, @williambibbiani, @the_moviebob, @mantia, CNBC, Concurrent Media, The Independent, Ad Age, 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
Matthew Kassel / Mediaite: Disney Drops ‘Fox’ from Studio Names, But a Similar Scenario Almost Played Out 85 Years Ago
Brooks Barnes / New York Times: Disney Drops Fox From Names of Studios It Bought From Rupert Murdoch
Scott Galloway / @profgalloway: Fascinating story of a 9-month old Hungarian Jew coming to America & founding an entertainment company that eventually became ... Fox News https://twitter.com/...
Matthew Monagle / The Playlist: Disney Drops ‘Fox’ From 20th Century And Searchlight
Gretchen Carlson / @gretchencarlson: What a shock ....... or anything to do with massive harassment issues https://twitter.com/...
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.)
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.
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.
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/...
@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/...
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/...
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/...
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/...
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/...
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/...
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/...
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/...
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/...
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/...
@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/...
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”
Kieran Corcoran / Business Insider: Disney is scrubbing the word ‘Fox’ from 20th Century Fox, chipping away at Rupert Murdoch's legacy
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/...
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/...
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/...
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/...
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/...
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/...
Sarah Whitten / CNBC: Disney ditches Fox name from branding, emails and logos
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
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:
@rosaclemente, @miafarrow, @miafarrow, Associated Press, Decider, @sikivuhutch, @nytimes, @jessewashington, @kimworldwide, @caro_milanesi, @nytimesarts, @nycjim, @yasmeenhassan7, @rockandrollprof, @cagoldberglaw, @askingamy, @mehpatrol, @melsil, @joecoscarelli, @sisario, @nicsperling, @dawnc331, @pkafka, Los Angeles Times, The Wrap, The A.V. Club, Variety, IndieWire and Hollywood Reporter
Discussion:
Rosa A. Clemente / @rosaclemente: “Pressured by Simmons Over Exposé, Oprah Winfrey Faced a Big Decision.” She sided with Russell Simmons to say this is disheartning and disappointed is an understatement https://www.nytimes.com/... https://www.instagram.com/...
Mia Farrow / @miafarrow: A particularly disappointing example of powerful man's ability to silence women & media coverage of alleged sexual misconduct. “Pressured by Simmons Over Exposé, Oprah Winfrey Faced a Big Decision”. So Oprah & Apple abandoned the documentary https://www.nytimes.com/...
Mia Farrow / @miafarrow: Following intense campaign by Russell Simmons and his supporters to get Oprah Winfrey to pull the plug on film about his alleged sexual predation, ( also targeting women interviewed in the film on social media) Winfrey caved -citing artistic differences. https://www.nytimes.com/...
Deadline / Decider: Oprah Winfrey Says She Consulted Ava DuVernay Before Exiting Russell Simmons Documentary
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/...
@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/...
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/...
@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/...
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/...
@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/...
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/...
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
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/...
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/...
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/...
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/...
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/...
Christi Carras / Los Angeles Times: A timeline of Oprah Winfrey's involvement with the Russell Simmons documentary
Brian Welk / The Wrap: Oprah Winfrey Says Russell Simmons ‘Pressured’ Her to Drop Documentary From Apple TV+
William Hughes / The A.V. Club: Oprah says Russell Simmons tried to “pressure” her to abandon doc about his accusers
Matt Donnelly / Variety: Oprah Winfrey Says Russell Simmons ‘Attempted to Pressure’ Her to Drop Rape Accusers' Doc From Apple Slate
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:
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/ ...
Rebecca Ballhaus / @rebeccaballhaus: Robert Hyde, who denied to Buzzfeed last year that he was behind these Facebook pages, now is complaining about Facebook taking down those pages, which purported to by run by groups of Trump supporters in different states. https://www.wsj.com/... https://twitter.com/...
Kyle Griffin / @kylegriffin1: A network of several dozen Facebook pages is coordinating posts defending Robert Hyde. Some of the pages, which describe themselves as representing groups of Trump supporters from different states, share contact info & other details with Hyde's campaign. https://www.wsj.com/...
Bobby Allyn / NPR: From Obscurity To Impeachment Figure: Who Is Robert Hyde?
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/...
Karen Kornbluh / @karenkornbluh: This time it's not just the Russians. Disinformation onshoring will be an ongoing problem unless we act 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/...
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/...
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/...
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, @raju, Politico, @tolles, @walterisaacson, @coralproject, @caseynewton, @cwarzel, @cwarzel, @jkosseff, @evanhamilton, @kthomasdc, @fuzheado, @ericowensdc, @mmasnick, @davidafrench, @techdirt, @jess_miers, @jess_miers, @castrotech, @jess_miers, @blakereid, @jess_miers, @andymstone, @caseynewton, @qjurecic, Vox, Variety, Reason, Ars Technica, Boing Boing, Techdirt, The Hill, 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
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/...?
Cristiano Lima / Politico: Biden: Tech's liability shield ‘should be revoked’ immediately
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.
Walter Isaacson / @walterisaacson: He is right. Brave stance. https://twitter.com/...
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/...
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
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
Jeff Kosseff / @jkosseff: Probably worth noting today that Facebook is not the only platform that receives Section 230 protection.
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/...
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/...
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/...
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.
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/...
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/...
@techdirt: Joe Biden Can't Tell The Difference Between The 1st Amendment & Section 230; Still Thinks Video Games Cause Violence https://tdrt.io/hIQ
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.
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
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/...
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 ].
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!
Casey Newton / @caseynewton: The weakness of his logic here is staggering, and disqualifying https://twitter.com/...
@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/...
Theodore Schleifer / Vox: Mike Bloomberg throws shade at Joe Biden as a looming “lame duck”
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”
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
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.
Politico:
Researchers: France Libre 24, a far-right site which looks like a French news outlet and has ~150K visitors/mo, is run by a group of Polish far-right activists — Research conducted by EU DisinfoLab and POLITICO prompts backers of France Libre 24 to disclose their ties to Poland.
Josh Constine / TechCrunch:
Instagram removes the IGTV button from its home page; Sensor Tower: IGTV's standalone app was downloaded 1.1M times in the US since its launch in June 2018 — TikTok saw 80X more installs — At most, 7 million of Instagram's 1 billion-plus users have downloaded its standalone IGTV app in the 18 months since launch.
Discussion:
Harry McCracken / @harrymccracken: The IGTV launch event suffered a weird delay because of formatting problems with the presentation they planned to show, and it has not exactly been uphill from there. https://techcrunch.com/...
Josh Constine / @joshconstine: Is it time to call IGTV a flop? Instagram removed its homepage button, still won't let creators monetize, and view counts are weak. My report: https://techcrunch.com/...
Catherine Adams / Nieman Lab:
Newsrooms in Europe, inspired by the US' Pop-Up Magazine, are experimenting with live news formats, like presenting unpublished stories, in theaters — Audiences want proximity and, perhaps more than ever, humanity. Telling stories in a real physical space can be an antidote to the virtual epidemic.
Thanks:@sdp
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:
@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/ ...
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/ ...
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/ ...
Tim Ingham / Music Business Worldwide:
SoundCloud's filing in the UK shows its 2018 revenue grew 19% YoY to ~$127M, with operating losses dropping to $38.7M — If there's one stat that says everything about the recovery of SoundCloud in recent years, it's this: in calendar 2017, the company turned over circa $102m.
Discussion:
Matthew Meadow / Your EDM: SoundCloud Posts Record Revenue After Years Of Consumer Uncertainty
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