Top News:
Mike Isaac / New York Times:
An independent audit commissioned by Facebook harshly criticizes the company, arguing that some of its decisions were “significant setbacks for civil rights” — An independent audit faulted the social network for “vexing and heartbreaking decisions” that affect its users — and potentially the November elections.
Discussion:
New York Times, @karaswisher, New Yorker, MediaPost, CNBC, Free Press, Gizmodo, Muslim Advocates, @rashadrobinson, The Root, TechCrunch, @oliverdarcy, @shiraovide, @mikeisaac, @gregbensinger, @karaswisher, @gregbensinger, @karaswisher, BBC, @martinsfp, @sinanaral, @jamesclayton5, @notaaroncraig, @carolecadwalla and The Week, more at Techmeme »
Discussion:
Greg Bensinger / New York Times: Facebook Flunks New Audit on Civil Rights and Hate Speech
Kara Swisher / @karaswisher: Simply put, design decisions, which many do not grok, are the problem. FB's defense is they are preventing cancel culture, but it is about money and power. You are being played. The architecture is flawed and so hate fuels this business. It is fixable. https://www.nytimes.com/...
Anna Wiener / New Yorker: An overview of the recent debates surrounding content moderation, online censorship, and Section 230, as well as some proposals for reform
Karlene Lukovitz / MediaPost: Just-Released Civil Rights Audit Of Facebook Called ‘Damning’
Rashad Robinson / @rashadrobinson: We've been working for years to get @Facebook to address their civil rights failures. The release of this civil rights audit exposes Facebook as a company that facilitates hate speech, violence, disinformation and bias while shortchanging civil rights.
Anne Branigin / The Root: Civil Rights Orgs Blast Mark Zuckerberg as Audit Finds Facebook's Weak Hate Speech Policies …
Taylor Hatmaker / TechCrunch: Facebook boycott leaders ‘disappointed’ after meeting with Zuckerberg, Sandberg
Oliver Darcy / @oliverdarcy: “Facebook continues to operate with glaring blind spots for hateful content and misinformation on the site ... according to a highly anticipated audit of the company's practices,” @abbydphillip reports. https://www.cnn.com/...
Shira Ovide / @shiraovide: I can't remember why Facebook ordered a civil rights audit in the first place. That shows you how many scandal cycles the company has been through. https://www.nytimes.com/...
Rat King / @mikeisaac: NEW: Auditors sharply critique Facebook's history of decisions around decisions of speech on the platform, which they found were ‘Setbacks for Civil Rights’ from a two-year study detailed in a 100-page report, a copy of which was obtained by the NYT https://www.nytimes.com/...
@gregbensinger: A new, damning audit of Facebook: Mark Zuckerberg is not enabling free speech, he's just privileging some of it. My column @nytopinion https://www.nytimes.com/...
Kara Swisher / @karaswisher: FB today: What has become increasingly clear is that we have a long way to go. Me 2 years ago: They have weaponized social media. They have weaponized the First Amendment. They have weaponized civic discourse. They have weaponized, most of all, politics. https://www.nytimes.com/...
@gregbensinger: Tough couple days for Facebook. The civil rights audit is not flattering: https://www.nytimes.com/... https://twitter.com/...
Kara Swisher / @karaswisher: Dead obvious meet report that states the dead obvious via @NYTimes https://www.nytimes.com/...
Martin Sfp Bryant / @martinsfp: “In some decisions, Facebook did not seek civil rights expertise, the auditors said, potentially setting a ‘terrible’ precedent that could affect the November general election and other speech issues.” https://www.nytimes.com/...
Sinan Aral / @sinanaral: The regulation of social media will take center stage over the next 18 to 24 months.... Trump, Twitter, Facebook, and the Future of Online Speech. https://www.newyorker.com/...
James Clayton / @jamesclayton5: BREAKING: The New York Times reporting that Facebook's civil rights audit - two years in the making - is highly critical. Facebook may be “driving people towards self-reinforcing echo chambers of extremism” https://www.nytimes.com/...
Craig Aaron / @notaaroncraig: “Facebook has ... an appeasement strategy: Tell us what we need to hear, and Facebook can keep doing whatever they like. What they really need is a comprehensive sweep of the site of white supremacists, homophobes, anti-Semites ...” — @JGo4Justice https://www.nytimes.com/...
Carole Cadwalladr / @carolecadwalla: Well this is interesting. This is the audit report that Facebook referred to yesterday. @nytimes has seen leaked draft copy. Facebook has comprehensively flunked it https://www.nytimes.com/...
RELATED:
Devin Coldewey / TechCrunch:
Facebook's Oversight Board says it won't be operational until “late fall”, likely after the US Presidential election — Facebook has announced that the limp “Oversight Board” intended to help make difficult content and policy decisions will not launch until “late fall,” which is to say, almost certainly after the election.
Discussion:
CNBC, Timeless & Timely, @jeffjarvis, @scepticgeek, @lauraolin, MediaNama and Engadget, more at Techmeme »
Discussion:
Jeff Jarvis / @jeffjarvis: *Nobody* has a better, independent, informed view of the Oversight Board than @Klonick. She makes excellent points here. I disagree to the extent that I think the Board can & should constitute itself independently to begin considering hard issues upon us now. But do read the 🧵 https://twitter.com/...
Mahendra Palsule / @scepticgeek: Perhaps rename it as Facebook's Hindsight Board https://twitter.com/...
Aditi Agrawal / MediaNama: Civil rights groups lambaste Facebook over ‘disappointing’ …
Devindra Hardawar / Engadget: Facebook's Oversight Board says it won't be ready until ‘late fall’
Free Press:
After meeting between leaders of Facebook, ADL, Free Press, NAACP, and Color Of Change, boycott organizers are unconvinced meaningful change will occur — Contact: Timothy Karr, 201-533-8838 — WASHINGTON — On Tuesday afternoon, leaders of four of the organizations coordinating …
Discussion:
@donie, About Facebook, New York Times, Telegraph, Variety, The Drum, @mikeisaac, @sarafischer, Business Insider, Deadline, NPR, Washington Post, New York Post, Fortune, @samfbiddle, @atima_omara, @cwarzel, @bcappelbaum, @princessbravato, @profcarroll, @charlesarthur, @savan_kotecha, CNBC, @shiraovide, @mcbyrne, @cliffordlevy, @schmidtlepp, @morganbenjamin, @joshsternberg, @joshsternberg, @joshsternberg, @slpng_giants, @adamslily, @freepress, @accountabletech, @dylanbyers and @donie, more at Techmeme »
Discussion:
Donie O'Sullivan / @donie: Sheryl Sandberg claims in Facebook post this morning, “We are making changes - not for financial reasons or advertiser pressure, but because it is the right thing to do.” https://www.facebook.com/... https://twitter.com/...
Laurence Dodds / Telegraph: Boycott leaders blast Facebook's ‘spin’ after fruitless summit with Mark Zuckerberg
Todd Spangler / Variety: Facebook Independent Audit Faults Company Decisions for ‘Significant Setbacks’ to Civil Rights
Samuel Scott / The Drum: Why this Facebook advertising boycott is different
Rat King / @mikeisaac: In a meeting today with civil rights groups who organized the widespread ad boycott, Facebook failed to appease organizers, saying it doesn't respond to demands under financial pressure. w/ @tiffkhsu https://www.nytimes.com/...
Sara Fischer / @sarafischer: NAACP CEO Derrick Johnson: - “Facebook called this meeting” - “No media outlet would allow what FB is allowing on their platform” - “We should expect more from a company like Facebook.” -" We've watched conversations blossom into nothingness" for 2 years
Lisa Eadicicco / Business Insider: Facebook is hiring a civil rights leader, but auditors say that isn't enough and are pushing …
Jill Goldsmith / Deadline: Audit Says Facebook's “Vexing And Heartbreaking Decisions” A Setback For Civil Rights
Shannon Bond / NPR: Report Slams Facebook for ‘Vexing And Heartbreaking Decisions’ On Political Speech
Washington Post: Facebook met with civil rights groups after hundreds of companies joined ad boycott
Noah Manskar / New York Post: Facebook faulted for ‘significant’ civil rights setbacks, audit reveals
Fortune: Facebook boycott organizers on meeting Mark Zuckerberg: ‘The company is functionally flawed’
Sam Biddle / @samfbiddle: LITERALLY everything FB does or doesn't do is a response to financial pressure they're just more afraid of financial pressure from GOP voters and legislators if they ban pages like Red State Mama's Hate Barn and White Genocide Awareness than they are afraid of civil rights groups https://twitter.com/...
Atima Omara / @atima_omara: FB DOES NOT stand firmly against hate. People been since before 2016 asking them to get their whole collective sh*t together. Zuckerberg was on his defiant BS just earlier this year. The ad buy boycott worked and started hitting their inflated FB paychecks. The end https://twitter.com/...
Charlie Warzel / @cwarzel: It is almost as if...Facebook cannot be reformed. https://twitter.com/...
Binyamin Appelbaum / @bcappelbaum: lol at the idea Facebook doesn't respond to financial pressure. Zuckerberg just still thinks the company's grossly irresponsible business model is most profitable. https://twitter.com/...
David Carroll / @profcarroll: Also it appears that coalition members @slpng_giants and @CommonSense were excluded from the meeting. Is that correct? https://twitter.com/...
Charles Arthur / @charlesarthur: People have been telling Facebook that it's causing real-world problems for years, in all sorts of places - Myanmar, Indonesia, the UK, US. It listens and then does very little, if anything. https://twitter.com/...
Shira Ovide / @shiraovide: So the meeting, it did not go great? https://www.nytimes.com/... https://twitter.com/...
Cliff Levy / @cliffordlevy: Zuckerberg & Sandberg met with civil rights leaders. Harsh response: • FB reverted to “spin.” • “Same old talking points.” • “They showed up to the meeting expecting an A for attendance. Attending alone is not enough.” https://www.nytimes.com/... By @MikeIsaac @tiffkhsu
Christopher Lauer / @schmidtlepp: It does to demands of dictatorships, though. https://twitter.com/...
Benjamin Morgan / @morganbenjamin: I'm sorry but isn't “responding to demands under financial pressure” ... sort of the definition of capitalism? https://twitter.com/...
Josh Sternberg / @joshsternberg: Funny how both Facebook and the civil rights groups levy the “P.R. exercise” at each other. My guess is that the latter group has more to gain with this stunt than the former has to lose. I also wonder how much money these orgs have raised off the back of the boycott/P.R. stunt.
Josh Sternberg / @joshsternberg: Also curious why, after 15 yrs of bad behavior, we would expect it (i.e. Zuckerberg) to change. If you want to hurt Facebook, deactivate your account and not make the Faustian bargain of using to spread your msg while vilifying its role in spreading hate. https://twitter.com/...
Josh Sternberg / @joshsternberg: But look at all the coverage. “Organizers disappointed...” Of course! We knew this would be the result from the jump. It's also hard to reconcile how an organizer is telling advertisers to not spend while at the same time spending. Anyway. Good P.R. job everyone.
@slpng_giants: Sandberg is trying to conflate their civil rights audit with the meeting today with members of our #StopHateForProfit campaign, trying to sow confusion. Two different subjects. We have been here before and they haven't made “changes.” They're just kicking the can down the road. https://twitter.com/...
Lily Adams / @adamslily: They aren't making changes because of an audit. Any changes theyre making are because a smart boycott was organized by groups like @ColorOfChange. Full stop. https://twitter.com/...
Free Press / @freepress: @NAACP @ColorOfChange @ADL @Facebook @JGo4Justice .@JGo4Justice: “This isn't over. We will continue to expand the boycott until @Facebook takes our demands seriously.” #StopHateForProfit is only growing. We have to keep up the pressure. https://www.freepress.net/... 3/3
@accountabletech: NEW — @JGo4Justice: “Facebook approached our meeting today like it was nothing more than a PR exercise. But boycott coalition leaders and advertisers understand that the #StopHateForProfit effort is about the lives, safety and freedom of our communities.” https://www.freepress.net/... https://twitter.com/...
Dylan Byers / @dylanbyers: @donie + More names here, plys Ime Archibong, Carolyn Everson, etc. https://twitter.com/...
New York Times:
How the Harper's letter grew from a core of about 20 people, led by Thomas Chatterton Williams, and how blowback built especially to J.K. Rowling's inclusion — An open letter published by Harper's, signed by luminaries including Margaret Atwood and Wynton Marsalis, argued for openness to “opposing views.”
Discussion:
@surlybassey, @jackshafer, The Guardian, @tessplease, @jilliancyork, @dankennedy_nu, @ryanlizza, @mathewi, @surlybassey, @wajahatali, @apoorva_nyc, @grouchybagels, @rottenindenmark, @enbrown, @davidastinwalsh, @choire, @elnathan_john, @davidastinwalsh, @southasianbuoy, @rupertmyers, @greenj, @dstfelix, @alketrolyat, @glennf, @emmacarew, @davidbix, @scott_tobias, @thomaschattwill, @aaronhuertas, @kittypurrzog, @emilyctamkin, @biblioracle, @diannaeanderson, @bopanc, @erikloomis, @damiencave, @thomaschattwill, @politicoryan, @ilvestoomas, @louisathelast, @amyjko, @erinbiba, @lorakolodny and @blakersdozen
Discussion:
Kaitlyn Greenidge / @surlybassey: That @Harpers letter came to me last week and I was so mad about it when I read it and have been angry about it for days. My sister does not condone it either and does not agree with its contents. This is a mess. https://twitter.com/...
@jilliancyork: Wait ok I have more to say about the Harper's letter, sorry. As a free speech advocate, what gets me the most about these folks is that not one of them has ever commented on what I see as some of the most pressing expression issues of our time (new thread, sorry sorry):
Dan Kennedy / @dankennedy_nu: This is hilarious. Free speech for me, but not if I have to hang out with thee. https://www.nytimes.com/... https://twitter.com/...
Ryan Lizza / @ryanlizza: This is a really bizarre piece that turns a completely anondyne letter about open debate—signed by a racially and ideologically diverse group of intellectuals—into some kind of wild controversy. WTF is happening at the @nytimes? https://www.nytimes.com/...
Mathew Ingram / @mathewi: In which the real purpose of the letter is finally revealed https://twitter.com/...
Kaitlyn Greenidge / @surlybassey: @mimbale @Harpers Never put me on. A colleague in a professional org my sis belongs to added my sister's name without her consent. So mad at this person rn.
@wajahatali: It's just a healthy debate, no? All good. These people aren't being imprisoned, tortured, choked or killed, right? Artists and Writers Warn of an ‘Intolerant Climate.’ Reaction Is Swift. https://www.nytimes.com/...
Apoorva Mandavilli / @apoorva_nyc: All I want to know about this letter is: How do Salman Rushdie and Margaret Atwood and JK Rowling and Noam Chomsky get to phrasing they all like? https://twitter.com/...
Hannah Groch-Begley / @grouchybagels: @DavidAstinWalsh I have a, um, theory https://twitter.com/...
Michael Hobbes / @rottenindenmark: like clockwork https://twitter.com/...
Elizabeth Nolan Brown / @enbrown: I love how much of a joke this letter is 😏 https://www.nytimes.com/...
David Walsh / @davidastinwalsh: It's pretty clear that we need an accounting of who wrote that letter and for what purpose.
@choire: For Letter Writers, Too Much Speech, Spoken by Too Many Letter: Capitalism Has Made a Few More Hasty Decisions Due to Customer Input Prominent Artists and Writers Warn of an ‘Intolerant Climate.’ Actual Climate Chuckles, Warms. https://www.nytimes.com/...
Elnathan John / @elnathan_john: This is the funniest thing. Sign. Backlash. Retract. Apologize. In 2020 you are endorsing a letter you did not understand? Or are you all now hiding because of the backlash? Sad. Artists and Writers Warn of an ‘Intolerant Climate.’ Reaction Is Swift. https://www.nytimes.com/...
David Walsh / @davidastinwalsh: For those who are wondering what the big deal is, it's, uh, not common for people who sign open letters to publicly retract their signatures like this five hours after publication. https://twitter.com/...
Manasvin Rajagopalan / @southasianbuoy: It must be nice to be so completely out of touch with reality and privilege. https://www.nytimes.com/...
Rupert Myers / @rupertmyers: Artists and Writers Warn of an ‘Intolerant Climate.’ Reaction Is Swift. “It's a defense of people being able to speak and think freely without fear of punishment or retribution, of the right to disagree and not fear for your employment.” https://www.nytimes.com/...
Jonathan Green / @greenj: maybe read this https://newrepublic.com/... before you read that. https://twitter.com/...
Doreen St. Flix / @dstfelix: new name is “one person” https://www.nytimes.com/...
@alketrolyat: @diannaeanderson JFB was the first book I read on queer stuff, so I'm glad she figured this out. But jeeeeez. Why are people just signing stuff, and how do they not know how “free speech” has been weaponized?
Glenn Fleishman / @glennf: James Bennet? The guy who didn't do his job and was fired by his boss, not by Twitter complaints, because he didn't read an inaccurate op-ed that he allowed to be published and then misled people about his role? He's their example? https://www.nytimes.com/... https://twitter.com/...
Emma Carew Grovum / @emmacarew: Why doesn't this article also clearly state that Bari Weiss, a Times employee, also signed The Letter??? https://twitter.com/...
David Bixenspan / @davidbix: I'm reading the NY Times story about the Harper's letter, and beyond everything else, I don't get why anyone, especially the less shitty signatories, thought it was a good idea to be so vague and not give any specific examples of what they felt was overreach.
Scott Tobias / @scott_tobias: There needs to be some reporting on what prompted that Harper's open letter and how the signatories were courted for it. Because now we can only make educated guesses on the former and it's becoming clear that some were deceived on the latter.
@thomaschattwill: Some people criticizing the letter have said a version of “This is just people who are scarred showing they fear change.” No, this is people who are concerned about an intolerant climate and believe justice and freedom are inextricably linked. The scared people declined to sign.
Aaron Huertas / @aaronhuertas: Some reporting from @Liz_A_Harris @jennyschuessler A few key details on process + verification, including how the letter was pitched. https://www.nytimes.com/... https://twitter.com/...
Katie Herzog / @kittypurrzog: Deeply troubled that the Times didn't get a quote from the only podcast host on the list https://www.nytimes.com/...
Emily Tamkin / @emilyctamkin: “She also said that the letter, which was about internet shaming, among other things, was now being used to shame people on the internet.” You are not being shamed. If you feel shame, that is your journey. You are being criticized. https://www.nytimes.com/...
John Warner / @biblioracle: I'm as big a believer in free speech as anyone on that letter, but referencing Bennet as one of the wronged when he was either the editorial patron or pal of so many of the signees makes the whole enterprise look disingenuous. Handwaving the particulars is dishonest.
Bojan Pancevski / @bopanc: The @nytimes writes up the letter warning against erosion of free speech that cited the firing of their own editorial page editor as a prime example of it. And they sought but did not get a comment from their own spokesperson https://www.nytimes.com/...
Erik Loomis / @erikloomis: Color me 0% surprised that David Greenberg is behind the notorious letter. Of all historians I have ever dealt with, he is by far the most unpleasant and the most ready to curse you out with shocking language for the slightest reason. https://www.nytimes.com/...
Damien Cave / @damiencave: Agree or disagree, but the letter and the reaction to it are a fascinating mark of the moment we're in. I hesitate to say more, which is another sign of the times. https://www.nytimes.com/...
@thomaschattwill: *And of course that is not to say that EVERYONE who declined to sign did so out of fear. There were very instructive conversations and disagreements. People really see things differently. But some not insignificant number of people agreed but said they feared the repercussions.
Ryan Heath / @politicoryan: I don't get two things about this letter: 1) Why would a signatory care who else signed it? You either agree with its content or don't 2) Why does anyone care 153 “intellectuals” think these things? We don't live in a dark age of intellectual dependence https://www.nytimes.com/...
Toomas Hendrik Ilves / @ilvestoomas: Geniuses abound: “I could see in 90 seconds that it was fatuous, self-important drivel...” from the “Enterprise Director” of HuffPost of all places, on a statement fro 153 leading thinkers and cultural figures is almost as funny as a Trump tweet. https://www.nytimes.com/...
@louisathelast: For those writers who signed the Harpers letter without knowing who else would be signing it, and now are dismayed to find themselves apparently endorsing some ideas they don't believe in: you need to be more aware of the weaponization of free speech ideals
Amy J. Ko / @amyjko: “We need to preserve the possibility of good-faith disagreement without dire professional consequences” What counts as good faith? Even tenure has limits; at my university they include discrimination, sexual harassment, scholarly misconduct, and more. https://www.nytimes.com/...
Erin Biba / @erinbiba: Ok here's an insider take on what happened, though I am skeptical about the fact checking Harper's claims to have done as at least one letter signer says they were not consulted. https://www.nytimes.com/...
Lora Kolodny / @lorakolodny: @surlybassey incredible restraint but clarity in your reply. well done.
Blake Montgomery / @blakersdozen: To sign a letter protesting cancellation by the social media mob and then to speak anonymously about it to avoid cancellation...is that irony? Or is that exactly what's expected? Who knows, but do please eject me from this absurd earth, I hate it here. https://www.nytimes.com/... https://twitter.com/...
RELATED:
Harper's:
Over 150 journalists, academics, and writers sign a letter criticizing what they see as narrowing boundaries of debate and increasing self-censorship
Discussion:
@jennyboylan, @harpers, Techdirt, @lindaholmes, The Wrap, New Republic, American Press Institute, @mattwelch, New Republic, @emilyvdw, @jessesingal, @jordanfreiman, @jonathanchait, @juddlegum, @parkermolloy, @ositanwanevu, @yascha_mounk, The Guardian, The Editorial Board, TheBlaze, @popehat, @sapinker, NME, Reason, @greenidgekerri, Twelve Thirty Six, The World Is Yours*, @ritapanahi, @nberlat, @baddiel, @divinadecampo, Bookninja, Tangle, @jmrivera02, SPLICETODAY.com, @nberlat, @jk_rowling, The Week, @emilyvdw, @llw902, @neontaster, @popehat, @popehat, @nishachittal, @jk_rowling, @revrrlewis, Fox News, @elivalley, @mccormick_ted, @nicolacoughlan, bookforum.com, Variety, @darrengrimes_, @benyt, @dancow, @samthielman, @benyt, @mizzousundevil, @jbenton, @bethlynch2020, @bealelab, @tomcoates, @dennismhogan, @sarahjamielewis, @lostblackboy, @lostblackboy, @talkingbiznews, @sanasaeed, @ericrweinstein, @labuzamovies, @nilegardiner, @wwwritingclub, @aidanctweets, @catespice, @originalspin, @davereaboi, @asteadwesley, @tage_rai, @tage_rai, @jonhaidt, @tage_rai, @paulbloomatyale, @paulbloomatyale, Conquest of the Useless, Deadline, @kyebarker, @erinbiba, @mathewi, @internethippo, @sharonwaxman, @sharonwaxman and @sharonwaxman
Discussion:
@jennyboylan: I did not know who else had signed that letter. I thought I was endorsing a well meaning, if vague, message against internet shaming. I did know Chomsky, Steinem, and Atwood were in, and I thought, good company. The consequences are mine to bear. I am so sorry.
@harpers: A statement signed by 150 people incl. Bill T. Jones, Wynton Marsalis, Jennifer Finney Boylan, Noam Chomsky, J.K. Rowling, Margaret Atwood, and Salman Rushdie expresses concern over the illiberal trend intensified by our national reckoning. https://harpers.org/...
Mike Masnick / Techdirt: Harper's Gives Prestigious Platform To Famous Writers So They Can Whine About Being Silenced
@lindaholmes: That Harper's letter, to me, is in large part from people who are unhappy that they're not leading the current conversation, addressed to the many other people they believe are also unhappy that they're not leading it.
Alex Shephard / New Republic: The Problem With Yascha Mounk's Persuasion
Matt Welch / @mattwelch: Here is a joint letter signed by Noam Chomsky, J.K. Rowling, David Brooks, @bariweiss, Wynton Marsalis, Salman Rushdie, @kmele, and 140-odd other people, in case anyone's in a mood to argue. https://harpers.org/...
Osita Nwanevu / New Republic: The Willful Blindness of Reactionary Liberalism
Emily VanDerWerff / @emilyvdw: I sent a version of this to the editors of Vox. (I have redacted some bits that are internal to Vox and shouldn't be aired publicly.) https://twitter.com/...
Jesse Singal / @jessesingal: Matt Yglesias has been reported to his employer by a colleague for signing an open letter which argues that a climate of conformity, fear, and mutual surveillance has descended upon public intellectual life. https://twitter.com/...
Jordan Freiman / @jordanfreiman: The fact that I am constantly made aware of the opinions of jk rowling, matt yglesias, jesse singal, and bari weiss despite having zero desire to do so and never once seeking them out leads me to view this thesis with some amount of skepticism https://twitter.com/...
Jonathan Chait / @jonathanchait: Criticism of the letter seems to be split evenly between “they're rich/privileged/enjoy large platforms” and “they're has-beens embittered about being ignored.” https://twitter.com/...
Judd Legum / @juddlegum: 1. This letter perfectly illustrates my issue with the “cancel culture” trope The signatories of this letter have bigger platforms and more resources than most other humans. They are not being silenced in any way https://harpers.org/...
Parker Molloy / @parkermolloy: the funny thing about that letter is that the press release was like “We're soliciting response to the letter, A SELECTION OF WHICH will appear...” So some opinions MUST be heard while others are only heard if the magazine CHOOSES them. Gosh, seems not very “open debate” of you. https://twitter.com/...
Osita Nwanevu / @ositanwanevu: Again, it's hard to take claims like this seriously, especially when it's plain that people are complaining about an unprecedentedly free and open speech environment. We're all talking and acting before the world now. That world includes people who'll call you stupid & offensive. https://twitter.com/...
Yascha Mounk / @yascha_mounk: A lot of wonderful writers signed the letter. None of them could have come up with a more deliciously dark illustration of the way in which the fear of cancellation turns people into cowards, and how terrible this is for intellectual honesty, than this. https://twitter.com/...
John Stoehr / The Editorial Board: Autocracy's hidden enablers
Leon Wolf / TheBlaze: Commentary: Not all or even most liberals are enemies of America, but yesterday some of them proved that they are
DystopianHat / @popehat: I like and respect many of these people. But i continue to struggle with the concept. The distinction between “silencing” and more/responsive/critical speech eludes me. I see instead the problem of the preferred first speaker. https://harpers.org/...
Ella Kemp / NME: J.K. Rowling, Margaret Atwood and more sign open letter calling for end to ‘cancel culture’
Jesse Singal / Reason: The Reaction to the Harper's Letter on Cancel Culture Proves Why It Was Necessary
Kerri Greenidge / @greenidgekerri: I do not endorse this @Harpers letter. I am in contact with Harper's about a retraction
Rita Panahi / @ritapanahi: She signs a pro-free speech letter & then retracts cause her ideological opponents are also pro-free speech. 🤦🏽♀ ️ Unprincipled & cowardly capitulation to the mob. https://twitter.com/...
Noah Berlatsky / @nberlat: the main person weakening norms around press freedom is Donald Trump. I think obscuring that, as you consistently do, and as this letter does, harms free speech. https://twitter.com/...
David Baddiel / @baddiel: It's interesting that Boylan wishes to disassociate from JK Rowling, whose opinions she feels exceed acceptable free speech, whilst keen to stand with Chomsky, who was the main intellectual supporter of the right to publish of Robert Faurisson, the father of Holocaust denial. https://twitter.com/...
Divina De Campo / @divinadecampo: This letter makes some good points, it is on the surface perfectly reasonable. Then you look at who has signed. Some of the most powerful names in literary circles who are at this moment conducting bad faith arguments. https://twitter.com/...
Isaac Saul / Tangle: Sending our kids back to school.
Joshua Rivera / @jmrivera02: what is often completely ignored in conversations like this is any notion of responsibilty. the “free exchange of ideas” is only worth anything if anyone takes responsibilty for those ideas. ideas are not neutral. they advance causes, and harm others. https://twitter.com/...
Noah Berlatsky / @nberlat: reporters were shot because they tried to take pictures during the protests. senators called for the military to suppress people expressing dissent in the street. but people are signing letters about the evils of James Bennet getting fired for being an incompetent butthead.
J.K. Rowling / @jk_rowling: You're still following me, Jennifer. Be sure to publicly repent of your association with Goody Rowling before unfollowing and volunteer to operate the ducking stool next time, as penance. https://twitter.com/...
Damon Linker / The Week: Who are the real liberals today?
@emilyvdw: OK, I filed my piece. By far the most common (good faith) question I've gotten is why I read the letter as containing anti-trans dogwhistles. This tweet neatly expresses the way I read that letter as a trans woman. (continued) https://twitter.com/...
Lauren L Walker / @llw902: a lot of people are confused about the intent of the harper's letter so i made some helpful edits to clarify many of the signee's positions https://twitter.com/...
Noam Blum / @neontaster: Trans activist Jennifer Finney Boylan is now distancing herself from the letter. https://twitter.com/...
BobWoodwardHat / @popehat: I mean if that was their intent — to illustrate their proposition through anticipated reactions — I have to compliment them on their craft, even if I don't agree with them entirely. https://twitter.com/...
BobWoodwardHat / @popehat: No seriously, now I wonder if the letter was crafted to make its point not in its text but through the anticipated reactions. Good Lord above people.
Nisha Chittal / @nishachittal: “It would be a strange thing for the left if its major thinkers got used to deriding workers demanding changes to how their firms are run.” @OsitaNwanevu on reactionary liberalism feels especially relevant today https://newrepublic.com/... https://twitter.com/...
J.K. Rowling / @jk_rowling: I was very proud to sign this letter in defence of a foundational principle of a liberal society: open debate and freedom of thought and speech. https://harpers.org/...
Ted McCormick / @mccormick_ted: What an impoverished sense of modern intellectual history this suggests https://twitter.com/...
Nicola Coughlan / @nicolacoughlan: Living in a world where you are held accountable for your actions is not a new thing I never condone abuse but expecting to be allowed to spout bigotry and not be called out on it? Nah We've all made mistakes, the best we can do is hold our hands up, admit it, and learn https://twitter.com/...
bookforum.com: Collected reactions to the Harper's letter; Nan A. Talese will retire this year after six-decade publishing career
Naman Ramachandran / Variety: J.K. Rowling, Margaret Atwood Among 150 Figures to Sign Letter Condemning Public Shaming
Darren Grimes / @darrengrimes_: The backlash to this. Wow. Only in 2020 could these big names signing a document that says we should stop seeking to advance cancel culture, because of the chilling effect that this has on debate and speech, be told they must be cancelled for suggesting cancel culture exists. https://twitter.com/...
Ben Smith / @benyt: @dancow @jbenton Huh I hope they are. And it's usually reporters who are the targets of brigades, rarely just the tweets.
Dan Nguyen / @dancow: @benyt @jbenton That seems tangential though? Or maybe I'm overly presumptuous in thinking that the signatories to this letter aren't particularly focused on situations like the WaPo disciplining its reporters for tweets - which they might classify as an enforcement of company policy?
Sam Thielman / @samthielman: @benyt @jbenton yes, that in particular is nonsense and the cases cited are thinly veiled references to some of the signatories, notably Buruma, who manifestly deserved to be fired, and chattering class legends like the firing of David Shor over an innocuous tweet
Ben Smith / @benyt: @jbenton Does anyone disagree with this part? “More troubling still, institutional leaders, in a spirit of panicked damage control, are delivering hasty ....”
Matt Dempsey / @mizzousundevil: @JeffYoung8 @jbenton Feels more like many of the signers are concerned about threats to THEIR expression. Not expression in general.
Joshua Benton / @jbenton: @benyt Sure, there are and have always been examples of companies making bad decisions and firing people for bad reasons? But I'd bet you $20 the number of people fired unfairly for speech is waaay lower than the number fired for trying to unionize, for complaining about racism, etc.
@bethlynch2020: “Socialists have always been best positioned, ideologically, to challenge those arguments and test the commitments of liberals to their own first principles” https://newrepublic.com/...
Rupert Beale / @bealelab: Both Margaret Atwood and J.K.Rowling signed this letter. Principled disagreement is ok, isn't it? https://twitter.com/...
Tom Coates / @tomcoates: Somehow, it's always the free speech to say you want to take someone else's rights away and not the free speech to be angry about people trying to take your rights away. https://twitter.com/...
Dennis Hogan / @dennismhogan: In reality “modern intellectual life” is overwhelmingly being pursued by adjuncts and other precarious academics; by students at public unis and community colleges; by young people teaching themselves alone and in community, and not by sinecured bigots with persecution complexes https://twitter.com/...
Sarah Jamie Lewis / @sarahjamielewis: You know what “censorship” is? When I was chased down the street for holding my parters hand in public - that was censorship. People tweeting mean things at you because you support conversion therapy for vulnerable children - is the opposite of censorship.
Lil Uzi Hurt / @lostblackboy: Maybe I'm the dumb one. They did prove one thing: You can't argue with a piece of writing that doesn't actually say anything.
Lil Uzi Hurt / @lostblackboy: Over 200 people, many of them writers, signed the Harper's letter, yet no one seemed to call out excessive use of passive voice or lack of specific examples.
Sana Saeed / @sanasaeed: anyway still waiting on that letter from the free speech warriors condemning the state-led violent attacks on anti-racist protestors' right to free speech and peacefully assemble
Eric Weinstein / @ericrweinstein: Great to see you guys. Very brave. Now if you'll excuse me, we've been trying to hold this hill since...[checks watch]...oh...2011 and the “Dear Collegaue letter” so there are lots & lots & lots of dead to bury and very little left standing. So do feel free to pick up a shovel. https://twitter.com/...
Peter Labuza / @labuzamovies: Genuinely crazy @OsitaNwanevu published his amazing take on free speech before the Harper's thing broke, just an amazing pulse for how “the online” unfolds. Read now: https://newrepublic.com/... https://twitter.com/...
Nile Gardiner / @nilegardiner: J.K. Rowling has gone way up in my estimation. Disagree with her on many issues, including Brexit. But she has taken a brave stand in support of free speech against the ugly intolerance of the far Left mob. This is courage. https://twitter.com/...
@wwwritingclub: More writers standing up 🙏🏻🔥 “As writers we need a culture that leaves us room for experimentation, risk taking, &even mistakes. We need to preserve the possibility of good-faith disagreement without dire professional consequences.” https://twitter.com/...
Aidan Comerford / @aidanctweets: J.K. Rowling, with her 14.3 million followers, and her multi-millions, threatened to sue a trans woman with 4000 followers on Twitter over a tweet. When J.K. tweeted her “TERF WARS” blog, she did so with the Twitter replies turned off. “Free speech for me, but not for thee.” https://twitter.com/...
@catespice: I find it deeply ironic that J.K. Rowling has signed and tweeted this letter, since she refuses to speak to any trans people who are not ‘Gender Critical’ in their views. You can't call for open debate and then refuse to engage with the other side. That's incredibly dishonest. https://twitter.com/...
Jeff Yang / @originalspin: This letter is an elegantly written affirmation of white and white-adjacent privilege. It's sad that people I respect have signed it—alongside people who are serial bad actors, bigots, hypocrites and thin-skinned smearmongers. https://twitter.com/...
David Reaboi / @davereaboi: Some thoughts: (1) I'm glad you're suddenly horrified by your comrades on the Left. (2) I will greatly enjoy watching them devour you. https://twitter.com/...
Steadman&trade / @asteadwesley: A letter on justice and open debate https://twitter.com/...
Tage Rai / @tage_rai: @paulbloomatyale It's simply not censorship to call for someone to lose their job if they've done a bad job. That's just performance evaluation
Tage Rai / @tage_rai: @paulbloomatyale Ugh god this letter is so terrible Paul. How can the intellectual divide on this issue be so great? My only disappointment is that you and intellectual hero Noam Chomsky could agree w/it.
Jonathan Haidt / @jonhaidt: I am very pleased to have joined @thomaschattwill and 148 other writers, with a wide range of views, on this “letter on justice and open debate.” @Harpers https://twitter.com/...
Tage Rai / @tage_rai: Let it be said that this is an edge case that doesn't capture the cases referenced in the letter. For ex., the NYT Editor admitted to not READING THE OP-ED. Still, I have said before that I have zero problem with the *concept* of my employer punishing me over offensive tweets 1/ https://twitter.com/...
Paul Bloom / @paulbloomatyale: @tage_rai of course, I agree with that. But suppose I started a petition for you to be fired as editor for Science because I was offended by your tweets. Totally fine performance evaluation?
Paul Bloom / @paulbloomatyale: This is a terrific letter, and it's truly heartening to look at the impressive list of signatories. https://twitter.com/...
Kye Barker / @kyebarker: 1. Impossible to list all the material crises more pressing than this ideological self-defense by the secure. 2. I've been blocked here by people on this list for challenging them on Twitter. 3. A generation of scholars are about to be shed from academia by the real crisis. https://twitter.com/...
Erin Biba / @erinbiba: ANYWAY remember that time Bari Weiss tried to get me fired from my freelance gigs because I swear on twitter and then she signed an open letter in Harper's saying she was deeply concerned about the trend of people getting fired for saying things people don't like on the internet?
Mathew Ingram / @mathewi: If you are still under the impression that “cancel culture” is a real thing, you should read this piece from @OsitaNwanevu in The New Republic from last year, it's an excellent deconstruction of the concept and why it's a straw man: https://newrepublic.com/...
Chief Posting Officer / @internethippo: i've read this thing several times and i still don't understand what the ask is. what exact policies is this advocating for https://harpers.org/...
Sharon Waxman / @sharonwaxman: @mathewi @musiccitymark There are dozens of examples littered through our society in the past weeks not to mention previous decade as “cancel culture” has arisen. As a journalist/publisher I worry about squelching voices we don't like - narrowing “acceptable discourse.” History is a lens not to ignore
Sharon Waxman / @sharonwaxman: @mathewi @musiccitymark You are assigning “fault” but cancel culture suggests this would be a win. I blv letter-signers are concerned abt the overall atmosphere this creates of intimidating speech, driving out debate, “intolerance of opposing views.” They give examples, though not specifics.
Sharon Waxman / @sharonwaxman: @mathewi @musiccitymark Yes, there are so many I'd like to be thoughtful about it. And when you say “well-deserved” “consequences” for their speech - who decides what is deserved? You? Me? Twitter? Entire issue is bound up in accepting that certain views must be “disappeared.” Which is a problem.
Joe Flint / Wall Street Journal:
CNBC says it has signed former Fox News journalist Shepard Smith to anchor a new one-hour evening news show, a significant shift in programming strategy — ‘The News with Shepard Smith’ will debut this fall on the cable news business channel — CNBC has signed former Fox News journalist Shepard Smith …
Discussion:
TVNewser, Mediaite, The Wrap, CNN, Variety, Axios, Los Angeles Times, @helenkennedy, @jyarow, @sallyshin, The Daily Beast and Outkick
Discussion:
A.J. Katz / TVNewser: Shepard Smith Is Heading to CNBC
Aidan McLaughlin / Mediaite: BREAKING: Shepard Smith Joins CNBC as Anchor of New Show
J. Clara Chan / The Wrap: Shepard Smith to Join CNBC As Host of Evening News Program
Orion Rummler / Axios: Former Fox News host Shepard Smith joins CNBC
Stephen Battaglio / Los Angeles Times: Former Fox News anchor Shepard Smith is joining CNBC for a nightly newscast
Helen Kennedy / @helenkennedy: TIL CNBC is on at night. https://twitter.com/...
Jay Yarow / @jyarow: Welcome aboard Shep. Happy to give you CMS training so you can start filing right away. https://twitter.com/...
Sally Shin / @sallyshin: PRESS RELEASE: ENGLEWOOD CLIFFS, N.J., July 8, 2020—Award-winning broadcast journalist Shepard Smith will join CNBC, it was announced today by CNBC Chairman Mark Hoffman. He will be based at CNBC Global Headquarters in Englewood Cliffs, N.J. effective July 13th.
Lachlan Cartwright / The Daily Beast: Shepard Smith Returning to Cable News With CNBC Show
Bobby Burack / Outkick: CNBC Signs Shepard Smith
Sarah Perez / TechCrunch:
Amazon Fire TV adds live content from Sling TV, YouTube TV, and Hulu + Live TV — Amazon is upgrading its Fire TV's live TV experience through new integrations with several live TV streaming services, including Sling TV, YouTube TV, and Hulu + Live TV. Live content from these services …
Discussion:
Margaret Manning / Soda: YouTube TV review
Jared Newman / @onejarednewman: This is cool. Fire TV menus now integrate live channels from Sling TV, YouTube TV, and Hulu + Live TV (along with existing sources like Pluto TV and Recast.) One big grid guide for everything: https://techcrunch.com/...
RELATED:
Torrey Hart / The Streamable:
Comcast launches an app for Dish's Sling TV on its Xfinity Flex boxes, making it the first live TV streaming service available for its broadband customers — Comcast Xfinity Flex users now have access to the Sling TV app as a way to stream live television without a cable deal.
Discussion:
Todd Spangler / Variety: Comcast Launches Dish's Sling TV App on Xfinity Flex Boxes for Broadband Customers
Megha Rajagopalan / BuzzFeed News:
Nandini Jammi leaves social media campaign group Sleeping Giants, which targeted Fox News, Breitbart, Facebook, and others, over disagreements with Matt Rivitz — Since 2016, copywriter Matt Rivitz and marketer Nandini Jammi have run Sleeping Giants, a social media campaign group …
Discussion:
Shannon Coulter / @shannoncoulter: Y'know how Sleeping Giants claims it fights sexism & racism? Turns out Matt Rivitz systematically failed to give credit to his hard working WOC co-founder @nandoodles for years and shut her out of opportunities associated w/ the work. Walk > talk. https://www.buzzfeednews.com/ ... https://twitter.com/...
Scott Lucas / @scottlucas: .@slpng_giants is one of the most important activist groups of the Trump presidency. Today, one of its leaders, @nandoodles. is leaving following a dispute over credits and titles. https://www.buzzfeednews.com/ ... via @meghara
Sheila Dang / Reuters:
TikTok launches a self-service ad platform globally, with a music library and video editing tools to help brands make ads that match the style of TikTok videos — (Reuters) - TikTok's launch on Wednesday of a new platform to court small business advertisers is fraught with challenges …
Discussion:
Adweek, AdExchanger, @rasmus_kleis, The Media Nut and @joshsternberg, more at Techmeme »
Discussion:
Rasmus Kleis Nielsen / @rasmus_kleis: TikTok is launching “a new self-service ad platform, which lets companies purchase ads without needing to speak with a sales team”. In 2020. At this moment. After all we have seen and learned in recent years. What could possibly go wrong? https://www.reuters.com/...
Josh Sternberg / The Media Nut: Report: 'Facebook's ad system can lead to biased or discriminatory results — may be well placed.'
RELATED:
CNN:
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo says the US is “looking at” banning TikTok and other Chinese social media apps amid rising tensions between US and China
Discussion:
BBC, Fast Company, Street Fight, The Grapevine, @sgvnsports, @walter_cruz99 and @penamerica
Discussion:
James Clayton / BBC: TikTok: Chinese app may be banned in US, says Pompeo
Michael Grothaus / Fast Company: Why is TikTok getting banned? Here's the latest update as the U.S. mulls app shutdown
Fred J. Robledo / @sgvnsports: Why? Because they were mean in Tulsa. https://twitter.com/...
@walter_cruz99: This is why Trump wants to ban Tik Tok not because its spyware. If it was because of spyware then it would have been banned a year ago. https://twitter.com/... https://twitter.com/...
PEN America / @penamerica: Google, Facebook, and Twitter said they were reviewing China's punitive new national security law for the city, a rare public questioning of Chinese policy by major U.S. tech companies. They have yet to decide to cooperate with parts of the law. https://www.nytimes.com/...
Jack Crosbie / Discourse Blog:
Q&A with Ben Smith on shifting power in newsrooms, the compromised position of a media reporter, firewall at NYT between reporting and opinion, and more — Ben Smith, the former editor of BuzzFeed News, is now a media columnist for the New York Times. It sounds like a great job, and I would love to have it.
Discussion:
Michael Calderone / @mlcalderone: “Janet Malcolm has that incredible essay about how the core act of journalism is betrayal, and being a media reporter is particularly complicated in that way. 'Cause you're reporting on your...friends and colleagues.” https://discourseblog.substack.com/ ...
Anthony Ha / TechCrunch:
London-based Permutive raises $18.5M Series B to help publishers target audiences more effectively using their own first-party data — Permutive is announcing that it has raised $18.5 million in Series B funding, as the London-based startup works to help online publishers make money in a changing privacy landscape.
Discussion:
Andrew Blustein / Adweek: Permutive Raises $18.5 Million as the Search for a Cookie Alternative Continues
Washington Post:
Facebook says it removed 100+ Pages and accounts linked to felon Roger Stone, as well as some linked to Brazil's Bolsonaro, for coordinated inauthentic behavior — The longtime Trump friend and former campaign adviser used fake accounts and other deceptive tactics to manipulate public debate, the company said
Discussion:
About Facebook, Reuters, @dfrlab, @ngleicher, @ngleicher, @ngleicher, @ngleicher, @camillefrancois, @hsu_spencer and @qjurecic, more at Techmeme »
Discussion:
@dfrlab: Many of the removed assets included fake profiles that praised Bolsonaro across while amplifying hyper-partisan sites that characterized themselves as news outlets. A number of these outlets and accounts were traced back to Leonardo Rodrigues de Barros Neto. #FacebookTakedown https://twitter.com/...
Nathaniel Gleicher / @ngleicher: We should expect to see more candidates test the waters in this space, and clarity and deterrence from all of us in civil society, industry, and government is critical to protecting healthy public debate.
Nathaniel Gleicher / @ngleicher: Today we're announcing four CIB takedowns. These operations all have links to commercial orgs and individuals associated with political campaigns and political offices that are using CIB to influence public debate in their own countries. https://about.fb.com/...
Nathaniel Gleicher / @ngleicher: But we know these threats extend beyond our platforms, which is why it's critical to have a whole-of-society discussion about the boundary between acceptable political advocacy and manipulation, and how we make that boundary clear and deter people from crossing the line.
Nathaniel Gleicher / @ngleicher: And domestic operations like this carry their own significant cost: they blur the line between healthy public debate and manipulation. We will continue to look for, remove, and expose these CIB operations, regardless what they post or who is behind them — foreign or domestic.
Camille Franois / @camillefrancois: We've been highlighting for years that politicians around the 🌏 also use coordinated networks of fake accounts to influence domestic & local issues. Today's Facebook takedowns reckons with 4 of these cases. 🆕 Our writeup on the Roger Stone takedown: https://www.graphika.com/... https://twitter.com/...
Spencer Hsu / @hsu_spencer: NEW Facebook takes down network affiliated with Roger Stone, alleging it manipulated public debate in “coordinated inauthentic behavior” dating to the 2016 election and including drawing attention to WikiLeaks posts. @craigtimberg @isaacstanbecker https://www.washingtonpost.com/ ...
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