Top News:
Michael Levenson / New York Times:
Critics slam WSJ's opinion section after it published a column by Joseph Epstein calling Jill Biden “kiddo” and suggesting she drop her use of “Dr.” as a title — Many women said Joseph Epstein's suggestion in The Wall Street Journal was blatantly sexist and underscored …
Discussion:
Wall Street Journal, @mattyglesias, @melissakorn, The Atlantic, @chasten, @kat_arney, @benjaminwittes, The Daily Beast, Los Angeles Times, Breitbart, @joycewhitevance, @toddrowleypa13, @bettemidler, @angryblacklady, @kenfisher, @alivelshi, @rheabutcher, @digitalshields, @bendreyfuss, @knightlat, @rupasubramanya, @stephaniecreary, @matthewwalther, @smotus, @chrisgeidner, @colmorrisdavis, @ilyseh, @mjs_dc, @stephaniecreary, @chrisgeidner, @jessicavalenti, @naomirwolf, @rezaaslan, @stephaniecreary, @myhlee, @wentrogue, @stephaniecreary, @joncoopertweets, Poynter, @lawrence, @seyitaylor, @aoibhinn_ni_s, @drkhodosh, @daveweigel, @andrewsolender, @amlwhere, @kimlisagor, @valeriejarrett, @harrisonjaime, @georgetakei, @kurtschlichter, @scott_garrod, @repadams, @rutiregan, @joannastern, @paulwiggins, @joannelipman, @raju, @ldburnett, @bill_shea19, @mingylong, @jimhollo, @viet_t_nguyen, @anushayhossain, @arminrosen, @melissakorn, The Guardian, @davidfolkenflik, @brianstelter, @bobbyberk, @darakass, @stefanieoconnel, @fareedzakaria and @jrubinblogger
Discussion:
@mattyglesias: No better sign of the real divide in American politics today than a weekend long freakout defending the honor of PhD-havers.
Melissa Korn / @melissakorn: There is a thick wall between the news and opinion operations of @WSJ, but it still saddens me that they'd print it. Which is the way I've felt about many op-eds over the years. Pieces like that make it harder for me to do my job. 2/2
Graeme Wood / The Atlantic: The Professor and the Madman — Joseph Epstein's record of provocation and self-disgracing is long but not unbroken.
Chasten Buttigieg / @chasten: The author could've used fewer words to just say “ya know in my day we didn't have to respect women.” https://www.wsj.com/...
Kat Arney / @kat_arney: The irony being that it's PhDs who can legitimately call themselves Doctor as they have a doctorate - it's actually an honorific for medical doctors (certainly in the UK, as I kept reminding my medic friends when I was younger and more obnoxious). https://twitter.com/...
Benjamin Wittes / @benjaminwittes: Translation of this piece: “I have status anxiety and I'm playing it out by attacking a woman for using the title Dr.—which she is fully entitled to use.” https://twitter.com/...
Molly Jong-Fast / The Daily Beast: WSJ's Jill Biden Op-Ed Is Just the Cherry on a Sh*t Sundae
Christie D'Zurilla / Los Angeles Times: Should we call her ‘Dr. Jill Biden’? Absolutely, Michelle Obama and Bette Midler say
Charlie Spiering / Breitbart: Michelle Obama Defends ‘Dr.’ Jill Biden Title
Joyce Alene / @joycewhitevance: A waste of column space. After calling Dr. Biden kiddo & dismissing her dissertation on support for community college education, we have to endure a long brag because the author took his final exam on a pool table on a military base. Tired of the misogyny. https://www.wsj.com/...
Todd Rowley / @toddrowleypa13: I agree. But don't just be like @SenSusanCollins and be ‘disappointed.’ Really? Take some meaningful action. Maybe end your subscription @WSJ, write your own OP-ed, not just ask that @WSJ “be better.” The piece on @DrBiden was indeed disgraceful and misogynistic. #WSJRetractNow https://twitter.com/...
@bettemidler: My my, Mr. Epstein, aren't you on a high horse. How easy it is to condescend to and patronize a woman, especially one you imagine needs taking down a peg. Why don't you pick on someone of your own size and small-minded misogyny? You can start with #PresidentDonaldTrump https://twitter.com/...
@angryblacklady: Is it required that men downplay sexism because it apparently annoys them that women talk about it? This is such a basic and bad take and I have seen multiple men say something similar. Y'all aren't even trying and it's irritating. https://twitter.com/...
Ken Fisher / @kenfisher: It has a considerable stack of competition, though... https://twitter.com/...
Ali Velshi / @alivelshi: In which the @WSJ publishes an Op-Ed by a sexist who is, apparently, offended by highly educated women, and who refers to the incoming First Lady Dr. Jill Biden, who earned a Phd, as “kiddo”. When will men stop lecturing women to not seem to smart? https://www.wsj.com/...
@rheabutcher: All those words in the Wall Street journal complaining about Dr. Jill Biden when “Dr.” Phil exists
Mike Shields / @digitalshields: Interesting to read this post from October about how WSJ is grappling w/ aging readers and a blind spot for covering race and gender, and the strategy from up high seems to be: “let's alienate all women and most decent men” https://www.buzzfeednews.com/ ...
Ben Dreyfuss / @bendreyfuss: The problem with the WSJ insane op-ed was not the nominal argument that people with humanitarian doctorates should not use “Dr” (which is a think lots of people believe), it was that the op-ed was written in the most insulting and patronizing way possible. https://www.nytimes.com/...
Christopher Knight / @knightlat: Paul Gigot thinks race & gender are “cards” to be “played” rather than intrinsic aspects of lives that are lived. Spoken like a white male bigot. https://www.nytimes.com/...
Rupa Subramanya / @rupasubramanya: Many in academia actually don't use the honorific title. It's usually insecure non academics or academic wannabes who want to prove their credentials and call themselves Dr. How are we going to get through the next 4 years of this insufferable sanctimonious bs? 🤢 https://twitter.com/...
Dr. Stephanie J. Creary / @stephaniecreary: I - like many others - am appalled and concerned about this sexist article published in the WSJ on December 11: https://www.wsj.com/...
Matthew Walther / @matthewwalther: Seriously, if this mild-mannered 83-year-old light essayist makes you wet the bed, I shudder to think at how you would read respond to anything not written by a Teen Vogue editorial intern.
Seth Masket / @smotus: Fellow dudes, the Epstein piece wasn't about the diminishing of PhDs, it was about the diminishing of women. https://twitter.com/...
Chris Geidner / @chrisgeidner: Imagine being so aggressively unwilling to see that you published something bad that you think there must be some secret coordinated effort when everyone attacks it!
Moe Davis / @colmorrisdavis: I've published 35+ op-eds, including in the Wall Street Journal. For every one published, I wrote an equal number no one would print. I'm sure the @WSJ turned down other pieces on real issues to run this piece trashing Dr. Biden. Shame on them. https://www.businessinsider.com/ ...
@ilyseh: Breaking: the WSJ is absolutely that clueless. Doubling down on their insane OpEd and making themselves the victim of...checks notes...the Biden's?!!! Just wow. https://www.nytimes.com/...
Mark Joseph Stern / @mjs_dc: Actually, “the definition of his life” (which I take to mean “the one thing most people know about him") is an essay Epstein wrote calling gay people “cursed” and “an affront to our rationality.” The Jill Biden op-ed will be a footnote at best. https://www.nytimes.com/... https://twitter.com/... https://twitter.com/...
Dr. Stephanie J. Creary / @stephaniecreary: This article should never have been published. It is highly offensive to all of us who have earned doctorates. It is also extremely elitist. As a result, I am unwilling to support any diversity initiatives backed by the WSJ - it would be hypocritical for me to do so."
Chris Geidner / @chrisgeidner: Joseph Epstein has been publishing bad takes on anyone who is not a straight man for literally 50 years. This latest was not only bad, it was predictably so. (Go read this full thread. Seriously, it's short and is worth it.) https://twitter.com/...
Jessica Valenti / @jessicavalenti: I dunno, I'd say men individually & systemically trying to erase and demean women's achievements is a “real divide” to at least half the population https://twitter.com/...
Dr Naomi Wolf / @naomirwolf: Author tragically conflating honorary with earned doctorates. The fact that Dr Biden earned her title at 55 is even more impressive. Author didn't get a doctorate - how does he know how difficult it is to do so? Academic Twitter rightly on a rampage https://www.wsj.com/...
@rezaaslan: The admitted homophobe who wrote this trash for @wsj taught at Northwestern University for 30 years, even though he held only a bachelor's degree. No wonder he feels emasculated by Dr Biden. https://twitter.com/...
Dr. Stephanie J. Creary / @stephaniecreary: For the record, differentiating @WSJ and @WSJopinion in order to protect “real” journalism from the taint of that writer's misogynistic and elitist dribble is absurd. I'm a business school professor for goodness sakes. A room in the same house is burning.
Michelle Ye Hee Lee / @myhlee: Interesting history of the “Doctor” honorific here https://www.nytimes.com/... https://twitter.com/...
Stacey Burns / @wentrogue: When women began graduating from medical schools in the middle of the 19th century, they called themselves doctors. But newspapers and critics gave them a more dismissive title — doctoress. https://www.nytimes.com/...
Dr. Stephanie J. Creary / @stephaniecreary: I just sent the following email to @WSJ. “Thank you for inviting me to serve as a subject matter expert to answer audience questions in the Diversity+Business newsletter. At this time, I would like to withdraw my name and likeness from your newsletter....
Jon Cooper / @joncoopertweets: As a longtime reader of the Wall Street Journal, I'm terribly disappointed that they decided to publish this sexist piece of garbage. Do better, @WSJ. https://www.wsj.com/...
Tom Jones / Poynter: The Wall Street Journal's op-ed about Dr. Jill Biden — what were they thinking?
Lawrence O'Donnell / @lawrence: 97 yr old Henry Kissinger has been insisting on being called “Doctor Kissinger” for 66 years now & @WSJ has worshipfully complied. https://www.nytimes.com/...
@seyitaylor: I want to understand the editorial process for these opinion pieces. How does it work? Is it like Medium or Substack? Is there a dialog asking “ARE YOU SURE?!” Or is it more of a Twitter-style thing where you're screaming for the edit button? https://twitter.com/...
Aoibhinn N Shilleabhin / @aoibhinn_ni_s: This op ed in @WSJ is rightly getting a lot of negative backlash. To top it off the author clearly doesn't know that “Dr” shouldn't have a full stop. That's required only when abbreviation doesn't end in last letter of the word e.g “Prof.” Eejit = ej. = et #DrJillBiden https://twitter.com/...
Dr Khodosh / @drkhodosh: Mr. Joseph Epstein-Joey-baby. Please drop the pretense. Your op-Ed is nothing more than misogyny. Having both MD and PhD never stopped men like you from trying to belittle me. The outrage your words ignited gives me hope. A wise man once said: the Times They Are a-Changing. https://twitter.com/...
Dave Weigel / @daveweigel: @ArminRosen This is good trolling but I don't actually see any pressure, beyond a Biden spox saying the column was dumb. Seems like the internet mob is freelancing.
Andrew Solender / @andrewsolender: This is a real paragraph - written by Joseph Epstein - that was published in the Wall Street Journal https://www.wsj.com/... https://twitter.com/...
Ann Marie Lipinski / @amlwhere: This from a WSJ reporter. It's so often the case that those who shoulder the brunt of criticism for bad editorials or op-eds are the reporters, who spend way more time interacting with the public than anyone else at a newspaper. Imagine being asked to defend that piece. https://twitter.com/...
Kim Lisagor Bisheff / @kimlisagor: Crappy op-eds erode public trust in journalism. Stop it already. https://twitter.com/...
Valerie Jarrett / @valeriejarrett: It is disappointing that the @WSJ would give anyone an avenue to publish such misogynistic nonsense. The soon-to-be First Lady of the United States will be referred to by her name - Dr. Jill Biden. Get used to hearing it, kiddo. https://twitter.com/...
Jaime Harrison / @harrisonjaime: I understand now why some newspapers are having such a hard time financially... they are wasting money by employing Neanderthals on their editorial boards. Dr. Biden earned her PhD and the right to use the title Dr. @WSJ #DoBetter https://twitter.com/...
George Takei / @georgetakei: Why is the @WSJ publishing such drivel? No, Dr. Biden should not drop her title, because she has earned it. And Mr. Epstein—Joseph—Joey— boy: a bit of advice on what may seem like a small but I think not unimportant matter: Any chance you can STFU? https://twitter.com/...
Kurt Schlichter / @kurtschlichter: I like how we're somehow morally obligated to ignore convention in order to build up the ego of some ridiculous woman whose only achievement has been to marry a desiccated old weirdo. No. I won't. https://twitter.com/...
Scott G / @scott_garrod: @JoannaStern @WSJ @WSJopinion The Op-Ed section is designed to appeal to a certain demographic and the rest of the newspaper casts a wider net. Most readers understand that and it's all good. Don't get caught in the noise. Keep bringing us the best of you. It's why I subscribe.
Alma S. Adams / @repadams: I'm disappointed by the unvarnished sexism of the @WSJ op-ed that minimizes @DrBiden's academic accomplishments. I doubt a successful man with a doctorate and two masters degrees would be treated with the same level of condescension. Yours truly, Dr. Alma S. Adams
@rutiregan: @melissakorn @WSJ I'm sorry you're having to deal with that kind of misogyny at work. It's wrong, and I think that was the intended impact of that piece. Everyone who played a role in its publication ought to be ashamed of themselves.
Joanna Stern / @joannastern: Today feels like a good day to remind everyone who follows me of something: I work for @WSJ. I do not work for the @WSJopinion. Those are two different things and there's a strong wall between them.
Paul Wiggins / @paulwiggins: @JoannaStern @WSJ @WSJopinion I'm of the view opinion sections show more rigour when there is no such wall.
Joanne Lipman / @joannelipman: Agree. I spent 22 years at the @wsj and have never commented on an edit page piece til now. What's so alarming is the lack of judgment running the piece. This wasn't a misogynistic dog whistle; it was a bullhorn. How could editors not have seen that? Worse yet if they did. https://twitter.com/...
Raju Narisetti / @raju: Mr Epstein, 83, an essayist, author and former editor of The American Scholar, has advanced offensive views before. In a 1970 essay about homosexuality in @Harpers Magazine, he called gay people “cursed” and “an affront to our rationality.” https://www.nytimes.com/...? via @nytimes
Dr. Lora Burnett / @ldburnett: Nice article, but it would have been useful to talk to an expert in the history of higher education. The title “Dr.” was an indicator of expertise CENTURIES before MDs used it in the 19th century. @mlevenson, I can help you with some contacts in #highered. https://twitter.com/...
Bill Shea / @bill_shea19: I know the WSJ editorial pages cater to a conservative aristocracy but publishing dead-ender revanchist bigots and misogynistic rubbish at some point will be bad for business. https://twitter.com/...
Ming Long AM / @mingylong: Courtesy #JodieWhittaker @bbcdoctorwho #DrJillBiden should be #DrFLOTUS not just #FLOTUS https://twitter.com/... https://twitter.com/...
@jimhollo: All of the outrage is focused on Joseph Epstein an 83 year old misogynist, sexist, racist, jagoff but very little on the @WSJ and @WSJOpinion who allowed it to be printed. https://twitter.com/...
@viet_t_nguyen: Epstein “had taught at Northwestern University for 30 years, even though he held only a bachelor of arts degree from the University of Chicago.” It's called white male privilege. I've taught 23 years at a university. I had to have a PhD. https://www.nytimes.com/...
Anushay Hossain / @anushayhossain: A thousand percent https://twitter.com/...
Armin Rosen / @arminrosen: Wow. The president-elect is now pressuring a newspaper to remove an article critical of his wife. Quite an escalation... https://www.nytimes.com/...
Melissa Korn / @melissakorn: I cannot bring myself to include a link, because why give it more air? But that op-ed belittling Jill Biden, urging her to drop the Dr., mocking her research on community college, likening her degree to an honorary doctorate, is disgusting. 1/2
David Folkenflik / @davidfolkenflik: WSJ reporter covering higher Ed rips WSJ column mocking Jill Biden over academic pedigree and use of honorific “Dr.” for PhD. I don't recall Henry Kissinger getting cuffed by WSJ opinion writers for same. https://twitter.com/...
Brian Stelter / @brianstelter: WSJ reporter: “Pieces like that make it harder for me to do my job” https://twitter.com/...
Bobby Berk / @bobbyberk: Cannot believe that the @WSJ published this disrespectful and misogynistic “opinion” piece. They should be disgusted with themselves. https://twitter.com/...
Stefanie O'Connell Rodriguez / @stefanieoconnel: Today's @WSJ OpEd disparaging @DrBiden is exactly why I argue that woman don't have a ‘confidence gap’ so much as they face an ‘ambition penalty’ Our behavior is shaped by a lifetime of having our expertise dismissed and our successes devalued. https://twitter.com/...
Fareed Zakaria / @fareedzakaria: How come he never wrote this about “Dr. Kissinger”? https://twitter.com/...
RELATED:
Paul A. Gigot / Wall Street Journal:
Paul Gigot, WSJ editorial page editor, equates the Biden team's reaction to an op-ed on Jill Biden's use of “Dr.” to Trump's “enemy of the people” tweets — Its strategists promote an identity politics campaign against an op-ed on Jill Biden's use of ‘Dr.’
Discussion:
@drbiden, @womenatdj, @mdaware, @michaellarosadc, @aoscott, Breitbart, Los Angeles Times, New York Times, @chrisgeidner, @marcatracy, @chsommers, @wsjopinion, The Hill, @angie_rasmussen, NPR, @jessicavalenti, @ijbailey, @michele_norris, @katecbowler, @davmicrot, @gregggonsalves, @chrisgeidner, @samuelaadams, @ewong, @racheld, @racheld, @bgrueskin, @preetbharara, @highamian, @hmansoor, @forconversation, @womenatdj, @edbott, @gregggonsalves, @joyannreid, @varadmehta, @mikelupica, @jessicavalenti, @melaniesill, @amyargetsinger, @janineoflynn, @bobdavis187, @popehat, @dandrezner, Reason, @jeffreyasachs, @nktpnd, @davidgaffen, @dbarkin, @erictopol, @bobdavis187, @maggienyt, @jrubinblogger, @qhardy, @annecw, @marcambinder, @bartferris5, Fox News, @keitholbermann, Fortune, @digitalshields, @bgrueskin, @jessicavalenti, @superwuster, @kateaurthur, @digiphile, @ampallas, @gregggonsalves, @maggilista, @evadou, @gzgzgz____, @bgrueskin, @gregggonsalves, @mollyjongfast, @iamtimsteele, @digiphile, @jessicavalenti, @rasmus_kleis, @mcclainjulie, @carloslozadawp, @gregggonsalves, @patrickseitz, @bibliotecariarr, @drmassarweh, @laureennarro, @highamian, @katherinelewis, @beijingpalmer, @jbflint, @daniellarison, @franklinleonard, @clairesplan, @keitholbermann, Raw Story, @kt_so_it_goes, @vivian, @frankrichny, @brad_polumbo, @mknz, @helenkennedy, @everyvoicenc, @steveschmidtses, Mediaite and Washington Post
Discussion:
Dr. Jill Biden / @drbiden: Together, we will build a world where the accomplishments of our daughters will be celebrated, rather than diminished.
@womenatdj: We appreciate the need for reading different perspectives, but we're embarrassed that @wsjopinion published an op-ed this weekend that stooped to patronizing and denigrating her — and many other doctors' — many accomplishments. 2/2
Michael LaRosa / @michaellarosadc: .@jamestaranto, you and the @WSJ should be embarrassed to print the disgusting and sexist attack on @DrBiden running on the @WSJopinion page. If you had any respect for women at all you would remove this repugnant display of chauvinism from your paper and apologize to her.
Mary McNamara / Los Angeles Times: Column: Wall Street Journal, you ran a sexist essay on Jill Biden. Don't tell us to calm down
Chris Geidner / @chrisgeidner: Or maybe it was just because the piece was shit, Paul. https://www.nytimes.com/... https://twitter.com/...
Marc Tracy / @marcatracy: I wrote up WSJ opinion editor Paul Gigot's response to the responses to The Op-Ed. If past is prologue, the op-ed and/or his response could stir tensions with newsroom, which have occurred several times this year. https://www.nytimes.com/...
Christina Sommers / @chsommers: WSJ editor claps back: “These pages aren't going to stop publishing provocative essays merely because they offend the new administration or the political censors in the media and academe,” says editorial page editor Paul A. Gigot https://www.wsj.com/... via @WSJ
@wsjopinion: These pages aren't going to stop publishing provocative essays merely because they offend the new administration or the political censors in the media and academe, writes editorial page editor Paul A. Gigot https://www.wsj.com/...
Justine Coleman / The Hill: Wall Street Journal opinion editor defends op-ed on Jill Biden: She 'can't be off-limits'
Dr. Angela Rasmussen / @angie_rasmussen: How about you stop publishing “provocative” op/ed pieces when they are astonishingly stupid, misogynistic, irrelevant, out of touch with reality, irrational, illogical, facile to the point of insulting your readers, and fucking idiotic? https://twitter.com/...
Brakkton Booker / NPR: Biden Team Response To Controversial Op-Ed ‘Clearly A Political Strategy,’ Editor Says
Jessica Valenti / @jessicavalenti: If you're wondering why the @WSJ ran that misogynist piece about Dr. Jill Biden, lets take a closer look at James Taranto, the man in charge of op-eds. He's called efforts to stop military rape a “war on men” & “an effort to criminalize male sexuality” https://www.wsj.com/...
@ijbailey: Don't whine after you publish a provocative piece with some idiotic points and people respond passionately. You aren't a victim. You're a provocateur. https://twitter.com/...
Michele Norris / @michele_norris: @vivian And the problem — actually one problem with this — is that it will be considered a homerun become of all the clicks and attention.
Kate Bowler / @katecbowler: The @WSJ's horrifying op-ed on Dr. Jill Biden using her own title is a reminder that when women hold genuine authority, they are still reduced to “borrowed” credentials. She must only be a wife. We can be both ourselves and connected to others. Both experts and grateful to serve https://twitter.com/...
David Rothschild / @davmicrot: Victimhood of powerful, rich white men complaining about free market criticizing their attempts to cancel ... in this case, checks notes ... women (especially highly educated ones), is so pathetic, sad, infuriating. Especially when it comes from super-villain Murdoch Family. https://twitter.com/...
Gregg Gonsalves / @gregggonsalves: So to editor in chief @murraymatt, for all the great reporting @WSJ on many topics, your editorial page has become a haven for hate. You have the right to publish it; Joseph Epstein & Paul Gigot can find a home with you, but no one has to keep silent in the face of such trash. 5/
Chris Geidner / @chrisgeidner: Back to Paul. How bad of an opinion section editor is a person if they're pissed that ... people paid attention to the words published in their opinion section? https://twitter.com/...
Sam Adams / @samuelaadams: this is worse and more full of shit than the original op-ed, so ... congrats? https://twitter.com/... https://twitter.com/...
Edward Wong / @ewong: Respected journalists in @WSJ newsroom are sick of how the editorial pages and the top editor there, Paul Gigot, bring disgrace to the newspaper. They pushed back earlier against the @VP Pence op-ed boasting of Trump's pandemic efforts, which was full of falsehoods. https://twitter.com/...
Dodes / @racheld: Here's the @WSJ opinion editor Paul Gigot conflating criticism with censorship and comparing the Biden team's reaction to a sexist op-ed to Trump's attacks on the press as “the enemy of the people.” You don't need a PhD to see this thesis is indefensible. https://www.wsj.com/...
Dodes / @racheld: I feel for my former WSJ colleagues on the news side, who shouldn't have to be associated with this bullshit.
Bill Grueskin / @bgrueskin: Nothing about that editorial page is worse than I thought. https://twitter.com/...
Preet Bharara / @preetbharara: This is an overwrought and really dumb defense by Paul Gigot of an even dumber op Ed about Dr. Jill Biden by Joseph Epstein https://twitter.com/...
Ian Higham / @highamian: Again, Judith Martin and other etiquette experts have publicly stated opposition to social use of “Dr.” for PhDs. But they didn't do so by talking down to a prominent woman PhD. That's why @WSJ is indeed sexist.
Halima Mansoor / @hmansoor: @MonicaHesse taking a scalpel to @WSJ piece on @DrBiden makes for a great pre-Monday pep talk: I do doubt Epstein would have written this column about, say, Dr. Henry Kissinger. I do believe Epstein wouldn't have called him “kiddo.” https://www.washingtonpost.com/ ...
Barbara St Clair / @forconversation: @mediagazer @AmyArgetsinger Also said it was ok that he called her “Kiddo” because her husband, Joe calls her that sometimes. Well my husband has been known to call me “Baby.” Do we now expect to see that term when addressing a professional woman in WSJ as well?
@womenatdj: Dr. Jill Biden is an example for all women and men — an expert in her field, dedicated to improving education and career outcomes for Americans. 1/2
Ed Bott / @edbott: Congratulations, @jamestaranto. The gross and disgusting follow-up from your colleague at @WSJopinion was enough to persuade this longtime subscriber to unsubscribe for good. It's not “cancel culture,” by the way. It's capitalism. You of all people should know that. https://twitter.com/...
Gregg Gonsalves / @gregggonsalves: Paul Gigot and the @WSJopinion page are a bunch of cowards. A columnist writes a misogynistic, racist piece and they call it “cancel culture.” It wasn't @JoeBiden creating the uproar is was ordinary Americans who were disgusted by the newspaper. 1/
Varad Mehta / @varadmehta: Exactly the right response. https://twitter.com/...
Jessica Valenti / @jessicavalenti: All of which is to say: Who leads publications is fucking important! If we continue to give misogynists power over some of the most influential column inches in the country, we can't be surprised when they, in turn, elevate other bigots.
Melanie Sill / @melaniesill: Note to self: Re-cancel @WSJ subscription, not just because of the op-ed but mostly because of Gigot's response to criticism and the overall poor leadership of what used to be a great opinion shop, whether you shared their views or not https://twitter.com/...
Amy Argetsinger / @amyargetsinger: @mediagazer Also concludes that “If you disagree with Mr. Epstein, fair enough. Write a letter or shout your objections on Twitter.” But.... that's exactly what happened, and he's mad about it.
Prof Janine O'Flynn / @janineoflynn: This. That WSJ article was truly nasty. Perspective | The Wall Street Journal column about Jill Biden is worse than you thought https://www.washingtonpost.com/ ...
Bob Davis / @bobdavis187: WSJ edit page editor @WSJopinion doubles down on op-ed on Jill Biden. Claims the criticism is the work of the Biden camp playing the gender card instead of commentary on an insulting opinion piece that was so dumb it could be read as parody. https://www.wsj.com/...
AlternativeGroupOfHats / @popehat: “Criticism is censorship” trope spotted from utterly predictable source. https://twitter.com/...
Daniel W. Drezner / @dandrezner: Is... is Paul Gigot arguing that since Joe Biden has called his wife “kiddo” then everyone, including Joseph Epstein, gets to do so? https://www.wsj.com/... https://twitter.com/...
Eugene Volokh / Reason: Who Should Be Called Dr.? Probably Not Jill Biden, Just as Lawyers Like Me Aren't
Jeffrey Sachs / @jeffreyasachs: “When we published a purposefully obnoxious piece, we never imagined anyone would exploit our obnoxiousness to win sympathy. That's not how the WSJ editorial page is supposed to work.” https://www.wsj.com/...
Ankit Panda / @nktpnd: And once again: my thoughts are with the hard-working reporters on the news side of the WSJ, who deserve far better from their opinion colleagues https://www.wsj.com/... https://twitter.com/...
Dan Barkin / @dbarkin: Paul Gigot ran a misogynistic op-ed column and now he is playing the victim because people - including the WSJ higher ed reporter - pointed out obvious flaws. It was a mistake to run it. It was way below WSJ standards. The right thing would be to own up https://www.nytimes.com/...
Eric Topol / @erictopol: So what does the WSJ do after it published a misogynistic, egregious oped? It doubles down, and politicizes it, and says “The outrage is overwrought because, whether you agree or disagree, Mr. Epstein's piece was fair comment.” https://www.wsj.com/... https://twitter.com/...
Bob Davis / @bobdavis187: @BGrueskin What makes it even more rich is that @WSJopinion constantly complains about media elitism when it comes to portrayal of conservative. Then it runs this ridiculously condescending op-Ed about Jill Biden.
Maggie Haberman / @maggienyt: One reason the president assumes everything is coordinated against him is because he and his advisers often coordinate criticism of/political attacks on others. Weirder seeing it on the op-ed page of the WSJ. https://twitter.com/...
@jrubinblogger: what a canard and a crybaby. no one is silencing him or Epstein. He owes women an apology and frankly has turned his editorial page into a joke. https://www.nytimes.com/...
Quentin Hardy / @qhardy: @vivian In 2000, Gigot wrote and talked on TV about the “Brooks Brothers Protest” over the Florida recount. He called it a “bourgeois riot,” abetting Roger Stone's stunt. He knew what it really was, and played along. Draw your own conclusions.
Anne Ward / @annecw: Pushing back against misogyny is viewed by Paul Gigot, WJS opinion editor, as “playing the race or gender card.” It's okay to demean women in @WJS op-ed pages but don't you dare speak out against it, in his view. No thanks. https://twitter.com/...
Marc Ambinder / @marcambinder: I would not want everyone to be able to call my husband what I get to call him. :-) https://twitter.com/...
Heather Ferris / @bartferris5: @mediagazer @AmyArgetsinger There was not a “coordinated response.” We all read it at the same time...and he sounded like a misogynistic a*$hole.
Brian Flood / Fox News: Wall Street Journal editor defends paper amid liberal backlash for urging Jill Biden to ditch ‘doctor’ title
Keith Olbermann / @keitholbermann: Naturally the @WSJ and @WSJopinion are the first lemmings off the reality cliff. They can't be WRONG or STUPID, so a wave of people telling them they are, must be a COORDINATED PLOT (probably involving Hugo Chavez and Lenin and Lennon) Fire this buffoon: https://twitter.com/...
Emma Hinchliffe / Fortune: Will there be a Dr. in the White House? Absolutely
Mike Shields / @digitalshields: I'm fine if we're being sticklers for titles. If so, Paul Gigot is a Dick
Bill Grueskin / @bgrueskin: Also, anyone who dares to criticize the WSJ edit page is a “political censor”??? Gigot: “these pages aren't going to stop publishing provocative essays merely because they offend the new administration or the political censors in the media and academe.”
Jessica Valenti / @jessicavalenti: Taranto has called feminism a “totalitarianism mindset” and said “the nastiness of contemporary feminism is an indication of its intellectual weakness.” He's also bemoaned that “women can have sex without the fear of pregnancy, just like men can.” (?!) https://www.huffpost.com/...
Tim Wu / @superwuster: No one needed to orchestrate a campaign to condemn that Jill Biden honorific piece written in the style of the 1880s — a piece like that organizes its own orchestra of contempt https://www.nytimes.com/...
Kate Aurthur / @kateaurthur: Among other things, Paul Gigot has never heard of a viral ratio on a Saturday — and instead sees a coordinated campaign! How embarrassing! https://www.nytimes.com/... https://twitter.com/...
Alex Howard / @digiphile: The @WSJ is one of the world's great papers. Its journalism is trusted around the globe & across ideological spectra: https://reutersinstitute.politics.ox.ac .uk/ ... Lax standards in op-ed section have damaged brand, & make it harder for superb journalists to work. Past time to reboot, @almarlatour. https://twitter.com/...
Aaron Pallas / @ampallas: WSJ Opinion Page editor Paul Gigot should acknowledge that much of Joseph Epstein's screed about Dr. Jill Biden reproduces a column Epstein wrote for the Weekly Standard in 2008. Tired editing of a tired argument. https://www.wsj.com/... via @WSJ
Gregg Gonsalves / @gregggonsalves: Joseph Epstein has done it before, trashing gay people, making racist comments—it's his metier, his favored form, to speak out for all aggrieved straight, white men who never have enough. 4/
Maggie Farley / @maggilista: @WSJopinion If you're going to provoke a debate, engage in the debate — and don't dismiss it as a political backlash. Thousands of people are making persuasive arguments why Epstein's article — and Paul Gigot— are hopelessly out of step. https://www.wsj.com/...
Eva Dou / @evadou: Am incredulous that WSJ is doubling down on defending the sexist op-ed. Editorial page editor Paul A. Gigot writing, “The outrage is overwrought” & attributes the blowback to politically motivated attacks https://www.wsj.com/...
@gzgzgz____: @JeffreyASachs the possibility that no one at the WSJ saw the sympathy alley-oop coming is laughable. if it's that upsetting, consider keeping a journal on lieu of, you know, publishing in a major media outlet.
Bill Grueskin / @bgrueskin: “The outrage is overwrought,” claims Paul Gigot, about the storm over the Dr. Biden op-ed, while also claiming this outrage is a nefarious plot by the Biden administration https://www.wsj.com/...
Gregg Gonsalves / @gregggonsalves: The @WSJopinion can spit on the rest of us, but the right to free speech doesn't give you the right to remain unchallenged. If you can't take the heat that comes with platforming sexist, racist homophobes like Epstein, then get out of the 1950s kitchen of ideas you represent. 6/
Molly Jong-Fast / @mollyjongfast: Wow, that's not much of an apology to Jill Biden. It's almost as if they don't think their misogyny is misogynistic https://twitter.com/...
Tim / @iamtimsteele: @WSJ doubles down on misogyny which Paul Gigot sees as a “relatively minor issue.” He doesn't live up to the generally high standards of the Wall Street Journal and it's time he was shown to the door.
Alex Howard / @digiphile: @WSJ @almarlatour If poorly edited & fact-checked op-ed sections undermine the editorial integrity of the hard news people pay for, publishers need to either put in new editors, or spin out sections into new brands. Opinions are cheap, & in abundance. Knowledge & expertise are expensive & scarce.
Jessica Valenti / @jessicavalenti: Taranto has also likened rape to drunk driving and said women “are absolved of responsibility [of rape] by virtue of having consumed alcohol.” https://www.wsj.com/...
Rasmus Kleis Nielsen / @rasmus_kleis: Ludicrously thin-skinned description of criticism, and playing the victim: “These pages aren't going to stop publishing provocative essays merely because they offend the new administration or the political censors in the media and academe” Paul Gigot says https://www.nytimes.com/...
Julie McClain Downey / @mcclainjulie: Erasing women's accomplishments is not new. But the @WSJopinion should be able to spot clear sexism and refuse to give it a platform by now. https://twitter.com/...
Carlos Lozada / @carloslozadawp: WSJ opinion editor says Jill Biden is “taking a leading role in education policy. She can't be off-limits for commentary.” Then explore her actual views on education. Read her dissertation instead of mocking it. Many smarter options for an oped page here. https://www.nytimes.com/...
Gregg Gonsalves / @gregggonsalves: Oh and yeah, the @WSJ is gonna get “cancelled.” Give me a fucking break. The paper's been around for years and its op-ed page writes from a position of power, never risking getting “cancelled,” by anyone. 2/
Patrick Seitz / @patrickseitz: Jill Biden is an intelligent, accomplished woman. But she is no doctor. I'll stand with AP Style. https://twitter.com/...
@bibliotecariarr: Indeed — much to @WSJopinion & Paul Gigot's chagrin, we “kiddos” have enough agency to speak for ourselves, thank you very much. I know, I know it's hard to believe educated women don't need to rounded up, campaign style and told what to think, and how to say it, concert. https://twitter.com/...
Suleiman Alfred Massarweh / @drmassarweh: Mr. Paul A. Gigot needs to be removed from his @WSJ @WSJopinion role. There is no place in the 21st century for these prehistoric views that denigrate hard earned achievements because they don't meet your stale assessment. https://www.wsj.com/...
Laureen Lazarovici / @laureennarro: @melaniesill @andyfurillo @WSJ I did not realize Paul Gigot was still ... around 🦖🦕
Ian Higham / @highamian: The framing here doubles down on the disgusting sexism by calling the rebuttal of sexism “identity politics”. @WSJ is gross. https://www.wsj.com/...
Katherine X Lewis / @katherinelewis: Please listen to the women in your newsroom, @WSJ Paul Gigot. It's disrespectful and reductive to paint all opposition to your (wrong) position as politically motivated. Methinks a few of the @WomenatDJ are Republicans. Reread that awful editorial & apologize. (Kiddo? Really?) https://twitter.com/...
James Palmer / @beijingpalmer: what an absolute disgrace. just insultingly bad. https://twitter.com/...
Joe Flint / @jbflint: First: Write incendiary piece aimed to antagonize and anger. Then when the piece has desired effect, double down and write another piece claiming the outrage is example aggrieved party throwing their weight around and punching down in effort to silence dissension.
Daniel Larison / @daniellarison: What a joke. They run a garbage op-ed and then whine when people call them on it https://www.wsj.com/...
Franklin Leonard / @franklinleonard: The @WSJ and its editorial features director @jamestaranto are really out here acting like an editorial chastising a woman for using an earned honorific isn't literally “identity politics” in the first place. https://twitter.com/...
Claire Splan / @clairesplan: @marcatracy The problem is Paul Gigot equates conservative outrage and bitchiness with provocative commentary.
Keith Olbermann / @keitholbermann: Dear @WSJopinion stop the paranoia (Democrats? Coordinated response? I WISH). But most of all, stop digging https://twitter.com/...
Tom Boggioni / Raw Story: WSJ is acting like a ‘gutter internet publication’ in effort to smear Dr. Jill Biden and prop up Trump: Morning Joe
Vivian Schiller / @vivian: Shorter Paul Gigot: “You Ladies Really Need to Calm Down” https://www.nytimes.com/...
Frank Rich / @frankrichny: This guy was on board for the smearing of Anita Hill. The silence of @Peggynoonannyc about the misogyny and homophobia of her employer is predictable and deafening. via @NYTimes https://www.nytimes.com/...
@brad_polumbo: Good for the WSJ editorial staff for telling the outrage mob to piss off. I didn't agree with/like the Op-Ed but that's the point of pro active commentary & the reaction is absurd. You simply cannot bow to the mob. Ever. https://www.wsj.com/...
Neil Mackenzie / @mknz: Paul Gigot, @wsjopinion editor, goes balls-out in support of Joseph Epstein in an op-ed which befouls the @WSJ and the many fine journalists who work for it. This preening fool has already torched the op-ed pages. He needs to be fired before he burns the @wsj to the ground https://twitter.com/...
Helen Kennedy / @helenkennedy: “he said criticizing Mr. Epstein's use of “kiddo” to refer to Dr. Biden was misplaced, since Mr. Biden has also used the term in reference to his wife.” 🙄 https://twitter.com/...
Aylett Colston / @everyvoicenc: @chrisgeidner If they had read even half of the criticism, they would know much of the reaction wasn't about Jill Biden per se. It was really about every woman who has ever had a job & had a man like him intentionally demean her skills, experience, & education.
Steve Schmidt / @steveschmidtses: So their position seems to be that the soon to be First Lady, our first with a Ph.d shouldn't be called Dr. but Fox should be called news. Got it. Makes sense. https://twitter.com/...
Meg James / Los Angeles Times:
LAT Executive Editor Norman Pearlstine, who announced in October that he planned to retire, steps down, as a search for his replacement continues — The Los Angeles Times' leadership transition has accelerated with the departure of Norman Pearlstine, who served as executive editor for two and a half years.
Discussion:
New York Times, @sulliview, @davidfolkenflik, @davidfolkenflik, @marcatracy, @sewellchan, @davidfolkenflik, @brianstelter and @davidfolkenflik
Discussion:
Katie Robertson / New York Times: Norman Pearlstine, Top Editor of Los Angeles Times, Takes Adviser Role
Margaret Sullivan / @sulliview: Way back in June, @davidfolkenflik's reporting on the troubles at @latimes, below. After months of turmoil, top editor Pearlstine is out Rancor Erupts In ‘LA Times’ Newsroom Over Race, Equity And Protest Coverage https://www.npr.org/...
David Folkenflik / @davidfolkenflik: For now, LAT newsroom will be led by @LATimeskraft and @kyoshino and the opinion section by @sewellchan- both reporting to Patrick Soon-Shiong Search for permanent executive editor ongoing. (deleted earlier tweet to provide greater clarity.)
David Folkenflik / @davidfolkenflik: The LAT newsroom will be led by @LATimeskraft and @kyoshino and the opinion section by @sewellchan - both reporting to Patrick Soon-Shiong
Marc Tracy / @marcatracy: “There are several people on staff who are ready to succeed me and several talented editors from elsewhere have also asked to be considered.” https://www.latimes.com/...
Sewell Chan / @sewellchan: .@NPearlstine has been the best boss, advocate and mentor that a journalist could work for. He's a legend, for good reason. I'll always be grateful for our time together at @latimes. https://www.latimes.com/...
David Folkenflik / @davidfolkenflik: My earlier story on how the reckoning on race at LAT confronted Pearlstine - who had embarked on hiring spree that didn't address past racial imbalance in staffing. As of summer 2020, just one metro reporter out of 80+ was African-American. https://www.npr.org/...
Brian Stelter / @brianstelter: Norm Pearlstine is out as @LATimes exec editor, effective immediately. Owner Patrick Soon-Shiong says Scott Kraft and Kimi Yoshino “will now be responsible for the day-to-day operation of the newsroom, reporting to me.” https://www.latimes.com/...
David Folkenflik / @davidfolkenflik: NEWS: LA Times Executive Editor Norm Pearlstine steps down, will advise owners Patrick and Michele Soon-Shiong, per internal memos obtained by NPR. A giant of journalism, he led LAT's return to funded eminence but lost newsroom support during BLM protests & ethical debates
Ben Smith / New York Times:
Sources: Apple TV+ was making Scraper, a show about Gawker Media, with several episodes written, then Tim Cook sent an email about it and the project was killed — Big tech companies now exert huge influence over what stories get told. The message is clear: Be careful who you offend.
Discussion:
@chr1sa, @benyt, Mediaite, @hshaban, Understandably, @ihnatko, @tianathefirst, @katienotopoulos, @jeffjarvis, @stevekovach, @thetomzone, @megreenwell, @k_trendacosta, @neilcybart, @tomscocca, Business Insider, @bfishbfish, @jonbernhardt, @bobbyallyn, @pkafka, @chinauncensored, @annehelen, @ewong, @timmarchman, Dirt, @weareyourfek, @ahmed, @vinncent, @neilcybart, @dandrezner, @anandwrites, The Desk, @kentremendous, Newser, @moryan, @sorayamcdonald, @normeisen, @aljwhite, Engadget, @nickbaumann, @edzitron, @marcorubio, @zacharylipton, @dhh, @donie, Protocol, @megancgraham, @yashar, @walthickey, @katherinemiller, @brandonetc, @ashleyfeinberg, @dangillmor, @shiraovide, @sarthakgh, Context is King, @benyt and The Wrap
Discussion:
Chris Anderson / @chr1sa: Gawker was 20% pioneering new media and 80% toxic gossip, class warfare, clickbait and gross public shaming of people who didn't rise to the level of public figure I hugely admire Nick Denton, but everyone who worked for Gawker is tainted by its history. Glad that Apple did this https://twitter.com/...
Ben Smith / @benyt: Apple TV Was Making a Show About Gawker. Then Tim Cook Found Out. https://www.nytimes.com/...
Hamza Shaban / @hshaban: “...Gawker is revealing another reality in this era of media consolidation: that the chief executive of one of the biggest companies in the world, who testifies before Congress and negotiates with China, also decides what television shows get made.” https://www.nytimes.com/...
Bill Murphy Jr / Understandably: Hee-haw and Merry Christmas
Andy Ihnatko / @ihnatko: A corporate overlord meddling in creative decisions at a studio it owns isn't a new thing in the entertainment biz. Still, not a good look for Apple...particularly given how the company chooses to brand itself. . https://www.nytimes.com/...
Tiana Lowe / @tianathefirst: I have zero problem with this. Most Hollywood studios wouldn't green light a pro-life film, and unlike user-based content platforms, we don't expect viewpoint neutrality from corporate content production. Why should Cook propagandize the homophobes who outed him? https://twitter.com/...
Katie Notopoulos / @katienotopoulos: Hmmm I've had a little think about this and come to a firm conclusion: this sucks https://www.nytimes.com/...
Jeff Jarvis / @jeffjarvis: Uh, like The New York Times decides what stories to cover? https://twitter.com/...
Steve Kovach / @stevekovach: Name a major studio that doesn't have this unwritten policy on content w/r/t how China is portrayed. https://www.nytimes.com/... https://twitter.com/...
@thetomzone: fwiw I think it's extremely funny that Tim Cook is killing his own streaming service by shutting down anything he considers a spicy meataball https://www.nytimes.com/...
Megan Greenwell / @megreenwell: brb, tapping @cordjefferson's phone just because i'm so curious to hear all the calls from network execs tomorrow. https://www.nytimes.com/...
Katharine Trendacosta / @k_trendacosta: Tell me more, Hollywood, about how you and Big Tech are not the same—thin-skinned, monopolistic, and exploitative https://www.nytimes.com/...
Neil Cybart / @neilcybart: So we are going do a round two of “Tim Cook and Eddy Cue don't want naughty / violent / unmentionable things on Apple TV+”? Sigh. These rumors were wrong the first time, as seen by Apple TV+ content, and I suspect they are wrong yet again.
Tom Scocca / @tomscocca: Ease your feelings, man, turns out your side won the class warfare https://twitter.com/...
Kate Duffy / Business Insider: An Apple TV Plus series about Gawker Media was axed after Tim Cook found out about it
Rebecca Fishbein / @bfishbfish: Apple TV killing the Gawker show (allegedly) because Tim Cook personally hates Gawker is bad news for the future of television, but this is quite a detail https://www.nytimes.com/... https://twitter.com/...
Nathan Bernhardt / @jonbernhardt: if nick denton was the only person at gawker you respected, it explains why class warfare is where it is in this tweet https://twitter.com/...
Bobby Allyn / @bobbyallyn: For running the most valuable company in the world, Tim Cook portrayals usually don't go deeper than casting him as calm and collected. But @benyt reveals an out of sight Machiavellian side. https://twitter.com/...
Peter Kafka / @pkafka: Everyone inside Apple swears Tim Cook doesn't get involved in its TV programming. Everyone outside Apple says that's not true. https://twitter.com/...
China Uncensored / @chinauncensored: “Eddy Cue, Apple's senior vice president for internet software and services...told partners that “the two things we will never do are hard-core nudity and China,” one creative figure who has worked with Apple told me.” https://www.nytimes.com/...
Anne Helen Petersen / @annehelen: This is the problem with massive media consolidation: MGM would've never made a movie shitting on MGM, but MGM wasn't also the most powerful tech company in the world https://twitter.com/...
Edward Wong / @ewong: For anyone looking at China issues, the lines in @benyt story are notable. Also, unrelated: a writer mentioned here, @cordjefferson, an ex-Gawker reporter, co-wrote one of the all-time best hours of TV: episode 6 of Watchmen, on Hooded Justice. Black Americans and the law. https://twitter.com/...
Tim Marchman / @timmarchman: I worked there, but Gawker's racism against Founder-Americans is nothing that should be whitewashed away. https://twitter.com/...
Foster Kamer / @weareyourfek: An unreal (but not at all surprising) story. Powerful people are still settling scores with Gawker years later. https://twitter.com/...
Ahmed Al Omran / @ahmed: Apple senior executive told told partners working on shows for the company's streaming service that “the two things we will never do are hard-core nudity and China.” https://www.nytimes.com/...
Vincent Bevins / @vinncent: A good @benyt story on - I will use stronger language than he did - our new tech oligarchs and the way they shape our culture to suit their interests https://www.nytimes.com/...
Neil Cybart / @neilcybart: There are often various reasons behind a TV show in production getting canned, altered, etc. Such decisions will cause some people involved in that show to be very angry, blame others, and seek revenge. Something to keep in mind when you read about these “scoops.”
Daniel W. Drezner / @dandrezner: The highest compliment I can pay @benyt is that when his columns are just asking questions, they're asking really good ones. https://www.nytimes.com/...
Anand Giridharadas / @anandwrites: What if the hard-core nudity is in China? Does it cancel out? https://twitter.com/...
Matthew Keys / The Desk: Apple kills show based on Gawker exploits - Apple's chief executive Tim Cook put the brakes on a series focused on Gawker's exploits. The two companies have a strenuous history.
Ken Tremendous / @kentremendous: This sounds like a very good subject for a TV show. https://twitter.com/...
Mo Ryan / @moryan: I think it's worth noting that one of the key creatives on this project was a Black man, Cord Jefferson. It is still rare for Black folks to be the key creative leaders on big Hollywood projects. And Apple kicked this one to the curb without a qualm, it seems. https://twitter.com/...
Norm Eisen / @normeisen: It's as if William Randolph Hearst had succeeded in killing Citizen Kane. Apple TV Was Making a Show About Gawker. Then Tim Cook Found Out. - The New York Times https://www.nytimes.com/...
Alan White / @aljwhite: Say what you like about the BBC - this doesn't happen. https://twitter.com/...
Nick Baumann / @nickbaumann: “The chief executive of one of the biggest companies in the world, who testifies before Congress and negotiates with China, also decides what television shows get made.” https://www.nytimes.com/...
Ed Zitron / @edzitron: Steve Jobs smashing his way out of his coffin groaning “must...destroy....Jason....Chen....” https://twitter.com/...
Marco Rubio / @marcorubio: More proof that many of our “woke” corporate elites are completely under #China's control. https://www.nytimes.com/...
Zachary Lipton / @zacharylipton: While you're smarting over the realization that corporate behemoths can't be stewards of ethics, turns out (surprise!) you can't trust them w free expression either. If you plan to make a TV show, better not offend 1 of the 4 ppl that control *everything* https://www.nytimes.com/...
@dhh: Who could have foreseen that the conglomerate making your phone, your set-top box, your watch, your speakers, your credit card, your fitness plan, as well as distributing your news, music, and movies might not be the ideal producer of your TV shows! https://www.nytimes.com/...
Donie O'Sullivan / @donie: Can't believe a company that uses cheap labor to make $300 headphones (that we all buy) would do this. https://www.nytimes.com/...
David Pierce / Protocol: The future looks like TikTok
Meg Graham / @megancgraham: Apple TV was making a show about Gawker. Then Tim Cook found out.... “Apple proceeded to kill the project. And now, the show is back on the market and the executive who brought it in, Layne Eskridge, has left the company.” Via @benyt https://www.nytimes.com/...
Yashar Ali / @yashar: Apple TV Was Making a Show About Gawker. Then Tim Cook Found Out. Big tech companies now exert huge influence over what stories get told. The message is clear: Be careful who you offend. @benyt reports https://www.nytimes.com/...
Walter Hickey / @walthickey: explains why everything on Apple TV seems milquetoast af https://www.nytimes.com/...
Katherine Miller / @katherinemiller: “And then, there are the phones: A person involved in another recent Apple show recalled instructions to avoid a scene in which a phone would be damaged.” https://www.nytimes.com/...
Brandon Carter / @brandonetc: the idea that CEOs of massive corporations were involving themselves in content production decisions and issuing mandates not to say anything bad about China is...the exact reason why Gawker was good and necessary https://www.nytimes.com/...
Ashley Feinberg / @ashleyfeinberg: Shouldn't he have other shit to do https://www.nytimes.com/...
Dan Gillmor / @dangillmor: Terrific column this week by @benyt on how Tim Cook vetoed Apple TV show about Gawker, which for years did more to puncture Silicon Valley's bubble of arrogance than any other media outlet. https://www.nytimes.com/...
Shira Ovide / @shiraovide: In addition to the stories here, my favorite Gawker reporting on Apple were the incessant stories of a (then healthy) Steve Jobs consistently and with impunity using parking spaces designated for people with disabilities. https://gawker.com/5506526 https://twitter.com/...
Sar Haribhakti / @sarthakgh: “Eddy Cue, Apple's senior vice president for internet software and services, who has been at the company since 1989, has told partners that “the two things we will never do are hard-core nudity and China.” https://twitter.com/...
Ashkan Karbasfrooshan / Context is King: We Let Straight Men Do It All The Time — We are living in the most fascinating of times …
Brett Samuels / The Hill:
Voting machine company Smartmatic issued legal notices to Fox News, Newsmax, and OANN, demanding retraction of claims that its machines flipped votes to Biden — Florida-based electronic voting system company Smartmatic on Monday demanded three conservative media outlets retract their claims …
Discussion:
Smartmatic.com, @benyt, CNN, Axios, The Wrap, Fortune, @jayshams, @slpng_giants, @oliverdarcy, @kimmasters, @jamessurowiecki, @willsommer, Mediaite, @fpwellman, @mmasnick, @brianstelter, @oliverdarcy, @ewerickson, @brendannyhan, @oneunderscore__, @benyt, @jaketapper and Law & Crime
Discussion:
Oliver Darcy / CNN: Voting technology company sends legal notices to Fox News and other right-wing media outlets over ‘disinformation campaign’
Fadel Allassan / Axios: Voting machine company Smartmatic demands retraction from conservative news outlets
Lindsey Ellefson / The Wrap: Voting Machine Maker Smartmatic Demands Retractions From Fox News, Newsmax and OAN Over ‘Disinformation Campaign’
Jacob Shamsian / @jayshams: SCOOP: I got a copy of the letter voting technology company Smartmatic sent to Fox News, demanding retractions for election conspiracy theories. It accuses Fox of “a concerted disinformation campaign” that's led to death threats against its employees. https://www.businessinsider.com/ ...
@slpng_giants: This is likely only the beginning for outlets like Fox, Newsmax and OAN. When it comes to COVID disinformation, they have very likely caused real death as a result of their misinformation. Wait until those lawsuits start piling up. https://twitter.com/...
Oliver Darcy / @oliverdarcy: “ these organizations could have easily discovered the falsity of the statements and implications made about Smartmatic by investigating their statements before publishing them to millions of viewers and readers” https://twitter.com/...
Kim Masters / @kimmasters: A lawsuit against @FoxNews, @newsmax and @OANN. Hope the damages are huge. https://twitter.com/...
James Surowiecki / @jamessurowiecki: The sheer amount of attention that's been paid to Smartmatic is a good measure of how nutty the post-election season has been, given that the only place in America it provided services to this year was Los Angeles County. https://twitter.com/...
Will Sommer / @willsommer: Between this and Dominion's earlier retraction demand, it looks like some big defamation cases are on the horizon. It's hard to see either a Republican official ever signing another contract with Dominion or Smartmatic, for one thing. https://twitter.com/...
Aidan McLaughlin / Mediaite: Smartmatic Demands Fox News Retract ‘False and Defamatory’ Election Conspiracies Pushed By Bartiromo, Dobbs, Giuliani, Powell
Mike Masnick / @mmasnick: Nearly all defamation cases are vexatious, nuisance lawsuits designed to suppress. This one, however, may have real legs https://twitter.com/...
Brian Stelter / @brianstelter: Election tech company Smartmatic “announced today that it is issuing legal notices and retraction demand letters to Fox News, Newsmax and One America News Network for publishing false and defamatory statements...” https://www.smartmatic.com/...
Oliver Darcy / @oliverdarcy: The legal notice to Fox News said the network participated in a “disinformation campaign” and “would have easily discovered the falsity of the statements and implications being made about Smartmatic by performing even a modicum of investigation.” https://www.cnn.com/...
Erick Erickson / @ewerickson: I expect Dominion to do the same shortly. https://www.smartmatic.com/...
Brendan Nyhan / @brendannyhan: Discovery is going to be lit https://twitter.com/...
Ben Collins / @oneunderscore__: I was wondering when these voting machine companies and conspiracy theory targets were going to fight back against Fox News, OAN and Newsmax. Now they're announcing legal action. https://twitter.com/...
Ben Smith / @benyt: Often in defamation lawsuits, the challenge is showing monetary damages; that may be easier here. https://twitter.com/...
Lauren Feiner / CNBC:
FTC orders Amazon, ByteDance, Facebook, Snap, YouTube, and others to share info on how they collect and use personal data, including how they measure engagement — - The Federal Trade Commission is requiring nine tech companies to share information about how they collect and use data from their users, the agency announced Monday.
Discussion:
Federal Trade Commission, Axios, TechCrunch, nexttv.com, @b_fung, The Verge, The Wrap, @justinbrookman, Ad Age, ABC News, Hollywood Reporter, @mikeelgan, @karissabe, The Week, New York Post and Engadget, more at Techmeme »
Discussion:
Federal Trade Commission: FTC Issues Orders to Nine Social Media and Video Streaming Services Seeking Data About How They Collect, Use, and Present Information
Taylor Hatmaker / TechCrunch: FTC orders ByteDance, Facebook, Snap and others to explain what they do with user data
John Eggerton / nexttv.com: FTC Investigating Video Streamer, Social Media Data Practices
Brian Fung / @b_fung: The FTC is kicking off a fresh study of how online platforms handle consumer data — sending letters requesting info from Amazon, Facebook, Twitter, TikTok and YouTube, as well as apps like Discord, Snap and Reddit: https://www.ftc.gov/...
Makena Kelly / The Verge: The FTC is investigating data collection at YouTube, Facebook, and seven other companies
Sean Burch / The Wrap: FTC Orders Facebook, YouTube to Share Details on How They Collect and Use User Data
Justin Brookman / @justinbrookman: I am sometimes skeptical if 6(b) studies are the best use of FTC resources — final reports are deidentified and by their nature aren't designed to directly lead to change. But given the importance of these issues and power these companies have, this seems like a solid project. https://twitter.com/...
Catherine Thorbecke / ABC News: FTC seeks data collection information from Amazon, Facebook, TikTok and more
Alex Weprin / Hollywood Reporter: FTC Launches Investigation Into Privacy and Data Collection of Streaming Video, Social Giants
Mike Elgan / @mikeelgan: This is great news. Amazon never tells anyone what they do with user data. https://www.ftc.gov/... https://twitter.com/...
Karissa Bell / @karissabe: FTC is demanding Snap, Reddit, Twitter, Facebook/WhatsApp, YouTube, TikTok and Discord answer questions about ad targeting, algorithms, tracking and “how their practices affect children and teens” https://www.ftc.gov/...
Brendan Morrow / The Week: FTC orders Facebook, Amazon, and more to provide data on their use of personal information
Alexandra Steigrad / New York Post: FTC investigating privacy and data collection at top tech giants
Benjamin Mullin / Wall Street Journal:
Sources: Jeff Zucker was recently made aware of investor interest in taking CNN private, as WarnerMedia is in talks with Zucker on whether to renew his contract — A month after the election, CNN holds leads in key ratings categories; President Jeff Zucker made aware of investor interest in network
Discussion:
Vanity Fair, @jason_kint, The Desk, @alexsalvinews, @cgasparino, @wsj, @benmullin and @asharma
Discussion:
Tom Kludt / Vanity Fair: “Nobody Will Need MSNBC the Way They Needed It”: Can the Left's Favorite Network Break Through Post-Trump?
Jason Kint / @jason_kint: Parler has moved from #1 downloaded app to not in the top 500. Newsmax has averaged 88% lower viewership during prime time than Fox News. Both are at their peak. The future looks much like the past in terms of brands people turn. https://www.wsj.com/...
Matthew Keys / The Desk: Investors pitch CNN boss on prospect of separating news network from AT&T - The pitches come as AT&T is trying to negotiate a new contract with CNN head Jeff Zucker.
Alex Salvi / @alexsalvinews: CNN is riding a ratings high in the aftermath of the election. Whether the network boss who oversaw those gains will stick around is an open question. @BenMullin https://www.wsj.com/...
Charles Gasparino / @cgasparino: More on the possible sale of @CNN—"One scenario floated was a management buyout that would see Mr. Zucker lead the network under new ownership, some of the people said. Mr. Zucker has indicated that would-be suitors should contact AT&T." https://www.wsj.com/... via @WSJ
@wsj: CNN averaged more total-day viewers than Fox News since Election Day through Dec. 8, the first time in 19 years it has won such a long stretch in that category https://www.wsj.com/...
Upvoted:
Reddit announces it has acquired short-form video app and TikTok rival Dubsmash — Reddit is where passionate communities come together for authentic exchanges about the topics that matter to them. Video is increasingly core to how people want to connect, and as we continue to grow our community …
Discussion:
Wall Street Journal, TechCrunch, Menagerie, the Newsletter, @sizpatel, @jasoncosta, @reddit, @dubsmash, The Verge, The Financial Express, @scottnover, Fast Company, Engadget, @mikeisaac, Financial Times, @turnernovak, @saraheneedleman, @jhanlon, musically.com, Variety and New York Post, more at Techmeme »
Discussion:
Sarah E. Needleman / Wall Street Journal: Reddit Snaps Up Dubsmash to Expand in Fast-Growing Video App Market
Catherine Shu / TechCrunch: Reddit acquires Dubsmash
Vincent Lee / Menagerie, the Newsletter: Menagerie, Dec 14-15 — The Electoral College will have formally voted Joe Biden as the next President of the United States.
Sahil Patel / @sizpatel: Reddit's been trying to get users to upload videos natively to its site—instead of just posting YouTube embeds—for a couple of years. Buying Dubsmash helps accelerate those efforts. https://www.wsj.com/...
@reddit: Teamwork makes the dream work! We're thrilled to share our acquisition of video platform @Dubsmash. Reddit is where communities come together to discuss their favorite topics & video is an integral part of this discourse. Here's how we'll work together.👇 https://redditblog.com/...
@dubsmash: we are so excited to announce that we'll be joining forces with Reddit! ty to all our dubsmashers for being a part of this incredible journey. we're so honored to join a company whose focus is also building thriving communities. <3 https://twitter.com/...
Jon Porter / The Verge: Reddit buys TikTok rival Dubsmash
The Financial Express: Reddit buys Dubsmash bringing TikTok-style video creation tools to the platform
Scott Nover / @scottnover: New: @Reddit is buying @dubsmash, confirming @alexeheath and @Jessicalessin's reporting for @theinformation. By acquiring the TikTok-like app, the company is doubling down on video. https://redditblog.com/...
Michael Grothaus / Fast Company: Reddit is buying TikTok rival Dubsmash to bolster its video offerings
Steve Dent / Engadget: Reddit snaps up TikTok rival Dubsmash
Hannah Murphy / Financial Times: Reddit scoops up TikTok rival Dubsmash
Turner Novak / @turnernovak: Reddit acquires Dubsmash: - 25% of Black teens in US are on Dubsmash - 70% of users female - 30% of users login + create content daily - 1 billion video views per month Reddit had 1.4b monthly video views in Feb 2019, total videos posted up 2x in 2020 https://redditblog.com/...
Sarah E. Needleman / @saraheneedleman: “The transition to video will be bigger than the transition to mobile,” said Reddit Chief Executive and co-founder Steve Huffman. “We're still only at the beginning.” https://www.wsj.com/...
Jack Hanlon / @jhanlon: Welcome to the team @dubsmash! Can't wait to show everyone what we can do together https://redditblog.com/...
Todd Spangler / Variety: Reddit Buys Short-Form Video Platform Dubsmash, Its First Major Acquisition
Noah Manskar / New York Post: Reddit buys TikTok rival Dubsmash in video push
Sarah Perez / TechCrunch:
Facebook launches Collab, a TikTok-inspired music making app, on iOS in the US, after announcing a beta version in May — Collab, Facebook's experimental app for making collaborative music videos, is today launching out of private beta testing with a public release on the App Store.
Mark Glaser / Knight Foundation:
Nonprofit local news thrived in 2020, as INN membership rose by 25% to reach 300 news organizations, because of resilient business models, new funders, and more — As legacy media struggled during the pandemic, many nonprofit outlets shone, with NewsMatch as a catalyst for bringing in more donations
Chris Roush / Talking Biz News:
Paul Smalera, who was previously the founding editor of Medium's Marker, has been named EIC of The Business of Business, a new publication from Thinknum — Longtime business journalist Paul Smalera has been named editor in chief of The Business of Business, a new publication from Thinknum.
Margaret Sullivan / Washington Post:
Restoring the VOA after Trump's “wrecking ball” tactics won't be easy, but it's a key resource in the world's “information deserts” and is worth saving — When Sanford Ungar visited a small village in Bangladesh as the Voice of America director two decades ago …
Discussion:
Daniel Fried / @ambdanfried: The Biden Administration can save VOA, RFE, Radio Free Asia, and other pillars of US broadcasting from Trump Administration destruction. It's worth the effort. @jamiemfly @apolyakova @joshualipsky https://www.washingtonpost.com/ ...
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