Top News:
Jeremy Barr / Washington Post:
In a meeting with staff, AP execs said they made mistakes in Emily Wilder's firing and tried to reassure staffers that AP will protect them from threats online — The news service is facing criticism and internal dissent for terminating a junior staffer based on her social media activity.
Discussion:
@elaheizadi, @jeremymbarr, @jeremymbarr, Associated Press, PRESS RUN, @dannypage, @jessicahuseman, @amyalex63, @clintonyates, @petersterne, @juliareinstein, @clintonyates, @clintonyates, @tamerelg, @dancow, @karnythia, @soledadobrien, The Hill, @kimmasters, @felicitybarr, @samthielman, @amybwang, @jdawsey1, @kainazamaria, @jayrosen_nyu, @brooklynmarie, @scottgordonwi, @clintonyates, @clintonyates, Mediaite, @wesleylowery and @clintonyates
Discussion:
Elahe Izadi / @elaheizadi: Associated Press tells staff it made mistakes in firing of Emily Wilder https://www.washingtonpost.com/ ... via @jeremymbarr
Jeremy Barr / @jeremymbarr: AP employees were also told today that Emily Wilder was fired not for a specific tweet but because of her “ body of tweets.” https://www.washingtonpost.com/ ...
Jeremy Barr / @jeremymbarr: During a town hall meeting today, several managers at the Associated Press acknowledged that they made mistakes in how they handled the firing of Emily Wilder. “We failed to initially see this as more than an HR issue,” an assistant managing editor said https://www.washingtonpost.com/ ...
Edward Helmore / Associated Press: Associated Press vows to defend staff against online attacks after Emily Wilder firing
Eric Boehlert / PRESS RUN: How the press needs to deal with Marjorie Taylor Greene
Danny Page / @dannypage: AP say they made “mistakes in process, not in outcome” but have the gall to say they would protect other staffers if the same happened to them? Highly doubtful. https://twitter.com/...
Jessica Huseman / @jessicahuseman: The AP is readily telling its staff they had no idea that firing a person for old tweets would impact the rest of the staff, and if that is not a gigantic, alarm bell of managerial failure idk what is. https://www.washingtonpost.com/ ...
Amy Alexander / @amyalex63: Meh. Insufficient, especially given that #EmilyWilder said the @AP assured her before hiring her that her social posts weren't an issue. I'll ask again: Where is the AP CEO on this? I know Gary Pruitt to be an exemplary 1A lawyer + advocate. 🧐 https://twitter.com/...
@clintonyates: this all just reads like “our bad, we didnt think people would care and tbf why should we have amirite” yeah nah. that's just not what's up in terms of anything that invovles critical thinking imo. just one journo's opinion.
@petersterne: The AP is not sorry it fired Wilder. It's sorry that it got criticized for doing so. The company wants to assure its staff that it has their back, but it very clearly doesn't. https://twitter.com/...
Julia Reinstein / @juliareinstein: perhaps more notably than my anger at how Emily was treated is my genuine disbelief at how stupidly this was handled. like, I thought you guys were supposed to be smart? how did more than even one person think this was a half-good idea?? https://twitter.com/...
@clintonyates: the whole issue is that the “standards” for people whose literal job it is to help tell folks what other people do and think, are absurd. to say it's just a social media policy matter is a stunningly short sighted view on what the entire purpose of all this is, industrywise
@clintonyates: there are a couple wows in this story, beyond the initial concern about why Emily was fired in the first place. I'll explain. https://twitter.com/...
Tamer El-Ghobashy / @tamerelg: News orgs expect their reporters to ask hard questions and callout spin. But when faced with hard questions by their own staff, they spin without shame. https://twitter.com/...
Dan Nguyen / @dancow: How are you an adult in the year 2021 — nevermind the Washington DC BUREAU CHIEF — and you're saying something this clueless and pathetic? https://twitter.com/... https://twitter.com/...
Soledad O'Brien / @soledadobrien: Good thread: https://twitter.com/...
Jordan Williams / The Hill: Associated Press admits fault in firing of journalist over previous college activism: report
Kim Masters / @kimmasters: True but this should be so painfully obvious, it hurts physically. https://twitter.com/...
Felicity Barringer / @felicitybarr: Wise analysis of what AP failed to recognize when they caved to a social media mob and fired @vv1lder Opinion | The Real Problem With the AP's Firing of Emily Wilder https://www.politico.com/... via @politico @courtdouglas4 @BGrueskin @mwfreivogel
@samthielman: Really feels like the Washington Post poaching Susan Buzbee means nobody's driving the bus! https://twitter.com/...
Amy B Wang / @amybwang: Read this expecting the senior managers to have expressed some contrition about the decision to fire Wilder and... got something else entirely. https://twitter.com/...
Kainaz Amaria / @kainazamaria: “Julie Pace, the AP's Washington bureau chief and assistant managing editor, told employees that the company failed to anticipate the ramifications of terminating an entry-level news associate who had only worked there for a few weeks.” 🤔 https://www.washingtonpost.com/ ...
Jay Rosen / @jayrosen_nyu: In a staff meeting Wednesday, @AP leadership said it made the right call in firing Emily Wilder, but failed to realize that this was a much bigger deal than a violation of its social media policy. https://www.washingtonpost.com/ ... “We'll have your back when you face threats online.” 10/
Brooke Binkowski / @brooklynmarie: They still don't appear to be acknowledging that they fell for a disinformation campaign, which is concerning. That's part of our job as journalists https://twitter.com/...
Scott Gordon / @scottgordonwi: If you are dumber than a bag of hammers, I guarantee you can make it as a media exec https://twitter.com/...
@clintonyates: And it aint lost on anyone that this is just one person and one job, while folks, particular non-white ones get thrown over the side ROUTINELY for stuff like this with nothing close to this kind of concern overall. it doesnt have to be a cold game if people dont want it to be
@clintonyates: secondly, the HUGE wow in terms of just a basic misunderstanding of what the words “social” and “media” both mean, nvm together and this is where journos who say things like “twitter isnt real” just out themselves as absurd. Like any community, it's as real as you want it to be https://twitter.com/...
Michael Luciano / Mediaite: AP Managers Reportedly Tell Employees They Made ‘Mistakes of Process’ in Terminating Emily Wilder for Social Media Posts
Wesley / @wesleylowery: The “We didn't think anyone would care that we mistreated this person cause they are young an unimportant” framing of an ostensible apology is truly a lovely touch https://www.washingtonpost.com/ ...
@clintonyates: to start, this is extremely institutionally arrogant thing to include in an apology. Of course the ramifications weren't considered. That's the whole problem the insinuation that it was reasonable to expect that no one would care based on their own concept of importance is wild https://twitter.com/...
RELATED:
Janine Zacharia / Politico:
The most urgent issue in Emily Wilder's firing is that a reporter was targeted in order to create the perception that AP is biased against Israel, and AP caved — When one young journalist was fired, the incident revealed a problem deeper than bad social media policies.
Discussion:
Washington Post, @glennkesslerwp, First Draft, @weswilson4, @ngleicher, Fox News, @zuriberry and @arielbogle
Discussion:
Margaret Sullivan / Washington Post: Emily Wilder's firing is a story of bad faith, not bad tweets. Newsrooms must do better.
Glenn Kessler / @glennkesslerwp: Few people in journalism are smarter on how disinformation affects newsroom behavior than @janinezacharia. She hits the nail on the head here. Newsroom managers need to be aware they being played. https://www.politico.com/... https://twitter.com/...
Guygrimshaw / First Draft: The disinformation campaign against AP's Emily Wilder
Wes Wilson / @weswilson4: I admittedly wasn't very knowledgeable about the Emily Wilder story before this op-ed. The op-ed from Wilder's Stanford journalism school professor is worth a read though. https://www.politico.com/...
Nathaniel Gleicher / @ngleicher: Influence Ops are not just the domain of foreign gov'ts, and journalists are definitely targets. This is a good analysis of why that matters and what we can all learn by applying this principle. #IOisnotjustforgovts https://twitter.com/...
Joseph Wulfsohn / Fox News: Associated Press bosses admit to staff ‘mistakes’ were made in ousting of Emily Wilder: report
Zuri Berry / @zuriberry: Excellent column on how news orgs need to combat disinformation campaigns https://www.politico.com/...
Ariel Bogle / @arielbogle: A worthwhile thread on how reporters may be targeted with campaigns of harassment and disinformation and how newsrooms should react. Strange AP didn't question why a reporter in AZ was being targeted for Middle East coverage, for starters? One playbook: https://cyber.fsi.stanford.edu/ ... https://twitter.com/...
Erik Wemple / Washington Post:
Emily Wilder was wronged by AP editors, who were less concerned with work product than about “appearances”, defined by groups like Stanford College Republicans
Discussion:
@sopandeb, Poynter, @jennycohn1, @shefalil, @yelix, @jeremymbarr, @ashtonpittman, @jackvand, @chrchristensen, @rtyson82, @eliselabott, Class War Daily, @aaronwherry, @donmoyn, @moorehn, @akilahobviously, @davidfolkenflik, @jayrosen_nyu, @theferocity, Vanity Fair, @kimmasters, @david_c_steele, @mgerrydoyle, @emmadaly, @dankennedy_nu, @jayrosen_nyu, @parrillaga, @janinezacharia, @cdelshad, @brettmmurphy, Vox, @penenberg, New York Times and Cathy Young
Discussion:
Sopan Deb / @sopandeb: Emily Wilder tells @ErikWemple that an AP editor admonished her for having “Black lives matter” in her Twitter bio. She “promptly removed it.” https://www.washingtonpost.com/ ... https://twitter.com/...
Jennifer Cohn / @jennycohn1: .@AP tells @AP that it effed up. 1/ https://twitter.com/...
Shefali Luthra / @shefalil: journalism is long overdue for self-examination about who dictates the parameters of “objectivity,” and what people even mean by it https://twitter.com/...
Urdnot Gex / @yelix: this is an amazing way to ensure nobody wants to work for you https://twitter.com/...
Jeremy Barr / @jeremymbarr: Janine Zacharia (@janinezacharia) on how the Associated Press should deal with bad-faith attacks: “They're going to have to have some cojones when the James O'Keefes and the Stanford College Republicans come after their journalists.” https://www.washingtonpost.com/ ...
Ashton Pittman / @ashtonpittman: “(AP management) said it was toeing the line of objectivity” for Emily Wilder to have the words “Black lives matter” in her Twitter bio, she says. Newsrooms that want reporters to be “objective” about whether or not Black lives matter are racist. This is “colorblind racism.” https://twitter.com/...
Jackie Vandinther / @jackvand: Smart read by @janinezacharia on convos every newsroom should be having right now. https://www.politico.com/...
Christian Christensen / @chrchristensen: Just like when Black journalists in Sweden who signed a letter against structural racism at Swedish Radio were banned from covering racism because they couldn't remain “neutral.” https://twitter.com/...
@rtyson82: AP editor: “we must maintain objectivity and allow for the possibility that Black lives don't matter” https://twitter.com/...
Elise Labott / @eliselabott: The most urgent issue in Wilder's dismissal:a reporter was targeted by a disinformation campaign-in this case,by people who took issue with Wilder's pro-Palestinian views—and rather than recognizing it as such, her employer, the AP,essentially caved to it https://www-politico-com.cdn.ampproject .org/ ...
Aaron Wherry / @aaronwherry: “They are privileging “appearances” over their own work product. And they fail to recognize that those “appearances” are orchestrated by people who are preying on misunderstandings about the making of a news product: It is done by people, not robots.” https://www.washingtonpost.com/ ...
Don Moynihan / @donmoyn: The general impression here is that AP just responds to criticism without any clear underlying policies or principles. Smear campaign against reporter: fire her Staff are upset: We hear you! We made mistakes - but it was still right to fire her. https://www.washingtonpost.com/ ...
Heidi N. Moore / @moorehn: If it was a mistake why are they not rehiring her https://twitter.com/...
Akilah Hughes / @akilahobviously: Does the @AP think it's not objective to say that Black Lives Matter? Because... https://twitter.com/...
David Folkenflik / @davidfolkenflik: Ex WaPo mideast correspondent and former Emily Wilder prof at Stanford https://twitter.com/...
Jay Rosen / @jayrosen_nyu: Highly recommended analysis of @AP's decision to fire Emily Wilder. By @janinezacharia who is: her teacher at Stanford, a journalist with long experience in the Middle East, and a student of disinformation campaigns. Uniquely positioned to teach the AP. https://www.politico.com/... 9/ https://twitter.com/...
Saeed Jones / @theferocity: So, AP believes that “black lives matter” is an opinion as opposed to a fact? Good to know, I guess. https://twitter.com/...
Joe Pompeo / Vanity Fair: “Striking and Unprecedented”: With Controversial Firing, the Associated Press Is Thrust Into the Social Media Maelstrom
David Steele / @david_c_steele: How that reckoning in the aftermath of George Floyd is going https://twitter.com/...
Gerry Doyle / @mgerrydoyle: more great explanation of how the ap dropped the ball, and then lost the ball down a drain https://www.washingtonpost.com/ ...
@emmadaly: How @AP wronged Emily Wilder - by @ErikWemple “I don't know how they could possibly say I had bias because I hadn't done a bit of reporting and my reporting in the past speaks to my ability to be fair & accurate & critical & fact-based” - @evWilder https://www.washingtonpost.com/ ... https://twitter.com/...
Dan Kennedy / @dankennedy_nu: The AP made Emily Wilder remove “Black Lives Matter” from her Twitter bio because — why? Because the idea that Black lives matter, too, is political and controversial? Good Lord. She's since restored it. https://www.washingtonpost.com/ ...
Jay Rosen / @jayrosen_nyu: By @ErikWemple, Washington Post: “One... editors at large news organizations quake when right-wing actors target their colleagues; and two, publishers' concerns over ethical appearances and perceptions are reaching irrationality.” 8/ https://www.washingtonpost.com/ ...
Pauline Arrillaga / @parrillaga: “It wasn't a fireable offense,” Emily Wilder's former professor at Stanford, @janinezacharia, tells the Post's @ErikWemple in a thought-provoking column. https://www.washingtonpost.com/ ...
@janinezacharia: Great piece on @vv1lder, @ErikWemple. “Having opinions on foreign crises — or having participated in college activism on such issues — is not a conflict. It is, rather, a set of beliefs, or a personal intellectual history. (1/2) https://www.washingtonpost.com/ ...
@cdelshad: “ABC News and the AP are in lockstep: They are privileging “appearances” over their own work product. And they fail to recognize that those “appearances” are orchestrated by people who are preying on misunderstandings about the making of a news product” https://www.washingtonpost.com/ ...
Brett Murphy / @brettmmurphy: “Having opinions on foreign crises — or having participated in college activism on such issues — is not a conflict. It is, rather, a set of beliefs, or a personal intellectual history. Every sentient being has opinions.” https://www.washingtonpost.com/ ...
Adam L. Penenberg / @penenberg: “The news leaders said sharing more information was difficult: the company does not publicly discuss personnel issues to protect the privacy of staff.” That's a BS excuse. The reporter has begged the org to explain. Separate note: I guess I've blown my chance to work at the AP. https://twitter.com/...
New York Times:
Amazon paid a premium over other potential MGM buyers, including Apple and Comcast, to bolster Prime when old-line studios are less willing to license libraries — Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, while diminished, commanded a premium price, with Amazon seeking to bolster its crucial Prime membership offering.
Discussion:
Variety, BBC, Engadget, New Republic, @shiraovide, ScreenRant, Variety, Transistori, The Wrap, Scrawler, Forbes and The Mary Sue
Discussion:
Shira Ovide / @shiraovide: Wait, the MGM roaring lion is actually a *tiger*? I feel duped. https://www.nytimes.com/... https://twitter.com/...
Hannah Shaw-Williams / ScreenRant: What Amazon Owning James Bond Means For 007 Future | Screen Rant
Cynthia Littleton / Variety: What's Next for MGM TV and Mark Burnett After Amazon Acquisition?
Robert / Transistori: Amazon ostaa MGM:n, Google terveydenhuollossa ja Whatsapp vastaan Intian hallitus
Beatrice Verhoeven / The Wrap: What Happens to James Bond Franchise Once Amazon Takes Over MGM?
Ryan Lawler / Scrawler: Another day, another media acquisition
Scott Mendelson / Forbes: What Does Amazon Buying MGM Mean For James Bond?
Rachel Leishman / The Mary Sue: Amazon Bought MGM, but What About the Lion?
RELATED:
Annie Palmer / CNBC:
Amazon says it will acquire MGM Studios for $8.45B — - Amazon is buying MGM Studios, the companies announced, marking Amazon's most ambitious move yet into the entertainment business. — The acquisition is Amazon's second-largest acquisition since it paid $13.7 billion for Whole Foods in 2017.
Discussion:
Variety, Insider, @bradstone, @markdistef, MediaPost, American Prospect, The Wrap, Business Wire, The Wrap, IndieWire, @travishelwig, @deggans, The Information, @cloud_opinion, @frankpallotta, @toddbishop, @backlon, @scavendish, @bencjacobs, @dylanbyers, @jeremylittau, @brentalang, @erikdavis, @cmlindahl, @om, @deggans, @alexweprin, @adambnard, @007hertzrumble, @kevkoeser, @danprimack, @lucas_shaw, @repkenbuck, @claireatki, @ourand_sbj, @mauro_txt, @sonnybunch, @richardlai, @alexweprin, Hollywood Reporter, @digitalshields, @psmith, @felixsalmon, @sarafischer, @tim_stevens, @dlberes, @edmundlee, @sizpatel, @kerrymflynn, Mercurial Space, @richontech, @mattmday, @brianstelter, @kerrymflynn, @lanceulanoff, @rustybrick, @sherman4949, @thedomino, @dangrabham, @teroterotero, @stevekovach, @realbengilbert, @richontech, @stevekovach, The A.V. Club, The Verge, WWD, Vanity Fair, @stevekovach, @pkafka, @pkafka, The Under60 Daily, NPR, Observer, AppleInsider, 9to5Mac, NBC News, Axios, Washington Post, IndieWire, Engadget and The Verge, more at Techmeme »
Discussion:
Katie Canales / Insider: Amazon's $8.5 billion bet on MGM is the latest sign that tech is transforming Hollywood. Here are the biggest deals that have altered the streaming world.
Brad Stone / @bradstone: For the gentle folks at MGM, here are Jeff Bezos's twelve ingredients for every epic story, from the Hollywood chapter of my book Amazon Unbound. https://www.amazon.com/.... Good luck! https://twitter.com/...
Mark Di Stefano / @markdistef: Look at that IP! Bring on the reboots! 12 Angry Women! Young James Bond! Basic Instinct as anime! https://twitter.com/...
Wayne Friedman / MediaPost: Amazon Inks Proposed $8.45 Billion Deal For MGM, Bolsters Amazon Studios
David Dayen / American Prospect: What Amazon's Purchase of MGM Is Really About
Lindsey Ellefson / The Wrap: Colbert Suggests Bezos Could Release Trump's Old ‘Apprentice’ Tapes With New MGM Deal (Video)
Chris Lindahl / IndieWire: ‘Gone with the Wind’ and ‘The Wizard of Oz’ Are Not Part of the Amazon-MGM Deal; Here's Why
Eric Deggans At Npr / @deggans: That's assuming that buying MGM gives Bezos access to that footage. That all depends on what kind of deal Mark Burnett has/had with MGM. Ain't necessarily so. https://twitter.com/...
@cloud_opinion: I guess AWS DB teams are hard at work trying to rebrand Aurora as AWS DB3, in honor of Bond.
Frank Pallotta / @frankpallotta: “MGM is really the story of Hollywood.” Amazon buying MGM, a classic studio known for The Wizard of Oz and Leo the Lion, is just the latest example of the studio being tossed around in another Hollywood sea change. Here's a brief history of MGM. https://www.cnn.com/...
@toddbishop: Jeff Bezos on MGM deal at $AMZN annual meeting: “MGM has a vast deep catalog of much beloved intellectual property, and with the talented people at MGM and Amazon Studios, we can reimagine and develop that IP for the 21st century.”
Dieter Bohn / @backlon: Well I guess Q branch devices are going to helpfully suggest James Bond buy knock off Amazon clone devices now. So long Aston Martin DB5, hello Echo lapel pin. https://twitter.com/...
Steve Cavendish / @scavendish: This is how hedge funds are destroying local news. Yesterday, this debt didn't exist. Today, to pay for the transaction, journalists will lose their jobs. How many stories won't be written about local communities, just because of this transaction? https://twitter.com/...
Ben Jacobs / @bencjacobs: Everyone who loses their job and every city that suffers without good local journalism can thank @DrPatSoonShiong for their plight https://twitter.com/...
Dylan Byers / @dylanbyers: The Broccolis have always said Bond belongs on the big screen, not in TV series or spinoffs. They appear to be holding firm to that —>> https://twitter.com/...
Jeremy Littau / @jeremylittau: That was fast. Trib papers went from zero debt to $278m in debt in one day, now news of buyouts the next day. Alden borrowed from its other papers at an exorbiant rate. They won't pay it off by growing subscribers. They'll do it by cutting news resources. https://twitter.com/...
Brent Lang / @brentalang: Doesn't sound like James Bond movies will be premiering on Amazon Prime https://variety.com/...
Erik Davis / @erikdavis: It's all about that IP... “The real financial value behind this deal is the treasure trove of IP in the deep catalog that we plan to reimagine and develop together with MGM's talented team.” https://twitter.com/...
Chris Lindahl / @cmlindahl: There has been some reporting out there that The Wizard of Oz would be under Amazon's control post-MGM deal...not true! Here's a quick rundown of the state of MGM's library after years of ownership changes and acquisitions. https://www.indiewire.com/...
@om: Amazon buys MGM for $8.5 billion. CNBC reports that the next closest bid was $6bn. The most significant part of the news is what is not news: $AMZN not even hosting a conference call with investors. It is that insignificant for a $1.6 trillion giant. 😉 https://press.aboutamazon.com/ ...
Eric Deggans At Npr / @deggans: As a TV critic, my biggest question amid news Amazon offered 8.45 billion for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer studio/media company is, where does this leave reality TV pioneer Mark Burnett, chair of MGM Television, overseer of shows like Survivor and The Apprentice? https://press.aboutamazon.com/ ...
Alex Weprin / @alexweprin: In December, MGM and Amazon Web Services struck a largely overlooked deal “to predict content viewing and sales trends so they can forecast demand for their vast content library.” That same month MGM hired bankers to advise on a sale. Now here we are. https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/ ...
Adam Barnard / @adambnard: Well, it happened... Let's hope @PrimeVideo has an appetite for more #Stargate content. #WeWantStargate #TimeForStargate https://twitter.com/...
James David Patrick / @007hertzrumble: I suppose this will mean perpetual Prime streaming for the Bond movies (and I won't have to worry about my failing Blu-rays anymore). I've been reading a whole bunch of negativity about this deal, but MGM has been a carny act for more than 20 years. https://variety.com/...
Lucas Shaw / @lucas_shaw: Amazon bought MGM for $8.45 billion. That's $3 billion more than anyone else thought it was worth, and $2 billion less than MGM wanted inn an IPO almost a decade ago. https://www.bloomberg.com/...
Rep. Ken Buck / @repkenbuck: I'm deeply concerned by Amazon's acquisition of MGM Studios. Amazon's revenue for the first quarter of 2021 increased by 44% to $108.5 billion — the company's fastest growth in almost 10 years. https://www.cnbc.com/...
Claire Atkinson / @claireatki: Was there a $550 million price cut? https://twitter.com/...
John Ourand / @ourand_sbj: Amazon's Spring Purchases MGM: $8.5 billion 10 years of Thursday Night Football: $12 billion https://twitter.com/...
Mauro Carignano / @mauro_txt: crazy. amazon now owns hot tub time machine 1 and 2 https://twitter.com/...
Sonny Bunch / @sonnybunch: The good news about the Amazon acquisition of MGM is that we might finally—finally— get that ROBOCOP VS LEGALLY BLONDE series we've all been waiting for. https://www.axios.com/...
Richard Lai / @richardlai: Someday, James Bond will ride Blue Origin on a space mission. https://twitter.com/...
Alex Weprin / @alexweprin: Will Amazon continue to release MGM films in theaters? What happens to Epix? Will Amazon Studios and MGM co-exist? The story, with @Snoodit @PamelaDayM https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/ ...
Alex Weprin / Hollywood Reporter: How Will Amazon Run MGM?
Mike Shields / @digitalshields: No Time to Die. Or to Pee.
Patrick Smith / @psmith: The @NBCNews platforms team excelling themselves here https://twitter.com/...
Felix Salmon / @felixsalmon: Are these hours-watched stats numbers that Amazon releases? Or is this from, like, survey data? Is it... true? https://www.nytimes.com/... https://twitter.com/...
Sara Fischer / @sarafischer: Amazon announcing its 2nd-largest acquisition the day after being sued by DC AG for anti trust is a story itself —It's also happening shortly after WaPo announced a new editor, selected in part by Bezos —Amazing to think about Bezos navigating all of these interests at same time https://twitter.com/...
Tim Stevens / @tim_stevens: Does this mean that Bond writers are going to have to stop modeling arch villains on the Jeff Bezos rich gazillionaire with space aspirations archetype? https://twitter.com/...
Damon Beres / @dlberes: Although there is much to digest about this news, do not overlook that it involves the best name in show biz: Barbara Broccoli https://www.nytimes.com/...
Edmund Lee / @edmundlee: .@amazon buying @mgmstudios for $8.45 billion helps the retailer pump up Prime members and sell more stuff. That's probably why it paid a premium. (This isn't the tech-media deal you're looking for) https://www.nytimes.com/...
Sahil Patel / @sizpatel: Amazon buys MGM for $8.45 million. It's the first time a major tech company has bought a Hollywood studio. I, for one, am excited to see what they cook up for a “Thelma & Louise” sequel. Gotta love that IP, baby! https://www.theinformation.com/ ...
@kerrymflynn: “Ultimately, the deal gives Amazon more content, a respected studio in Hollywood and a stylish super spy. That will only help it further compete in the ruthless world of streaming.” - @frankpallotta https://www.cnn.com/...
Kairon / Mercurial Space: The Amazon Playbook — Background & The Streaming Wars — Amazon just acquired MGM Studios 1 …
Rich DeMuro / @richontech: Tech is chomping it's way through Hollywood in a BIG way. Streaming music, streaming movies, buying studios, entirely new entertainment forms like vertical videos and YouTube. None of the innovation came from an established player in the industry.
Matt Day / @mattmday: To the point about the ripe vintage of much of MGM's catalogue: the films Amazon highlights in its release are, on average, *39 years old.* The most recent new IP, as Amazon calls it here, debuted in 2001. *counting the first entry for franchises/remakes, where applicable. https://twitter.com/... https://twitter.com/...
Brian Stelter / @brianstelter: Amazon exec Mike Hopkins: “The real financial value behind this deal is the treasure trove of IP in the deep catalog that we plan to reimagine and develop together with MGM's talented team.” He cites “so many opportunities for high-quality storytelling.” https://www.cnn.com/...
Lance Ulanoff / @lanceulanoff: Just realized that by the time the next Bond film hits theaters, it could be “An Amazon Studios Film” https://twitter.com/...
Barry Schwartz / @rustybrick: Amazon Prime Video just got better? https://twitter.com/...
Alex Sherman / @sherman4949: “The real financial value behind this deal is the treasure trove of IP in the deep catalog that we plan to reimagine and develop together with MGM's talented team.” This season on The Voice: James Bond's Real Housewives https://twitter.com/...
Dominic Chu / @thedomino: As if I needed any more reasons to pay for an Amazon Prime membership... https://www.cnbc.com/... $AMZN (via @annierpalmer @cnbc)
Dan Grabham / @dangrabham: Ah great, so No Time to Die might get released this decade. https://twitter.com/...
Tero Kuittinen / @teroterotero: If only Norma Shearer had known her studio would be bought by a book store that exists in telegram lines. https://twitter.com/...
Steve Kovach / @stevekovach: I'd buy that for a dollar! https://twitter.com/...
Rich DeMuro / @richontech: JUST IN: Amazon now owns James Bond... and a lot of other movies! https://press.aboutamazon.com/ ...
Steve Kovach / @stevekovach: Bezos. Jeff Bezos. https://twitter.com/...
Britt Hayes / The A.V. Club: UPDATED: Amazon buys MGM
Marisa Guthrie / WWD: Amazon Buys MGM Studios to Juice Content Library
Steve Kovach / @stevekovach: $500 million for one season of a Lord of the Rings show is equally as egregious. https://twitter.com/...
Peter Kafka / @pkafka: Context: Disney paid $9.63 billion (inflation adjusted) for Marvel + the Star Wars universes. https://twitter.com/...
Peter Kafka / @pkafka: Netflix started making its own shows and movies in 2013. So did Amazon. One them figured it out, and the other is paying $9 billion for James Bond. https://twitter.com/...
The Under60 Daily: 26th May 2021 — Welcome to another edition of The Under60 Daily - a brief rundown …
Mandalit del Barco / NPR: Amazon Makes A Deal To Buy MGM For Nearly $8.5 Billion
Wesley Hilliard / AppleInsider: Amazon acquiring MGM Studios in $8.45 billion deal
Dylan Byers / NBC News: Amazon acquires movie studio MGM for $8.5 billion
Sara Fischer / Axios: Amazon to acquire MGM Studios for $8.5 billion
Chris Lindahl / IndieWire: Amazon Will Buy MGM Film and Television in $8.45 Billion Deal: Netflix, Look Out
Jon Porter / The Verge: Amazon buys MGM for $8.45 billion
Peter Kafka / Vox:
With its MGM acquisition, Amazon doesn't want to compete with streamers like Netflix but reduce Prime subscriber churn by providing enough blockbuster content
Discussion:
Peter Kafka / @pkafka: Why Amazon is paying $9 billion for MGM and James Bond https://www.vox.com/... Thing I didn't get into in this story: One reason Amazon is buying now, after looking earlier, is that MGM has cleaned itself up, and isn't weighed down by long-term deals to other distributors.
Incentify / Club Incentify: Amazon, MGM & Big Tech vs Media
Alex Sherman / @sherman4949: Amazon spent $8.45 billion on MGM to reduce Prime churn and because it can't buy most other strategic assets for $8.45 billion without regulators and politicians going nuts. https://www.cnbc.com/...
Jesse Pound / @jesserpound: Amazon is taking big, expensive swings (The NFL, Lord of the Rings, Bond) but I'm still unsure if I should view it as a Netflix competitor, a Prime customer retention strategy or something in between.
Dave Pell / Substack: When Burgers Flipped — “Imagewise, the [fast food] industry may have reached its nadir in 2016 …
Shira Ovide / New York Times: Why Is Amazon in Entertainment?
Ashkan Karbasfrooshan / contextisking.com: Amazon's Ad Business Would Command a $250B Market Cap
Josh Wilson / Forbes: Amazon's $8.45 Billion Purchase Of James Bond Studio MGM Adds Another Layer To The Streaming Wars
Peter Bradshaw / The Guardian: Licence to content: Amazon's MGM takeover gives it access to Bond and beyond
Victoria Song / Gizmodo: Amazon Buying MGM Studios for $9 Billion
Shakeel Hashim / Protocol: Amazon is buying MGM for $8.45 billion
Christopher Mathias / HuffPost:
A writer whose posts about detective novels appeared in Vice and The Atlantic used pen names to post white nationalist screeds online and at sites like VDare — Benjamin Welton uses pen names to write racist articles. He's also a teacher, PhD student, and freelance writer for major media outlets.
Discussion:
@letsgomathias, @letsgomathias, @mollyjongfast, @letsgomathias, @letsgomathias, @letsgomathias, @mattgertz, @chasbwalker, @kittystryker, @lukeobrien and @donmoyn
Discussion:
Christopher Mathias / @letsgomathias: Welton has recently started to generate interest and relationships with some major far right figures, including Bronze Age Pervert & Matt Forney. He also recently published a book with white nationalist publishing house Antelope Hill, using a pseudonym. https://www.huffpost.com/... https://twitter.com/...
Christopher Mathias / @letsgomathias: NEW: Benjamin Welton uses pen names to write for white nationalist sites, generating interest from major far right figures. He's also a teacher, @BU_Tweets PhD student, & freelance writer for major media. Today he got fired from a Mass. elementary school https://www.huffpost.com/...
Molly Jong-Fast / @mollyjongfast: How does this keep happening? It's a mystery! https://twitter.com/...
Christopher Mathias / @letsgomathias: NEW: A Massachusetts elementary school teacher was fired today after his double life as a white nationalist writer was exposed. He used pen names to write for extremist sites (AmRen, VDARE) and his real name to write for major outlets (Atlantic, Vice) https://www.huffpost.com/...
Christopher Mathias / @letsgomathias: also worth mentioning that this white nationalist was in the military. Welton enlisted in the Navy Reserves 2011, working in the naval military police, and left the service in 2018, a Navy spokesperson confirmed. He received a Pistol Marksmanship Ribbon. https://www.huffpost.com/...
Christopher Mathias / @letsgomathias: His articles for The Atlantic and Vice were about esoteric spy and detective novels. In his articles for The Weekly Standard and The Daily Caller he did not hide his fascist sympathies. The Daily Caller piece is particularly disgusting. https://www.huffpost.com/...
Matthew Gertz / @mattgertz: Amazing response from The Daily Caller to discovering that yet another white nationalist wrote for the publication — the “prior ownership” was Fox star Tucker Carlson https://www.huffpost.com/... https://twitter.com/...
@kittystryker: This is the “think of the children”, “indoctrination to an unsavory lifestyle” people should be giving a fuck about tbh https://twitter.com/...
Luke O'Brien / @lukeobrien: Doxing is a term that bad actors on the political right have distorted to attack anyone who exposes crypto-fascists. A better term for this type of accountability reporting is “public service.” Unless, of course, you prefer having white nationalists teaching your kids. https://twitter.com/...
Don Moynihan / @donmoyn: “Like many conservatives, Welton has expressed anger about the teaching of “critical race theory” in American schools. Last August, shortly before he began teaching at the Star Academy, he tweeted...that a return to American greatness “requires defunding critical race theory."" https://twitter.com/...
Robert Channick / Chicago Tribune:
SEC filing: Alden took out two loans, totaling $278M, in the Tribune Publishing deal and removed CEO Terry Jimenez; Tribune was debt-free — It didn't take long for Alden Global Capital to put its imprint — and significant debt — on Tribune Publishing, after closing its $633 million acquisition …
Discussion:
@lalpert1, @karenkho, @billpascrell, @elaheizadi, @nickconfessore, @jimfriedlich, American Press Institute, @mattdpearce, Editor and Publisher, @eric_hontz, @danielleiat, @barry, @karenkho, @davidrlurie, @charlesornstein, @elyssacherney, @amlwhere, @joshpcain, @gaufre, @hartfordcourant, @ryanchittum, @tomscocca, @tomscocca, @jeremylittau, @rhodes_dawn, @maghielse, @joshschwerin, @mightygodking, @timothypmurphy, @elaheizadi, @saragregory, @rumormill, @robertchannick, @davidharrisos, @jeremylittau, @stacydavisgates, @kevincarey1, @ctguild, @daveweigel, @athertonkd, @byjonharris, @kenbensinger, @johnrussell99, US Securities and Exchange Commission, New York Post and The Wrap
Discussion:
Lukas I. Alpert / @lalpert1: In closing the Tribune deal, Alden borrowed $278M, all of which goes on Tribune's books. $218M comes from PE firm Cerberus; $60M from Alden's other news co, MNG, at an eye-popping 13% interest, additionally lining Alden's pockets on Trib's balance sheet https://www.sec.gov/...
Karen K. Ho / @karenkho: The Alden-Tribune deal is classic example of overburdening a viable company with debt through the source of its acquisition. Short term gains for shareholders and investors but a massive blow to long-term viability due to severe cuts, sales of assets, and high interest rates.
Bill Pascrell, Jr / @billpascrell: Wall Street pirates like these guys suck companies dry like vampire squid, line their pockets with greed, strangle the business with debt, and then fire workers before fleeing town. Awful. https://twitter.com/...
Elahe Izadi / @elaheizadi: Tribune is offering voluntary buyouts, just days after Alden acquired the company.
Nick Confessore / @nickconfessore: Alden will overcharge its new Tribune papers to borrow money from its previous acquisitions, like a self-licking ice cream cone, only it strips and destroys news organizations. https://twitter.com/...
Jim Friedlich / @jimfriedlich: Alden's terrible toll on #localnews: $238 million of debt at 13% is $35 million a year not going into journalism or the communities it's meant to serve. Shameful. https://twitter.com/...
American Press Institute: Need to Know: May 26, 2021 — OFF THE TOP — You might have heard: Shareholders approved Alden's bid …
Matt Pearce / @mattdpearce: the Alden deal is like one hour old, and it's already looks exactly as horrible as all of us predicted it was going to be https://twitter.com/...
Robert Channick / Editor and Publisher: Alden Closes $633 Million Purchase of Tribune Publishing
Eric Karl Hontz / @eric_hontz: They are going to run major metro newspapers into the ground and line their pockets on the way. This is exactly why people hate the financial “industry” https://twitter.com/...
Danielle Tcholakian / @danielleiat: this is so unbelievably fucked I don't understand how these people aren't criminals https://twitter.com/...
Barry Petchesky / @barry: How is this legal https://twitter.com/...
Karen K. Ho / @karenkho: A important thing I learned in corporate finance was debt-to-equity ratios. An acquisition made possible through debt, even under the guise of funding growth, can explode a company's liabilities, forcing it to immediately cut expenses in an unsustainable manner.
@davidrlurie: @charlesornstein Leverage is what destroyed the company the first time. This is even more perverse.
Charles Ornstein / @charlesornstein: The bleeding of Tribune has begun. Super depressing. https://twitter.com/...
Elyssa Cherney / @elyssacherney: Tribune Publishing was debt free before this deal. https://twitter.com/...
Ann Marie Lipinski / @amlwhere: In the words of a wise publisher I know, “They piled the debt on Tribune even before the ink dried.” https://twitter.com/...
Josh Cain / @joshpcain: Alden borrowed from my employer, @MediaNewsGroup, to help finance the Tribine acquisition. How much am I losing out on in ~getting no raises, no cost of living increases~ to help this hedge fund gut a legacy newspaper? https://twitter.com/...
Jon Schleuss / @gaufre: As predicted, Alden was dishonest in suggesting it didn't need to take on debt. https://dfmworkers.org/... https://twitter.com/...
@hartfordcourant: It didn't take long for Alden Global Capital to put its imprint — and significant debt — on Tribune Publishing, the parent company of the Hartford Courant, after closing its $633 million acquisition of the newspaper chain. https://www.courant.com/...
Ryan Chittum / @ryanchittum: I wrote about Zell taking Trib private back in 2008 with interest almost = cashflow. The vultures somehow are still cleaning that carcass 13 years later, which shows the enormous amount of cash newspapers threw off even after the collapse https://archives.cjr.org/... https://twitter.com/... https://twitter.com/...
Tom Scocca / @tomscocca: Thirteen per cent, a very normal prevailing sort of interest rate you get in 2021 when you shop around among lenders https://twitter.com/...
Jeremy Littau / @jeremylittau: Trying to keep local news sustainable is a worthy fight. I just don't think the solution is begging people to subscribe. I'd look at this in terms of leverage. It lies with the audience. Why would Alden invest in growth if it knows core subscribers won't flee after cuts?
Dawn Rhodes / @rhodes_dawn: More than a quarter of a billion in debt being dumped on the Tribune. I feel like this might result in really urgent cost cutting that simply has to mean slashing the newsroom or something. Fuck Alden. https://twitter.com/...
Ross Maghielse / @maghielse: Nobody in their right mind would ever agree to a $60 million loan at 13% interest unless they had a clear plan to make it somebody else's problem. https://twitter.com/...
Josh Schwerin / @joshschwerin: Thankfully it wasn't purchased by a progressive billionaire philanthropist who just wants to help save the news industry. That would have been really bad. https://twitter.com/...
@mightygodking: The Tribune should be dead within the next two years. This is standard vulture capitalism in action: borrow money to buy the company, make the company assume the debts, then strip it of assets and let it die. https://twitter.com/...
Tim Murphy / @timothypmurphy: “Alden” is definitely a thing that shouldn't exist https://twitter.com/...
Elahe Izadi / @elaheizadi: of note: Jimenez was the lone vote against the Alden proposal in Feb. when the board voted to endorse it. Has argued the price undervalued Tribune. Jimenez received $1.73 million in equity compensation after the shareholder vote approving Alden's plan https://www.sun-sentinel.com/ ...
Sara Gregory / @saragregory: Before the sale, had more than $250 million in cash and was debt-free. https://www.chicagotribune.com/ ...
Kori Rumore Finley / @rumormill: “Jimenez was the sole dissenting vote to the Alden sale on the seven-member Tribune Publishing board. At the time, Jimenez said the price proposed by Alden ‘was inadequate’” per @RobertChannick https://www.chicagotribune.com/ ... https://twitter.com/...
Robert Channick / @robertchannick: Hedge fund Alden closes $633 million Tribune Publishing acquisition; CEO Terry Jimenez is out https://www.chicagotribune.com/ ...
David Harris / @davidharrisos: As Alden was decimating newspapers throughout the country, its co-founder was dropping $120K to buy a famous piece of sports memorabilia Priorities, amirite https://www.wsj.com/...
Jeremy Littau / @jeremylittau: If you're subscribing to an Alden paper and saw another round of cuts, what would you do? I'm as big a supporter of local news as you'll find, but I'm not certain those dollars support local journalism anymore.
@stacydavisgates: ...remember this the next time you read a Tribune editorial about finance, budgets, contracts or collective bargaining (or anything for that matter). 👇🏿 https://twitter.com/...
Kevin Carey / @kevincarey1: So I can borrow $100 million to buy a frozen banana stand, and then have the banana stand immediately give me the $100 million, and then the banana stand, not me, is $100 million in debt? https://twitter.com/...
@ctguild: The world was warned about this weeks ago, and people of wealth and power did nothing to stop it. https://www.washingtonpost.com/ ... https://twitter.com/...
Dave Weigel / @daveweigel: I don't know what tax would stop this hedge fund piracy but whatever it is let's set it at 100% https://twitter.com/...
Kelsey D. Atherton / @athertonkd: isn't that just ‘being a landlord’ (it's still not good but, like, it's pretty common among the owning classes!) https://twitter.com/...
Jon Harris / @byjonharris: Tons of transitional information in this filing today with the Alden acquisition of Tribune now complete. For example, it appears Alden is splitting the New York Daily News away from the rest of Tribune. The question is: For what purpose? https://www.sec.gov/... https://twitter.com/...
Ken Bensinger / @kenbensinger: In other words, Alden stuck the Trib with a $280 million debt at 13% and kept the cash for itself. That means the paper will have to pay off that note, while Alden execs pay themselves fat bonuses. Imagine if you could saddle someone else with your mortgage payment https://twitter.com/...
John Russell / @johnrussell99: Tribune Publishing CEO Terry Jimenez will collect $2.5M in windfall compensation. That money could have saved the jobs of 25 journalists for a year. https://www.chicagotribune.com/ ...
US Securities and Exchange Commission: Form 8-K — On May 24, 2021, pursuant to the Agreement and Plan of Merger (the “Merger Agreement” …
Keith J. Kelly / New York Post: LA Times owner Patrick Soon-Shiong ‘despised’ for Tribune vote
RELATED:
David Folkenflik / @davidfolkenflik:
[Thread] Union members at multiple Tribune newspapers say they have been told that Alden Global Capital intends to seek voluntary buyouts company-wide
Discussion:
@benyt, @jesseapaul, @chrisrongey, @maggie4beers, @brdispatch, @os_guild, @thenewsan, @byjonharris, @acnatta, @colbyitkowitz, @bwdbwdbwd, @brittanywallman, @jdeleon1012, @nicdawes, @elaheizadi, @rexhuppke, @binghuihuang, @audreyhasnews, @jrosenbaum, @rtd_mikebarber, @fredtopel, @annaleighclark, @davidhaugh, @maustermuhle, @saragregory, @lvstories, @jhweissmann, @zack_pearson, @mattlindner, @mcallguild, Chicago Tribune and The Hill
Discussion:
Ben Smith / @benyt: The first communication to @NYDailyNews staffers about their new overloards is ... an email from HR about a new round of buyouts.
Jesse Aaron Paul / @jesseapaul: Last week, per @AP ... In a statement, Alden said the move “reaffirms our commitment to the newspaper industry” and its focus on retooling publications so they can “operate sustainably over the long term.” https://twitter.com/...
@maggie4beers: The internet isn't killing newspapers, hedge funds kill newspapers https://twitter.com/...
Bill Rabinowitz / @brdispatch: Terribly sad. Alden is an affront to journalism. https://twitter.com/...
@os_guild: This is not surprising, but it is sickening. Days after forcing Tribune to take on $278 million in debt for its own purchase, Alden is offering buyouts. Fewer journalists lead to a community where people are less informed and corruption can go unchecked. https://twitter.com/...
Susan Gonzalez / @thenewsan: It pains me to say this, but layoffs are likely imminent. This is how Alden operates. https://twitter.com/...
Jon Harris / @byjonharris: Just a couple days ago, Tribune had no debt, $250 million in cash and had trimmed expenses by more than 30% in one year. Now owned by Alden, Tribune has $278 million in debt and is looking to cut more, via buyouts offered to newsroom employees. https://twitter.com/...
Colby Itkowitz / @colbyitkowitz: This hurts my heart. Sending love to all my former @mcall colleagues. https://www.chicagotribune.com/ ...
Bradford William Davis / @bwdbwdbwd: love the work I do, hate the industry I do it for https://twitter.com/...
Brittany Wallman / @brittanywallman: Sad news, second day: Tribune Publishing Company under new Alden ownership is offering us money to quit. As with past buyout offers, I remain committed to this work and I love my job. I'm riding this train to the end of the line.
Jessica De Leon / @jdeleon1012: Predictable, but still makes me sick and angry. Hedge funds are destroying newspapers across the country. Communities will continue to suffer, as will our democracy. #savelocalnews https://www.chicagotribune.com/ ...
Nicholas Dawes / @nicdawes: “Cost-cutting” sounds like a virtuous thing. Costs feel ... bad, after all. I think we need another term for what Alden does. Even job-killing is too narrow. https://www.chicagotribune.com/ ...
Elahe Izadi / @elaheizadi: All fulltime employees are eligible for buyouts at Tribune papers around the country. Less than 3 years: 8 weeks of pay More than 3 years: 12 weeks of pay + one additional week for every year of service after the 3rd year. Deadline to volunteer: June 9.
@binghuihuang: Crazy how each time this happens, I STILL think “but how can they cut any deeper?” https://twitter.com/...
Audrey Cooper / @audreyhasnews: Abstention was not a good idea for democracy, methinks. https://twitter.com/...
Jason Rosenbaum / @jrosenbaum: This Tribune news hits viscerally because I've cited reading the Chicago Tribune daily as a rationale for going into journalism. Newspapers failed early on to get news consumers accustomed to pay for news. But they also crashed and burned by getting into stupid deals like this: https://twitter.com/...
Mike Barber / @rtd_mikebarber: Really wish the government would step in and protect the fourth estate. The founders of this country recognized the importance of a free press. Feels like too many current politicians just view the press as the people who expose their errors and corruption... https://twitter.com/...
@fredtopel: This is why we freelance. Neither a staff job nor a union job is safe from buyouts/layoffs, especially in the media biz, but you can't get fired from freelancing. You can lose clients but you won't lose everything and you'll find more. @cafwu https://twitter.com/...
Anna Clark / @annaleighclark: More strip-mining of journalism. Don't let the rhetoric of inevitability — newspapers are dying, there's no market for local news, etc. — stand as a cover story. https://twitter.com/...
David Haugh / @davidhaugh: Predictable. Awful. Sad. https://twitter.com/...
Martin Austermuhle / @maustermuhle: This is the worst. Vultures. https://twitter.com/...
Sara Gregory / @saragregory: I see you, buyout offer news, and am going to put my head down and keep working on a really important story. https://twitter.com/...
Dan Sheehan / @lvstories: It would be funny if it weren't so, you know, criminal. https://twitter.com/...
Jordan Weissmann / @jhweissmann: Chicago really feels like the perfect city to experiment with a big, new nonprofit news outlet right now https://twitter.com/...
Zack Pearson / @zack_pearson: Terrible. Terrible. Terrible. And sadly, not surprising. https://twitter.com/...
Matt Lindner / @mattlindner: Who could've seen this coming besides LITERALLY EVERYBODY https://twitter.com/...
@mcallguild: Take a company with no debt. Borrow heavily from one of your other companies and ram through a takeover. Then saddle that company with the debt and start buying out workers. We aren't business experts but we know that's not creating sustainable future. That's siphoning out cash. https://twitter.com/...
Brett Molina / USA Today:
Philo announces plans to increase its monthly price from $20 a month to $25 a month for new subscribers, starting June 8 — Another streaming service is planning to raise prices, but the hike will only impact new subscribers. — Philo announced Tuesday plans to increase its monthly price …
Paul Vieira / Wall Street Journal:
Canada weighs a measure that would require Netflix, Spotify, YouTube, TikTok, and others to use part of their revenue to fund Canadian shows, movies, and music — Bill would force video-sharing platforms to feature more Canadian artists; critics call it an attack on free speech
Discussion:
Jay Peters / The Verge:
Twitter says users can now join Spaces via desktop and mobile web browsers, but can't host rooms on the web just yet — You can't host rooms yourself on the web just yet, though — You'll be able to join Twitter's Clubhouse-like Spaces from desktop and mobile web browsers starting Wednesday …
Discussion:
Engadget, @twitterspaces, @zurairi, @hashtagheyalexa, @twittersupport, Gizmodo, @rianatweetsnow, 9to5Mac and @martinsfp, more at Techmeme »
Discussion:
Spaces / @twitterspaces: starting today, spaces will be available on https://twitter.com/ (mobile web, desktop web) our focus areas: - infrastructure and listening UI that adapts to your screen size - setting reminders for scheduled spaces - accessibility and transcriptions https://twitter.com/...
Zurairi A.R. / @zurairi: We have received some questions before whether our Clubhouse rooms can be accessed from desktop. This may be the feature Spaces need to kill off CH. I can now use better mics, and maybe input music too with this https://twitter.com/...
Alexa Heinrich / @hashtagheyalexa: OMG transcriptions like we can download the full conversation AFTER the Space has ended? That's an exciting update for @TwitterSpaces! https://twitter.com/...
@twittersupport: Spaces are making their way to Twitter for web! Now you can join a Space to listen in, test out the new transcription design, and set reminders to join a scheduled Space. https://twitter.com/...
Brianna Provenzano / Gizmodo: Twitter ‘Spaces’ Are Coming to a Desktop Browser Near You
@rianatweetsnow: LOVE seeing #accessibility and transcriptions on this list of priorities 🙌🏾 well done, @TwitterSpaces https://twitter.com/...
Filipe Espósito / 9to5Mac: Twitter now lets users join Spaces via desktop and mobile web browsers
Martin Sfp Bryant / @martinsfp: This instantly makes recording Spaces *much* easier. https://twitter.com/...
Brian Armstrong / The Coinbase Blog:
Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong announces Fact Check, a section of the Coinbase blog to combat misinformation and mischaracterizations about Coinbase or crypto — Every tech company should go direct to their audience, and become a media company. — As Coinbase and the cryptoeconomy grow …
Discussion:
Protocol, Cointelegraph, @patrickokeefe, @mattyglesias, @jrhennessy, @readdanwrite, @coinbasenews, @patrickokeefe, @matlitalien, @alex, @patrickokeefe, @ahcastor, @realdannynelson, @ellenhuet, @iampaulgrewal, @matlitalien, @williamturton, @alexisohanian, @williamturton, Ed Zitron's Where's Your Ed At, @patrickokeefe and @fredericg, more at Techmeme »
Discussion:
Issie Lapowsky / Protocol: Facebook goes after the superspreaders
Brian Quarmby / Cointelegraph: Fact check: Has Coinbase launched a decentralized fact checking portal?
Patrick O'Keefe / @patrickokeefe: Coinbase's growing power over cryptocurrency demands consistent, tough, highly critical press coverage of their every move. Their “fact checks” should be treated like like any other company statement.
Matthew Yglesias / @mattyglesias: Every company a media company https://blog.coinbase.com/...
James Hennessy / @jrhennessy: wow. for the first time in human history, companies will have a say in what constitutes truth. that's crazy https://blog.coinbase.com/...
Daniel Roberts / @readdanwrite: YIKES! Coinbase CEO: “Every tech company should go direct to their audience, and become a media company.” https://blog.coinbase.com/...
@coinbasenews: There's a lot of false info about crypto out there. It's time to address it ... with truth. Announcing Coinbase Fact Check, a new effort to combat myths and misinformation as people enter the crypto economy. Learn more here ↓ https://blog.coinbase.com/...
Patrick O'Keefe / @patrickokeefe: The bigger picture here is the growing anti-media bias borne out of a desire to harm the journalists that are critical of them, who are usually far more personally vulnerable than the CEOs, and the institutions that employ those journalists.
Mathieu Litalien / @matlitalien: There are many quotes that stick out but the points made are relevant to ANY company: “It also means sharing the good along with the bad, with radical transparency. Companies are often reticent to share negative facts, in their inherent desire to look good...”
@alex: lot of thoughts about this but love the citation of Peter killing gawker presented in a neutral manner - hmm https://twitter.com/...
Patrick O'Keefe / @patrickokeefe: No one should pretend as if Armstrong is saying anything revolutionary. Behind the grandeur he's grasping for sits the fact that he's basically saying Coinbase will have company channels (a blog) to express the company's perspective on matters relevant to their continued success. https://twitter.com/...
Amy Castor / @ahcastor: Coinbase doesn't like all the negative press surrounding itself and bitcoin, so it's putting the record straight by creating its own facts in a “fact check” blog https://twitter.com/...
Danny Nelson / @realdannynelson: Announcing Coinbase factcheck: producing the narrative they want you to see to undermine the reality they find less, eh, convenient to the brand https://twitter.com/...
Ellen Huet / @ellenhuet: very curious what negative-light facts a company will choose to share in order to become a source of truth 👀 “To become a source of truth, companies will increasingly need to be comfortable sharing facts which paint them in a negative light as well.” https://blog.coinbase.com/...
Paul Grewal / @iampaulgrewal: Our “fact check” approach is not about antagonizing or embarrassing others, but simply sharing what happened through your own channels. It also means sharing the good along with the bad, with radical transparency. https://blog.coinbase.com/...
Mathieu Litalien / @matlitalien: “...and therefore also have a conflict. To become a source of truth, companies will increasingly need to be comfortable sharing facts which paint them in a negative light as well.” Well said. I hope other senior leaders are taking notes.
William Turton / @williamturton: further reading on this topic https://www.nytimes.com/...
@alexisohanian: Been saying this for 5+ years now. This will absolutely become the norm. Once a company gets to growth stage, content will become a priority (if not sooner) https://twitter.com/...
William Turton / @williamturton: coinbase is feeling the regulatory heat https://blog.coinbase.com/...
Patrick O'Keefe / @patrickokeefe: Armstrong says that traditional media can't be trusted because “they are in the process of being disrupted by tech,” while not mentioning that Coinbase can't be trusted to report on Coinbase because they... are Coinbase.
Frederic Guarino / @fredericg: @readDanwrite Every tech co ➡️ a media is only possible if you know how to operate: not just the narrative part, but speed as well. Coinbase waited days before responding to floods of tweets criticizing their execs for selling shares in the direct listing. Media performance IMO: D-
John Hopewell / Variety:
HBO Max shares details of its June 29 launch in Latin America and the Caribbean, at a starting price of $3/month, including UEFA Champions League soccer games — Presenting its plans for Latin America on Wednesday at an online pre-launch presentation, HBO Max may have just given an inkling …
Discussion:
Richard Middleton / TBI Vision: HBO Max sets Lat Am launch date, despite WarnerMedia/Discovery deal
Jonathan Easton / Digital TV Europe: HBO Max gets first international expansion to LATAM and Caribbean on June 29
Steven Strom / Fanbyte:
Sources: IGN staffers say morale is at an all-time low after Ziff Davis' president characterized a dispute over a post takedown as purely an editorial issue — “Our morale has never been this low,” IGN employees say a week after confronting their parent company. At stake: editorial independence.
Discussion:
@stephentotilo, @gameonysus, @sadboybarrett, @ethangach, @plante, @elisefavis, @ethangach, @gamedadjp, @futterish, @ethangach, @ethangach and @stevesaylor
Discussion:
Stephen Totilo / @stephentotilo: We've got more in today's Axios Gaming newsletter about the situation at IGN. Editorial employees frustrated with corporate management. And hopes last week that the deleted article would be reworked and restored have faded. Also this: https://twitter.com/...
Janet Garcia / @gameonysus: The wildest part of this. https://twitter.com/... https://twitter.com/...
Barrett Courtney / @sadboybarrett: Again, fuck Ziff Davis. Gaslighting pieces of shit. https://twitter.com/...
@ethangach: IGN chief content officer Peer Schneider claims the decision to take down the original post came solely from himself, according to new reporting by Fanbyte. Ziff Davis apparently then proceeded to pit staff against each other in an all hands. Outrageous and frustrating. https://twitter.com/...
Chris Plante / @plante: I feel for the IGN edit staff. The company has recently hired a bunch of serious and experienced journalists and editors alongside its established talent. Now ownership seems to be frustrated that a newsroom expects editorial independence.
Elise Favis / @elisefavis: The story of IGN's removal of the Palestine article, and IGN's fight for editorial independence, is still evolving and has only grown more intense since staff penned the open letter, sources have told Fanbyte. https://www.fanbyte.com/...
@ethangach: TL;DR: The call to “stick to games” reportedly came from inside the house. Meanwhile 239 dead, including 227 killed in Gaza following Israel's latest strikes. Links from the removed IGN and Game Informer articles about where people can donate: https://www.gamesindustry.biz/ ...
John Phipps / @gamedadjp: I feel so bad for my friends on the IGN editorial staff :( what a complete clusterfuck. Also just absolutely surprised that the CENSORSHIP IN GAME BAD YouTube crowd has ignored this one, wild. It's almost like it's all performative bullshit on their part. https://twitter.com/...
Mike Futter / @futterish: This is good work by Fanbyte. As for J2Global and Ziff Davis, they MADE this a story. This could have been an internal blip (if that), but management's actions have triggered full Streisand Effect. https://twitter.com/...
@ethangach: Axios now reporting IGN will bring in an ombudsman to review the post's removal: “a team of editorial volunteers will be included in selecting that person, with representation split proportionally among the 2/3 of editorial staff who didn't sign the letter and the 1/3 who did”
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