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In a statement to RSF, Taliban spokesperson says “journalists working for state or privately owned media are not criminals and none of them will be prosecuted” — Clearly choosing his words carefully at a time of the utmost concern for media personnel in Afghanistan …
Discussion:
@w7voa and @freedomofpress
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WaPo publisher Fred Ryan emails US National Security advisor on behalf of WaPo, NYT, and WSJ to help evacuate their 204 journalists and staff from Afghanistan — Washington Post publisher Fred Ryan sent a plea to the Biden administration on Monday to help evacuate journalists and their families …
Discussion:
Committee to Protect …, The New York Times Company, icfj.org, @wsjpr, Reason, @jamilsmith, @nytimespr, Variety, Politico, American Press Institute, Washington Post, @amandamarcotte, @cassvinograd, Politico, @amandamarcotte, @beyerstein, @kenroth, newslaundry.com, @jaketapper, @phoennix10, @oliverdarcy, @interactionorg, @nikkiusher, @kainazamaria, @margyslattery, @anujchopra, @greenblattjd, @omanreagan, @cliffordlevy, @bymikebaker, @lara_korte, @nicdawes, @edmundlee, @lisafleisher, @evan_rosenfeld, Mediaite, The Wrap and The Hill


Sources: the homes of at least two female journalists were visited by Taliban fighters on Sunday and several others received threatening calls
Discussion:
Detroit Free Press, The Guardian, CNN, @samirashackle, @accessnow, @katebanville, @katharineq, @sophiemcneill, @heoj, Insider and NBC 6 South Florida

More than 100 journalists employed by US government's radio stations are yet to be evacuated from Afghanistan as the Taliban take power
Discussion:
Columbia Journalism Review, MediaPost, Columbia Journalism Review, @yaldasarwar, Poynter, @peterhamby, @kevinmaisto, @ariannahuff, @jon_allsop, @arianapekary, Breitbart, @brianstelter, @oliverdarcy, @mlcalderone, @smbahr14, @mlcalderone, @joshrogin, CBS Denver, SPJ News, @benyt, News Media Alliance and @_katherinebrown


Sources: Forbes Media is in talks to go public via a merger with the Magnum Opus Acquisition SPAC, a deal that would value the company at $650M — - Media company had been in talks with GSV-led consortium — B.C. Forbes founded namesake business magazine in 1917
Discussion:
Talking Biz News and @deitaone


J2 Global, owner Mashable and IGN, is rebranding as Ziff Davis and has a $1B M&A budget, after spending $480M on deals in 2020 and earning revenue of $1.49B — Parent company J2 Global is being renamed after the century-old magazine publisher and will have $1 billion for buying up other companies
Discussion:
The Wrap, @wsj, @saschasegan and New York Times


Right-wing media outlets and elected US Republicans distorted phrases by CNN's Clarissa Ward in Kabul to imply that Ward and CNN were rooting for the Taliban — The political right has plenty to work with right now on Afghanistan. The withdrawal from that country has gone poorly …
Discussion:
@tedcruz, @cnnpr, @clarissaward, @katies, @jackposobiec, @anusharavi10, @charlesppierce, @sduncovered, @biaggi4ny, Snopes.com, Sean Hannity, @mahwashajaz_, @atrupar, @jackposobiec, @kfile, @ananavarro, @kaitlancollins, @maggienyt, @frankluntz, @phil_mattingly, @farnazfassihi, @fbhutto, @mollymckew, @jackiekcalmes, @seungminkim, @keithedwards, @paulszoldra, @chrisburynews, @repdanbishop, @peterbale, @raineytime, @emgusk, @dailycaller, @byrondonalds and Insider


Sinclair and Dish temporarily extend their contract as talks continue on their carriage deal; Sinclair regional sports networks have been a major sticking point — Dish and Sinclair have agreed to a short-term extension of their carriage agreement — HUNT VALLEY, M.D. …
Discussion:
USA Today, Cord Cutters News, Awful Announcing and FierceVideo


A look at the focus on disinformation by media, tech, and academic leaders, and how assumptions about disinfo effectiveness echo old media and advertising myths — In the beginning, there were ABC, NBC, and CBS, and they were good. Midcentury American man could come home after eight hours …
Discussion:
@benyt, @yoloethics, @jemimajoanna, @noupside, @nkulw, @samjsutton, @noupside, @noupside, @willoremus, @willoremus, @willoremus, @willoremus, @daveyalba, @daveyalba, @daveyalba, @etbrooking, @bcmerchant, @mathewi, @theophite, @kevinwglass, @mattyglesias, @rosiegray, @noupside, @neontaster, @tomgara, @nickconfessore, @rosiegray, @chanders, @nkulw, @geniepee, @laurawags, @lionel_trolling and @omriceren


TikTok partners with Audius, a music streaming service built on Ethereum, to let users upload their music as TikTok Sounds — It's the blockchain-powered Audius, rather than Spotify or Apple Music, that will let artists share their sounds into TikTok in one click
Discussion:
@om, Tubefilter, CoinDesk, @audiusproject, @audiusproject, CNET, Black Bezos Daily and MUSIC x, more at Techmeme »


How conservative publishing imprints, like Threshold Editions and Salem Books, are capitalizing on the backlash against progressive titles on race and racism — Books on race and antiracism have sold well over the past year. Now titles like “I Can't Breathe: How a Racial Hoax Is Killing America” and “Race Crazy” are coming.
Discussion:
@nytimesbooks, @kingsbookstore, @morganjerkins, @nytimesbooks, @jbronitsky, @blindmike_, @ebonyteach and @lesliemac


OnlyFans begins promoting OFTV, a free nudity-free app on iOS and Android with 800+ videos by creators, chefs, and others, as it prepares to raise new funding — The most common question customers ask Tim Stokely, the chief executive officer of OnlyFans, is why he doesn't have an app.
Discussion:
TechCrunch, New York Post, @ashleylatke, The Verge and Tubefilter, more at Techmeme »


UK-based ad tech startup InfoSum, which helps organizations match customer data in a privacy-compliant way, raises $65M Series B at a $300M pre-money valuation — The Series B funding round from Chrysalis Investments will help the company grow its staff and presence as it plans a future public offering
Discussion:
TechCrunch, more at Techmeme »


On his return to CNN, Chris Cuomo says he advised his brother to resign “when the time came” and “never misled anyone” — The network host insisted he ‘never misled anyone’ and that he also urged his brother to quit ‘when the time came’
Discussion:
Fox News, @oliverdarcy, Hollywood Reporter, @danradzikowski, Vanity Fair, @elaheizadi, The Hill, The Guardian, @atrupar, New York Times, @atrupar, @brianstelter, Politico, The Week, Los Angeles Times, Variety, deadline.com and TVLine