Top News:
Axios:
Ozy Media chairman Marc Lasry resigns and steps down from Ozy's board, saying he lacks expertise in crisis management and investigations; he remains an investor — Marc Lasry, the billionaire businessman and co-owner of the Milwaukee Bucks, said in a statement provided that he has stepped down from Ozy Media's board.
Discussion:
The Wrap, Variety, The Hill, CNBC, @rjcc, @blackamazon, @russellbrandom, @jeffjarvis, @janinegibson, @retheauditors, @danprimack, @katierosman, @craigsilverman, Hollywood Reporter, @willsommer, @dudejohan and TechCrunch
Discussion:
Michael Schneider / Variety: Ozy Media Chairman Marc Lasry Resigns, as Company Faces More Scrutiny
Steve Kovach / CNBC: Marc Lasry resigns as chair of Ozy Media after 3 weeks, following reports of alleged misconduct at firm
Richard Lawler / @rjcc: @russellbrandom Lasry's actually rich from other stuff, I think he just liked being able to tell people he was a media mogul and had no idea what they did there
@blackamazon: Lord , we need to have ways to do these that don't rely on leaks alone https://twitter.com/...
Russell Brandom / @russellbrandom: “My experience is mostly in sowing, so it's better if someone else takes over the reaping” https://twitter.com/...
Jeff Jarvis / @jeffjarvis: Congratulations to @benyt for harpooning his Tronc, his white whale, his Moby — nay, Ozy — Dick. https://twitter.com/...
Francine McKenna / @retheauditors: @benyt Ha. “Ozy requires experience digging out of a pile of sh*t instead of just shoveling it and I don't have that temperament or skill set.”
Dan Primack / @danprimack: Milwaukee Bucks owner Marc Lasry steps down from Ozy Media's board following scandal https://www.axios.com/...
Craig Silverman / @craigsilverman: This is significant — it was not long ago that Lasry was trotted out to press as being totally personally and financially committed to Ozy. He could easily appoint a board committee and hire experts to help with these issues. Instead, he walked. https://twitter.com/...
Alex Weprin / Hollywood Reporter: Ozy Media Chairman Marc Lasry Resigns
Will Sommer / @willsommer: Starting to think OZY Media isn't on the level! https://www.thedailybeast.com/ ...
RELATED:
Kerry Flynn / CNN:
Some former Ozy employees say they were overworked to the point of exhaustion: “They brought in very talented, motivated, excited people and just used them up” — New York (CNN Business)Around midnight one Saturday late last year, Eva Rodriguez, 24, had trouble breathing.
Discussion:
@benyt, @sarafischer, Puck, Today in Tabs, @moorehn, @peterhamby, @bobpickard, @parismartineau, @mslopatto, @remynuma, @phil_rosenthal, @danprimack, @ahess247, @caleweissman, @tonyajoriley, @brosandprose, @anhaiphung, @chaykak, @ahhensel, @heynottheface, @gnagesh, @fka_tabs, @bartlettkate, @elenainzafrica, @nick4iezos, @bartlettkate, @charukasturi, @shortformernie, @eevasita, @eevasita, @eevasita, @eevasita, @alextweeting, @kerrymflynn, @monicatorrr, @kidnate, @shortformernie, @mediaevan, @nick4iezos, @jman23j, @chronotope, @robaeprice and Boing Boing
Discussion:
Ben Smith / @benyt: Ozy chairman Marc Lasry just resigned: “I believe that going forward Ozy requires experience in areas like crisis management and investigations, where I do not have particular expertise.”
Sara Fischer / @sarafischer: 🚨🚨🚨Marc Lasry steps down from Ozy's board — Statement from PR flak https://twitter.com/...
Theodore Schleifer / Puck: Laurene Powell Jobs' Bizarre Week in the Headlines
Rusty Foster / Today in Tabs: Will You Commit To Ending Finsta?
Heidi N. Moore / @moorehn: This is the minimum Lasry should do after supporting Samir Rao's attempt to defraud potential investors. Imagine trying to get away with that wild quote about standing behind Rao. https://twitter.com/...
Peter Hamby / @peterhamby: RIP Carlos Watson's obvious and long-planned run for office as a neolib Dem https://twitter.com/...
Bob Pickard / @bobpickard: Extraordinary. The lack of this kind of experience - so valuable at a premium in a social media age - is a widespread challenge for many senior executives, but I have never seen one of them candidly admit it on the public record like this. via @josh_wingrove ht @RoyNorton1 https://twitter.com/...
Paris Martineau / @parismartineau: honestly great breakup line https://twitter.com/...
Elizabeth Lopatto / @mslopatto: huge week for ozy fulfilling its mission (the mighty looking on its works and despairing) https://twitter.com/...
Rémy Numa / @remynuma: @sarafischer Lasry's first job out of college was in bankruptcy law... certainly feels like relevant expertise to me.
Phil Rosenthal / @phil_rosenthal: And now we have the answer as to when #Bucks owner Marc Lasry would cut and run from his role at chairman at media mirage #Ozy ... https://twitter.com/...
Dan Primack / @danprimack: NEW: Marc Lasry, who just resigned as chair of Ozy Media, was referred to by Carlos Watson as “lead investor” in a $35 million round in 2019. But, learning now that Lasry's investment in that round was only $1 million, and he didn't invest subsequently.
Cale G Weissman / @caleweissman: these expectations are both insane and impossible https://www.cnn.com/... https://twitter.com/...
Tonya Riley / @tonyajoriley: This is why this generation of media is so utterly broken and disillusioned https://www.cnn.com/... https://twitter.com/...
Ella Dawson / @brosandprose: “In the publication's early days Watson seemed to expect a full-time editorial staff of about four writers and two editors to produce 40 high-quality magazine articles per week.” So many eye-popping moments in the latest OZY news: https://www.cnn.com/...
An Phung / @anhaiphung: Pushing your workers to the brink of mental health collapse is surefire way to get them to blow the whistle to reporters. Appreciate the people who spoke to @kerrymflynn about their experiences for this story: https://twitter.com/...
Kyle Chayka / @chaykak: lol Ozy's Samir Rao also pretended to be the HR director? https://www.cnn.com/... https://twitter.com/...
Anna Hensel / @ahhensel: It was obvious after reading the NYT story, but you can tell how toxic a workplace is by how quickly current and former employees will talk to a reporter after one critical story initially breaks. Great details here from Kerry https://twitter.com/...
John S. Nash / @heynottheface: “[I was] trying not to lose my mind and avoiding the blast zone of Carlos' frequently expressed ire,” Robinson told CNN Business. “While the outside world he faced saw glib and charming, those who had to work with him saw a very different face.” https://cnn.com/...
Gautham Nagesh / @gnagesh: So apparently Samir Rao of Ozy doesn't just impersonate Google execs; he also pretended to be in HR in order to gain access to an employee's medical records(!) https://www.google.com/...
@fka_tabs: Ben Smith poked it with a pin and now all of Ozy is just zooming around the room going plblblblblblblblblblblblbl and getting smaller and smaller
Kate Bartlett / @bartlettkate: What a year. In December I lost my job as DPA's Africa correspondent when the wire closed down the English language service. I was pleased to get a job quite quickly, joining OZY in March and excited to transition to digital and work for a minority-owned US Media company. 1/2
Elena W / @elenainzafrica: Kudos to brilliant SA-based journo @bartlettkate for living by her ethics and values. Ethics and values in themselves don't pay the rent, so I hope she finds another role soon 🙏🏿 https://twitter.com/...
@nick4iezos: Kate is a great writer and journalist, and an even better person. Complete joy to work with, anyone would be lucky to have her. https://twitter.com/...
Kate Bartlett / @bartlettkate: Earlier this week I was on holiday when I found out about the wrongdoing by management. I resigned. So I'm now an unemployed journalist for the 2nd time this year 😥 But ethics have always been and will always be paramount to me. Any job tips appreciated. 2/2
Charu Kasturi / @charukasturi: It's been a pleasure, an honor, working with @bartlettkate . She's a fine, fine journalist who has worked in most parts of the world, consistently delivering top quality work. Wishing you all the best, Kate. https://twitter.com/...
Ernie Smith / @shortformernie: @eevasita You are incredibly brave to speak out—and I hope it sparks an industrywide conversation about work/life balance.
@eevasita: (THREAD) I spoke on record about the darkest moments of my life because I felt that sharing my personal experiences will shed light on the abominable work culture at #OZY ...
@eevasita: I hope that the stories coming out about OZY will put an end to the lies and unacceptable mistreatment of talented, passionate individuals who dedicate their lives to their work — at this company and at others like it.
@eevasita: When I read that they decided to chalk up the impersonation incident to mental health I was absolutely appalled knowing that many of my former colleagues suffered mental health implications from working FOR THEM.
@eevasita: Thank you @kerrymflynn for capturing our stories and to my former colleagues for empowering me to tell mine.
Alex Washburn / @alextweeting: @eevasita Eva, I have never met you but I really admire your courage to speak out. I hope you are in a better place now and proud of your voice. <3
@kerrymflynn: @eevasita Thank you for speaking out about what you went through and sharing it with me. In addition to seeing the public tweets, I've also received texts and emails admiring and commending you
Monica Torres / @monicatorrr: This Ozy story on its cultish, toxic company culture shows the harm that these “charismatic” leaders can wreck on the lives on journos just at the start of their careers. Upsetting! https://www.cnn.com/...
Nate Wilcox / @kidnate: So glad this is finally coming out. Anyone who had friends at OZY knew it was an abusive atmosphere. https://cnn.com/...
Ernie Smith / @shortformernie: When your employee has a mental breakdown due to overwork, if your first instinct upon getting a doctor's note confirming this is to call the doctor's office and ask for their medical records ... you might be a bad person. https://www.cnn.com/... https://twitter.com/...
Evan DeSimone / @mediaevan: The worst part of the Ozy story is that a lot of these people will lose their jobs and the people responsible for the whole mess will just drift off into the sunset with plenty of severance and eventually slide into new senior roles when the dust settles. https://www.cnn.com/...
@nick4iezos: God bless @eevasita for telling her story (and @kerrymflynn for writing it). Sadly, while it was one of the most egregious cases, situations like this one were all too common. https://www.cnn.com/...
Eferighe / @jman23j: This was my life for 1.5 years. Still recovering. Still finding myself. Former Ozy staffers say it was like a ‘cult’ that used people up - CNN https://www.cnn.com/...
Aram Zucker-Scharff / @chronotope: It's wild to discover that I'm not the only one with a ‘WTF is going on at OZY?’ folder in my notes and I'm enjoying seeing everyone open their's up.
New York Times:
Katty Kay, a former BBC anchor who recently joined Ozy, resigns, citing NYT's reporting on the company
Discussion:
@kattykay_, @chomskybartlett, The Rebooting, @iwriteok, @dudejohan, @benyt, @bmorrissey, @dceiver, @kantrowitz, @film_girl, @heoj, @stephenfhayes, @ckrewson, @jeffjarvis, @nprinskeep, @katie_robertson, @bmorrissey, @nick4iezos, @nick4iezos, @sonia_26, @sonia_26, @danielpmalloy, @danielpmalloy, Digiday, @rolandsmartin, @joenbc, @benlabolt, @cliffordlevy, @willoremus, @jackmirkinson, @bbcjonsopel, @daveweigel, @silviakillings, @jimwaterson, @gregorynyc, @edwardgluce, @keitholbermann, @biannagolodryga, @mikebarnicle, @brianstelter, @benyt, Vanity Fair, @dudejohan, Ad Age, Mediaite, @bariweiss, The Wrap, @dudejohan, Insider and Forbes
Discussion:
Katty Kay / @kattykay_: Yesterday morning I handed in my resignation to Ozy Media. I was looking forward to working with the talented young reporters but I did not expect this! https://twitter.com/...
Susan Bartlett / @chomskybartlett: @KattyKay_ My daughter has worked for them for 7 months doing 12 hour days and resigned yesterday. She doesnt have your profile unfortunately and so begins a lengthy and depressing job hunt. Whilst the media pile in on the CEO and COO spare a thought for the hardworking journos
Brian Morrissey / The Rebooting: The media business has a bigger Ozy problem
Robert Evans / @iwriteok: the funniest thing about Ozy is how the co-founder bragged that our times were so tumultuous that the people NEED an interviewer like Carlos Watson to bring them the fresh, world-changing perspective of people like *checks notes* ...Condoleezza Rice https://twitter.com/...
Johan Moreno / @dudejohan: I just wanted to amplify this tweet — from what I've heard, tons of @OZY staffers are genuinely talented people who were sold into a lie — and worked under unfavorable conditions. Many working overtime without pay. And almost all are under very strict NDAs... https://twitter.com/...
Ben Smith / @benyt: A&E had taped a mental health special, co-produced with Ozy, and hosted by Carlos Watson. The pulled it soon before it was to air Monday night. https://www.nytimes.com/...
Brian Morrissey / @bmorrissey: The reason the Ozy story has resonated so much with “media people” is the details are cartoonish versions of the vacuousness and dishonesty regularly peddled as a normal course of business. https://therebooting.substack.com/ ... https://twitter.com/...
Jason Linkins / @dceiver: since I stopped watching the Sunday shows I sort of lost track of Katty Kay but I learned today she was working for Ozy, which is still 20,000 leagues better than being on a Sunday show; anyway, cancel MEET THE PRESS https://www.nytimes.com/...
Alex Kantrowitz / @kantrowitz: “Underpinning all of this is the fuel of digital media: the expectation to show hockey-stick growth. But publishing doesn't work like that. Building sustainable brands, built on trust and habit, takes a long time.” https://therebooting.substack.com/ ...
Christina Warren / @film_girl: Kudos to Katty on her integrity here. https://twitter.com/...
Holly Ojalvo / @heoj: 🧵 notable for news hiring managers who may see reporter & editor applicants who have Ozy on their resumes (the separation we all prize between newsroom & business side applies) https://twitter.com/...
Chris Krewson / @ckrewson: Is anyone else weirded out how much of Ozy's content is really about Carlos Watson https://www.nytimes.com/... https://twitter.com/...
Jeff Jarvis / @jeffjarvis: At Ozy Media, a Star Journalist (Katty Kay) Quits, and a Key Investor Backs Away https://www.nytimes.com/...
Steve Inskeep / @nprinskeep: The speed of this implosion after the @benyt story is striking. https://twitter.com/...
Katie Robertson / @katie_robertson: New from @benyt and me: A&E canceled the second part of a series on mental health hosted by Ozy Media's Carlos Watson as the fallout continues https://www.nytimes.com/...
Brian Morrissey / @bmorrissey: New edition of The Rebooting is about how Ozy is an inevitable result of the media industry's high tolerance for complete bullshit at every possible level. https://therebooting.substack.com/ ...
@nick4iezos: There are too many people and pieces to mention. OZY was plagued by unethical leadership, yet somehow its staff produced meaningful journalism from across the globe, about people and places many outlets glossed over. I am incredibly grateful for my colleagues' work under duress.
@nick4iezos: OZY should cease to exist. But the journalism — by some of the smartest, most ethical, hardworking reporters I've met under intense pressure — should live on. Here is some of it, in case you aren't one of the thousands of people (or millions of bots) that read us.
Sonia Sarkar / @sonia_26: Having filed almost 8 stories for @ozy - from India, Vietnam and Singapore- and having worked with its many editors including @CharuKasturi & @DanielPMalloy, I can say, this platform gave solid space to reporters who had a convincing story to tell. https://twitter.com/...
Sonia Sarkar / @sonia_26: I wish the best to all editors and reporters working there and I sincerely feel that their reputation should not be tarnished because of this one controversy.
Daniel Malloy / @danielpmalloy: I hope the journo world embraces the reporters and editors who pulled off this strong work the same way it has others who have been part of mismanaged or now-defunct newsrooms. The work was real, even if trendy media types didn't see it in the moment.
Daniel Malloy / @danielpmalloy: I am trying to stay out of the @ozy fray this week but just want to say that regardless of some decisions at the top, the journalism pulled off there was real, and often good. (1/7)
@rolandsmartin: Wow. @KattyKay_ resigns from @carloswatson's @ozy. This is huge. Guess what's next? Advertising agencies demanding an independent forensic audit of all of their platform numbers. They spent a ton of dough with @Ozy. I guarantee there is major blowback at ad agencies from clients. https://twitter.com/...
Joe Scarborough / @joenbc: Katty, Mika and I are proud to be your friends. Your work at the @BBC and building The Confidence Code for women and girls has been inspiring to watch. We hope to see you much more on MJ! @KattyKay_ https://twitter.com/...
Ben LaBolt / @benlabolt: Good for Katty, who is as smart and experienced as they come, and who didn't deserve this craziness https://twitter.com/...
Cliff Levy / @cliffordlevy: NEW: Embattled digital media company Ozy lost one of its biggest stars when Katty Kay, former BBC anchor, announced her resignation. “The allegations in the NYT, which caught me be surprise, are serious and deeply troubling.” By @katie_robertson https://www.nytimes.com/...
Jack Mirkinson / @jackmirkinson: love the irony of resigning from an imploding digital scam company by posting a picture of a printed out statement https://twitter.com/...
Jon Sopel / @bbcjonsopel: A predictably classy and principled response from you @KattyKay_ The allegations are beyond crazy. But - if I may say - your integrity shines even brighter https://twitter.com/...
Dave Weigel / @daveweigel: Watching this sweater unravel after @benyt pulled a few threads is amazing https://twitter.com/...
Silvia Killingsworth / @silviakillings: phone pic of a printout is a brave new genre and I'm here for it https://twitter.com/...
Jim Waterson / @jimwaterson: Ooooofph, longstanding BBC correspondent Katty Kay quit this summer to join Ozy. Now has quit. https://twitter.com/...
Gregory Schmidt / @gregorynyc: BREAKING: Katty Kay, one of Ozy Media's biggest stars, resigned from the company after a Times report raised questions about its business practices, reports @katie_robertson. https://www.nytimes.com/... @nytimesbusiness
Edward Luce / @edwardgluce: More bad news for Ozy but good decision by Katty, who will have no trouble finding a better outlet for her talents. https://twitter.com/...
Keith Olbermann / @keitholbermann: The most gullible person in international media just found out she did another gullible https://twitter.com/...
Bianna Golodryga / @biannagolodryga: You're a class act and incredible journalist, @KattyKay_. https://twitter.com/...
Mike Barnicle / @mikebarnicle: It would be hard for any legit media outlet to find anyone with more experience, a smarter, more current-outlook or a more insightful global perspective than @KattyKay_ https://twitter.com/...
Brian Stelter / @brianstelter: “I had no choice but to end my relationship with the company” 👇🏼 https://twitter.com/...
Caleb Ecarma / Vanity Fair: Ozy's Digital Media Meltdown Is Just Getting Started
Johan Moreno / @dudejohan: I've been tracking @ozy's questionable ad claims for YEARS! Here are my favorites: 1/ When this magazine-style ad supplement said @DEADLINE wrote that he was the “Best Interviewer on TV.” This was actually a quote from Ozy co-founder Samir Rao > https://deadline.com/... https://twitter.com/...
Rudy Takala / Mediaite: MSNBC Contributor Katty Kay Resigns From Ozy Over ‘Deeply Troubling’ Allegations Against Fledgling Media Company
Bari Weiss / @bariweiss: This is so delicious. https://www.nytimes.com/...
Lindsey Ellefson / The Wrap: Katty Kay Resigns as Ozy Media Exec Producer Following NY Times Exposé
Axios:
Sources: in an extremely rare move, SV Angel, led by VC Ron Conway, informed Ozy that it will give up stock acquired in 2012
Discussion:
New York Magazine, Bloomberg, CNN, @gerryfsmith, @danprimack, @sonnybunch, Insider, @crayton_h, @glenrdixon, @haleaziz, @jayrosen_nyu, The Wrap, @jayrosen_nyu, @pebonilla, @robaeprice, @brienneofsnark_, @danprimack, @danprimack, @kevinmdraper, @davidcorndc, @fka_tabs, @charlesarthur, @jimvandehei, @mccarthyryanj, @jaredbkeller, @sarafischer, @alexweprin, @lawrencehurley, @mimms, Today in Tabs, @brizzyc, Variety, The Hill, @justinjm1 and @readdanwrite
Discussion:
Matt Stieb / New York Magazine: Look Upon Ozy's Mess and Despair
Gerry Smith / @gerryfsmith: Ozy Media employees felt pressure from management to accept stock options instead of higher salaries. They describe a workplace culture of long hours and unrealistic demands that left them vulnerable to burnout. https://www.bloomberg.com/...
Dan Primack / @danprimack: NEW from me and @sarafischer: One of OZY Media's earliest investors, Ron Conway, has surrendered his shares in the company. This is VERY rare in venture capital land. https://www.axios.com/...
Sonny Bunch / @sonnybunch: Imagine fucking up so bad one of your investors is just like “you know what, not only do I not want to invest, I don't even want the stock I already paid for, just take it back.” https://www.axios.com/... https://twitter.com/...
Lara O'Reilly / Insider: Ozy draws advertiser scrutiny
Crayton Harrison / @crayton_h: “You can't buy gas or groceries with stock options.” Former Ozy employees felt pressure to forgo cash raises. Now they can't figure out how much their options are worth, @gerryfsmith & Clara Molot report. https://www.bloomberg.com/...
Glen Dixon / @glenrdixon: What OZY is saying: Nothing. At least not to Axios. OZY co-founder and CEO Carlos Watson did set up a call with us for yesterday morning, and said that chairman Marc Lasry would also participate. But the scheduled time came and went, and our follow-up messages went unanswered. https://twitter.com/...
Hamed Aleaziz / @haleaziz: “Ozy's reporters were expected to produce three to four in-depth features each week, a pace that many said they found to be unsustainable.” https://www.bloomberg.com/...
Jay Rosen / @jayrosen_nyu: Meltdown: Led by venture capitalist Ron Conway, SV Angel told OZY yesterday that it no longer wants the stock it acquired back in 2012. “It is extremely rare for a VC firm to surrender shares; a rebuke several levels above choosing not to invest further.” https://www.axios.com/...
Jay Rosen / @jayrosen_nyu: “Press releases noting how amazingly successful it is, how it has a quintillion viewers an hour [and] the creeping realization that you've never actually come across any Ozy content online, shared by anyone you know, ever.” https://www.niemanlab.org/... My interest in this story is 11.
Peter Bonilla / @pebonilla: I've said it before and I'll say it again: getting fact-checked by @mcmoynihan is a bad way to go through life https://www.thedailybeast.com/ ... https://twitter.com/...
Rob Price / @robaeprice: Scandal-hit OZY promised to explain things to Axios in an interview... and then just ghosted them. https://www.axios.com/... https://twitter.com/...
@brienneofsnark_: One of the funniest things I have read about how a company defines a subscriber. https://twitter.com/... https://twitter.com/...
Dan Primack / @danprimack: 4/ There was no press release or public statement, which wasn't in keeping w/ OZY or Carlos' past strategy for fundings. 5/ One investor says they got info in May that a round was in process, but didn't get an update. 6/ No VC firm reported to PitchBook or other data provider.
Dan Primack / @danprimack: Reporters keep chasing details on the “new” OZY round. What we know: 1/ There's no Form D filing. 2/ Several passive investors tell me they weren't informed of it, or given opportunity to invest. 3/ OZY got a 2nd draw PPP loan in Feb, around when the GS thing was collapsing.
Kevin Draper / @kevinmdraper: Good reporting by Axios on Ozy here, but wonder what they think about all these past Axios headlines: https://www.axios.com/... https://twitter.com/...
David Corn / @davidcorndc: I'm sick & tired of magical thinking in the media world. There's no secret formula for journalism. No special sauce for VCers to throw money at. It ain't a mystery: It takes grit/hard work to get kickass stories. Did Ozy do that? Was that its sales pitch? https://www.niemanlab.org/...
@fka_tabs: This article is great and very well sourced and supported, but @jbenton you should really just cut the one line you have no evidence of https://www.niemanlab.org/... https://twitter.com/...
Charles Arthur / @charlesarthur: I think Ozy may quickly turn into a “gradually and then suddenly” scenario., https://twitter.com/...
Ryan McCarthy / @mccarthyryanj: Not sure I've ever seen an investor just straight up say they no longer want the shares they paid for https://www.axios.com/...
Jared Keller / @jaredbkeller: Ozy's public firestorm gets worse as early investor jumps ship https://www.axios.com/...
Sara Fischer / @sarafischer: As a side note, OZY was recruiting for a new COO last fall, per a pitch-deck obtained by Axios. No word on what happened with that process. https://twitter.com/...
Alex Weprin / @alexweprin: Ok here's my contribution to the Ozy Media chatter: At some point in the last year and a half, it appears as though the company raised a significant amount of debt financing, at an eye-watering 12.8% interest rate. Debt comes due in 2023. See page 43: https://www.sec.gov/...
Lawrence Hurley / @lawrencehurley: LOL — Ozy claims to have discovered *Brett Kavanaugh* because it had a profile of him a few days before he was nominated to the Supreme Court even though he bad been a prominent appeals court judge for more than a decade before that and had been written about thousands of times https://twitter.com/...
Sarah Mimms / @mimms: Every sentence in this is more gasp worthy than the last Ozy says it's great at discovering big names before the mainstream media. But is it? https://www.niemanlab.org/... via @NiemanLab
Rusty Foster / Today in Tabs: America Never Had a Core
Carrie Brown / @brizzyc: “this site here, Nieman Lab, gets significantly more traffic than Ozy does. Now, I happen to like this website very much, but if you told me it might be a business worth $159 million I would laaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaugh and laugh.” - @jbenton https://www.niemanlab.org/...
Michael Schneider / Variety: Former BBC Anchor Katty Kay Departs Embattled Ozy Media, Just Three Months After Joining
Dominick Mastrangelo / The Hill: Journalist Katty Kay resigns from Ozy Media in fallout from NYT story
Justin Miller / @justinjm1: OZY made up favorable quotes from other media outlets, such as Time Out NY, Deadline, and the Los Angeles Times https://www.thedailybeast.com/ ...
Daniel Roberts / @readdanwrite: I had a very similar experience with Ozy years ago. they reached out about a sports editor role. but none of the people running it could answer any of my Qs about strategy or the site's most successful posts— beyond repeatedly citing a viral chocolate chip cookies recipe post. https://twitter.com/...
Tony Arnold / WBEZ Chicago:
Chicago Public Media names Matt Moog as new CEO, as its board votes to pursue an acquisition of the Chicago Sun-Times — URL Copied! — In an unprecedented maneuver to try and “secure the future” of one Chicago's two daily newspapers, Chicago Public Media's board of directors voted Wednesday …
Discussion:
Robert Feder, @lenfestinst, Chicago Business, Columbia Journalism Review, Media Nation, Chicago Sun-Times, The Hill, @michaelsobrien, @royalpratt, @justinkaufmann, @imleor, American Press Institute, @chicagoel, @scribeguy, @danielkayhertz, @ckrewson, @palewire, Current, @mukhtaryare, insideradio.com, @beckycarroll7, @timakimoff, @markjacob16, Three Things, @lenfestinst, @newsjennifer, @lenfestinst, @jimfriedlich, @vwpickard and Daily Herald
Discussion:
Lenfest Institute / @lenfestinst: The merger is a win for @chicagosuntimes, @WBEZ, and, most importantly, the people of Chicago, who will benefit from unparalleled public-service journalism. The Lenfest Institute was proud to serve as an advisor and support this important step. https://twitter.com/...
Ally Marotti / Chicago Business: WBEZ board OKs Sun-Times acquisition plan
Dan Kennedy / Media Nation: In Chicago, public radio steps up to fill the gap created by hedge-fund ownership
Jon Seidel / Chicago Sun-Times: Sun-Times, WBEZ parent company to explore historic partnership to create country's largest local nonprofit news service
Dominick Mastrangelo / The Hill: Chicago Sun-Times, Chicago Public Media exploring merger as nonprofit
Michael O'Brien / @michaelsobrien: Big news at the workplace. Maybe we can get No Shot Clock a 6 am Saturday morning radio slot or something? Fun times. I think this is owner number seven for me, but kinda lost count. https://chicago.suntimes.com/ ...
Gregory Pratt / @royalpratt: Media consolidation is always a concern — we need more journalism, not less. Whatever happens between @WBEZ and @Suntimes, I hope both entities have long, vibrant futures, whether it's in some form together or not https://chicago.suntimes.com/ ...
Justin Kaufmann / @justinkaufmann: The best merger news since they put KFC and Taco Bell together under one roof. https://twitter.com/...
Leor Galil / @imleor: Not the top news story here, but it's interesting that the former Trib editorial board editor, who once wrote a column wishing for an epic hurricane to hit Chicago, is now VP of a PR company whose clients have included Live Nation and Lolla https://www.robertfeder.com/ ...
Elliott Ramos / @chicagoel: I really hope details of how content sharing and workflows get ironed out soon for both newsrooms' sake. Each create unique and vital content. The pre-Zell era of Tribune “synergy” was supposed to share content for Trib, WGN, others. https://www.wbez.org/...
Michael Hawthorne / @scribeguy: What a remarkable turn of events. These same foundations/financiers rejected pleas to save the @chicagotribune from a job-destroying hedge fund. https://twitter.com/...
Daniel Kay Hertz / @danielkayhertz: Whoa. Are there other instances of public radio entity taking over a daily newspaper? https://twitter.com/...
Chris Krewson / @ckrewson: The Chicago Sun-Times, post-bankruptcy, was losing $4.5M per year in May 2017. It later sold to local investors for $1... three years before Covid took roughly a quarter of most newspapers' circulation. “This isn't a fire sale,” though. https://www.wbez.org/...
Ben Welsh / @palewire: Reporting here suggests MacArthur and Pritzer foundations provided some kind of cash bail out to seal the deal. https://twitter.com/...
Mukhtar M. Ibrahim / @mukhtaryare: The two brands would “create one of the largest local nonprofit news organizations in the nation and be a national model for the future of local journalism.” https://twitter.com/...
Becky Carroll / @beckycarroll7: As a lifelong Chicagoan who happily grew up in a two newspaper town and now works daily with every news outlet in Chicago, I'd say this is the best damn news that Chicago journalism has had in a long time. Bravo @Suntimes and @WBEZ https://www.wbez.org/...
Tim Akimoff / @timakimoff: Today in shit I could've never possibly imagined. WBEZ was my old stomping grounds for a few years. https://twitter.com/...
Mark Jacob / @markjacob16: One of my first questions about this proposed deal to make WBEZ and the Chicago Sun-Times sister news orgs is whether the Sun-Times will reduce print frequency. Seems to me that has to be considered. https://www.wbez.org/...
Tim Eby / Three Things: Three Things for September 30, 2021
Lenfest Institute / @lenfestinst: @JimFriedlich says the Institute's non-profit status has been a helpful model, and that the deal can serve as an example for other public media and local newspapers to follow. https://www.wbez.org/...
Jennifer Schulze / @newsjennifer: Hoping this @WBEZ takeover not only helps keep the @Suntimes afloat but also inspires it to continue working on diversity. As others have pointed out, white men still make most of the editorial decisions there while WBEZ has a team that better represents the city it covers. https://twitter.com/...
Lenfest Institute / @lenfestinst: “(Chicago's) news capacity has been ravaged over the years by out-of-town hedge fund owners, the secular decline of print, and a failure to invest in the digital transformation of local news products,” said @JimFriedlich. https://www.wbez.org/...
Jim Friedlich / @jimfriedlich: GREAT NEWS FOR LOCAL NEWS: On the heels of sharp cutbacks at @chicagotribune, today's @Suntimes @wbez announcement is wonderful news & a model for other public media and local newspapers to emulate. https://twitter.com/...
Bethany Allen-Ebrahimian / Axios:
LinkedIn has blocked the profiles of several US journalists on its Chinese platform, citing “prohibited content” without specifying what it was — LinkedIn blocked the profiles of several U.S. journalists from the company's China-based platform this week, citing “prohibited content.”
Discussion:
B. Allen-Ebrahimian / @bethanyallenebr: I woke up this morning to discover that LinkedIn had blocked my profile in China. I used to have to wait for Chinese govt censors, or censors employed by Chinese companies in China, to do this kind of thing. Now a US company is paying its own employees to censor Americans. https://twitter.com/...
Jim Banks / @repjimbanks: I sent a letter to @LinkedIn about this last week. Waiting to hear back... https://twitter.com/... https://twitter.com/...
Ayman / @aymanm: Absolutely incredible. The censorship by internet companies to placate governments - in this case China - continues. https://twitter.com/...
Edward Wong / @ewong: This thread raises the persistent issue of American media / internet companies bowing to censorship pressures from China. Meanwhile, Chinese intel agencies have been using LinkedIn to try to recruit assets “on a mass scale,” as one US official said: https://www.nytimes.com/... https://twitter.com/...
Yair Rosenberg / @yair_rosenberg: This is obscene. @LinkedIn, a US company, is censoring a US journalist and her ability to reach Chinese readers at the bidding of China's censorious regime. @BethanyAllenEbr's reporting is essential, and I hope this backfires and draws even more attention to her work. https://twitter.com/...
Elson Tong / @elson_tong: One of the most lucid threads - considering the incentives and lack of deterrence of acting in Beijing's interests against US citizens, LinkedIn is acting 100% rationally here https://twitter.com/...
RF Parsley / @sanverde: This has been happening for the better part of a decade. Glad everyone's finally getting caught up about now~ https://twitter.com/...
Daniel Korski / @danielkorski: Is there value in requiring companies to be up-front and open when you sign up to their services and continuously about which jurisdictions they only offer a partial or government-mandated service? A sort of ‘Values of Use’ rather than only a Terms of Use. https://twitter.com/...
Josh Kraushaar / @hotlinejosh: Wake up and smell the coffee. The influence that Communist China is holding over American corporations is only deepening. https://twitter.com/...
@axios: LinkedIn is one of the only large American social media platforms to agree to the Chinese government's demands to censor content, and is tasking its own employees with restricting what users in China can see. https://www.axios.com/...
Patrick Chovanec / @prchovanec: Happening to a lot of people I know. https://twitter.com/...
Garry Kasparov / @kasparov63: More consequences of engagement with dictatorships, training US companies and employees how to censor to satisfy the Chinese Communist Party. Engagement doesn't liberalize authoritarians, it spreads corruption and totalitarianism the other way. https://twitter.com/...
Rebeccah Heinrichs / @rlheinrichs: Well this is awful and- if there is any bipartisan agreement to be found!- there shld be bipartisan condemnation of this https://twitter.com/...
Jonathan Swan / @jonathanvswan: US company LinkedIn now works as a censor on behalf of the Chinese Communist Party, blocking my Axios colleague's profile because of her critical reporting on the CCP. You should follow Bethany. She is a diligent, ethical reporter and we are lucky to have her at Axios. https://twitter.com/...
Tanya Lokot / @tanyalokot: More fascinating adventures in corporate responses to internet sovereignty and online censorship. Lots of great questions here that I've also been pondering re Google/Apple recent actions in Russia. https://twitter.com/...
Nicola Smith / @niccijsmith: “If LinkedIn's behavior is normalized, it sends a message to companies across the globe that it is business as usual to enforce Beijing's censorship demands globally,” PEN America CEO Suzanne Nossel said. @BethanyAllenEbr on LinkedIn's censorship in China https://twitter.com/...
Aislinn Keely / The Block:
TikTok launches Top Moments, an NFT collection featuring six “culturally significant TikTok videos” from creators including Lil Nas X — TikTok is launching a non-fungible token (NFT) collection that will see its top content creators partner with top NFT creators.
Discussion:
Variety, TikTok, Ad Age, TechCrunch, Adweek, Rolling Stone, @carnage4life, @jowyang, Decrypt, Bloomberg, CoinDesk and Tubefilter, more at Techmeme »
Discussion:
Todd Spangler / Variety: Lil Nas X Will Be First Artist to Drop Official TikTok NFTs
Garett Sloane / Ad Age: TikTok explores NFTs as new way to compensate creators
Lucas Matney / TechCrunch: TikTok starts flirting with NFTs
Samantha Hissong / Rolling Stone: Lil Nas X Wants You... To Own the Next Viral TikTok Moment
Dare Obasanjo / @carnage4life: TikTok is going to start selling NFTs of popular videos on @Immutable. It's interesting the tack various apps are taking. Twitter will verify ownership of NFT pfps. TikTok will sell videos as NFTs. As I've said before NFTs are here to stay. https://variety.com/...
Jeremiah Owyang / @jowyang: Every social network will launch, house, and offer an exchange for NFTs. Here comes TikTok https://newsroom.tiktok.com/ ...
Andrew Hayward / Decrypt: TikTok to Release Ethereum NFTs With Lil Nas X, Gary Vee, Grimes
Luke McGrath / Bloomberg: TikTok Wades Into NFTs With Lil Nas X Headlining Collection
Will Gottsegen / CoinDesk: Lil Nas X, Grimes Featured in TikTok NFT Collection
Angelique Jackson / Variety:
Profile of Agnes Chu, president of Condé Nast's multimedia arm, Condé Nast Entertainment, who aims to transform the unit into a full-fledged production company — On the second Monday of September, just one week ahead of her one-year anniversary as president of Condé Nast Entertainment …
Discussion:
@kerrymflynn: Agnes Chu's senior leadership team is largely composed of women and people of color: “I'm not leaving it to other people to handle it.” Great profile by @angelique814 on the president of Condé Nast Entertainment https://variety.com/...
Mark Stenberg / Medialyte:
As recipe publishers adopt grocery commerce, or g-commerce, some sites sacrifice intuitive design to add more ads for ingredients and tools, curdling utility — An untimely pop-up can be the difference between over-easy and over-cooked. — A song to read by: “John the Baptist,” by John & Beverley Martyn
Discussion:
Margaret Sullivan / Washington Post:
The dearth of coverage of the memo outlining how Pence could void the 2020 election points to the mainstream media's blasé attitude to the attempted coup — In a normal world, the “Eastman memo” would be infamous by now, the way “Access Hollywood” became the popular shorthand in 2016 …
Discussion:
@sulliview, @owillis, @lisatozzi, @mattgertz, @jjohnsonlaw, @cappyvavoom, @mattgertz, @costareports, @mattgertz, @theplumlinegs, @mlcalderone, @donmoyn, @mollyjongfast, @kimmasters, @donmoyn, Wormwood, @hillarywarnedus, @michaelkruse, @edbott, @froomkin, @daltonator, CounterPunch, The Week and wgbh.org
Discussion:
@sulliview: A Trump lawyer wrote an instruction manual for a coup. Most of the media yawned. ... My column on the John Eastman memo to Mike Pence https://www.washingtonpost.com/ ...
Oliver Willis / @owillis: “We didn't cover Mr Hitler's putsch because it didn't succeed, and honestly where's the story in an unsuccessful insurrection?” https://twitter.com/...
Lisa Tozzi / @lisatozzi: Very good @Sulliview on how “blasé the mainstream press has become about the attempted coup in the aftermath of the 2020 election — and how easily a coup could succeed next time.” https://www.washingtonpost.com/ ...
Matthew Gertz / @mattgertz: “Why wasn't the Eastman memo treated as what it is: a flashing red alert, signaling that Trump's allies were (and almost certainly still are) plotting the end of free and fair elections in America?” - @Sulliview (feat. me) https://www.washingtonpost.com/ ...
Janet Johnson / @jjohnsonlaw: In a normal world, the “Eastman memo” would be infamous by now, the way “Access Hollywood” became the popular shorthand in 2016 for the damning recording of Donald Trump's bragging about groping women. https://www.washingtonpost.com/ ...
Dr. Cappy / @cappyvavoom: “Eastman's coup hasn't happened yet. But given the media's shrug-off, maybe all we have to do is wait.” https://twitter.com/...
Matthew Gertz / @mattgertz: “Only cover the successful coups” is an interesting programming choice (and Pence reportedly considered it seriously enough to reach out to Quayle for advice). https://twitter.com/...
Robert Costa / @costareports: “A Trump lawyer wrote an instruction manual for a coup. Why haven't you seen it on the news?” @Sulliview on the Eastman memo, which is detailed in PERIL. Key thing our reporting shows: it was not just a memo. Eastman, Trump in Oval Jan. 4 w/ VP. https://www.washingtonpost.com/ ...
Matthew Gertz / @mattgertz: Read our study here: https://www.mediamatters.org/ ...
Greg Sargent / @theplumlinegs: “A Trump lawyer wrote an instruction manual for a coup. Why haven't you seen it on the news?” Important from @Sulliview. These revelations show the need for Electoral Count Act reform. Media disinterest makes it less likely we'll act to protect ourselves: https://www.washingtonpost.com/ ...
Michael Calderone / @mlcalderone: Good @Sulliview piece on “how blasé the mainstream press has become about the attempted coup in the aftermath of the 2020 election — and how easily a coup could succeed next time.” https://www.washingtonpost.com/ ...
Don Moynihan / @donmoyn: One possibility @Sulliview doesn't consider is whether more mundane media biases contributed: there was no juicy Trump tweet or new visuals of rioters to frame the story around. Maybe they just thought legal memo of an obscure lawyer was too boring. Gotta keep the coups exciting!
Molly Jong-Fast / @mollyjongfast: Why isn't the Eastman memo (where a trump lawyer who happens to be a member of the federalist society) plots a coup a bigger story????? https://www.washingtonpost.com/ ...
Don Moynihan / @donmoyn: The justifications for network execs for not covering the Eastman memo are amazing - and wrong: we know that Pence talked about the memo w his legal advisor and seemed torn about whether to pursue its advice in conversations w Quayle. Also, maybe, y'know, investigate the story. https://twitter.com/...
William P. Shaw / Wormwood: Wormwood — Will Any Anti-Trump Republicans Join Democrats to Save Democracy?
@hillarywarnedus: “Immediately after the memo was revealed, there was no on-air news coverage - literally zero on the major broadcast networks: ABC, NBC & CBS. Not on the evening newscasts watched by more than 20M Americans, far greater than the audience for cable news.” https://www.washingtonpost.com/ ...
Michael Kruse / @michaelkruse: “Trump and his ilk have flooded the zone with so many attacks on democracy that it's paradoxically become less likely for journalists to focus on any specific case,” @MattGertz tells @Sulliview. https://www.washingtonpost.com/ ...
Dan Froomkin / @froomkin: Excellent. Also, familiar: https://presswatchers.org/... https://twitter.com/...
Rob needs sci-fi / @daltonator: I'm very curious as to why this very obviously planned coup attempt isn't all over the place. https://twitter.com/...
Mel Gurtov / CounterPunch: Donald J. Trump: Traitor
Damon Linker / The Week: An academic scuffle tests the limits of free debate
Todd Spangler / Variety:
Apple, for the first time, shares the top paid podcast subscriptions and free channels globally, counting devices that played at least one second of an episode — RANKINGS … Apple's top paid subscriptions are ranked in order of total subscribed listeners worldwide over the past three months …
Discussion:
RAIN News, Elite Daily, Engadget, MacRumors, @ganunlester, 9to5Mac, @stephenwilson, @sims and @jtrain56, more at Techmeme »
Discussion:
Cianna Garrison / Elite Daily: How To Use Spotify's “Find The One” Podcast Match For Great Recs
Kris Holt / Engadget: Spotify's quiz will help you find a new podcast based on your listening habits
Joe Rossignol / MacRumors: Top 10 Apple Podcasts Subscriptions Revealed on International Podcast Day
Deirdre Ganun Lester / @ganunlester: It's International Podcast Day (yes, another fake social media holiday, but one I can get behind). Barstool SPorts is the 4th largest free Podcast Network according to Apple. https://variety.com/... via @variety
José Adorno / 9to5Mac: International Podcast Day: Apple touts top subscriptions as data shows it's still the dominant platform
Steve Wilson / @stephenwilson: Proud @QCODEmedia is on the list! With original stories, amazing talent, and world-class sound design; we're just getting started! 🔊🚀 https://twitter.com/...
Sara Fischer / Axios:
Mark Thompson and Maria Ressa to co-chair the International Fund for Public Interest, which wants to raise $100M for media in low- and middle-income countries — Former New York Times CEO and BBC Director-General Mark Thompson is teaming up with Filipino journalist and press freedom advocate Maria Ressa …
Discussion:
Nishant Lalwani / @nishantlalwani: We've just appointed Co-Chairs to the board of #IFPIM. It's a dream team - ex New York Times CEO Mark Thompson and UNESCO Press Freedom Prize Winner @mariaressa . We are supremely lucky to have these two extraordinary leaders committed to the Fund! @FundFreeMedia @luminategroup https://twitter.com/...
Colin Crowell / @colincrowell: Delighted to see @mariaressa & Mark Thompson join as founding board co-chairs of @FundFreeMedia! 💪Support #PressFreedom 🙏 ↘️ https://twitter.com/...
Jim Waterson / The Guardian:
Ofcom says British TV and radio broadcasters remain “woeful” at promoting staff from diverse backgrounds to senior management positions — Recruitment of people of colour and disabled staff into junior roles yet to be replicated at senior level
Discussion:
@j_classculture, @simonbg12, @scobie, @isabelberwick, Ofcom, @neilmaggs2 and @smcommission
Discussion:
@j_classculture: ‘..one area of diversity in the media that Ofcom has struggled to monitor is social class and family wealth, which is not considered a protected characteristic under equalities legislation’. https://www.theguardian.com/ ...
Simon Albury / @simonbg12: @marcusryder tells @ofcom to regulate diversity as rigorously as it regulates regionality. https://www.theguardian.com/ ...
Omid Scobie / @scobie: British TV and radio broadcasters remain “woeful” at promoting staff from diverse backgrounds to senior management, according to media regulator @Ofcom. As is often the case, people of colour and disabled staff are mostly getting junior opportunities. https://theguardian.com/...
Isabel Berwick / @isabelberwick: “The regulator said many people drifted out of the media industry because they were not supported to make the step up to management jobs.” https://www.theguardian.com/ ...
Neil Maggs / @neilmaggs2: The media only seems to focus on diversity for entry level 16-25 year olds It's almost as if those who are making the decisions on this stuff want to keep their jobs 🤔 https://www.theguardian.com/ ...
Social Mobility Commission / @smcommission: “The regulator said it had only a partial view of [socio-economic diversity] because many companies were unsure how to judge the backgrounds of their employees.” Employers: Not sure what to ask? Find out ➡️https://socialmobilityw orks.org/ ... https://www.theguardian.com/ ...
The Moscow Times:
Russia adds EIC of investigative outlet The Insider to its wanted list for allegedly illegally crossing the border; federal agents raided his parents' house — Russian authorities added prominent investigative journalist Roman Dobrokhotov to the country's wanted list, his lawyer said Thursday …
Discussion:
The Guardian, Associated Press, @leonidragozin, Radio Free Europe/Radio … and @eliothiggins
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