Top News:
New York Times:
Ozy investor LifeLine sues the outlet, claiming it failed to disclose pertinent information in February, prior to LifeLine's $2M+ investment — A fund manager that invested more than $2 million in Ozy Media filed a lawsuit on Monday, claiming that the company “engaged in fraudulent, deceptive and illegal conduct.”
Discussion:
Insider, @katie_robertson, New York Magazine, New York Times, Deadline, @justinjm1, @benyt, @jbenton, @sruhle, @jbenton, @jacq_thomsen, @jpmanga, @owasow, @patrickcoffee, @danprimack, @danprimack, @byjoelanderson, @benyt, Newser, The Daily Beast, Gawker, Axios, The Wrap, @pomeranian99, The Daily Beast, Mediaite and Bloomberg
Discussion:
Insider: Ozy CEO Carlos Watson says the company isn't ‘some house of cards.’ Sources say it still faces big challenges with advertisers, staffers.
Katie Robertson / @katie_robertson: NEW: Ozy Media faces its first lawsuit from an investor — LifeLine Legacy Holdings, which put in more than $2 million https://www.nytimes.com/... from @benyt and me
Ankush Khardori / New York Magazine: Carlos Watson and Ozy Might Be in Real Legal Jeopardy
Jill Goldsmith / Deadline: Embattled Ozy Media Hit With First Investor Lawsuit Over Faked Fundraising Call
Justin Miller / @justinjm1: The big legal question is whether Ozy's prolific deceit was used to hook investors who were subsequently harmed with the company going bust. If so, it's fraud. https://www.nytimes.com/...
Ben Smith / @benyt: The lawsuit also claims that Ozy represented that Google was about to invest in Ozy https://twitter.com/...
Joshua Benton / @jbenton: OH MY GOD Marshon Lattimore's money was invested in @Ozy, the streams are crossing, the streams are crossing, keep my @Saints news and my media-disaster news separate pls https://www.nytimes.com/...
Stephanie Ruhle / @sruhle: I guess Ozy isn't BACK https://twitter.com/...
Joshua Benton / @jbenton: Still, Issa Rae should just be grateful @Ozy discovered her, she'd be nothing without their keen eye for the new and the next https://www.niemanlab.org/... https://twitter.com/...
Jacqueline Thomsen / @jacq_thomsen: Here's a copy of the complaint, filed in the Northern District of California: https://drive.google.com/... Lawyers with the firm Blank Rome are representing the investor. https://twitter.com/...
JP Mangalindan / @jpmanga: Ozy's Carlos Watson insists to Insider the company was “not some house of cards.” But some advertisers and staffers just aren't convinced. Another team effort by @PatrickCoffee , @kitten_mouse , @perlberg , @lmoses , and myself. https://www.businessinsider.com/ ...
Omar Wasow / @owasow: “Marsha Cooke, Vice Media senior vice president said in a presentation last year that an agency representing a large entertainment company sent Vice a keyword blocklist that included ‘Black people.’ Try monetizing that as a Black publication.” https://www.nytimes.com/...
Patrick Coffee / @patrickcoffee: Ozy CEO Carlos Watson contacted multiple media agencies over the weekend to tell them his business wasn't shutting down. They're unconvinced. He admits using incorrect numbers but said Ozy isn't a “house of cards” and will restart talks with advertisers. https://www.businessinsider.com/ ...
Dan Primack / @danprimack: The Ozy lawsuit claims that the co said “Alphabet or one of its Google affiliates” was committed to invest $30m in mid-2021. My understanding is Google Ventures did have exploratory talks, but not this year. And it never invested.
Dan Primack / @danprimack: OZY Media investor sues the company for fraud. Read the complaint. https://www.axios.com/...
Joel D. Anderson / @byjoelanderson: “This is America, which means it will never be 100 percent ‘safe’ to support Black-led efforts to meaningfully inform and educate.” The great @laurenwilliams of Capital B on why Ozy had the attention of investors & why so many black-led media outlets dont https://www.nytimes.com/...
Ben Smith / @benyt: News: An investor just filed a securities fraud lawsuit against Ozy https://www.nytimes.com/...
Kate Seamons / Newser: Ozy Media Is Hit With Its First Investor Lawsuit
Justin Rohrlich / The Daily Beast: Feds Say Flashy Cannabis Execs Used a Phony CEO, Blew Investors' Cash
Jenny G. Zhang / Gawker: Charlamagne tha God to Ozy: As an Investor, I Forgive You
Dan Primack / Axios: Ozy Media investor sues the company for fraud
Lindsey Ellefson / The Wrap: Ozy Media Slapped With Fraud Lawsuit by Investor LifeLine Legacy Holdings
Clive Thompson / @pomeranian99: Final paragraph in the @nytimes piece on Ozy Media collapsing and shutting down: https://www.nytimes.com/... https://twitter.com/...
Kana Ruhalter / The Daily Beast: Ozy Media Hit With Hefty Lawsuit Alleging ‘Fraudulent, Deceptive, and Illegal Conduct’
Jackson Richman / Mediaite: Who the Hell is Still Doing Business With Ozy?
Austin Carr / Bloomberg: Ozy's Saga Spotlights Risk of Celebrity Directors
RELATED:
Jessica Bursztynsky / CNBC:
Carlos Watson says Ozy Media is not shutting down after having “good conversations” with investors and advertisers and Friday's announcement was “premature”
Discussion:
New York Times, @todayshow, @benyt, @sarafischer, Nieman Lab, @digidave, @hmcghee, @laurenwilliams, @geedee215, Washington Post, @ezraklein, Gawker, The Hill, @sarafischer, @brianstelter, @mccarthyryanj, MarketWatch, @alexweprin, Los Angeles Times, MediaPost, @jason_kint, @craigsilverman, @film_girl, @jbarro, @noahshachtman, Poynter, @sarafischer, @mathewi, @andrewpauljoyce, @maxwelltani, @_cingraham, @brianstelter, @chrislhayes, @kaidiekmann, @jeremymbarr, @neontaster, @benyt, @brianstelter, @joefav, @brianstelter, @sarafischer, @digitalshields, @sarafischer, @chronotope, @kerrymflynn, @marisakabas, @bmorrissey, @digitalshields, @craigsilverman, @sarafischer, @sarafischer, @jayrosen_nyu, @nycjim, @sherman4949, @phkeane, @alexweprin, @juddlegum, @danprimack, @sherman4949, @alexweprin, @alexyoung, @squawkcnbc, @tomgara, @goldietaylor, @cnbc, @millie, @sarafischer, CNN, Ad Age, Associated Press, Substack, Quartz, Vanity Fair, The Wrap, TVNewser and bookforum.com
Discussion:
Lauren Williams / New York Times: Ozy Shows That Serious Black Media Needs a New Business Model
@todayshow: Has the company shut down or are you still open for business? -@craigmelvin We're going to open for business ... this is our Lazarus moment. -Carlos Watson, CEO of Ozy Media https://twitter.com/...
Ben Smith / @benyt: News: Ozy has called off Paul Weiss's investigation of Ozy https://www.nytimes.com/... https://twitter.com/...
Sara Fischer / @sarafischer: NEW: Just got off the phone with Carlos Watson on his plans to relaunch OZY — He offered a grand vision in an interview with @Axios, but couldn't give many details about execution, leaving serious doubt about what's real and his ability to pull it off https://www.axios.com/...
Joshua Benton / Nieman Lab: This is why you always wait for the post-credits scene: Ozy changes its mind and claims it's still alive
David Cohn / @digidave: Ozy raised (and then wasted) a ton of money. That's an opportunity cost. So who paid it? https://twitter.com/...
Heather McGhee / @hmcghee: This is the exact right take on the entire Carlos Watson / #Ozy story. https://twitter.com/...
Lauren Williams / @laurenwilliams: Couldn't stop thinking about Ozy, Black media, and the business model for news that actually matters. So I wrote about it: https://www.nytimes.com/...
Vaxton P. Hartnabrig / @geedee215: There's so much here from @laurenwilliams. “Ozy was the white whale — the perfect, brand-safe opportunity for folks to say they were supporting a Black media company, even if the only Black person being supported in the process was Mr. Watson.” https://www.nytimes.com/...
Washington Post: Ozy Media's audience was mostly a mirage. Even in scandal, founder Carlos Watson is looking for opportunity.
Ezra Klein / @ezraklein: “Advertisers want to reach the masses with their ads but do not want their ads connected to anything with even a whiff of controversy. This is very apparent when it comes to stories about race and racism.” So much real talk here from @laurenwilliams: https://www.nytimes.com/...
Joseph Choi / The Hill: Lawsuit accuses Ozy Media of ‘fraudulent conduct’
Sara Fischer / @sarafischer: NEW with @danprimack OZY saga continues —A few employees say they were blindsided by today's announcement that the company coming back —Some got calls over weekend but chose to not engage —Several telling Axios they think the idea is delusional https://www.axios.com/...
Brian Stelter / @brianstelter: Getting phone calls from folks who are astonished by this Hail Mary pass (if that's what it is?) by Watson. Which employees are going to operate the new Ozy? Where's the evidence of consumer demand? And who's going to oversee it? The “board” is down to 2 people
Ryan McCarthy / @mccarthyryanj: Carlos Watson just said on CNBC that BuzzFeed offered $250 million for Ozy in 2019.
Nicole Lyn Pesce / MarketWatch: Carlos Watson says Ozy Media isn't done yet: ‘This is our Lazarus moment’
Alex Weprin / @alexweprin: Ozy Media is back!! https://twitter.com/...
Ryan Faughnder / Los Angeles Times: Netflix's ‘Squid Game’ validates its global streaming strategy. Just ask Jeff Bezos
Jason Kint / @jason_kint: Oh dear heavens: you can't announce, “this is our Tylenol moment”... go away, you're done. Facebook is the most important story by far this week. Response due today to FTC lawsuit to break it up. Whistleblower: 60M last night, Senate testimony tomorrow. https://twitter.com/...
Craig Silverman / @craigsilverman: Goddamn this story is never going to end. Ozy had its first taste of relevance and will never let it go https://twitter.com/...
Christina Warren / @film_girl: My Ozy merch purchase may have been temporarily premature but I have faith it'll still be a worthwhile fucked company investment. https://www.nytimes.com/...
Josh Barro / @jbarro: I mean, what's the point of paying a bunch of expensive lawyers to tell you you're a fake publication? https://twitter.com/...
Noah Shachtman / @noahshachtman: well, i'm convinced. nothing to see here, folks! this place is 100% on the up-and-up! https://twitter.com/...
Tom Jones / Poynter: Facebook goes from bad to worse
Sara Fischer / @sarafischer: We have been able to confirm at least one employee returning to Ozy, Claire Rudy, formerly Claire Lightfoot, who works in accounting. https://twitter.com/...
Mathew Ingram / @mathewi: So the board all quits because they think the company is a sinking ship, and hey presto — no more investigation! https://twitter.com/...
Andrew Joyce / @andrewpauljoyce: Your daily reminder that Ozy literally got its name from Shelley's “Ozymandias” — a poem that's literally about an empire crumbling because of the hubris of its leader https://twitter.com/...
Max Tani / @maxwelltani: One group of people he didn't talk to though are his own staffers who as far as I can tell didn't know this was coming https://twitter.com/...
Christopher Ingraham / @_cingraham: “Let's give the grifter a platform on our popular show to lie to our audience and use as a jumping-off point for his next grift” man the media is just fundamentally broken https://twitter.com/...
Brian Stelter / @brianstelter: “...because the Ozy board members who commissioned the law firm are no longer with the company.” https://twitter.com/...
Chris Hayes / @chrislhayes: Just incredible stuff! https://twitter.com/...
Kai Diekmann / @kaidiekmann: This is why you always wait for the post-credits scene: Ozy changes its mind and claims it's still alive » Nieman Journalism Lab https://www.niemanlab.org/...
Jeremy Barr / @jeremymbarr: A spokesperson for Ozy Media says that “it has been a challenging couple of weeks but we are coming out of it stronger than before ...”
@neontaster: Yeah my first thought when Watson was like “no no, we're still staying open lol” wasn't that he was going to take care of the rank and file people. It was that they still saw some money to be wrung out of this before they actually shutter abruptly. https://twitter.com/...
Ben Smith / @benyt: Ron Conway, early Ozy investor, says the company should pay its employees first https://www.nytimes.com/...
Brian Stelter / @brianstelter: 🤯 @CarlosWatson says conversations “over the weekend” with advertisers, “readers,” investors have prompted him to keep the company going https://twitter.com/...
Joe Favorito / @joefav: .@carloswatson running master class in getting out his side of story, starting @TODAYshow. Whether or not it works, whether @ozy is reinvented, or many of facts spelled out are true or not, his leaning forward strategy has gotten him a wide voice. #storytelling #crisismanagement https://twitter.com/...
Brian Stelter / @brianstelter: An executive who has known @CarlosWatson for decades reacted to today's interviews with a mixture of anger and astonishment: “Carlos is doing what Carlos has always done — he's rolling out new ideas in the media without addressing any of the old questions” https://www.cnn.com/...
Sara Fischer / @sarafischer: Among some of his plans, Watson says Ozy newsletters coming back this week (we've written that Ozy's email list built using dubious practices), says TV show coming back (unclear how after revelations about lying to guests about distribution), says looking for new board members https://twitter.com/...
Mike Shields / @digitalshields: Watson told Axios that the partnerships with ad agencies like WPP and Dentsu still stand. Axios has not been able to independently confirm that this is true. https://twitter.com/...
Sara Fischer / @sarafischer: Watson said that the company hired a third party firm “to validate our data and begin sharing that data monthly going forward on our audience.” Watson wouldn't say who the company hired. https://twitter.com/...
Aram Zucker-Scharff / @chronotope: For better or worse these days media companies are valued by the size and demographics of their audience and now it's out there that as much as 95% of that audience is fake. How do you raise funds or get advertisers after that? https://www.axios.com/...
@kerrymflynn: Ozy employees lost access to their company emails and other digital communication tools Friday... So they found out about the news that Ozy was supposedly still in business Monday the same way the rest of the world did Story with @brianstelter https://www.cnn.com/...
Marisa Kabas / @marisakabas: Buzzfeed laid off 43 of their journalists in 2019. https://twitter.com/...
Brian Morrissey / @bmorrissey: This is like “Into the Void” where the dude decides there's no way to craw back out so he just keeps going deeper https://twitter.com/...
Mike Shields / @digitalshields: I don't know how a single advertiser could spend with Ozy, comeback or not https://twitter.com/...
Craig Silverman / @craigsilverman: I expect the vision for the rebirth of Ozy involves Carlos Watson hosting more Carlos Watson video shows and podcasts. Meanwhile, the Today show and CNBC let this guy come on and pump his own tires. He's not sorry and won't take responsibility. What a joke https://twitter.com/...
Sara Fischer / @sarafischer: Staffers that were employees as of Friday confirm to @axios that this is the first time they're hearing of any plans to bring Ozy back. They don't have access to Ozy email anymore. https://twitter.com/...
Sara Fischer / @sarafischer: Former employee to @axios: “I think [Watson] is delusional enough to believe what he was doing was a part of the path to greatness, and that the idea of OZY can still win. And that's why it still seems he won't apologize any time soon, and will go down all guns blazing.” https://twitter.com/...
Jay Rosen / @jayrosen_nyu: Founder of Ozy, Carlos Watson, now says he is going to keep the company going. No one has any idea what that means. https://twitter.com/...
Jim Roberts / @nycjim: Ozy CEO Carlos Watson says shutdown was “premature” and that the scandal-ridden media media company would reopen. “I very genuinely feel like we have a meaningful, transformational voice. At our best, this will be our Lazarus moment.” Um... https://www.cnbc.com/... https://twitter.com/...
Alex Sherman / @sherman4949: “Just because something is sloppy or stupid doesn't make it illegal.” - Carlos Watson just now on @cnbc. ...Does that count impersonating a YouTube executive to investors?
Patrick Keane / @phkeane: I run a successful media company that @benyt has never heard of. https://twitter.com/...
Alex Weprin / @alexweprin: Carlos Watson says Ozy Media will stay open, comparing the company to the biblical figure Lazarus, who Jesus brought back to life a few days after his death: https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/ ...
Judd Legum / @juddlegum: Made a mistake by bootstrapping a media business focused on attracting an actual audience in making an impact. Should have focused on scamming venture capitalists and producing content no one read and I could have gotten featured on the Today Show! https://twitter.com/...
Dan Primack / @danprimack: Shorter Carlos Watson: “It's just a flesh wound.”
Alex Sherman / @sherman4949: “That's a good question,” - Carlos Watson on whether his team will stick with him on @CNBC now. So he seems to be resurrecting his company while having no idea who will work for him.
Alex Weprin / @alexweprin: There was some heavy spinning here. Watson said they bought traffic because they didn't want to leave things in the hands of the social media algorithms, and said that Goldman Sachs bought a big ad campaign on Ozy a few months after the YouTube impersonation incident
Aléx Young / @alexyoung: .@carloswatson is a scam artist and should be arrested for securities fraud. Anyone in digital media knows exactly what he is doing and how full of bullshit he is. https://twitter.com/...
Squawk Box / @squawkcnbc: “I hope and I believe that that was a one-off event. It's a tragic event. It's a horrific event. It's a wrong event. I hope and trust that was a one-off,” says @carloswatson on Ozy's COO Samir Rao impersonating a YouTube executive in a call with Goldman Sachs. https://twitter.com/...
Tom Gara / @tomgara: We're entering a new phase of this incredible story: Carlos Watson Goes Rogue https://twitter.com/...
@goldietaylor: TMFRHT. If you walked in a Black barbershop and asked, “What's up with Carlos Watson?” The answer would be: “Carlos who?” He was selling relevance he never had. https://twitter.com/...
@cnbc: “We were premature.” Ozy CEO Carlos Watson says that his media company will reopen, after informing employees Friday that the board had voted to shut down the company. https://www.cnbc.com/... https://twitter.com/...
Millie Tran / @millie: This is a great thread not just about paid vs. earned media but also about the dubious online advertising and native content biz and the realities of running a media company. Some ppl like to make this stuff seem inaccessible but it's not. The more we demystify it, the better. https://twitter.com/...
Sara Fischer / @sarafischer: Watson is defending the Sharon Osborne “investor” comments on @SquawkCNBC right now. He says Ron Conway only put in $50k dollars, so him relinquishing shares not a “subsequent, big” thing. https://twitter.com/...
Associated Press: After a week of scandal, the CEO of Ozy Media says he now hopes to stay in business
Courtney Vinopal / Quartz: Ozy Media's CEO says the company isn't shutting down after all
Charlotte Klein / Vanity Fair: Ozy CEO Insists Nothing Is Awry at His Still-Imploding Company
Lindsey Ellefson / The Wrap: Carlos Watson Claims Ozy Is Still ‘Open for Business’ (Video)
Chaim Gartenberg / The Verge:
Twitter is shutting down Scroll in about 30 days, rolling the ad-free subscription web service into Twitter Blue as Ad-Free Articles — Scroll won't be available as an independent service anymore — Scroll's ad-free subscription web service is shutting down as an independent entity in …
Discussion:
@kerrymflynn: Ooo... is Twitter Blue (with ad-free scrolling of news articles) coming to the US soon, like next month soon? Or...? 👀 https://www.theverge.com/... https://twitter.com/...
David Chartier / @chartier: Now Twitter Blue has my interest. https://www.theverge.com/...
Jack Marshall / @jackmarshall: platforms are pushing further into becoming subscription layers for access to written content. Twitter has Ad-Free Articles and Revue newsletters, LinkedIn is partnering with Piano to give paying members access to paywalled publisher content. https://www.theverge.com/...
Ethan Millman / Rolling Stone:
Tina Turner sells her music rights and more to BMG, which calls the deal its single largest artist acquisition yet; Warner Music will remain her record company — The company calls the Turner deal — which includes her name, image and likeness — its single largest artist acquisition ever
Discussion:
Variety, Billboard, @achildof2worlds, @tedgioia, @millmanethan, @exavierpope, @marcusjdl, @rdotspoon, @thecosby and The Wrap
Discussion:
Chris Willman / Variety: Tina Turner's Music Interests Acquired by BMG
Kristin Robinson / Billboard: Tina Turner Sells Music Rights to BMG in Blockbuster Deal
@achildof2worlds: Tina has given the world a lot. She deserves to cash in on all of that and take her cash. Makes legacy admin much easier. The way streaming is going, I truly believe the biggest coins have passed for these classic artists with evergreens. Might as well cash in. https://twitter.com/...
Ted Gioia / @tedgioia: Tina Turner sells her music catalog, including her share of her solo recordings and publishing assets, and rights to her name and image. https://variety.com/... Here's what I wrote about this in 2020—and it's even more valid now than back then. https://twitter.com/...
Ethan Millman / @millmanethan: Scoop: in the latest in major music acquisitions, Tina Turner has sold her music rights - including recording and publishing along with name and likeness - to BMG https://www.rollingstone.com/ ...
@exavierpope: “Included in the deal is Turner's artist's share for her recordings along with publishing rights, neighboring rights and her name, image and likeness” - Cash out and invest in other assets instead of fighting over it later 🤷🏽♂ ️ https://twitter.com/...
Marcus feat. Dusty / @marcusjdl: “Likeness” suggests a hologram tour. https://twitter.com/...
Rebekah Weatherspoon / @rdotspoon: She said herself she wanted to wrap up her career her way. This way she can have a nice tidy conclusion to her estate. https://twitter.com/...
@thecosby: I really don't like this. I don't like what the future my hold for artists and their legacy being wholly owned by these corporations forever. https://twitter.com/... https://twitter.com/...
Harper Lambert / The Wrap: Tina Turner's Music Portfolio Acquired by BMG
Laura Hazard Owen / Nieman Lab:
Daily Mail Online ran a lawyer's full tweet thread as a sidebar to another story, then after he complained, put the tweets into the main story and paid him — On Tuesday Adam Wagner, a British human rights lawyer and law professor, wrote a tweet thread in response to a BBC article …
Discussion:
Daily Mail, BBC, @emilybell, @estherbeadle, @eaton, @b_judah, @laurahazardowen, @michaelroston, @willperrin, @abeaujon, @lisataljard, @quinnypig, @rasmus_kleis, @twlldun, @peterkgeoghegan and @rasmus_kleis
Discussion:
Mark Duell / Daily Mail: Insulate Britain: Timeline of chaos across London
Emily Bell / @emilybell: Invoice - or sue for defamation - suggesting you are an oped writer for the Mail is definitely reputationally damaging in some circles https://twitter.com/...
Esther Beadle / @estherbeadle: Woah ho ho. Note kiddiewinks, this would *not* come under fair dealing... https://twitter.com/...
Laura Hazard Owen / @laurahazardowen: “They offered £100 but I suggested they take into account that what they did was probably illegal, and they agreed immediately.” https://www.niemanlab.org/...
Michael Roston / @michaelroston: Can someone explain to me how this is anywhere close to legal!? https://www.niemanlab.org/...
William Perrin / @willperrin: some journalistic form-factor innovation here..... one for @rasmus_kleis @georgeprof @CharlieBeckett @daveharte @emilybell https://twitter.com/...
Andrew Beaujon / @abeaujon: one time a British newspaper took quotes from a Q&A I did with Robbie Williams and ran it as their interview with him. https://twitter.com/...
Lisa MacLeod / @lisataljard: A slippery slope, this. @AdamWagner1 was unwittingly unrolled as a columnist for the @MailOnline 🤔🙄😒 https://www.niemanlab.org/...
Corey Quinn / @quinnypig: Yikes. The way I write threads and the way I draft long form content are very different. Please don't mistake one for the other. https://twitter.com/...
Rasmus Kleis Nielsen / @rasmus_kleis: When will we see Twitter lobby for a code to force news media to pay each time they use a tweet - let alone republish a whole thread as a piece without consulting the person tweeting? https://twitter.com/...
@twlldun: And yet they won't publish my 125 tweet thread “why Boris is a knob”. Looks like it's who you know eh Adam https://twitter.com/...
Peter Geoghegan / @peterkgeoghegan: Imagine laying out this page and thinking 'yeah it's grand to present someone's tweet thread as an opEd'? https://twitter.com/...
Rasmus Kleis Nielsen / @rasmus_kleis: ⬆️ snark, not proposal.
Defector:
In annual report, Defector says 80%+ of subscribers are on annual plans, of which ~85% renewed subscriptions, and advertising on Twitter was “very unpleasant” — Purpose of this report — Annual reports are usually created to provide insight into a company's business operations …
Discussion:
Jacob Cohen Donnelly / A Media Operator: Is The Athletic Running Out of Time? — Trying to build a quickly scaled media company is incredibly difficult.
Sean Griffey / @seangriffey: Solid piece from @JayCoDon today on The Athletic. I think they are in a hard spot. They will need to get serious about ads and that will go a long way. (1 million subs = $) But without a cash infusion, you would assume they will need to abandon markets. https://www.amediaoperator.com/ ...
Nicholas Jackson / @nbj914: The @DefectorMedia “annual report” is great, in tone and in content and for being transparent with the audience about where the money is coming from and where it's going. This is one of the most promising media stories of the past year. https://defector.com/...
Eben Novy-Williams / @novy_williams: I missed this yesterday, but a really thorough and transparent financial breakdown from @Defector about its first year with a novel (and admirable!) worker-owned media business. If you're curious about this industry, this is a must-read: https://defector.com/...
Drew Magary / @drewmagary: If you'd like to see how Defector works, and I really do mean it, here's the full breakdown of our finances over the first year of our existence. https://defector.com/...
Olga Khazan / @olgakhazan: Seems like a functional media company to me, also lol https://defector.com/... https://twitter.com/...
Scott Brodbeck / @scottbrodbeck: Twitter's advertising experience, at least that last time I tried it, is indeed miserable. One would think it would be a higher priority for the company. https://twitter.com/...
Claire Connelly / @_claireconnelly: ‘Many digital media companies & content marketing consultants swear Facebook ads are the most effective, scalable ad channel for converting readers to paid subscribers. This may be true, but much of our staff are adamantly opposed to using Facebook...’ https://defector.com/...
Jim Saksa / @saksappeal: Big kudos to @DefectorMedia for posting this report. I don't know how replicable their model is, but I commend them for making it easier for others to try. https://defector.com/...
Saahil Desai / @saahil_desai: “We do not anticipate ever spending any money with Facebook, and in fact have abandoned publishing even simple posts to our company Facebook page.” https://defector.com/...
James Fredrick / @jameslfredrick: The @DefectorMedia annual report is well-timed because it's such a stark contrast to Ozy: transparent, cooperatively owned, worker focused...and actually producing good journalism! Can't remember ever being inspired reading an annual financial report https://defector.com/...
@choire: “When an employee leaves, their shares automatically convert, on a one-to-one basis, to non-employee shares that retain no voting rights or rights to dividends” oh my god is @DefectorMedia just a very uptight DAO??? https://defector.com/...
Jeremy Littau / @jeremylittau: Oh this is interesting. @DefectorMedia wasn't required to publish an annual report but made it available to its members anyhow. Written in the site's familiar style, it's littered with a lot of insights about how the business of digital media goes. https://defector.com/...
Brian Schwartz / CNBC:
The Dallas Morning News rejects a political PAC's ad that criticized Dallas-based AT&T for donating to politicians who backed a strict Texas anti-abortion bill — - The Dallas Morning News won't run an ad calling out AT&T by name over the company's donations to lawmakers who backed …
Discussion:
Max Steele / @maxasteele: UPDATE: at the 11th hour (literally) the Dallas Morning News rejected the ad. “It is deeply disappointing that AT&T has taken such aggressive actions... The public deserves to know about AT&T's hypocrisy and efforts to bury the truth.” - @McClainJulie https://www.cnbc.com/... https://twitter.com/...
Brian Schwartz / @schwartzbcnbc: NEW: The ad vs. @ATT was set to run today in the digital version of @dallasnews.A rep for the paper told @American_Bridge they didn't want to run the ad as it mentions the telecom giant by name @DIRECTV,per the PAC,didn't run it because of their ties to $T https://www.cnbc.com/...
Corporate Accountability Action / @caaction2021: NEW: Our ads calling out AT&T have *again* been rejected. @ATT really doesn't want you to know it's funding the politicians behind #SB8 in Texas. #OffTheBANWagon https://www.cnbc.com/...
Brian Schwartz / @schwartzbcnbc: SCOOP: @dallasnews rejected an ad from @American_Bridge hammering @ATT for backing sponsors of the Texas abortion bill.The PAC tells me that late last night the paper would not run the ad blasting @ATT by name @DIRECTV has rejected a version of the spot https://www.cnbc.com/...
Thomas Seal / Bloomberg:
Sources: BBC, ITV, Channel 4, and Channel 5 are developing a joint streaming service to defend against US tech giants and a planned overhaul of TV laws in UK — - BBC and rivals devise common platform to ensure prominence — HBO Max, Sky smart-TV launch turn up heat on European media
Michael Karam / Report for the World:
Report for the World launches in Brazil and partners with two more newsrooms in India and Nigeria, bringing the total corps size to 15 journalists — BOSTON — Report for the World announced today that it has more than doubled the size of its program, less than a year since launching in February …
Discussion:
@report4theworld: HELLO 🌎🌏🌍! We have BIG NEWS: Thanks to the generous support of @MacFound, we're doubling the size of our program, expanding into #Brazil and adding new partners in #India and #Nigeria. Now accepting applications for corps members: https://reportfortheworld.org/ ... THREAD ⤵️ https://twitter.com/...
Jennifer Griffin / @jengriffinfnc: Cool news from Report for the World which is hiring local journalists to cover these important stories. @Report4theWorld https://twitter.com/...
Chris Scullion / Video Games Chronicle:
A 4chan user leaks alleged Twitch source code, creator payouts from 2019-2021, proprietary SDKs and internal AWS services, and more; source says Twitch is aware — SOURCE CODES AND USER PAYOUTS AMONG THE DATA RELEASED IN A 128GB TORRENT — An anonymous hacker claims to have leaked the entirety of Twitch …
Discussion:
William Gallagher / AppleInsider: Amazon's Twitch hacked, source code & financial details published
PC Gamer: Massive Twitch data breach sees hackers release source code, contributor payouts, and unannounced software
Catalin Cimpanu / The Record: Anonymous leaks Twitch source code and business data on 4chan
Tom Warren / @tomwarren: it looks like Twitch has been hacked in a massive breach. A 125GB file reportedly includes Twitch source code, details on creator $$$ payouts, and even a Steam competitor. Full details here: https://www.theverge.com/... https://twitter.com/...
James Cook / @jamesliamcook: Interesting side effect of the (alleged) Twitch hack: Twitch streamers finally feeling able to discuss how much they earn from Twitch https://twitter.com/...
VGC / @vgc_news: An anonymous hacker has reportedly leaked the entirety of Twitch, including source code and creator payouts. https://vgc.news/... https://twitter.com/...
Catalin Cimpanu / @campuscodi: The group claimed to have leaked the data, which appears to have been extracted from a Git repository, in response to the recent “hate raids” that have been plaguing popular Twitch streamers https://twitter.com/...
Ed Nightingale / Eurogamer.net: Twitch source code leaked by anonymous hacker
Chris Scullion / @scully1888: Update: a source has confirmed to VGC that the leaked data is legit, that Twitch is aware of it and that it could have been stolen as early as Monday. https://www.videogameschronicle.com/ ...
@mikko: Twitch (owned by Amazon) has allegedly been hacked and data leaked, including their internal red teaming tools. https://www.videogameschronicle.com/ ...
Danielle Partis / GamesIndustry.biz: Twitch hacked, source code and creator payout information leaked online
Sinoc / @sinoc229: https://twitch.tv/ got leaked. Like, the entire website; Source code with comments for the website and various console/phone versions, refrences to an unreleased steam competitor, payouts, encrypted passwords that kinda thing. Might wana change your passwords.
Sinoc / @sinoc229: Grabbed Vapor, the codename for Amazon's Steam competitor. Seems to intigrate most of Twitch's features as well as a bunch of game specific support like fortnite and pubg. Also includes some Unity code for a game called Vapeworld, which I assume is some sort of VR chat thing. https://twitter.com/...
VGC / @vgc_news: UPDATE: One anonymous company source told VGC that the leaked Twitch data is legitimate, including the source code. Internally, Twitch is aware of the breach, the source said, and it's believed that the data was obtained as recently as Monday.
KnowSomething / @knows0mething: Here's a more comprehensive list of leaked Twitch payouts (I will keep updating this thread as more things come out). https://twitter.com/...
Sinoc / @sinoc229: Some Vapeworld assets, including some 3d emotes with specular and albedo maps I don't have whatever version of unity installed that they used, so I'm limited in what assets i can get caps of with stuff like blener and renderdoc. There's custom unity plugins in here for devs too. https://twitter.com/...
@theappeal:
[Thread] The Appeal starts a weekly newsletter and says its news site about the criminal legal system will relaunch as a worker-led nonprofit in November — The Appeal is back! Thanks to our generous supporters and the hard work of our transition team, the workers have officially taken over The Appeal. Read our public statement below. Donate to support our relaunch here: https://trypico.com/... https://twitter.com/...
Discussion:
Jerry Iannelli / @jerryiannelli: Folks we literally seized the means of production and The Appeal is now a fully worker-led legal-system news outlet, it rules so hard and I'd love it if you all followed us and our work! https://twitter.com/...
Kate Chatfield / @chatfieldkate: If you have complained at all in the last year about media reporting on policing, crime, punishment, structural racism, faux moral panics, economic inequality, lack of housing and resources for all to thrive, media consolidation, etc., etc..., support @theappeal however you can. https://twitter.com/...
@macarthrjustice: Stories of injustice and inequality need to be told. The U.S. legal system needs to be held accountable. That's just one of the reasons why we need @theappeal. Please support the new worker-led effort anyway you can. https://twitter.com/...
Nick Wing / @nickpwing: Unionize your workplace. And if that doesn't work, just take over your workplace. https://twitter.com/...
@theappeal: We wouldn't be here today without the power of collective organizing and action. So many thanks to @PacMediaGuild for guiding @theappealunion and encouraging us all to dream bigger. https://twitter.com/...
Spencer Ackerman / @attackerman: Worker-owned journalism will produce the best possible journalism. https://twitter.com/...
NewsGuild-CWA / @newsguild: “The workers have taken over!” Please support this effort if you can. Donate here: https://trypico.com/... https://twitter.com/...
Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg / @elizabethweill: Huge huge huge thanks to @truthout @MayaSchenwar and Ziggy West Jeffery for offering so much guidance and solidarity as we worked to relaunch. https://twitter.com/...
Jonathan M. Katz / @katzonearth: True to its name, they won in the end https://twitter.com/...
Tina Vasquez / @thetinavasquez: This is a truly astounding development. Like, unprecedented in the media. Take a look at what The Appeal has been up to! https://twitter.com/...
@theappeal: One thing you can expect from us immediately: We're launching our new weekly newsletter today. Sign up here to get perspectives on the issues shaping the criminal legal system, along with a roundup of our favorite content from across the justice space. https://docs.google.com/...
Scott Morris / @oakmorr: Excited to see more worker-led media getting off the ground. https://twitter.com/...
Anna Simonton / @annafsimonton: Collective action is powerful. A few months ago we were being laid off as @theappeal prepared to shut down. Now we run it. It's going to take a lot more work and resources to relaunch, but solidarity has shown we can do it. https://twitter.com/...
Derek Moore / @deadlinederek: We are inspired by your never-say-die-attitude! As for the indefatigable @mapplegate1, thank you for again leading fearlessly from the front. @newsguild https://twitter.com/...
@taniel: Yes! 😍 So looking forward to reading all these amazing writers/editors' work again — & congrats for getting here! https://twitter.com/...
Elizabeth A. Harris / New York Times:
The disruption of global supply chains has reached the publishing industry, causing shipping delays and printer backups, exacerbated by worker shortages — Shipping delays, printer backups and worker shortages are forcing publishers to postpone new titles and leaving booksellers in a lurch for some old ones.
Discussion:
@erinisaway, @princetonupress, @petersgoodman, @nytimesbooks, @studiojjk, bookforum.com, @vermontgmg, @benjysarlin, @nicolesjchung, @johnghendy and @likaluca
Discussion:
Erin Taylor / @erinisaway: tbh since my book got delayed I haven't stopped thinking about why is it that the publishing industry doesn't invest a wild amount in redeveloping the domestic printing industry? without printers, we don't have books lol.... https://twitter.com/...
@princetonupress: If articles like this are catching your eye, it might be time to read Marc Levinson's The Box, which explores how the shipping container made the world smaller and the world economy bigger: https://press.princeton.edu/ ... #Shipping #SupplyChains https://twitter.com/...
Peter S. Goodman / @petersgoodman: The Great Supply Chain Disruption, the publishing version @Liz_A_Harris https://www.nytimes.com/...
@nytimesbooks: “No one is getting any sleep, and people have been at this for 18 months,” said Sue Malone-Barber, director of publishing operations for Penguin Random House. “It's brutal. But the industry is managing to supply a big surge in demand.” https://www.nytimes.com/...
Jarrett J. Krosoczka / @studiojjk: I am SO excited for your kids to see the full-color relaunch of the Lunch Lady graphic novels—AND for them to listen to the full-cast audiobooks. But instead of publishing in a few weeks, I'll need to be a bit more patient until the end of February... https://www.nytimes.com/...
bookforum.com: National Book Award finalists announced; Talia Lavin's new newsletter on the Far Right and sandwiches
Garrett M. Graff / @vermontgmg: In case you're wondering why my WATERGATE book is coming out in February instead of November, I give you this wild article: https://twitter.com/...
Benjy Sarlin / @benjysarlin: Getting an involuntary eye twitch every time I see “supply chain” in a headline at this point https://twitter.com/...
@nicolesjchung: get your holiday book orders in now if you haven't already! https://www.nytimes.com/...
Elaine Godfrey / The Atlantic:
Case study: the collapse of one Iowa newspaper, replaced by community Facebook groups full of rumors and angry takes on national political news — The grain elevator exploded on a cool April morning in 1987, six years before I was born. My father was testing a clay sample in a lab two miles away when suddenly the dial jumped.
Discussion:
@elainejgodfrey, @harrytaylr, @suhm_ting_wong, @jtlinder, @joeyneverjoe, @pomeranian99, @obrien_kat, @apocalypticanow, @joshhochschild, @ryanlcooper, @emmaogreen, @mikejaytrackxc, @sarabethberman, @kemc, @dangillmor, @skooks, @jabogen, @hawkeyekirk, @rushthewriter, @whet, @chevytothe_levy, @laurarbelin, @bruce_arthur, @ericschmoldt, @nickbaumann, @brooklynmarie, @gteresa, @prashantrao, @andydowning33, @justinjm1, @mep and @scottdochterman
Discussion:
Elaine Godfrey / @elainejgodfrey: Today, we published my story on the decline of my hometown newspaper, The Hawk Eye, in Burlington, Iowa. This one is really close to my heart, and I hope you'll give it a read. It might ring true for you and your town, too. https://www.theatlantic.com/ ...
Harry Taylor / @harrytaylr: Another account of the devastation of local papers by big media firms - but there's also a lovely description at the end of what local newspapers are and should be. https://twitter.com/...
@suhm_ting_wong: What happens when a community loses its newspaper? Less participation in local elections, & they are less competitive. Corruption increases; costs go up for local governments. Disinformation becomes the norm, as people get their facts from social media https://www.theatlantic.com/ ...
Jeff Linder / @jtlinder: Hawk Eye alum here (1993-95). Sports staff was a solid, young, hungry core of four after transitioning to a morning paper. We worked our tails off. It was a good place to work. In a former life, it was the state's best midmajor paper (news AND sports). Those days are long gone. https://twitter.com/...
@joeyneverjoe: Capitalism is killing our access to the news and the ability to make a living in the media world. The repercussions are huge and its consequences are already playing out in small communities. https://twitter.com/...
Clive Thompson / @pomeranian99: What happens to a town that loses its newspaper? A superb piece by @elainejgodfrey investigates how the decline of her hometown paper, The Hawk Eye of Burglinton, Iowa, affected the community: https://www.theatlantic.com/ ... Nuanced, amazing reporting here — read the whole thing 1/4
Kat O'Brien / @obrien_kat: This is a marvelous piece by @elainejgodfrey on what we lose with the collapse of local newspapers. It's not just the coverage of breaking news and investigative journalism, but the stories of the bake sale & the high school play & the couple opening a furniture shop. 1/2 https://twitter.com/...
Apocalyptica / @apocalypticanow: I repeat: there's a market for local news but it's not big enough to sustain reporting AND a bunch of Wall Street vultures https://twitter.com/...
Josh Hochschild / @joshhochschild: Turns out local papers should be locally owned. Skin in the game = better for business, and better for journalism. https://twitter.com/...
Ryan Cooper / @ryanlcooper: thriving local Iowa paper got virtually killed in four years so a bunch of Wall Street pirates could make a quick buck https://www.theatlantic.com/ ... https://twitter.com/...
Emma Green / @emmaogreen: Love this @elainejgodfrey read on the decline of local journalism in her hometown—unnecessary, tragic, and the result of immense corporate greed: https://www.theatlantic.com/ ...
Mike JayTrackXC / @mikejaytrackxc: Great article Elaine. So sad and true. I am a long time fan and reader of the Hawkeye and many other “local” newspapers in our fine state. It is heartbreaking to see the numbers and or quality continue to dwindle. Keep up the good work. https://twitter.com/...
Sarabeth Berman / @sarabethberman: “We don't often stop to ponder the way that a newspaper's collapse makes people feel: less connected, more alone. As local news crumbles, so does our tether to one another.” A beautiful and heart wrenching piece by @elainejgodfrey https://twitter.com/...
Kathleen McLaughlin / @kemc: A story from Iowa that gets to the heart of what happens with the death of local news in much of America. “We don't often stop to ponder the way that a newspaper's collapse makes people feel: less connected, more alone. As local news crumbles, so does our tether to one another.” https://twitter.com/...
Dan Gillmor / @dangillmor: If you care about local journalism, please read this. https://twitter.com/...
@skooks: It's almost as if local journalism is an essential public service. Imagine if it was actually organized as such https://twitter.com/...
Julie Bogen / @jabogen: I think most people think they've heard the stories about what happens when local news crumbles, but @elainejgodfrey's is truly, deeply moving. Worth your time, I promise. https://twitter.com/...
@hawkeyekirk: We can lament the loss of local papers but at the same time lament losing local butchers, bakers, furniture, hardware, appliance stores etc. If we want to know who killed the middle class we only need to find the nearest mirror. Truth may be painful but doesn't make it less true. https://twitter.com/...
Ty Rushing / @rushthewriter: Two years ago, I was in a leadership class with the aforementioned photographer with a ponytail and he told me all about what was happening in Burlington. Glad Elaine captured the decline of Iowa's oldest newspaper and the void it leaves in its wake https://twitter.com/...
Whet Moser / @whet: this was an underrated part of the defector saga, they were pretty sure they could run a decently profitable business, and VC dudes were fucking furious about it https://twitter.com/...
Izzi Levy / @chevytothe_levy: I can't stop thinking about this: “These stories are the connective tissue of a community; they introduce people to their neighbors, and they encourage readers to listen to and empathize with one another... As local news crumbles, so does our tether to one another.” https://twitter.com/...
Bleeding Heartland / @laurarbelin: “The Hawk Eye, which started 2016 with 100 people on the payroll, today has about a dozen.” A huge loss for #Iowa #journalism and especially for those living in SE Iowa. https://twitter.com/...
Bruce Arthur / @bruce_arthur: This should somehow be illegal! https://twitter.com/...
Eric Schmoldt / @ericschmoldt: Change out Burlington for just about any city name and (if necessary) Gannett for the national corporate owner of that city's newspaper and ... Well, it's all pretty much the same story. And it's all real sad. https://twitter.com/...
Nick Baumann / @nickbaumann: One of the important things about this story is that it doesn't fall for the usual narrative about how every local paper is doomed. The Hawk Eye was consistently profitable before it was acquired. Its precipitous decline followed Gatehouse buying it. https://www.theatlantic.com/ ... https://twitter.com/...
Brooke Binkowski / @brooklynmarie: This has gone on all over for years. This the biggest underlying reason for the United States' vulnerability to weaponized disinformation campaigns, and of course Wall Street pirates know that and benefit from the lack of oversight. That's where my industry went. https://twitter.com/...
Teresa Gorman / @gteresa: Conversations about the loss of local news + accountability journalism often miss the points made here about how other things like obits, kids sports coverage, local food columnists, an editor to talk to in a grocery store, etc, connect communities. https://twitter.com/...
Prashant Rao / @prashantrao: “We don't often stop to ponder the way that a newspaper's collapse makes people feel: less connected, more alone. As local news crumbles, so does our tether to one another.” Fantastic piece by @elainejgodfrey in @TheAtlantic https://www.theatlantic.com/ ...
Andy Downing / @andydowning33: “In the absence of local coverage, all news becomes national news: Instead of reading about local policy decisions, people read about the blacklisting of Dr. Seuss books. Instead of learning about their own local candidates, they consume angry takes about Marjorie Taylor Greene.” https://twitter.com/...
Justin Miller / @justinjm1: When local news dies, people don't stop reading the news, they start reading what's left: national news. The average American probably doesn't know who represents them in Congress, but they're fed a constant stream of updates about AOC and MTG https://www.theatlantic.com/ ...
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