Top News:
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” — - Ozy Media isn't shutting down, CEO and co-founder Carlos Watson told CNBC on Monday.
Discussion:
@todayshow, New York Times, Nieman Lab, @benyt, Axios, @sarafischer, Axios, CNN, @sarafischer, @brianstelter, @mccarthyryanj, Defector, @alexweprin, The Hollywood Reporter, MarketWatch, @sarafischer, Los Angeles Times, TODAY.com, Poynter, @sarafischer, @jason_kint, @brianstelter, @film_girl, @andrewpauljoyce, @jbarro, @craigsilverman, @benyt, @brianstelter, @brianstelter, @maxwelltani, @jeremymbarr, @_cingraham, @chrislhayes, @neontaster, @kaidiekmann, @mathewi, @noahshachtman, Ad Age, @joefav, @digitalshields, @sarafischer, @sarafischer, @kerrymflynn, @marisakabas, @bmorrissey, @digitalshields, @craigsilverman, @sarafischer, @jayrosen_nyu, @nycjim, @sherman4949, @phkeane, @alexweprin, @juddlegum, @danprimack, @sherman4949, @alexweprin, @alexyoung, @squawkcnbc, @tomgara, @goldietaylor, @cnbc, @millie, Variety, @sarafischer, @brianstelter, Substack, Quartz, Vanity Fair, The Wrap, TVNewser, New York Magazine, bookforum.com, Variety and Insider
Discussion:
@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/...
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
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/...
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.
Dan McQuade / Defector: Ozy Media Is A Monumental Bummer
Alex Weprin / @alexweprin: Ozy Media is back!! https://twitter.com/...
Alex Weprin / The Hollywood Reporter: Carlos Watson Says Ozy Media Won't Shut Down After All: “We Are Open for Business”
Nicole Lyn Pesce / MarketWatch: Carlos Watson says Ozy Media isn't done yet: ‘This is our Lazarus moment’
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/...
Ryan Faughnder / Los Angeles Times: Netflix's ‘Squid Game’ validates its global streaming strategy. Just ask Jeff Bezos
Tom Jones / Poynter: Facebook goes from bad to worse
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/...
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/...
Brian Stelter / @brianstelter: 🤯 @CarlosWatson says conversations “over the weekend” with advertisers, “readers,” investors have prompted him to keep the company going 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/...
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/...
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/...
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/...
Ben Smith / @benyt: Ron Conway, early Ozy investor, says the company should pay its employees first https://www.nytimes.com/...
Brian Stelter / @brianstelter: “...because the Ozy board members who commissioned the law firm are no longer with the company.” 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/...
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/...
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 ...”
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/...
Chris Hayes / @chrislhayes: Just incredible stuff! https://twitter.com/...
@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/...
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/...
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/...
Noah Shachtman / @noahshachtman: well, i'm convinced. nothing to see here, folks! this place is 100% on the up-and-up! 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/...
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/...
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/...
@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: 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/...
Brian Steinberg / Variety: Ozy Media May Have Worn Out Its Welcome With Media Buyers
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/...
Brian Stelter / @brianstelter: Here's the full @CarlosWatson interview from “Today.” He says calling Ozy a “house of cards” is “slanderous.” He's spinning this moment as a growth opportunity: “If people now know the name Ozy, I hope they'll sign up for our newsletters...” https://twitter.com/...
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)
A.J. Katz / TVNewser: Carlos Watson Goes on Today Show and Squawk Box to Claim Ozy Media Isn't Actually Shutting Down After All
Chas Danner / New York Magazine: Ozy Is Undead, CEO Dubiously Claims
Todd Spangler / Variety: Ozy Media Is Not Shutting Down After All, CEO Carlos Watson Says
RELATED:
Ben Smith / New York Times:
How the charm of Ozy's chief, Carlos Watson, helped persuade investors into putting millions toward a media dream before conducting sufficient due diligence — The story behind the story is about the elite investors who plowed millions into a media dream without much due diligence, persuaded by the charm of Ozy's head, Carlos Watson.
Discussion:
Columbia Journalism Review, @craigsilverman, New York Magazine, Mediaite, TODAY.com, @justinjm1, @craigsilverman, @benyt, @craigsilverman, Bloomberg, @youngsinick, @byjoelanderson, @heerjeet, The Wrap, The Commercial Experience, insideradio.com, @benyt, @talkopan, @ketanj0, Today in Tabs, @lyssaslounge, @rameeztase, @trungtphan, @jamesrbuk, @nkulw, @sarafischer, Newser, @benyt, @rolandsmartin, YouTube, RAIN News, @craigsilverman, @reckless, @mattwelch, @jduffyrice, @jdesmondharris, @chrisecrowley, @jeremymbarr, @craigsilverman, @craigsilverman, @craigsilverman, @craigsilverman, @craigsilverman, @craigsilverman, @craigsilverman, Boing Boing, @jodyavirgan, @geedee215, @amlwhere, @gentlemanstimes, @lpolgreen, @daveweigel, @jeremymbarr, @felixsalmon, @jessicalessin, @donlday, @akbarth3great, @jswatz, @annehelen, @jswatz, @bendwalsh, @escarry, @sharonwaxman, @aymanm, Media Voices, @oliverdarcy, @sonnybunch, @davepell, @ccadelago, @vivian, @benyt and nexttv.com
Discussion:
Jon Allsop / Columbia Journalism Review: The colossal wreck of Ozy
Craig Silverman / @craigsilverman: I worry that other people of color building media businesses are going to face even more scrutiny and skepticism because of Ozy's deceptions. And after years of covering ad fraud, I'm incensed that big brands still can't or won't take control of their digital spending.
Ankush Khardori / New York Magazine: Carlos Watson and Ozy Might Be in Real Legal Jeopardy
Jackson Richman / Mediaite: Who the Hell is Still Doing Business With Ozy?
Scott Stump / TODAY.com: Ozy Media CEO Carlos Watson says company is still in business: ‘This is our Lazarus moment’
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/...
Craig Silverman / @craigsilverman: Definitions: PAID media is advertising. Spend money to get an audience. In today's world that could be display ads, FB ads ppl click on, YouTube ads for your video. EARNED media is when people choose to watch/read/listen to your content or the media chooses to cover you.
Ben Smith / @benyt: I also spoke to Carlos Watson, who concedes nothing, and argues that paid/preroll views are superior to people who choose to watch your content: “We did not want to simply be subject to the vagaries of the algorithms...” https://www.nytimes.com/...
Craig Silverman / @craigsilverman: Brands paid millions to sponsor content on Ozy. This reveals a lot about advertisers imho, and their inability to to accurately judge real from fake in the digital media ecosystem. Or their propensity to simply not care about the difference... https://www.axios.com/... https://twitter.com/...
Austin Carr / Bloomberg: Ozy's Saga Spotlights Risk of Celebrity Directors
Michael Arceneaux / @youngsinick: I could tell Ozy was a crock based on a goofy bus ad, but the reasons why someone like Carlos Watson was able to get access to capital and even media coverage as opposed to other Black media companies that have long proven themselves will likely go unaddressed per usual. https://twitter.com/...
Joel D. Anderson / @byjoelanderson: it's true that black media companies must fight for a relatively tiny percentage of funding directed to their businesses. meanwhile mainstream/white-led media startups can tap into millions and millions of dollars for basically the same three media properties over and over again https://twitter.com/...
Jeet Heer / @heerjeet: I think the reporting of both @benyt & @CraigSilverman point in the same direction: that Oxy “worked” as a fake media company because it suited what advertisers wanted (safe, non-threatening diversity) rather than what audiences wanted. That's a wider problem than just Oxy https://twitter.com/...
Lawrence Yee / The Wrap: Ozy CEO Carlos Watson Decries ‘Brutal’ Media Coverage, Vows to Build ‘Ozy Back Stronger’
Ben Shepherd / The Commercial Experience: The Commercial Experience 21.09: Kester Black shows the real value of a strong brand, Ozy Media crashes and burns dramatically, can FB and GOOG make regression modelling mainstream?
insideradio.com: Ozy Media Co-Founder Carlos Watson Resigns From NPR Board; Fate Of Company Podcasts Unknown.
Ben Smith / @benyt: There is a core point here that many advertisers want totally safe content that also brings in a passionate, diverse young audience and would literally prefer to buy fake content than sponsor anything interesting or risky. https://twitter.com/...
Tal Kopan / @talkopan: Imagine if all the gobs of money that went into this apparent house of cards could have bolstered an established local news industry that's been undercut by ... stuff like this https://twitter.com/...
Ketan Joshi / @ketanj0: As @mollytaft pointed out a few days ago, this story of a slowly self-reinforcing bubble of fakery and fraud rings some extremely similar bells for the markets for dodgy offsets in the climate world. Except in the climate case, the crash is very real and physical and terrible. https://twitter.com/...
Rusty Foster / Today in Tabs: The Crane Wives — Yes yes, Ozy, but listen, this went viral this morning:
Katharina Borchert / @lyssaslounge: If you've been following the crazy #OzyMedia story, this is an excellent thread about early warning signs and how big companies ignored them. https://twitter.com/...
Rameez / @rameeztase: i've never understood the “they buy audience” criticism. This is quite literally just called advertising. The fact that it didn't work is a strategic failure, not a moral one. There were plenty of those in this situation, to be clear. https://twitter.com/...
Trung Phan / @trungtphan: FYI: This thread is a great breakdown of Ozy's “business model” (and why corporate sponsors kept spending with the media startup) https://twitter.com/...
James Ball / @jamesrbuk: “The whole Ozy episode seemed to confirm the widely held suspicion that venture capital and advertising may be the world's least rigorous industries” https://www.nytimes.com/...
Noah Kulwin / @nkulw: Hahaha https://twitter.com/...
Sara Fischer / @sarafischer: Flagging again that ~75 people worked at Ozy. I've been on the phone w lots of them. They're reading all of the stories & tweets. This is very hard for them. A lot of them did great work. It's unfair to say Ozy was a “sham.” The correct framing is that it was woefully mismanaged. https://twitter.com/...
Kate Seamons / Newser: ‘This Is Our Lazarus Moment’: Ozy Reverses Closure Decision
Ben Smith / @benyt: @sarafischer The content they produced was real, but the audience wasn't, and the the lies to advertisers, investors, to Axios — that's not mismanagement, it's just deception. I think they were doing what they intended to do? Horrible for the staff, who worked hard and didn't deserve it.
@rolandsmartin: Doubling down on a damn lie. Advertisers gave millions to @ozy and their fraudulent numbers and totally ignore those of who have grown our business organically by not buying a penny of marketing. THAT is real audience growth https://twitter.com/...
Craig Silverman / @craigsilverman: Ozy's strategy has been to buy audience, influence and the trappings of success. It appears to have worked until money from investors started to dry up. Ozy's problem is that all its paid media never turned into earned media aka real audience success. So they had to keep buying.
Nilay Patel / @reckless: This is so funny - Tesla famously spends $0 on marketing and does not even have a comms person https://www.nytimes.com/... https://twitter.com/...
Matt Welch / @mattwelch: The implications & patterns of this story present all kinds of avenues for consideration & exploration. https://twitter.com/...
Josie Duffy Rice / @jduffyrice: i'm glad to see other black media heads interviewed in this article, including the inimitable @laurenwilliams. but i wish it covered what this means for media going forward. it's near impossible to build a thriving media outlet, and it'll only get harder. https://www.nytimes.com/...
@jdesmondharris: “[S]ome advertisers and venture capitalists are much more comfortable attaching themselves to media with lower stakes that is attached to lofty ideas, but not news that's going to move the needle or challenge the status quo,” said Lauren Williams https://www.nytimes.com/...
Chris Crowley / @chrisecrowley: thinking about how Ozy investor Laurene Powell Jobs's Emerson Collective pulled funding for California Sunday Magazine, leading to its shut down last year... there was also the matter of the Atlantic laying off 20 percent of its staff... https://www.nytimes.com/...
Jeremy Barr / @jeremymbarr: A great thread from someone who was very early on this story https://twitter.com/...
Craig Silverman / @craigsilverman: This matters because the money invested in Ozy and spent on campaigns with it could have been deployed elsewhere. It could have helped support mission-driven media that does the hard work of connecting with and serving a *real* audience.
Craig Silverman / @craigsilverman: Also, brands do completely bonkers shit with their money. In 2017 I gave JPMorgan a LOT of data and details to show how its sponson on Ozy was getting junk paid traffic. Yet here we are four years later and JPMorgan was still spending with Ozy. https://twitter.com/...
Craig Silverman / @craigsilverman: BUT in spite of all these obvious signs that the company was not connecting with an audience, Brands continued to spend money with Ozy. The one thing Ozy was good at was at selling itself and a vision. From the NYT tonight: https://www.nytimes.com/... https://twitter.com/...
Craig Silverman / @craigsilverman: So: it paid to place sponsored Ozy content in the LA Times and then quoted its own sponcon to create the impression it was getting good press. This thread has so many more examples like this https://twitter.com/...
Craig Silverman / @craigsilverman: Let's move on. What has Ozy done since? It continued to pay for audience in a variety of formats. This pattern suggests Ozy's strategy of covering “the new and the next” wasn't building the kind of audience it was promising investors and advertisers.
Craig Silverman / @craigsilverman: But in this case Ozy was sourcing traffic from multiple extremely dubious sources, and the brands didn't know. It later told the brands that this traffic/content wasn't part of their deal. OK!
Craig Silverman / @craigsilverman: Backgorund: In 2017 I revealed Ozy bought a bunch of junk web traffic and had sent it to sponsored content pages on its website. They PAID for an audience to view this stuff. https://www.buzzfeednews.com/ ...
Rob Beschizza / Boing Boing: Ozy Media soap opera ends in its demise
Jody Avirgan / @jodyavirgan: I was turned off by Ozy from the moment I first heard about it, not because I sniffed a scam but because of this — it just seemed so aggressively safe. https://twitter.com/...
Vaxton P. Hartnabrig / @geedee215: This dude talks in press release copy — why didn't that automatically trip any alarm bells for Ozy's rich investors? Everything that he's saying, even now, lands as affable dissembling. https://www.nytimes.com/...
Ann Marie Lipinski / @amlwhere: Two key reasons Ozy can happen again: 1. Investors who perform little analysis and “rely on gut instinct and herd-like validation from their peers” 2. Advertisers “who are ever in search of news without, well, news” https://www.nytimes.com/...
Chris Chafin / @gentlemanstimes: everyone loves the ozy story because they're just **slightly** over the line that every other media company dances on every day https://www.nytimes.com/...
Lydia Polgreen / @lpolgreen: I have spent a lot of time in the past week thinking about all the Black and brown owned media companies Ozy leapfrogged. https://twitter.com/...
Dave Weigel / @daveweigel: “After our conversation on Sunday, in which [Carlos Watson] was joined by a new public relations adviser, the former Clinton aide Phil Singer...” https://www.nytimes.com/...
Jeremy Barr / @jeremymbarr: “A strange feature of Ozy Media was that the content was all real, its journalism was real (albeit light) and the ad revenue appears to have been real, too. Nobody loves this stuff more than advertisers, who are ever in search of news without, well, news.” https://www.nytimes.com/...
Felix Salmon / @felixsalmon: “The low-conflict, low-news journalism that Ozy offered appears to have been a hard sell to readers and viewers. Ozy's content, however, was catnip to #brand managers in the consumer packaged goods market.” https://www.nytimes.com/...
Jessica Lessin / @jessicalessin: Has not a more true phrase been uttered... “The whole Ozy episode seemed to confirm the widely held suspicion that venture capital and advertising may be the world's least rigorous industries.” https://www.nytimes.com/...
@donlday: Gosh why am I working so hard to get people to read our content when apparently just paying for eyeballs is superior. 🙄 https://twitter.com/...
John Schwartz / @jswatz: “I look at the demands they made on me — my metrics, numbers,” he said of the advertising agencies. “Now I'm sitting there going, 'Y'all made me jump through all these hoops? It was that easy just to lie and make up this stuff?'” https://www.nytimes.com/...
Anne Helen Petersen / @annehelen: everyone should name their newsletter that does valuable reporting something that sounds amazing when mentioned in a serious NYT article https://twitter.com/...
Ben Walsh / @bendwalsh: if true, this is yet more gross mismanagement by Carlos Watson! https://www.nytimes.com/... https://twitter.com/...
Eddie Scarry / @escarry: ," wrote Ben Smith, the former editor in chief of BuzzFeed. https://www.nytimes.com/... https://twitter.com/...
Sharon Waxman / @sharonwaxman: “The classic demographic for Ozy was a retired female white teacher who used Ozy to stay young and stay woke and loved learning about the world from it,” the former employee said. https://www.nytimes.com/...
Ayman / @aymanm: This is perhaps my favorite story of the week. And likely we have the perfect guest to talk about it... @benyt joins me to discuss his bombshell reporting and how that literally led to Ozy Media shutting down. https://twitter.com/...
Esther Kezia Thorpe / Media Voices: The Information Reporter Kaya Yurieff on covering the sprawling creator economy
Oliver Darcy / @oliverdarcy: “I am sympathetic to people like Mr. Watson and Ms. Holmes — strivers whose dreams apparently led them into deception,” @benyt writes. “If you've ever worked for and loved a new institution, you can imagine how hard it would be to let it fail.” https://www.nytimes.com/...
Sonny Bunch / @sonnybunch: Some personal news: I've been promoted to “Twitter wag.” https://www.nytimes.com/... https://twitter.com/...
Dave Pell / @davepell: If you're a sexual harasser, the last words you want to hear are: Roman Farrow is on the phone. If you're a phony media company, the last words you want to hear are: Ben Smith is on the phone. https://twitter.com/...
Christopher Cadelago / @ccadelago: Carlos Watson, zooming with Ben Smith on Sunday to defend Ozy after its implosion, was joined by a new public relations adviser, the former Clinton aide Phil Singer. https://www.nytimes.com/...
Vivian Schiller / @vivian: Ozy's promise was “diversity without the conflict.” Is such thing even possible? @benyt https://www.nytimes.com/...
Ben Smith / @benyt: Here are some slides from a deck, from this summer when Ozy was trying to raise money at a $450 million valuation https://twitter.com/...
Jon Lafayette / nexttv.com: CEO Carlos Watson Claims Ozy Media's Not Dead Yet
Eugene S. Robinson / Look What You Made Me Do:
Ozy's former editor-at-large recalls Carlos Watson's abusive management style and says there was a white Ozy and a Black Ozy, where employees were treated worse — “And in regards to your little music thing...” It was both a dressing down, very possibly Dressing Down #37, and a pep talk.
Discussion:
Matt Haber / @matthaber: I've had some awful bosses (you know who you are, assholes), but this story of mind games and abuse of power from @eugeneSrobinson is next, next level: https://eugenesrobinson.substack.com/ ...
Joel D. Anderson / @byjoelanderson: yes, can confirm that it is truly cathartic to air out an abusive phony who once wielded a lot of power over you at work. https://twitter.com/...
Cruella Dawson / @brosandprose: Holy shit, this account by OZY's former editor-at-large, @eugeneSrobinson: https://eugenesrobinson.substack.com/ ... https://twitter.com/...
@jdesmondharris: This is horrifying. Also, I want everyone who has ever had a terrible boss to have the opportunity to write something like this at exactly this kind of moment. I just know it felt fantastic. https://eugenesrobinson.substack.com/ ...
Isabel B. Slone / @isabelslone: A blistering account of what it's like to work for OZY media by @eugeneSrobinson https://eugenesrobinson.substack.com/ ...
@razibkhan: OZY Rules: The House Negro Gets It in the End https://eugenesrobinson.substack.com/ ... a lot of ppl have experienced bosses like carlos watson. being on top means that you set the tone
Delece Smith-Barrow / @delecewrites: “You know I've had many bosses over my life but I've only had one boss who looked like me, and curiously, this was the worst boss I ever had.” | OZY Rules: The House Negro Gets It in the End, by @eugeneSrobinson https://eugenesrobinson.substack.com/ ...
Blake Hounshell / @blakehounshell: “Hats off to Werner Herzog for telling Watson who was making a play to ‘hang out’ that they could meet in ‘400 years.’” https://eugenesrobinson.substack.com/ ...
Anna Merlan / @annamerlan: “Some of the African American employees felt that there were two OZY's. The white OZY and the Black OZY, where like America, employees were treated worse.” https://eugenesrobinson.substack.com/ ...
@imgarysuarez: If you've been following the @carloswatson x @ozy downfall saga, you're gonna wanna read this NEXT LEVEL SHIT from former OZY editor (and all-around awe-inspiring human) @eugeneSrobinson. https://eugenesrobinson.substack.com/ ...
Martin F. Robbins / @mjrobbins: What I think people still don't understand is this behaviour is rife in tech start-ups. Many/most people I know have had managers comparable to this. Angel investors put basically children in charge of big teams and bundles of cash, with little or no oversight. https://twitter.com/...
Mickey Kaus / @kausmickey: “'You work your ass off on a thing, and then it gets like 60 readers, you know?' says the former editor. 'There was just no one there. It's crickets.'” 60? Well, they beat https://pseudo.com/. ... But it's close. https://nymag.com/...
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:
Dan Primack / Axios: Ozy Media investor sues the company for fraud
Kana Ruhalter / The Daily Beast: Ozy Media Hit With Hefty Lawsuit Alleging ‘Fraudulent, Deceptive, and Illegal Conduct’
Dan Primack / @danprimack: OZY Media investor sues the company for fraud. Read the complaint. https://www.axios.com/...
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
Craig Silverman / @craigsilverman:
[Thread] A look at why Ozy failed as a paid media company and has become a perfect, cautionary illustration of paid versus earned media
[Thread] A look at why Ozy failed as a paid media company and has become a perfect, cautionary illustration of paid versus earned media
Discussion:
Aidan McLaughlin / Mediaite: Carlos Watson Tells TODAY Show Ozy is BACK: ‘This is Our Lazarus Moment’
Elizabeth Spiers / @espiers: It's not just this (though it is this). There are a lot of brands who need to check a box with media buys for a specific demo and don't actually care about performance. Someone just needs to tell their CMO that they have a buy that covers a target audience https://twitter.com/...
Craig Silverman / @craigsilverman: It was vicious cycle Ozy could not pull out of. My view: Ozy simply refused to change its vision and strategy to produce something people actually wanted in large enough numbers to build an audience. Interestingly, however, Ozy did manage to pull in millions from... paid content.
Jay Rosen / @jayrosen_nyu: Ozy Media's founder Monday: “We are strong and undeterred.” Four days later the company closed its doors. https://www.nytimes.com/... https://twitter.com/...
Sarah Kessler / New York Times: Balancing Honesty and Optimism in Silicon Valley
Sara Fischer / Axios:
Sources: Ozy inflated its numbers by buying most of its social media following and viewership for some shows, then used the numbers in pitches to TV networks
Sources: Ozy inflated its numbers by buying most of its social media following and viewership for some shows, then used the numbers in pitches to TV networks
Discussion:
MediaPost, @tomfgoodwin, The Wrap, @chronotope, Associated Press, AdExchanger, Poynter, American Press Institute, The Daily Beast, @craigsilverman, @coopintn, @balakrishnanr, @johnqbarrett, @jrosenbaum, @ziadramley, @dabeard, @saramorrison, @martinsfp, @emilybell, @sarafischer, @axios, @axios, @axios, @axios, @axios, @jayrosen_nyu and @sarafischer
Discussion:
Tom Goodwin / @tomfgoodwin: An awful lot of the digital media/ad world is a house of cards built on lies, bots,fraud,etc. It became like bodybuilding where everyone had to take steroids. But generally speaking the ecosystem is one built on some many lies that almost everyone benefits from believing in. https://twitter.com/...
Antoinette Siu / The Wrap: Many Former Ozy Staffers Say They Are ‘Definitely Not Returning’
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/...
Associated Press: After a week of scandal, the CEO of Ozy Media says he now hopes to stay in business
Allison Schiff / AdExchanger: Ozy Media's Downfall Is An Object Lesson In The Ubiquity Of Fake Traffic - And Marketers Finally Need To Learn
Tom Jones / Poynter: So is Ozy Media dead or what?
American Press Institute: Need to Know: October 4, 2021 — Fresh useful insights for people advancing quality, innovative and sustainable journalism
Craig Silverman / @craigsilverman: Axios reported that it paid for its social media following, and used these follower counts to try and impress investors and others. https://www.axios.com/... https://twitter.com/...
Kristina Gordon / @coopintn: I knew Ozy was bad news from the beginning when they did an interview with me about forgiveness after infidelity and then slapped a headline on it that read: How to Cheat and Get Away With It. https://twitter.com/...
R. Balakrishnan / @balakrishnanr: Catch up on something fun. A nice structured story ... Ozy Media Ozy Built a TV Show on a False Claim, Says Its Former Producer https://www.nytimes.com/...
John Q. Barrett / @johnqbarrett: Great reporting. Ponzi & Madoff come to mind. Who are — were — Ozy Media's lawyers? Have they withdrawn representations that they must have transmitted, and maybe made themselves, to media companies, lenders, prospective investors, etc.? @benyt @carloswatson @BradBessey https://twitter.com/...
Jason Rosenbaum / @jrosenbaum: This is such a weird story. I watch a lot of popular channels on YouTube (mainly non political things about music, the NBA and professional wrestling) and I've never heard of Ozy until this week. https://twitter.com/...
Ziad Ramley / @ziadramley: Ben has started an avalanche of reporting on Ozy and his latest story is just as shocking as the first https://twitter.com/...
Sara Morrison / @saramorrison: I hope people don't think that Ozy is the only outlet that does this to writers. Many legitimate ones do, too! You send them 25 pitches and you never hear from them again. https://twitter.com/...
Martin Sfp Bryant / @martinsfp: “One source said that more than 95% of viewership for ‘The Carlos Watson Show’ was paid.” “Two sources said the company would often include social media interactions in its overall reach metrics.” 😳 https://www.axios.com/...
Emily Bell / @emilybell: OZY - the exact opposite of standing up to scrutiny. @benyt peeled back the lid of the can.....worms everywhere. It does make one think though that if internal knowledge of all these practices were so prevalent, why it took so long https://twitter.com/...
Sara Fischer / @sarafischer: Re: OZY — One source told Axios that more than 95% of viewership for “The Carlos Watson Show” was paid —2 sources said execs included social media interactions in overall reach metrics —Email list was massive, but many emails obtained via dubious practices https://www.axios.com/...
@axios: Some employees knew these things were happening and protested. Many assumed it was happening but were not directly involved so they didn't speak up. https://www.axios.com/...
@axios: Ozy Media was built on years of lies that together created a false narrative about its business, financials and culture, according to documents obtained by Axios, and dozens of conversations with former employees, investors, business partners and advisers. https://www.axios.com/...
@axios: 🧵: The story of Ozy became so viral so fast because it highlighted the worst parts of every industry in America: naive investors, digital media outlets faking their numbers and over-zealous startup founders toeing the line between dishonesty and delusion. https://www.axios.com/...
@axios: As of Friday evening, only two people remained on Ozy's Board: CEO Carlos Watson and Michael Moe, a venture capitalist. https://www.axios.com/...
@axios: • One source said that more than 95% of viewership for “The Carlos Watson Show” was paid • Another said the company bought most of its social media following • Two sources said execs included social media interactions in overall reach metrics https://www.axios.com/...
Jay Rosen / @jayrosen_nyu: “Ozy Media was built on years of lies that together created a woefully false narrative about its business, financials and culture...” https://www.axios.com/... It's hard to overstate how little was there.
Sara Fischer / @sarafischer: NEW: The revenue figures Carlos Watson shared with Axios in Jan 2021 align with what he told investors, recruits, board members and third-party vendors. Given all of the deception around the company's numbers (details below) everything is being questioned. https://www.axios.com/...
Todd Spangler / Variety:
Disney says Hulu president Kelly Campbell has left after less than two years in the role — Campbell's departure was announced to staff by Rebecca Campbell, Disney's chairman of international operations and direct-to-consumer. Kelly Campbell's direct reports at Hulu will report to Rebecca Campbell …
Discussion:
@mattbelloni, MediaPost, @mattbelloni, @masasoncap, @benmullin, @mattbelloni, @jbflint, @laceyvrose, @richlightshed, C21Media, Deadline, nexttv.com, Hollywood Reporter and Adweek
Discussion:
Matthew Belloni / @mattbelloni: Some big Hollywood streaming news: HULU President Kelly Campbell is OUT. She just informed her team.
Karlene Lukovitz / MediaPost: Hulu President Exits, Could Be Headed For NBCU's Peacock
Matthew Belloni / @mattbelloni: Here's the internal Disney memo on Hulu President Kelly Campbell's exit from int'l/direct to consumer chief Rebecca Campbell (no relation)... https://twitter.com/...
@masasoncap: Formerly Chief Marketing Officer for Hulu and was appointed by Kevin Mayer. Oversight did not include original scripted programming. Wonder if Landgraf would ever be a possible contender for the job, FX (the network) is not a top priority like Hulu is... https://twitter.com/...
Ben Mullin / @benmullin: Scoop from @Lilliannnn and @JBFlint: Departing Hulu President Kelly Campbell is in talks to join NBCUniversal https://www.wsj.com/...
Matthew Belloni / @mattbelloni: Let the John Landgraf speculation begin anew.... https://twitter.com/...
Joe Flint / @jbflint: Departing Hulu President Kelly Campbell is in talks to join NBCUniversal in senior role w/@Lilliannnn https://www.wsj.com/... via @WSJ
@laceyvrose: “Effective immediately” typically means one of two things. 1) some bad shit went down, start making calls. Or 2) got a job at a rival, and they're just not saying. This falls in bucket two... and given all the cooks in that kitchen, structural hang ups, etc, are we shocked? https://twitter.com/...
Rich Greenfield / @richlightshed: Hulu = Never-ending Reorg — and Comcast situation remains unresolved...why?!?! https://twitter.com/...
Jordan Pinto / C21Media: Hulu president Kelly Campbell exits with immediate effect
Nellie Andreeva / Deadline: Kelly Campbell Exits As Hulu President
Daniel Frankel / nexttv.com: Hulu President Kelly Campbell Abruptly Departs
Kelsey Sutton / Adweek: Hulu President Kelly Campbell Leaves in Latest Disney Shake-Up
RELATED:
Wall Street Journal:
Sources: Kelly Campbell was upset about losing some oversight, including over Hulu's scripted content, amid Disney's restructurings and cost-saving measures
Sources: Kelly Campbell was upset about losing some oversight, including over Hulu's scripted content, amid Disney's restructurings and cost-saving measures
Discussion:
Matthew Belloni / @mattbelloni: Talks still in “preliminary stage,” which makes a resignation bizarre (unless NBCU is downplaying for deal purposes or Disney found out about said talks)... https://www.wsj.com/...
Joe Flint / @jbflint: Updated story includes: Tensions inside Hulu over its integration into Disney. Salaries and bonus structure was much better Hulu vs Disney, which is cost-cutting. Campbell also upset about losing some oversight including content, per sources. https://www.wsj.com/... via @WSJ
Jessica Toonkel / The Information:
Sources: The Athletic lost around $100M between 2019 and 2020, exceeding its $73M in revenue over the same period — Digital sports news firm The Athletic hemorrhaged nearly $100 million cash between 2019 and 2020, according to a presentation prepared for investors, exceeding the $73 million …
Discussion:
@mathewi, The Verge, @adamzagoria, @pilhofer, @fightoracle, @keitholbermann, @meredithshiner, @vicareynolds, @duncansmithnba, @amir, @tomfgoodwin, @amir, @bubbaprog, @jason_koebler, @fos, @lawrencedonegan, @jessicalessin, @sizpatel, @tomlyonsbiz, @fpmarconi, @arashmassoudi and @mlombardinfl
Discussion:
Mathew Ingram / @mathewi: The Athletic burned through almost $100 million between 2019 and 2020, according to The Information — almost $20 million more than it made in revenue: https://www.theinformation.com/ ...
Ashley Carman / The Verge: Another one (Gimlet podcast) bites the dust (goes exclusive)
Adam Zagoria / @adamzagoria: “We will wait every local paper out and let them continuously bleed until we are the last ones standing,” Alex Mather, a co-founder of The Athletic. https://twitter.com/...
@fightoracle: You know the growth phase is just about done when they're bragging about being marginally profitable in 3 years. Like that's anything. That wasn't the goal. The goal was to replace local sports sections. That was the massive total addressable market that enticed investors. https://twitter.com/...
Keith Olbermann / @keitholbermann: Oh god now all of you in 2041 will have to read all those self-martyring “One Shining Moment” stories on how like The National, @TheAthletic was the perfect sports product https://twitter.com/...
Meredith Shiner / @meredithshiner: this does not surprise me and is the sort of reporting I've sadly been waiting for. a lot of talented people out there who deserve to have good, stable journalism jobs, and I wonder if local news outlets will take this moment to reassess their approach and bring talent back. https://twitter.com/...
Vic Reynolds / @vicareynolds: I, for one, kind of appreciate the irony of an article about the financial struggles of a subscription-based news outlet from a subscription-based news outlet that offers something called “The Executive Package” that costs $750 per year https://twitter.com/...
Duncan Smith / @duncansmithnba: 1. Put all other sports media out of business 2. Spend massively beyond your means 3. ??? 4. Profit https://twitter.com/...
Amir Efrati / @amir: The Athletic's business was nearly half as big as everyone thought it was. https://www.theinformation.com/ ... via @jtoonkel
Tom Goodwin / @tomfgoodwin: One thing that puzzles me often is how do “tech” companies manage to burn through so much cash so fast. This is a sector where Twitter spends $700m+ per year on R&D to build essentially nothing. https://twitter.com/...
Timothy Burke / @bubbaprog: they had 575 employees during this period; they laid off 46 people at the end of it https://twitter.com/...
Jason Koebler / @jason_koebler: This story is basically “The Athletic made a really great website worth subscribing to and did pretty well at getting a lot of people to subscribe to it” https://www.theinformation.com/ ...
@fos: The Athletic by the numbers, per @theinformation: 2020: $47M in revenue 2021*: $77M 2022*: $119M 2023*: $156M Between 2019 and 2020, the company burned through $95 million as it grew its headcount to 600+ employees. It expects to be profitable in 2023. (*Projections) https://twitter.com/...
@lawrencedonegan: Speaking a subscriber (and a fan of well-paid jobs for journalists), this is terrifying. Business model as it currently exists is simply not sustainable. https://twitter.com/...
Jessica Lessin / @jessicalessin: Great exclusive: @jtoonkel has The Athletic's financials, including cash burn. $47 million in revenue last year. Seeking $750 million in exit. https://www.theinformation.com/ ...
Sahil Patel / @sizpatel: The Athletic has been seeking a buyer. Its balance sheet shows a company that has been burning through cash. Scoop by @jtoonkel: https://www.theinformation.com/ ...
Tom Lyons / @tomlyonsbiz: This is a good read...The Athletic has burned through $95m (2019-2020). Projecting revenue $77m this year. https://www.theinformation.com/ ...
Francesco Marconi / @fpmarconi: An impressive burn rate for a new media company😬🔥https:// www.theinformation.com/...
Arash Massoudi / @arashmassoudi: We'll be fascinating to see if gambling company makes a move on @TheAthletic nice scoop @jtoonkel https://www.theinformation.com/ ...
Michael Lombardi / @mlombardinfl: This explains what was happening. https://twitter.com/...
Daniel Lippman / Politico:
Seven foreign journalists fired from USAGM during former CEO Michael Pack's term sue the agency for breach of contract and wrongful termination — Seven foreign journalists working for the U.S. Agency for Global Media who were fired by the Trump administration have sued the agency for breach of contract and wrongful termination.
Discussion:
Edward Wong / @ewong: Interesting. Here's the back story: @abennett & @SandySugawara resigned in June after Michael Pack, a Steve Bannon ally, was confirmed by Senate Republicans to lead the U.S. Agency for Global Media. Even some Republicans were hesitant about Pack. https://www.nytimes.com/... https://twitter.com/...
Daniel Lippman / @dlippman: NEW: Three sources told me that in late March the White House's Presidential Personnel Office blocked Steve Capus, the former president of NBC News, from being named director of VOA. Two sources said the WH wants the next USAGM CEO to pick the person. https://www.politico.com/...
Daniel Lippman / @dlippman: SCOOP: Seven foreign journalists working for the U.S. Agency for Global Media who were fired by the Trump administration have sued the agency for breach of contract and wrongful termination based on vague and false accusations of disloyalty to America. https://www.politico.com/...
Daniel Lippman / @dlippman: NEW: Amanda Bennett, the former director of Voice of America who resigned during Trump admin., is being considered to lead the U.S. Agency for Global Media, 4 people familiar w/ the matter told me. One said her nomination could come in the next few weeks. https://www.politico.com/...
Sarah Whitten / CNBC:
Members of the IATSE union, representing backstage movie and TV workers, authorize a strike after trying to negotiate a larger streaming revenue share and more — - Hollywood's backstage union workers voted to authorize an industry-wide strike. — This vote comes after months …
Discussion:
IATSE, Variety, New York Times, Los Angeles Times, The Wrap, Deadline, Collider, @michaelkenken, @msnbcunion, @variety, @genemaddaus, @kymadds, @gideonresnick, @aherman2006, @jfreewright, @scriptsbyjames, @variety, @sarahwhit10, @moreperfectus, @johnfetterman, @lucas_shaw, @electmikegarcia, @iatse, @brianstelter, nexttv.com, 101.9fm The MIX, Adweek, CBS Los Angeles and dot.LA, more at Techmeme »
Discussion:
IATSE: By a Nearly Unanimous Margin, IATSE Members in TV and Film Production Vote to Authorize a Nationwide Strike
Anousha Sakoui / Los Angeles Times: Hollywood crews give near unanimous support for strike authorization after contract talks stall
Jeremy Fuster / The Wrap: How IATSE's Strike Threat Sets the Stage for Hollywood Guilds' Coming Fight Over Streaming
Deadline: IATSE Members Overwhelmingly Approve Strike Authorization; AMPTP Says It “Remains Committed To Reaching An Agreement”
Marco Vito Oddo / Collider: IATSE Members Vote to Authorize National TV and Film Production Strike
Michael Kennedy / @michaelkenken: 90% voter turnout with 98% authorizing. This is monumental. I stand with IATSE. https://twitter.com/...
@msnbcunion: As America's newest unionized TV workforce we proudly stand with @IATSE along with the rest of @WGAEast https://www.cnbc.com/...
@variety: IATSE leadership and the AMPTP are expected to have a Zoom call tomorrow, according to a union source. https://variety.com/...
Gene Maddaus / @genemaddaus: A meeting between AMPTP and IATSE leaders is set for 11 a.m. Tuesday. Hearing optimism that a deal can get done this week. https://variety.com/... via @variety
Kylie Madden / @kymadds: “...that threshold [75%] was exceeded in all 36 local unions with none reporting less than 96 percent voting to authorize a strike.” Go IATSE!! https://twitter.com/...
Gideon Resnick / @gideonresnick: Per the @IATSE release: —90 percent of eligible union voters cast ballots —More than 98 percent of them in support of strike authorization https://iatse.net/... https://twitter.com/...
Alison Herman / @aherman2006: I cannot emphasize how pissed off a union membership has to be — nor how impressive an organizing push has to be made — to win a strike vote by a 96-point margin and with 90 percent turnout https://variety.com/...
Jeffrey Wright / @jfreewright: “The vote passed with 98 % support and 90 % turnout.” Tells you everything. #IASolidarity https://twitter.com/...
James Alexander / @scriptsbyjames: NINETY EIGHT PERCENT VOTED YES. It's WAY past time for some change. https://twitter.com/...
@variety: The strike threat comes as Hollywood has never been busier, especially on the TV side. Soundstages are at or near full capacity, and productions have had difficulty finding enough workers to keep shooting, leading to exhaustion and burnout. https://variety.com/...
Sarah Whitten / @sarahwhit10: “I hope that the studios will see and understand the resolve of our members,” Matthew Loeb, president of @IATSE said. “The ball is in their court. If they want to avoid a strike, they will return to the bargaining table and make us a reasonable offer.” https://www.cnbc.com/...
@moreperfectus: .@IATSE members in the TV & film industry voted to authorize the nationwide strike by nearly unanimous margins, the union reported. Results show 90% of eligible union voters cast ballots, with more than 98% of them in support of strike authorization. https://iatse.net/...
John Fetterman / @johnfetterman: Solidarity with @IATSE Everyone—*everyone*— deserves their work to be treated with dignity. The Union Way of Life is sacred. https://twitter.com/...
Lucas Shaw / @lucas_shaw: I asked one of the most powerful agents in Hollywood to rank the streaming services that pay his clients the most. His top 4: Netflix, Amazon, HBO Max and Apple. https://www.bloomberg.com/... https://twitter.com/...
Mike Garcia / @electmikegarcia: Good luck to the 60,000 IATSE members tomorrow during their negotiations. Stage workers, grips, and stylists are humans just like the elite actors. They deserve fundamental protections. This is a safety thing as much as anything. 18 hour days followed... https://www.cnbc.com/...
@iatse: “The members have spoken loud and clear. Our people have basic human needs like time for meal breaks, adequate sleep, and a weekend. For those at the bottom of the pay scale, they deserve nothing less than a living wage.” https://iatse.net/...
Brian Stelter / @brianstelter: “This decision allows IATSE to initiate a strike should talks with AMPTP remain stalled and could lead to the largest strike among Hollywood production workers since World War II...” https://twitter.com/...
Daniel Frankel / nexttv.com: Hollywood Production Union IATSE Votes to Strike
Kelsey Sutton / Adweek: IATSE Union Votes to Authorize Strike, Putting TV and Film Production on Notice
CBS Los Angeles: IATSE Members Overwhelmingly Approve Strike, Moves Hollywood One Step Closer To Historic Shutdown
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:
@scottbrodbeck, @_claireconnelly, @saksappeal, @saahil_desai, @jameslfredrick, @choire, Boing Boing and @jeremylittau
Discussion:
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/...
Thom Dunn / Boing Boing: Defector's just-released annual report shows a fascinating model for new media
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/...
Justin Baragona / The Daily Beast:
In a deposition, Rudy Giuliani says OANN reporter Christina Bobb, who also volunteered for the Trump legal team, had to run any stories she had by the campaign — The ex-New York City mayor said in a deposition that Christina Bobb, who volunteered for the Trump legal team after the election, had to run her stories by the campaign.
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:
@nicolesjchung: get your holiday book orders in now if you haven't already! https://www.nytimes.com/...
Benjy Sarlin / @benjysarlin: Getting an involuntary eye twitch every time I see “supply chain” in a headline at this point https://twitter.com/...
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/...
Lucas Shaw / Bloomberg:
Q&A with Endeavor chairman Patrick Whitesell on the transition to streaming, HBO Max's success, which services pay the most, and more — If there's one thing Patrick Whitesell knows how to do, it's cut a deal. — Whitesell, the executive chairman of Endeavor, represents …
Discussion:
Lucas Shaw / @lucas_shaw: The #1 streaming service in Japan is... Amazon. By a lot. It has 33% of all paid streaming customers and accounts for 26% of viewing. (Source: @MPAupdates) https://www.bloomberg.com/... https://twitter.com/...