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Critics accuse WSJ of amplifying misinformation after it publishes a 600-word letter to the editor from Trump, filled with debunked claims of election fraud — The publication of the letter, citing baseless and debunked claims, was criticized for pushing the traditional boundaries of a letters-to-the-editor page
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Wall Street Journal, @jeremymbarr, Washington Post, Poynter, SHERO, CNN, @amandacarpenter, @thedailybeast, @amandacarpenter, @jaketapper, The Week, @jdawsey1, @waltshaub, @mattnegrin, @terrymoran, @thedailybeast, @chrislhayes, @bgrueskin, @frankrichny, @bgrueskin, @mehdirhasan, @janinezacharia, The Daily Beast, @djrothkopf, @billkristol, @ericowensdc, Mediaite, @svdate, @bgrueskin, @jeremymbarr, The Hill, @ike_saul, @charlesornstein, @urbanachievr, @gretchenapeck, @timobrien, @sykescharlie and UPROXX


Internal docs show Facebook staffers agonized over whether the company was nudging news organizations to produce “darker, more divisive content” — In November 2018, the staff of Facebook's fledgling Civic Integrity department got a look at some eye-opening internal research …
Discussion:
@jeffjarvis, @froomkin, @cat_zakrzewski, @justinhendrix, @donlday, CNET, @oliverdarcy and New York Magazine, more at Techmeme »
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While whistleblowing and accountability journalism are useful, only sweeping political changes can limit Facebook's power, which has proven enduring — Amid years of ongoing crisis, Facebook in recent weeks has faced the public-relations equivalent of nuclear annihilation.
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@fboversight, @aghoshal, @silvermanjacob, @carolecadwalla, @justinjm1, @jason_kint, Slow Build, ScreenRant and Talking Points Memo, more at Techmeme »

Sources say Facebook Papers have no sharing restrictions, so media outlets should model transparency and make them publicly accessible
Discussion:
@kantrowitz, Terms of Service w …, Press Gazette, The Message Box, Nieman Lab, @joshelman, @attorneynora, @kantrowitz, @annia, @dellcam, @mat, @kimzetter, wgbh.org, @katiedrumm, @karissabe, @ezranbc, @seyitaylor, @scottnover, @blackamazon, @cwarzel, @niemanlab, @digiphile, The Wrap, The Triad, Vanity Fair, bookforum.com and GOOD INTERNET, more at Techmeme »


Spotify reports Q3 revenue of $2.9B, up 27% YoY; MAUs rose 19% YoY to 381M as Premium users rose 19% YoY to 172M; ad sales rose 75% YoY to $374M; stock up 6%+ — Spotify posted double-digit gains for overall monthly users and paid subscribers for the third quarter of 2021, in line with expectations …
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Sources: G/O Media has removed images from articles published before 2019 across its properties, but employees do not know the rationale for the removal — G/O Media — the parent company that runs 11 websites, including the former Gawker Media properties Gizmodo, Jalopnik, Deadspin …


USA Today launches an SMS text chat service, letting digital subscribers connect with its fact checkers — We're living in an age of misinformation. From coronavirus to climate change, via TikTok trends and Facebook memes, being certain about the truth is more important than ever - and more difficult to distinguish.
Discussion:
@jayrosen_nyu and @dpfunke


Comcast reports Q3 revenue rose to $30.2B with $4.04B net income; NBCU earnings were $1.3B, up 48.2% YoY, on $10B revenue, up 57.9% YoY, due to the Olympics — Comcast saw its third-quarter profit soar due to its massive broadcast of the Tokyo Olympics across NBCUniversal as well as an uptick …
Discussion:
Wall Street Journal, Reuters and CNBC


Internal docs show Netflix tried to minimize public backlash to the film Cuties by stopping it from appearing in some search results and recommendations — In September 2020, Netflix was in turmoil as the company battled its most significant PR scandal to date.
Discussion:
@mattzeitlin, @pkafka, The A.V. Club, @cwarzel, @caseynewton, @fmanjoo, @karenattiah, @labuzamovies, @loudmouthjulia, @ericnewcomer, @franklinleonard, @dtemkin, NME, @zoeschiffer, The Wrap, CNET, IndieWire and Variety, more at Techmeme »


Former New York Times columnist Nicholas Kristof announces he is running for governor of Oregon — Washington, DC (CNN)Former New York Times columnist Nicholas Kristof announced Wednesday that he is running for governor of Oregon. — “I've never run for political office in my life …
Discussion:
New York Times, Washington Post, @cliffordlevy, @jeffjarvis, KGW-TV, The Hill, @pdx_er, @vintageanchor, Newsy, Associated Press, Oregonian, The Guardian, Barrett Media and The Week


Judge dismisses charges against Detroit police officer Daniel DeBono, accused of shooting rubber bullets at three photojournalists after a 2020 protest — Charges have been dismissed against a Detroit police corporal accused of shooting three journalists with rubber bullets during a 2020 George Floyd demonstration.
Discussion:
Associated Press, @drharris1911, @gregorykozak, @bradmossesq and @oliverdarcy


Sony reports Q2 revenue rose 13% YoY to $21B and operating income rose 1% YoY to $2.8B; Sony Pictures revenue rose 35% YoY to $2.37B as its films grossed $105M — Sony Pictures Entertainment recorded $288M in operating profits for the three months ending September 30, repping a 7% dip from the same period last year.
Discussion:
The Wrap, Reuters, Engadget and Bloomberg, more at Techmeme »


A pre-election Austrian study found that interest in politics fell for people who read non-mainstream news sites, perhaps due to cynical media takes — The results of a new study published in Digital Journalism suggest that exposure to alternative media sites — which are often extremist …
Discussion:
@franz__reiter, @niemanfdn, @tiagodf, @niemanlab and Taylor & Francis