Top News:
Steven Perlberg / Insider:
Memo: NYT's Dean Baquet says Twitter presence is optional, urges staff to “meaningfully reduce” time on Twitter, and bars criticism of colleagues on Twitter — - NYT Executive Editor Dean Baquet said in a memo that Twitter is now “purely optional” for staffers.
Discussion:
@sarahellison, @perlberg, @taylorlorenz, @taylorlorenz, @taylorlorenz, @taylorlorenz, @taylorlorenz, @thesarahkelly, @taylorlorenz, @johnhatch237, @aud_bowler, @rottenindenmark, @msignorile, @becketadams, @aaronhuertas, @daveleeft, The Daily Beast, @lpolgreen, @asymmetricinfo, @tomgara, @rachelsklar, @kamilumin, @thejewishdream, @tianathefirst, @perlberg, @maxkennerly, @dwaynefuhlhage, @joshschwerin, @hollyotterbein, @tomgara, @julianrouth, @bgrueskin, @ellencarmichael, @michaelsocolow, @taylorlorenz, @taylorlorenz, @jordanonrecord and @mattgertz
Discussion:
Sarah Ellison / @sarahellison: Dean Baquet just announced a major shift in policy for NYT reporters on Twitter. Per an internal memo: “A Reset in our approach to Twitter,” he writes: that “maintaining a presence on Twitter and social media isn ow purely optional for Times journalists.”
Steven Perlberg / @perlberg: New York Times executive editor Dean Baquet has issued a Twitter “reset” for the newsroom, urging reporters to “meaningfully reduce” their twitter time and reminding them that tweets and subtweets attacking or undermining their colleagues are not allowed https://www.businessinsider.com/ ...
Taylor Lorenz / @taylorlorenz: Newsroom leaders also need to recognize that social media is more than twitter and try to understand how entangled the internet is w/ young ppl's lives. They really do not seem to understand this. Wait until they learn about TikTok, or Twitch, or any myriad of other platforms
Taylor Lorenz / @taylorlorenz: The masthead editors are more obsessed w/ twitter than the majority of the newsroom, stalking down employees every reply. Saying they're going to police that even *more* is counterproductive, damaging to journalists, especially those who need to use the internet for reporting
Taylor Lorenz / @taylorlorenz: Social media is the real world, especially for the last 2 yrs I would hope newsrooms would recognize that. When ur obsessively focused on policing employee speech & expression 24/7 that makes it harder for ppl to do their jobs, it makes staff more vulnerable to bad faith attacks
Taylor Lorenz / @taylorlorenz: For the majority of my career I ran social strategy for newsrooms. I wrote social media guidelines for large media cos. A good social policy is about *supporting* your staff, protecting them against bad faith attacks, and recognizing that we all live as full humans online now
Taylor Lorenz / @taylorlorenz: Right before I left I got reprimanded by NYT for saying “doxxing is bad” on social media because it was “expressing an opinion” and expressing opinions is banned in the social media policy (I argued it's a fact, they disagreed). This is how ineffective policies like this play out
@thesarahkelly: “We encourage everyone to meaningfully reduce your time on Twitter, but our highest-paid editors will still be watching your feeds like hall monitors” https://twitter.com/...
Taylor Lorenz / @taylorlorenz: Newsroom social media policies need to recognize that social media isn't just some place u log on to promote ur stories, it is where we live, socialize, date, connect, vent, cope, & more. Policies like this are regressive and not consistent w/ how younger ppl use the internet.
John Hatch / @johnhatch237: This esp. affects journalists, but it's a problem at a lot of businesses run by older people who think social media is this separate thing you do. “I am logging onto the Facebooks for 15 min. of online banter!” That's not how any of this works, but policies remain antiquated. https://twitter.com/...
Audrey Bowler / @aud_bowler: people sent hate mail to my home after a right-wing site wrote up my tweets from 2018 about the movie The Mummy. not sure training programs could have prevented that! https://twitter.com/...
Michael Hobbes / @rottenindenmark: The editorial board straightforwardly claimed that holding your tongue due to fear of retaliation was a threat to liberal democracy. Today the paper is threatening to retaliate against journalists who “criticize” or “undermine” (???) their colleagues. https://twitter.com/...
Michelangelo Signorile / @msignorile: This should say except for our star reporters — because this has basically been the NYT policy, but none of them of followed it. https://twitter.com/...
Becket Adams / @becketadams: says quite a bit about the NYT's workplace culture that the top brass has to remind staffers not to shit on one another in public. https://twitter.com/...
Aaron Huertas / @aaronhuertas: I would just stop publishing bad opinion essays where the evidence and reasoning fall apart with the most basic scrutiny, but this is certainly another approach. https://twitter.com/...
Dave Lee / @daveleeft: I can't be the only one who thinks the NYT's Twitter memo is perfectly reasonable.
Lachlan Cartwright / The Daily Beast: New York Times to Staff: Maybe Chill Out on Twitter a Bit
Lydia Polgreen / @lpolgreen: Spending less time on here, taking what happens on here less seriously and not being an ass on here: all excellent ideas! https://twitter.com/...
Megan McArdle / @asymmetricinfo: 2) Nonetheless, Twitter *feels* like it is producing a lot of attention to your work. So journalists tell themselves that they have to spend all day on Twitter to promote their work, even though this doesn't, you know, actually result in anyone reading the work
Tom Gara / @tomgara: This is a huge misread of what Twitter does. It's a miniscule driver of traffic, obviously. But it plays a massive role in how a significant share of people with cultural & political power understand the world https://twitter.com/...
Rachel Sklar / @rachelsklar: Old enough to remember when the NYT got rid of the Public Editor position because Twitter was totally going to take its place https://twitter.com/...
Kai / @kamilumin: undermining your colleagues is only for the opinion section https://twitter.com/...
Rafi Schwartz / @thejewishdream: I'm sure Bari is already hard at work writing 9,000 words about how this is cancel culture run amok https://twitter.com/...
Tiana Lowe / @tianathefirst: Do not publicly trash the people paying for your rent and healthcare, period, if you want to collect that paycheck with dignity. That's not a journalism rule — it's a basic workplace ethic. That journalists feel entitled to smear the brands that made them famous is embarrassing. https://twitter.com/...
Steven Perlberg / @perlberg: A New York Times spokesperson added that this is “absolutely not a ban.” A Twitter spokesperson declined to comment, sadly https://www.businessinsider.com/ ...
Max Kennerly / @maxkennerly: @felixsalmon @sarahellison My understanding is that NYT wanted everyone to have a presence on social media of some sort, though their actual policies were more about what people shouldn't post rather than a requirement they post / interact / etc. https://www.nytimes.com/...
@dwaynefuhlhage: @sarahellison @NPRinskeep Does this mean the NYT is going to hire a public editor? https://twitter.com/...
Josh Schwerin / @joshschwerin: Didn't the NYT designate twitter feedback as their defacto public editor? https://twitter.com/...
Holly Otterbein / @hollyotterbein: Please lord let this be a trend: “First, maintaining a presence on Twitter and other social media is now purely optional for Times journalists.” https://www.businessinsider.com/ ... https://twitter.com/...
Tom Gara / @tomgara: I just want to make clear to all NYT staffers who are reconsidering their approach to Twitter: I'm also here to support you and encourage you to continue posting vigorously
Julian Routh / @julianrouth: Been thinking about this more and more lately. What's more dangerous than it being an echo chamber for a particular ideological perspective is that it's an echo chamber for journalists to talk to journalists about journalism, all day, no breaks. https://twitter.com/...
Bill Grueskin / @bgrueskin: It's troubling that the NYT's executive editor has to tell staff not to publicly attack/undermine their colleagues, but that's where we are. https://twitter.com/...
Ellen Carmichael / @ellencarmichael: I agree it's good for reporters and generally all professionals working in public-facing jobs to “meaningfully reduce” their Twitter time. https://twitter.com/...
Michael Socolow / @michaelsocolow: They eliminated the Public Editor, saying Twitter & social media would perform the same function of providing dynamic feedback & critique. Now they're saying the feedback & critique from social media isn't necessarily helpful or useful. Accepting criticism isn't easy for @nytimes https://twitter.com/...
Taylor Lorenz / @taylorlorenz: These two things are in direct contradiction w/ each other. The issue w/ NYT is that they consistently buy into bad faith attacks online and punish their journalists when they're subject to gamergate style smear campaigns. https://twitter.com/...
Taylor Lorenz / @taylorlorenz: The NYT announced a new policy on Twitter today and it's very disappointing and contradictory to see. This is not how a newsroom should approach the internet or social media. It only deepens the NYT's vulnerability to bad faith attacks. Let me break it down https://twitter.com/...
Greg Evans / Deadline:
Media critic Eric Boehlert, who wrote for Press Run, Media Matters for America, Salon, Rolling Stone, and Billboard, dies in a bike accident at 57 — Eric Boehlert, a media critic devoted to calling out right-wing misinformation through his writing at Media Matters for America, Salon …
Discussion:
@soledadobrien, Breaking the News, Public Notice, Montclair Local News, New York Times, Esquire, @charlesppierce, @jonstewart, @hillaryclinton, The Sun, @froomkin, NorthJersey.com, @maryltrump, @sulliview, @molly_knight, @normornstein, @marmel, @brownandbella, @gregolear, @dankennedy_nu, @atrupar, @joyannreid, @mollyjongfast, @marynmck, @jbf1755, @vtg2, Media Nation, @charlesppierce, @jamesfallows, @gregmitch, @sulliview, @bgr_us, @elaheizadi, @froomkin, @alexbkane, @nydailynews, @knopps, @davidcorndc, @muellershewrote, The Signorile Report, @chrisboese, @brianbeutler, @will_bunch, @mattgertz, @athenae, Billboard, Washington Post and The Wrap
Discussion:
Soledad O'Brien / @soledadobrien: 1/oh my goodness: Just got crushing news from Tracy Breslin, wife of @EricBoehlert https://pressrun.media/ Has died in a bike accident, age 57. Adored his kids Jane and Ben, his dogs, biking and running and basketball and good friends, a fierce and fearless defender of the truth
James Fallows / Breaking the News: Framing: In Honor of Eric Boehlert.
Aaron Rupar / Public Notice: RIP Eric Boehlert. His voice will be missed.
Talia Wiener / Montclair Local News: Eric Boehlert, Montclair resident and veteran media critic, struck and killed by train
Katie Robertson / New York Times: Eric Boehlert, Media Critic and Writer, Dies at 57
Charles P. Pierce / Esquire: Eric Boehlert's Spirit Was Decades Younger and His Wisdom Decades Older
Charles P. Pierce / @charlesppierce: Eric Boehlert was 57, but his spirit was decades younger and his wisdom was decades older https://www.esquire.com/...
Hillary Clinton / @hillaryclinton: .@EricBoehlert's death is terrible news. I'm devastated for his family and friends and will miss his critical work to counteract misinformation and media bias. What a loss.
Israel Salas-Rodriguez / The Sun: Eric Boehlert ‘dead’ aged 56: Journalist ‘dies in bike accident,’ Soledad O'Brien reports as she leads tributes
@froomkin: Absolutely crushed to learn that Eric Boehlert has died. His work had never been more essential. I grieve.
Julia Martin / NorthJersey.com: Eric Boehlert, well-known writer and media analyst, killed by train in Montclair
Mary L Trump / @maryltrump: It's difficult to describe the enormity of this loss. https://twitter.com/...
Margaret Sullivan / @sulliview: Very nice (very sad) tribute by @CharlesPPierce https://twitter.com/...
Molly Knight / @molly_knight: This is horrific. Keeping Tracy, Jane, Ben, and all of Eric's family and friends in my thoughts. We will continue the fight. https://twitter.com/...
Norman Ornstein / @normornstein: If you care about the future of the country, you should subscribe to @JamesFallows substack. And this one is particularly insightful and important. https://twitter.com/...
Steve Marmel / @marmel: Another decent person I'll never have the honor of meeting in this life. I'm especially sorry for his family and the people who knew him personally. But I'm also selfishly sad for the loss of his voice. If his substack goes to his family I will never unsubscribe. https://twitter.com/...
@brownandbella: Damn. This is rough. This is a huge blow to the media community dedicated to transparency in government. https://twitter.com/...
Greg Olear / @gregolear: This is awful news. @EricBoehlert was doing such important work, and was a great guy. https://twitter.com/...
Dan Kennedy / @dankennedy_nu: Terrible news. Media critic Eric Boehlert died today in a bicycle accident. He was only 57 years old. https://deadline.com/...
Aaron Rupar / @atrupar: stunned by the news @EricBoehlert has passed away. I was just reading him yesterday and cited something he wrote in my newsletter. we can never take tomorrow for granted. my thoughts are with his family and friends.
@joyannreid: This really is shocking and devastating news. Eric was a brave spirit who held the media accountable without fear or favor. He was an #AMJoy regular and a valued member of @thereidout fam. Deepest condolences to his wife and family. These losses are just adding up... ugh.. https://twitter.com/... https://twitter.com/...
Molly Jong-Fast / @mollyjongfast: Just incredibly sad about this https://deadline.com/...
Maryn McKenna / @marynmck: Oh my god: Truly awful news. I never met @EricBoehlert, but his newsletter was one of the brightest spots in my reading. He was ferocious at showing us in the US press how often we fail to meet our own high standards. An incalculable loss. https://twitter.com/...
Dr. Joanne Freeman / @jbf1755: The tributes to @EricBoehlert on this thread are remarkable. He was indeed a fearless defender of the truth, and the truth needs defending desperately. He will be missed. https://twitter.com/...
Victoria Guida / @vtg2: It's depressing to me how critiques of the media (both internally and externally) rarely acknowledge that policy reporters do exist. I'm sure there are plenty of valid critiques to make of policy reporters too! But I never read them. https://twitter.com/...
Charles P. Pierce / @charlesppierce: To paraphrase what Robin Williams said at Bill Graham's memorial: Eric's dead and fcking Kissinger doesn't even have a cold.
James Fallows / @jamesfallows: A tribute to Eric Boehlert, on shocking and tragic news of his death in a bicycle accident: https://fallows.substack.com/ ...
Greg Mitchell / @gregmitch: Terrible, have known him for many years: Eric Boehlert Dies: Media Critic For Media Matters & Salon, Founder Of Press Run Newsletter Killed In Bike Accident At 57 https://deadline.com/... via @Deadline
Margaret Sullivan / @sulliview: Eric was a fearless and relentless media critic. This is so sad and awful. https://twitter.com/...
Blue Grass Roots / @bgr_us: Eric Boehlert was a tremendous ally in the fight for democracy. He was never afraid to call out the bad faith, right wing nonsense in mainstream media. Our deepest thoughts, prayers & condolences go to his family, friends & supporters. https://twitter.com/...
Dan Froomkin / @froomkin: An appropriate send off for Eric Boehlert from @JamesFallows: on how the unspoken assumptions the media brings to coverage usually matter more than blatant expressions of bias. https://fallows.substack.com/ ...
Alex Kane / @alexbkane: Jesus Christ. “Boehlert was struck by a train while biking in Montclair, New Jersey; Montclair police reported yesterday that a man riding a bicycle was struck and killed by a New Jersey Transit train in Montclair on Monday evening.” https://deadline.com/...
@nydailynews: Media critic and journalist Eric Boehlert dead at 57 following bike accident. The Press Run founder and editor was remembered as ‘a fierce and fearless defender of the truth.’ https://www.nydailynews.com/ ...
Steve Knopper / @knopps: The late, great @EricBoehlert's @salon investigative work on Clear Channel is some of the best music-business reporting ever: https://www.salon.com/... https://twitter.com/...
David Corn / @davidcorndc: My deepest condolences. @EricBoehlert was a passionate fighter with a sharp eye for media hypocrisy. His voice will be missed. https://twitter.com/...
Michelangelo Signorile / The Signorile Report: In memory of Eric Boehlert
Dr. Christine Boese / @chrisboese: This is devastating. His eye on the Press was a key part of my daily check of media criticism. And such a lively presence. R.I.P. @EricBoehlert https://twitter.com/...
Brian Beutler / @brianbeutler: Second every word of this by @JamesFallows. Would unfurl it as a scroll in every American newsroom if I could. https://fallows.substack.com/ ...
Will Bunch / @will_bunch: I am just utterly heartbroken by this. Eric was a good friend and a great guy, who also happened to be an irreplaceable voice in fighting against media misinformation in this country. My condolences go out to his family https://twitter.com/...
Matthew Gertz / @mattgertz: Eric was a loving father and husband, a wonderful colleague to so many of us at Media Matters over the years, and an incisive and ferocious voice for a better media. May his memory be a blessing. https://twitter.com/...
Allison Hantschel / @athenae: Such a loss. He was a great supportive voice in the early blogosphere and never stopped being uncomfortably right about everything. https://twitter.com/...
Alex Pareene / The AP (Alex Pareene) Newsletter:
A parody criticizes Substack's VP of comms after she said Twitter staff worried about Elon Musk “pushing for less regulated speech” should not move to Substack — Free speech means I'm allowed to do this — Hello, welcome. I'm a “VP” ("vice president") of “Comms” ("communications") at the newsletter company.
Discussion:
@lulumeservey, Columbia Journalism Review, @anildash, @juliusgoat, @tomphilpott, @lauraolin, @ericnewcomer, @scottkubie, @readdanwrite, @informor, @mariabustillos, @mccanner, @lmatsakis, @libbycwatson, @ryanlcooper, @buccocapital, @mmasnick, @ericnewcomer, @pwafork, @philipsherburne, @katzish, @kottke, @ryanlcooper, @ericnewcomer, @nycsouthpaw, @annehelen, @ericnewcomer, @tarahaelle, @mikeisaac, @sam_d_1995, @originalspin, @jdan, @bafeldman, @chanders, @ashleyfeinberg, @ggreenwald, Make Orwell Fiction Again, @can, @iwriterealgood, @blackamazon, @dierobinsondie, @jason_kint, @kirindave, @samverdile, @joshuaogundu, @juliarosen, Input, Frederick Hink and Wholistic
Discussion:
Lulu Cheng Meservey / @lulumeservey: Substack is hiring! If you're a Twitter employee who's considering resigning because you're worried about Elon Musk pushing for less regulated speech... please do not come work here.
Jon Allsop / Columbia Journalism Review: Elon Musk pushes Twitter's edit button, as Trump's imitation Twitter flounders
@anildash: Deleting my @SubstackInc account, for all the reasons you'd expect. The last two unsubscriptions were two friends I care deeply about, who I will support in every other way I can. But not on a platform that flounts its desire to enable harm. https://twitter.com/...
A.R. Moxon / @juliusgoat: This kind of shit is why I didn't build my newsletter on Substack. https://twitter.com/...
Tom Philpott / @tomphilpott: How long before Twitter and Substack merge under a Muskian umbrella? https://twitter.com/...
Laura Olin / @lauraolin: “Every day I log in with one mission: To ensure people understand that we, here at the newsletter company, do not just provide a platform for shitheels and trolls, but that shitheels and trolls are an essential part of our corporate culture.” https://theap.substack.com/...
Eric Newcomer / @ericnewcomer: if substack is so committed to free speech, they should allow porn. otherwise they should stop saying they support free speech because it's absolutely a pose. they support certain speech that they decide is appropriate
Scott Kubie / @scottkubie: The last thing on Substack I'll be linking to. It's perfect. https://twitter.com/...
Daniel Roberts / @readdanwrite: completely regardless of the various specific political issues here and your own views: Why why why would a corporate comms person insult/exclude a specific group of people in a “We're hiring” tweet? https://twitter.com/...
Mor Naaman / @informor: If you were wondering whether Substack already internalized that the challenges that plagued the Web and tech platforms for decades are coming for them... no they haven't https://twitter.com/...
Maria Bustillos / @mariabustillos: jeepers but you are terrible at this job https://twitter.com/...
Erin Mccann / @mccanner: “I went to Yale.” https://theap.substack.com/...
Louise Matsakis / @lmatsakis: For no reason at all, I invite you to read @decka227's fantastic reporting on what Substack is doing abroad. The company says it's committed to free speech, but has few resources for the journalists on its platform taking risks in authoritarian countries https://restofworld.org/... https://twitter.com/...
Libby Watson / @libbycwatson: As VP of Comms For the Newsletter Company, It's Really Important That I Make Sure Everyone Associates Our Brand With Being a Huge Unaccountable Dipshit, by @pareene https://theap.substack.com/...
Ryan Cooper / @ryanlcooper: ‘The most important way we can protect speech is to jokingly(?) threaten to establish blacklists of people that disagree with the way particular billionaires conceive of “regulating” “speech.”’ https://theap.substack.com/...
@buccocapital: Our main character today is the VP of Communications at Substack with a wild, wild tweet Does substack have lawyers? The must be frantically figuring out what to do with this tweet https://twitter.com/...
Mike Masnick / @mmasnick: Oof. I actually like Substack and think what they're doing is important. But tweeting this makes me think significantly less of the company, because it just gets everything so wrong (including the idea that Musk is pushing for less moderation as opposed to different moderation) https://twitter.com/...
Eric Newcomer / @ericnewcomer: if substack is so free speech, why don't they do more to promote their writers shitting on their free speech policy. that would be the true expression of their principles
James Morrow / @pwafork: Hahahaha this is awesome. https://twitter.com/...
Philip Sherburne / @philipsherburne: This, by @pareene, is hands down the best thing ever published on Substack https://theap.substack.com/...
Amanda Katz / @katzish: Well done. Vintage Gawker vibes https://twitter.com/...
@kottke: As VP of Comms For the Newsletter Company, It's Really Important That I Make Sure Everyone Associates Our Brand With Being a Huge Unaccountable Dipshit. This is pitch perfect. https://theap.substack.com/...
Ryan Cooper / @ryanlcooper: “I think I'm pretty good at my job, which is why so many people understand that our company is about conflating the concept of free and open debate with being a braying jackass all the time.” https://theap.substack.com/...
Eric Newcomer / @ericnewcomer: @pt I mean if this becomes their whole brand then people will leave. So many substacks already bend over backward having to justify being on substack to their readers. My audience isn't broadly worried and is probably pro substack here. But lots of others aren't.
@nycsouthpaw: “There were a bunch of braying jackasses on Blogspot, but no one ever thought of that as a platform specializing in braying jackasses.” https://theap.substack.com/...
Anne Helen Petersen / @annehelen: “Lots of thoughtful, intelligent, conscientious people use our platform, and even rely on us for their livelihoods. My job is to make sure no one in the broader, Internet-using public associates the work of those people with our corporate brand.” https://theap.substack.com/...
Eric Newcomer / @ericnewcomer: to be clear i like the people at substack. at bloomberg i wasn't allowed to opine on twitter about my grievances with their editorial decisions. so happy to be free to criticize my collaborator's policies
Tara Haelle / @tarahaelle: I keep rereading this and rediscovering all its amazing layers and marveling at how oblivious you have to be to tweet these words in this order. It's... remarkable really. https://twitter.com/...
Rat King / @mikeisaac: not trying to pile on but this tweet is kind of confounding either they don't care about alienating the people who write for substack that aren't edgelords because it's not where their subs revenue comes from OR just a classic bad tweet (or i guess both) https://twitter.com/...
Sam / @sam_d_1995: honestly kind of remarkable that the head of communications at substack is just an obnoxious troll trying to go viral on this site if that's all it takes to be a comms exec, a company should hire me for the role https://twitter.com/...
Jeff Yang / @originalspin: Oof. I can hear the clicking sounds of people googling “what are alternatives to substack” https://twitter.com/...
Jordan Scales / @jdan: Just admit your organization isn't smart enough to deal with the problem of hate speech on your platform. It is not a coincidence that pretending to be “pro free speech” means doing nothing. You're lazy. https://twitter.com/...
Brian Feldman / @bafeldman: 95% of why i stopped my newsletter is because it made me unhappy but the other 5% was that i did not want money i brought in to even indirectly subsidize... whatever this is. very easy decision https://twitter.com/...
@chanders: Hope that Substack has a good comms leadership team that can help sort out this comms disaster! https://twitter.com/...
Ashley Feinberg / @ashleyfeinberg: brave, important work https://theap.substack.com/...
Glenn Greenwald / @ggreenwald: 😍 For those who ask me why I have confidence in Subtacks's long-term commitment to free speech values and why I believe they will resist corporate media's pressures to start censoring as they demand:👇 https://twitter.com/...
Johanna Neuman / Make Orwell Fiction Again: How the Dems Could Win 2022 Election
Can Duruk / @can: i think it's time for @ranjanxroy and I to move off of substack, what an embarrassing tweet from their vp of comms https://twitter.com/...
Taylor Huckaby.flac / @iwriterealgood: Every time I have self doubt about whether I'd be a shitty VP of comms based on previous work experience and my general hatred of tech Bullshit someone like this tweets https://twitter.com/...
@blackamazon: Hey so if you get denied at Substack , especially if you feel like it wa s politically motivated Or find your promotion isn't good ? Lulu just gave you a sweet setup to sue And if y'a work in Cali ? Remember Sunshine clause ! https://twitter.com/...
@dierobinsondie: This lady is married to a dude who works at the Heritage Foundation lol https://twitter.com/...
Jason Kint / @jason_kint: This is all wrong. Someone please explain to Substack's comms chief that it's the 1st amendment that protects twitter to make these decisions and from government regulation. Maybe less baiting of substack's beloved GG armies please. https://twitter.com/...
@kirindave: Why would you ever go work there? No offense, but Substack sounds like the most boring technology company you could possibly work for. They serve static content and send emails. Twitter engineers actually built something amazing. Substack is Expensive Political Wordpress. https://twitter.com/...
@samverdile: Sometimes when reporters complain about egregious PR behavior on here, I think, “I don't know a single comms person who would do that!” but then I see tweets like this and realize those people very much exist https://twitter.com/...
Julia Rosen / @juliarosen: What do you do when your VP, Comms is the one creating the crisis? https://twitter.com/...
Andrew Paul / Input: Substack to Elon Musk critics: Don't work for us
Frederick Hink: Kudos to Substack! — In trying to find a home for my writing, I searched high and dry …
Stephanie Brail / Wholistic: Substack VP Taunts Twitter Totalitarians
Variety:
Source: JB Perrette will run Discovery's streaming businesses and Kathleen Finch will oversee its cable networks, except HBO and CNN, after the merger — Zaslav, as longtime observers predicted, has opted to have a direct-report relationship with the leaders of the businesses …
Discussion:
Sara Fischer / @sarafischer: 1/4 NEW: @Discovery names new leadership team: - Adria Alpert Romm, chief ppl officer - Casey Bloys continues as chief content officer of HBO/HBO Max. - Bruce Campbell new role of chief revenue and strategy officer - Channing Dungey continues Chairman of Warner Bros. TV group
Todd Spangler / @xpangler: btw, JB Perrette (who's now overseeing HBO Max) helped launch Hulu when he was at NBC. Other early Hulu execs that went to WarnerMedia — Jason Kilar, Andy Forssell & Richard Tom — are exiting with the Warner Bros. Discovery merger https://variety.com/...
Todd Spangler / @xpangler: Discovery insiders repeatedly stress that Team Zaslav still hasn't really gotten under the hood of the soon-to-be former WarnerMedia, @Variety_Cynthia reports https://variety.com/...
Dustin M. Bergmann / @crazyantguy1970: It's great that Zaslav sought out advice from Daly & Iger, but I still have a strong feeling that this is going to be a situation similar to what's happening at Disney with Chapek. A disaster waiting to happen... https://twitter.com/...
RELATED:
J. Clara Chan / The Hollywood Reporter:
Nine top WarnerMedia executives, including HBO Max chief Andy Forssell, will exit the company, ahead of the merger with Discovery, expected to close on Friday
Nine top WarnerMedia executives, including HBO Max chief Andy Forssell, will exit the company, ahead of the merger with Discovery, expected to close on Friday
Discussion:
Variety, Variety, TBI Vision, Yahoo News, The Desk, C21Media, New York Times and Wall Street Journal
Discussion:
Todd Spangler / Variety: HBO Max Is Rolling Out an Updated Apple TV App That Promises Better Stability, New Features
Jennifer Maas / Variety: Discovery Makes Big WarnerMedia Executive Suite Changes Ahead of Merger; Toby Emmerich and Gerhard Zeiler to Remain
Richard Middleton / TBI Vision: WarnerMedia exodus as Jason Kilar, Ann Sarnoff & Andy Forssell confirm exit
Brian Welk / Yahoo News: 6 WarnerMedia Executives Join Jason Kilar, Ann Sarnoff and Andy Forssell in Exiting Company
Matthew Keys / The Desk: WarnerMedia executives leaving ahead of Discovery merger
Joost Geurtsen / C21Media: Six more WarnerMedia execs to depart as pre-Discovery merger purge continues
Sara Fischer / Axios:
First Look Media, parent company of The Intercept, is laying off 20 people, according to a note to staff from CEO Michael Bloom and a source — First Look Media, the parent company to The Intercept, is laying off 20 people, according to a note to staff obtained by Axios and a source familiar with the situation.
Discussion:
@alleenbrown, The Daily Beast, @jbwashing, @johnknefel, @robcgalbraith, @chronic_jordan, @downi75, @rdevro, @lilianasegura, @herrcaitlin, @nickwestes, @alleenbrown, @moizsyed, @natashalennard, @tahtone, @rolandsmartin, @eliseswain, @s_phia_, @willparrishca, @ali_gharib, @eliseswain, @zhaabowekwe, @alexbkane, @past_is_future, @robertmackey, @rashmee_kumar, @hannakozlowska, @andeps, @coracurrier, @katearonoff and @aaschapiro
Discussion:
Alleen Brown / @alleenbrown: Just got laid off from @theintercept I cover environmental justice, especially where it intersects with criminalization, incarceration, Indigenous affairs, labor, I could go on. DMs are open if you're hiring.
Justin Baragona / The Daily Beast: The Intercept Staffers Rage as Parent Company Lays Off Nearly 20 Staffers
John Washington / @jbwashing: Huge, self-inflicted loss for @theintercept Alleen's work is so damn important right now. Someone hire her quick. https://twitter.com/...
@johnknefel: Alleen is a fantastic reporter, collaborator, and person. Any newsroom would be lucky to have her. https://twitter.com/...
Rob Galbraith / @robcgalbraith: This really sucks. Alleen has published some of the best oil and gas reporting - especially on the nexus between oil & gas, private military contractors, and the security state - out there. Go read all of it. https://twitter.com/...
Jordan Smith / @chronic_jordan: Alleen is an amazing journalist w/a critical eye who sees how climate intersects w/everything. I am so sorry to lose her as a colleague, but this is a rare opp for a forward-looking org to work with a true gem. TAKE IT https://twitter.com/...
James David Dickson / @downi75: The Intercept is well-funded. Why are they having layoffs?
Ryan Devereaux / @rdevro: I don't even know where to begin. Alleen and I have been colleagues for nearly a decade. As a reporter, she's as dogged as they come, with an incredible nose for underreported stories. She's also a great friend. I'll miss her terribly. Editors, do yourselves a favor: hire her. https://twitter.com/...
Liliana Segura / @lilianasegura: Woke up angry & heartbroken. Alleen helped build @TheIntercept from Day 1. She not only produced some of our most outstanding work, she fought hard for her colleagues as part of @InterceptUnion. Truly the best of us in so many ways. I miss her already. https://twitter.com/...
@herrcaitlin: Alleen's investigative work covering Line 3 was so essential, and her amazing data story on climate risk and incarceration was such an inspiration for me. This is a huge loss for @theintercept https://twitter.com/...
Nick Estes / @nickwestes: Alleen is a friend and colleague who was the only person to regularly cover Indigenous affairs at the Intercept. Her reporting has been pivotal for all kinds of frontline struggles. A huge loss. https://twitter.com/...
Alleen Brown / @alleenbrown: I'm heartened by all the words of support. I'll get back soon to everyone who has reached out. Also heartened to hear that Angel, whose story I covered in our Climate & Punishment project, just walked out of ICE detention after 7+ years. Proud of my work https://theintercept.com/... https://twitter.com/...
Moiz Syed / @moizsyed: The last @theintercept layoff was 3 years ago & today they've had another. Top leadership at The Intercept still have their jobs. CEO, Editor in Chief, Deputy Editor all still there. If you can't run an org without laying off people regularly, maybe you shouldn't be in charge. https://twitter.com/...
Natasha Lennard / @natashalennard: Alleen is just an incredible reporter; this is such a loss for TI. and would be a huge win for whichever wise publication hires her next https://twitter.com/...
Tristan Ahtone / @tahtone: Alleen is the only person on staff at the Intercept regularly covering Indigenous Affairs. She's also one of a handful of journalists in the US that specialize in reporting repressive tactics by state & corporate actors against land & water defenders. This is a loss. https://twitter.com/...
@rolandsmartin: This is for all of the folks on Twitter who don't know jack about media but love to tell me how to run my PROFITABLE company. “The Intercept Staffers Rage as Parent Company Lays Off Nearly 20 Staffers, including five investigative reporters” https://www.thedailybeast.com/ ...
Elise Swain / @eliseswain: The Intercept Staffers Rage as Parent Company Lays Off Nearly 20 Staffers https://www.thedailybeast.com/ ... via @thedailybeast
@s_phia_: Hate this. @AlleenBrown has written great pieces on climate disaster + ICE detention as well as #FreeAngel, who was literally granted bond yesterday. We support you! https://twitter.com/...
Will Parrish / @willparrishca: It's a shame to see this. Alleen Brown reports on the issues that matter to climate justice and environmental justice struggles like nobody else. I sure hope she is quickly hired elsewhere so she continues her unique and invaluable work with the least interruption possible! https://twitter.com/...
Ali Gharib / @ali_gharib: Alleen is an absolute killer of a reporter. Her record of high-impact scoops and original in-depth work on a range of subjects speaks for itself. Any newsroom would be lucky to have her. Hire Alleen! https://twitter.com/...
Elise Swain / @eliseswain: major layoffs across First Look Institute today — losing my friend and colleague @AlleenBrown is an unfathomable loss for The Intercept https://twitter.com/...
Tara Houska / @zhaabowekwe: Wow, this is incredibly disappointing, @theintercept. As a frontlines advocate who often lives in rough conditions & under surveillance, @alleenbrown is one of a few reporters I trust. Her reporting is thorough, nimble, and oftentimes actually helps folks on the ground. Hire her! https://twitter.com/...
Peter Jacobs, PhD / @past_is_future: TheIntercept has priorities, and they don't want to jeopardize lab leak conspiracism, demonizing NATO, or Russian asset promotion, so they're making cuts to issues they don't value, like the environment. (not a critique of the reporter, who is clearly well regarded by her peers!) https://twitter.com/...
Robert Mackey / @robertmackey: Alleen is a great reporter someone should hire asap. https://twitter.com/...
Rashmee Kumar / @rashmee_kumar: I always learn something from Alleen's indispensable reporting. Not to mention she's also a model colleague and solid friend. Any newsroom would be wise to scoop her up quick. https://twitter.com/...
Hanna Kozlowska / @hannakozlowska: I just don't understand how we all are supposed to continue doing are jobs (let alone apply for work!) with news like this nearly every week. Solidarity ❤️ https://twitter.com/...
Andrew Bard Epstein / @andeps: Alleen's been with The Intercept since day one, breaking all kinds stories from the climate frontlines. I hope to get to read more of her work soon when another newsroom makes a smart decision! https://twitter.com/...
Cora Currier / @coracurrier: Alleen's one of the best reporters and humans out there, and covering the climate crisis like no one else. This is such a shame. https://twitter.com/...
Kate Aronoff / @katearonoff: Awful news. Alleen's among the sharpest environmental justice reporters around, blowing open stories on everything from the surveillance & criminalization of anti-pipeline protesters to how prisoners are hit by the climate crisis. Any publication would be beyond lucky to have her https://twitter.com/...
Benoit Berthelot / Bloomberg:
Le Monde launches an English-language edition; the outlet has 425K digital subscribers and is aiming for 1M in the next 2-3 years, with 25% reading in English — French newspaper Le Monde is launching an English version of its website on Thursday to win over international subscribers …
Discussion:
Peter Kafka / Vox:
How The New York Times tries to find new kinds of subscribers as its audience ages and how that effort threatens local papers — The paper of record's subscriber base isn't getting any younger. Maybe a $600 million deal will help. — The New York Times is a marvel of journalism.
Discussion:
@bostonjerry, @gaufre, @pkafka, @jeffjarvis, @imillhiser, @mikeisaac, @swatigauri, @pkafka, @pkafka, @sarthakgh, @bankoff, @rafat and @chaykak
Discussion:
@bostonjerry: They would have to stop covering the news entirely from the perspective of rich old white people first... https://twitter.com/...
Jon Schleuss / @gaufre: One thing younger people like: unions. So maybe also stop union-busting? https://twitter.com/...
Peter Kafka / @pkafka: New from me: The New York Times' old rich Democrat problem, and a $600 million solution. https://www.vox.com/... via @voxdotcom
Jeff Jarvis / @jeffjarvis: A good @pkafka analysis. BTW, I was struck recently looking at metro papers how they are what I've wished they would be: resolutely local. But that now means that quality national/international news exists behind separate paywalls. I see danger there. https://www.vox.com/...
Ian Millhiser / @imillhiser: I think this explains why the NYT opinion page, which is mostly very good, publishes a dumb “cancel culture” take every week. 90% of “cancel culture” discourse, IMO, is just older people being mad that younger people don't share their cultural values. https://www.vox.com/... https://twitter.com/...
Rat King / @mikeisaac: here I'll be self-critical to balance it out Peter did a good media column on why it's key to subscriber growth to aim for people who don't already immediately flock to the brand you've cultivated for years (via acquisition, this time) https://www.vox.com/...
Swati G. Sharma / @swatigauri: This media column by @pkafka is already great. https://www.vox.com/...
Peter Kafka / @pkafka: Today's entry is about the New York Times and its effort to find New York Times subscribers that aren't traditional New York Times subscribers. And how one result of that is that the New York Times is now competing for readers and $ with local newspapers for the first-time ever.
Peter Kafka / @pkafka: 🧵Fact check: Ben is correct! I'll be delivering fresh content every Wednesday. Form, length, topics will change/evolve but the idea is make words about the stuff I'm interested in: The intersection of media and tech and what that means for business, culture and society. https://twitter.com/...
Sar Haribhakti / @sarthakgh: “While the Times has succeeded wildly at getting people to pay for its journalism, it has not succeeded at transforming the kind of people who pay for the Times. They remain older, richer, whiter, and more liberal than the rest of America.” https://twitter.com/... https://twitter.com/...
Jim Bankoff / @bankoff: Great inaugural column by Peter @kafka. Anyone who cares about the media industry and its impact on our world should listen to his Recode Media podcasts and read his posts every Wednesday at https://vox.com/. https://twitter.com/...
Kevin Marks:
Twitter quietly changed how deleted tweet embeds work, showing blank embeds on websites; Twitter says it is “to better respect” when users delete their tweets — With all the fuss about Twitter's promised edit button, and how they might design it, we're missing a disturbing development …
Discussion:
The Verge, @reckless, @evelyndouek, @lukeplunkett, @dellcam, @katebevan, @bradydale, @tomwarren, @karissabe, @jason, @mattnavarra, @sub8u, @nataliesurely, @qaomene, @taylorlorenz, @taylorlorenz, @wongmjane, @dcseifert, @mslopatto, @jamesrbuk, TechCrunch, iMore, @jimwaterson, @corintxt, @sam_l_shead, @jamesrbuk, @film_girl, @alexhern, @martinsfp, @newsycombinator, @arielwaldman, @kevinmarks, @benward, @kevinmarks and Engadget
Discussion:
Jon Porter / The Verge: Twitter change leaves huge gaps in websites
Nilay Patel / @reckless: This is a bad change from Twitter — it is likely the right policy *in a vacuum*, but after a decade of everyone relying on tweet embed gracefully degrading, changing how embeds work means lots of broken websites and lost sourcing in journalism https://www.theverge.com/...
Evelyn Douek / @evelyndouek: There will now be a blank box where in news articles where now-deleted tweets used to appear and I love the idea of future historians trying to piece together wtf the Trump presidency was about using only descriptions of tweets and not the source material https://www.theverge.com/...
Luke Plunkett / @lukeplunkett: *mark ruffalo voice* thats our secret...G/Os embeds always break regardless of what the tech companies are doing https://twitter.com/...
@dellcam: no one's gonna be able to understand my shitty pre-2015 blogs when i was cheating readers out of written copy with lots of crappy embeds https://twitter.com/...
Kate Bevan / @katebevan: The Verge is framing this as a bad thing, and link rot is a problem across the web, but I think Twitter is right on this occasion. If you delete a tweet, embeds of that tweet elsewhere should die. A tweet is your copyright; you get to choose to delete it. https://twitter.com/...
Brady Dale / @bradydale: THIS I BELIEVE: Journalists should not embed anyway — they should screenshot and link Embedding is bad. The metadata changes. The avatar can change weirdly. The tweet can be deleted. Screenshotting is more historically accurate.. Where's my @CJR or @NiemanReports op-ed 😂 ? https://twitter.com/...
Tom Warren / @tomwarren: Twitter has broken all embeds of deleted tweets so they just appear blank on websites 😬 https://www.theverge.com/... https://twitter.com/...
Karissa Bell / @karissabe: so the text of deleted tweets no longer shows in embeds... what happened to Twitter being a “public record” ? I feel like this also disincentivizes journalists from using embeds in the first place https://twitter.com/...
Matt Navarra / @mattnavarra: The lack of communication from Twitter about this change is baffling Twitter's done a cracking job at pissing off journalists and news publishers here...An important group of power users of its platform https://www.theverge.com/...
Subrahmanyam Kvj / @sub8u: The Internet forgets. When product managers decide it forgets. https://www.theverge.com/...
Natalie Shure / @nataliesurely: what's frustrating is this will make screenshotting even more rampant than it is, which will have the opposite effect than what's intended! https://twitter.com/...
Q. Anthony Omene / @qaomene: I've never been a fan of using tweets as source material, so I don't really care much about this change. However, there's a pretty easy workaround, which is to archive the tweet in the Wayback Machine (to confirm its validity) and hyperlink it to a screenshot of the tweet. https://twitter.com/...
Taylor Lorenz / @taylorlorenz: Agree with this, not a good change to make after a decade of encouraging media orgs to rely on embeds https://twitter.com/...
Taylor Lorenz / @taylorlorenz: This is going to be very annoying for media companies, and I wonder if more will start default screenshotting rather than embedding https://twitter.com/...
Jane Manchun Wong / @wongmjane: By turning the <blockquote> into what you'd expect a Tweet looks like, the Tweet Embed JS bundle “edits” the page. That's how it works, unless Twitter provides the full static HTML of the Tweet Embed https://twitter.com/...
Dan Seifert / @dcseifert: this is what happens when you don't control the way content is presented in your work by ceding it to embeds — you are at the mercy of the whims of the company/people who are in charge of how it's presented. https://www.theverge.com/...
Elizabeth Lopatto / @mslopatto: hope everyone's ready for newsrooms to start screenshotting tweets https://www.theverge.com/...
James Ball / @jamesrbuk: Newsrooms across the world will be absolutely cursing Twitter for rolling this out without warning. Absolutely terrible comms. https://www.theverge.com/...
Taylor Hatmaker / TechCrunch: Twitter is wiping embeds of deleted tweets from the web
Joe Wituschek / iMore: Twitter change to embedded tweets leaves holes in websites
Jim Waterson / @jimwaterson: @alexhern Old BuzzFeed posts are about to be 60% images deleted by BF, 25% tweets deleted by twitter, and 5% incomprehensible captions
@corintxt: Embeds of deleted tweets now show blank space instead of plain formatted text - creating an information gap in any article about posts that have since been removed (e.g. Trump) https://twitter.com/...
Sam Shead / @sam_l_shead: Can see this being quite annoying for journalists who often embed tweets into online stories. Will have to do a lot more screenshotting of tweets in case they end up getting deleted https://twitter.com/...
James Ball / @jamesrbuk: Stuff like this helps to show why you'll really hate the edit functionality when it turns up. https://twitter.com/...
Christina Warren / @film_girl: I've noticed this over the last few weeks and like @kevinmarks, I'm not a fan at all. Hiding the embedded text from a tweet embed via JavaScript b/c something has been deleted just feels wrong. https://www.kevinmarks.com/...
Alex Hern / @alexhern: Looks like it's time to begin illustrating news articles with screenshots of tweets rather than embeds again https://www.kevinmarks.com/...
Martin Sfp Bryant / @martinsfp: Changes to the way Twitter handles embeds could be tricky for publishers. https://twitter.com/...
@newsycombinator: Twitter is using it's embedded JavaScript to edit other people's sites https://www.kevinmarks.com/...
Ariel Waldman / @arielwaldman: @BenWard what happens if you embed a tweet and the user deletes it? does it show up as blank “linkrot” on your site, then?
Kevin Marks / @kevinmarks: Here's an old example post of mine. Notice how the 2 deleted tweets are blank, making nonsense of the narrative: https://epeus.blogspot.com/... It first looked like this, then showed deleted ones as HTML, now it's blobs. https://twitter.com/...
Ben / @benward: @arielwaldman The embed code is a <blockquote> containing the Tweet content. If it's deleted, or 1000 years in the future, the text remains.
Reuters:
Mexico's president says the government will channel a quarter of its publicity budget, about $37M, into health insurance and pensions for poorer journalists — President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador on Wednesday said his government would channel a quarter of its publicity budget into paying …
Todd Spangler / Variety:
Nielsen: as of February 2022, the US had over 817K unique program titles across traditional TV and streaming services, up 26% from December 2019 — Feeling swamped by the deluge of TV and streaming choices available at the touch of a button? You're not alone.
Discussion:
nielsen.com, @nielsen, Insights - Nielsen, TechCrunch, Junghoon's Direct Media …, MarTech, The Wrap, AppleInsider and Deadline
Discussion:
@nielsen: With 817,000 video titles available in the U.S. on streaming platforms, consumers are struggling to pick what to view. 😅 https://nlsn.co/...
Insights - Nielsen: Nielsen's State of Play report reveals that streaming is the future, but consumers are currently overwhelmed by choice
Lauren Forristal / TechCrunch: Nielsen report shows the frustration of streaming service market fragmentation and users' desire for bundling
Junghoon Han / Junghoon's Direct Media for Audience: 유년을 넘어 청소년이 된 스트리밍. …
Constantine von Hoffman / MarTech: Streaming chaos: Increasing number of services makes it harder for viewers to find the content they want
Katie Campione / The Wrap: Nearly Two-Thirds of Consumers Want a Streaming Service Bundle, Survey Finds
Associated Press:
Turkish court suspends the trial in absentia of Saudis accused of murdering Jamal Khashoggi and transfers the case to Saudi Arabia, which may lead to a cover up — ISTANBUL (AP) — A Turkish court ruled Thursday to suspend the trial in absentia of 26 Saudis accused in the gruesome killing …
Discussion:
The Wrap, Financial Times, Voice of America, CBS News, Bloomberg, The Guardian and Al Jazeera
Discussion:
Josh Dickey / The Wrap: Jamal Khashoggi Murder Trials Moved to Saudi Arabia After Turkey Halts Prosecution
Selcan Hacaoglu / Bloomberg: Turkey Transfers Khashoggi Case to Saudi Arabia to Improve Ties
Sarah Perez / TechCrunch:
Pinterest announces a comprehensive policy to ban ads and posts that feature climate misinformation, the first major online platform to do so — Pinterest announced today it's becoming the first major digital platform to introduce a comprehensive misinformation policy designed to combat false …
Discussion:
New York Times, @davidpapp, @tiffkhsu, @scottnover, @pinterest, Protocol, Gizmodo, Reclaim The Net, CNN, ScreenRant, The Week, Quartz, CNET, The Guardian, Engadget, Fast Company, Metro.co.uk, Reuters and Adweek
Discussion:
Tiffany Hsu / New York Times: Pinterest will ban ads and posts that feature climate misinformation, as searches about sustainability rise on the service
David Papp / @davidpapp: Pinterest becomes first platform to completely ban climate misinformation https://mashable.com/... https://twitter.com/...
Tiffany Hsu / @tiffkhsu: Pinterest bans climate change misinformation after blocking ads about weight loss, vaccine skepticism and more. “We always want to make sure...that we're not waiting until we're overrun with some type of harmful content,” its policy chief said. https://www.nytimes.com/...
Scott Nover / @scottnover: New this morning: Pinterest is banning climate change misinformation from its entire platform, accounting for both organic posts and ads. It's the further a social media platform has gone on climate misinformation. Read more in @qz: https://qz.com/...
@pinterest: It's important that people can rely on our platform to find accurate inspiration from trusted sources, to help build a sustainable life you love. https://newsroom.pinterest.com/ ... https://twitter.com/...
Sarah Roach / Protocol: Pinterest is cracking down on climate misinformation. Which platforms are next?
Passant Rabie / Gizmodo: Pinterest Says Your Vision Board Can't Deny Climate Change
Tom Parker / Reclaim The Net: Pinterest bans content that “misrepresents” scientific data to “erode trust in climate science and experts”
Clare Duffy / CNN: Pinterest bans misinformation about climate change
Brigid Kennedy / The Week: Pinterest cracks down on climate change misinformation
Scott Nover / Quartz: Pinterest's ban on climate change misinformation goes further than any other major social platform
Jon Fingas / Engadget: Pinterest will ban climate misinformation
Anugraha Sundaravelu / Metro.co.uk: Pinterest bans misleading posts and ads about climate change
Elizabeth Culliford / Reuters: Pinterest bans climate change misinformation and conspiracy theories