Top News:
Reuters:
Elon Musk claims X will fund the legal bills of people who have been “unfairly treated” by their employer “due to posting or liking something on this platform” — Elon Musk has said his X social media platform will fund the legal bills of people who have been treated unfairly …
Discussion:
@elonmusk, The Verge, The Wrap, The Information, Fox News, @ngrossman81, @evcricket, @timinclimate, @reporterzoe@threads.net, Al Jazeera, @donaldjtrumpjr, @edzitron, @levynews, @pinboard, @iamcouncil, Fortune, @edzitron, NPR, @redsteeze, @gokulns, @wholemarsblog, @nigel_farage, @ginacarano, @lauraloomer, @elonmusk, @radiofreetom, @austen, @elonmusk, @bernybelvedere, Reuters, @stitzch.bsky.social, Cointelegraph, BBC, Bloomberg, @cleoselene.bsky.social, Insider, @hithisismira.bsky.social, @srossmktg.bsky.social, @evacide@hachyderm.io, Forbes and TheBlaze, more at Techmeme »
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Christopher Mathias / HuffPost:
Investigation: Richard Hanania, a Substack writer also published in WaPo, NYT, WSJ, and more, wrote for white supremacist outlets in the 2010s using a pen name — Hanania is championed by tech moguls and a U.S. senator, but HuffPost found he used a pen name to become an important figure in the “alt-right.”
Discussion:
@AnarchoDoggo@kolektiva.social, @calebscoville, @sethcotlar, @ggreenwald, @parismarx, Richard Hanania's Newsletter, @alexwild@mastodon.online, @bodhipaksa@mastodon.scot, @mikeisaac, @oneunderscore__, @oneunderscore__, @ositanwanevu, @martinsfp, @danprimack, @amandamarcotte.bsky.social, @letsgomathias.bsky.social, @emilybell.bsky.social, @letsgomathias, @david_j_roth, @letsgomathias, @letsgomathias, @david_j_roth, @letsgomathias, @letsgomathias, @letsgomathias, @paulstewartii, @paulstewartii, @paulstewartii, @paulstewartii, @katzonearth, @exador23@m.ai6yr.org, @tomscocca.bsky.social, @philipncohen@mastodon.social, @acdha@thepit.social, @lolgop.bsky.social, @socprof@masto.ai, @mmasnick.bsky.social, Mediaite, @mmasnick.bsky.social, @chadloder.bsky.social, @ddayen.bsky.social, @timnitGebru@dair …, @mattsheffield@mastodon.social, @timcarvell.bsky.social, @michellegoldberg.bsky.social, @tomscocca.bsky.social, @KimPerales@toad.social, @dandrezner.bsky.social, @jacobtlevy.bsky.social, @sethcotlar.bsky.social, @alexwild@mastodon.online, @strangestrings.bsky.social, @stevesilberman@newsie.social, @jsthrill.bsky.social and @charliearchy@mstdn.social
Lesley Goldberg / The Hollywood Reporter:
Q&A with The CW Entertainment President Brad Schwartz on the importance of owning all show rights, quickly expanding into sports, producing originals, and more — Brad Schwartz joins the 'TV's Top 5' podcast to discuss why big studio shows like ‘Riverdale’ won't work as the network shifts its focus to becoming broader (and older).
Discussion:
@tvgrimreaper, @tvgrimreaper, @snoodit and @mandyttcarr
New York Times:
Shoddy self-published guidebooks, which appear to be compiled with the help of generative AI and promoted via deceptive reviews, are proliferating on Amazon — In March, as she planned for an upcoming trip to France, Amy Kolsky, an experienced international traveler who lives in Bucks County …
Discussion:
@rafat, @tim@phire.place, @waldoj@mastodon.social, Insider, @kashhill and @sahiltner, more at Techmeme »
The Wrap:
Memo: the WGA says the two sides remain too far apart after the August 4 meeting with the AMPTP, accusing the AMPTP of violating its own media blackout request — In a letter to members, WGA accuses studios of leaking details about ‘confidential’ meet-up — Hopes for renewed contract talks between …
Discussion:
The Ankler, Deadline, @genemaddaus, @genemaddaus, Vanity Fair, The Hollywood Reporter, IndieWire, Los Angeles Times, The Hollywood Reporter, Collider, The Verge, Variety, TVLine, Screen Rant, Bloomberg, CBS News, Deadline, Fortune and Reuters
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Deadline:
Thousands of WGA and SAG-AFTRA members picket NBCUniversal, after union members filed NLRB complaints saying the studio interfered with prior picketing activity
Thousands of WGA and SAG-AFTRA members picket NBCUniversal, after union members filed NLRB complaints saying the studio interfered with prior picketing activity
Discussion:
@jackiepenn18, @deadline, @deadline, Rolling Stone, @slack2thefuture, Fans for the WGA, Deadline, @sonyasteele@mastodon.social and Forbes
The Hollywood Reporter:
Charities say Hollywood food insecurity is rising as strikes drag on, so nonprofits are boosting food and financial aid for writers, actors, and support staff
Charities say Hollywood food insecurity is rising as strikes drag on, so nonprofits are boosting food and financial aid for writers, actors, and support staff
Discussion:
@thisiskaia, @katiekilkenny7, @leahfolta, @slack2thefuture, @wgawest, Fortune, Deadline, Vanity Fair and Bloomberg
Josef Adalian / Vulture:
As broadcasters make fewer scripted shows, streaming services that need such content can avoid churn and a catalog crisis by making series with more episodes — This story first ran in Buffering, Vulture's newsletter about the streaming industry. Head to vulture.com/buffering and subscribe today!
Discussion:
@nina_metz, @royal_suitor, @nymag, @dfriend, @tvmojoe, @dougwyman425, @juleswritesblog, @ct_ford, @ethanmayj and The Streamable
Max Tani / Semafor:
Sources: the NYT's Baghdad bureau chief was put on leave earlier this year amid a probe into her possible misuse of funds, like overpaying non-US journalists — The New York Times fired its second Baghdad bureau chief in five years in a bizarre saga that has infuriated some of the paper's staff in the Middle East.
Discussion:
@maxwelltani and @semaforben
Sara Fischer / Axios:
Comscore: Barbie crosses $1B+ in worldwide box office sales, just 17 days after release, the first movie solely directed by a woman to cross the $1B threshold — “Barbie” has earned more than $1 billion in worldwide box office sales, according to Comscore.
Discussion:
New York Times, @mattsheffield, @adamnash, Wall Street Journal, MediaPost, The Verge, NBC New York, NPR, Variety, abc7NY, Screen Rant, CBS News, Vanity Fair, SlashFilm, Bloomberg and New York Daily News
New York Times:
Sources: Paramount plans to announce an agreement to sell Simon & Schuster to PE firm KKR as soon as August 7; the deal would value Simon & Schuster at ~$1.62B — The deal with KKR, a private equity firm, is said to be valued at roughly $1.62 billion, and could be announced as soon as Monday.
Discussion:
Financial Times, The Wrap, Reuters, Wall Street Journal and The Bookseller
Thomas Wilde / GeekWire:
Dungeons & Dragons publisher Wizards of the Coast plans to ban generative AI-made illustrations, after fans spotted signs of AI art in an upcoming sourcebook — BOT or NOT? This special series explores the evolving relationship between humans and machines, examining the ways that robots …
Discussion:
Media Voices, @onyrica, @gontijodesign, @evilcleverdog, @aarantheartist, @nevernotdm, Associated Press, Comic Book, Decrypt and Gizmodo
Meduza.io:
Meduza, an outlet covering Russian news, says Apple Podcasts has removed its flagship podcast and then restored it two days later without providing reasons — Meduza has received a notice from Apple, informing our media that our flagship podcast “What Happened” has been removed from the Apple Podcasts streaming platform.
Nilesh Christopher / Rest of World:
Some designers say AI tools have made them anxious about the YouTube thumbnail microeconomy's future; creators like MrBeast pay up to $10K for a video thumbnail — Creators like MrBeast pay up to $10,000 for a single YouTube video thumbnail, but the rise of AI tools have some designers anxious about the microeconomy's future.
Khadijah Khogeer / NBC News:
Journalists at Vancouver-based IndigiNews and Ontario-based The Sarnia Journal say Meta's news block is reducing their sites' visitors and hurting their outlets — Meta recently began blocking news from Instagram and Facebook in Canada in response to the Online News Act.
Discussion:
@tehuti88
RELATED:
New York Times:
Investigation: US tech entrepreneur Neville Roy Singham, who funds left-wing outlets globally, works closely with Chinese government media to spread propaganda — The Times unraveled a financial network that stretches from Chicago to Shanghai and uses American nonprofits to push Chinese talking points worldwide.