Mediagazer: Shoddy self-published guidebooks, which appear to be compiled with the help of generative AI and promoted via deceptive reviews, are proliferating on Amazon (New York Times)

2:35 PM ET, August 7, 2023

Top News:

Max Tani / Semafor:

Sources: the NYT placed Baghdad bureau chief Jane Arraf on leave earlier in 2023 during a probe into her possible misuse of funds, like overpaying non-US staff — The Scoop — 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: The Wrap, @wrodgers2, @willwainewright, @aramithek, @farnoushamiri, @reglash, @rimaanabtawi, @ozkaterji, @nkulw, @markamesexiled, @maxwelltani, @davidclinchnews, @semaforben, @lailaalarian, @rjsalame, @glcarlstrom and @w7voa

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: @kchoudhu, @jordannovet, @rosenzweigjane, @seangraf, @ianbetteridge@writing …, @davidluekens, The Hill, @sethkugel, @sahiltner, @kevglobal, @harrymccracken, Insider, @afinetheorem, @waldoj@mastodon.social, @tim@phire.place, @rafat and @kashhill, more at Techmeme »

Mia Sato / The Verge:

TikTok launches a music competition hosted on livestreams called Gimme the Mic, with the US winner getting 50,000 Diamonds whose USD conversion rate is unclear — TikTok will host a music contest similar to popular talent shows like The Voice, the company announced today.

Discussion: TechCrunch and TikTok

Jon Henley / The Guardian:

More than half of journalists at French Sunday newspaper Le Journal du Dimanche resign after a failed strike to prevent the arrival of a far-right editor — Bitter strike at Journal du Dimanche ends with staff exodus - and arrival of Geoffroy Lejeune, a supporter of leading xenophobe Eric Zemmour

Discussion: @photos_floues@bagarrosphere …, @helfriedcarl, @ariadne@climatejustice.social and @nycjim

Financial Times:

A profile of German millionaire Holger Friedrich, who has been engulfed by controversies since acquiring and leading a turnaround of the daily Berliner Zeitung — East German entrepreneur has been engulfed by a string of controversies since buying historic Berliner Zeitung

Discussion: @laurapitel, @a_reader_ft, @rubenanguiano and @tonytassell

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: Variety, Deadline, @maris.bsky.social, Financial Times and The Wrap

Alex Weprin / Hollywood Reporter:

RedBird IMI, led by Jeff Zucker as CEO, makes its first media investment in EverWonder, a new non-fiction content studio led by ex-Time Studios COO Ian Orefice — The ex-Time Studios chief says that EverWonder Studio will be hiring journalists and filmmakers, with an eye toward content that could launch new IP or brand extensions.

Discussion: The Wrap, Yahoo Finance, @alexweprin, @lmoses, @danprimack and @kerrymflynn

Dominic Ponsford / Press Gazette:

UK broadcast regulator Ofcom launches four new impartiality investigations into GB News, after upholding two complaints earlier in 2023 — Broadcaster faces four Ofcom investigations over impartiality. — GB News is facing four new impartiality investigations from broadcast regulator Ofcom.

Discussion: The Desk, Financial Times, @matthewkeyslive, The Guardian, @gbnewsspin, @jake_kanter, Deadline, @iburrell, Broadband TV News, Ofcom, @andyhardy40, Advanced Television, @pressgazette, @dli_odoir, @ofcom and The i Paper

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.

Dominic Ponsford / Press Gazette:

UK regional media group National World debuts Shots!, a 24/7 channel on Freeview, with short videos by its staff around themes of “real UK”, football, and crime — The new channel draws together video shot by the company's reporters around the UK.

Discussion: HoldtheFrontPage

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 …

Richard Lawler / The Verge:
X delays its Ads Revenue Sharing program's payouts that were set for the week of July 31, saying the volume of people signing up “has exceeded our expectations”

Discussion: MediaPost, New York Post, The Overspill, The Hill, @elonmusk, @rjcc, @chrisparkx, @enriquebrgn, @helenkennedy, @bestofdyingtwitter …, Insider, @mho@social.heise.de, @carnage4life@mas.to, Techlusive, @hunterwalk.com, @caseynewton.bsky.social, @rjcc.bsky.social and Daring Fireball

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: Variety, Deadline, @tvgrimreaper, @tvgrimreaper, @snoodit and @mandyttcarr

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

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

Canadian Association of Broadcasters:
North American broadcasters say Meta's news ban in Canada is “monopolistic” and urge lawmakers to support rules letting publishers negotiate with tech platforms

Discussion: New York Times, Next TV, Inside Radio, Radio & Television … and RADIO ONLINE

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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

Discussion: Media Voices, Associated Press, @onyrica, @gontijodesign, @evilcleverdog, @aarantheartist, @nevernotdm, Decrypt, Comic Book, Boing Boing and Gizmodo

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

Discussion: @carnage4life@mas.to, @restofworld, @restofworld, @nilchristopher and @TechDesk@flipboard.social

Meduza.io:
Meduza, an outlet covering Russian news, says Apple Podcasts removed its flagship podcast and then restored the show two days later without providing reasons

Discussion: @timsweeneyepic, @abarbashin, @kmartynov, @sambreazeale2, @marielle_w_, @meduza_en, @abarbashin, @kevinrothrock@infosec … and @Marielle_W@mastodon.social

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

Discussion: @anneapplebaum, @jason, @fahrenthold, @michaeldweiss, @brianhioe, @justinhendrix, @pekingmike, @paulg, @davidfolkenflik, @rotnroll666@mastodon.social, @donaldcclarke.bsky.social, @kerim@zirk.us and @brainwane@social.coop

Earlier Picks:

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

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

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André Beganski / Decrypt:
The New York Times is fighting a gag order imposed on FTX co-founder Sam Bankman-Fried after he shared former lover Caroline Ellison's writings with the outlet

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