Top News:
Will Sommer / Washington Post:
Most of the six members of Tenet's “talent” team claim they did not know the money they were paid allegedly came from Russia; Lauren Southern has not commented — Even some of the right-wing stars hired by the group last year wondered why it existed. Now, a new federal indictment claims it was a propaganda front.
Discussion:
@davidfrum, @anneapplebaum, @davidfrum, @anneapplebaum, @urbanachievr, Semafor, Boing Boing, The Guardian and emptywheel
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Ben Smith / Semafor:
Blaze Media's CEO says it has ended its contract with BlazeTV contributor Lauren Chen of Tenet Media, which is alleged to have been funded by Russia — The Scoop — A conservative American media company has fired one of the YouTubers implicated in an alleged Russian influence operation exposed …
Discussion:
Mediaite, The Wrap, The Daily Beast, @servelan@newsie.social, Fox News, Washingtonian, Raw Story and @Myerman@toot.bldrweb.org
CNN:
Source: Tenet Media is the Tennessee-based company the US DOJ alleges was being funded by Russia; Benny Johnson and Tim Pool say they were victims of the scheme
Discussion:
@bennyjohnson, NBC News, Raw Story, The Daily Dot, CBS News, New Republic, @ariehkovler, @aridrennen@threads.net, New York Daily News, Forbes, The Tennessean, @igorsushko, @kenklippenstein, @youranonnews, @davidsacks, @gravitysra1nbow, @ok_post_guy, @jayinkyiv, @markhertling, @markhertling, @mattgertz, Gizmodo, @luke_metro, Newser, @joohnchoe, Variety, @very__regular, @luke_metro, Rolling Stone, @joshtpm, @lawindsor, @jaredlholt, Mediaite, @amydentata@tech.lgbt, @Doreen32128@universeodon.com, @deedotknudsen.bsky.social, @rob_lowy912, @cturnbull1968, @meidastouch, @joshtpm, @joshtpm, @heerjeet, @michaeldweiss, @nashvilleresist, @mattgertz, @mattgertz, @mattgertz, @ariehkovler, @ariehkovler, @ariehkovler, @lukeoneil47, @ariehkovler, @farhip, @taliaotg, @willsommer, @willsommer, @donie, @taylorlorenz, @joeperticone, @justinbaragona, @oneunderscore__, @andycat3, @capitolhunters, @capitolhunters, @bradmossesq, @timcast, @alecluhn, @ariehkovler, @jaredlholt, @lopezmotorscars, @emptywheel, @vastarien.bsky.social, @itsmelissabrown, @itsmelissabrown, @itsmelissabrown, @aaronblake, @wxdylan.bsky.social, @emptywheel, @emptywheel, The Daily Beast, @thejusticedept, NPR, Associated Press, @totallynomadic.bsky.social, Mother Jones, The Tennessean, @texaspaulschroder@threads.net, @greg.doucette@threads.net, @greg.doucette@threads.net, HuffPost, The Hollywood Reporter, @oldskoolguitar.bsky.social, New York Post, Tampa Free Press, @rjdeal.bsky.social, @furnace.bsky.social, @mollyknight.bsky.social, @crj418.bsky.social, @wiczipedia@threads.net, @wiczipedia@threads.net, @wiczipedia@threads.net, @wiczipedia@threads.net, @coachfinstock.bsky.social, @bangatank.bsky.social, @mathandstuff.bsky.social, @r.v.cx, @georebekahjones@threads.net, @striderhlc.bsky.social, @tommyg.bsky.social, @markbarrington.bsky.social, @franklinjay.bsky.social, @theferocity.bsky.social, Mediaite, @protecttruth@mastodon.online, Raw Story, New Republic, @metacurity@infosec.exchange, The Independent, The Daily Dot, @mollyknight.bsky.social and Talking Points Memo
New York Times:
The US sanctions five Russian news outlets including RT, sanctions RT's EIC, indicts two RT staffers, and seizes 32 domains, as it fights Russian influence
Discussion:
US Department of Justice, CNN, Washington Post, Wired, @semaforben, WFAA-TV, Wired, Voice of America, @oneunderscore__, Matthew Devost on LinkedIn, @oneunderscore__, @osullyville.bsky.social, @skykiss@sfba.social, @kareemrifai, @eelarson, @eelarson, @eelarson, US Department of Justice, @rolandsmartin, NPR, @willsommer, @lrozen, @sewingdilemma, @lrozen, @willsommer, @willsommer, @mtaibbi, @thetnholler, @yashar, Adweek, @shanlonwu, @arictoler, @arictoler, @arictoler, @stevanzetti, @christogrozev, @alanfeuer, @alanfeuer, @muellershewrote, The Guardian, The Register, @1elizabeth_jacobs@threads.net, @info_rosalie@threads.net, @info_rosalie@threads.net, The Record, The Record, Radio Free Europe/Radio …, Agence France-Presse, Radio Free Europe/Radio …, Bloomberg, Associated Press, @waldoj@mastodon.social, @joeabodnar@threads.net, @renee.diresta@threads.net, UPI, @crispinburke@threads.net, @joeabodnar@threads.net, The Verge, BleepingComputer, CBS News, @renee.diresta@threads.net, CNBC, Axios, Engadget, Tampa Free Press, The Moscow Times, Reuters, USA Today, Nextgov/FCW, @renee.diresta@threads.net, @griffinkyle@threads.net, @griffinkyle@threads.net, Semafor, Fox News and Mediaite, more at Techmeme »
Christopher Palmeri / Bloomberg:
FCC filing: Larry Ellison will own 77.5% of National Amusements via a trust and series of corporations after his son David completes the purchase of Paramount — Paramount Global, the parent of CBS, will be controlled by software billionaire Larry Ellison after a group led by his son David completes …
Discussion:
Variety, The Hill, The Wrap, The Information, New York Post, @pkafka and @lucas_shaw
Wall Street Journal:
Leaked Disney files include personal data of some staff and customers and show that Disney+ had $2.4B+ revenue in Disney's March quarter, or ~43% of DTC revenue — Data trove sheds light on entertainment giant's operations, and exposes personal data of some staff and customers
Discussion:
The Streamable, The Media Leader, New York Post, Steve Layne on LinkedIn, Cord Cutters News and Fox Business
Sarah Perez / TechCrunch:
YouTube announces AI detection tools to protect against copying creators' likeness, including their faces and voices, and plans to offer AI scraping controls — YouTube on Thursday announced a new set of AI detection tools to protect creators, including artists, actors …
Jeremy Barr / Washington Post:
Mehdi Hasan's Zeteo News, launched in April, has 31K paid subs, including more than 1,000 at the $500+ “founder” level, accounting for ~$3M in annual revenue — The former MSNBC host's Substack-based Zeteo News has 31,000 paid subscribers and $3 million in annual revenue in just four months
Discussion:
@simondowens@threads.net, @jeremymbarr, @brianstelter and TVNewsCheck
Charlotte Tobitt / Press Gazette:
The Guardian's CFO says the outlet plans to start making product recommendations with the aim of diversifying revenue through affiliate links — The Guardian is preparing to launch an e-commerce platform as it continues to look for new areas of revenue diversification.
Discussion:
@baekdal and Stephen Hurrell on LinkedIn
Dan Milmo / The Guardian:
YouTube begins limiting repeated video recommendations about fitness levels, body weights, physical features, and more to teens globally, expanding from the US — Platform will ensure algorithms do not keep pushing similar content to young viewers, even though it does not breach guidelines
Discussion:
MediaPost, YouTube Official Blog, BBC, Alison Lomax on LinkedIn, UPI, TechCrunch, The Wrap, The Verge, @svenvd_zee and Engadget, more at Techmeme »
Sarah Scire / Nieman Lab:
The Salt Lake Tribune's first annual report shows $15.3M in 2023 revenue and $779K net profit; in July 2024, it had 9K print subscribers and 30K digital — The first daily newspaper in the U.S. to become a nonprofit has published a refreshingly readable and transparent annual report.
Discussion:
Dave Patel on LinkedIn and What Works
Mark Savage / BBC:
Spotify wins a long-running, complicated music rights case in US district court, where Eminem publisher Eight Mile Style claimed Spotify lacked proper licenses — Spotify has won a long-running court case, in which it was accused of streaming Eminem's music without permission.
Discussion:
Billboard, Rolling Stone and Music Business Worldwide
John Jurgensen / Wall Street Journal:
Filmmakers from the small budget, parallel world of faith-based entertainment are going mainstream, as Amazon, Netflix, and others focus on heartland viewers — Christian filmmakers have surprised the world with a series of box office hits. Their success could change the entertainment industry.
Discussion:
Luke Roush on LinkedIn
Helen Bushby / BBC:
The UK's CMA launches an investigation into whether the sale of Oasis tickets on Ticketmaster breached consumer protection law, including via “dynamic pricing” — The UK competition regulator has launched an investigation into the sale of Oasis tickets, including the use of “dynamic pricing”.
Discussion:
Associated Press, Gizmodo, Quartz, GOV.UK, Wall Street Journal, CNN, Financial Times, UPI, NME, London Evening Standard, @deandunham, The Sun, @cmagovuk, CMU, @gergelyorosz, @daviddavismp, Billboard, Engadget, WATN, The Guardian, Variety, Music Business Worldwide, NBC News, Politico, KXTV, Press Association and Big Issue, more at Techmeme »
Associated Press:
The US charges Dimitri Simes, a Russian-born US citizen and ex-Trump adviser, with working for a sanctioned Russian state TV network and laundering the proceeds — The U.S. government has charged a Russian-born U.S. citizen and former adviser to Donald Trump's 2016 presidential campaign …
Discussion:
Semafor, Rappahannock News, Reuters, The Hill, Radio Free Europe/Radio …, New York Times, Raw Story, @bruno_j_navarro … and Rolling Stone
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