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:
Public Notice, Forbes, NBC News, @drewharwell@threads.net, @davidfrum, @anneapplebaum, @anneapplebaum, Crikey, @taylorlorenz@threads.net, @renee.diresta@threads.net, @davidfrum, @urbanachievr, @crumbler@threads.net, Fortune, @renee.diresta@threads.net, @angiebaby@mas.to, Bloomberg, Semafor, Boing Boing, Adweek, The Guardian and emptywheel
RELATED:
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 …
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
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:
Adweek, US Department of Justice, Al Jazeera, OutsideTheBeltway, @oneunderscore__, @oneunderscore__, New York Post, Washington Post, Wired, @osullyville.bsky.social, Voice of America, Matthew Devost on LinkedIn, @semaforben, @kareemrifai, @skykiss@sfba.social, @eelarson, @eelarson, @eelarson, CNN, @rolandsmartin, @willsommer, @lrozen, @sewingdilemma, @lrozen, @willsommer, @willsommer, @mtaibbi, @thetnholler, @yashar, @shanlonwu, @arictoler, @arictoler, @arictoler, @stevanzetti, @christogrozev, @alanfeuer, @alanfeuer, @muellershewrote, Wired, The Guardian, The Register, @1elizabeth_jacobs@threads.net, @info_rosalie@threads.net, @info_rosalie@threads.net, The Record, The Record, US Department of Justice, NPR, Radio Free Europe/Radio …, Agence France-Presse, Radio Free Europe/Radio …, Bloomberg, @waldoj@mastodon.social, @joeabodnar@threads.net, @renee.diresta@threads.net, @crispinburke@threads.net, @joeabodnar@threads.net, @renee.diresta@threads.net, CNBC, Axios, The Moscow Times, Reuters, USA Today, Nextgov/FCW, @renee.diresta@threads.net, @griffinkyle@threads.net and @griffinkyle@threads.net
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
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:
Byline Times, @bennyjohnson, NBC News, The Hollywood Reporter, @jayinkyiv, @ok_post_guy, @ariehkovler, @luke_metro, Reuters, The Daily Dot, @aridrennen@threads.net, @joohnchoe, @youranonnews, @gravitysra1nbow, @very__regular, @kenklippenstein, @luke_metro, @mattgertz, New York Daily News, New Republic, Newser, The Tennessean, Forbes, @timcast, Gizmodo, Variety, @igorsushko, Rolling Stone, @markhertling, @markhertling, @davidsacks, @joshtpm, @lawindsor, @jaredlholt, CBS News, @rob_lowy912, Mediaite, @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, @alecluhn, @ariehkovler, @jaredlholt, @lopezmotorscars, @emptywheel, @itsmelissabrown, @itsmelissabrown, @itsmelissabrown, @aaronblake, @emptywheel, @emptywheel, @thejusticedept, @amydentata@tech.lgbt, @Doreen32128@universeodon.com, @deedotknudsen.bsky.social, @vastarien.bsky.social, @wxdylan.bsky.social, The Daily Beast, NPR, @totallynomadic.bsky.social, @texaspaulschroder@threads.net, @greg.doucette@threads.net, @greg.doucette@threads.net, Mother Jones, Associated Press, HuffPost, @oldskoolguitar.bsky.social, New York Post, Tampa Free Press, @rjdeal.bsky.social, @furnace.bsky.social, @mollyknight.bsky.social, The Tennessean, @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
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:
Adweek, Deadline, TVNewsCheck, New York Times, Variety, The Register, The Information, @pkafka, @lucas_shaw, The Hollywood Reporter, The Hill, The Wrap and New York Post, more at Techmeme »
RELATED:
Christopher Palmeri / Bloomberg:
Sources: Shari Redstone will get $180M in severance and other benefits on top of $350 from the sale of her 20% stake in National Amusements — Shari Redstone, chair of Paramount Global, will get $180 million in severance and other benefits on top of hundreds of millions from the sale …
Discussion:
Reuters and Financial Times
A.G. Sulzberger / Washington Post:
US politicians could curtail the free press using tactics common among some foreign leaders, but the press must resist being baited into taking a political side — Some foreign leaders have ruthlessly curtailed journalism. U.S. politicians could draw from their playbook.
Discussion:
Adweek, Axios, Poynter, New York Times, The Hill, Mediaite, Nicholas Thompson on LinkedIn, @brucewilson, @robertbalkovich, @maloney4nassau, @jeffjarvis, @jeffjarvis, @nytimespr, @robertbalkovich, @albertemartinez, @nxthompson, Campaign Trails, @davmicrot@threads.net, @jeffjarvis, @brianstelter, @mbrauchli@threads.net, @tomgara@threads.net, Anne Applebaum on LinkedIn, @bgrueskin, @scarylawyerguy, Warwick Sabin on LinkedIn, Newsbusters, Cristina Tardáguila on LinkedIn, @robertbalkovich, @kevinmkruse@threads.net, @froomkin, CNN, @dangillmor@mastodon.social, @KathyLK@universeodon.com, @SohanDsouza@mstdn.social, @mastodonmigration …, Fox News, @edmundlee@threads.net, Media Nation, @brianstelter@threads.net, @dankennedy_nu@journa.host, @jackcarterbenjamin …, @WarnerCrocker@mastodon.social and r/Journalism
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 …
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
Ryan Browne / CNBC:
The UK CMA objects to Google's ad tech practices, and says Google's “self-preferences” on its own ad exchange harms competition, advertisers, and publishers — LONDON — Britain's competition watchdog on Friday issued a statement of objections over Google's ad tech practices …
Discussion:
Advanced Television, Reuters, TechCrunch, GOV.UK, KAAL-TV, London Evening Standard, The Drum and Bloomberg, more at Techmeme »
Ben Werdmuller / Werd I/O:
By secretly paying some creators to post on Threads, Meta is undermining trust in everyone's motivations as people assume every user is “engagement farming” — Yesterday the Internet Archive lost its appeal in the digital lending case it's been fighting for the last few years.
Discussion:
@scojjac@threads.net, @guillecummings@threads.net, @jenvalentino_nyt@threads.net, @ben.werdmuller@threads.net, @joanwestenberg@threads.net, @willoremus@threads.net, @katienotopoulos@threads.net, @jampacksam@threads.net, @baldur@toot.cafe, @alterelefant@mastodontech.de, @CWSmith@social …, @shansterable@c.im, @BigAngBlack@fosstodon.org, @matt@oslo.town, @istuetzle@zirk.us and @nixCraft@mastodon.social, more at Techmeme »
Clay Risen / New York Times:
J. Richard Munro, who was Time's CEO from 1980 to 1990 and led the publication through its acquisition of Warner Communications, died on August 11 at age 93 — As president and C.E.O., he expanded Time Inc.'s offerings, fended off a hostile takeover and built the world's largest media company.
Discussion:
BNN Bloomberg and Deadline
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:
@svenvd_zee, YouTube Official Blog, Tubefilter, Alison Lomax on LinkedIn, BBC, MediaPost, UPI, The Wrap, TechCrunch, Engadget and The Verge
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, more at Techmeme »