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, @drewharwell@threads.net, @davidfrum, @anneapplebaum, @anneapplebaum, Crikey, @taylorlorenz@threads.net, @renee.diresta@threads.net, @davidfrum, @urbanachievr, @crumbler@threads.net, NBC News, Fortune, @renee.diresta@threads.net, @angiebaby@mas.to, Bloomberg, 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 …
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, OutsideTheBeltway, @oneunderscore__, @oneunderscore__, New York Post, Washington Post, Wired, @osullyville.bsky.social, Voice of America, Matthew Devost on LinkedIn, CNN, @semaforben, @kareemrifai, @skykiss@sfba.social, @eelarson, @eelarson, @eelarson, @rolandsmartin, @willsommer, @lrozen, @sewingdilemma, @lrozen, @willsommer, @willsommer, @mtaibbi, @thetnholler, @yashar, @shanlonwu, @arictoler, @arictoler, @arictoler, @stevanzetti, @christogrozev, @alanfeuer, Adweek, @alanfeuer, @muellershewrote, Wired, The Guardian, The Register, @1elizabeth_jacobs@threads.net, @info_rosalie@threads.net, @info_rosalie@threads.net, US Department of Justice, The Record, The Record, 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
Discussion:
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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:
Deadline, TVNewsCheck, The Register, The Information, @pkafka, @lucas_shaw, The Hollywood Reporter, New York Times, Variety, The Hill, The Wrap and New York Post, more at Techmeme »
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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:
Axios, Poynter, New York Times, 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, The Hill, @dangillmor@mastodon.social, CNN, @KathyLK@universeodon.com, @SohanDsouza@mstdn.social, @mastodonmigration …, Fox News, @edmundlee@threads.net, Mediaite, 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, Bloomberg and The Drum, 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, Tubefilter, YouTube Official Blog, 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 »
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