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:
NBC News, Forbes, Public Notice, @davidfrum, @anneapplebaum, @anneapplebaum, @taylorlorenz@threads.net, @davidfrum, @urbanachievr, Crikey, @renee.diresta@threads.net, @crumbler@threads.net, Adweek, @drewharwell@threads.net, Fox News, Chicago Sun Times, Fortune, @renee.diresta@threads.net, @angiebaby@mas.to, Bloomberg, The Wrap, Boing Boing, The Guardian and emptywheel
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Anna Merlan / Mother Jones:
A Tenet Media contributor tweeted that Tenet “has ended”; its X, Instagram, TikTok, and Rumble pages are online but haven't been updated since the indictment — Nothing to see here! — A contributor for Tenet Media announced on Twitter Thursday night that the company has abruptly shuttered …
Discussion:
Reuters, NBC News, @annamerlan, @annamerlan and @taylerusa
Reuters:
YouTube terminates Tenet Media's channel and four channels operated by Tenet owner Lauren Chen — Alphabet's (GOOGL.O) YouTube said on Thursday it was terminating the Tenet Media channel and four channels operated by Tenet owner Lauren Chen, following an indictment from the U.S. Department of Justice.
Discussion:
Washington Post, more at Techmeme »
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 …
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:
Taylor Lorenz's Newsletter, Mediaite, Byline Times, @bennyjohnson, @jayinkyiv, @ok_post_guy, The Hollywood Reporter, @ariehkovler, @youranonnews, @luke_metro, @joohnchoe, @gravitysra1nbow, @very__regular, @kenklippenstein, @luke_metro, @mattgertz, The Daily Dot, @aridrennen@threads.net, New Republic, New York Daily News, @timcast, Newser, @igorsushko, @markhertling, @markhertling, @davidsacks, Forbes, @joshtpm, @lawindsor, @jaredlholt, Gizmodo, Variety, @rob_lowy912, Rolling Stone, @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, CBS News, @totallynomadic.bsky.social, Wired, @texaspaulschroder@threads.net, The Daily Beast, @greg.doucette@threads.net, @greg.doucette@threads.net, HuffPost, @oldskoolguitar.bsky.social, Tampa Free Press, @rjdeal.bsky.social, @furnace.bsky.social, @mollyknight.bsky.social, @crj418.bsky.social, Associated Press, @wiczipedia@threads.net, @wiczipedia@threads.net, @wiczipedia@threads.net, @wiczipedia@threads.net, @coachfinstock.bsky.social, @bangatank.bsky.social, @mathandstuff.bsky.social, Mother Jones, @r.v.cx, Associated Press, @georebekahjones@threads.net, @striderhlc.bsky.social, @tommyg.bsky.social, @markbarrington.bsky.social, @franklinjay.bsky.social, @theferocity.bsky.social, Mediaite, Talking Points Memo, @protecttruth@mastodon.online, Raw Story, New Republic, @metacurity@infosec.exchange, The Tennessean, The Independent, The Daily Dot and @mollyknight.bsky.social
Christopher Palmeri / Bloomberg:
FCC filing: Larry Ellison will own 77.5% of Paramount Global parent company National Amusements after his son David completes Skydance's Paramount acquisition — Paramount Global, the parent of CBS, will be controlled by software billionaire Larry Ellison after a group led by his son David completes …
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Christopher Palmeri / Bloomberg:
Sources: Shari Redstone will get $180M in severance and other benefits on top of $350M 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:
Advanced Television, Quartz, 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:
American Press Institute, Adweek, Dan Gillmor, Poynter, New York Times, The Hill, @brucewilson, @robertbalkovich, @maloney4nassau, @jeffjarvis, @jeffjarvis, @nytimespr, @robertbalkovich, @albertemartinez, @nxthompson, @jeffjarvis, @brianstelter, @mbrauchli@threads.net, @bgrueskin, Axios, @scarylawyerguy, @robertbalkovich, @froomkin, Cristina Tardáguila on LinkedIn, Newsbusters, Warwick Sabin on LinkedIn, Anne Applebaum on LinkedIn, Nicholas Thompson on LinkedIn, @davmicrot@threads.net, @tomgara@threads.net, @kevinmkruse@threads.net, Campaign Trails, CNN, Mediaite, @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
Jake Kanter / Deadline:
In a financial report, All3Media declares a £90.3M cash injection from RedBird IMI, which bought the British production company for £1.15B in February 2024 — All3Media disclosed the liquidity boost in its first set of earnings since being acquired for £1.15B by RedBird IMI …
Sarah Scire / Nieman Lab:
The INN approved 48% of newsrooms that applied for its membership in 2023, as others failed to meet its standards which include prohibitions on “dark money” — Here's a nugget from the Institute for Nonprofit News that might come up as we creep ever closer to the 2024 elections.
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 …
Ben Werdmuller / Werd I/O:
Meta not disclosing which select creators it pays to post on Threads undermines trust in everyone's motivations, as users assume others are “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 Wired, 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.
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