Top News:
Peter Blumberg / Bloomberg:
X sues to block California's AB 2655, aimed at curbing AI-generated deceptive election content on social media, claiming it impinges on free speech — Elon Musk's social media platform X sued to block a California law aimed at curbing AI-generated deceptive election content on social media …
Discussion:
MediaPost, TechCrunch, The Wrap, Engadget, @YellowPup@mstdn.party, @branchdonovan.bsky.social and Forbes
John Koblin / New York Times:
NBC names Craig Melvin as Hoda Kotb's successor on Today, teaming up with Savannah Guthrie, starting January 13; Melvin has been Today's news anchor since 2018 — By selecting Mr. Melvin, a familiar face on the show, network executives chose to go the steadiest route possible.
Mia Sato / The Verge:
Facebook makes Views its primary metric for content, bringing it in line with Instagram; each time a piece of content appears on a screen, it counts as a View — Views will be measured not just on video content but also on photos, text posts, and more. When Instagram head Adam Mosseri announced …
Discussion:
@adrianng.bsky.social and Facebook for Creators, more at Techmeme »
Tamara Keith / NPR:
Trump says he'll appoint his campaign communications director, Steven Cheung, as White House communications director; Cheung is a former spokesperson for UFC — Pugilistic Trump campaign communications director Steven Cheung is heading to the White House to be communications director, the president-elect announced on Friday.
Jay Peters / The Verge:
Bluesky says it has “no intention” of taking user content to train AI tools, ahead of X implementing new terms of service that let it train AI on user content — ‘We do not use any of your content to train generative AI, and have no intention of doing so.’
Discussion:
Engadget, @azarynn.etheirys.social, @ralanr.bsky.social, @dannymacfinn.bsky.social, @mario-y.bsky.social, @grezydragonlady.bsky.social, @johnny2tehb.bsky.social, @ficmenhitdiff.bsky.social, @xett.bsky.social, @00valcho.bsky.social, @jeffmiracola.bsky.social, @bluesilverwind.bsky.social, @kimchithecat.bsky.social, @ryandenton81.bsky.social, @crvscience.bsky.social, @p1ombo.bsky.social, @hikatamika.com, @tehninini.bsky.social, @daveys-gaming.bsky.social, @bsky.app, @bsky.app, PCMag, Business Insider and BGR, more at Techmeme »
Charlotte Tobitt / Press Gazette:
An interview with Telegraph Director of Technology Dylan Jacques on the goal of launching 12 significant uses of AI in the newsroom over 12 months — The Telegraph set out in March to launch 12 significant uses of AI in its newsroom over 12 months. — The tools include newsroom workflow aides …
Discussion:
TVNewsCheck, Acast Podcasts and Editor and Publisher
Reuters:
Prince Harry's lawsuit against News Group Newspapers moves towards trial; all but one other litigant in the roughly 40 lawsuits against NGN have settled — Prince Harry is continuing his lawsuit against Rupert Murdoch's News Group Newspapers (NGN) over alleged unlawful activities by journalists …
Discussion:
The Guardian, Financial Times, Byline Times, Cele|bitchy, GB News and Press Gazette
Anna Betts / The Guardian:
A judge orders an evidentiary hearing for next week to determine whether the Infowars auction was conducted fairly — Judge to audit if conspiracy theorist's bankruptcy auction was fair, which could delay buying process for satire site — A judge has intervened and ordered a hearing …
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Benjamin Mullin / New York Times:
The Onion, backed by some Sandy Hook families and Everytown for Gun Safety, buys Infowars in a bankruptcy auction, and plans a January 2025 relaunch as a parody
The Onion, backed by some Sandy Hook families and Everytown for Gun Safety, buys Infowars in a bankruptcy auction, and plans a January 2025 relaunch as a parody
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Jenny Gross / New York Times:
The NYT's lawsuit against the European Commission, meant to establish whether text messages qualify as documents subject to transparency laws, opens — The news outlet is pushing the Commission to release text messages between the E.U.'s top official and Pfizer as they negotiated a Covid-19 vaccine contract.
Discussion:
Politico
Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty:
Apple removes RFE/RL's Svoboda app from the Russian App Store at the demand of Roskomnadzor; Apple also removed recent podcasts by Ekho Moskvy and others — U.S. technology giant Apple has notified RFE/RL that it has removed another of its apps following a request from Russia's media regulator, Roskomnadzor.
Discussion:
AppleInsider, 9to5Mac, @glynmoody@mastodon.social, Reuters and Meduza, more at Techmeme »
Liam Scott / Voice of America:
Reporters Without Borders sues X in France for “complicity in disseminating false information”, after X failed to block a fake video with RSF's logo — The press freedom group Reporters Without Borders on Thursday announced that it is suing the social media company X, accusing it of spreading disinformation.
Discussion:
Politico, Reporters Without Borders, @shayne.bsky.social, @digiphile.bsky.social and Al Jazeera
Lachlan Cartwright / Columbia Journalism Review:
Just before the election, a Trump lawyer demanded $10B in damages from the NYT and Penguin Random House, part of a flurry of Trump's legal threats to media — Legal letter follows complaints aimed at CBS News, the Washington Post, and the Daily Beast. — The letter, addressed to lawyers …