Top News:
Gene Maddaus / Variety:
Sen. Thom Tillis unveils a draft bill to revise the DMCA, requiring “service providers” to ensure that infringing material stays removed and does not reappear — Sen. Thom Tillis on Tuesday unveiled an overhaul of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act, which is intended to make it easier to stamp out pirated content online.
Discussion:
Katharine Trendacosta / @k_trendacosta: I cannot stress enough how stupidly bad this bill is for the Internet. It's going to effectively shut down the ability to make and share things online.
Senator Thom Tillis / @senthomtillis: Today, I released the first discussion draft of legislation to reform the Digital Millennium Copyright Act. The Digital Copyright Act of 2021 is revolutionary legislation that would modernize U.S. copyright law for the new millennium. https://www.tillis.senate.gov/ ...
Katharine Trendacosta / Electronic Frontier Foundation: This Disastrous Copyright Proposal Goes Straight to Our Naughty List
Katharine Trendacosta / @k_trendacosta: In general, it gives massive regulatory power to the Copyright Office, basically handing over the Internet to them. Boy, I sure do want a group that sees major rightsholders and not the public interest as the Internet cop, don't you?
Katharine Trendacosta / @k_trendacosta: Good morning. I got up insanely early just to read the discussion draft of the worst copyright bill I've ever seen. If you thought you wanted to #StopDMCA before, just you wait. https://www.tillis.senate.gov/ ...
Katharine Trendacosta / @k_trendacosta: This thing is like super SOPA/PIPA. It calls for filtering in at least three places. It lowers the knowledge standard so that services have to take more and more down in order to not be liable.
Anthony Ha / TechCrunch: Daily Crunch: Stimulus bill increases penalties for illegal streaming services
Mike Masnick / Techdirt: Senator Tillis Releases Massive Unconstitutional Plan To Reshape The Internet In Hollywood's Image
Thom Tillis, U.S. Senator for North Carolina: Tillis Releases Landmark Discussion Draft to Reform the Digital Millennium Copyright Act
RELATED:
Alex Gallagher / NME:
The COVID-19 relief bill passed by Congress includes the Felony Streaming Bill, which makes illegal streaming for profit a felony, with up to 10 years jail time — Targeting illegal for-profit streaming providers, not individual users — The US Congress has passed a COVID-19 stimulus bill …
Discussion:
Greg Sargent / Washington Post: Don't let Mitch McConnell get away with his vile rewriting of history
Jordan Valinsky / CNN: 10 years in prison for illegal streaming? It's in the Covid-19 relief bill
Thom Tillis, U.S. Senator for North Carolina: Bipartisan Legislation Led by Tillis and Leahy to Fight Illegal Streaming by Criminal Organizations to be Signed Into Law
@copyrightoffice: Congress passed the CASE Act as part of the Consolidated Appropriations Act. The law establishes a voluntary, streamlined adjudication process in the Copyright Office for copyright infringement matters involving claims that do not exceed $30,000. https://www.copyright.gov/...
Charles Barfield / The Playlist: COVID Stimulus Includes Law That Makes Illegal Streaming A Felony That Could Result In 10 Years In Jail
@copyrightoffice: Congress passed a law regarding the availability of a felony penalty for commercial-level infringements by certain digital transmission services.
Mustafa Gatollari / @tafgato: Politicians: perfecting and the art of scumbaggery since the dawn of time: https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/ ...
Pamela Samuelson / @pamelasamuelson: No need to prove any actual harm. Just claim maximum statutory damages anyway. Trolls lie ahead! All sophisticated parties will opt out. Default judgments vs little guys so easy now https://twitter.com/...
Stan Van Gundy / @realstanvg: Doesn't matter what side of the aisle you're on. This is bad government and it happens far too often. https://twitter.com/...
Corey Quinn / @quinnypig: Yes, “a decade in prison” seems a proportionate response to running a bootleg movie theater. Good work, Congress. https://twitter.com/...
Keith O'Brien / Moderns Comms: State of Play 12/22 — TODAY'S TOP STORY: The voting machines fight back
Andrew Gilden / @andrew_gilden: At first blush this looks like a dangerously broad criminalization of secondary copyright liability. At second blush, this also looks like a dangerously broad criminalization of individual acts of streaming, depending on how you define “service” https://twitter.com/...
Joe / @joe_loguidice: So the copyright streaming felony is in the omnibus package \ COVID bill. I'm not a lawyer but it looks like it's relatively narrow and wouldn't create criminal liability for playing a song while streaming but would create liability if you run a pirate NFL website. https://twitter.com/...
Bas Grasmayer / MUSIC x: ✖ The decade of the virtual tour pass
Katie Robertson / New York Times:
Brian Calle, CEO of LA Weekly owner Street Media, has acquired The Village Voice, plans to restart its website in January, and also plans quarterly print issues — The owner of LA Weekly, another independent publication, plans to restart The Voice next month.
Discussion:
@rosiegray, @passionweiss, @jenn_swann, Mediaite, @raju, @conroyforreal, @minkowitz, @awolfeful, @stevekandell, @spbphd, @elinashatkin, @sowmyak, @marcissist, @passionweiss, @allegraehobbs, @krisvire, @jayrosen_nyu, @ibogost, @mattdpearce, @media_evan, @jesshopp, @matthewwells, @david_j_roth, @scott_tobias, @willow_catelyn, @zzzzaaaacccchhh and @jsmooth995
Discussion:
Rosie Gray / @rosiegray: it would be great if the Village Voice could be revived with a nice owner who really cared about it, but... https://www.nytimes.com/... https://twitter.com/...
Otto Von Biz Markie / @passionweiss: In case you were looking for more information on the low rent grifters and right wing stooges that Brian Calle used to fund his plot to destroy the LA Weekly, all the info is on our Boycott LA Weekly site. He's an embarrassment to journalism & LA itself. https://boycottlaweekly.com/ ...
Jennifer Swann / @jenn_swann: If Calle's relaunch looks anything like what he did to LA Weekly, it will surely involve unmarked spon-con, pay-to-play coverage of the company's unnamed investors, and a complete desecration of everything the paper once stood for. RIP Village Voice. https://www.nytimes.com/...
Marisa Sarnoff / Mediaite: Village Voice Set For 2021 Comeback Under Controversial New Owner
Raju Narisetti / @raju: The Village Voice To Rise From the Dead. Again. New Owner Brian Calle LA Weekly's newsroom was quickly gutted after he bought it, and former writers organized a boycott of the paper, pressing advertisers and other journalists to cut ties. https://www.nytimes.com/...? via @nytimes
Chris Conroy / @conroyforreal: Hey, NYC! Former New Yorker now living in Los Angeles who's here to tell you: this news SUCKS. LA Weekly is a zombie publication now. The whole former staff formed @theLAndmagazine and it's way better. Don't get on board with this version of the Voice. https://twitter.com/...
Donna Minkowitz / @minkowitz: The Village Voice, my alma mater, has just been bought by former leader of the white supremacist Claremont Institute. https://twitter.com/...
April Wolfe / @awolfeful: I just... Well, I really wish this article would have included literally anything about Calle's unethical mismanagement of LA Weekly. I cannot imagine a worse future for The Village Voice. https://twitter.com/...
Steve Kandell / @stevekandell: a good person to ask about this dude is @Passionweiss https://twitter.com/...
Scott Poulson-Bryant / @spbphd: it's where I got my start, so this news is lovely to hear...considering the history of the new owner, I'll guess time'll tell? I just hope someone gets cracking on the archive, digital and otherwise...that is a must. The Village Voice Rises From the Dead https://www.nytimes.com/...
Elina Shatkin / @elinashatkin: His purchase of LA Weekly went sooooooo well, why wouldn't Brian Calle decide to buy another alt weekly? https://www.nytimes.com/...
Sowmya Krishnamurthy / @sowmyak: should I back up my old Village Voice interviews now? https://www.villagevoice.com/ ... https://twitter.com/...
Marc Masters / @marcissist: The people who turned the LA Weekly to trash are now planning to do the same to the Village Voice. Don't support it. Read this thread from Jeff who has been going after this crappy company since the start. https://twitter.com/...
Otto Von Biz Markie / @passionweiss: Nothing like the most vaunted counter-cultural publication in America bought by the former head of the Claremont Institute, the West Coast's preeminent right wing ghoul factory. Brian Calle makes Jared Kushner look like George Plimpton. This is a laughable disgrace. https://twitter.com/...
Allegra Hobbs / @allegraehobbs: I need to lie down https://twitter.com/...
Jay Rosen / @jayrosen_nyu: The Village Voice Rises From the Dead, says the headline. https://www.nytimes.com/... Well, it has a new owner who says he is bringing it back. There is not a word about the business model said owner has in mind, the first question I would ask. A storied past is not a business model.
Ian Bogost / @ibogost: The good news is, the Village Voice is coming back. The bad news is, it's a branded drop-ship influencer real-estate trust. https://www.nytimes.com/...
Matt Pearce / @mattdpearce: I am uncertain about the savvy of anybody who lived through the new LA Weekly experience and thinks, “hell yeah, more of this” https://twitter.com/...
Evan DeSimone / @media_evan: Now would be a fantastic time for the Voice to return. Hopefully, the new owners have the patience to do it right. https://www.nytimes.com/...
Jessica Hopper / @jesshopp: Friends nab your digital bylines/clips NOW before they are scrubbed or excised. This is GRIM as fuck news for yet another legacy publication. https://twitter.com/...
Matt Wells / @matthewwells: God, if I ever got my hands on the New York Times style guide I'd ban the word “storied” from ever seeing the light of day again https://twitter.com/...
David Roth / @david_j_roth: A conspiracy theory that I believe without any real evidence is that this cretinous dingus is a cutout for much richer people who want to defile critical alternative media outlets both on principle and “for yuks.” https://twitter.com/...
Scott Tobias / @scott_tobias: Headline accurate in the sense that things that rise from the dead are zombies and should be avoided at all costs unless you can lop off their heads. https://www.nytimes.com/...
Willow Catelyn Maclay / @willow_catelyn: .......I guess I should back-up everything I wrote for the village voice https://twitter.com/...
Shoshana Wodinsky / Gizmodo:
An explainer on digital advertising's header bids, third-party brand safety vendors, and “evercookies”, illustrated by a ubiquitous pajama onesie ad — If you're reading this, you might have read the juicy piece that Elle dropped this weekend chronicling how a former Bloomberg reporter torched …
Discussion:
Business Insider, New York Magazine, @andrewcouts, @jakeofthefuture, @kate_h_taylor, @adland, @conroyforreal, @jakeswearingen, @bryson_m, @catthekin, @bigmeaninternet, @justinhendrix, @lollardfish, @techwontsaveus, @jathansadowski, @clairelizzie, @swodinsky, @neilretail, @goldman, @lollardfish, @nandoodles, @thezedwards, @stephcliff, Newser and @liamstack
Discussion:
Kate Taylor / Business Insider: The bizarre case of the sexy butt-flap onesie that has taken over the internet
Irin Carmon / New York Magazine: The Story Behind the Story of Martin Shkreli's Romance With a Reporter
Andrew Couts / @andrewcouts: i know you've all been waiting for @swodinsky to crack the butt-flap onesie ad story wide open https://gizmodo.com/...
Jake Banas / @jakeofthefuture: .@swodinsky has a brilliant and fascinating read on how one deeply meme-able ad could very well serve a more sinister purpose. https://gizmodo.com/...
Kate Taylor / @kate_h_taylor: I spent today solving the case of the sexy butt-flap onesie 🕵️♀️ 🍑 https://www.businessinsider.com/ ...
@adland: “I became convinced that these onesie ads were less about a onesie retailer no one had heard of before, and more about how hopelessly broken the adtech ecosystem is.” https://gizmodo.com/...
Chris Conroy / @conroyforreal: Here's where we are in America: there is no greater symbol of the corruption of the internet and the permanent loss of our privacy than those goddamned assless pajamas. Dystopia is so much worse than we knew https://gizmodo.com/...
Jake Swearingen / @jakeswearingen: sure, read your fancy “how the Elle story got made” behind the scenes take — only @Kate_H_Taylor is here to talk about the butt-flap onesie that accompanied it https://www.businessinsider.com/ ...
Bryson / @bryson_m: love that we've decided that the shittiest technology on the planet should fund online journalism https://gizmodo.com/...
Claire Atkin / @catthekin: This is the adtech holiday content we needed this week. https://www.vice.com/...
Malcolm Harris / @bigmeaninternet: So the story on the weird pj ads on Shkreli piece is that Elle got screwed by some automated ad platform called DoubleVerify that's probs worth $30 billion (supporting my earlier theory that automated ad selling secretly sucks) https://www.businessinsider.com/ ... https://twitter.com/...
Justin Hendrix / @justinhendrix: An ad tech case study for the ages. https://twitter.com/...
David M. Perry / @lollardfish: Sexy butt flap lady explained finally https://twitter.com/...
@techwontsaveus: “I hate to be the one to break it to you, but if you're creeped out at the idea of these flannel pajamas stalking you in some shape or form in perpetuity, there really isn't much you can do.” @swodinsky has the essential read on the butt pajamas. https://gizmodo.com/...
Jathan Sadowski / @jathansadowski: “So that's how an ad for an assless onesie could be the lynchpin that results in your data being eternally shuffled between more than a dozen shadowy tech players across multiple continents.” @swodinsky is playing on a different level than all of us. https://gizmodo.com/...
@clairelizzie: this blog about the ad for butt pajamas that appeared on the martin shkreli girlfriend article is far more interesting than the martin shkreli girlfriend article https://gizmodo.com/...
Shoshana Wodinsky / @swodinsky: bad news guys https://gizmodo.com/...
Neil Saunders / @neilretail: The bizarre case of the sexy butt-flap onesie that has taken over the internet. I chatted with a Business Insider about the latest internet sensation. https://www.businessinsider.com/ ...
Jason Goldman / @goldman: As is usually the case, the state of adtech is creepier than is commonly known. https://gizmodo.com/...
David M. Perry / @lollardfish: “ I became convinced that these onesie ads were less about a onesie retailer no one had heard of before, and more about how hopelessly broken the adtech ecosystem is.” Now @swodinsky on the sexy butt flap onesie. https://twitter.com/...
Nandini Jammi / @nandoodles: “Thank you for your enquiry! We will close the conversation now, you are welcome to contact us again anytime. Bye!” I guess we'll never know the secrets of the butt-flap PJ. https://www.businessinsider.com/ ...
@thezedwards: Someday we will look back on this as one of the first stories that properly captured how Chinese advertising SSPs were growing American audience profiles due to seemingly unprofitable advertising campaigns pushing drop-shipped products - & using global ad tech orgs to do it. https://twitter.com/... https://twitter.com/...
Stephanie Clifford / @stephcliff: So agree. https://twitter.com/...
John Johnson / Newser: Ad for PJs With Butt Flaps Becomes Internet Phenom
Jon Allsop / Columbia Journalism Review:
A look at current ideas for federal journalism funding, including a revival of the New Deal Federal Writers' Project to hire journalists to capture this moment — In 1937, Sterling A. Brown, a poet and literature professor at Howard University, published a forthright essay charting the history …
Discussion:
Jon Allsop / @jon_allsop: A media scooplet from me for @CJR: Rep. @tedlieu is working on legislation aimed at reviving the Federal Writers' Project—a 1930s New Deal program that put unemployed journalists and authors to work documenting America on the public dime. /1 https://www.cjr.org/...
Ali Watkins / @aliwatkins: What a fabulous thing. Part of this rich history: one of the journalists first hired as part of the FWP back in the 30s was Martha Gellhorn. Her work through FERA, chronicling the Great Depression, is some of my favorite writing of all time. https://twitter.com/...
Jon Allsop / @jon_allsop: For @CJR, I took a deep dive into the history of the FWP, what a new one could look like, and the prospects for federal media funding more generally. Journalism is in crisis. Bold ideas are needed to save it—and such boldness is not unprecedented. /5 https://www.cjr.org/...
Jennifer Taub / @jentaub: Wonderful idea @tedlieu! Very similar to one of my Six Fixes in Big Dirty Money. https://twitter.com/...
Kevin M. Kruse / @kevinmkruse: Hell yes, @tedlieu https://twitter.com/...
Stephanie Insley Hershinow / @s_insley_h: Deciding to just be excited about this possibility now. Disappointment can wait. https://twitter.com/...
Connie Schultz / @connieschultz: Thank you, @tedlieu, for recognizing the value of the storytellers. https://twitter.com/...
Mary Wisniewski / @marywizchicago: This is the program that helped greats like Nelson Algren and Studs Terkel survive the Depression. We need it again. https://twitter.com/...
Marisa Sarnoff / Mediaite: Ted Lieu Reportedly Working to Recreate New Deal-Era Program That Hired Unemployed Journalists
Librarianshipwreck / @libshipwreck: 1. This is a great idea. 2. Revive the rest of the WPA too. https://twitter.com/...
@cjr: At its peak, the Writers' Project employed more than 6,000 people. Its hires included Zora Neale Hurston, John Cheever, Richard Wright, Saul Bellow, among others. In the next Congress, @tedlieu hopes to introduce a new Writers' Project bill. https://www.cjr.org/...
Molly Jong-Fast / @mollyjongfast: OMG, this is so cool. https://twitter.com/...
Bronwen Dickey / @bronwendickey: For the love of God, please let this happen. There are so many incredible journalists who have lost their jobs. We need their voices and their years of expertise if we are ever going to even *try* to make sense of all the world's chaos. https://twitter.com/...
David Kipen / @davidkipen: American journalism isn't downsizing, it's capsizing. A new Federal Writers Project, I argue, can save it — and, just maybe, the country. https://www.google.com/...
Victor Pickard / @vwpickard: Excellent & timely piece! Thrilled to see the FWP finally receive some serious attention as a model for journalism job creation. A handful of us have been name-dropping it for over a decade, but this is the best treatment I've seen thus far. An idea whose time has come (again!). https://twitter.com/...
Jon Allsop / @jon_allsop: The timing and details of the bill are tbd, but Lieu's office told me a new FWP could be anchored within the Labor Dept or a cultural agency, and could run as a grant program administered through existing community institutions—including newsrooms. /2 https://www.cjr.org/...
Stephen Lurie / @luriethereal: I yearn for a government oriented far beyond scarcity—to one that actively supports thriving social life https://twitter.com/...
Jessica Jerreat / Voice of America:
Two bills Congress OK'ed would limit powers of USAGM's Michael Pack; Pack announced new heads at Radio Free Asia and Middle East Broadcasting Network on Tuesday — Two bills approved by Congress awaiting President Donald Trump's signature would limit the powers of Michael Pack …
Discussion:
@w7voa, @schwartzbcnbc, @yatesdcia, @simonmarksfsn, @simonmarksfsn, USAGM, @davidfolkenflik and @davidfolkenflik
Discussion:
Steve Herman / @w7voa: Two bills approved by Congress would limit the powers of @usagmceo. https://www.voanews.com/...
Brian Schwartz / @schwartzbcnbc: Former senior advisor to Dick Cheney, Stephen @YatesDCIA is the new head of @RadioFreeAsia. He was appointed by Trump USAGM head Michael Pack. Take a look on his stance when it comes to Mike Flynn getting a pardon and mail in ballots. https://twitter.com/... https://twitter.com/...
Steve Yates / @yatesdcia: Some professional news: https://www.usagm.gov/...
Simon Marks / @simonmarksfsn: The politicization of America's external broadcasters continues apace under Trump appointee @usagmceo Michael Pack, seeking to pack top seats with right-wingers before January 20th. Today, a hawk on China and Trump backer is appointed to head @RadioFreeAsia. https://twitter.com/...
Simon Marks / @simonmarksfsn: Also today, one of Trump's longest-serving national security staffers is selected by @usagmceo Michael Pack to head up America's MBN serving the Middle East. Another appointment for Biden to undo in a few weeks time. https://twitter.com/...
David Folkenflik / @davidfolkenflik: NEWS: Re: VOA et al - I've had I don't know how many Qs asking whether Biden admin can dismiss USAGM CEO Pack's new chiefs of VOA, Radio Free Europe/Liberty etc The answer: Omnibus bill would give Biden USAGM CEO 90 days to clean house & salvage $$ for Open Technology Fund
Substack Blog:
Explaining its content moderation policy, Substack says it will “resist public pressure to suppress voices that loud objectors deem unacceptable” — As Substack grows, there is increasing interest in the stance we take on content moderation. It's a complicated issue …
Discussion:
@mantzarlis, @jaycaruso, @kerrymflynn, @wexler, @nickconfessore, @timmarchman, @hotlinejosh, @codytfenwick, @melissamcewen, @jessesingal, @jessesingal, TechCrunch, @timmarchman, @peterbale, @mantzarlis, @anildash, @jayrosen_nyu, @nayafia, @sonnybunch, @allegraehobbs, @sonnybunch, @kantrowitz, @taylorlorenz, @nic__carter, @sethbannon, @jessesingal, The Verge, @peterbale, @cathyreisenwitz, @carnage4life, @jessesingal, @scottnover, @scottnover, @wesleylowery, @timmarchman, @johnghendy, @justin_hart, @substackinc, @rwabigwi, @codytfenwick and @ericnewcomer, more at Techmeme »
Discussion:
Alexios / @mantzarlis: Please, my colleagues across all platforms: make a commitment and give up on “arbiters of the truth.” It is both a misreading of what we're being asked to do and a shield to pretend we barely touch on matters of facts and truth
Jay Caruso / @jaycaruso: This is encouraging and I hope it holds. Substack is going to face tremendous pressure from the cancel crowd as more people utilize the service. *** Substack's view of content moderation https://blog.substack.com/...
Kerry Flynn / @kerrymflynn: 👀 “Substack holds liberal ideals on matters of the free press and free speech... Our content guidelines will evolve over time, but the prohibitions will remain focused and with a strong presumption of protecting that freedom.” https://twitter.com/...
Nu Wexler / @wexler: Everyone says they don't need to moderate content until 35 reporters and 8 Congressional letters hit their inbox. https://blog.substack.com/...
Nick Confessore / @nickconfessore: “[w]e commit to keeping Substack wide open as a platform, accepting of views from across the political spectrum. We will resist public pressure to suppress voices that loud objectors deem unacceptable.” https://blog.substack.com/...
Tim Marchman / @timmarchman: If Substack's just an email and payment service, it doesn't really need to have positions past “We don't serve child pornography or other flatly illegal content”; if it's anything other than that, performatively pretending not to have politics is, as ever, politics.
Josh Kraushaar / @hotlinejosh: “When engagement is the holy metric, trustworthiness doesn't matter. What matters more than anything else is whether or not the user is stirred. The content and behaviors that keep people coming back - the rage-clicks - help sustain giant businesses.” https://blog.substack.com/...
Cody Fenwick / @codytfenwick: Substack has a post claiming it doesn't want to do censorship. But its actual content guidelines make clear there are plenty of (reasonable!) cases in which the platform will censor writers. https://blog.substack.com/... https://twitter.com/...
Melissa McEwen / @melissamcewen: This is pure techno libertarianism at its worst. Getting rid of terfs and racists is “censorship” but no porn is allowed https://blog.substack.com/...
Jesse Singal / @jessesingal: 3/ I just want to point out for the thousandth time how nuts it is that the views of a narrow slice of very privileged journalists so thoroughly dominate this discussion. Substack's approach is very popular among the (South-Park-watching, Joe-Rogan-listening) public, and yet we
Jesse Singal / @jessesingal: 6/ This is the sort of hackishness I mean, of just not bothering to read the thing because you think you already know what it says and have typecast the authors in a certain way. It's better to first read, and then react. https://twitter.com/...
Tim Marchman / @timmarchman: Lot of dost protest too muching going here on for an email service tied to a payment service https://blog.substack.com/...
@peterbale: @codytfenwick @MediagazerChat @SubstackInc Interesting. I'd love to know what @hamishmckenzie thinks if that.
Alexios / @mantzarlis: It is almost 2021 and platforms are still using “arbiters of the truth” as the convenient extreme to define oneself as opposed to — From Substack's view of content moderation, h/t @evelyndouek https://blog.substack.com/... https://twitter.com/...
Anil Dash / @anildash: This is pretty well done, but it doesn't describe the criteria by which they choose which writers they'll subsidize to move to the platform. That's the analogy to the algorithms they rightfully criticize on other platforms, and matters because they've been courting faux-martyrs. https://twitter.com/...
Jay Rosen / @jayrosen_nyu: Substack's view of content moderation is intelligent and persuasive— to me. Worth reading. One thing I didn't like: the use of the “there are those who say...” device. Better to quote real people and argue with their stated views. And links to them. https://blog.substack.com/...
Nadia / @nayafia: Substack's grand federalist experiment: platforms should leave moderation up to communities, with a thin layer of global policy, rather than presuming a moral code that works for everyone. https://blog.substack.com/...
Sonny Bunch / @sonnybunch: Anyway! Substack is good and people who clamor for others to be silenced are, generally speaking, bad. Here's to having more good things in the world.
Allegra Hobbs / @allegraehobbs: genuine q: has anyone explicitly called for Substack to censor or ban writers they don't like, or to severely limit what gets published there? I've been following them for years and to my knowledge this question has only ever been raised as a hypothetical https://blog.substack.com/...
Sonny Bunch / @sonnybunch: I've really dug how @SubstackInc has worked for and with @BulwarkOnline, and I'm glad to see a statement of principles like this when it comes to free speech/content moderation. https://blog.substack.com/...
Alex Kantrowitz / @kantrowitz: I asked Substack to talk about this. Guess they're going with the Coinbase approach. https://blog.substack.com/...
Taylor Lorenz / @taylorlorenz: “A lot of people suppose that we started Substack to be the next big thing in journalism. But what we're actually trying to do is subvert the power of the attention economy. We want people, not engagement-motivated platforms, to ultimately be in control.” https://blog.substack.com/...
Nic Carter / @nic__carter: One of the most compelling visions for online moderation I've seen in some time. I am convinced this model will gain market share to the detriment of the global ToS model https://blog.substack.com/...
Seth Bannon / @sethbannon: ❤️ “Many Silicon Valley technology companies strive to make their platforms apolitical, but we think such a goal is impossible to achieve.” ❤️ Hope @SubstackInc's thoughtful leadership inspires others in tech. With great power comes great responsibility. https://blog.substack.com/...
Jesse Singal / @jessesingal: 1/ Substack has laid down a liberal stance on open discourse and moderation that is likely to get the site in trouble with many progresive journalists, but which is (in my view) broadly popular across the (normie) political spectrum — and very pro-writer. https://blog.substack.com/...
Jacob Kastrenakes / The Verge: Substack says readers and writers are really in charge of moderation
@peterbale: @codytfenwick @MediagazerChat The subtlety there is about imposing their @SubstackInc views. They are right, in my view, to explain those areas where they won't allow the platform to be used to spread hate or the nullification of the rights of others.
Cathy Reisenwitz / @cathyreisenwitz: I'm sorry but platforms don't get to enjoy “free speech defender” status if they're going to censor content they deem “pornographic.” https://blog.substack.com/...
Dare Obasanjo / @carnage4life: Substack lays out it's position on moderation and what's interesting is what it doesn't say. A position on moderation is “we'll ban Nazis”. This post argues since they aren't advertising based & people choose to subscribe, their moderation bar's lower. https://blog.substack.com/...
Jesse Singal / @jessesingal: 4/ will surely see at least a handful of articles treating it as some sort of radical pro-bigotry policy.
Scott Nover / @scottnover: “We believe in the free press and in free speech - and we do not believe those things can be decoupled.” (oh wow they all but say subscribe to pressing... https://pressing.substack.com/)
Scott Nover / @scottnover: Substack publishes its view on content moderation, of which it wants to do very little. (Pretty thoughtful whether or not you agree with the position.) https://blog.substack.com/...
Wesley / @wesleylowery: this seems reasonable and also goes to lengths to highlight how substack is different than say...a newspaper op-ed page. No content is pushed and spread to readers/exalted by appearing on the platform. Readers directly fund the voices they find valuable https://blog.substack.com/...
Tim Marchman / @timmarchman: I mean, my bank, the USPS, and my phone company don't write boring manifestos about why I'm allowed to write checks to pay for books by Nazis, have them delivered to my house, and talk on the phone about them without them butting in
John Hendrickson / @johnghendy: This is impressive, though you'll also notice that the words “liability,” “legal,” “lawsuit,” and “sue” appear nowhere in the post. https://blog.substack.com/... https://twitter.com/...
Justin Hart / @justin_hart: Tremendous statement by Substack here in favor of free speech. Kudos. https://blog.substack.com/...
Substack / @substackinc: Here are a few principles guiding our views on content moderation. https://blog.substack.com/...
@rwabigwi: Founders of @SubstackInc on their platform not being apolitical: “Many Silicon Valley technology companies strive to make their platforms apolitical, but we think such a goal is impossible to achieve.” https://blog.substack.com/...
Cody Fenwick / @codytfenwick: @PeterBale @MediagazerChat @SubstackInc I think it makes plenty of sense to have those standards. But applying those standards necessarily means imposing their view of what meets those standards on the content creators. That's fine — good, even — but I think it's misleading to say they're not doing any censorship.
The Pulitzer Prizes:
NYT has withdrawn its 2019 entry in international reporting for Caliphate, and the Pulitzer Prize Board rescinded the entry's designation as a Pulitzer finalist — New York, NY (Dec. 22, 2020) — The New York Times has withdrawn its 2019 entry in International Reporting.
Discussion:
Angelique Jackson / Variety:
Blumhouse won a bidding war and will team up with NYT for a film or series based on a story about a Mexican mother who tracked down her daughter's killers — Rodriguez — who went on to become a prominent human rights activist, helping to imprison 10 members of the local cartel in San Fernando …
Discussion:
Borys Kit / Hollywood Reporter: Blumhouse Wins Bidding War for N.Y. Times Kidnapping Revenge Article
Umberto Gonzalez / The Wrap: Blumhouse Wins Bidding War for NY Times Miriam Rodriguez Kidnapping Revenge Article
Mike Fleming Jr / Deadline: Blumhouse Wins Auction For New York Times Story Of Mexico Mom Who Tracked Down Cartel Kidnappers That Murdered Her Daughter
Ashkan Karbasfrooshan / Context is King: My Alter Ego? — I'm looking for a writing partner as I turn the page on the new chapter …
Bloomberg:
Profile of YouTube's top creator of 2020, 22-year-old MrBeast, who has 48M+ subscribers, 4B views a year, ~50 employees, and spends $300K per video on average — Jimmy Donaldson, aka MrBeast, was the top creator on YouTube this year. Now he wants to sell you hamburgers.
Discussion:
@webbarr, @dad2summit, @megancgraham, @gavinpurcell, @mhbergen, @inhichosuh, @dad2summit, @alistairmbarr, @felixgillette, @lucas_shaw, @lucas_shaw, @ashkan, @annehummert, @samirpatil and @gadyepstein
Discussion:
Web / @webbarr: “The videos take months of prep. A lot of them take four to five days of relentless filming. There's a reason other people don't do what I do.” Even on YouTube overnight success takes years and a ton of work. Good read on @MrBeastYT, YouTuber, 🍔 boy! https://www.bloomberg.com/...
@dad2summit: “The videos take months of prep. A lot of them take four to five days of relentless filming. There's a reason other people don't do what I do.” @MrBeastYT https://www.bloomberg.com/...
Meg Graham / @megancgraham: Fascinating story on how 22 y/o @MrBeastYT catapulted to YouTube fame by counting to 100k in a video — & now employs 50 ppl, spends ~$300k on a video & makes 10s of millions in ad sales but invests most back into his business. via @mhbergen/@Lucas_Shaw https://www.bloomberg.com/...
Gavin Purcell / @gavinpurcell: i wonder if succeeding at the internet like this (which mrbeast has clearly done) is a young person's game, kind of like being a chess prodigy or a physics genius. the sheer amount of work has burnt out many, many others. part of it is the hard transition into what's next. https://twitter.com/...
Mark Bergen / @mhbergen: More than anything, MrBeast is an operations juggernaut. And old-school YouTube reveres him. “He lives on a different planet” ~ @Casey https://twitter.com/...
Inhi Cho Suh / @inhichosuh: I asked our boys who would they like to meet most? Noah 9 said “MrBeast” and rattles off his YouTube stats, content, etc. Why? “He helps people, does tough challenges, and he's funny.” The North Carolina Kid Who Cracked YouTube's Secret Code https://www.bloomberg.com/...
@dad2summit: Last year, every video @MrBeastYT posted eclipsed 20 million views. Even a star like @Casey says: “He lives on a different planet than the rest of the YouTube world.” #YouTube https://www.bloomberg.com/...
Alistair Barr / @alistairmbarr: @MrBeastYT is the Amazon of YouTube creators: He invests almost every dollar back into his business. In recent years, his average cost of making a single video has climbed to $300,000 from $10,000 https://www.bloomberg.com/... via @technology @Lucas_Shaw @mhbergen
Felix Gillette / @felixgillette: excellent profile of MrBeast, the YouTuber of the year, by @Lucas_Shaw and @mhbergen. “Last year, every video he posted eclipsed 20 million views. Such consistency is unparalleled, even among YouTube's biggest stars.” https://www.bloomberg.com/...
Lucas Shaw / @lucas_shaw: The YouTube creator of the moment — and the year — is @MrBeastYT, a 22-year-old from North Carolina with the magic touch. @mhbergen and I spoke with him about his secret to YouTube success, as well as his new hamburger chain. https://www.google.com/...
Lucas Shaw / @lucas_shaw: Among the many ridiculous facts about @MrBeastYT — 48M subscribers on YouTube, 4 billion views a year — theres also this: in a recent year, he threw away 66% of his videos because he didn't think they were good enough. https://www.google.com/...
Ashkan Karbasfrooshan / @ashkan: .@MrBeastYT's genius was taking best part of UGC authenticity, leveraging democratization of media & direct-to-consumer access while building org around him. https://www.mediagazer.com/... More likely to avoid burnout & mobilize/amplify his community to achieve more impact. Brilliant!
Cynthia B. Meyers / @annehummert: Audience giveaway programs were also common on early TV as a way to gin up audience size: nothing like directly rewarding a few viewers to keep the rest of them attentive https://www.bloomberg.com/...
Dominick Mastranglo / The Hill:
Newsmax claims it “has not reported as true certain claims” made by “various guests, attorneys and elected officials” on air about Smartmatic and Dominion — Conservative media outlet Newsmax issued a clarification on Monday about recent claims made by guests …
Discussion:
@existentialfish, @atrupar, @svdate, CNN, @bubbaprog, @jimsciutto, @kurteichenwald, @terryglavin, Media Matters for America, @atrupar, Vanity Fair, @davidmackau, @yashar, @klasfeldreports, @oneunderscore__, @a_picazo, @mollyjongfast, @aaronblake, @justinbaragona, Newsmax, @kanew, @sethabramson, @normative, @brhodes, @davidcorndc, @bakari_sellers, @pamkeithfl, @tbridis, @alexanderchee, @benpopper, @johnjharwood, @rcalo, @joshtpm, @kevinmkruse, @hamiltonnolan, @dr_pete, @jimrutenberg, @jproskowglobal, @milesparks, @oliverdarcy, @oliverdarcy, The Right Scoop, The Wrap, Axios, Mediaite, The Daily Beast and TVNewser
Discussion:
John Whitehouse / @existentialfish: Newsmax just aired this note to “clarify” its coverage of Smartmatic and Dominion. https://twitter.com/...
Aaron Rupar / @atrupar: Host Seb Gorka cuts MyPillow guy Mike Lindell short after Lindell starts to push conspiracy theories about voting machines. (Under legal duress, Newsmax just had to run segments debunking its own lies about voting machines.) https://twitter.com/...
S.V. Dáte / @svdate: Newsmax's Chris Ruddy tells me that the statement that's making the rounds will be aired on ALL Newsmax TV shows. This began over the weekend and will continue today. Here it is: https://twitter.com/...
Timothy Burke / @bubbaprog: when u get caught defaming https://twitter.com/...
Jim Sciutto / @jimsciutto: This is quite a “clarification”: “No evidence has been offered that Dominion or Smartmatic used software or reprogrammed software that manipulated votes in the 2020 election.” https://twitter.com/...
@kurteichenwald: The only lesson @newsmax and @FoxNews will take from this: Don't use lies and political propaganda to slime corporations that have the money and power to drag you into court. However, sliming people and lying about politicians? They'll keep at it. https://twitter.com/...
@terryglavin: This is just so fantastically precious. Because of the abject humiliation involved. https://twitter.com/...
Bobby Lewis / Media Matters for America: Smartmatic conspiracy theories proliferated throughout right-wing media
Charlotte Klein / Vanity Fair: Fox and Newsmax Fact-Check Those Election Conspiracies You Might've Seen on Fox and Newsmax
David Mack / @davidmackau: newsmax has put up a page “clarifying” facts around smartmatic and dominion (after the threat of a big lawsuit). watching red-pilled people in the comments grapple with a burst of truth is something https://www.newsmax.com/... https://twitter.com/...
Yashar Ali / @yashar: Watch this and know that everything he is saying “Newsmax has no evidence of” or directly claims isn't true has been something that has been shared as fact on the network by guests and hosts. It's a laundry list of lies that they're now walking back. Seriously, watch it... https://twitter.com/...
Adam Klasfeld / @klasfeldreports: The lies are not officially retracted, simply “clarified” with doses of truth under duress, then cut off mid-sentence and discontinued. https://twitter.com/...
Ben Collins / @oneunderscore__: Imagine how confusing this must be for the people who were buying into this stuff for weeks. Suddenly, it's verboten, and since you eschew actual information, you have no real idea why. https://twitter.com/...
Alheli Picazo / @a_picazo: I wonder if or when this is going to come for The Rebel and/or The Post Millennial. https://twitter.com/...
Molly Jong-Fast / @mollyjongfast: Here's a lawsuit curbing disinformation. https://twitter.com/...
Aaron Blake / @aaronblake: The transition here from legally treacherous terrain is amazing. https://twitter.com/...
Justin Baragona / @justinbaragona: Imagine how confusing and infuriating this must be for the viewers who flocked to Newsmax specifically because the channel was telling them that the election was stolen from Trump by corrupt voting software and Hugo Chavez https://twitter.com/...
Justin Kanew / @kanew: “Issues clarification” is a very generous way of saying “tries to cover for months of lying now that they face a many-million-dollar defamation lawsuit” https://twitter.com/...
Seth Abramson / @sethabramson: Trump's allies on Fox News, Newsmax, and OANN are running for the hills—airing massive disclaimers saying they have no evidence supporting anything Trump and his allies have been saying. Mostly these disclaimers don't come from the on-air talent—the *cowards*—who spread the lies. https://twitter.com/...
Julian Sanchez / @normative: I've said it before, but this is a demand-side problem. You're not going to fact check your way around the sizable chunk of the population that actively wants to be deceived. https://twitter.com/...
Ben Rhodes / @brhodes: “So, we're going to spread massive amounts of total disinformation like cancer metastasizing through American democracy, but we also don't want to get sued so we're offering this clarification.” https://twitter.com/...
David Corn / @davidcorndc: This is hysterical...and sad. It's what happens when you confront a disinformation outfit with two major lawsuits. https://twitter.com/...
Bakari Sellers / @bakari_sellers: This is what happens when you're about to get sued for your entire network. https://twitter.com/...
@pamkeithfl: Now... about the blatantly FALSE reporting from Fox News that convinced people that COVID 19 was a “Democrat hoax...” It was a shameless& indefensible lie that cost us thousands of lives & untold billions in lost economic activity. Few entities are MORE at fault than Fox News. https://twitter.com/...
Ted Bridis / @tbridis: Facts still matter: Under threat of civil lawsuit @newsmax publishes statement it found no evidence supporting claims it broadcast about voting machines and outcome of 2020 presidential election https://www.newsmax.com/... https://twitter.com/...
Alexander Chee / @alexanderchee: The spectacle of watching Newsmax try to forestall this lawsuit with pieces like this is a real pleasure. I hope Smartmatic sues and wipes them out. https://www.newsmax.com/... https://twitter.com/...
Ben Popper / @benpopper: This is what sounds like when disinformation masquerading as news suddenly realizes it might end up in court https://twitter.com/...
John Harwood / @johnjharwood: when suddenly a right-wing extremist network figures out that flagrant lies might cost them a lot of money https://twitter.com/...
Ryan Calo / @rcalo: SNL writers wish they had thought of the name John Tobacco https://twitter.com/...
Josh Marshall / @joshtpm: Someone's suddenly worried about a ruinous defamation suit that could put them out of business. https://twitter.com/...
Kevin M. Kruse / @kevinmkruse: This is like the list of insane corrections that SNL ran at the end of its “Fox and Friends” sketches, but for real. https://twitter.com/...
Hamilton Nolan / @hamiltonnolan: Just an FYI for our viewers, none of the stuff we said that constitutes the entire rationale for our existence is true. Haha. Yeah. So. Stay tuned for the Seb Gorka Christmas Special up next https://twitter.com/...
Dr. Pete Meyers / @dr_pete: Just about everything Newsmax has said about Dominion voting systems is a lie. Source: Newsmax — https://www.newsmax.com/...
@jimrutenberg: Hey, @Newsmax viewers: Facts About Dominion, Smartmatic You Should Know | https://newsmax.com/ https://www.newsmax.com/... via @Newsmax
Jackson Proskow / @jproskowglobal: Facing legal action, pro-Trump Newsmax is now devoting airtime and web space to debunking conspiracy theories about voting systems. https://www.newsmax.com/... https://twitter.com/...
Miles Parks / @milesparks: Sort of stunning “article” from Newsmax today...... just casually admitting voting machine conspiracy theories they've been helping promote for weeks are bullshit https://www.newsmax.com/... https://twitter.com/...
Oliver Darcy / @oliverdarcy: Missed this over the weekend, but Newsmax also posted this unbylined story online Saturday: “No evidence has been offered that Dominion or Smartmatic used software or reprogrammed software that manipulated votes in the 2020 election...” https://www.newsmax.com/...
Oliver Darcy / @oliverdarcy: This also comes after Smartmatic sent a legal threat to Newsmax and accused the network of participating in a “disinformation campaign” against it. https://twitter.com/...
The Right Scoop: WATCH: Newsmax just aired a big DISCLAIMER on their Dominion and Smartmatic coverage, following Fox News...
Lindsey Ellefson / The Wrap: NewsMax Admits No Evidence of Voting Machine Fraud After Smartmatic Threatens Lawsuit
Aidan McLaughlin / Mediaite: Newsmax TV Airs Extensive Fact-Check of False Claims Made About Voting Companies After Legal Threats
Wall Street Journal:
Draft lawsuit filed last week says Facebook and Google agreed to help each other in case of investigation of their pact to work together in online advertising — Draft lawsuit quotes Facebook's Sandberg saying Google pact was a ‘big deal strategically’ — WASHINGTON— Facebook Inc …
Discussion:
Washington Post, @rmac18, WWD, @bigblackjacobin, Breitbart, @karaswisher, The Verge, @heynottheface, The Media Nut, @senmikelee, @histoftech, @moorehn, @pierce, @matthewstoller, @mattyglesias, @hawleymo, @gavinsbaker, @mathbabedotorg, Engadget, CNBC, @jeffhorwitz, @jesselehrich, AppleInsider, New York Post, National Review and Business Insider, more at Techmeme »
Discussion:
Washington Post: U.S. vs. Facebook: Inside the tech giant's behind-the-scenes campaign to battle back antitrust lawsuits
@rmac18: Remember when people talked about Sheryl Sandberg as a potential Treasury Secretary in 2016? Two years after that she allegedly signed a Facebook deal with Google to entrench the two companies' control of the online ad market. https://www.wsj.com/...
Edward Ongweso Jr / @bigblackjacobin: Do we think this FB-Google deal to fight antitrust action together is the only such deal that exists? https://www.wsj.com/...
Lucas Nolan / Breitbart: Lawsuit Claims Google, Facebook Agreed to Team Up to Fight Antitrust Action
Kara Swisher / @karaswisher: Like I said last week about Facebook in @nytopinion: Might makes right, even though it is not right https://www.washingtonpost.com/ ...
Russell Brandom / The Verge: Facebook offered to license its network and code to avoid antitrust action
John S. Nash / @heynottheface: 'Facebook and Google agreed to “cooperate and assist one another” if they ever faced an investigation into their pact to work together in online advertising," So they're not monopolies, they're a cartel? https://www.wsj.com/...
Josh Sternberg / The Media Nut: When two companies allegedly collude against an industry
Mike Lee / @senmikelee: Google has repeatedly pointed to Facebook as evidence for its claim that there is plenty of competition in online advertising. But it turns out the two companies may have agreed not to compete at all. The American people deserve to hear the truth. https://www.wsj.com/...
Mar Hicks / @histoftech: “The [govt's antitrust] enforcers are shaking off decades of complacency that have given these companies a free pass” We need legislation to reshape our online communications & data collection infrastructure before it completely alters our civil rights https://www.washingtonpost.com/ ...
Heidi N. Moore / @moorehn: Forming a trust against anti-trust is next-level robber-baron chicanery https://www.wsj.com/...
David Pierce / @pierce: “Anyone with our tools and data and knowledge could totally take on Facebook!” is maybe not the slam-dunk antitrust defense Facebook thinks it is https://www.washingtonpost.com/ ... https://twitter.com/...
Matt Stoller / @matthewstoller: It's time for criminal charges. That's the only way these executives will take the law seriously. https://mattstoller.substack.com/ ... https://twitter.com/...
Matthew Yglesias / @mattyglesias: Google and Facebook formed an anti-anti-trust cartel https://www.wsj.com/...
Josh Hawley / @hawleymo: Well, well, @Facebook and @Google colluding to avoid antitrust prosecution. These companies will run America unless Washington wakes up and takes ACTION https://www.wsj.com/...
Gavin Baker / @gavinsbaker: 1) “The lawsuit itself said Google and Facebook were aware that their agreement could trigger antitrust investigations.” Red meat for regulators. “Look over here!!! Please focus on header bidding!!!” 😀 https://www.wsj.com/...
Cathy O'Neil / @mathbabedotorg: I don't think people sufficiently understand the conniving nature of Sheryl Sandberg. I wrote a piece for Bloomberg on her a while back which I will repost now. Maybe Sheryl should be leaning out: https://www.bloomberg.com/... https://twitter.com/...
Jon Fingas / Engadget: Facebook reportedly offered to help create rivals to avoid antitrust lawsuits
Lauren Feiner / CNBC: Facebook reportedly offered to help start a new rival social network to prevent the government's antitrust lawsuits
Jeff Horwitz / @jeffhorwitz: My DC colleagues reviewed the unredacted Texas antitrust case. In it, Google execs wrote that if they couldn't “avoid competing with” Facebook, they would collaborate to “build a moat.” The two companies also agreed to coordinate their antitrust defenses. https://twitter.com/...
Jesse Lehrich / @jesselehrich: WOW. @WSJ obtained *damning* new details about the price-fixing deal @Facebook & @Google cut to rig the online ad market. FB called the deal “relatively cheap” compared to competition. Sheryl Sandberg signed it, saying it was a “big deal strategically.” https://www.wsj.com/...
Malcolm Owen / AppleInsider: Google and Facebook allegedy working together to combat antitrust lawsuits
Noah Manskar / New York Post: Google, Facebook reportedly agree to help each other in antitrust fights
Zachary Evans / National Review: Google, Facebook Pledged to Work Together against Potential Antitrust Suit: Report
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