Top News:
John Shiffman / Reuters:
Review of court records details AT&T's role in creating and funding OANN; 90% of OANN's revenue comes from contracts with DirecTV and other AT&T services — As it lauded former President Donald Trump and spread his unfounded claims of election fraud, One America News Network saw its viewership jump.
Discussion:
Techdirt, @bradheath, CNN, @bradheath, @jayrosen_nyu, @nycsouthpaw, Media Matters for America, The Hill, @chuckmodi1, @existentialfish, @bradheath, @daphnehk, @danpriceseattle, @7veritas4, @karlbode, @kevincollier, @attnews, @karlbode, Vanity Fair, @brooklynmarie, Insider, Deadline, Newser, @peterme, nexttv.com, Gizmodo, @jayrosen_nyu, @jeremymbarr, @justinhendrix, @mollyjongfast, @ryanlcooper, @lispower1, @davelack, @bradheath, @ph_holland, @daviddark, @j_a_goodwin, @jessadler8, @karlbode, @paulbradleycarr, @clairecmc, @shannoncurtis, @stevejohnsontfp, @mmasnick, @chadstanton, @jeremymbarr, @tracytran, @loudmouthjulia, @bubbaprog, @lachlan, @jesseltaylor, @darth, @jannwolfe, @trekonomics, The Verge, @karlbode, Rolling Stone, @zaleskiluke, @andymoney69, @karlbode, @mmasnick, @jeremymbarr, @tonyromm, @drewharwell, @josepopinion, @danielschuman, @keitholbermann, @ziggy_daddy, @nahmias, @ryanlcooper, @cenkuygur, @bradheath, Talking Points Memo, @brooklynmarie, @meidastouch, @jordanchariton, @ericgarland, @earth_media_, The Wrap, Mediaite, TVNewser and The New Civil Rights Movement
Discussion:
Karl Bode / Techdirt: AT&T Set Up And Paid For OAN Propaganda Network; Yet Everyone Wants To Scream About Facebook
Brad Heath / @bradheath: So this happened. (OANN is a Reuters customer.) https://www.oann.com/... https://twitter.com/...
Oliver Darcy / CNN: AT&T played key role in founding of far-right conspiracy outlet OAN, channel's president said in court
Brad Heath / @bradheath: New from @reuters: One America News, the right-wing cable network that peddled 2020 election conspiracies, gets nearly all of its revenue from AT&T. https://www.reuters.com/... https://twitter.com/...
Jay Rosen / @jayrosen_nyu: “Ninety percent of OAN's revenue came from a contract with AT&T-owned television platforms, including satellite broadcaster DirecTV, according to 2020 sworn testimony by an OAN accountant.” https://www.reuters.com/... Wait til you hear why. (Next slide...) 1/
Madeline Peltz / Media Matters for America: Fact-checking AT&T's defense of single-handedly funding OAN
Dominick Mastrangelo / The Hill: 90 percent of OAN revenue in 2020 came from AT&T contract: report
ChuckModi / @chuckmodi1: “OAN founder Robert Herring Sr testified that inspiration to launch OAN came from AT&T execs. 'They told us they wanted a conservative network. They only had one—Fox. When they said that—I jumped to it & built one” “90% OAN's revenue came from contract w/AT&T-owned TV platforms” https://twitter.com/...
John Whitehouse / @existentialfish: Incredible Reuters investigation on how AT&T propped up disinformation network OAN every step of the way https://www.reuters.com/... https://twitter.com/...
Daphne Keller / @daphnehk: Wow. Who needs platforms spreading disinformation when content producers and telcos can collaborate to do it so well on their own? https://twitter.com/...
Dan Price / @danpriceseattle: AT&T lobbied hard for Trump's tax cuts and got $21 billion to “create tens of thousands of jobs.” Then it cut 42,000 jobs, gave investors $44 billion in dividends and gave its ex-CEO a $64 million pension. All the while, it provided 90% of OAN's revenue https://www.reuters.com/...
Karl Bode / @karlbode: this is some fancy tap dancing by AT&T they “fund” it by carrying it on all its various TV platforms (even Comcast refuses), and don't deny AT&T executives came up with the idea for the network in the first place https://twitter.com/...
Kevin Collier / @kevincollier: @KarlBode My favorite rebuttals to journalism are the ones that adopt an indignant tone and then refute different allegations than the ones the story actually brought up. It's a de facto admission.
Karl Bode / @karlbode: @kevincollier lol, yup. they carefully avoid all of the Reuters' piece's biggest reveals, while putting the entirety of the blame on a company AT&T still holds a 70% stake in, after only having spun off like a few months ago
Caleb Ecarma / Vanity Fair: AT&T Is Bankrolling the Network That Championed Trump's Big Lie, “White History Month”
Brooke Binkowski / @brooklynmarie: When you're definitely a professional outfit with highly professional staffers https://twitter.com/...
Insider: AT&T has reportedly funneled tens of millions of dollars into the far-right TV network that Trump loyalists flock to
Peter Merholz / @peterme: This is prompting me to consider @TMobile as my mobile phone provider. Any ethical reason why I shouldn't? https://twitter.com/...
Tom McKay / Gizmodo: Far-Right Network One America News Was Almost Entirely Funded by AT&T, According to Court Records
Jay Rosen / @jayrosen_nyu: The inspiration to launch OAN came from AT&T executives. “They told us they wanted a conservative network,” OAN founder and chief executive Robert Herring said during a deposition. “They only had one, which was Fox News, and they had seven others on the other [leftwing] side.” 2/
Jeremy Barr / @jeremymbarr: For-profit media companies obviously exist to make money, but hearing Robert Herring say that he founded One America explicitly to do so is an important reminder and really puts things into the proper perspective. Link: https://www.reuters.com/... https://twitter.com/...
Justin Hendrix / @justinhendrix: If you work at AT&T, how do you feel about this? Your company is supporting COVID-19 misinformation, election lies and a variety of other ills in the production of a channel that is well to the right of even Fox News. https://twitter.com/...
Molly Jong-Fast / @mollyjongfast: Oh @ATT this is a bad bad bad look https://twitter.com/...
Ryan Cooper / @ryanlcooper: turns out AT&T virtually created OAN and provides it with nearly all its revenue https://www.reuters.com/...
Lis Power / @lispower1: Amazing reporting from Reuters on how AT&T is not only to blame for the creation of OAN (the far-right conspiracy network), but has been the main funding behind the network every step of the way https://twitter.com/...
Dave Lack / @davelack: So hypothetically, if one just found out AT&T is a huge reason for so much disinformation in the US, are there other cell carriers without equal blood on their hands one could switch to? https://twitter.com/...
Brad Heath / @bradheath: OAN's chief executive, Robert Herring, helped AT&T lobby the government to approve its merger with DirecTV. Herring's lawyers said he “invited AT&T to utilize OAN's news programs to cast a positive light on the acquisition.” https://twitter.com/...
James Goodwin / @j_a_goodwin: Their “death star” logo makes a ton more sense now https://twitter.com/...
Jess / @jessadler8: Important to know: HBO, CNN, and Warner Bros. are all owned by AT&T. Warner Media, which owns the Harry Potter and and Batman franchises, is said to merge with Discovery's home, cooking, nature and science shows— a proposal originated by AT&T. https://www.bbc.com/... https://twitter.com/...
Karl Bode / @karlbode: AT&T didn't just provide the majority of funding for the batshit OAN propaganda network, they were the inspiration for its very creation https://twitter.com/...
Paul Bradley Carr / @paulbradleycarr: OANN is almost entirely funded by CNN's parent company, just in case you were wondering how the media works. https://twitter.com/...
Claire McCaskill / @clairecmc: Read this. AT&T is funding outright lies. And dangerous ones at that. Special Report: How AT&T helped build far-right One America News https://www.reuters.com/...
Shannon Curtis / @shannoncurtis: Good lord! Well then ... it's 100% time for me to switch carriers. Who do y'all suggest? https://twitter.com/...
@stevejohnsontfp: One thing to note: OAN has few reporters, covers little news, brings in guests from home most of the time, so their expenses are very low compared to CNN, Fox or MSNBC (which uses NBC News staffers). So monthly cable/web fees cover costs, ratings & ad revenue don't matter. https://twitter.com/...
Mike Masnick / @mmasnick: Ah, so there are some stories that OAN won't run (once it realizes what they're saying, and pull them down). https://twitter.com/...
@chadstanton: “The records include a reported offer by AT&T to acquire a 5% equity stake in OAN and AWE, though the two sides ultimately signed a different deal. The court filings also cite a promise by OAN to “cast a positive light” on AT&T during newscasts.” https://twitter.com/...
Jeremy Barr / @jeremymbarr: “The Herrings were keen to leverage their existing production facilities in San Diego to launch a second network, either a boxing channel or news outlet.” this is the best sentence in the One America story
@tracytran: It's funny AT&T will part ways with TimeWarner and wasted their resources on building a right-wing network. Lily Adams: go to Verizon. https://twitter.com/...
Julia Alexander / @loudmouthjulia: Ah well, if the guy who helped lobby for AT&T's acquisition of DirecTV, a company that was divested just a few years later, wants his dangerous propaganda network to really take off, what's a giant telecom to do!! 🤔 https://twitter.com/...
Timothy Burke / @bubbaprog: OAN is an openly white supremacist television network nearly fully funded by AT&T: https://twitter.com/...
Lachlan Markay / @lachlan: Pretty bold of OAN to syndicate this piece! https://www.oann.com/... https://twitter.com/...
Messy Scarelord / @jesseltaylor: Big Tech, yet again silencing conservative voices https://twitter.com/...
Jan Wolfe / @jannwolfe: AT&T played a key role in creating One America News. OAN's founder testified that the inspiration to launch OAN in 2013 came from AT&T executives. Since then, AT&T has been a crucial source of funding for the right-wing network (by @johnshiffman) https://www.reuters.com/...
@trekonomics: You people are aware that AT&T owns Warner aka HBO etc etc - they're all about making sure that the peons stay entertained and don't make too many political demands. https://twitter.com/...
Adi Robertson / The Verge: AT&T is allegedly One America News Network's biggest backer
Karl Bode / @karlbode: I look forward to the government hearing, since AT&T is every bit as terrible as Facebook is
Ryan Bort / Rolling Stone: Trump Propaganda, Covid Conspiracy Theories, and White Supremacy: Brought to You by AT&T
John Wicca / @andymoney69: i think over the next couple of years we're going to find out some incredibly uncomfortable realities about the corporate genesis of a lot of these completely unprofitable right wing outlets and im not sure anyone is prepared for it https://twitter.com/...
Karl Bode / @karlbode: anyhoo I wrote about how if you're going to have a weeklong conniption fit about the stuff Facebook does, you should be equally outraged by AT&T, which is, in many ways, even worse: https://www.techdirt.com/... https://twitter.com/...
Mike Masnick / @mmasnick: Still trying to wrap my head around this news. After years of everyone fretting about FB, because some people on their spread conspiracy theories, we find out that AT&T literally suggested & paid for a full propagandist cable news network... https://www.techdirt.com/...
Jeremy Barr / @jeremymbarr: So he started it to make money (fair) and this is where it's at now: https://twitter.com/...
Tony Romm / @tonyromm: “The court filings also cite a promise by OAN to ‘cast a positive light’ on AT&T during newscasts.” wowowow this Reuters story is so superbly reported
Drew Harwell / @drewharwell: Human decisionmakers can push conspiracy theories and misinformation to giant targeted audiences, too. No algorithms required. https://twitter.com/...
Josep Parera Jorba / @josepopinion: So AT&T, which owns HBO Max and Warner Bros as of right now, is the main financial supporter of a white supremacist news channel. Well played, John Stankey and Jason Kilar, well played. https://twitter.com/...
Daniel Schuman / @danielschuman: And here I thought AT&T was terrible merely because of its role in mass domestic surveillance. https://twitter.com/...
Keith Olbermann / @keitholbermann: The driving force behind the Goebbels Volksempfanger of the Trump Coup Against Democracy, @OANN? Funded, promoted, and brought to you by...@ATT. Fascism: Sponsored by AT&T. Time to boycott them across the board https://www.reuters.com/...
@ziggy_daddy: Hey @jayrosen_nyu, am I right to think the problem with this is not so much the fact that OAN is a right leaning org but the fact that a media conglomerate can single-handedly prop up a news org? https://twitter.com/...
Laura Nahmias / @nahmias: Does this mean my monthly payments to AT&T for my cell phone are going to support OANN? https://twitter.com/...
Ryan Cooper / @ryanlcooper: “Ninety percent of OAN's revenue came from a contract with AT&T-owned television platforms, including satellite broadcaster DirecTV” https://www.reuters.com/...
Cenk Uygur / @cenkuygur: This is absolutely outrageous. And what seven left-wing networks are they talking about? The only one nominally on the left on television is corporate-Democrat supporting MSNBC and half their hosts are Republicans. Every other network is deeply conservative on economic issues. https://twitter.com/...
Brad Heath / @bradheath: Encourage you to read this, by @johnshiffman -> https://www.reuters.com/...
Josh Marshall / Talking Points Memo: AT&T and the Demon Spawn of OAN
Brooke Binkowski / @brooklynmarie: This is hilarious and frightening. I keep laughing because my private conspiracy theory has been that it was propped up by fossil fuel companies but it's another dying industry https://twitter.com/...
Jordan / @jordanchariton: AT&T also owns @cnn who has pushed misinformation on war, the Russian boogeyman, @BernieSanders, the “economic comeback,” @amazon and @jeffbezos and an avalanche of other stories https://twitter.com/...
Eric Garland / @ericgarland: Hey, didn't AT&T get caught trying to bribe Trump through his now-convicted fixer Michael Cohen? https://twitter.com/...
Michael Strauss / @earth_media_: So AT&T considered all actual news networks as left. ‘OAN founder testified the inspiration to launch OAN in 2013 came from AT&T executives.’ “They told us they wanted a conservative network. They only had one, which was Fox, & they had seven others on the other [leftwing] side.” https://twitter.com/...
Lindsey Ellefson / The Wrap: Far-Right One America News Network Gets 90% of Revenue From CNN Owner AT&T
Aidan McLaughlin / Mediaite: Yikes: One America News Network Is Almost Entirely Funded By AT&T
A.J. Katz / TVNewser: AT&T Helps Fund One America News Network
Todd Spangler / Variety:
IAC's digital publishing arm Dotdash acquires Meredith, publisher of People and other magazines, in a $2.7B all-cash deal — Meredith, the media company home to publications including People, EW, Better Homes & Gardens and InStyle, will become part of Dotdash, the digital publishing division …
Discussion:
Wall Street Journal, Axios, WWD, Hollywood Reporter, The Wrap, Ad Age, Adweek, @josephkapsch, @mhelft and @kerrymflynn
Discussion:
Kathryn Hopkins / WWD: Dotdash Acquires People publisher Meredith
J. Clara Chan / Hollywood Reporter: IAC's Dotdash Acquires People Magazine Publisher Meredith Corp. in $2.7B Deal
Mark Stenberg / Adweek: IAC's Dotdash to Acquire Meredith in $2.7 Billion Acquisition
Joseph Kapsch / @josephkapsch: So People, EW will now be siblings with Daily Beast — Meredith to Be Acquired by IAC's Dotdash in $2.7 Billion Deal https://variety.com/...
Katie Robertson / New York Times:
Bustle relaunches Mic for a young, “extremely online” audience, with more pop culture coverage and less politics — Under new ownership, the online publication aimed at younger readers unveiled a revamped version of itself on Wednesday. — Mic, an online magazine that was known …
Discussion:
Michelle Lhooq / Rave New World: SUMMER OF SHROOMS — When Shanté Cosme, the new editor-in-chief of Mic.com …
Rae / @raewitte: wooooo @ShanteCosme and @mic in the @nytimes!!!!!!!!!! so happy for the team there and thrilled to continue working with them <3 https://www.nytimes.com/...
Boo-ryant Francis / @rbryant2012: didn't we just learn last week about how investors want to latch themselves to sites that are “good vibes only” and no real intensive writing anyway https://twitter.com/...
Chris Riotta / @chrisriotta: Mic has consistently gutted its staff, reduced its wages + moved further away from the originally stated mission of the newsroom with each “relaunch.” Most staff writers barely made a livable wage when I was hired in 2015. Since then, I've heard of reporters making $15 per story. https://twitter.com/...
Katie Robertson / @katie_robertson: NEW: Mic — the millennial political news website you may remember from the 2010s — is relaunching with a new focus https://www.nytimes.com/...
Jonathan Smith / @jonathan_smth: We got a new website https://www.nytimes.com/...
@shantecosme: The New Mic is finally here and I've never been happier! It's even better than I envisioned it would be. I'm so grateful to my brilliant team for the smarts, humor, heart, and hustle they've put in. The site is truly the labor of our love. https://www.nytimes.com/...
Jeremy Barr / @jeremymbarr: speaking of millennial-focused digital media sites that laid off their entire staff and then tried to come back... https://www.huffpost.com/...
Dylan Byers / @dylanbyers: Everyone's coming back. https://twitter.com/...
Brianna Provenzano / @bri_provenzano: when Mic 1.0 shut down all the laid off staffers got trapped in a Lost-style purgatory where we have to hear about the company rebooting itself every six months for the rest of our lives https://www.nytimes.com/...
Jason Diamond / @imjasondiamond: It's always easy to make snarky lil comments about sites relaunching (which is often silly to me because it's nice to see journalists get jobs), but I've said a few times on here that Michelle is one of the best editors in the game. This is all very good and I'm psyched for it. https://twitter.com/...
Joshua Topolsky / @joshuatopolsky: Extremely excited to bring you the new https://mic.com/, led by @ShanteCosme and a brilliant team of editors and writers. You can read more about it on a small blog here https://www.nytimes.com/... — then go and see the many fascinating new stories we have for you!
Michelle Legro / @michellelegro: Hi all! For the past three months, I've been editing features for the relaunch of @mic and it's finally here! https://www.nytimes.com/...
Tom McKay / @thetomzone: so.. it'll be like every other news site https://twitter.com/... https://twitter.com/...
@rafat: Gawker reboot, now Mic reboot. And whatever the fuck Ozy has gone through and will come back as, who knows if it will ever. What next: Word and Suck reboot? Though no one below 40 would know what I mean by those two. https://www.nytimes.com/...
Alex Heath / The Verge:
Brandon Silverman, the founder and CEO of the Facebook-owned analytics tool CrowdTangle, is leaving the company; team members were reassigned several months ago — CrowdTangle has been caught up in an internal transparency battle at Facebook — Brandon Silverman, the founder and CEO …
Discussion:
@kevinroose, @timothyjgraham, @alexeheath, @donie, @daveyalba, @janelytv, @janelytv and @blackamazon, more at Techmeme »
Discussion:
Kevin Roose / @kevinroose: Can confirm that CrowdTangle CEO Brandon Silverman is leaving Facebook. He was seen as a pro-transparency voice inside the company, and his departure was widely expected after the CT team was disbanded earlier this year. https://www.theverge.com/...
@timothyjgraham: I felt a great disturbance in the Force, as if millions of researchers suddenly cried out in terror and were suddenly silenced. I fear something terrible has happened. https://twitter.com/...
Alex Heath / @alexeheath: “I'm not sure what the future holds for CrowdTangle or data transparency here at Facebook, but I'm optimistic,” CrowdTangle's @brandonsilverm wrote in an internal farewell post today. More backstory on CrowdTangle drama here from @kevinroose: https://www.nytimes.com/...
Donie O'Sullivan / @donie: 🚨 The founder of CrowdTangle, a tool that Facebook acquired and now points to when it talks about transparency, is leaving Facebook, @alexeheath reports. CrowdTangle has been caught up in an internal transparency battle at Facebook https://www.theverge.com/...
Davey Alba / @daveyalba: this is really sad. Brandon led the CrowdTangle team and seriously helped a community of disinfo journalists report on Facebook in the past 18 months. end of an era. https://twitter.com/...
Jane Lytvynenko / @janelytv: Graph search was a key tool for online investigators and Facebook turned it off. CrowdTangle has been indispensable to understanding the flow of info and FB resigned the team. CT's creator now gone. It's devastating, but.
Jane Lytvynenko / @janelytv: But if there's one thing online investigations teaches it's different approaches to the same problem. So the main thing all of this accomplishes is not deterring research, that will go on. Instead it clearly and loudly shows Facebook's intention to avoid scrutiny at any cost.
Kim Masters / Hollywood Reporter:
Inside Disney's CEO transition, as Bob Iger lingers while successor Bob Chapek provokes anxiety due to his lack of creative background and data-driven approach — Eighteen months into media's most consequential transition, Disney's respected ex-CEO lingers while successor Bob Chapek provokes creative anxiety …
Discussion:
Ben Smith / @benyt: The great @kimmasters on Bob Iger's last days at Disney https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/ ...
Rich Greenfield / @richlightshed: “Disney investors are pushing Chapek to lean harder into streaming even if it frustrates talent,” says Lightshed Partners analyst Rich Greenfield. “He has to balance that with managing talent and relationships.” $DIS Thanks @kimmasters @THR https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/ ...
@orangegrove55: And after the record-breaking 2019 opening of Avengers: Endgame, Chapek celebrated the Marvel team by installing a Dole Whip machine — a theme park favorite — in their offices. “I thought that was pretty cool,” Feige says. “I thought that was great.” https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/ ...
Natalie Jarvey / @natjarv: Lots has been said about Bob Iger's long goodbye at Disney but @kimmasters has the goods (including interviews with Iger and Feige). I even learned that Bob Chapek is a fan of contemporary music, Key West and Dole Whip https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/ ...
@mr_masonthe2nd: If this tells me anything, it's that Chapek won't last very long at Disney. https://twitter.com/...
@thr: Eighteen months into a tense transition, Disney's ex-CEO lingers even as successor Bob Chapek makes aggressive moves to signal the company is firmly under his control. Insiders and Bob Iger himself offer a look into the leadership change at the company https://thr.cm/xbDDAdM
Alex Weprin / @alexweprin: Bob Iger says plans for him step down as Disney CEO began around Thanksgiving 2019 “The whole thing was sort of my construct with ultimate buy-in and full support of the board.” https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/ ...
@faris: “In a world and business that is awash with data, it is tempting to use data to answer all of our questions, including creative questions. I urge all of you not to do that.” Bob Iger https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/ ...
Josh Spiegel / @mousterpiece: I feel like a lot more needs to be emphasized here regarding how long Bob Iger tried to find someone to replace him as Disney's CEO, and how that probably added to the problems happening now. https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/ ...
Carl Quintanilla / @carlquintanilla: “In a world and business that is awash with data, it is tempting to use data to answer all of our questions, including creative questions,” Iger said. “I urge all of you not to do that.” Great piece from @kimmasters on $DIS, via @THR https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/ ...
Franklin Leonard / @franklinleonard: “If Disney had relied too heavily on data, [Bob Iger] noted, the company might never have made big, breakthrough movies like Black Panther, Coco and Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings.” https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/ ...
Aaron Wallace / @aaronwallace: “Iger's talk soon began to seep through Hollywood. His words were interpreted as a shot at Chapek.” This article reads like a new chapter in DisneyWar https://twitter.com/...
Morgan Lee Richardson / @mrichardsonart: There was once a time when I never would have questioned working for TWDC. Things change. https://twitter.com/...
@mhawk9955: Sigh...I know I'm gonna get crap for this but are we ready to have the conversation that Iger was not in fact a savior to the Disney company, and that he and Chapek are two sides of the same coin, one just has way more charisma and people skills? From this article I'd say no. https://twitter.com/...
Mia Galuppo / @miagaluppo: Great story from @kimmasters on the state of Disney's resident Bobs https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/ ...
Reuters:
Twitter is selling mobile ad subsidiary MoPub to AppLovin for $1.05B, after acquiring it for nearly $350M in 2013 — Twitter Inc (TWTR.N) said on Wednesday it has agreed to sell mobile ads company MoPub to AppLovin Corp (APP.O) for $1.05 billion in cash. — MoPub, which generated …
Discussion:
TechCrunch, Adweek, MediaPost, CNET, Wall Street Journal, AdExchanger, Forbes, Variety, 9to5Mac, @lamonicabuzz, AppLovin, CNBC and Bloomberg, more at Techmeme »
Discussion:
Taylor Hatmaker / TechCrunch: Twitter is selling MoPub to AppLovin for $1.05 billion
Ronan Shields / Adweek: Twitter to Sell MoPub to AppLovin
Laurie Sullivan / MediaPost: AppLovin Acquires MoPub From Twitter For $1.05 Billion In Cash
Megan Graham / Wall Street Journal: Twitter Sells Mobile Ad Firm MoPub to AppLovin for $1.05 Billion
Filipe Espósito / 9to5Mac: Twitter selling mobile ad platform MoPub to AppLovin for $1.05 billion
Paul R. La Monica / @lamonicabuzz: Interesting Twitter deal. $TWTR selling app monetization subsidiary MoPub to marketing software firm AppLovin for $1.05 billion. $APP up nearly 4% after hours.
Salvador Rodriguez / CNBC: Twitter sells MoPub mobile ad network to AppLovin for $1.05 billion
Chris Scullion / Video Games Chronicle:
Twitch acknowledges a “breach” after a 4chan user leaks its source code, creator payouts from 2019-2021, proprietary SDKs, internal AWS services, and more — SOURCE CODES AND USER PAYOUTS AMONG THE DATA RELEASED IN A 128GB TORRENT — An anonymous hacker claims to have leaked …
Discussion:
@twitch, New York Times, @knows0mething, VICE, ScreenRant, The Verge, Weekly Innovation Review, BBC, Wall Street Journal, The Guardian, The Daily Beast, The Creator Eye, @bigjon06, Insider, @sinoc229, PC Gamer, Deadline, @mikko, @toadsanime, @vgc_news, @jamesliamcook, New York Post, @tomwarren, Garbage Day, Metacurity, New World Same Humans, Wired, @sinoc229, @knows0mething, CNET, @aliceavizandum, @tolariancollege, Rock, Paper, Shotgun, @vgc_news, Tubefilter, @rimmy_downunder, @campuscodi, @tehmorag, Protocol, @adrianachechik, @sinoc229, @scully1888, @cahlaflour, @protocol, Hit Points, Ad Age, Variety, TechCrunch, 9to5Mac, NME, AppleInsider, Eurogamer.net, The Record, GamesIndustry.biz, Game World Observer, NPR and Fast Company, more at Techmeme »
Discussion:
@twitch: We can confirm a breach has taken place. Our teams are working with urgency to understand the extent of this. We will update the community as soon as additional information is available. Thank you for bearing with us.
KnowSomething / @knows0mething: The gross payouts of the top 100 highest-paid Twitch streamers from August 2019 until October 2021: https://twitter.com/...
Lorenzo Franceschi-Bicchierai / VICE: Twitch Hack of 135 GB of Data Includes How Much Its Biggest Streamers Make
@bigjon06: i looked at one revenue file to validate if this is legit... literally 100% match to my analytics.. ad revenue, etc...
Ben Gilbert / Insider: The multimillion dollar payouts of Twitch's top 100 streamers leaked: Here's how much your favorite creator is reportedly making
Sinoc / @sinoc229: https://twitch.tv/ got leaked. Like, the entire website; Source code with comments for the website and various console/phone versions, refrences to an unreleased steam competitor, payouts, encrypted passwords that kinda thing. Might wana change your passwords.
Andy Chalk / PC Gamer: Security experts aghast at the scale of Twitch hack: ‘This is as bad as it could possibly be’
@mikko: Twitch (owned by Amazon) has allegedly been hacked and data leaked, including their internal red teaming tools. https://www.videogameschronicle.com/ ...
Ryan Brown / @toadsanime: The entirety of Twitch has reportedly leaked online - including everything from the full source code, encrypted passwords, creator payouts, prop SDKs, and more: https://www.videogameschronicle.com/ ... https://twitter.com/...
VGC / @vgc_news: An anonymous hacker has reportedly leaked the entirety of Twitch, including source code and creator payouts. https://vgc.news/... https://twitter.com/...
James Cook / @jamesliamcook: Interesting side effect of the (alleged) Twitch hack: Twitch streamers finally feeling able to discuss how much they earn from Twitch https://twitter.com/...
Theo Wayt / New York Post: Twitch reportedly hit with hack as creator payments and source code leaked
Tom Warren / @tomwarren: it looks like Twitch has been hacked in a massive breach. A 125GB file reportedly includes Twitch source code, details on creator $$$ payouts, and even a Steam competitor. Full details here: https://www.theverge.com/... https://twitter.com/...
Ryan Broderick / Garbage Day: $8000 non-fungible fetish art
Cynthia Brumfield / Metacurity: Hacker Leaks the Entirety of Video Gaming Giant Twitch, Including Platform Source Code
David Mattin / New World Same Humans: New Week Same Humans #55
Matt Burgess / Wired: A Devastating Twitch Hack Sends Streamers Reeling
Sinoc / @sinoc229: Grabbed Vapor, the codename for Amazon's Steam competitor. Seems to intigrate most of Twitch's features as well as a bunch of game specific support like fortnite and pubg. Also includes some Unity code for a game called Vapeworld, which I assume is some sort of VR chat thing. https://twitter.com/...
KnowSomething / @knows0mething: Here's a more comprehensive list of leaked Twitch payouts (I will keep updating this thread as more things come out). https://twitter.com/...
Carrie Mihalcik / CNET: Twitch source code, creator payouts exposed in massive leak, reports say
Donna Respirator / @aliceavizandum: I'm afraid it's now public knowledge that we receive dozens of US dollars from people playing sound effects for us https://twitter.com/...
Tolarian Community / @tolariancollege: On the odd chance you only follow me on social media and don't read any news updates, RESET YOUR TWITCH PASSWORD NOW and tell your friends to do the same. https://twitter.com/...
Ollie Toms / Rock, Paper, Shotgun: How to reset your Twitch password and set up Two Factor Authentication (2FA)
VGC / @vgc_news: UPDATE: One anonymous company source told VGC that the leaked Twitch data is legitimate, including the source code. Internally, Twitch is aware of the breach, the source said, and it's believed that the data was obtained as recently as Monday.
Rimmy / @rimmy_downunder: @maDEMOman @troyhunt nah, leak is real, the math in that one was wrong. They did a fixed version and it's correct. https://pastebin.com/...
Catalin Cimpanu / @campuscodi: The group claimed to have leaked the data, which appears to have been extracted from a Git repository, in response to the recent “hate raids” that have been plaguing popular Twitch streamers https://twitter.com/...
Scott Hellyer / @tehmorag: I confirmed info from the leak with the help of our community All data in there on me is 100% true in terms of payout value info This is real and will impact people for years Please don't downplay this for people that worry about it Everyone's saturation and values are different
Nick Statt / Protocol: Twitch confirms data breach reportedly containing streamer payouts and source code
Adriana Chechik / @adrianachechik: This is a huge deal for users. I recommend changing passwords, 2fa, as well as changing any passwords connected to twitch. They stole source code but there's not much info yet. https://twitter.com/...
Sinoc / @sinoc229: Some Vapeworld assets, including some 3d emotes with specular and albedo maps I don't have whatever version of unity installed that they used, so I'm limited in what assets i can get caps of with stuff like blener and renderdoc. There's custom unity plugins in here for devs too. https://twitter.com/...
Chris Scullion / @scully1888: Update: a source has confirmed to VGC that the leaked data is legit, that Twitch is aware of it and that it could have been stolen as early as Monday. https://www.videogameschronicle.com/ ...
@cahlaflour: If for some reason you didn't have 2FA, make sure you do now. Come on Twitch. 🙃 https://twitter.com/...
@protocol: Twitch streamers are debating the site's 50% revenue cut after a massive hack revealed that some users earn tens of millions of dollars in revenue from subscriptions. https://www.protocol.com/...
Nathan Brown / Hit Points: #58: Down time — Gosh, that Facebook outage the other day was funny, wasn't it.
Erika Wheless / Ad Age: What brands need to know about the Twitch hack
Todd Spangler / Variety: Twitch Confirms Major Data Breach
Zack Whittaker / TechCrunch: Twitch confirms hack after source code and creator payout data leaks online
William Gallagher / AppleInsider: Amazon's Twitch hacked, source code & financial details published
Ed Nightingale / Eurogamer.net: Twitch source code leaked by anonymous hacker
Catalin Cimpanu / The Record: Anonymous leaks Twitch source code and business data on 4chan
Danielle Partis / GamesIndustry.biz: Twitch hacked, source code and creator payout information leaked online
Evgeny Obedkov / Game World Observer: Amazon's unreleased Steam competitor Vapor unveiled in massive leak
Deepa Shivaram / NPR: Twitch, the popular game streaming service, confirms that its data has been hacked
Todd Spangler / Variety:
NBCUniversal names Kelly Campbell as president of Peacock, two days after she quit her job as Hulu president — It's official: Kelly Campbell is the new president of Peacock, NBCUniversal announced. … Campbell will join the Peacock leadership team starting in November and will be based in the Los Angeles area.
Discussion:
Adweek, MediaPost, Los Angeles Times, The Streamable, The Wrap, @sherman4949, Ad Age, WORLD SCREEN, Deadline and Hollywood Reporter
Discussion:
Wayne Friedman / MediaPost: Former Hulu Executive Kelly Campbell Named Peacock President
Tim Baysinger / The Wrap: Ex-Hulu Chief Kelly Campbell Named Peacock President
Alex Sherman / @sherman4949: Kelly Campbell, former Hulu chief, is the new president of NBCU's Peacock. She'll report to Matt Strauss. According to an NBCU statement, “Campbell will be responsible for Peacock's streaming business.”
Ethan Jakob Craft / Ad Age: Kelly Campbell joins NBCU as president of Peacock
Kristin Brzoznowski / WORLD SCREEN: Hulu Alum Kelly Campbell Named President of Peacock
Peter White / Deadline: Kelly Campbell Officially Joins Peacock As President
Elaine Godfrey / The Atlantic:
Case study: the collapse of one Iowa newspaper, replaced by community Facebook groups full of rumors and angry takes on national political news — The grain elevator exploded on a cool April morning in 1987, six years before I was born. My father was testing a clay sample in a lab two miles away when suddenly the dial jumped.
Discussion:
@elainejgodfrey, @nikkiusher, @nikkiusher, @sarahbeckman3, @stormlakemovie, @nikkiusher, @elainejgodfrey, @kylemunson, @pykea, Substack, @danlamothe, @citizenmurphy, @noelmu, @hannahwinston, @harrytaylr, @realcpaz, @reidepstein, @suhm_ting_wong, @nikkiusher, @hilzoy, @nikkiusher, @andysternberg, @mikejaytrackxc, @sarabethberman, @dorrine, @ericschmoldt, @mrwagner25, @larrypeterson, @andydowning33, @kerrymflynn, @apocalypticanow, @hawkeyekirk, @rushthewriter, @whet, @jtlinder, @skooks, @gteresa, @scottdochterman, @pomeranian99, @ryanlcooper, bookforum.com, @dangillmor, @joeyneverjoe, @brooklynmarie, @justinjm1, @obrien_kat, @joshhochschild, @emmaogreen, @kemc, @jabogen, @chevytothe_levy, @laurarbelin, @bruce_arthur, @nickbaumann, @prashantrao and @mep
Discussion:
Elaine Godfrey / @elainejgodfrey: Today, we published my story on the decline of my hometown newspaper, The Hawk Eye, in Burlington, Iowa. This one is really close to my heart, and I hope you'll give it a read. It might ring true for you and your town, too. https://www.theatlantic.com/ ...
Nikki Usher / @nikkiusher: I appreciate this piece BUT actually, we talk about this all the time, and I have been taking about this constantly since News for the Rich, White, and Blue came out and also, well, there are so many people who study this https://www.theatlantic.com/ ...
Nikki Usher / @nikkiusher: I also think and know that community belonging facilitated through journalism does not include everyone in the community but a narrow version of white America as ideal and anyone else as deviant. How was the coverage of migrant workers in the meat plants and how their kids did?
Sarah Beckman / @sarahbeckman3: This is such an important piece about the demise of a local paper in rural Iowa. It's happening everywhere, and it impacts every single one of us. Please support your local reporters. Share their stories. Send them tips. Local journalism connects us. https://www.theatlantic.com/ ...
Storm Lake / @stormlakemovie: This piece is extraordinary and in its intimate detail takes us from the coverage of an explosion to the implosion of a community with the decline of its newspaper. It's a must read, personal and powerful, and a cautionary tale. https://twitter.com/...
Nikki Usher / @nikkiusher: It is ok to mourn the loss of local news. It's ok to be angry about profit (though legally that's what Wall Street owes to people, for profits aren't charities though maybe B corps should have been a thing). But don't have false nostalgia and cry democracy and culture as over
Elaine Godfrey / @elainejgodfrey: One thing that shocked me in reporting this piece, but probably shouldn't have: A local Facebook page called “Burlington Breaking News Reports and MORE” now has 3x as many followers as The Hawk Eye has subscribers (digital or print). https://www.theatlantic.com/ ...
Kyle Munson / @kylemunson: Social media vs. news reporting: “The pages can be a useful resource, & a good source of community jokes & gossip. But speculation & rumor run rampant. A member might ask about a new building going up in town, & someone will guess that it will be an Olive Garden. It never is.” https://twitter.com/...
Alan Pyke / @pykea: really good piece about how media consolidation & monopolization is tearing apart the local social fabric of communities nationwide, breeding disillusionment and misery: https://www.theatlantic.com/ ...
Dave Pell / Substack: You Had Me at Hell No — Three or four times a day, my kids hear me on the phone saying things like, “Oh, I'm so glad you called.
Dan Lamothe / @danlamothe: Another sad Gannett story. Citizens and communities take the hit when things like this happen. https://www.theatlantic.com/ ...
Justin Murphy / @citizenmurphy: This whole thing is just very true and very painful. https://www.theatlantic.com/ ...
Noel Murray / @noelmu: This a great piece and a reminder that “the media” didn't used to be some monolithic boogeyman but also used to include local reporters in nearly every small town, logging softball games and school board meetings. (These still exist of course, but in fewer and fewer numbers.) https://twitter.com/...
Hannah Winston / @hannahwinston: “At the time, Gannett owned more than 100 daily papers, and after the merger, the company owned one out of every six newspapers in the country. The Hawk Eye, which started 2016 with 100 people on the payroll, today has about a dozen.” https://www.theatlantic.com/ ...
Harry Taylor / @harrytaylr: Another account of the devastation of local papers by big media firms - but there's also a lovely description at the end of what local newspapers are and should be. https://twitter.com/...
Christian Paz / @realcpaz: A piece that has stuck with me for a second day, by @elainejgodfrey: “He's noticed a growing negative self-image among residents...Fewer people see Burlington as a nice place to live; they seem to like their neighbors less.” https://www.theatlantic.com/ ...
Reid J. Epstein / @reidepstein: “In the absence of local coverage, all news becomes national news. ... Instead of learning about their own local candidates, they consume angry takes about Marjorie Taylor Greene.” @elainejgodfrey with a sad tale of what Hedge Fund Journalism has wrought https://www.theatlantic.com/ ...
@suhm_ting_wong: What happens when a community loses its newspaper? Less participation in local elections, & they are less competitive. Corruption increases; costs go up for local governments. Disinformation becomes the norm, as people get their facts from social media https://www.theatlantic.com/ ...
@hilzoy: When local news withers, so does our tether to one another, @elainejgodfrey writes: https://www.theatlantic.com/ ...
Nikki Usher / @nikkiusher: I appreciate a good yarn about a newspaper. I would also like to know how many newspapers locally owned in the area never challenged local sun down town statues or let sodomy laws continue to live on the books OR never questions say, a Catholic priest (though Iowa?)
Andy Sternberg / @andysternberg: High quality neighborhood/community Facebook Groups really are diamonds in the rough. https://twitter.com/...
Mike JayTrackXC / @mikejaytrackxc: Great article Elaine. So sad and true. I am a long time fan and reader of the Hawkeye and many other “local” newspapers in our fine state. It is heartbreaking to see the numbers and or quality continue to dwindle. Keep up the good work. https://twitter.com/...
Sarabeth Berman / @sarabethberman: “We don't often stop to ponder the way that a newspaper's collapse makes people feel: less connected, more alone. As local news crumbles, so does our tether to one another.” A beautiful and heart wrenching piece by @elainejgodfrey https://twitter.com/...
Dorrine Mendoza / @dorrine: Really good. Especially if you think you already understand what losing the local paper means https://twitter.com/...
Eric Schmoldt / @ericschmoldt: Change out Burlington for just about any city name and (if necessary) Gannett for the national corporate owner of that city's newspaper and ... Well, it's all pretty much the same story. And it's all real sad. https://twitter.com/...
Joey Wagner / @mrwagner25: Man, the first paper I ever grew up with before moving to Illinois. Hate all of this. https://twitter.com/...
Larry Peterson / @larrypeterson: Coverage of local events and issues, the accomplishments of young people, what's happening to your local tax dollars, etc. It can all vanish quickly without real support - advertising and subscriptions. Sorry, you may find some photos on Facebook, but not the type of work we do. https://twitter.com/...
Andy Downing / @andydowning33: “In the absence of local coverage, all news becomes national news: Instead of reading about local policy decisions, people read about the blacklisting of Dr. Seuss books. Instead of learning about their own local candidates, they consume angry takes about Marjorie Taylor Greene.” https://twitter.com/...
@kerrymflynn: “We don't often stop to ponder the way that a newspaper's collapse makes people feel: less connected, more alone. As local news crumbles, so does our tether to one another.” Must-read story by @elainejgodfrey https://www.theatlantic.com/ ...
Apocalyptica / @apocalypticanow: I repeat: there's a market for local news but it's not big enough to sustain reporting AND a bunch of Wall Street vultures https://twitter.com/...
@hawkeyekirk: We can lament the loss of local papers but at the same time lament losing local butchers, bakers, furniture, hardware, appliance stores etc. If we want to know who killed the middle class we only need to find the nearest mirror. Truth may be painful but doesn't make it less true. https://twitter.com/...
Ty Rushing / @rushthewriter: Two years ago, I was in a leadership class with the aforementioned photographer with a ponytail and he told me all about what was happening in Burlington. Glad Elaine captured the decline of Iowa's oldest newspaper and the void it leaves in its wake https://twitter.com/...
Whet Moser / @whet: this was an underrated part of the defector saga, they were pretty sure they could run a decently profitable business, and VC dudes were fucking furious about it https://twitter.com/...
Jeff Linder / @jtlinder: Hawk Eye alum here (1993-95). Sports staff was a solid, young, hungry core of four after transitioning to a morning paper. We worked our tails off. It was a good place to work. In a former life, it was the state's best midmajor paper (news AND sports). Those days are long gone. https://twitter.com/...
@skooks: It's almost as if local journalism is an essential public service. Imagine if it was actually organized as such https://twitter.com/...
Teresa Gorman / @gteresa: Conversations about the loss of local news + accountability journalism often miss the points made here about how other things like obits, kids sports coverage, local food columnists, an editor to talk to in a grocery store, etc, connect communities. https://twitter.com/...
Scott Dochterman / @scottdochterman: This hurts my soul. My hometown newspaper. Once a great newspaper serving a great community that I still love and always will. Those left behind are trying their best. Not their fault. But this is rough. https://twitter.com/...
Clive Thompson / @pomeranian99: What happens to a town that loses its newspaper? A superb piece by @elainejgodfrey investigates how the decline of her hometown paper, The Hawk Eye of Burglinton, Iowa, affected the community: https://www.theatlantic.com/ ... Nuanced, amazing reporting here — read the whole thing 1/4
Ryan Cooper / @ryanlcooper: thriving local Iowa paper got virtually killed in four years so a bunch of Wall Street pirates could make a quick buck https://www.theatlantic.com/ ... https://twitter.com/...
bookforum.com: Predictions for the Nobel Prize in Literature; the “Paris Review Podcast” will return this month
Dan Gillmor / @dangillmor: If you care about local journalism, please read this. https://twitter.com/...
@joeyneverjoe: Capitalism is killing our access to the news and the ability to make a living in the media world. The repercussions are huge and its consequences are already playing out in small communities. https://twitter.com/...
Brooke Binkowski / @brooklynmarie: This has gone on all over for years. This the biggest underlying reason for the United States' vulnerability to weaponized disinformation campaigns, and of course Wall Street pirates know that and benefit from the lack of oversight. That's where my industry went. https://twitter.com/...
Justin Miller / @justinjm1: When local news dies, people don't stop reading the news, they start reading what's left: national news. The average American probably doesn't know who represents them in Congress, but they're fed a constant stream of updates about AOC and MTG https://www.theatlantic.com/ ...
Kat O'Brien / @obrien_kat: This is a marvelous piece by @elainejgodfrey on what we lose with the collapse of local newspapers. It's not just the coverage of breaking news and investigative journalism, but the stories of the bake sale & the high school play & the couple opening a furniture shop. 1/2 https://twitter.com/...
Josh Hochschild / @joshhochschild: Turns out local papers should be locally owned. Skin in the game = better for business, and better for journalism. https://twitter.com/...
Emma Green / @emmaogreen: Love this @elainejgodfrey read on the decline of local journalism in her hometown—unnecessary, tragic, and the result of immense corporate greed: https://www.theatlantic.com/ ...
Kathleen McLaughlin / @kemc: A story from Iowa that gets to the heart of what happens with the death of local news in much of America. “We don't often stop to ponder the way that a newspaper's collapse makes people feel: less connected, more alone. As local news crumbles, so does our tether to one another.” https://twitter.com/...
Julie Bogen / @jabogen: I think most people think they've heard the stories about what happens when local news crumbles, but @elainejgodfrey's is truly, deeply moving. Worth your time, I promise. https://twitter.com/...
Izzi Levy / @chevytothe_levy: I can't stop thinking about this: “These stories are the connective tissue of a community; they introduce people to their neighbors, and they encourage readers to listen to and empathize with one another... As local news crumbles, so does our tether to one another.” https://twitter.com/...
Bleeding Heartland / @laurarbelin: “The Hawk Eye, which started 2016 with 100 people on the payroll, today has about a dozen.” A huge loss for #Iowa #journalism and especially for those living in SE Iowa. https://twitter.com/...
Bruce Arthur / @bruce_arthur: This should somehow be illegal! https://twitter.com/...
Nick Baumann / @nickbaumann: One of the important things about this story is that it doesn't fall for the usual narrative about how every local paper is doomed. The Hawk Eye was consistently profitable before it was acquired. Its precipitous decline followed Gatehouse buying it. https://www.theatlantic.com/ ... https://twitter.com/...
Todd Spangler / Variety:
Snap expands Snapchat creator monetization programs, including Spotlight Challenges, which pays $25K+ to creators using specific sounds, topics, or AR lenses — Snap is rolling out new ways for Snapchat creators to make money on the app — part of the company's efforts to keep …
Discussion:
Snap Inc., Snap Newsroom, Billboard, TechCrunch, ScreenRant, Ad Age, Adweek, The Verge, Tubefilter and Hollywood Reporter, more at Techmeme »
Discussion:
J. Clara Chan / Billboard: Snapchat to Offer $25K ‘Prizes’ for Top Videos From Creators
Sarah Perez / TechCrunch: Snapchat revamps creator payouts by offering chance to win prizes with Spotlight Challenges
Erika Wheless / Ad Age: Pinterest and Snapchat roll out new products focusing on commerce and creators
David Cohen / Adweek: Snap Gives Creators Another Monetization Opportunity With Spotlight Challenges
Jacob Kastrenakes / The Verge: Snapchat adds ‘challenges’ with cash prizes to its TikTok competitor
Lucas Shaw / Bloomberg:
Sources: YouTube, which is a top destination for podcast listeners of some shows, is looking to hire its first executive to oversee its podcasting business — The video site is looking for someone to manage the growing number of podcasts uploaded every day
Discussion:
@lucas_shaw, @chrismessina, @mhbergen, Podcast Movement and insideradio.com, more at Techmeme »
Discussion:
Lucas Shaw / @lucas_shaw: Scooplet: YouTube is looking to hire an executive to oversee podcasting. It is already the largest podcasting platform in the world by some measures, despite having done almost nothing to support it. https://www.bloomberg.com/...
Yashraj Sharma / Rest of World:
Instagram usage exploded in India after the TikTok ban, but the creator economy is still devastated, and critics say Reels content is comparatively bland — “TikTok was a canteen; Instagram is a café. But the canteen has better food, and the café serves costly coffee that not everyone drinks."