Mediagazer: Some Amazon sellers are backdating books to fool Amazon's algorithms into changing where they appear, often allowing the sellers to charge exorbitant prices (David Streitfeld/New York Times)

7:15 AM ET, December 6, 2021

Top News:

CNN says it has fired Chris Cuomo after “additional information has come to light” about the help he gave his brother Andrew Cuomo — The network said it had “terminated him, effective immediately,” a move that came days after a lawyer for a former colleague accused the host of sexual misconduct.

Discussion: @cnnpr, @chriscuomo, @marceelias, CNN, Washington Post, @badfoxgraphics, @brianstelter, @grynbaum, Associated Press, Los Angeles Times, @benmullin, The Guardian, @randpaul, @grynbaum, FTVLive, NPR, @koblin, NBC News, @benyt, @stevebattaglio, @grynbaum, Los Angeles Times, @juddlegum, Slate, @ericmgarcia, NBC News, New York Post, Fox News, Newser, @erikwemple, @jodikantor, @sorayamcdonald, @juliettekayyem, @jodikantor, Media Nation, National Review, The Wrap, Mediaite, The Hill, TMZ.com, @shoq, @glennbeck, MediaPost, @jodikantor, @jodikantor, @jodikantor, @jodikantor, @benyt, @grynbaum, @grynbaum, @michelemclellan, @davidfolkenflik, @davmicrot, @thrasherxy, @janicedean, @ichotiner, @badfoxgraphics, @megjameslat, @baseballot, @jazayerli, @dick_nixon, @rontkim, @grynbaum, @maddoxrules, @jordanchariton, @jayrosen_nyu, @brentbozell, @jadler1969, @iamsophianelson, @benmullin, @studentactivism, @studentactivism, @originalspin, @froomkin, @jbflint, @mayatcontreras, @josephwulfsohn, @davidfolkenflik, @kenklippenstein, @cernovich, @redsteeze, @meganbitchell, @_cingraham, @matthardybrand, @attorneynora, @shoq, @brianstelter, @jeremymbarr, @mollyjongfast, @phil_lewis_, @froomkin, @jasminestylestv, @jdwackrow, @frankconniff, @a_newsman, @elisestefanik, @adriennelaw, @chrisloesch, @erikwemple, @mrbeaks, @lmoses, @erikwemple, @noahshachtman, @noahshachtman, @timheidecker, @erikwemple, @ditzkoff, @alexthomp, @nycsouthpaw, @jeremymbarr, @benyt, @brianstelter, @grynbaum, @sdkstl, Insider, Al Jazeera, E! Online, Financial Times, Fox News, Bloomberg, Axios, Poynter, NPR, Deadline, TVLine, TVNewser, Hollywood Life, Wall Street Journal, CNBC and Hollywood Reporter

Wall Street Journal:

Sources: CNN's u-turn on Cuomo came after new records from NY AG, a report from law firm Cravath Swaine & Moore, and an unrelated sexual misconduct allegation — Network boss fired the star anchor on Saturday, leaving a hole in the channel's prime-time lineup

Discussion: @asharma, @benmullin, @wsj, New York Post, @pkafka, NPR, @benmullin and Mediaite

Katie Robertson / New York Times:

Interview with Anna Wintour and Condé Nast CEO Roger Lynch as they transform its biggest publications into global brands while streamlining content sharing — Anna Wintour is the embodiment of the glory days of the magazine dynasty. Now she is pitching its global, digital future.

Discussion: @katie_robertson, @dmitryshishkin, @andreasharsono, @thepacketrat, @lmoses, @jeffjarvis, @marcatracy, @nytimesbusiness, @benmullin, @katie_robertson, @theferocity, @katie_robertson and @baekdal

Dana Milbank / Washington Post:

Analysis of 200K+ articles from 65 news sites: coverage of Biden for the past four months has been as bad as, or worse than, Trump in the same period of 2020 — A sampling of headlines atop the influential Politico Playbook newsletter over the past month: — “Let the Democratic freakout begin.”

Discussion: @joshtpm, @milbank, @edbott, @froomkin, @milbank, @whcos, @tysonbrody, @dkthomp, @milbank, @milbank, @milbank, @ryanlizza, @ewerickson, @milbank, @cathyndavidson, @ryanlizza, @ryanlizza, @soledadobrien, @atrupar, @retiredorrin, @milbank, Today's Edition Newsletter, @gopchairwoman, Fox News, @tysonbrody, @jesselee46, @adrienneelrod, @wajahatali, @leablackmiami, @elilake, @bobcesca_go, @joyannreid, @marmel, @davidharsanyi, @maggienyt, @realdrothschild, @blueboxdave, @alfonslopeztena, @ericschultz, @josh_moon, @bennettjohnt, @amy_siskind, @donmoyn, @margotroosevelt, @mollyjongfast, @mollyjongfast, @tvietor08, @greenhousenyt, @alexthomp, @mikegehrke, @mikegehrke, @froomkin, @soledadobrien, @protecttruth_, @fred_guttenberg, @jayrosen_nyu, @fpwellman, @natsechobbyist, @mlcalderone, @sulliview, @ericboehlert and New York Post

David Streitfeld / New York Times:

Some Amazon sellers are backdating books to fool Amazon's algorithms into changing where they appear, often allowing the sellers to charge exorbitant prices — A 2011 thriller was supposed to cost $15. One merchant listed it at $987, with a 17th-century publication date.

Discussion: Insider, @angieholan, @runwithskizzers, @stacyfmitchell, @mattzollerseitz, @kyweise, @jake_bernstein, @thenuminous1, @william_m_clark, @nytimes, @mattsclancy, @ddayen and @frankpasquale, more at Techmeme »

Ben Smith / New York Times:

A document from TikTok's engineering team in Beijing details the product's addictive algorithm, which optimizes for “retention” and “time spent” — It's the most successful video app in the world. Our columnist has obtained an internal company document that offers …

Josef Adalian / Vulture:

HBO CCO Casey Bloys says 50% of HBO viewership comes from linear, down from 90% in 2011, with the rest from HBO Max, and he's not “rushing” to share ratings — For most of 2020, things were not looking particularly great for HBO Max. Subscriber sign-ups were slower than expected …

Discussion: nexttv.com, @loudmouthjulia, @tvmojoe and The Streamable

Anne Steele / Wall Street Journal:

Spotify removed the work of hundreds of comedians, including John Mulaney and Kevin Hart, amid a fight with royalty administration agency Spoken Giants — A push for royalty payments on comedic material sidelines work of Kevin Hart, Tiffany Haddish and hundreds of others

Discussion: CNN, Gizmodo, The Wrap, Mediaite, Consequence, TMZ.com, Rolling Stone, The Verge, Insider, Engadget and Deadline, more at Techmeme »

Reuters:

Analysis: at least 25 US election workers were targeted by 100+ violent threats or hostile messages citing the Gateway Pundit since the 2020 election — The Gateway Pundit, which started as a tiny opinion blog, saw readership surge to nearly 50 million views a month as it amplified Donald Trump's false stolen-election claims.

Discussion: @dangillmor and @bradheath

Simon Owens / Simon Owens's Media Newsletter:

Some top YouTube channels are spending millions on production; Mr. Beast says he spent $3.5M on his Squid Game video, a budget reminiscent of prestige TV — The top echelons of YouTubers are now spending upwards of $3.5 million per video. — Welcome! I'm Simon Owens and this is my media newsletter.

Discussion: @jessesingal, @ashkan, @thisistrue, @pomeranian99, @fabiochiusi, @simonowens and TechCrunch

Drew Harwell / Washington Post:

Twitter says it mistakenly suspended 12 accounts after “coordinated and malicious reports” targeted researchers and journalists, and will review its new policy — Far-right activists had urged their followers to use a new company rule to target anti-extremism researchers and journalists

Drew Harwell / Washington Post:

Profile of Twitch streamer Tyler Steinkamp, including the loneliness and rage that comes with streaming game battles and real-world moments for 50 hours a week — NEW LONDON, Mo. — Just before midnight, six hours into his 10-hour Twitch live stream, Tyler Steinkamp's rage begins to erupt.

Discussion: @jadedcreative, @s_m_i, @wplyndarobinson, @micahloewinger, Protocol, @pkedrosky, @dmac1, @willoremus, @brianstelter, @heatherkelly, @drvolts and @brandyzadrozny

Archived Page Info:

This is a snapshot of Mediagazer at 7:15 AM ET, December 6, 2021.

View the current page or another snapshot:

Who's Hiring in Media?

Output Producer, CA — AP

China Markets Correspondent, Shanghai — Reuters

Senior Assignment Editor, DC — WaPo

Breaking News Editor, Tokyo — Bloomberg

Senior Correspondent - Wealth, NY — WSJ

Reporter - Ottawa Bureau — Globe & Mail

Local Government Reporter, IA — The Gazette

Research Director, CA — OCBJ

Immigration Enforcement Reporter — Documented

Presque Island Reporter, ME — Bangor Daily News

Contributing Parks Ed. - SW, CA — SFGATE

AI Content Editor, WA — Outlier

Legislative Reporter, TN — Daily Memphian

Editorial Assistant, Remote US — Launch Potato

Elon Musk Reporter, NY or CA — The Information

Government & Politics Editor, WA — Seattle Times

Business & GA Reporter. VT — VTDigger

Sports Reporter, WA — Everett Herald

Energy Reporter, TX — Houston Chronicle

Senior Reporter, SC — Island Packet

Trade & Climate Correspondent, DC — FT

Reporter, WI — Racine County Eye

Political Newsletter Writer, CO — The Lever

Jackson Reporter, MS — Verite

Music Editor, AZ — Phoenix New Times

Breaking News Reporter, NV — Las Vegas Sun

Fearless Reporter/Producer, IA — BPC

Reporter II - Technology, Remote — NPR

Editor, Remote US — Daily Kos

City Reporter, WA — Tacoma News Tribune

Executive Editor, OR — Lookout Local

Education & Budget Reporter, CA — Politico

Senior Writer/Editor, FL — Gulfshore Business

Media Editor, Remote — Axios

Add your company here

See Also:

Mediagazer: site main

Mediagazer River: reverse chronological Mediagazer

Mediagazer Mobile: for phones

Mediagazer Leaderboard: Mediagazer's top sources

Subscribe:

Mediagazer RSS feed

Mediagazer on X

Mediagazer on Mastodon

More News:

Sara Guaglione / Digiday:
Architectural Digest shifts to a global strategy where all 10 editions around the world coordinate content, helping increase traffic and amortize costs

Discussion: @baekdal, @spj_tweets and @insidepages

The Wrap:
BuzzFeed, Inc. announces it has merged with a SPAC, acquired Complex Networks, and will start trading on the Nasdaq as BZFD on Monday

Discussion: BuzzFeed, @ranjanxroy, @alexweprin and @lizrhoffman

Tarpley Hitt / Gawker:
G/O Media “invites” seven Chicago staffers of The A.V. Club to move to Los Angeles, where EIC Scott Robson is establishing an office, or else lose their jobs

Earlier Picks:

Jack Shafer / Politico:
With a tiny audience, the cable news industry has devolved from a useful headline service to a 24/7 eldercare operation; few would notice if it disappeared

Heather Landy / @heatherlandy:
[Thread] Crediting a move by The Verge, Quartz updates its “off the record” and “on background” rules to specify everything is on the record until Quartz agrees

Discussion: @jason, @katherineabell, @shareenpathak, @jayrosen_nyu, @scottnover, Talking Biz News, @heatherlandy, @heatherlandy, @heatherlandy, @heatherlandy and @reckless

Isaac McIntyre / Dexerto:
YouTube briefly suspended Ludwig Ahgren's livestream on Thursday, days after his publicized move from Twitch; Ahgren blames DMCA notices for playing Baby Shark

Discussion: @ludwigahgren, @mhbergen, The Verge, @lamarrwilson, Tubefilter, Insider, Kotaku and Variety

From Techmeme:

Mark Gurman / Bloomberg:
Sources: Apple is working on a smart doorbell system with advanced facial recognition that can wirelessly connect and unlock third-party smart locks

Wall Street Journal:
Gina Raimondo says holding back China in the chips race is a “fool's errand”, and investment, more than export controls, will keep US ahead of Beijing

Kevin Roose / New York Times:
A look at Amazon's revamped drone delivery program near Phoenix, Arizona, where the company's new MK-30 drones deliver dozens of packages a day to customers

Sister Sites:

Techmeme
Top news and commentary for technology's leaders, from all around the web

memeorandum
What US political commentators are discussing online right now

WeSmirch
The top celebrity news from all around the web on a single page