Top News:
James Vincent / The Verge:
AI is killing the web with spam sites, mass article producing “AI editors”, AI-generated junk on Etsy, Reddit, and Wikipedia that exhausts moderators, and more — In recent months, the signs and portents have been accumulating with increasing speed. Google is trying to kill the 10 blue links.
Discussion:
@adamsinger, @jsnover, @paytobreed, @tariqkrim, @mmitchell_ai, @carnage4life.bsky.social, The Overspill, @harrymccracken, @darth_na, @hkesvani, Beyond Search, @tldrnewsletter, @varunkrish, @glenngabe, @glenngabe, @brianroemmele, @nolan@toot.cafe, @chrismoranuk, @soldni, @waxy@xoxo.zone and @ukuku@mstdn.social, more at Techmeme »
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NewsGuard:
Analysis: in May and June 2023, 141 major brands ran ads, mostly via Google Ads, across 55 low-quality sites with AI-generated articles, some posting ~1,200/day — NewsGuard identified 141 brands that are feeding programmatic ad dollars to low-quality AI-generated news and information sites operating with little to no human oversight
Kirsten Eddy / Nieman Lab:
Reuters' 2023 Digital News Report: 22% of news consumers actively participate via posts or comments, down 11 percentage points from 2018; 47% don't participate — “We find that news users who say their experiences engaging with news online are negative (21%) are nearly four times as likely …
Alex Weprin / The Hollywood Reporter:
Roku and CBS Sports buy US media rights for Formula E; Roku plans to stream 11 races per season on the Roku Channel, its first foray into live sports — The company is sharing the rights with CBS Sports, which will televise 5 races annually as part of the multi-year deal.
Discussion:
Roku, Variety, The Wrap, Sports Business Journal, TechCrunch, The Desk, The Streamable, Deadline, Media Play News and Cord Cutters News
Kyle Wiggers / TechCrunch:
Thomson Reuters agrees to acquire YC-backed Casetext, which builds AI-powered workflows and tools for lawyers, for $650M in cash, expected to close in H2 2023 — Thomson Reuters has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Casetext, a Y Combinator-backed legal tech startup.
Discussion:
Reuters, Castext and @darian314, more at Techmeme »
New York Times:
A look at review-bombing campaigns on Goodreads that can derail a book's publication long before its release, frustrating both new and established authors — The website Goodreads has become an essential avenue for building readership, but the same features that help generate excitement can also backfire.
Discussion:
@newblackman, @helaineolen, @zacbissonnette, @dorolef, @anjalienjeti and @mariskreizman, more at Techmeme »
Sara Fischer / Axios:
Roku has begun rolling out smart home hardware products, including cameras and video doorbells; users can pay for subscriptions for motion alerts and more — Roku is planning to expand its business into smart homes, CEO Anthony Wood told Axios in an interview, marking a natural progression …
Max Tani / Semafor:
Spotify, SiriusXM, iHeartMedia, and other podcast companies are shifting from A-list celebrities and big-budget audio narratives to professional audio talent — The News — CANNES — In 2020, Spotify's stock spiked on the news that Meghan Markle and Prince Harry signed an exclusive deal with the streaming platform.
Discussion:
@semafor, The Rebooting, Fortune, The Atlantic, Mumbrella, @tomgara, @timmhotep, @leadpacer, @robertjbennett, @lpolgreen, Variety, Page Six, @meerapattni, @ashleyrindsberg, @maxwelltani, @katierosman, @dandarling, @donetodeath, @paulskallas, The Guardian, UPROXX, The A.V. Club, New York Post and ET Canada
Jake Kanter / Deadline:
Documents: the BBC's Tim Davie was in contact with a senior government official the day he suspended Gary Lineker, raising questions about government pressure — EXCLUSIVE: BBC Director General Tim Davie was in contact with a senior government official on the day he suspended Gary Lineker …
Discussion:
@jake_kanter
Wall Street Journal:
Sources: Group Black is in talks to buy a majority stake in the Arena Group, which publishes Sports Illustrated and owns 50+ publications, including TheStreet — Black-owned media network has sought other acquisitions, though a deal hasn't materialized — Group Black is in talks to buy …
Discussion:
@alexbruell, @davidclinchnews and Awful Announcing
Naman Ramachandran / Variety:
The 2023 Glastonbury Festival broke BBC digital audience records for viewing and listening with a record 50.3M streams on BBC iPlayer and BBC Sounds, up 47% YoY — AUDIENCE RECORDS — The 2023 Glastonbury Festival has broken previous digital audience records for viewing and listening on the BBC …
Discussion:
BBC, Broadband TV News and New York Daily News
David Bauder / Associated Press:
A look at CBS News' “solutions journalism” efforts focused on people and organizations that are trying to tackle problems like mental health and climate change — A Colorado school is creating a “zen den” for troubled students. A soccer coach in Pittsburgh goes out of her way to relieve pressure on players.
Discussion:
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