Mediagazer: SCOTUS refuses to revive Genius' 2019 lawsuit accusing Google of scraping millions of song lyrics for search, leaving in place a ruling tossing out the lawsuit (Emily Birnbaum/Bloomberg)

6:05 AM ET, June 27, 2023

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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

Discussion: MIT Technology Review, Adweek, @pesach_lattin, @nandoodles, @newsguardrating, @charlottejee, @jeffjohnroberts, @gsterling, @jimswiftdc, @accountabletech, @refocusedmedia, @jackmarshall, @jbruce218, The Verge and MediaPost, more at Techmeme »

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: @mmitchell_ai, @glenngabe, @paytobreed, @soldni, @nolan@toot.cafe, @ukuku@mstdn.social, @chrismoranuk, @brianroemmele, The Overspill, @harrymccracken, @darth_na, @glenngabe, @varunkrish and @waxy@xoxo.zone, more at Techmeme »

Colby Hall / Mediaite:

Fox News' new prime time: Jesse Watters takes Tucker Carlson's 8pm slot, Laura Ingraham moves to 7pm, Sean Hannity stays at 9pm, and Greg Gutfeld moves to 10pm — Fox News announced the new prime time lineup it's putting in place in the wake of Tucker Carlson's shocking ouster earlier this year.

New York Times:

As the use of AI-generated ads in political campaigns increases globally, consultants, election researchers, and lawmakers push for setting up new guardrails — Gaps in campaign rules allow politicians to spread images and messaging generated by increasingly powerful artificial intelligence technology.

Discussion: @mantzarlis, @repyvetteclarke, @brookingsgov, @danweiner329, @kevinokeefe, @samgregory, @neilturkewitz, @shonin@mastodon.world, @JamesBazan@mastodon.coffee, @penamerica, @peterdaou, @erikbryn, Inside Radio, @toddgregory.bsky.social, @carnage4life@mas.to, Insider and Fox News

Jared Diamond / Wall Street Journal:

Some question The Athletic reporter Shams Charania's commercial partnership with FanDuel after his June 22 tweet, which was wrong, moved NBA draft betting lines — Shams Charania works for both sports news site the Athletic and gambling company FanDuel. Things got complicated when he tweeted …

Lucas Shaw / Bloomberg:

Profits at the largest US entertainment companies have fallen 60%+ since 2013, despite mergers, as media companies spent record sums to build streaming services — Good afternoon from Los Angeles, wherever you may be. Thanks to those of you who came to Bloomberg's Tech Summit.

Discussion: Media Voices, @lucas_shaw, @conorsen, @stevewells11, @dkthomp, @ryanmcraver, Digital Music News, @lucas_shaw, @tiagodf and @tvgrimreaper

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.

Emily Birnbaum / Bloomberg:

SCOTUS refuses to revive Genius' 2019 lawsuit accusing Google of scraping millions of song lyrics for search, leaving in place a ruling tossing out the lawsuit — The US Supreme Court refused to revive a lawsuit by music website Genius Media Group Inc. accusing Alphabet Inc.'s Google of stealing millions of song lyrics.

Discussion: Reuters, The Register, Complete Music Update, Music Ally, Rolling Stone, The Hill, @phil_lewis_, MediaPost and Billboard

John Kang / Forbes:

An interview with Pinkfong CEO Kim Min-seok on Baby Shark Live, a live show based on the viral song, plans to expand into webtoons and theme parks, and more — Seven years after posting “Baby Shark Dance” on YouTube, Kim Min-seok, CEO and cofounder of the Korean company behind the viral video …

New York Times:

A look at review-bombing campaigns on Goodreads, which can derail a book's publication long before its release, affecting 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: @dorolef, @anjalienjeti, @newblackman, @helaineolen, @zacbissonnette and @mariskreizman, more at Techmeme »

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.

Wall Street Journal:

The White House condemns the online harassment of WSJ reporter Sabrina Siddiqui for questioning PM Modi about human rights in India at a press event last week — Biden spokesman says harassment of journalist is unacceptable after attacks by officials from Indian prime minister's party

Discussion: @andrewrestuccia, @andrewrestuccia, @sajahq, The Wire, The Hill and @mythilisk

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