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.
RELATED:
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
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.
Discussion:
Fox News, Variety, The Daily Beast, @chadwick_moore, Wall Street Journal, @bristei, The Hill, Deadline, @nycsouthpaw, @kir_bigg50, @brianstelter, @abughazalehkat, @brianstelter, @bristei, @mehdirhasan, @dylanbyers, @martinpengelly, @ingrahamangle, @nikkimcr, @johnnydollar01, @mollyjongfast, @frankconniff, @deggans, New Republic, @brianstelter, Jezebel, Insider, Newser, The Guardian, @nataliedavisgdread …, Media Matters for America, CNBC, Axios, Next TV, The Desk, Fox News, @matthewkeys@newsie.social, KRON4 and New York Daily News
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 …
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:
MIT Technology Review, @mantzarlis, @repyvetteclarke, @brookingsgov, @samgregory, @neilturkewitz, @danweiner329, @kevinokeefe, @shonin@mastodon.world, @JamesBazan@mastodon.coffee, @penamerica, @peterdaou, @erikbryn, Fox News, Inside Radio, @toddgregory.bsky.social, @carnage4life@mas.to and Insider
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:
@newblackman, @helaineolen, @zacbissonnette, @dorolef, @anjalienjeti and @mariskreizman, more at Techmeme »
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
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 …
Discussion:
@jareddiamond, @phil_rosenthal, @chieftwopointoh, @jasonschreier, @sportsvanessa, @jareddiamond, @adamlevitan, @dhpiv, @dannymarang, @trentreinsmith, @danwolken, @brettaesch, @davidpurdum, @pdwolves, @worldsnicestman, @nickatnews, @dandarling, @raptorsslander, @emorymort, @paulvieira, @thenflchick, @trentreinsmith, @dougespn, @sixersadam, @kkoczwara, @jgundy85, @jonjacobson, @castleofjays, @lthomasnews, @sahyder1, Front Office Sports, @bpmoritz and New York Post
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.
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, Poynter, @bainjal, @andrewrestuccia, @sajahq, The Wire, @kenroth, @mythilisk, The Hill and Mediaite
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 and Castext, 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.
Discussion:
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