Mediagazer: 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 (New York Times)

9:25 AM ET, June 27, 2023

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

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

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

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 …

Discussion: Axios, @beachwoodreport, @bloodravenlib, @thewelcomepac, What's New in Publishing, @albertojourno, @niemanlab, @dylanbouscher, @posselist and @rasmus_kleis

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.

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: Variety, The Streamable, Sports Business Journal and Cord Cutters News

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

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 »

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 …

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: @spj_tweets

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, @andrewrestuccia, @sajahq, @bainjal, The Wire, @kenroth, @mythilisk, Mediaite and The Hill

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 …

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Bron Maher / Press Gazette:
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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

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From Techmeme:

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