Mediagazer: Some designers say AI tools have made them anxious about the YouTube thumbnail microeconomy's future; creators like MrBeast pay up to $10K for a video thumbnail (Nilesh Christopher/Rest of World)

1:05 AM ET, August 6, 2023

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Christopher Mathias / HuffPost:

Investigation: Richard Hanania, a Substack writer also published in WaPo, NYT, WSJ, and more, wrote for white supremacist outlets in the 2010s using a pen name — Hanania is championed by tech moguls and a U.S. senator, but HuffPost found he used a pen name to become an important figure in the “alt-right.”

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The Wrap:

Memo: the WGA says the two sides remain too far apart after the August 4 meeting with the AMPTP, accusing the AMPTP of violating its own media blackout request — In a letter to members, WGA accuses studios of leaking details about ‘confidential’ meet-up — Hopes for renewed contract talks between …

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The Hollywood Reporter:
Charities say Hollywood food insecurity is rising as strikes drag on, so nonprofits are boosting food and financial aid for writers, actors, and support staff

Discussion: Deadline, Fortune, Vanity Fair and Bloomberg

Deadline:
Thousands of WGA and SAG-AFTRA members picket NBCUniversal, after union members filed NLRB complaints saying the studio interfered with prior picketing activity

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Reuters:

Elon Musk says X will fund the legal bills of people who have been “unfairly treated” by their employer “due to posting or liking something on this platform” — Elon Musk has said his X social media platform will fund the legal bills of people who have been treated unfairly …

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Richard Lawler / The Verge:

X delays its Ads Revenue Sharing program's payouts that were set for the week of July 31, saying the volume of people signing up “has exceeded our expectations” — In news that isn't very surprising given the recent history of Twitter, which Elon Musk is currently rebranding to X …

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Meduza.io:

Russian independent news outlet Meduza says Apple removed its flagship podcast from Apple Podcasts; source: Roskomnadzor asked Apple to remove the show — Meduza has received a notice from Apple, informing our media that our flagship podcast “What Happened” has been removed from the Apple Podcasts streaming platform.

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Khadijah Khogeer / NBC News:

Journalists at Vancouver-based IndigiNews and Ontario-based The Sarnia Journal say Meta's news block is reducing their sites' visitors and hurting their outlets — Meta recently began blocking news from Instagram and Facebook in Canada in response to the Online News Act.

Discussion: @tehuti88

Canadian Association of Broadcasters:

North American broadcasters say Meta's news ban in Canada is “monopolistic” and urge lawmakers to support rules letting publishers negotiate with tech platforms — In response to Meta blocking news on Facebook and Instagram for Canadian users after the passage of Canada's Online News Act …

Discussion: New York Times, Next TV, Inside Radio and Radio & Television …

Thomas Wilde / GeekWire:

Dungeons & Dragons publisher Wizards of the Coast will prohibit the use of AI-made illustrations, after fans spotted signs of AI art in an upcoming sourcebook — BOT or NOT? This special series explores the evolving relationship between humans and machines, examining the ways that robots …

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André Beganski / Decrypt:

The New York Times is fighting a gag order imposed on FTX co-founder Sam Bankman-Fried after he shared former lover Caroline Ellison's writings with the outlet — The Gray Lady's letter follows a report that landed Bankman-Fried back in court. … The New York Times pushed back on Thursday …

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New York Times:

Investigation: US tech entrepreneur Neville Roy Singham, who funds left-wing outlets globally, works closely with Chinese government media to spread propaganda — The Times unraveled a financial network that stretches from Chicago to Shanghai and uses American nonprofits to push Chinese talking points worldwide.

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Casey Newton / Platformer:

US state laws restricting access to porn circumvent First Amendment protections that prevent the government from deciding which content is “harmful to minors” — Anti-speech laws are spreading from states to Congress, and the future of online speech could hang in the balance

Discussion: @charliejane.bsky.social, @waxy@xoxo.zone, @caseynewton@mastodon.social, @dtgeek@mastodon.social, @carnage4life@mas.to, @drewharwell@mastodon.social, @ernie@writing.exchange, @metacurity@infosec.exchange and MediaPost

Nilesh Christopher / Rest of World:

Some designers say AI tools have made them anxious about the YouTube thumbnail microeconomy's future; creators like MrBeast pay up to $10K for a video thumbnail — Creators like MrBeast pay up to $10,000 for a single YouTube video thumbnail, but the rise of AI tools have some designers anxious about the microeconomy's future.

Discussion: @restofworld, @nilchristopher, @restofworld and @TechDesk@flipboard.social, more at Techmeme »

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