Tuesday, September 12, 2023 |
| “Whether I agree with it or not, whether I even like it or not, the reality is that many individuals, many institutions and philanthropic groups, have concluded that journalism should be nonprofit.” By Dan Kennedy. |
What We’re ReadingThe Atlantic / Caroline Mimbs Nyce
The website surfers love to hate →“One of the biggest complaints about Surfline is that it crowds certain spots. Although this is probably true in part, the website isn’t entirely to blame. Thanks to pop culture, the commercialization of the sport, and the pandemic, more people are getting in the water.”NPR
Nobel-winning Philippine journalist Maria Ressa is acquitted in tax evasion case →“She had said the charges against her were politically motivated as Rappler was critical of Duterte’s brutal crackdown on illegal drugs that left thousands of mostly petty drug suspects dead.”Axios / Sara Fischer
The Economist is launching a podcast subscription tier →“Audio has become the Economist’s fastest-growing platform for audience growth. Executives believe that momentum can be harnessed to bolster subscriptions, which serve as the company’s main source of revenue.”The Verge / Adi Robertson
The antitrust trial against Google Search starts today. Here’s what to expect →“The case, originally filed in 2020, could determine the future of Google at a pivotal moment for the company. A loss for Google could signal a new era of tougher antitrust enforcement as the Justice Department and Federal Trade Commission pursue cases against nearly every Big Tech company.”404 Media / Jason Koebler
A nonprofit TV history museum was temporarily taken offline after a Sony-backed group filed multiple copyright takedown requests →“The entire saga highlights the fragility not just of the original source material, but of the archives and backups of this material. The default stance of most companies like Google, Twitter, and Facebook is that rights holders are always right, and that any copyrighted material that’s posted online can and should be taken down if the rights holders want it to be.”Press Gazette / Charlotte Tobitt
Reach is diversifying away from ad revenue with premium apps, paid-for newsletters, and ad-free editions →“There’s definitely a demand from our loyal users — you’ve got lots of people who just come to your sites once or twice a month, and you’ve got those who come twice a day, three times a day. Those are the ones who really are looking for better experiences with us and the most loyal ones are the most important ones for this rollout.”Columbia Journalism Review / Jon Allsop
How Australia’s politicians rallied behind Julian Assange →“Bipartisan support for Assange is a relatively recent development in Australian politics; indeed, for many years, swaths of the country’s political class didn’t seem to want much to do with him.”The Guardian / Adam Gabbatt
From prime time to lurid tales in a shed: The rapid descent of Tucker Carlson →“Deprived of the prime time platform of Fox News, Carlson — once seen as a powerbroker in Republican politics and even a possible presidential candidate — has spiraled into extremism and growing irrelevance.”International News Media Association / Signe Elise Stenersen
How Dagbladet in Norway uses TikTok to attract a younger, news-consuming audience →“Everyone in our editorial office at Dagbladet TV has become a TikTok specialist in a short amount of time.”A Media Operator / Jacob Cohen Donnelly
Nonprofit is not a business model →“There’s a failure in understanding how businesses work that drives this excitement in nonprofits. Whether you’re for-profit or nonprofit, you’re always selling. And if revenue drops and you’re making less than you’re spending, there is no choice but to make cuts.”Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism / Patrick Egwu
“We can’t do this alone”: Nigerian fact-checkers teamed up to debunk politicians’ false claims at this year’s election →“Mayowa Tijani, who led the fact-checking initiatives of the organization, said they had between 12 to 20 journalists who worked round the clock during the election. He said the organisation had a partnership with media outlets who dedicated a number of journalists to assist in the fact-checking efforts.”Business Insider / Ed Zitron
The modern CEO job is completely broken, but AI could make executives useful again →“An AI model would likely give quicker answers, be in a continual state of self-improvement, take feedback instantly, and deliver the same kind of ‘operational efficiency’ for which the current crop of CEOs are paid millions of dollars a year.”International News Media Association / Sarah Feldberg
The San Francisco Chronicle’s GPS walking tours allow journalists to guide tourists through the city →“The virtue of GPS guidance is that it’s totally immersive: You put on your headphones, press play, and put your phone away. The intimacy of audio means you connect with a real person as they share stories and show you around.”Rest of World / Raksha Kumar
Hyperlocal weather forecasters are now influencers in India →“Though they may not always be accurate, these ‘weather influencers’ are gaining followers for being available to take questions online.”Platformer / Casey Newton
Is the First Amendment making a comeback online? →“If platforms can’t assert their speech rights in a country with the First Amendment, it’s not clear where they can.”The Daily Beast / Robert Silverman
How Barstool built an empire by swiping sports highlights →“A new investigation by The Daily Beast found over 40 more anonymous Twitter accounts that give every indication of being controlled by Barstool. This network has laundered incalculable amounts of copyright-protected sports and entertainment videos and reaped billions of views over at least the last four years. For example: One anonymous account’s ripped video of The Weeknd’s Super Bowl LV performance racked up 36 million views for Barstool in less than 24 hours.”
Nieman Lab / Fuego
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