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Friday, March 24, 2017
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Newsonomics: Michael Ferro’s creeping privatization of TroncWill his attempt to sideline investor Patrick Soon-Shiong lead to consolidated control, or will legal action push back? And did we ever figure out what a Tronc is, anyway? By Ken Doctor. |
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Is it still fake news if it makes you feel good? (Yes, yes it is): Updates from the fake news worldPlus: LinkedIn claims it doesn’t have a fake news problem, Facebook’s “disputed story” alerts are spotted in the wild, and middle schoolers get trained to be skeptical. By Laura Hazard Owen. |
What We’re Reading
Digiday / Sahil Patel
6 reasons why Snapchat Discover is getting overrun by bland viral fare →
“[Hearst’s] Sweet, which launched as a Snapchat Discover-only publication with a focus on long-form profiles and smarter content, has recently been asked to be more like Cosmo and make lighter fare.”
The Ringer / Kyle Chayka
The new leftist media wants more than to take down Trump →
A look at outlets like Jacobin, Current Affairs, Chapo Trap House, and The Baffler.
Digiday / Lucia Moses
These two MIT grads are having their 15 minutes of programmatic fame →
It’s apparently not a stock photo: The women in that ubiquitous ad are Laura Zhang (with the ponytail) and Denise Tang, both 24 and quantitative SEO analysts at the Massachusetts-based company EverQuote.
TechCrunch / Josh Constine
Facebook finally tests a GIF button for comments →
“At first this GIF comment button will only be available to a small percentage of Facebook users, but it could roll out to everyone if it proves popular. It will work similarly to the GIF button in Facebook Messenger, allowing users to both browse trending GIFs and search for specific reactions in-line. Users still won't have the ability to select and share GIFs as News Feed posts, but comment GIFs could lay the groundwork for that.”
The New York Times / Erin Geiger Smith
Welcome to the podcast. First, a word from our celebrity. →
“How many start-up meal-delivery companies can get Alec Baldwin to read their menus aloud in his deep, recognizable voice? That's precisely what Baldwin does for Blue Apron on his podcast ‘Here’s the Thing’: ‘He definitely romances our ingredients.'”
HoldTheFrontPage / David Sharman
Christchurch Times revived almost 35 years after closure →
“The first issue features a masthead first used by the Advertiser 100 years ago in 1917, as well as local news, nostalgia, sport, and its traditional back page vox pop.”
Journalism.co.uk / Madalina Ciobanu
Piqd is combining expertise from academics, journalists, and professionals to curate news →
“Piqd has a website and a newsletter that recommends ‘outstanding pieces of journalism in an accessible way’ to readers, curated by journalists, academics and professionals in a number of fields.”
Tech in Asia / Steven Millward
The News Lens in Taiwan is on track to go from startup to media empire →
The site, founded in 2013, has now grown to six million readers across four editions of the site in Chinese and English, and is staffed by 70 people. This week the site hired away from cable TV a major Taiwanese news anchor.
Poynter / Benjamin Mullin
Campbell Brown on filter bubbles, fake news, and Facebook’s role in the news industry →
“Brown acknowledged that, with so many people consuming news on Facebook every day, the company has a responsibility to make sure information is thorough and accurate. And because news draws users, it’s in Facebook’s best interests to ensure that there’s a wealth of quality information, she said.”
Journalism.co.uk / Catalina Albeanu
How Le Monde aims to reflect a range of voices ahead of the French election →
“We have beat reporters covering political parties, but a lot of people just don't care about this.”