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Wednesday, July 25, 2018
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Want to support journalism with cryptocurrency on Civil? First you must pass this really hard quizThe Nieman Lab staffers failed. So did Manoush Zomorodi, a cofounder of one of the new Civil-backed newsrooms that’s leaning on the promises of the company’s forthcoming cryptocurrency sale in August. By Shan Wang. |
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News Counts is a collaborative project to protect the 2020 Census (and help journalists get the best stories out of it)“Our pitch is: Journalists, this isn’t a one-off phenomenon. It’s an ongoing, living record of our communities.” By Laura Hazard Owen. |
What We’re Reading
NewsMatch
Hey nonprofit news outlets — NewsMatch 2018’s application deadline is in one week →
“NewsMatch is the largest grassroots campaign for nonprofit news. A matching-gift campaign now in its third year, NewsMatch has helped nonprofit newsrooms raise more than $5 million and show tens of thousands of new donors the value of nonprofit journalism.”
The New York Times / Taffy Brodesser-Akner
Gwyneth Paltrow’s controversy-ridden ‘wellness’ brand Goop is hiring a fact-checker →
“After a few too many cultural firestorms, and with investors to think about, Paltrow made some changes. Goop has hired a lawyer to vet all claims on the site. It hired an editor away from Condé Nast to run the magazine. It hired a man with a Ph.D. in nutritional science, and a director of science and research who is a former Stanford professor. And in September, Goop, sigh, is hiring a full-time fact-checker. Paltrow chose to see it as ‘necessary growing pain.'”
WGBH / Dan Kennedy
“The [Boston] Globe cannot ever seem to meet budgets — on either the revenue side or the expense side” →
“…and I am not going to continue that,” says Globe owner John Henry. “This has always been about sustainability rather than sizable, endless, annual losses. That is frustrating and due to a combination of mismanagement and a tough industry.”
CNNMoney / Oliver Darcy
The media’s fascination with Breitbart has faded — and that could spell trouble for the site →
“”The story of Breitbart’s rise and fall is a lot like that of Icarus who arrogantly flew way beyond his station in life, got too close to the sun, and had his wings of wax melt, causing him to fall from the sky,” said John Ziegler, a conservative talk show host who writes for Mediaite and was a friend of Andrew Breitbart’s.
ASNE / Staff
Participate in 2018 ASNE diversity survey →
“Without question, embracing diversity is the right thing to do, but it’s also a business imperative in a multicultural society. Diversity of thought is part of the solution. It inspires more creativity that drives innovation. It leads to more robust community conversations that may lead to positive change.” Submit your survey by August 1.
Washington Post / Tony Romm
Trump criticizes FCC for moving to block Sinclair-Tribune merger →
"Liberal Fake News NBC and Comcast gets approved, much bigger, but not Sinclair. Disgraceful!"
BuzzFeed News / Ryan Mac and Charlie Warzel
“We need to be willing to pick sides,” says Facebook’s (outgoing) chief security officer Alex Stamos →
“We need to listen to people (including internally) when they tell us a feature is creepy or point out a negative impact we are having in the world. We need to deprioritize short-term growth and revenue and to explain to Wall Street why that is ok. We need to be willing to pick sides when there are clear moral or humanitarian issues. And we need to be open, honest and transparent about our challenges and what we are doing to fix them.”
Columbia Journalism Review / Bill Adair
The creator of PolitiFact on why it’s time to move beyond the Truth-O-Meter →
“I think the Truth-O-Meter's ratings (which now range from True to Pants on Fire) are still effective for many readers. But I have come to realize that in our polarized environment, the meter I invented is not reaching everyone, and not reaching conservatives in particular.”