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Tuesday, June 6, 2017
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The Intercept’s Russian hacking report also seems to be a good example of how not to handle leaksThe Intercept’s big story on the Russian government’s attempts to hack the U.S. election offers lessons for leakers and the news outlets they leak to. By Laura Hazard Owen. |
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Apple, podcasting’s dominant (and mostly benign) middleman, is rebooting how it delivers showsPlus: Gimlet makes a curious acquisition, a new run at fixing podcast discovery, and an under-the-hood technical shift. By Nicholas Quah. |
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HomePod, death to autoplay, and a smarter Apple News: These are the key Apple updates for publishersApple, like Google, is using its position in the browser market to try to control elements of the advertising market. By Joshua Benton. |
What We’re Reading
Facebook
Facebook Live now supports closed captions →
“Today we're allowing publishers to include closed captions in Facebook Live, helping people who are deaf or hard of hearing to experience live videos.”
CNNMoney / Charles Riley
Will Qatar sacrifice Al Jazeera to mend regional ties? →
“Big Gulf powers such as Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates will now be in a position to demand concessions from Qatar in return for restoration of diplomatic and economic ties. Analysts said that one of their demands could be the closure of Al Jazeera.”
Columbia Journalism Review / Kaitlin Ugolik
And now here’s a defense of The Skimm →
“The Skimm's editors understand something folks who are constantly steeped in news struggle to grasp: Not everyone is like us.”
Digiday / Lucia Moses
Breitbart ads plummet nearly 90 percent in three months, a tracking firm says →
“There were just 26 brands appearing on Breitbart in May, down from a high of 242 in March, according to MediaRadar, which tracks ads on websites.”
The Outline / Adrienne Jeffries
Opinion: The NYT crossword is old and kind of racist →
“The puzzle clearly isn't seeking new talent or a new audience, and in its stodginess, it becomes clear that it is composed for a very particular reader with a very particular view of the world.” (Meanwhile, see our recent story on crossword puzzles!)
BuzzFeed / Craig Silverman
An ad network that helps fake news sites earn money is now asking users to report fake news →
Late last week, Revcontent issued a press release to announce a new “Truth in Media Initiative” to combat fake news. The release explained the company will now enable readers to file a report if they see fake news displayed in the Revcontent widget. A recent BuzzFeed News review of ad networks on fake news sites found Revcontent’s content ad module was present on 22 sites — making it the most common ad network on the more than 100 fake news sites reviewed.
Bloomberg / Gerry Smith
Wall Street Journal ends Google users’ free ride, then fades in search results →
After blocking users from accessing articles for free via Google search in February, the Wall Street Journal's subscription business soared, with a fourfold increase in the rate of visitors converting into paying customers. But there was a trade-off: Traffic from Google plummeted 44 percent.
