Nieman Lab: The Daily Digest

Are people more likely to accurately evaluate misinformation when the political stakes are high? Haha, no

“Elections, it seems, amplify the influence of partisanship on the perception of truth.” By Joshua Benton.
What We’re Reading
The Guardian / Tom Phillips and Patricia Torres
“Being on camera is no longer sensible”: persecuted Venezuelan journalists turn to AI →
“In the four weeks since Venezuela’s disputed election, local journalists have come up with a distinctly 21st-century tactic to avoid being arrested for reporting on 21st-century socialism: using artificial intelligence avatars to report all the news Maduro’s regime deems unfit to print.”
AP News
Zuckerberg says the White House pressured Facebook over some COVID-19 content during the pandemic →
“The letter is the latest repudiation by Zuckerberg of efforts to target misinformation around the coronavirus pandemic during and after the 2020 presidential election, particularly as allegations have emerged that some posts were deleted or restricted wrongly.”
Platformer / Casey Newton
How Telegram played itself →
“A worrisome outcome of France’s ultimate prosecution of Telegram, assuming there is one, is that it will embolden countries around the world to prosecute platform CEOs criminally for failing to turn over user data….On the other hand, Telegram really does seem to be actively enabling a staggering amount of abuse. And while it’s disturbing to see state power used indiscriminately to snoop on private conversations, it’s equally disturbing to see a private company declare itself to be above the law.”
The Verge / Mia Sato
Gannett is shuttering site accused of publishing AI product reviews →
“Antón didn’t offer a reason for shutting down Reviewed. Product reviews are often seen as a lucrative venture for publishers, who can draw readers looking for purchasing advice on search engines and make money when readers buy items from the articles…But even content that has historically made news outlets money is vulnerable to changes in Google Search, where a bulk of traffic comes from.”
Billboard / Chris Eggertsen
Spin Magazine returning to print with editor-in-chief Bob Guccione Jr. →
“It’s exciting to see others like The Onion, Nylon and even LIFE going back into print. In today’s noisy digital ecosystem, print plays a fun and new role for all readers of all ages.”
Financial Times / Christine Murray
Silenced: how journalism became Mexico’s most dangerous profession →
“Martínez, who called himself ‘The Son of the Lone Ranger,’ became the 47th journalist killed during the nearly six-year presidency of Andrés Manuel López Obrador, one short of the record for a single administration.”
Axios / Kerry Flynn
Gaming the media: Publishers want to use puzzles and games to boost engagement →
“Last week, three media outlets released games-related announcements. BuzzFeed launched a redesign for BuzzFeed Arcade, home to Pyramid Scheme, AI generators and other games. Vulture released an archive of Cinematrix, its daily movie trivia game. Mashable announced its partnership with Arkadium to offer games like Mahjong and Sudoku.”
The Wrap / Natalie Korach
Kelce brothers ink “New Heights” podcast deal with Amazon’s Wondery worth over $100 million →
“The weekly series continues to rank among the most popular podcasts on both the Apple Podcast and Spotify charts, and it was named Podcast of the Year at the 2024 iHeartPodcast Awards.”