Thursday, February 20, 2025 |
| The gig work platform Outlier is one of several companies courting journalists to train large language models (LLMs). By Andrew Deck. |
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| A new study found that, on TikTok and Elon Musk’s Twitter, nearly 3/4 of all partisan content being pushed algorithmically to German users favored the party best known for its ties to neo-Nazis. By Joshua Benton. |
What We’re ReadingThe New Yorker / Kyle Chayka
The second Trump administration’s new forms of distraction →“The need for immersive distraction seems to rise in tandem with how relentless the news is…The id of the Internet has taken its place in front of the cameras, driving the news from Washington.”Current / Tess Vrbin
Proposal to eliminate Arkansas State Library and PBS governing boards passes state senate →“Local projects that tell the stories of Arkansan people and their stories and their histories and their struggles — those stories could be lost if they lose this funding,” Democratic state senator Jamie Scott of North Little Rock said.404 Media / Jules Roscoe
Ziff Davis, owner of sites including IGN and CNET, quietly removed DEI language from its website →“‘Internal HR reps assure us all is well, that DEI programs and employee resource groups will remain unchanged,’ [a Ziff Davis employee] told 404 Media. But they’re still concerned about the changes to the website…‘It’s scary enough when a Walmart or Hobby Lobby caters to the right, but when a massive media company starts complying in advance with Orwellian Newspeak the potential ripple effects feel extra scary,’ the employee who spoke to 404 Media said.”Wired / Dell Cameron and Dhruv Mehrotra
Google ad-tech users can target national security “Decision Makers” and people with chronic diseases →“‘This is exactly the kind of seemingly obscure data that would pique a foreign adversary’s interest,’ says Justin Sherman, CEO of Global Cyber Strategies, and author of the upcoming book Navigating Technology and National Security. ‘It’s not necessarily held in every dataset, but it speaks to a medical condition, it speaks to use of a powerful drug, and it speaks to something that could potentially be exploited in an intelligence context.’”TechCrunch / Aisha Malik
Substack, still trying to become a TikTok alternative, is introducing new video monetization and posting features →“Previously, creators have been able to share videos in Notes, which is Substack’s Twitter-like feed, but the Notes feature doesn’t support paywalls. Plus, subscribers aren’t notified when a creator posts a Note…Substack says that video creators who are worried about their future on TikTok can join its platform to build a subscription-based video business and that creators on Substack can reach their audience directly, without relying on algorithms.” The Associated Press
AP creates Local Investigative Reporting Program →The new program will include “providing training for local newsrooms in areas such as open source investigative techniques; using AI for local investigations; producing localized investigative guides; connecting local newsrooms with AP editors and other subject matter experts; and working with AP’s data team to provide data analysis services, consultations and data distributions,” AP executive editor Julie Pace wrote in a memo to staff.The Verge / Jess Weatherbed
Spotify is making it easier to release audiobooks narrated by AI →“AI-recorded audiobooks are already permitted on Spotify, albeit with several restrictions. Spotify’s audiobook distribution platform, Findaway Voices, only accepts digitally recorded audiobooks from ‘specific partners’ — having previously also partnered with Google Play Books — and requires each recording to undergo review before publishing. ElevenLabs is one of the most recognizable AI voice providers on the market, however, which could lead to a surge in synthetically voiced audiobooks on Spotify’s platform.”Poynter / Enock Nyariki
Fact-checkers are among the top sources for X’s Community Notes →“The study, conducted by Spanish fact-checking site Maldita, ranked professional fact-checkers among the three most cited sources on Community Notes, a feature on X that lets users add context to misleading posts. The top sources also include other posts on X and Wikipedia. The study also found that users trust notes citing an accredited organization more, helping them appear faster on misleading posts and allowing misinformation to be addressed before it spreads further.”The New York Times / Michael Levenson
A judge ordered a Mississippi newspaper to remove an editorial critical of local officials →“‘I’ve been in this business for five decades and I’ve never seen anything quite like this,’ [Wyatt Emmerich, the president of Emmerich Newspapers, which owns The Press Register] said in an interview, adding that the judge had targeted ‘an editorial that is pretty plain vanilla, criticizing the City Council for not sending out the appropriate notices.’” Emmerich plans to fight the order at a hearing next week. BBC
Azerbaijan orders suspension of BBC News Azerbaijani in Baku →“State-controlled media has reported that the government wanted to reduce the number of BBC staff working in the country to one. The BBC says its team of journalists in Baku have suspended their journalistic activities while it seeks clarification on the instruction, but that it remains committed to continuing to report in the Azerbaijani language.”
Nieman Lab / Fuego
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