PressPad, an attempt to bring some class diversity to posh British journalism, is shutting down

Monday, April 15, 2024

PressPad, an attempt to bring some class diversity to posh British journalism, is shutting down “While there is even more need for this intervention than when we began the project, the initiative needs more resources than the current team can provide.” By Joshua Benton.

Is the Texas Tribune an example or an exception? A conversation with Evan Smith about earned income “I think risk aversion is the thing that’s killing our business right now.” By Richard Tofel.

What We’re ReadingThe New York Times / Sapna Maheshwari and Mike IsaacReady for a chatbot version of your favorite Instagram influencers? →“The program, which is in its early stages of testing and known as ‘Creator A.I.,’ would allow influencers to chat with fans through direct messages on the social network and potentially through Instagram comments in the future, according to five people briefed on the company’s plans. The program will essentially be a chatbot that mimics the ‘voice’ of the Instagram influencer to respond to fans, the people said.”The New York Times / Benjamin MullinBarry Diller bets on media veterans to turn around The Daily Beast →“The Daily Beast has long been an outlier in the digital empire of the billionaire Barry Diller. As sites like Match.com and Expedia made millions over the years, Mr. Diller’s digital tabloid lost money, publishing scoop after scoop but struggling to turn a profit.”The Washington Post / Emily Yahr and Elahe IzadiO.J. Simpson’s trial spawned an insatiable appetite for reality TV →“In other words, you can thank, or blame, O.J. Simpson for everything that has happened to television — including Kim Kardashian.”Semafor / Max TaniThe Intercept is running out of cash →“Now spun off from Omidyar’s First Look Media, The Intercept is losing roughly $300,000 a month, is on track to have a balance of less than a million dollars by November — and could be completely out of cash by May 2025, according to data shared internally in March.”The Guardian / Kari PaulGoogle blocking links to California news outlets from search results →“The change applies only to some people using Google in California, though it is not clear how many. The California Journalism Preservation Act (CJPA) would require large online platforms to pay a ‘journalism usage fee’ for linking to news sites based in the Golden state. The bill cleared the California assembly in 2023. To become law, it would need to pass in the Senate before being signed by the governor, Gavin Newsom.”Sherwood News / Rani MollaMarketplace is a bright spot amid traffic decline for Facebook →“Marketplace saw US desktop visits jump 15% this February compared to a year earlier, according to data from digital intelligence company Similarweb. At the same time, traffic to the social network itself declined nearly 4%. That makes Marketplace a bright spot for the social-media giant, which…has been struggling to stay relevant — especially among young people in the US.”The Wall Street Journal / Megan Graham“Made for advertising” websites are the marketing industry’s latest messy situation →“MFA sites also often aggressively refresh the ads they display, potentially showing visitors the same ad thousands of times in a single session, according to a report by the research firm Adalytics. That means unwitting brands could be paying astronomical prices to reach one consumer.”Media Matters for AmericaMedia Matters wins an injunction against Texas AG Ken Paxton’s Musk-inspired “investigation” →“Elon Musk encouraged Republican state attorneys general to use their power to harass their critics and stifle reporting about X. Ken Paxton was one of those AGs that took up the call and he was defeated. Today’s decision is a victory for free speech.”The Verge / Wes DavisBluesky lifts its ban on accounts for heads of state →“At the moment, it doesn’t look like Biden has joined up, so there’s no Commander-in-Skeets quite yet.”The New York Times / Michael M. GrynbaumNews outlets urge Trump and Biden to commit to presidential debates →“A group of major news organizations — including The Associated Press and the five big broadcast and cable networks — issued an unusual joint statement on Sunday urging President Biden and former President Donald J. Trump to commit to participating in televised debates before Election Day.”The Guardian / Adrian HortonFrom Scoop to Civil War: Why is it so hard to portray journalism on screen? →“For nearly as long as writers have written movies, they have written about their jobs, and journalism — the work of chasing tips and collecting facts and creating news – is good for plot and some moral gristle. It’s also easy shorthand for a host of character traits, particularly for women — obsessive, frazzled, ambitious, independent, intelligent, perfectionist.”The Washington Post / Drew HarwellSmall-time investors in Trump’s Truth Social reckon with the stock’s collapse →“The user @manofpeace123, who said they bought shares at $65 and that 71 percent of their portfolio was DJT stock, said on Wednesday that investing was a way of telling Trump, ‘I believe in you and I stand with you through good times and bad.’ But a day later, the user added: ‘can’t help but feel sad…feel like I’m trying to catch a falling knife.'”The New York Times / Elizabeth JensenR.I.P. Robert MacNeil, half-namesake for PBS’ MacNeil/Lehrer NewsHour →“‘Television has changed journalism, utterly, not just for television, but for print and everybody else,’ he said. ‘It’s changed the whole culture and ethos of journalism. And to have been able to hold the line — perhaps Canute-like — against a tide that’s going to engulf us all in the end, for a few years, has been a source of gratification to me.'”Variety / Michael SchneiderA new Dan Rather documentary will debut on Netflix April 24 →“The feature utilizes the story of Rather’s life on television to also explore the evolution of broadcast journalism, the troubles a free press now faces, along with the slide of American society from hard-fought advances in social justice and democratic freedoms.”The Verge / David PierceThinking about buying the Humane AI Pin? Um, don’t →“That raises the second question: should you buy this thing? That one’s easy. Nope. Nuh-uh. No way. The AI Pin is an interesting idea that is so thoroughly unfinished and so totally broken in so many unacceptable ways that I can’t think of anyone to whom I’d recommend spending the $699 for the device and the $24 monthly subscription.”Press Gazette / David ButtleGoogle’s fight in France and what it means for U.K. publishers →“Google’s decision to pay repeated fines instead of comply gives us reasons to think that U.K. publishers are soon going to be able to improve their terms with the Mountain View behemoth.”The Guardian / Jim WatersonPolitical TV ads could be heading to U.K. screens due to a legal loophole →“Ever since commercial television began in 1955, British political parties have been banned by law from buying television adverts. The idea was that this improved the quality of public debate and stopped wealthy political parties buying their way into voters’ homes — ensuring the U.K. has avoided the political attack ads that are prevalent during American elections.”

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