Some lessons from the MIT Media Lab controversy

When the news first broke that the MIT Media Lab had a close relationship with deceased billionaire and convicted pedophile Jeffrey Epstein, some saw it as a momentary lapse in judgment, and there was widespread support for Media Lab director Joi Ito. But then New Yorker writer Ronan Farrow reported that the Epstein relationship was much deeper than it first appeared — including the fact that Ito got a significant amount of money from Epstein for his own personal investments. Much of the earlier support evaporated, and Ito agreed to resign. And there were other spinoff effects as well: Richard Stallman, a free-software pioneer and veteran MIT professor, also resigned, after being criticized for comments he made on an internal email list that downplayed the impact of Epstein’s sexual abuse. To explore these and other issues, CJR had a series of one-on-one and roundtable interviews — using its Galley discussion platform — with a number of journalists and other interested observers, including WBUR reporter Max Larkin, Slate writer Justin Peters, Gizmodo editor Adam Clark Estes and Stanford researcher Becca Lewis. We talked about why places like the Media Lab often get a free pass from reporters, and why there’s so much technology writing that focuses on the “hero/genius” trope, where the all-knowing founder gets credit for inventing something amazing, even if the thing they invented either doesn’t work (Theranos) and/or they are terrible people in a variety of ways (Steve... Continue reading at 'Columbia Journalism Review'

[ Columbia Journalism Review | 2019-10-03 10:50:57 UTC ]
News tagged with: #mark zuckerberg #bill gates #jeff bezos

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What’s Next for American Media, LLC? | News & Notes

After nearly two years of ongoing scrutiny related to the alleged activities of its CEO, David Pecker, and chief content officer, Dylan Howard, the company now known as American Media, LLC is moving on to life after The National Enquirer, the cornerstone upon which Pecker built his tabloid... Continue reading at Folio Magazine

[ Folio Magazine | 2019-10-15 20:27:22 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #audited media #long-form writing #expanded role #highest level #alison overholt #executive producer #social channels #hearst


This is how the world ends, not with a bang but a tweet: Sports Media Brief

Welcome to the another edition of Ad Age Sports Media Brief, a weekly roundup of news from every zone of the sports media spray chart, including the latest on broadcast/cable/streaming, sponsorships, endorsements, gambling and tech. The Undoing Project One day soon, when we’re living in some... Continue reading at Advertising Age

[ Advertising Age | 2019-10-15 11:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #$200 million #social disease #nielsen


Ronan Farrow’s dark memoir puts the media at the center of intersecting conspiracies

‘Catch and Kill’ follows a reporter’s noirish road to uncovering alleged sexual misconduct at NBC and in Hollywood. Continue reading at The Washington Post

[ The Washington Post | 2019-10-14 16:12:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #ronan farrow #memoir


Media Mergers Aren’t New. So Why Are Publishers Consolidating Now?

Perhaps it was promising, years ago, to see the media industry booming thanks to investments by venture capital-backed funders and large media conglomerates hoping to cash in early on promising new digital media titles. But now, it's the time in the industry's life cycle for those same flashy... Continue reading at AdWeek

[ AdWeek | 2019-10-14 15:22:42 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #life cycle #digital media


Life lessons from a mole — and the man who made a living catching them

‘How to Catch a Mole’ is a wondrous work that will show you a new way to look at nature — and life. Continue reading at The Washington Post

[ The Washington Post | 2019-10-14 13:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #life lessons


Advertising lessons learned and reaffirmed by HBO’s ‘Succession’

As an abashed former News Corp employee (thankfully at HarperCollins, one of the Murdoch portfolio’s least-offensive holdings), HBO’s "Succession" is my straight shot of Sunday-night dopamine. The show’s great even if you aren’t attuned to the devastating, thinly veiled media and publishing... Continue reading at Advertising Age

[ Advertising Age | 2019-10-11 11:22:17 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #nice reminder #parent brand #airtight positioning #ridiculous glut #streaming platforms #batting average #deliver non-stop #t-miss products #toughest test #warnermedia umbrella #three-dimensional chess-plotting #adland-relevant lessons #ad guy #hat tip #standout lines #publishing world #news corp


Tiger Oak Media Files for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy

Citing mounting vendor debt and declining revenue, Tiger Oak Media—the publisher of more than 30 regional and bridal magazines around the country—has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, according to documents filed in U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Minnesota on Monday. The 26-year-old... Continue reading at Folio Magazine

[ Folio Magazine | 2019-10-10 14:55:27 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #reduce costs #net profit #faced accusations #tiger oak #interested parties


Digital media companies consolidating should boost their forays into Hollywood

The recent media mergers could help the combined companies to secure more production deals with streaming services. The post Digital media companies consolidating should boost their forays into Hollywood appeared first on Digiday. Continue reading at Digiday

[ Digiday | 2019-10-09 04:01:45 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #hollywood appeared #streaming services #digital media


‘It can be demotivating’: Digital media’s all-stock deals are the new normal

With banks more reluctant to lend, venture capitalists aren't interested in buying digital media companies that aren't growing quickly. The post ‘It can be demotivating’: Digital media’s all-stock deals are the new normal appeared first on Digiday. Continue reading at Digiday

[ Digiday | 2019-10-09 04:01:17 UTC ]
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Vesuvian Media Group Buys Black Spot Books

Vesuvian Media Group, a books-to-film multimedia company, has acquired Black Spot Books, which has a growing list of adult and young adult titles. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2019-10-09 04:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #growing list


PWedu’s Christian Publishing Summit: Lessons Learned from Top Christian Social Channels

PW’s online immersion course is gathering pioneering industry leaders including editors, authors, and social media strategists for a multi-week guest speaker program from Oct. 30 to Nov. 20. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2019-10-09 04:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #lessons learned #online immersion


Media Mergers Highlight Arbitrary Private Valuations

A slew of digital media acquisitions over the past few weeks shows how unreliable private valuations can be. The only Continue reading at Editor & Publisher

[ Editor & Publisher | 2019-10-08 16:38:01 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #digital media


What Would Media Companies Look Like If Sales Leaders Reinvented The Business Model?

Twenty years ago, the news publishing world looked a lot different than it does today. Newspapers were still the main Continue reading at Editor & Publisher

[ Editor & Publisher | 2019-10-07 07:00:48 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #media companies #business model #news publishing


Upheaval at Sports Illustrated, Mergers in Digital Media | News & Notes

A staff uprising at Sports Illustrated... Following Tuesday's New York Post report that editor-in-chief Chris Stone is exiting Sports Illustrated after 27 years with the magazine, The Wall Street Journal added late Wednesday evening that the brand's new operator, TheMaven Inc., is planning to... Continue reading at Folio Magazine

[ Folio Magazine | 2019-10-03 20:41:59 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #hearst magazines #vox media #ae networks #vice media #30% stake #provide advertisers #user experience #hearst #digital media


Vice Media to acquire Refinery29 in drive for female audiences

Vice Media Inc., the youth-oriented media company, agreed to acquire the online publisher Refinery29, seeking to reignite growth by reaching a young female audience. The deal marks the biggest move yet by Vice Chief Executive Officer Nancy Dubuc, who has been trying to revive the once... Continue reading at Advertising Age

[ Advertising Age | 2019-10-02 19:51:02 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #regulatory approval #financial adviser #falling short #bloomberg reported #$450 million #—bloomberg news #hearst #digital publishing #digital media #online publisher


MediaMath launches new platform to 'clean up' digital media supply chain

Partners on the initiative include the Rubicon Project, Telaria, Acoustic, Akamai, Business Insider, Crackle Plus, Havas Media, IBM Watson, Inscape/Vizio, IRIS.TV, News Corp, Octopus Interactive, Oracle Data Cloud, Publishers Clearing House and White Ops. Continue reading at Silicon Valley Business Journal

[ Silicon Valley Business Journal | 2019-10-02 16:44:44 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #rubicon project #business insider #havas media #ibm watson #digital media


‘We’re very actively looking’: Dotdash’s Neil Vogel on digital media M&A

The Dotdash CEO reflects on media's buyers and sellers, and the underlying trends that have guided the media deals that have defined 2019. The post ‘We’re very actively looking’: Dotdash’s Neil Vogel on digital media M&A appeared first on Digiday. Continue reading at Digiday

[ Digiday | 2019-10-01 16:38:36 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #media deals #digital media


1517 Media Acquires Luther University Press

The Christian multimedia company 1517 Media whose imprints include Beaming Books, Fortress Press, and Augsburg Books, has acquired Lutheran University Press, Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2019-09-30 04:00:00 UTC ]
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RockYou Successor Wild Sky Media Hires New CEO | People on the Move

[caption id="attachment_171661" align="alignright" width="150"] Emily Smith[/caption] Wild Sky Media has hired Emily Smith as its new CEO. Smith previously served as the company's SVP of content and marketing at Wild Sky Media, a role which Johanna Torres, formerly VP of content and editorial... Continue reading at Folio Magazine

[ Folio Magazine | 2019-09-26 17:39:26 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #today show #asian markets #published author #creative director #executive producer #digital director #digital media


Area man attempts to sell self-published book to 50 bookstores in 50 days, learns lesson along the way.

As reported in The Republic, Columbus, Ohio’s Mason Engel had already tried to get his self-published reboot of Orwell’s dystopian classic, 1984, into the hands of New York literary agents—like, right into their actual hands. After reaching number one in Amazon’s dystopian fiction category,... Continue reading at Literrary Hub

[ Literrary Hub | 2019-09-25 15:11:55 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #self-published book