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 ]
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Old media find their footing

The world of traditional media suffered so many earthquakes in 2013—Time Inc. getting set to spin off from Time Warner, The Washington Post selling for a song, New York magazine announcing the end of its weekly status—that one could be forgiven for thinking the sky will fall on the industry in... Continue reading at Crains New York

[ Crains New York | 2014-01-05 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Native advertising is the new paywall in media economics - but is it here to stay?

Many digital publishers have placed it at the heart of their business strategy - but there are concerns over transparencyIn 1917, the American Federal Trade Commission settled a case with the Muensen Speciality Co., over an ad for its vacuum cleaner, which it presented as a favourable newspaper... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2014-01-05 00:00:00 UTC ]
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'Duck Dynasty' star Phil Robertson's book sales spike following controversy

Phil Robertson was temporarily removed from 'Duck Dynasty' after he made controversial comments in an interview.  Continue reading at The Christian Science Monitor

[ The Christian Science Monitor | 2014-01-04 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Hearst's Swartz Eyes B2B Media, Entertainment, for Growth

Hearst Corp. had record revenue and profits in 2013, when it marked the fourth year in a row of growth on both fronts since the 2008 recession, Steven Swartz said in a New Year’s letter to employees recapping the year he took over as chief executive. Swartz, formerly the head of Hearst’s... Continue reading at AdWeek

[ AdWeek | 2014-01-02 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Controversy Doesn't Slow 'Happy' Sales

Sales of the Duck Dynasty star's book, Happy, Happy, Happy, saw an 86% increase between the weeks ended December 15 and December 22. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2013-12-30 00:00:00 UTC ]
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These Stories Dominated Digital Media in 2013

Digital media is thriving. Online advertising is growing faster than any other medium. The Web is hot. Except for the fact that the Web has had all sorts of growing pains. And major business challenges. And it changes constantly, sometimes quite radically. It's certainly never boring, and... Continue reading at AdWeek

[ AdWeek | 2013-12-24 00:00:00 UTC ]
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6 Media Tech Predictions for 2014

From big data to responsive design to the next iOS, technology has become inextricably linked to publishing. No one has a perfect model for it yet though. In many cases, content has raced ahead of monetization. In other instances, it's reversed. Neither side is stopping to wait for the other to... Continue reading at Folio Magazine

[ Folio Magazine | 2013-12-20 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Bestsellers, Social Media and Humor as a Path to God

As Chaplain of The Colbert Report and a bestselling author, Rev. James Martin S.J. is one few religious figures to star on the mass media. Here, the bestselling author discusses his career and beliefs. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2013-12-20 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Obama's half-brother's memoir may prove controversial

Mark Obama Ndesandjo's book will reportedly detail abuse, beatings from the father he and the president shared. Continue reading at The Christian Science Monitor

[ The Christian Science Monitor | 2013-12-20 00:00:00 UTC ]
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HMRC asked to investigate Vice Media over 'unpaid internship' advert

Tax officials have been asked to investigate Vice Media, the multi-platform publishing group, over its apparent attempt to recruit an administrator on an unpaid work experience basis.A report on Graduate Fog, the website that offers careers advice to graduates, points to the headline on the job... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2013-12-16 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Guardian News & Media appoints David Pemsel as deputy chief executive

Ex-ITV marketing director promoted from position as Guardian publisher's chief commercial officerDavid Pemsel, chief commercial officer of Guardian publisher Guardian News & Media, has been promoted to deputy chief executive.Pemsel, the former ITV marketing director, will take over... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2013-12-16 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Rupert Murdoch cards turn Twitter gems into festive greetings | Media Monkey

Fans of Rupert Murdoch's musings on Twitter can now share his thoughts with their friends this festive season. No, the Times isn't publishing a Christmas supplement compiling its owner's thoughts – New York artist Michelle Vaughan has produced letterpress cards featuring a selection of his... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2013-12-10 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Hearst's Troy Young Spills: This Is How You Make Money In Digital Media

The 126-year-old publishing company's new head of digital talks about what kind of content works, balancing legacy with progress, and how to find the "unicorns" to lead your brand where it needs to go.The publishing industry in the digital age is a lawless frontier of fluctuating business... Continue reading at Fast Company

[ Fast Company | 2013-12-04 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Obama's tech wizard hones his media weapons to help Miliband get to No 10

He was the scourge of Mitt Romney in the 2012 US election, now Obama's 'backroom Brit' is heading Labour's digital response team for its 2015 campaignIn his new book about the 2012 US presidential election campaign, the Time journalist Mark Halperin singles out the role played by a young Briton... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2013-12-01 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Buczacki heads Garden Media Guild prizewinners

Professor Stefan Buczacki has been presented with the Lifetime Achievement Award at the Garden... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2013-11-28 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Bible teaches Costco a lesson: genre matters

Booksellers need to be careful when they assign a book a genre – as Costco learned when it categorized the Bible as 'fiction.' Continue reading at The Christian Science Monitor

[ The Christian Science Monitor | 2013-11-26 00:00:00 UTC ]
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The Downside of Digital Media’s Scale Fetish

In the world of online publishing, traffic means little in and of itself. That fact is often overlooked by some in the digital media world. The post The Downside of Digital Media’s Scale Fetish appeared first on Digiday. Continue reading at Digiday

[ Digiday | 2013-11-22 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Forbes Media looks to sell company

Forbes Media LLC, the closely held publisher founded by the family of former U.S. presidential candidate Steve Forbes, is exploring a sale after getting interest from potential buyers.The New York-based publisher of 96-year-old Forbes magazine and Forbes.com is working with Deutsche Bank AG on... Continue reading at Crains New York

[ Crains New York | 2013-11-15 00:00:00 UTC ]
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The More Social Media and Cable Change the News, the More Things Stay the Same

The media-industrial complex loves nothing so much as an anniversary -- especially a grim anniversary. Considering that the assassination of President John F. Kennedy is an event that not only radically transformed our nation but the media itself, it's no surprise that the 50th anniversary of... Continue reading at Advertising Age

[ Advertising Age | 2013-11-12 00:00:00 UTC ]
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8 Lessons Startups Can Learn From Twitter's Chaotic Creation Story

Most startups will never see anything close to the amount of money Twitter plans on raising during its IPO this week (a reported $1.6 billion) and in fact, three out of four tech businesses fail. Entrepreneurs in training looking to create a successful company, then, might want to know what... Continue reading at Fast Company

[ Fast Company | 2013-11-04 00:00:00 UTC ]
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