Bloomberg Businessweek’s editor believes print remains the ultimate “distraction-free news product”

[Nieman Lab: The Daily Digest] Monday, July 15, 2024 [Bloomberg Businessweek’s editor believes print remains the ultimate “distraction-free news product”]( “I’ve joked about Businessweek(ish); I don’t think that one was really considered.” By Sarah Scire. What We’re Reading The Associated Press [New Yorker journalist Masha Gessen has been convicted in absentia in Russia for criticizing the military →]( “Russian police put Gessen on a wanted list in December, and Russian media reported the case was based on statements they made about atrocities in the Ukrainian town of Bucha in an interview with a popular Russian online blogger.” Current / Austin Fuller [LAist has cut 28 positions with buyouts and layoffs →]( “The station is also reducing third-party costs and compensation for senior leaders and will renegotiate several contracts to reduce spending, the statement said. It did not specify how much those moves will save.” The Washington Post / Taylor Lorenz [“BlueAnon” conspiracy theories are flooding social media after the Trump rally shooting →]( “The shooting threw into overdrive a phenomenon dubbed “BlueAnon” — a play on the right-wing conspiracy theory QAnon — that refers to liberal conspiracy theories online. As more Americans lose trust in mainstream institutions and turn to partisan commentators and influencers for information, experts say they are seeing a big uptick in the manufacture and spread of BlueAnon conspiracy theories, a sign that the communal warping of reality is spreading well beyond the right.” Sahan Journal [Sahan Journal names Vanan Murugesan as next executive director →]( “Vanan becomes the nonprofit’s second leader, succeeding founder and CEO Mukhtar M. Ibrahim.” Columbia Journalism Review / Jon Allsop [The cynicism of blaming the media for the Trump assassination attempt →]( “There has of course been overheated media coverage of Trump, but covering his threats to democracy is not overheated in and of itself, and ‘the media’ is a very big place. Some of the critics seemed to be accusing journalists of being both overly reckless and, at least in their coverage of the shooting’s immediate aftermath, overly cautious (even if that’s not what they thought they were criticizing).” La Nación [Miami police forcefully ejected an Argentine journalist from the Hard Rock Stadium at the Copa América final →]( “They threw us out, but we didn’t disrespect anyone. We were on the side of the people, showing what was happening, and we were physically attacked by those who controlled access…We were doing journalism, our job, showing what was happening,” journalist Leo Paradizo told La Nación. Semafor / Semafor [Big media outlets are questioning Biden’s fitness. Some of their audience is furious. →]( “The Biden crisis also exposes the risks of developing audiences that can’t differentiate between critical-but-fair journalism and ideological media that primarily serves a political party. Playing on audiences’ political views can be useful in the short term — for, in particular, driving subscriptions, the new lifeline for American news media — but clearly can result in some angry readers and subscribers when you tell them what they don’t want to hear.” WIRED / Jason Parham [Elon Musk couldn’t beat him. AI just might. →]( “The only cost in the past for being able to disseminate these messages for zero cost to a billion people was producing it. AI changes the economics of the production of disinformation and turns that to zero as well. So what we are now in is that we’ve very, very quickly gone from the conventional age of disinformation to the nuclear age of disinformation with social media, and now to the thermonuclear age of disinformation, where AI and social media combine.” Poynter / Tom Jones [The story behind the powerful photo of Donald Trump that could change the country →]( “I shoot politics for a living, man,” Associated Press photographer Evan Vucci said. “Every single photo I take people are going to argue about. I spend my life around a very highly polarized part of our society, so no matter what I do, people are gonna hate it. People are gonna love it. Listen, as long as everyone hates me equally, I’m doing the job.” Press Gazette / Bron Maher [Inside Long Lead: The award-winning journalism bet made by a high-stakes poker player →]( “Despite making almost no revenue, it pays journalists ‘the highest rates’ to carry out months-long reporting projects using venture capital invested by a hedge fund manager and occasional high-stakes poker player.” Toolkits [How The Information is combating involuntary churn →]( “Most publishers are aware that a portion of their subscription revenue is lost to involuntary churn, but addressing it thoroughly hasn’t been top of priority lists for many. As their subscription businesses grow and mature, however, it’s becoming clear that failed payments and unintentional cancellations represent a significant and growing revenue opportunity.” [Nieman Lab]( / [Fuego]( [Twitter]( / [Facebook]( [View email in browser]( [Unsubscribe]( You are receiving this daily newsletter because you signed up for for it at www.niemanlab.org. Nieman Journalism Lab Harvard University 1 Francis Ave.Cambridge, MA 02138 [Add us to your address book](