We keep an eye out for the most interesting stories about Labby subjects: digital media, startups, the web, journalism, strategy, and more. Here’s some of what we’ve seen lately.
March 31, 2024
“All Seasons Press launched in 2021 with a mission: publishing the conservative books that mainstream houses were scared to touch…the company was funded by Scott Bessent, a mega-wealthy investor with a track record of high-profile donations to Republican candidates and sterling conservative credentials — except for the fact that he got his big break in finance as a protégé of billionaire Democratic donor and right-wing boogeyman George Soros.” —
The Washington Post / Will Sommer
/ Mar 31“Radio Free Asia President Bay Fang said in a statement Friday that the outlet’s programming and content will continue without disruption. But, Fang said, actions by Hong Kong authorities, including referring to RFA as a ‘foreign force,’ raise serious questions about its ability to operate in safety following the enactment of [new national security law] Article 23.” —
NPR / John Ruwitch and Michele Kelemen
/ Mar 31“Our members across Scotland produce the award-winning journalism that is the flagship of the STV brand and are only asking for their pay to keep track with inflation.” —
“Founded 168 years ago by the Canadian-born British army officer Arthur B Sleigh, the Telegraph is seen as a mouthpiece of Conservative Britain. When the sale process began in October, the allure of owning that mouthpiece was too much to resist for several media barons. News Corp’s Rupert Murdoch, the Daily Mail group’s Lord Rothermere, the hedge fund manager Sir Paul Marshall, co-owner of GB News, and Axel Springer’s Mattias Döpfner all expressed their interest.” —
The Guardian / Eleni Courea and Jane Croft
/ Mar 31March 28, 2024
NPR / Miranda Green and David Folkenflik
/ Mar 28“‘We’re in a time of information abundance,’ says Brian Moritz, a sports media researcher at St. Bonaventure University. ‘But actual journalists—the people who hold systems and power structures accountable—they’re being totally phased out.'” —SS
Columbia Journalism Review / Josh Hersh
/ Mar 28“A core part of [Nick] Thompson’s strategy was to figure out how much readers would be willing to pay for a subscription. He ended up raising subscription prices by more than 50%, and made it harder for people to read stories without paying … Subscriptions now account for two-thirds of revenue, compared with a little less than half when Thompson took the helm.” —SC
The Wall Street Journal / Alexandra Bruell
/ Mar 28“Martin Innes, an expert on digital disinformation at Cardiff University in Wales, said he and his colleagues tracked 45 social media accounts that posted a spurious claim about Catherine to a Kremlin-linked disinformation network, which has previously spread divisive stories about Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelensky, as well as about France’s support for Ukraine.” —SC
The New York Times / Mark Landler and Adam Satariano
/ Mar 28“The piece, filed in Tech Gate by an alleged human named Bourbiza Mohamed — who racks up bylines on stories about video games, Bitcoin and NASA every five minutes or so — was published four hours after Poynter’s story. It had Poynter’s art and logo, and followed the same structure as Kelly McBride’s article, but nearly every sentence was rewritten with peculiar word choices. For example, the Tech Gate article says: ‘Consider of it (sic) like a meals prep package. A lot of the function is completed, however you even now must roll up your sleeves and perform a little little (sic) bit of labor.’ Compare that to McBride’s piece: ‘Think of it like a meal prep kit. Most of the work is done, but you still have to roll up your sleeves and do a bit of labor.'” —
Poynter / Alex Mahadevan
/ Mar 28“‘Like many other media outlets, GBH is facing financial headwinds,’ [chief executive Susan] Goldberg said in a statement, in response to Globe questions. ‘We are looking at a variety of ways to address this, including eliminating end-of-year bonuses across the organization. While final decisions have not yet been made, layoffs are not off the table.'” —SC
The Boston Globe / Aidan Ryan
/ Mar 28
