The Wall Street Journal debuts a new podcast with investing news for “Joe Sixpack”

[Nieman Lab: The Daily Digest] Monday, October 2, 2023 [The Wall Street Journal debuts a new podcast with investing news for “Joe Sixpack”]( Downloads for The Wall Street Journal’s podcasts were up 14% over the past year. Downloads for its flagship podcast, The Journal, increased 20% over the same time period. By Sarah Scire. [Journalists can be TikTokers too. Three journalists explain how to use the platform for news]( “Audiences really want to see you be a human being.” By Hanaa' Tameez. What We’re Reading Washington Post / Ben Strauss [The scoop wars of the modern NBA →]( “It’s the only real rivalry left in the NBA,” one reporter said of the battle between ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski and his former protégé, The Athletic’s Shams Charania. “Everyone else likes each other.” The New York Times / Tiffany Hsu and Stuart A. Thompson [Fact checkers take stock of their efforts: “It’s not getting better” →]( “The work continues to draw interest from new parts of the world, and some think tanks and good-government groups have begun offering their own fact-checking services, experts said. Harassment and government repression, however, remain major deterrents. Political polarization has turned fact-checking and other misinformation defenses into a target among right-wing influencers, who claim that debunkers are biased against them.” The New York Times / Orlando Mayorquin [The police chief who ordered that raid on a Kansas newspaper has been suspended →]( “Mayor David Mayfield suspended the chief, Gideon Cody, indefinitely, according to Brogan Jones, the city’s administrator. Mr. Jones did not a provide a reason for the chief’s suspension, and it was not immediately clear whether the chief was suspended with pay.” The Washington Post / Taylor Lorenz [Inside the secret meeting of Vine stars that ushered in the app’s demise →]( “Vine was TikTok before TikTok. The company’s only problem was itself. Vine’s spectacular rise and fall showed the power of online creators. Its demise offers crucial lessons for platforms trying to engage with power users — and a deeper understanding of who ultimately controls a social product.” / Ellie Rushing [Philadelphia journalist Josh Kruger shot and killed inside his home →]( “[Josh] Kruger was a journalist and former city spokesperson who advocated for more support for some of the city’s most vulnerable residents, including the homeless, people in addiction, and LGBTQ community. He worked for the City of Philadelphia for about five years…In 2021, he returned to journalism and wrote freelance articles about the LGBTQ community, city and state politics, and other issues for outlets including The Inquirer, the Philadelphia Citizen, LGBTQ Nation, and Billy Penn.” The Washington Post / Karen Attiah [The moment I knew the world would try to move on from Jamal Khashoggi →]( “It was an ominous expression of modern journalism’s obsession with bothsidesism — its constant impulse to give oppressors as much care and elevation as those they oppress. Worse, I see a trend away from centering progressive global voices speaking out for human rights. I sadly think that Arab writers such as Jamal find it harder to be platformed in our media today.” The Guardian / GNM press office [The Guardian announces creation of its first U.S. investigations unit →]( “Michael Hudson, most recently senior editor at the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists…will lead a new editorial unit to investigate corporate and government misconduct, attacks on human rights, and other urgent challenges facing the United States.” Axios / Sara Fischer [The Philadelphia Inquirer launches 7-figure ad campaign to lure millennials →]( Some of these ads seem to target Philadelphia residents who subscribe to The New York Times instead of their hometown newspaper. “Unsubscribe from I Search Engine Land / Nicola Agius [22% of all online ad spending — $84 billion! — is lost to ad fraud annually →]( “This figure is expected to soar to $170 billion in five years’ time in 2028, according to a new in-depth study from Juniper Research.” The Dirt / Daisy Alioto [Culture news site Dirt Media buys a design newsletter (and plans to acquire more) →]( “Tyler is joining forces with Dirt because we have seen a shift in the zeitgeist. Right now, there are a lot of excellent independent creators running their own publications on platforms like Substack and Patreon. But being on these platforms doesn’t offer the same advantages as being a part of a Condé Nast or Hearst where business development (ad sales, subscription strategy, new editorial hires) can be centralized and shared. Not everyone running a newsletter wants to run a business. Eventually, you have to do ads.” The Verge / Emma Roth [Google adds a switch for publishers to opt out of becoming AI training data →]( “The new tool, called Google-Extended, allows sites to continue to get scraped and indexed by crawlers like the Googlebot while avoiding having their data used to train AI models as they develop over time. The company says Google-Extended will let publishers ‘manage whether their sites help improve Bard and Vertex AI generative APIs,’ adding that web publishers can use the toggle to ‘control access to content on a site.'” Bloomberg / Ashley Carman [Malcolm Gladwell’s Pushkin Industries to lay off over 30% of staff →]( “Seventeen out of 54 employees are being let go, including members of the executive team, said Jacob Weisberg, chief executive officer and co-founder. The goal, he said, is to set up the company for profitability next year. As part of the changes, Weisberg will no longer serve as CEO. Instead, he is taking the title of executive chair.” Axios / Sara Fischer [Former CNN boss Jeff Zucker is buying a stake in newsletter startup Front Office Sports →]( “This is Zucker’s splashiest deal since launching RedBird IMI, a $1 billion investment fund focused on media, entertainment and sports. Zucker now has a brand and platform that he can use to develop and license new documentaries and video projects, with a source saying FOS will seek to hire new on-camera talent.” The New York Times / Alex Traub [R.I.P. Lucy Morgan, a Florida reporter who struck fear in the hearts of officials →]( “She greeted the legislators, lobbyists and maintenance people she knew not by asking, ‘How are you?’ but instead calling out, ‘You doin’ somethin’ bad?'” The Washington Post / Elahe Izadi [Who can a showbiz reporter interview when Hollywood is on strike? →]( “Freelance entertainment journalist Emily Zemler recently interviewed the production designer from ‘Barbie,’ who relayed that crew members were definitely ‘getting more time in the spotlight,’ since the A-list cast was off limits.” The Verge / Victoria Song [Smart glasses will need to be stylish to really go mainstream →]( “The thing is, if you’re mass-producing a gadget, the human body is kind of your enemy. No two people’s faces or vision are the same. Low nose bridges, strong prescriptions, astigmatism, and face shapes are all things you have to accommodate…just because most people look alright in Wayfarers doesn’t mean everyone wants to wear them.” Press Gazette / Bron Maher [New BBC rules say hosts of its “flagship” non-news shows must be apolitical during their shows’ seasons →]( “During that period, the presenters may not endorse or attack any political party, ‘criticise the character’ of any individual politicians in the UK, comment on issues that are ‘a matter of political debate’ during an election or referendum anywhere in the UK, take up an official role in a campaign group or get involved in fundraising or campaigning.” Reuters [China’s manipulation of media threatens global freedoms, says U.S. report →]( “The report…found that Beijing had spent billions of dollars annually on information manipulation efforts, including by acquiring stakes in foreign media through ‘public and non-public means,’ sponsoring online influencers and securing distribution agreements that promote unlabelled Chinese government content.” The Guardian / Mark Sweney [Axel Springer is interested in buying The Telegraph →]( “The Berlin-based media conglomerate, which was trumped by the Barclay brothers in a bidding battle for the Telegraph and the Spectator magazine in 2004, has notified bankers of its interest in joining the auction of Telegraph Media Group. Axel Springer is one of Europe’s leading media groups, owner of assets including daily Die Welt and tabloid Bild, and has long had an eye on ownership of a trophy UK newspaper.” The Marshall Project [The Marshall Project launches its second local news operation in Jackson, Mississippi →]( “The news team will serve local audiences, including people directly affected by the criminal justice system, who are often neglected or mischaracterized in media coverage.” Variety / Todd Spangler [Letterboxd, the “Goodreads for movies” social site, has been acquired by a Canadian tech firm →]( Letterboxd has been acquired by Tiny, based in Victoria, British Columbia. Letterboxd’s media arm includes the online magazine Journal and the The Letterboxd Show podcast. Medium / Tony Stubblebine [Medium is “doing what [it] can” to block AI training on its content →]( “Our end game is to get concessions in terms of credit, compensation, and consent from AI companies on behalf of Medium writers. But the question of how much of each is unclear, so it’s crucial that we hear from some of our writers. When we surveyed our authors, 92.2% of you said that you want us to take active measures against AI companies until these issues of fairness can be sorted out.” The 19th / Amanda Zamora [Amanda Zamora steps down as publisher of The 19th →]( “I came to realize that I have given The 19th what I was called to give in its formative years, and am now called to give others more space to lead as I rest, recharge and reexamine what my next phase of life looks like. While I’m not sure exactly what that work will entail, I know I’ll continue working to advance equity in this industry, in particular, refocusing my energy on community-first journalism and working more directly with BIPOC publishers to find paths to sustainability.” The Washington Post / Laura Wagner [The small pro-labor news site that has the Biden White House’s ear →]( “More Perfect Union first made its mark with coverage of the Amazon unionization effort, producing short documentary-style videos of warehouse employees describing their working conditions and Amazon’s efforts to stop union organizing. It also covered a Kellogg’s workers strike, unionizing efforts at Starbucks and a John Deere strike, and its reporting frequently inspired stories by mainstream news outlets.” Adweek / Mark Stenberg [The Daily Beast’s unpaywalled entertainment vertical earned seven-figure revenue in first year →]( “In a surprise to editorial leadership, coverage of reality television has proven to be one of the most popular offerings for Obsessed — outpacing genres like drama and true crime. The coverage is responsible for one-third of all entertainment revenue across the Daily Beast, according to Levy.” [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](