Bits: The 28-Second Video That Could

View in [Browser]( | Add nytdirect@nytimes.com to your address book. [The New York Times]( [The New York Times]( Thursday, July 6, 2017 [For the latest updates, go to nytimes.com/bits »]( [President Trump’s reposting Sunday of an altered wrestling video was celebrated by its creator.]( President Trump’s reposting Sunday of an altered wrestling video was celebrated by its creator. [The 28-Second Video That Could]( Every week — and sometimes more often than that — there is another reminder of how what happens on the internet can go viral and spill over into national politics and the mainstream media. This week, that reminder came in the form of a 28-second video created by a user of the online message board Reddit. The video depicts President Trump attacking a man with the CNN logo superimposed overhis head, a reference to the — how shall we put it? — somewhat up-and-down relationship between the president and a cable news network. The video erupted into a news story on Sunday, when Mr. Trump [posted it]( on Twitter. The move delighted his fans, and left others aghast. Some said that the president’s use of the video could incite his followers to threaten or attack media employees. The video’s impact did not end there. On Tuesday, CNN published [an article]( saying it had found and spoken to the Reddit user who made the video. The man had created other posts that were anti-Semitic and racist in nature, the network reported. CNN did not name the creator of the video because, it said, he was “a private citizen who had issued an extensive statement of apology” and had taken down the offending posts, butthe network said it “reserves the right to publish his identity should any of that change.” The CNN article — and in particular what some labeled the veiled threat to publish the video creator’s name — [immediately drew a backlash]( from Mr. Trump’s supporters and others. Using the hashtag #CNNBlackmail, right-wing Twitter users accused CNN of trying to blackmail the man who made the video. The mounting controversy against CNN was fueled by right-wing internet users, who Kevin Roose, a business columnist for The New York Times, [says]( make up “a particularly prolific and vocal internet subcommunity.” Many of those users frequent Reddit and sites like 4chan, where they have given birth to many a meme and conspiracy theory. How much longer the video’s impact will play out is unclear, but it has already done enough to earn the title of the little video that could. It has dominated several days’ worth of news cycles; spurred thousands of tweets, posts, comments and news articles; gotten a major news network into some hot water; and prompted a president to engage with it. Not bad for something that was only supposed to last 28 seconds. — Pui-Wing Tam Read More The Shift [How a CNN Investigation Set Off an Internet Meme War]( By KEVIN ROOSE Internet meme creators are declaring war on CNN, after one of their own was investigated by the network. ADVERTISEMENT HOW ARE WE DOING? We’d love your feedback on this newsletter. Please email thoughts and suggestions to [bits_newsletter@nytimes.com](mailto:bits_newsletter@nytimes.com?subject=Bits%20Newsletter%20Feedback%20223). More From The Times [Tesla Loses No. 1 Spot in Market Value Among U.S. Automakers]( By NEAL E. 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Tech Tip [Moving Your Amazon Music to a New Home]( By J. D. BIERSDORFER Amazon’s Kindle e-readers and tablets have been able to play music for years, and there are a few ways to move your listening library to a new device. ADVERTISEMENT LIKE THIS EMAIL? Forward it to your friends, and let them know they can sign up [here](. WANT MORE NEWS ABOUT CALIFORNIA? Subscribe to our California Today newsletter and get the news and stories that matter to Californians (and anyone else interested in the state), delivered weekday mornings. Sign up [here](. FOLLOW BITS [Twitter] [@nytimesbits]( Get more [NYTimes.com newsletters »]( | Get unlimited access to NYTimes.com and our NYTimes apps. [Subscribe »]( ABOUT THIS EMAIL You received this message because you signed up for NYTimes.com's Bits newsletter. [Unsubscribe]( | [Manage Subscriptions]( | [Change Your Email]( | [Privacy Policy]( | [Contact]( | [Advertise]( Copyright 2017 The New York Times Company 620 Eighth Avenue New York, NY 10018