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Thursday, November 16, 2023

The ADL condemns Elon Musk for his "indisputably dangerous" rhetoric, IBM suspends advertising on X after appearing next to Neo-Nazi content, The WaPo puts AR-15 horrors on display, The NYT Mag's poetry editor resigns to protest Israeli war actions, Apple announces a major messaging change, a disturbing TikTok trend amasses millions of views, Sean "Diddy" Combs is accused of rape (which he denies), Netflix's final season of "The Crown" gets poor reviews, and more. But first, the A1.

THE A1

Putin's Fight Out of Sight

CNN Photo Illustration/Diego Herrera Carcedo/Anadolu/Getty Images

When was the last time you saw a live television news report from Ukraine? It's likely been a while.

The raging war in the Middle East has put the prolonged war in Eastern Europe largely on the back burner, in terms of media coverage, with Vladimir Putin's campaign of brutality against Ukraine receiving much less attention from the press than it did prior to the Israel-Hamas conflict breaking out.

Closed-captioning data from the Internet Television Archive, which was analyzed by the GDELT Project, showed that on cable news, coverage of the Ukraine war plummeted dramatically after Hamas' shocking Oct. 7 terror attack. In the days before the Israel-Hamas war, the battle in Ukraine amounted to about eight percent of CNN's television coverage. After the attacks, CNN —the cable news network that provided the most Ukraine coverage — fell to under one percent.

As the chaos to elect a new House speaker ensnared Washington, there was a notable uptick in mentions of Ukraine on cable news networks — but the focus of the coverage mostly pertained to U.S. funding of the embattled nation, not the actual state of play in the war.

Data provided by ComScore, an Internet analytics firm, showed a similar trend play out online. The data indicated that there has been a significant drop in discussion on social media about the Ukraine war since the onset of the Israel-Hamas conflict, though it also indicated that in general, there had been a lull in attention to Putin's invasion in recent months.

The noted drop in Ukraine war coverage from the press, given the fresh violence in the Middle East, is not completely surprising. The horrific acts of violence Hamas carried out in Israel has shocked the world, arresting the attention of those who normally pay little regard to global affairs. U.S. outlets have also been juggling several other important stories in the last several weeks, including disarray in Congress, Donald Trump's legal issues, and a monstrous mass shooting in Maine.

But, at the same time, the drop in attention paid to Ukraine has been nothing short of a boon for Putin. The authoritarian Russian leader, who has committed unspeakable atrocities as his forces invade a sovereign nation, has been able to wage his war with far less scrutiny on his appalling actions.

Paul Kolbe, a senior fellow at the Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs in Harvard Kennedy School, who served for 25 years in the Central Intelligence Agency, told me that Putin must be "delighted" that the war between Israel and Hamas "is diverting US attention" as Russia "continues to strike Ukrainian cities and civilian targets."

"Even as Western press coverage of war in Ukraine wanes, Russia fills the vacuum in reporting with its own campaign of distributing lies and disinformation," Kolbe said. "Putin's strategy is to wear down Western patience and support, play upon U.S. domestic divisions, and to prey upon those in NATO which harbor latent Russian sympathies."

In addition to the kinetic military action, Putin is also waging an information war, using all the tools at his disposal to lie about and sanitize the acts of savagery being committed against a civilian population under his orders. As Kolbe told me, "Putin's media campaign to paint Ukraine as divided, corrupt, and a puppet of the U.S. and NATO, is a central part" of his strategy.

The lack of press attention makes that all the more easier.

——— BELOW THE FOLD ———

CNN Photo Illustration/Chesnot/Getty Images

Musk Takes Off the Mask: Conspiracy theorist and billionaire Elon Musk was roundly criticized on Thursday after, the day before, expressing support for a user who tried to prove "Hitler was right." The user claimed Jewish communities support "dialectical hatred against whites," to which Musk replied, "You have said the actual truth." In a statement, Anti-Defamation League chief executive Jonathan Greenblatt said, "At a time when antisemitism is exploding in America and surging around the world, it is indisputably dangerous to use one's influence to validate and promote antisemitic theories." And plenty of others joined in to skewer Musk for his dangerous rhetoric. CNN's David Goldman has more here.

🔎 Zooming in: This is far from the first time that Musk has amplified antisemitic tropes and rhetoric. Earlier this year, he demonized and smeared the ADL for pointing out that there has been a rise in hate speech on X. And Musk even went as far as to claim billionaire philanthropist George Soros, who has been the subject of a number of antisemitic conspiracy theories, "hates humanity" and "wants to erode the very fabric of civilization."

X MARKS THE HATE

Watchdog Media Matters — yet again — showed that advertisements from blue chip advertisers are appearing next to hate speech. This time, the progressive group issued a report that found ads were appearing adjacent to actual neo-Nazi content. (MMFA)
As a result of the report, IBM suspended advertising on X: "IBM has zero tolerance for hate speech and discrimination and we have immediately suspended all advertising on X while we investigate this entirely unacceptable situation," the company said.
Spokespersons for Apple, Comcast, NBCU and Oracle did not respond to requests for comment.
The hate saturating X is not disconnected from Musk's increasingly vile rhetoric. As Yair Rosenberg wrote, "After months of marinating in the most conspiratorial cesspools of his own site, Musk arrived today at his inevitable destination." (The Atlantic)
Big picture from Sam Hoadley-Brill: "WTF is wrong with the people still defending Elon Musk?" (Daily Beast)

THE INDUSTRY

CNN Photo Illustration/Justice Dept.

Putting Horror on Display: The Washington Post on Thursday published "Terror on Repeat," the latest story in the newspaper's ongoing series "examining the role of the AR-15 in American life." Accompanying the latest piece was graphic imagery taken during and immediately after mass shootings across the country. In a note to readers, Executive Editor Sally Buzbee explained the newspaper's decision in publishing the images. It came, she said, after "careful and extensive deliberation" in the newsroom. She noted that "most Americans have no way to understand the full scope of an AR-15's destructive power or the extent of the trauma inflicted on victims, survivors and first responders when a shooter uses this weapon on people." The WaPo, Buzbee explained, aimed to "balance two crucial objectives: to advance the public's understanding of mass killers' increasing use of this readily available weapon, which was originally designed for war, while being sensitive to victims' families and communities directly affected by AR-15 shootings." Ultimately, she said, "We decided that there is public value in illuminating the profound and repeated devastation left by tragedies that are often covered as isolated news events but rarely considered as part of a broader pattern of violence."

🔎 Zooming in: Obtaining the images was not easy. Buzbee said the newspaper's report was the culmination of more than 30 public records requests and an additional review of court records and other information. Before The WaPo's journalists reviewed the graphic imagery, Buzbee said they participated in training by the Dart Center for Journalism and Trauma. Additionally, Buzbee said, The WaPo provided "advance notice to many families of victims, their representatives and community leaders so they could choose to avoid the coverage if they preferred."

THE FOURTH ESTATE

A Northwestern University report released Thursday sounded the alarm on the decline of local news. The report found that the U.S. has lost one-third of its newspapers since 2005. Even worse, as David Bauder wrote, the worrisome trend "is speeding up," with an average of 2.5 newspapers closing each week in 2023. (AP)
Anne Branigin profiled Meghann "Thee Reporter" Cuniff, who Branigin dubbed "the internet's favorite court insider." (WaPo)
GB News launched paid membership subscriptions that range between 5 pounds and 20 pounds per month. (Press Gazette)

ISRAEL AT WAR

Anne Boyer resigned as The NYT Mag's poetry editor as a show of protest against what she described as Israel's "war against the people of Gaza." (Messenger)
Nadine El-Bawab reports on the incredibly difficult challenges journalists in Gaza are grappling with as they try to deliver information from the war-torn region to the world. (ABC News)

IN THE MARKET

Bob Iger will hold an end-of-the-year town hall on Nov. 28 for Disney employees, per an internal memo I obtained. The event, which will be streamed for employees around the world, will be moderated by ABC News anchor David Muir and also include executives Alan Bergman, Josh D'Amaro, Jimmy Pitaro, and Dana Walden.
Warner Music Group's Q4 earnings report beat analyst expectations, with revenue increasing following subscription price hikes. (THR)
Spotify will launch its Spotify Audience Network, an advertising marketplace for podcasts, in five new countries. (Reuters)

MEDIA MOVES

Mattel tapped Michelle Mendelovitz as its head of TV studios. (THR)

THE INFO WARS

CNN Photo Illustration/Chesnot/Getty Images

TikTok's Disturbing Trend : There are a lot of disturbing trends that go viral on TikTok. But this one might take the cake for one of the worst. "Dozens of young Americans have posted videos on TikTok this week expressing sympathy with Osama bin Laden, the notorious terrorist who orchestrated the September 11 attacks, for a two-decade-old letter he wrote critiquing the United States," CNN's Donie O'Sullivan, Catherine Thorbecke, and Allison Gordon reported Thursday. The trio reported that videos on the short-form video site, where many young Americans now consume their news, had amassed at least 14 million views. Read the full story here.

► TikTok said Thursday that the videos violated its rules against supporting terrorism, but pushed back against how widely spread it was. The company said the number of videos promoting bin Laden's letter were "small" and that "reported of it trending on our platform are inaccurate."

► The bin Laden letter gained traction after The Guardian published it. The outlet said in a note Thursday that it had removed it from its site.

IN THE BATTLEFIELD

Coming Friday: Rupert Murdoch will officially transition from chairman of Fox Corporation to chairman emeritus, officially putting his son, Lachlan, in the driver's seat of his media empire.
After leaks to the media, Fulton County Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee said he will restrict parties from disclosing certain information to the press. (WSJ)
Presidential hopeful Nikki Haley changed her position on demanding that social media platforms ban anonymous users from posting after facing substantial backlash from her own party. (AP)
The Daily Wire ignored requests for comment about the deepening feud between Ben Shapiro and Candace Owens. Owens on Thursday thanked her fans for "an overwhelming amount of love and support" amid her clash with Shapiro.

THE VALLEY

CNN Photo Illustration/hocus-focus/iStock/Getty Images

How About Them Apples?: After years of resistance, Apple has finally caved. The Silicon Valley titan said Thursday it will support RCS messaging, meaning as The Verge's Emma Roth put it, "The blue versus green bubble debate may finally be winding down." In a statement, an Apple spokesperson said, "Later next year, we will be adding support for RCS Universal Profile, the standard as currently published by the GSM Association. We believe RCS Universal Profile will offer a better interoperability experience when compared to SMS or MMS. This will work alongside iMessage, which will continue to be the best and most secure messaging experience for Apple users." Read more from Roth here.

🔎 Zooming in: Apple has been under significant pressure from Google to support RCS messaging, with the Android developer even launching an advertising campaign to publicly push the iPhone maker. Adopting RCS means that iPhone and Android users will be able to text each other larger images and videos, view typing indicators and read receipts, share locations, and more.

TOO MANY TABS

YouTube is looking to undermine TikTok's supremacy by introducing a music-making A.I. of its own for creators. (WIRED)
TikTok owner ByteDance is testing a paywall on the platform's sister app, Douyin. (Reuters)
Encrypted messaging app Signal — a non-profit — will soon have operating expenses totaling $50 million a year. (WIRED)
Who needs Santa anymore? Google's A.I. can now help you with your holiday shopping. (CNBC)
Star Wars: Amazon boasted that its prototype internet satellites are operating as planned, bringing a dose of competition to Elon Musk's Starlink. (Bloomberg)

CURTAIN CALL

CNN Photo Illustration/MEGA/GC Images/Getty Images

The Complaint Against Combs: Music mogul Sean "Diddy" Combs on Thursday was accused in a lawsuit filed by R&B singer Casandra Ventura (most commonly known simply as Cassie) of rape and physical assault, which she alleged took place for nearly a decade. The lawsuit is filled with explosive allegations, including that Combs beat her and forced her to engage in consecutive sexual acts with multiple male prostitutes. In another instance, Ventura alleged Combs kicked her in the face and left her bloodied. Ventura said that after "years in silence and darkness" she was ready to speak out. Combs "vehemently" denied the allegations through his lawyer, who described them as "offensive and outrageous." The NYT's Ben Sisario has details.

► In one eye-popping alleged incident, Ventura said in the lawsuit that Combs was so angry that she was dating Kid Cudi that he threatened to blow up the rapper's car. "Around that time," the suit said, "Kid Cudi's car exploded in his driveway." The suit described Ventura as "terrified" after the alleged incident.

HOLLYWOOD HEALING

"If the recent Hollywood strike were a movie, it would have a satisfying ending," Hanna Rosin writes, adding, "The sequel to this saga, however, looks a lot darker." (The Atlantic)
Tyler Aquilina writes that the "end of the strikes is just the beginning for a new era in Hollywood." (Variety)

OFF STAGE

Netflix released the first half of the sixth and final season of its acclaimed series "The Crown" on Thursday — and the critics are not loving it. The show is currently sitting at a 53% score on Rotten Tomatoes. (RT)
Brian Lowry: "After sweeping the Emmys with the previous iteration of its cast, the Netflix drama looks ready to limp across the finish line unbowed, but slightly bloodied." (CNN)
Ridley Scott's "Napoleon" is also getting less-than-ideal reviews from critics. The epic, which opens this weekend, boasts only a 63% Rotten Tomatoes score. (RT)
"While technically superb," Brian Lowry writes in his review, the film "feels like it wins several battles but doesn't entirely qualify as a success in terms of the overall war." (CNN)
Steven Spielberg interviewed Martin Scorsese, asking him questions about his latest film, "Killers of the Flower Moon," which Spielberg dubbed his "masterpiece." (THR)
Parents, rejoice? "Frozen 4" is "in the works," Bob Iger revealed on "Good Morning America." (Variety)
Sony Pictures dropped the trailer for "Madame Web," starring Dakota Johnson and Sydney Sweeney. (YouTube)
Greta Gerwig's "Barbie" movie generated over $80 million quid for the British economy while filming, per Warner Bros. (BBC)
"The Drew Barrymore Show" hit a 22-week ratings high, averaging 1.1 million viewers during October's final week. (TheWrap)
Netflix renewed Rob Lowe's "Unstable" for a second season. (THR)
Max renewed "Harley Quinn" for a fifth season. (Variety)

Thank you for reading! This newsletter was edited by Jon Passantino and produced with the assistance of Liam Reilly. Have feedback? Send us an email. You can follow us on Instagram, Threads, and LinkedIn. We will see you back in your inbox next week.