The Media/Journalism Thread

[Faulkner]

I’m starting a thread for news on mounting media layoffs as well as criticism of the media and journalism. Stuff that doesn’t necessarily or directly touch on politics.

 

Dire warnings after BuzzFeed laid off 15 percent of their workforce:

 

 

 

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Edited January 28, 2019 by Faulkner

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[DramatistDreamer]

Facebook is unconscionable, which is why, although I have watched and posted video (bad enough), I will never actually join.

Can another company with a better conscience come along and just put FB out of business already?

[Faulkner]

I was on FB from almost the beginning, when it required an .edu email address, but I use it less and less. If I didn’t need it for work, I probably wouldn’t use it all. It sucks that they own WhatsApp, which I use very frequently.

[Faulkner]

Some very interesting debate in the replies to this:

 

 

Plus:

 

 

[Faulkner]

Big Tech is getting hammered: Apple knew about that much-publicized FaceTime flaw (where you can call someone and listen in on them through their phone’s microphone, even if they don’t answer) DAYS ago before taking any action.

 

 

[Faulkner]

 

 

 

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[Roman]

I despise the TVMSMnow.have for years. it's like TMZ.

I remember just like the week when Brian Williams started in on the "both sides" [!@#$%^&*] when it came to the shutdown. the 3 networks have whored themselves to the RP and other entities for access. they have turned themselves into celebrities. I don't give a damn Joe and Mika got married......they both are now doing the same thing with Schultz they did for Trump.

thank you for starting this thread.

[te.]

Honestly, it sounds like Buzzfeed expanded ridiculously and now have to scale back - I mean, does anyone need a full time "director of quizzes"?

[Faulkner]

Clearly it was short-sighted and even then people saw it as a ridiculous fad, but in that massive media Gold Rush at the time, so many people saw it as a stroke of genius. At my old company, our execs brought in the leaders of BuzzFeed for a town hall to teach us everything they knew, as they appeared to have social media and digital all figured out. They were launching Tasty, their YouTube channels were firing on all cylinders. They were launching original series, products. They had perfected what Upworthy, Vice, Mashable, et al had reached for and couldn’t quite achieve. They were gods. Until, of course, they weren’t. 

 

Of course, many folks have the ability to take a bird’s eye, long view, but when you’re in it and your bosses are smitten with every shiny object, your hand is forced. It takes a strong and very rare leader (or an established, well-funded brand) to resist temptation to dart off on every trend. And even then you have to make little adjustments to the new reality while keeping your eye on the prize.

Edited January 30, 2019 by Faulkner