The moment a group of people stormed the Capitol building last Wednesday, news companies began the process of sorting and commoditizing information that long ago became standard in American media. Media firms work backward. They first ask, “How does our target demographic want to understand what’s just unfolded?” Then they pick both the words and the facts they want to emphasize. It’s why Fox News uses the term, “Pro-Trump protesters,” while New York and The Atlantic use “Insurrectionists.” It’s why conservative media today is stressing how Apple, Google, and Amazon shut down the “Free...…The moment a group of people stormed the Capitol building last Wednesday, news companies began the process of sorting and commoditizing information that long ago became standard in American media. Media firms work backward. They first ask, “How does our target demographic want to understand what’s just unfolded?” Then they pick both the words and the facts they want to emphasize. It’s why Fox News uses the term, “Pro-Trump protesters,” while New York and The Atlantic use “Insurrectionists.” It’s why conservative media today is stressing how Apple, Google, and Amazon shut down the “Free...WW…

Putin loves you; therefore, you love Putin. The enemy re-tweets you, therefore, you’re in league with the enemy. We’re at war with them, therefore we’re at war with you.One of the first rules of a shunning campaign is that it doesn’t have to make sense. It just has to be what everyone’s saying. Since most Americans went to high school, we tend to be instinctively familiar with the concept.The crazy inverse logic of the new national blacklist was on full display after special prosecutor in February. In the wake of this foreign meddling charge, CNN reporter Drew Griffin of an elderly female...…Putin loves you; therefore, you love Putin. The enemy re-tweets you, therefore, you’re in league with the enemy. We’re at war with them, therefore we’re at war with you.One of the first rules of a shunning campaign is that it doesn’t have to make sense. It just has to be what everyone’s saying. Since most Americans went to high school, we tend to be instinctively familiar with the concept.The crazy inverse logic of the new national blacklist was on full display after special prosecutor in February. In the wake of this foreign meddling charge, CNN reporter Drew Griffin of an elderly female...WW…

We shouldn’t be asking to fix the problem. We should be fixing Facebook. It’s our collective misfortune that this perhaps silliest-in-history supercorporation – a tossed-off hookup site turned international cat-video vault turned Orwellian surveillance megavillain – has dragged us all to the very cliff edge of modern technological capitalism.We’ve reached a moment in history where many companies are more powerful than even major industrialized nations, and in some cases have essentially replaced governments as de facto regulators and overseers. But some of those companies suck just a little...…We shouldn’t be asking to fix the problem. We should be fixing Facebook. It’s our collective misfortune that this perhaps silliest-in-history supercorporation – a tossed-off hookup site turned international cat-video vault turned Orwellian surveillance megavillain – has dragged us all to the very cliff edge of modern technological capitalism.We’ve reached a moment in history where many companies are more powerful than even major industrialized nations, and in some cases have essentially replaced governments as de facto regulators and overseers. But some of those companies suck just a little...WW…

Last Wednesday, former adviser to Bill and Hillary Clinton Paul Begala stepped out of his usual milquetoast centrist costume and made a chest-thumping pronouncement on CNN.“We were and are under attack by a hostile foreign power,” . “We should be debating how many sanctions we should place on , or whether we should blow up the KGB.”Begala’s is the latest in a string of comments from prominent pols and pundits  we are (or should be) in a state of war with nuclear-armed Russia.Former DNC chair Donna Brazile  this week, “The Communists are dictating the terms of the debate” – and not bothering...…Last Wednesday, former adviser to Bill and Hillary Clinton Paul Begala stepped out of his usual milquetoast centrist costume and made a chest-thumping pronouncement on CNN.“We were and are under attack by a hostile foreign power,” . “We should be debating how many sanctions we should place on , or whether we should blow up the KGB.”Begala’s is the latest in a string of comments from prominent pols and pundits  we are (or should be) in a state of war with nuclear-armed Russia.Former DNC chair Donna Brazile  this week, “The Communists are dictating the terms of the debate” – and not bothering...WW…

SubscribeUCLA professor Sarah Roberts, co-leader of something called the UCLA Center for Critical Internet Inquiry — media critics whose stated goal is “” — went on a lengthy Twitter tirade against Substack last night, one that gained a lot of attention. I should probably respond since, as one prominent reporter put it to Glenn Greenwald and me this morning, “Shit, it’s like she wrote this for the two of you.” The main thread:A few thoughts in response to what one Tweeter humorously described as “,” who incidentally went on to make sure everyone understood she wasn’t talking “about Substack...…SubscribeUCLA professor Sarah Roberts, co-leader of something called the UCLA Center for Critical Internet Inquiry — media critics whose stated goal is “” — went on a lengthy Twitter tirade against Substack last night, one that gained a lot of attention. I should probably respond since, as one prominent reporter put it to Glenn Greenwald and me this morning, “Shit, it’s like she wrote this for the two of you.” The main thread:A few thoughts in response to what one Tweeter humorously described as “,” who incidentally went on to make sure everyone understood she wasn’t talking “about Substack...WW…

SubscribeTwo and a half years ago, when in a clearly coordinated decision, I knew this was not going to be an isolated thing. Given that people like Connecticut Senator Chris Murphy were saying the ouster of Jones was just a “good first step,” it seemed obvious the tactic was not going to be confined to a few actors. But corporate media critics insisted the precedent would not be applied more broadly. “I don't think we are going to be seeing big tech take action against Fox News… any time soon,” CNN’s Oliver Darcy. Darcy was wrong. Just a few years later, calls to ban Fox are not only...…SubscribeTwo and a half years ago, when in a clearly coordinated decision, I knew this was not going to be an isolated thing. Given that people like Connecticut Senator Chris Murphy were saying the ouster of Jones was just a “good first step,” it seemed obvious the tactic was not going to be confined to a few actors. But corporate media critics insisted the precedent would not be applied more broadly. “I don't think we are going to be seeing big tech take action against Fox News… any time soon,” CNN’s Oliver Darcy. Darcy was wrong. Just a few years later, calls to ban Fox are not only...WW…

SubscribeThe Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) has released a much-hyped, much-cited new report on “.” The key conclusion:We assess that Russian President Putin authorized, and a range of Russian government organizations conducted, influence operations aimed at denigrating President Biden’s candidacy and the Democratic Party, supporting former , [and] undermining public confidence in the electoral process…The report added Ukrainian legislator Andrey Derkach, described as having “ties” to “Russia’s intelligence services,” and Konstantin Kilimnik, a “Russian influence...…SubscribeThe Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) has released a much-hyped, much-cited new report on “.” The key conclusion:We assess that Russian President Putin authorized, and a range of Russian government organizations conducted, influence operations aimed at denigrating President Biden’s candidacy and the Democratic Party, supporting former , [and] undermining public confidence in the electoral process…The report added Ukrainian legislator Andrey Derkach, described as having “ties” to “Russia’s intelligence services,” and Konstantin Kilimnik, a “Russian influence...WW…

SubscribeMy colleague Glenn Greenwald hit the nail on the head this weekend when ,” in which media reporters for the largest companies spend their time attacking speech, instead of defending it. The miserable trend just reached its apex when Taylor Lorenz — a dunce of historic proportions unleashed on the world by the New York Times — attended an invitation-only Clubhouse chat and not only reported that Silicon Valley entrepreneur Marc Andreesson used the word “retarded” in a discussion about the GameStop uprising, but published the names and faces of those who were guilty of being present...…SubscribeMy colleague Glenn Greenwald hit the nail on the head this weekend when ,” in which media reporters for the largest companies spend their time attacking speech, instead of defending it. The miserable trend just reached its apex when Taylor Lorenz — a dunce of historic proportions unleashed on the world by the New York Times — attended an invitation-only Clubhouse chat and not only reported that Silicon Valley entrepreneur Marc Andreesson used the word “retarded” in a discussion about the GameStop uprising, but published the names and faces of those who were guilty of being present...WW…

SubscribeA day after Joe Biden's inauguration, the headline in Axios read: “” Felix Salmon wrote that “for the first time ever, fewer than half of all Americans have trust in traditional media.” The Edelman survey showed overall faith in the press dropping to 46%.The traditional explanation for this phenomenon is that Republicans hate the press a lot, but Democrats just a little. The Axios story bore this out somewhat, as only 18% of Republicans reported trusting media, versus 57% of Democrats. Still, 57% of half your potential audience is nothing to brag about, when you’re in the trust...…SubscribeA day after Joe Biden's inauguration, the headline in Axios read: “” Felix Salmon wrote that “for the first time ever, fewer than half of all Americans have trust in traditional media.” The Edelman survey showed overall faith in the press dropping to 46%.The traditional explanation for this phenomenon is that Republicans hate the press a lot, but Democrats just a little. The Axios story bore this out somewhat, as only 18% of Republicans reported trusting media, versus 57% of Democrats. Still, 57% of half your potential audience is nothing to brag about, when you’re in the trust...WW…

SubscribeOn January 6th, Jon Farina, photographer and videographer for Jordan Chariton’s Status Coup outlet, captured horrifying images. At the Capitol, a pro-Trump mob tried to burst into the building, and a police officer who attempted to intercede was caught in a door. He cried out in pain, but the crowd was indifferent, chanting, “Heave, ho!” as they tried to break in. Farina, in the middle of the physical mayhem as photojournalists often are, caught the scene up close while 30,000 people watched the live feed. Farina’s footage rocketed around the world, and major press outlets...…SubscribeOn January 6th, Jon Farina, photographer and videographer for Jordan Chariton’s Status Coup outlet, captured horrifying images. At the Capitol, a pro-Trump mob tried to burst into the building, and a police officer who attempted to intercede was caught in a door. He cried out in pain, but the crowd was indifferent, chanting, “Heave, ho!” as they tried to break in. Farina, in the middle of the physical mayhem as photojournalists often are, caught the scene up close while 30,000 people watched the live feed. Farina’s footage rocketed around the world, and major press outlets...WW…