dangillmor

dangillmor , 15 hours ago to Random stuff

If you care about voters being genuinely informed on key issues, the absolute worst thing about presidential so-called debates is live audiences filled with partisans.

But for media corporations, it's all about money -- and they love these events because they generate ratings.

dangillmor , 1 day ago to Random stuff

It should be astonishing that after Trump publicly solicited a $1 billion bribe from Big Energy, Big Journalism just shrugged and moved on.

It is not astonishing.

dangillmor , 1 day ago to Random stuff

Big Journalism has been remarkably incurious about who's funding Christopher Rufo, notorious purveyor of bad-faith right-wing slime. At his Important Context newsletter, @walkerbragman has the story.

https://www.importantcontext.news/p/the-big-money-behind-chris-rufos

dangillmor , 1 day ago to Random stuff

Play-by-play Trump trial coverage, with so-called analysis of whether the prosecution or the defense has "scored points" -- the staple of Big Journalism right now -- is the equivalent of horse-race political coverage.

All it takes are stenographic skills and the ability to make confident-sounding guesses. It's clickbait and ratings bait, and it does nothing good for public understanding.

dangillmor , 2 days ago to Random stuff

More than any other election year I can remember, the New York Times is obsessed with polling.

Then again, the organization's top editor has said explicitly that polls are driving the coverage.

dangillmor , 3 days ago to Random stuff

The solar storm is interfering with some tractors' GPS capabilities. https://www.404media.co/r/15913771?m=ea6b4c29-f97b-4025-aaeb-1d01a70b3b30

dangillmor , 4 days ago (edited 4 days ago) to Random stuff

EDITED: One of journalism's consistent flaws is ignoring relevant context.

Case in point is this NY Times story about a judge tossing out a new federal regulation limiting extortionate credit card late fees.

Here's the context the Times didn't care to include: The financial companies went forum shopping, and landed one of their favorite Trump-appointed judges, who (to his credit) objected to the process, but then predictably ruled against the administration.

Journalistic malpractice, IMO.

dangillmor , 5 days ago to Random stuff

More Republican judges giving Trump the criminal trial delays he wants. This time, Georgia: https://www.politico.com/news/2024/05/08/trump-wins-delay-in-georgia-criminal-cases-00156791

dangillmor , 5 days ago to Random stuff

The Biden administration, with overwhelming support from congressional Democrats, thinks it's fine to punish nonprofit news organizations that criticize Israel.

https://theintercept.com/2024/05/10/terrorism-bill-nonprofit-journalists-israel-hamas/

dangillmor , 5 days ago to Random stuff

We're so completely unprepared for even a moderate pandemic, even after covid, that it's terrifying to imagine how bad things could get if the bird flu -- which is much worse -- gets a significant foothold in humans. It might well happen.

https://www.statnews.com/2024/05/09/bird-flu-upends-avian-influenza-dogma/

dangillmor , 5 days ago to Random stuff

The solar storm this weekend could be very, very bad news: https://www.cnn.com/2024/05/10/business/sunspots-disrupt-phones-gps-scn/index.html

dangillmor , 6 days ago to Random stuff

Big-time sports is part of the gambling industry now. This will end predictably, with scandals that make people assume everyone in the -- whatever -- game is corrupt.

https://defector.com/sports-is-betting-it-all-on-gambling?utm_source=pocket-newtab-en-us

dangillmor , 6 days ago (edited 6 days ago) to Random stuff

Does anyone know of a way to buy an EV that doesn't relentlessly spy on the driver/passengers and send the data to whoever the carmaker feels like selling it to?

Related: Does anyone know of a service in the Bay Area that will disable all the surveillance that was, without my knowledge or permission, built into a 2008 Prius?

dangillmor , 6 days ago to Random stuff

Such BS behavior by Gannett -- https://www.poynter.org/commentary/2024/gannett-fired-sarah-leach-editor-speaking-press/

dangillmor , 6 days ago to Random stuff

Not the Onion (though if it was on that site we'd all have a good laugh at the fine satire).

Sadly, but predictably, it's in the New York Times.

"Stormy Daniels as We Had Never Seen Her

During her time on the stand in former President Donald J. Trump’s criminal trial, the adult entertainer dressed for history — and a jury."

h/t @jeffjarvis

dangillmor , 6 days ago to Random stuff

An example of how a journalism org can provide vital context: The NY Times goes deep on the epic hypocrisy of prominent Republicans, who've been parroting antisemitic tropes for years but are suddenly -- and cynically -- pretending otherwise.

"Prominent Republicans have seized on campus protests to assail what they say is antisemitism on the left. But for years they have mainstreamed anti-Jewish rhetoric."

https://www.nytimes.com/2024/05/09/us/antisemitism-republicans-trump.html?unlocked_article_code=1.qk0.aui5.omPpoidj1BLE&smid=url-share

Free link.

dangillmor , 7 days ago to Random stuff

Stack Overflow joins Twitter and Reddit in demonstrating control-freak contempt for the people who made the platform what it is.

https://www.tomshardware.com/tech-industry/artificial-intelligence/stack-overflow-bans-users-en-masse-for-rebelling-against-openai-partnership-users-banned-for-deleting-answers-to-prevent-them-being-used-to-train-chatgpt

The company will probably get away with it, because people seem unable to fight back in effective ways, at least in numbers that make a difference.

dangillmor , 7 days ago to Random stuff

It isn't just Big Journalism that doesn't make saving democracy -- without which a free press can't exist -- a core part of the mission.

Journalism education doesn't, either.

dangillmor , 7 days ago to Random stuff

Climate scientists are angry, helpless, and overwhelmed as they watch humanity accelerate toward the climate cliff that will likely destroy much of our civilization. But they have no choice other than continuing to fight, as long as they can.

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/ng-interactive/2024/may/08/hopeless-and-broken-why-the-worlds-top-climate-scientists-are-in-despair

dangillmor , 7 days ago to Random stuff

If journalists cared about protecting democracy, they would be campaigning -- yes, in their news pages -- for free and fair elections.

Apparently that's too "partisan" for people whose fetish for balance has led them to help democracy's enemies.

So please read and pass around this piece from @marcelias, someone who cares passionately and is doing his best.

https://www.democracydocket.com/opinion/when-trump-attacks-our-elections-we-will-have-no-excuse/

dangillmor , 7 days ago to Random stuff

If media organizations were trying to discredit themselves, they couldn't have done better than patronizing a company that fed them "AI"-generated bullshit to put in their publications.

https://futurism.com/advon-ai-content

dangillmor , 7 days ago to Random stuff

It is heartening that the editor of the New York Times is being widely condemned for his indifference to saving democracy. Dan Froomkin's piece today has a sampling of the loathing Joe Kahn unleashed. https://presswatchers.org/2024/05/new-york-times-editor-joe-kahn-says-defending-democracy-is-a-partisan-act-and-he-wont-do-it/

dangillmor , 8 days ago to Random stuff

How Boeing mismanaged the Starliner: https://arstechnica.com/space/2024/05/the-surprise-is-not-that-boeing-lost-commercial-crew-but-that-it-finished-at-all/

dangillmor , 8 days ago (edited 8 days ago) to Random stuff

Boeing's incompetence strikes again, with yet another delay in launching a crewed spaceship. (Boeing co-owns ULA, which makes the rocket.)

The other co-owner is Lockheed Martin.

https://www.nbcnews.com/science/space/boeing-scrubs-starliner-crewed-launch-rcna150843

Note: Getting a lot of pushback, and the comments are reasonable.

dangillmor , 8 days ago to Random stuff

Blog post: NY Times editor: Democracy is good, but we won't actively defend it

https://dangillmor.com/2024/05/07/ny-times-editor-democracy-is-good-but-we-wont-actively-defend-it/

dangillmor , 8 days ago to Random stuff

Latest reminder that the Trump stolen-classified-documents case judge is effectively a member of the defense team:

"Judge Pushes Back Critical Filing Deadline in Trump Documents Case

"Judge Aileen M. Cannon did not immediately set a new date, but the delay increases the chance that the trial will not happen before the November election."

This is in-your-face corruption.

dangillmor , 8 days ago to Random stuff

Amazon's pollution of video with ads accelerates. To avoid ads you have to pay Amazon more money.
https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/business/digital/new-amazon-prime-video-shoppable-ads-1235891243/

dangillmor , 8 days ago to Random stuff

When a website popup notifies you of an "updated" privacy policy, it is ALWAYS a further assault on your privacy.

dangillmor , 9 days ago to Random stuff

The Dallas Morning News' appointment of a public editor is a great move for that organization.

https://www.dallasnews.com/news/2024/04/30/heres-how-the-dallas-morning-news-is-investing-in-readers-faith/

And it highlights the New York Times' arrogant decision to get rid of that post years ago.

Would it have mattered if they'd kept the position? Maybe not, given the propensities of the most recent top editors.

But it sure couldn't have hurt.

dangillmor , 9 days ago to Random stuff

Stack Overflow's deal with "Open"AI is prompting the site's contributors to remove their posts and close their accounts. Good for them.

The "AI" cartel is telling the people who created and populated the open web that they were suckers.

dangillmor , 9 days ago to Random stuff

Politico's right-wing tilt has always been clear, but its hit piece on pro-Palestine protest funding -- called out by Rolling Stone, which did actual reporting that Politico couldn't be bothered to do -- was surprisingly tendentious. https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-features/politico-israel-palestine-protests-biden-gates-1235015478/

dangillmor , 11 days ago to Random stuff

You're found guilty based on "AI" software that can't be tested for accuracy.

How can this be?

Because law enforcement stacks the deck, and judges allow it, while legislatures ignore the injustices.

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/crime-courts/ai-tool-used-thousands-criminal-cases-facing-legal-challenges-rcna149607