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Important Items
South Carolina becomes the latest GOP-led state with a bill to make the death penalty a punishment for abortion
A South Carolina legislator proposed the death penalty as punishment for women who get abortions. The new bill, still in the legislature, would equate abortion to homicide.
Technology
TikTok introduces new paywalled 20-minute video feature
TikTok announced another avenue for creators to monetize their videos on the short-form social media app. The new feature, called Series, will allow select creators to share longer videos that will be available for purchase behind a paywall. Each Series can include up to 80 videos that can be as long as 20 minutes each. Creators will be able to select the cost of their paywalled content. #TikTok
https://www.cnbc.com/2023/03/07/tiktok-introduces-new-paywalled-20-minute-video-feature-.html
ChatGPT’s API Is Here. Let the AI Gold Rush Begin
https://www.wired.co.uk/article/chatgpt-api-ai-gold-rush
Wired tells readers what it will use generative AI for — and what’s off-limits
It’s smart for content companies to have AI policies. Via @NiemanLab. #AI
“This will be dangerous in elections:” Political Media’s Next Big Challenge is Navigating AI Deepfakes
The 2024 presidential election cycle will be among the first where AI technology has almost gotten good enough to pass off as a politician without easy detection, one tech reporter tells Vanity Fair. Will tech giants and mainstream media come up with a strong enough vetting process in time? #AI
https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2023/03/ai-2024-deepfake
The semiautomated social network is coming
https://www.theverge.com/23632371/social-network-future-ai-automated-chatbot-posts-linkedin
AI-powered Bing Chat gains three distinct personalities
News Corp in talks with AI firm about compensation
News Corp has thrown down the gauntlet to the likes of ChatGPT owner Open AI, insisting AI firms will need to pay news publishers for the right to use its technology on “proprietary” content. Companies like OpenAI train its systems by scanning huge troves of data to produce answers to queries from users. Mr Thomson said it was a “fascinating, emergent issue”, but insisted news publishers should be paid for the practice. “As these AI engines are being trained, and they’re using professional content to be more professional themselves – people certainly will talk about open source, but clearly they are using proprietary content,” Mr Thomson said. “There should obviously be some compensation for that. The more specialist the AI gets, for example, in business, they’re obviously using Dow Jones (publisher of the Wall Street Journal) content.” #AI
AI in Advertising & Marketing
MT @neilperkin P&G’s Marc Pritchard on how the company is using consumer data, in-house capability, algorithms and AI to drive advertising effectiveness and efficiency #AI
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/resetting-bar-brand-communication-marc-s-pritchard/
Why won’t TikTok confirm the Bold Glamour filter is AI?
TikTok rolled out new AI tools for filters last month. But the company won’t say if its new Bold Glamour effect uses them — and the reaction to the filter isn’t entirely positive.
Retail, search and Amazon’s $40bn ‘advertising’ business
HT @neilperkin Via @benedictevans Amazon sold close to $40B of advertising last year – bigger than Prime, bigger than the entire global newspaper industry and probably more profitable than AWS. But is this really advertising, rent, or something else? And what does that mean for Google? #Amazon
https://www.ben-evans.com/benedictevans/2023/3/6/ways-to-think-about-amazon-advertising
Publishing & Media
Hachette, HarperCollins Offer Voluntary Severance
Hachette Book Group and HarperCollins are both offering voluntary severance packages to some of their employees as the economic outlook for publishers in 2023 remains rocky. A representative from HarperCollins said, “as previously announced, we are working towards a 5 percent workforce reduction,” and the company has “offered some groups a volunteer severance program” as a “part of that process.” A representative from Hachette said that the opportunity for voluntary severance is “not a permanent policy” and that “there is an end date for eligible employees to elect to participate in the program.”
Penguin Random House Joins in Raising Starting Salaries
Following increases in starting salaries at the other large trade publishers, Penguin Random House told employees on Tuesday that it will also raise their entry level salary on April 3, to $48,000. That “will apply to incoming and existing employees in most non-warehouse locations.” #teamPRH
Rebel Girls announces $8 million Series A, metaverse expansion
MT @DCNorg “Girl-centered” media brand Rebel Girls announced an $8 million Series A funding round led by Penguin Random House that will help the company expand to television, theater, and the metaverse. #teamPRH
https://www.fastcompany.com/90860103/rebel-girls-announced-8-million-series-a-metaverse-expansion
Books by female authors studied by just 2% of GCSE pupils, finds study
“Morally damning”: Comments from DCPS book reviewer latest issue surrounding new curriculum laws
https://news.yahoo.com/morally-damning-comments-dcps-book-210922717.html
Illinois Proposes First Anti-Book Ban Legislation
Some good news! MT @veronikellymars Illinois becomes the first state to introduce anti-book banning legislation with the Right to Read Bill, thanks to @ILSecOfState. Here’s what it says and how you can take action, whether or not you live in Illinois.
https://bookriot.com/illinois-right-to-read-bill/
As Bills in Multiple States Threaten Librarians with Criminalization, Advocates Are Fighting Back
As of March 1, bills in 17 states sought to change that, motivated by the national attack on books, specifically books by and about the LGBTQIA+ and BIPOC communities. There is a larger goal, according to EveryLibrary executive director John Chrastka. “There’s a novel political theory out there that says, if we can remove the defense from prosecution for K-12 educators, then we can get rid of sex ed. If we can remove the defense from prosecution for higher ed, we can get rid of gender studies,” he says.
Active anti-censorship groups across the US you can get involved with to end book bans
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1hjdcW-Bbz_QkYzCVStPTtXwXRv3OIiw2KZyZ89zQyzs/edit#gid=0
Spotify Unveils Major Redesign With Vertical Home Feed
Spotify’s goal = 1B users by 2030. Their all-time payouts to music-rights holders is approaching $40B. They have 70K video creators currently on the platform. Podcasting has gone from about 10M podcast listeners in 2018 to more than 100M currently.
https://www.adweek.com/blognetwork/spotify-unveils-major-redesign-with-vertical-home-feed/100913/
Resources & Opportunities
A Moment with Misty Copeland: The Power of Mentorship
*ALERT* We need to close registration early because of bldg security. If you were thinking of registering, sign up NOW!
Come see Misty Copeland in conversation w Danielle Belton, EIC of HuffPost.
Wednesday, March 15, 6:00 p.m. ET
$75 for @WMG_NYC members, $100 for non-members, includes a signed copy of Misty Copeland’s book, The Wind at My Back, light bites & refreshments and time for networking.
Pride Global Offices, 420 Lexington Avenue, NYC
All proceeds from this event go to the Women’s Media Group Educational Foundation to support WMG scholarship initiatives.
https://www.womensmediagroup.org/event-5171039
Applications Open for 2023 Mathical Book Prize Collection Development Awards
MT @sljournal Applications are due at midnight, Sunday, March 12. Up to 32 Title 1 school libraries will receive $700 to purchase quality fiction/nonfiction books that help children see mathematics in the world around them. #MathicalBooks
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