MRC Weekly Digest – 27 September 2021

By Media Reform Coalition / Monday September 27, 2021 Read More

You are currently viewing: Home » Blog » MRC Weekly Digest – 27 September 2021

Hi everyone, Eliz Mizon here, back after a summer break ☀☀☀ with the Media Reform Coalition blog every Friday. For even more media news and analysis, the latest media reform campaigns, and intriguing content from around the web, follow me at Chompsky: Power and Pop Culture. For now, here’s your media news digest.

Hacked Off’s IPSO Campaign

Hacked Off’s new campaign is asking: How long has IPSO existed without launching a standards investigation? “Over the last seven years, there have been countless cases of discrimination, inaccuracy and abuse in the press. Yet, nearly 7 years after it was set up, IPSO has not launched a single standards investigation, nor issued a single fine.” Please share!

Make Your Voice Heard

Hopefully, you saw the list of government consultations on the media that I shared in the last blog in August – the last one still open is:

This Week’s Media News

  • The UK government has asked its competition watchdog to investigate record labels Sony, Warner and Universal, as well as YouTube after a six-month inquiry into the “pitiful” returns artists receive for streams of their music. The inquiry heard evidence from major artists such as Nile Rogers and Radiohead but addresses the inability of smaller artists to make a living from their work. (BBC)
  • The White House Press Corps has filed a formal complaint after Boris Johnson’s trip to meet President Biden, saying that only British reporters were called on for questions. Press Secretary Jen Psaki says that Johnson is responsible. (WaPo)
  • The Guardian has joined the Telegraph and News UK in making its print circulation figures private. It says it’s focusing more on metrics around ‘diversity’, however PressGazette highlights that dwindling figures may be behind the decision. (Press Gazette)
  • Although specific detail is scarce, Facebook is “starting to release information” about how its algorithms demote information in newsfeeds. (The Verge)
  • Netflix has bought the rights to all of Roald Dahl’s literary work for £500 million. (Sky News)
  • The former CEO of Ebony magazine has been charged by the SEC with crowdfunding money for marijuana businesses which he then illegally used for other things, including keeping the magazine afloat. (MarketWatch)
  • Nicki Minaj this week doxxed two reporters who were trying to get in touch with her cousin in response to her anti-vaccination tirade, in which she claimed that his testicles had swollen after receiving the vaccine. (The Daily Beast)
  • Google is going to start including more information on its ads about the ad companies behind them. Amid complaints about scam ads, the ‘About this ad’ menu will show “basic information about advertisers, as well as any other ads they’ve run in the past 30 days.” (The Verge)
  • The NewsGuild has started an investigation into Gannett-owned newspapers after workers complained of a culture of unpaid overtime. (CNN Business)
  • Donald Trump is suing the NYT and his niece Mary Trump, for a supposed breach of privacy in their investigation that resulted in the release of his tax records. (The Daily Beast)