Stream of Reading (Prepare to be Forwarded) – An Archive of What I'm Reading
On Wednesday, nine major publishers began publishing articles straight to Facebook under the social network’s long-anticipated product, called Instant Articles. Facebook sweetened the deal by letting publishers control the ad sales, branding and content; sell ads on the articles and keep all the revenue; and get data on their readers. Still, publishers were mixed in their embrace:…
end of ShanesHouse1 Facebook Instant Articles are here, and it feels like a cross between Christmas and a funeral in the media world. Christmas because everyone gets to write a navel-gazing hot take on what this means for the future of the fourth estate; a funeral because many, including some New York Times newsroom vets, are…
1. The manner in which Instant Articles are seen within Facebook’s News Feed is nearly as important as they way they’re hosted. Yes, they load faster. But the way they are previewed in the feed—differentiated fonts, auto-playing video—gives them a second advantage over everything around them. 2. The first batch of articles is very very…
It could represent a seismic change for both the publishing industry and for the media company itself. Mark Thompson, President and CEO, The New York Times Company. Photo: Gustavo Caballero/Getty Images Wednesday morning, in what marks a tectonic shift in the publishing industry, the New York Times is expected to officially begin a long-awaited partnership with…
By now you’ve probably noticed that a lot of prominent feminists on Twitter have new hand-drawn avatars on their accounts. It’s no accident that they all have a similar style. All the art has been created by the hand of one talented artist: Kiva Bay. The Mary Sue recently had a chance to chat with…
On the evening of April 25 at the corner of Pratt and Light Streets, in Baltimore’s revitalized downtown district, more than 100 police officers in riot gear stood shoulder to shoulder, shields up. Six officers on horseback fidgeted behind them, staring down at a crowd of about 40, an odd mixture of protesters, journalists and…
Yesterday Twitter released very disappointing quarterly results, with misses on both user and revenue growth. From the Wall Street Journal: Twitter Inc. delivered its weakest quarterly revenue growth as a publicly traded company, casting a shadow on its fledgling advertising business, which until now has been a consistent bright spot. Investors, who sent the company’s…
Feb. 3, 2013 (Patrick Smith/Getty) On Sunday, Feb. 3, 2013, the Baltimore Ravens won the NFL Super Bowl game against the San Francisco 49ers. Fans went wild and took to the streets of Baltimore in “celebrations” and “victory riots.” They were called “rowdy fans” who took “their celebrations too far” by local Baltimore CBS news….
Unrest in Baltimore, like any other dramatic event these days, created a surge of activity on social media. In the age of the selfie and ubiquitous cameras, many people have become compulsive chroniclers of all their activities — sometimes unwisely so. Reactions ranged from shock and disgust to disbelief and amusement when a series of images started…
Bonding over nothing is still bonding. This is something that people need to remember when they turn their noses up at the popularity of the Reddit Button. In the three weeks since it has appeared, it has been described as an evil April Fool’s joke, a social experiment, and a total waste of time. The…