For the Record

Facebook To NYU Researchers: Stop Using Our Data:

Facebook privacy and data policy officisl Allison Hendrix "demanded in an October 16 letter that the researchers stop collecting Facebook data through a tool NYU developed to track political ads," according to Donie O'Sullivan of CNN. The tool, which was developed by a team led by computer science doctoral student Laura Edelson, "allows Facebook users to voluntarily share their data" with the researchers. "Shutting down a key data source for studying election interference and manipulation [...] impedes our efforts to safeguard the democratic process," said Damon McCoy, an assistant professor of computer science and engineering affiliated with the project. 

Vogue Veterans Reflect on Diversity:

In interviews with Edmund Lee of The New York Times, 11 people familiar with the internal culture of Vogue have said that Anna Wintour "should no longer be in charge of Vogue and should give up her post as Condé Nast’s editorial leader" due to her approach to diversity and inclusion. "It's hard," said a former Black staffer. "This is the way it's supposed to be. But at Vogue, when we'd evaluate a shoot or a look, we'd say 'That’s Vogue,' or, 'That’s not Vogue,' and what that really meant was 'thin, rich and white.' How do you work in that environment?"

Wikipedia, W.H.O. Partner on COVID Misinformation:

The World Health Organization will grant Wikipedia "free use of its published information, graphics and videos" in an effort to combat misinformation concerning the COVID-19 pandemic, Donald G. McNeil Jr. of The New York Times reported Thursday. "We all consult just a few apps in our daily life, and this puts W.H.O. content right there in your language, in your town, in a way that relates to your geography," said Andrew Pattison, a W.H.O. manager who helped to broker the agreement. "Getting good content out quickly disarms the misinformation."

Instagram Lags Behind Competitors as News Source:

Only "one-in-seven U.S. adults (14%) say they ever get news" on the image-sharing social media platform Instagram, which launched ten years ago this month, according to Brooke Auxier of the Pew Research Center. The figure is comparable to those who utilize Twitter as a news source (17%) but behind competitors YouTube (28%) and Facebook (52%). Additionally, there are "considerable demographic differences in who gets news from Instagram," as 62% are women and "eight-in-ten of the site’s news users are under the age of 50."

TikTok Announces Hate Speech Restrictions:

TikTok has announced "a series of policy changes restricting the types of content it would allow, including a crackdown on QAnon supporters and a prohibition of 'coded' language that could serve to normalize hate speech" on the platform, Mike Isaac of The New York Times reported Wednesday. The policies "will not only target outright hate speech and Nazi paraphernalia, but less obvious references to white supremacist groups as well," Isaac wrote. Along with similar policies introduced by Facebook and Twitter, the changes "represent a retreat from these companies’ long-held embrace of unfettered free speech."

Quibi Shuts Down:

Shortform streaming service Quibi is shutting down six months after launching, "a crash landing for a once highly touted startup that attracted some of the biggest names in Hollywood and had looked to revolutionize how people consume entertainment," according to Benjamin Mullin, Joe Flint and Maureen Farrell of The Wall Street Journal. Founded by film executive Jeffrey Katzenberg and former Hewlett Packard Enterprise CEO Meg Whitman, the service, "which served up shows in 5- to 10-minute 'chapters' formatted to fit a smartphone screen, has been plagued with problems since its April debut, facing lower-than-expected viewership" due to the COVID-19 pandemic and a lawsuit from rival interactive-video company Eko. Katzenberg and Whitman "decided to shut down the company in an effort to return as much capital to investors as possible instead of trying to prolong the life of the company and risk losing more money."

Poynter Hosts Election Forum:

With the 2020 presidential election 13 days away, Poynter hosted “The Weirdest Election Night Ever," a Monday online public forum "focused on demystifying the election process and combating misinformation," according to Abby Vervaeke. Speakers at the two-panel event included FiveThirtyEight Elections Analyst Geoffrey Skelley, Associated Press Executive Editor Sally Buzbee and University of Washington Associate Professor Kate Starbird. "This is a process that happens every year, it's just more exaggerated in this year because of the current environment and because of such a tremendous increase in the use of by-mail votes," said Edison Research co-founder Joe Lenski, who also participated.

Justice Department Files Google Antitrust Lawsuit:

The Justice Department filed a long-anticipated antitrust lawsuit against Google Tuesday, alleging the technology company "engaged in anticompetitive practices to achieve and sustain its market dominance" by "illegally maintaining [...] exclusionary contracts with distributors like mobile-phone makers, wireless carriers and web browsers to make Google their default search engine," according to Keach Hagey of The Wall Street Journal. In addition to the filing, the Justice Department "is separately continuing to investigate Google’s awesome power in digital advertising," while state attorneys general "are pursuing a separate probe" of the company. 

Bloomberg Spokesperson Denies Sale Report:

Bloomberg spokesperson Ty Trippet has denied a Tuesday New York Post report that owner Michael Bloomberg "recently entertained an offer to sell a minority stake" in the company to hedge-fund billionaire Bill Ackman that also would enable the company to go public. "A report today by the New York Post about Bloomberg LP ownership talks is absolutely not true," Trippet tweeted. "The company is not for sale."

Bustle Digital Group Staffers Announce Intention To Unionize:

Staffers at Bustle Digital Group "have announced their plans to form a union with Writers Guild of America East," according to Kerry Flynn of CNN. The endeavor "includes about 205 staffers in editorial, creative, social and video" at all of the media company's publications, including such outlets as Bustle, Romper, Mic and Nylon. "In unionizing, we are working collectively to fulfill BDG's publicly stated values and create a safe, fair workplace where everyone's talents are nurtured, equitably compensated, and respected — a collaborative workplace where everyone's voice is heard," the proposed bargaining unit said in an organizing letter. "If we are to be the rule-breaking global media company our leadership thinks of us as, it's time for them to listen."