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Reacting to yesterday’s congressional hearing and testimony by Facebook whistleblower Frances Haugen, in an opinion piece for The New York Times, former Facebook data scientist Roddy Lindsay agreed with Haugen’s proposed solution to address the problem of big tech platforms spreading harmful misinformation and fake news – make the platforms liable for content they promote via their algorithms. Lindsay and Haugen suggest that Congress reform Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, which currently protects the tech platforms from such liability.

News Media Alliance President & CEO, David Chavern, made a similar suggestion last year in an op-ed in WIRED, stating, “Limiting Section 230 and making the platforms responsible for content they decide to promote and amplify would, at the very least, require the platforms to carefully track and filter what they promote, and introduce incentives to support known sources of quality information.”

The post Facebook Whistleblower, Former Facebook Data Scientist Support Section 230 Reform appeared first on News/Media Alliance.

It’s a new year, which signifies new beginnings, a fresh start and the setting and attaining of new goals, both personally and professionally.

As you are charting your plans for 2020, as a news industry professional and as a member of the News Media Alliance, remember to utilize the Alliance’s many resources, products and programs available to aid you in your day-to-day activities and to help make your life easier! To learn how you can be leveraging these resources, read on and then click through to launch each program.

The start of the new year is also a good time to review your email preferences and make sure you’re subscribed to our most relevant email newsletters. We launched a few newsletters in the last year that you we think you’ll find useful! Scroll down for more information about the email newsletters we offer for members.

Now, on to the goal-crushing!

Alliance Website and Social Media Channels

Have you browsed our website lately? The Alliance website, www.newsmediaalliance.org, offers a wealth of content on industry news, trends and events, as well as updates on our digital advocacy and public policy activities and new research insights for members. In addition, members will find reports; press statements; free house ads and PSAs; webinars and events; and more. It is a treasure trove for the news industry pro! Note: You’ll need to login to access the member-only resources – email membership@newsmediaalliance.org if you need password assistance.

We also recommend that you Like and Follow us on the major social media channels as well, as we communicate timely industry news and updates, as well as information about new products and upcoming events and webinars, daily via our social media channels. Find us on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube and Instagram.

Advertising Intelligence Center:

The Advertising Intelligence Center (AIC) is an online database of case studies from fellow news publisher members highlighting best practices of their successful advertising campaigns. The AIC contains new ideas and approaches, with accounts of strategies that really work, including case studies from fellow Alliance members — such as Hearst, GateHouse Media and AH Belo — that showcase these ideas and strategies and provide valuable insights and in-depth context on how they executed them successfully.

Browse all of the case studies or apply filters to see the cases sorted by challenge, geography or retail sector. Results are displayed in real-time. Simply click on the links to download the PDFs of the studies.

We are also accepting new case studies and encourage you to submit your success stories to us for inclusion in the AIC! Access the AIC here – member login required.

Advertising Planning Calendar:

This Advertising Planning Calendar provides a schedule of News Media Alliance ads, along with ads provided through our partnership with The Ad Council, for your advertising department’s use in planning your advertising schedule. Included in the calendar are suggested dates for the ads to run, as well as links to access the required ad files. Click here to access the Ad Planning Calendar.

News Impact Project:

We recently introduced a new Alliance program called the News Impact Project to help demonstrate the positive impact local news has on communities. We’re in the process of assembling an encyclopedia of impactful stories that will provide compelling evidence of the critical work newsrooms and journalists are doing to drive support for local news in the form of subscriptions, donations and shares with others who will do the same.

We would love to hear about the stories you have recently produced that have been the most valuable, in terms of having a positive impact on the community. It doesn’t have to have won a Pulitzer – it just has to have had a positive impact on the community! Read more about the News Impact Project and then send us your stories to ensure your journalism is included in the encyclopedia!

News Advertising Panorama:

A fact-packed resource that is very useful for all news industry pros, the News Advertising Panorama should definitely be added to your bookmarks, especially if you work in sales, marketing or advertising. The News Advertising Panorama: A Wide-Ranging Look at the Value of the News Audience is a comprehensive resource that highlights the benefits and advantages of advertising in print and digital news media.

The 86-page Panorama includes research and statistics from a wide range of sources, including Nielsen Scarborough, comScore, Kantar Media, the Alliance’s own research and more, to demonstrate the value of the news audience for advertisers. The Panorama elaborates on eight qualities that embody the unique selling proposition for advertising in news media, and details how news media provide the best advertising strategies and channels to reach the desired audience(s).

The guide looks at key demographics of the news media audience, such as income and education, as well as their buying and spending habits and their role as influencers in society.

Keep it handy as a quick-reference resource, or to inform your next sales call or meeting with a customer. Click here to access the Panorama – member login required.

Safe Harbor Resource Center:

The Safe Harbor Resource Center is a unique and wide-ranging repository of resources and information on the Journalism Competition & Preservation Act which, if implemented, would provide an antitrust safe harbor for news publishers to collectively negotiate with the tech platforms for better business arrangements.

The News Media Alliance has been very vocal in advocating for such legislation, which it believes is needed to address the imbalance in the news publisher-platform relationship.

Visit this page to access resources and materials related to the legislation, including the Senate and House bills and related fact sheets, grassroots campaign and Alliance press statements, videos, research and more.

Digital Advocacy Rolling Update:

This page is updated regularly with the Alliance’s activities on the Hill, as well as other updates on digital issues and activities. Updates can be viewed by month and by year. Check back regularly for the latest updates, or subscribe to receive the Digital Advocacy Updates newsletter, distributed bi-weekly – see below for more information). Click here to access the Rolling Update.

Speaking Engagements:

We have several knowledgeable subject-matter experts here at the Alliance who are available to speak at internal and external conferences and events. Click here to view our Speaker Bios and find the expert you’d like to request. Or, tell us what you’re looking for in a speaker, and we will suggest one based on area of expertise and availability. Click here to send us a speaker request.

Learn with Us – Webinars and Events:

Sometimes it’s just easier to hear straight from us, so make sure to subscribe to receive our emails regarding upcoming Alliance webinars and live events (see more below on how to review and update your email preferences)! We often invite outside experts to join our webinars that can elaborate on research and trends and offer unique perspectives and innovative solutions. Can’t make a webinar? Don’t worry! We record our webinars and provide links to the recording, along with the speaker slides, on the event page shortly after the webinar so you can watch when you have time. Click here to view our upcoming events.

Our signature in-person event, adXchange, is coming up on February 24-25 in Ft. Lauderdale, FL, so be sure to register now if you’re thinking of attending! This time-and-cost-saving event allows news publishers to have private one-on-one meetings with advertisers and agencies. Alliance news publisher members attend at no charge, but you must register to attend. Click here for more information and to register.

Email Newsletters:

One of the main ways we keep our members informed about what we’re working on, as well as news and insights pertaining to the industry, is through our regular email communications.

The start of a new year is the perfect time to review your email preferences to make sure you are subscribed to the emails you want to receive, including our email newsletters, announcements about new products and reports, advocacy and policy alerts, press releases and more.

You can edit your email preferences by logging in to the Alliance website and clicking on Email Preferences from the My Alliance home screen. Likewise, you can click “Update your preferences” at the bottom of any Alliance email to edit your preferences.

If you need your login information sent to you or have questions about which newsletters you’re signed up for, please contact membership@newsmediaalliance.org or call 1.844.656.4622.

The post Alliance Resources to Get Started on the Right Foot in the New Year appeared first on News/Media Alliance.

You’ve been given a great gift, George: A chance to see what the world would be like without you.

One of my favorite holiday movies has to be It’s a Wonderful Life. It’s one of those films that makes you reflect on what’s truly important, and from which you can learn something new every time you watch it. It’s no surprise that it is rated as one of the best Christmas movies of all time.

While a good portion of the movie is downright depressing, watching protagonist George Bailey’s life crumble, the main message is heartwarming and inspiring: “Each man’s life touches so many other lives. When he isn’t around, he leaves an awful hole, doesn’t he?” says Clarence, the angel sent to save George.

This is true on so many levels and can be applied to just about any situation. Take newspapers, for instance. What would the world be like if newspapers had never been born?

For centuries, people relied on the print newspaper as their main source for news. And many, many people still do – 44 percent of the news media audience turns exclusively to print. It is a source of important information about their local community and government, as well as a source of entertainment, education and civilized debate. Before 1950, people didn’t own televisions, and it would be decades before they would own computers or smartphones.

Without newspapers, many people back then would have been without a consistent, reliable source for news. But what about today?

We literally have the news – from our local community, as well as across the country and around the world – at our fingertips. We need only tap an app icon on our phone screens, and the latest news is transmitted instantaneously to our devices. But would it even be there without newspapers?

Today, many of us get our news from social media and news aggregator websites that do not provide news themselves; they are sharing original news stories provided by newspapers. Without newspapers, they would not have news to share.

If newspapers had never been born, we wouldn’t know the score of the local football game, or that there was a string of burglaries in our neighborhood, or that the road we take to get to work is closed. We make decisions every day based on the news we receive – directly or indirectly – from newspapers.

If newspapers had never been born, we wouldn’t have the award-winning investigative and breaking news reporting that has revealed corruption and wrongdoing in public offices, and this behavior would run rampant in our governments and businesses. We would not have a way to hold those in office accountable and our entire democracy would be compromised.

When newspapers aren’t around, it leaves an awful hole, doesn’t it?

If we can imagine what the world would be like if newspapers had never been born, then we can also imagine what our world would be like if newspapers disappeared. As news publishers currently face an uneven playing field and no way to correct it, that becomes a very real possibility (unless Congress passes legislation to allow news publishers to collectively negotiate with the platforms for better business terms), and one we need to recognize and prevent before it is too late.

Without newspapers, we would all have less knowledge of our world. Remember that the next time you read the news.

Calling all newsrooms and journalists! Introducing the News Impact Project, from the News Media Alliance: To help demonstrate the positive impact local news has on communities, we’re assembling an encyclopedia of impactful stories that provides compelling evidence of the critical work your organization is doing. We would like to hear from newsrooms, editors, journalists and others at your publication, those stories you have produced that have been the most impactful to the community. To submit a story, click here.

The post It’s a Wonderful Life: Imagine Your World if Newspapers Disappeared appeared first on News/Media Alliance.