British media organizations condemn Meta’s decision to ditch Facebook News

British media organizations condemn Meta’s decision to ditch Facebook News
Meta said people do not come to Facebook for news and political content. (Meta)
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Updated 26 September 2023
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British media organizations condemn Meta’s decision to ditch Facebook News

British media organizations condemn Meta’s decision to ditch Facebook News
  • In a letter to the company’s global affairs president they also slammed Meta for dumping a scheme through which it funds local journalism in the UK
  • They said: ‘Particularly as we near a general election, these deliberate actions pose an urgent threat to democracy by choking trusted news’

DUBAI: British media organizations have condemned a decision by Meta to phase out Facebook News, a dedicated tab in the bookmarks section of Facebook that spotlights news, in some countries. They also slammed the company’s plans to end a scheme through which it funds local journalism in the UK.

Reach, one of the UK’s largest newspaper publishers, and the News Media Association sent Meta’s global affairs president, Nick Clegg, a letter criticizing moves they described as “financially damaging” and “deeply concerning for democracy and society.”

They added: “Particularly as we near a general election, these deliberate actions pose an urgent threat to democracy by choking trusted news — both financially for the media industry and practically, for audiences accustomed to trusting your platform for information.”

In addition to Clegg, a former leader of the Liberal Democrats who served as the UK’s deputy prime minister in his party’s coalition government with the Conservatives from 2010 to 2015, the recipients of the letter reportedly included Lucy Frazer, the UK’s culture secretary, and Michelle Donelan, the technology minister.

Meta announced this month that it plans to “deprecate” Facebook News in early December in the UK, France and Germany, as part of an “ongoing effort to better align our investments to our products and services people value the most.”

The company, which has increasingly been shifting its focus to short-form video and other new-tech services, said people do not come to Facebook for news and political content.

“News makes up less than three percent of what people around the world see in their Facebook feed, so news discovery is a small part of the Facebook experience for the vast majority of people,” Meta said.

However, the organizations that sent the letter of protest argued that “platforms such as Facebook continue to be key discovery routes for news for millions of people, and indeed voters, as Ofcom’s News Consumption in the UK 2022/23 report showed earlier this year.”

Reach, which owns national and local newspapers, including the Daily Mirror, Daily Express and Daily Star, previously attributed a financial decline to Facebook.

In its half-year earnings, the publisher revealed a revenue drop of 6.1 percent year-on-year, and overall its titles experienced a 16 percent decline in website page views. The company said at the time that had Facebook not made a change that deprioritized news, it would have expected page views to decline by only 2 percent.

The letter also admonished Meta for its decision to cancel funding for its Community News Project, introduced in 2018, through which Meta pledged £4.5 million ($5.5 million) to help fund 80 new community journalists in the UK.

“We recognize the important role Facebook plays in how people get their news today and we want to do more to support local publishers,” Meta said at the time of launch.

The letter’s signatories reminded the company of its commitment, saying: “If Meta truly believes, as it stated only 18 months ago, that ‘local newspapers are the lifeblood of communities,’ then it is crucial that the company acts to support, rather than undermine, the sustainability of journalism in the UK by continuing these valuable and successful initiatives.”

The News Media Association and Reach called for a meeting with representatives of Meta to discuss how it can support news publishers and the distribution of trustworthy reports and information.


‘Four Daughters’ wins inaugural Asharq Documentary Award

‘Four Daughters’ wins inaugural Asharq Documentary Award
Updated 08 December 2023
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‘Four Daughters’ wins inaugural Asharq Documentary Award

‘Four Daughters’ wins inaugural Asharq Documentary Award
  • Prize marks company’s commitment to film industry, nurturing talent
  • Winner announced at Red Sea International Film Festival 2023

DUBAI: Kawthar Ben Haniyeh’s portrait of a Tunisian mother and her four daughters living in a society wracked by extremism has won the inaugural Asharq Documentary Award.

The awards are named after Saudi Research and Media Group’s Arabic free-to-air channel Asharq Documentary. The winning entry was announced during this year’s Red Sea International Film Festival at the Ritz Carlton Hotel in Jeddah.

“Four Daughters” uses interviews and reenactments to tell the story of Olfa Hamrouni and her daughters, the two eldest of whom were radicalized and went missing.

“This award marks the beginning of several initiatives we have planned to recognize and reward filmmaking talent, while supporting the regional film industry,” Mohammed Al-Yousei, general manager of Asharq Documentary, said.

“A defining aspect of Asharq Documentary is its dedicated, in-house production capabilities, offering exclusive access to regional documentary films for our audiences.”

The new channel aims to provide a platform for creators to showcase their stories and productions, the company said in a statement.

Seven other films were in the running for the award. They were: Iraq’s “Hiding Saddam Hussein,” “Iraq’s Invisible Beauty” and “The Dalkurd Story,” Morocco’s “The Mother of All Lies,” Libya’s “Donga,” the UK’s “Copa 71” and Ireland’s “In the Shadow of Beirut.”

Shivani Pandya Malhotra, managing director of the Red Sea International Film Festival, said the Asharq Documentary Award was an important addition to the festival as the two organizations were committed to supporting storytelling and filmmaking.

Asharq Documentary is available through its dedicated TV channel and social media accounts, as well as live streaming and on-demand services via Asharq NOW.


Media watchdog calls for release of Gaza correspondent amid growing press safety concerns

Media watchdog calls for release of Gaza correspondent amid growing press safety concerns
Updated 08 December 2023
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Media watchdog calls for release of Gaza correspondent amid growing press safety concerns

Media watchdog calls for release of Gaza correspondent amid growing press safety concerns
  • Diaa Al-Kahlout detained at gunpoint on Thursday along with family members
  • News follows claim that Israeli killing of Reuters journalist was part of a ‘deliberate assault on civilians’

LONDON: The Committee to Protect Journalists has urged Israeli authorities to release Palestinian journalist Diaa Al-Kahlout, who was detained in northern Gaza on Dec. 7.

Al-Kahlout, the chief bureau correspondent for the Qatari-funded, London-based Arab newspaper Al-Araby Al-Jadeed, was detained along with family members.

CPJ’s Middle East and North Africa Program Coordinator, Sherif Mansour, expressed “deep concern” about the incident and called for Al-Kahlout’s immediate release.

“The Israeli army should disclose his location, release him immediately, and take steps to ensure the safety of all journalists covering this war, especially those in Gaza who face imminent harm,” he said.

Al-Araby Al-Jadeed, one of the few pan-Arab news outlets that still has a physical presence in northern Gaza, said it had lost contact with Al-Kahlout at around noon on Thursday, and later discovered that he and his family were detained at gunpoint.

Reports suggest that Israeli soldiers detained Al-Kahlout, leaving his disabled daughter behind, and subjected him and others to alleged mistreatment, including physical assault.

Hussam Kanafani, Al-Araby Al-Jadeed’s editor-in-chief, said the outlet was working to determine Al-Kahlout’s whereabouts and secure his release.

Kanafani claimed that Israel deliberately “arrests, targets, and kills journalists” to prevent documentation of crimes.

Since the conflict between Israel and Hamas broke out last Oct. 7, CPJ has reported the arrest of 19 journalists, most based in the West Bank.

According to the media watchdog, at least 63 journalists and media workers have been killed since the beginning of the conflict, the highest casualty count in over 30 years of record-keeping.

Israel has faced persistent allegations of harassing, detaining and obstructing journalists, along with accusations of deliberate targeting.

On Thursday, Reuters published an investigation into the death of reporter Issam Abdallah in an Israeli attack near the Lebanese border on Oct. 13.

Aya Majzoub, Amnesty International’s deputy regional director for the Middle East and North Africa, previously said that the organization’s inquiry into the incident suggested it was a “direct attack on civilians.”

He added that such attacks are “absolutely prohibited by international humanitarian law and can amount to war crimes.”

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said that it was important that an Israeli inquiry into the incident reached a conclusion and that its findings were transparent.


Axel Springer to close Upday in shift towards AI-based news

Axel Springer to close Upday in shift towards AI-based news
Updated 08 December 2023
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Axel Springer to close Upday in shift towards AI-based news

Axel Springer to close Upday in shift towards AI-based news
  • Upday to close at end of the year, relaunch expected for summer 2024
  • More than half of jobs to be eliminated, company said

BERLIN: Axel Springer is shutting down the news outlet Upday, the German publishing giant said on Friday, in plans to revive the brand as a “trend news generator” driven by artificial intelligence.

Upday will close by the end of the year in its current form, with the new service scheduled to launch in the summer of 2024.

A spokesperson said jobs at Upday are being eliminated during the transformation process, adding that the company would examine whether staff can continue to work elsewhere in the group.

Of a one-time workforce of 150, 70 staff members remain, the spokesperson said.

The aim of the transformation is to explore “the opportunities that (artificial intelligence) presents for journalism and the news industry”, the company said.

Upday has been pre-installed on Samsung cell phones and other devices under a deal between Axel Springer and the South Korean company in 2015. It expanded into 34 European countries.

Axel Springer owns top-selling German tabloids Bild and Welt, as well as US political news website Politico. The company plans to transition from print media to digital news.


TikTok makes people 17% more antisemitic, claims ex-South Carolina governor

TikTok makes people 17% more antisemitic, claims ex-South Carolina governor
Updated 08 December 2023
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TikTok makes people 17% more antisemitic, claims ex-South Carolina governor

TikTok makes people 17% more antisemitic, claims ex-South Carolina governor
  • TikTok rejects Nikki Haley claim as ‘100% false’
  • Republican presidential hopeful ridiculed online

DUBAI: Former South Carolina governor Nikki Haley claimed on Wednesday that spending time on social media app TikTok made people “17 percent more antisemitic, more pro-Hamas” every 30 minutes.

During the Republican presidential primary debate, Haley said: “We really do need to ban TikTok once and for all and let me tell you why.

“For every 30 minutes that someone watches TikTok every day they become 17 percent more antisemitic, more pro-Hamas based on doing that.”

Haley was likely referring to a recent study, but her comments were not entirely accurate, pointed out Steve Goldstein, European bureau chief for MarketWatch.

“The study, a pretty decent sample of some 1,323 Americans under the age of 30, found that spending 30 minutes a day on TikTok was associated with a 17 percent increase in the likelihood they were to hold antisemitic or anti-Israel views compared to people who don’t use it at all,” he wrote.

“While much higher than the antisemitic views of Instagram or X users, the study does not suggest that continuing to use the Chinese-owned social media service will further bolster the user’s antisemitic views,” he added.

Goldstein also drew attention to “the important distinction between causation and correlation,” saying that the study authors note “that for every video view with a pro-Israel hashtag, there are 54 with a pro-Palestinian one.”

Haley’s comments have sparked amusement and mockery online.

Anthony Goldbloom, the data scientist behind the study, retweeted a clip of Haley speaking during the debate on Wednesday.

In other tweets, he said that he does not trust TikTok because the company allegedly puts out “so many contradictory and easily falsifiable comments” in their news releases.

TikTok said on Twitter through its policy account that Haley’s comments are “100% false.”

Her claims have been labelled as false by TV station WUSA9 and Verify This.

 

 


Israel says Reuters journalist Abdallah was in a combat zone when he was killed

Israel says Reuters journalist Abdallah was in a combat zone when he was killed
Updated 08 December 2023
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Israel says Reuters journalist Abdallah was in a combat zone when he was killed

Israel says Reuters journalist Abdallah was in a combat zone when he was killed
  • According to Reuters’ report, Israel’s attack that killed Issam Abdallah and the injury of six reporters was likely intentional, amount to war crime
  • Lebanon filed case to UN Security Council

LONDON: The Israeli military, responding on Friday to a Reuters investigation that determined its forces killed a Reuters journalist in southern Lebanon on Oct. 13, said the incident took place in an active combat zone and was under review.

Without directly addressing the death of visuals journalist Issam Abdallah, a military statement said Lebanese Hezbollah fighters had at the time attacked across the border and Israeli forces opened fire to prevent a suspected armed infiltration.

A Reuters special report published on Thursday found that an Israeli tank crew killed Abdallah and wounded six reporters by firing two shells in quick succession from Israel while the journalists were filming cross-border shelling.

Israel’s statement on Friday said that on Oct. 13, Iranian-backed Hezbollah militants launched an attack on multiple targets within Israeli territory along the Lebanese border.

“One incident involved the firing of an anti-tank missile, which struck the border fence near the village Hanita. Following the launch of the anti-tank missile, concerns arose over the potential infiltration of terrorists into Israeli territory,” the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) said in a statement.

“In response, the IDF used artillery and tank fire to prevent the infiltration. The IDF is aware of the claim that journalists who were in the area were killed.

“The area is an active combat zone, where active fire takes place and being in this area is dangerous. The incident is currently under review,” it said.

The strikes killed Abdallah, 37, and severely wounded Agence France-Presse (AFP) photographer Christina Assi, 28, just over a kilometre from the Israeli border near the Lebanese village of Alma al-Chaab.

Amnesty International said on Thursday that the Israeli strikes were likely to have been a direct attack on civilians and must be investigated as a war crime.

In a separate report Human Rights Watch (HRW) said the two Israeli strikes were “an apparently deliberate attack on civilians and thus a war crime” and said those responsible must be held to account.

Following the publication of the findings, Lebanon declared its intention to present the case to the UN Security Council, while caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati condemned Israel, asserting that its “criminality has no limits.”

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Thursday it was important that Israel's inquiry into the killing reach a conclusion and for the results to be seen.

“My understanding is that Israel has initiated such an investigation, and it will be important to see that investigation come to a conclusion, and to see the results of the investigation,” Blinken said at a press conference.

With Reuters