FTC Chair Lina Khan will be interviewed by Axios’ Sara Fischer for the 2024 DCN Summit. The session will be livestreamed.
Articles by: "DCN"
DCN stands with global media community as Google and Meta threaten to take down news in Canada
DCN stands with publishers around the globe in reaction to Facebook and Google’s efforts to undermine Canada’s new law to help address the imbalance in market power. Digital Content Next was one of 18 media organizations worldwide that issued a joint statement on July 5, 2023 in response to Google and Meta’s threat to take down news in Canada after Canada’s parliament passed the Online News Act (C-18) in June.
In the words of Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, “This is not just a dispute over advertising, it is also dispute over democracy. It’s a question of recognizing the role internet giants—like Facebook Meta, Google and others—have in our lives and therefore the responsibility they also wield. …this goes to the core of a free and informed society that is able to take responsible decisions in a democracy citizens need to have access to quality journalism that is properly paid.
The fact that Facebook doesn’t want to recognize the hard work of professional journalists is something that undermines the very fabric of democracy. So, Canada—and allies around the world—are going to stand strong and demonstrate that we will not flinch in our defense of fundamental foundational principles of democracy like a free, quality, informed press.”
Navigating the ethical landscape of generative AI and journalism
At the 2023 Collision Conference, held June 26-30 in Toronto Canada, DCN’s editorial director Michelle Manafy sat down with three media executives to discuss the ethics of using generative AI in journalism. The conversation covered the evolution of AI and its usage in the media, up to today’s much-discussed generative AI tools. Panelists weighed in on a range of use cases and where they would – or would not – permit (or even encourage) the use of generative AI in their media organizations. They also discussed whether or not generative AI is an existential threat to journalism, journalists — and even humanity as a whole. Listen to the discussion here and/or read a few highlights below.
Navigating the ethical landscape of generative AI and journalism
Featuring:
- Gideon Lichfield – Global Editorial Director, Wired
- Harry McCracken – Global Technology Editor, Fast Company
- Traci Mabrey – Head of News, Factiva
- Michelle Manafy – Editorial Director, Digital Content Next
A few highlights from the panel discussion:
Traci Mabrey: We’ve been using [machine learning and AI] forever and that’s a really important component as we look at this. This new horizon is going to be something, and I don’t think any of us know exactly what that is yet. But we have been using the building blocks of it for quite some time…
Gideon Lichfield: I think what’s changed is that it now has the capability to produce something that looks like something humans would create from scratch. And I emphasize looks like because it’s very clear that what’s going on is imitation… the fact that it became available as an easy to use interface was really crucial… this technology was around already for a few years, but it wasn’t that easy to access. The big change last year was just that it became easy to access…
Michelle Manafy: We’ve heard of late that some big tech leaders, some really smart folks call generative AI an existential threat. Are we afraid? Should we be afraid? And I don’t just mean as the media. You guys all think about larger issues in society. Is this good? Is it bad? Should we all be scared?
Harry McCracken: I think the worrying about it blowing up the world or killing us all is a little overwrought, particularly because there’s a pretty long list of genuine concerns that are either an issue right now or pretty clearly will be over the next few years involving things like misinformation. There are huge privacy concerns with a handful of large companies grabbing all our data and synthesizing that for their own benefit. I’d say there are plenty of things to worry about with A.I… but destroying the world might be more like the way that social media has, in a lot of ways, degraded the human experience…
Gideon Lichfield: …the increasing volume of just sheer garbage that is out there that is going to be generated by AI: that’s a that’s a real worry. And the job displacement part is also a thing that I worry about. But I think there is a way to use it. There is a way to use A.I. that empowers people, gives them extra tools. But it’s also a great temptation for companies, for employers to simply look at it as a way to save costs…
Harry McCracken: …Journalism is unusual in that the writing is the product. Most of the writing that exists in the world is not the product, just the byproduct. There are a lot of cases where having a computer draft your internal memo or whatever makes a lot of sense and will fill you up to do more important things…
Traci Mabrey: …I think if we look at our journalists and our editors around the world, there’s a very personal scope that goes into everything somebody is writing and somebody is speaking about. And I think that’s a really big component when you look at it. The technology, as Gideon was saying, it is bringing up a set of words. It’s able to make 500 words on X topic regarding this. But that is not the way that I would infuse that information into the world. And it’s not those types of things that make organic journalism and all of the real nuggets that we get from it… I think for the drafting process and the information gathering, certainly saving a lot of time. But we’re certainly on the path of that being a still a very personal end product.
Learn more about how media leaders are developing their policies around the usage of AI and generative AI in their organizations:
Media organizations grapple with developing AI policies
Big Noises Podcast: Michelle Manafy on the media’s universal problems
Media Voices co-host Peter Houston is tired of hearing the same old industry buzzwords. The publishing platitudes are starting to wear a bit thin, and he’s decided to see if he can shake the conversation up a bit by speaking to some of the biggest characters in the business.
The latest episode of Media Voices’ Big Noises podcast features Michelle Manafy, Editorial Director at Digital Content Next (DCN).
Michelle started out as a journalist. The rise of digital media saw her embrace the changes and after working for a range of publications, from alt weeklies to B2B titles, she joined what was then the OPA to help premium publishers with their ongoing their digital evolution. She now manages online content and events for the group, which is known as DCN.
More than a decade in, Michelle still has hope for the media, but is frustrated by many of the publishing practices she sees. “Now we’re in a world where two thirds of our job is to rise above the noise. ‘Listen to me. Look at me’ right? Are we providing a value exchange? When people give us that gift of their attention, do we provide them with value… was it worth their time?”
How media brands are honoring Juneteenth this year
DCN is proud to support our members and the health of the digital media industry overall. Thus, we are pleased to share some of the incredible work our members and other media companies are doing to recognize Juneteenth and its cultural significance in the American experience.
AdAge | Black Americans say brands should celebrate Juneteenth, if done right
AP News | The story behind Juneteenth and how it became a federal holiday
Axios | Juneteenth celebrations at Austin’s Carver Museum
Axios | This week’s Embrace Ideas Festival for Juneteenth
BET | BET Bookmark: Your Juneteenth (Kids) Holiday Reading List
BET | White House Announces Star-Studded Juneteenth Concert
BET | Juneteenth: South Carolina Town Removes Juneteenth Banner Displaying White Couple
bon appétit | 15 Vibrant Recipes to Celebrate Juneteenth
BostonGlobe.com | Nineteen ways to celebrate the historical events of Juneteenth in Boston and beyond
BostonGlobe.com | The gentrification of Juneteenth
CBSNews Pittsburgh | Juneteenth youth fest takes place at Mellon Park
Digiday | Why Black creators say brands are ‘quiet as a mouse’ on Black History Month and Juneteenth this year
Insider | This simple and tasty potato salad recipe is the perfect side dish for Juneteenth cookouts
Louiville Courier Journal | What is Juneteenth? 6 things to know about America’s newest federal holiday
NBC12 | 2023 Juneteenth Events in Central Virginia
NBCNews | A family celebrates Juneteenth in Mexico — where their Black ancestors first found freedom
PBS | Lesson Plan: History of Juneteenth and why it’s now a national holiday
Pew Research Center | More than half of states will recognize Juneteenth as an official public holiday in 2023
SF Chronicle | ‘Day of liberation’: S.F.’s first Juneteenth Parade attracts hundreds
Smithsonian Magazine | Juneteenth: Our Other Independence Day
TedEd | Juneteenth youth fest takes place at Mellon Park
The National Desk | Disney series bashed for saying descendants of slaves have ‘earned’ reparations, US hasn’t ‘atoned’ for racism
The New York Times | From Martha’s Vineyard to Cleveland: Celebrating the Day Slavery Ended
The New York Times | Juneteenth: The History of a Holiday
The New York Times | 4 Recipes for a Memorable Juneteenth Celebration
The Root | Juneteenth Is Now Recognized As A State Holiday In Nevada
The Root | Juneteenth 2023: A List of Juneteenth Books for the Entire Family
The Root | Cheat Sheet: What is Juneteenth?
USA Today | ‘Grandmother of Juneteenth’ gets Texas portrait
Vox | Vox’s June Highlight Issue: Discrimination Everywhere
Washington Post | Mural artist Reginald C. Adams on commemorating Juneteenth
Washington Post | The 15 best ways to celebrate Juneteenth in the D.C. area
DCN’s Principles for Development and Governance of Generative AI
INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY
1) Developers and deployers of GAI must respect creators’ rights to their content. Developers and deployers of Generative Artificial Intelligence (GAI) systems—as well as legislators, regulators and other parties involved in drafting laws and policies regulating GAI—must respect the value of creators’ proprietary content.
2) Publishers are entitled to negotiate for and receive fair compensation for use of their IP. Use of original content by GAI systems for training, surfacing or synthesizing is not authorized by most publishers’ terms and conditions, or contemplated by existing agreements (for example, for search). GAI system developers and deployers should not be crawling, ingesting or using publishers’ proprietary content for these three stages without express authorization.
3) Copyright laws protect content creators from the unlicensed use of their content. Like all other uses of copyrighted works, use of copyrighted works in AI systems are subject to analysis under copyright and fair use law. Most of the use of publishers’ original content by AI systems for both training and output purposes would likely be found to go far beyond the scope of fair use as set forth in the Copyright Act and established case law. Exceptions to copyright protections for text and data mining (TDM) should be narrowly tailored to not damage content publishers or become pathways for uses that would otherwise require permission.
TRANSPARENCY
4) GAI systems should be transparent to publishers and users. Strong regulations and policies imposing proportionate transparency requirements are needed to the extent necessary for publishers to enforce their IP rights where publishers’ copyright-protected content is included in training datasets. Generative outputs that use publisher content should include clear and prominent attributions in a way that identifies to users the original sources of the output (not third-party news aggregators) and encourages users to navigate to those sources. Users should also be provided with comprehensible information about how such systems operate to make judgments about system quality and trustworthiness.
ACCOUNTABILITY
5) Deployers of GAI systems should be held accountable for system outputs. GAI systems pose risks for competition and public trust in publishers’ content. This can be compounded by GAI systems generating content that improperly attributes false information to publishers. Deployers of GAI systems should be legally responsible for the output of their systems.
FAIRNESS
6) GAI systems should not create, or risk creating, unfair market or competition outcomes. Regulators should be attuned to ensuring GAI systems are designed, trained, deployed, and used in a way that is compliant with competition laws and principles.
SAFETY
7) GAI systems should be safe and address privacy risks. Collection and use of personal data in GAI system design, training and use should be minimal, disclosed to users in an easily understandable manner and in line with Fair Information Privacy Principles (FIPPS). Systems should not reinforce biases or facilitate discrimination.
DCN’s must reads: week of May 18, 2023
Here are some of the best media stories our team has read so far this week:
- Columbia Journalism Review | Journalism’s Essential Value (62 minutes)
- Digiday | Twitter’s appointment of Linda Yaccarino as CEO signals the social network’s desire to win back brands (4 minute read)
- Harvard Business Review | AI Can Be Both Accurate and Transparent (8 minute read)
- MediaPost | TV Advertising Ups And Downs: Linear Sinks 8%, CTV Rises 21% (1 minute read)
- PressGazette | BBC unveils Verify team of 60 journalists it says will be ‘transparency in action’ (4 minute read)
- The New York Times | Vice, Decayed Digital Colossus, Files for Bankruptcy (7 minute read)
- The Wall Street Journal | Automotive Tech Billionaire Austin Russell to Acquire Majority Stake in Forbes (2 minute read)
- The Washington Post | Elon Musk’s about-face on government censorship (4 minute read)
- Variety | Behind Warner Bros. Discovery’s Secret Audience-Shifting Strategy: Schedule Switches and Simulcasts (3 minute read)
DCN’s must reads: week of May 11, 2023
Digital Content Next Endorses Bi-Partisan AMERICA Act to Protect Trust in Online Advertising
NEW YORK – March 30, 2023 – In an effort to provide clarity and transparency in the digital advertising marketplace, Digital Content Next (DCN), the trade association that exclusively represents more than 60 high quality digital media companies and thousands of trusted media brands, endorses the bi-partisan bill, the AMERICA Act.
“The digital advertising marketplace operates like a financial marketplace with brokers representing buyers and sellers. But, unlike financial markets, there are no requirements for transparency and there are no rules to avoid conflicts of interest and insider trading.” said Jason Kint, CEO of Digital Content Next. “We support the AMERICA Act because it will reinforce the basic free market tenets of competition and transparency in digital advertising, which fuels the online content we all read and love and are a necessity for all sorts of businesses – small and large – to efficiently reach consumers.”
As alleged by the Department of Justice and a bipartisan group of state attorneys general, the digital advertising marketplace is plagued by shady middlemen charging exorbitant fees and engaging in questionable business practices which ultimately translates into higher costs and reduced privacy for consumers. While dominant ad tech companies make huge profits, publishers and advertisers get squeezed. And high costs are passed on to American consumers.
“This lack of competition in digital advertising means that monopoly rents are being imposed upon every website that is ad-supported and every company—small, medium, or large—that relies on internet advertising to grow its business,“ said U.S. Senator Mike Lee (R-UT). “It is essentially a tax on thousands of American businesses, and thus a tax on millions of American consumers.”
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DCN’s must reads: week of November 3, 2022
Here are some of the best media stories our team has read so far this week:
- Axios | Scoop: CVC eyes Group Black’s bid for Bustle-owner BDG (2 min read)
- Deadline | Peacock Will Start Streaming Hallmark Programming (2 min read)
- Digiday | Bloomberg Media exerts more control over its programmatic advertising as part of ‘a philosophical shift’ (6 min read)
- Insider | We asked 14 newsrooms whether they’d pay for Twitter verification for journalists. For CNN, it’s ‘highly unlikely,’ but for Puck, it’s a resounding yes. (4 min read)
- New York Magazine | The Streaming Era Pauses for an Ad Break How Netflix — and everyone else — learned to love commercials again. (12 min read)
- PressGazette | New York Times digital subscriptions pass 10m but adspend stalls (4 min read)
- The New York Times | Disney Tries Mixing Streaming With Shopping (2 min read)
- The Washington Post | Elon Musk’s Twitter is working on paid-video feature with ‘high’ risk (6 min read)
DCN’s must reads: week of October 27, 2022
Digital outlaws: How Facebook extorted Australia
As the world learns from Australia’s news media bargaining code that has reportedly driven $200 million of funding to news organizations, a whistleblower revealed the tactics to try to stop other nations from importing and building on it. This panel featured the CEO of the whisteblower’s law firm, an advocate for the digital future of news organizations, and a member of Parliament working on new laws to create a more competitive market.
Held June 23, 10:45-11:05am ET at The 2022 Collision Conference in Toronto Canada
Jason Kint, CEO, Digital Content Next
Libby Liu, CEO, Whistleblower Aid
Nathaniel Erskine-Smith, Member of Parliament for Beaches – East York, House of Commons of Canada
Alex Kantrowitz, Founder & Editor-in-chief, Big Technology
DCN’s must reads: week of June 23, 2022
Here are some of the best media stories our team has read so far this week:
- Variety | U.S. Subscription VOD Revenue Growth Slowing to 13% in 2022, Hitting $25 Billion: PwC Report (2 min read)
- The Wall Street Journal | Canada to Compel YouTube, TikTok and Streamers to Boost Domestic Content (5 min read)
- Nieman Lab | The Washington Post wants to give you a good deal on a digital subscription — from now until 2072 (6 min read)
- Press Gazette | Google News returns to Spain and unveils redesign promoting local news and fact checks (3 min read)
- The Hollywood Reporter | Don’t Expect Streaming Revenue to Keep Up Its Rapid Growth Rate (2 min read)
- CNN Business | Behind the Associated Press’ decision to appoint a democracy editor: ‘This is a very crucial beat’ (2 min read)
- Variety | Pamela Levine Named Head of Marketing at Disney Branded TV, National Geographic Content (2 min read)
- Bloomberg | Google Avoids More Fines After Settling French News Dispute (2 min read)
DCN’s must reads: week of June 16, 2022
How media brands are honoring Juneteenth this year
DCN is proud to support our members and the health of the digital media industry overall. Thus, we are pleased to share some of the incredible work our members and other media companies are doing to recognize Juneteenth and its cultural significance in the American experience.
· Adweek | Dear Marketers: Don’t Profit From Juneteenth
· Adweek | In MTV Entertainment Group’s Juneteenth Spot, a Black Creator Subverts Common Media Imagery
· BET | Juneteenth 2022: The Most Blackity-Black Black Guide For This Year’s Festivities
· CBSNews.com | “Grandmother of Juneteenth” Opal Lee reflects on her journey to secure a national
holiday
· Chicago Tribune | Cake, cobbler and cocktails: Black-owned businesses across Chicago gear up for
Juneteenth
· CNET | Juneteenth 2022: How the Holiday Is Observed and 6 Ways You Can Celebrate It
· CNN | Ways to celebrate and serve Juneteenth
· Digiday | Vice, The New York Times join other publishers in making Juneteenth a company holiday
· Economic Times | Juneteenth is now an official holiday in the U.S: What is its significance, and importance? Why is it called Juneteenth?
· MediaPost | Hearst Interview Series Timed To Juneteenth Features Leading Black Thought Leaders
· MediaPost |
· NBC4 Washington | Celebrating Juneteenth in the DC Area: 2022 Events and Observances
· The New York Times | So You Want to Learn About Juneteenth?
· The Root | 7 Books to Help Teach Kids About Juneteenth
· The Root | Days Before Juneteenth, State Leaders Make Call For Reparations
· The Root | Why One Man Sees The Need To Trademark Juneteenth In Order To Protect Black Culture
· The Washington Post | How to celebrate Juneteenth in the D.C. area
· Thrillist | 12 Ways To Celebrate Juneteenth In NYC This Year
· USA TODAY | ‘What does it mean to be freed?’: How parents are teaching their children about
Juneteenth
· Vox | Juneteenth isn’t just a celebration of freedom. It’s a monument to America’s failures.
· Vox | Vox and Capital B announce partnership for a new editorial initiative examining
Juneteenth