Reminder: I optimized this newsletter for subscription. If you’re reading this on my blog or Medium (via website or email), please subscribe at https://www.sandlertechworks.com/ for the best user experience.

While I focus on Technology, Innovation, and Publishing, because I have a platform, I also flag items that I think are important and try to include a bunch of resources & opportunities. I’d love to hear what you think of this newsletter.

Important Items

‘It will take years to recover’ from Tuberville blockade, top Navy nominee says

HT @SenDuckworth

https://www.politico.com/news/2023/09/14/tuberville-blockade-franchetti-00115936

1 in 5 Americans have low-literacy skills

HT⁦ @veronikellymars This report on adult literacy in the US is concerning, and the reality is, literacy rates are going to continue to decrease as politics determine what can and cannot be taught in schools.

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/education/2023/09/09/literacy-levels-in-the-us/70799429007/

Killing Community, Killing Privacy, Killing Truth

RT⁦ @veronikellymars Banning queer content with KOSA does not solve a youth mental health crisis. It amplifies it.

https://stackedthoughts.substack.com/p/killing-community-killing-privacy

It’s Not Just Florida: 4 New ‘Don’t Say Gay’ Laws Passed in 2023

Teachers in North Carolina, Arkansas, Iowa, and Indiana are beginning their school years newly stripped of their right to say “gay.”

https://pen.org/4-new-dont-say-gay-laws-passed-in-2023/

Temecula school district (CA) bans all flags other than U.S. & state flags

HT⁦ @veronikellymars CA is on track to ban book bans by school boards. One of the school boards who made this necessary has figured out another way to practice bigotry, by banning any non-US or state flag (i.e., pride and BLM flags)

https://www.losangelesblade.com/2023/09/13/temecula-school-district-bans-all-flags-other-than-u-s-state-flags/

2 librarians were fired after the board mistook an autism symbol for a Pride display. They’re suing.

MT @piper4missouri 2 librarians were fired after the board mistook an autism awareness poster for a pride poster, but does it even matter? They’re coming for all of us…

https://www.lgbtqnation.com/2023/09/2-librarians-were-fired-after-the-board-mistook-an-autism-symbol-for-a-pride-display-theyre-suing/

Florida Policy Institute asked for school voucher data. Here’s what Step Up for Students provided

RT @CarlosGSmith Florida public schools were defunded $2.5 BILLION this year to help pay tuition for 84,505 students already enrolled in private schools and to pay tuition for 53,828 households making $120,000+ per year. Meanwhile, Florida remains 48th in the nation for teacher pay.

https://www.wmfe.org/education/2023-09-14/florida-policy-institute-school-voucher-data-step-up-for-students

What To Know About The Deadly Nipah Virus As India Races To Contain Outbreak

Feared as a potential cause of another pandemic, Nipah has no treatments of vaccines. Between 40% to 75% of people infected with Nipah will die from the virus

https://www.forbes.com/sites/roberthart/2023/09/15/what-to-know-about-the-deadly-nipah-virus-as-india-races-to-contain-outbreak/?sh=76318e1cb8d5

CDC advisers back broad rollout of new COVID boosters

RT @DrEricDing CDC experts recommend new #COVID XBB boosters for everyone ages 6 months and older! Advisors voted 13-1. While the benefits appear to be greatest for the oldest and youngest people, the benefits exceed the risks for everyone, according to CDC analysis.

https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2023/09/12/1199003441/cdc-advisers-back-broad-rollout-out-of-new-covid-boosters

‘At first I tried to be polite, not to hurt his feelings’: how a regular ‘liker’ on social media became my stalker

RT @juliebarer “have thought often of the old Margaret Atwood adage that men are afraid women will laugh at them, whereas women are afraid men will kill them. That to explain the fear I experienced is to touch on the way that many women move through the world”

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2023/sep/16/laura-barton-stalker-nfbntw

Technology

Writers including Michael Chabon are suing Meta, accusing the tech giant of misusing their works to train its AI software

https://www.reuters.com/technology/pulitzer-winner-chabon-other-authors-sue-meta-over-ai-program-2023-09-12/

Actor Stephen Fry says his voice was stolen from the Harry Potter audiobooks and replicated by AI—and warns this is just the beginning

HT @Goodereader

https://fortune.com/2023/09/15/hollywood-strikes-stephen-fry-voice-copied-harry-potter-audiobooks-ai-deepfakes-sag-aftra-simon-pegg-brian-cox-matthew-mcconaughey/

AI could potentially lead to a ‘tsunami’ of jobs losses in news industry: News Corp. CEO

Robert Thomson: “We’re facing a tsunami potentially of job losses because of the impact of AI. It will replace certain simple functions.”

https://finance.yahoo.com/video/ai-could-potentially-lead-tsunami-154154169.html?soc_src=social-sh&soc_trk=tw&tsrc=twtr

‘Nothing is ready for prime time’: Journalists push back against publications’ race to have newsrooms use generative AI tools

“I don’t want to have to be forced to deal with technology that lacks transparency, accuracy and accountability.”

https://digiday.com/media/nothing-is-ready-for-primetime-journalists-push-back-against-publications-race-to-have-newsrooms-use-generative-ai-tools/

How editorial teams are adjusting to AI

HT @wnip “Media companies will soon think of themselves as data companies, not newsrooms. For journalists, it will become solely about adding the human touch”

https://mediamakersmeet.com/its-going-to-be-all-about-adding-human-value-charlie-beckett-on-how-editorial-teams-are-adjusting-to-ai/

Craigslist founder Craig Newmark is pouring millions of dollars into combating AI’s dark side

Craig Newmark Philanthropies has donated $3 million to a new artificial intelligence and education effort from Common Sense Media

https://www.cnbc.com/2023/09/14/craigslists-craig-newmark-funding-common-sense-media-ai-project.html

Meta to Develop ‘More Powerful’ Model of AI

The parent of Facebook and Instagram is working on a new AI system intended to be as powerful as the model offered by OpenAI.

https://www.wsj.com/tech/ai/meta-is-developing-a-new-more-powerful-ai-system-as-technology-race-escalates-decf9451

The iPhone 15 Opts for Intuitive AI, Not Generative AI

Apple ignored the tech industry’s obsession with generative AI at the new iPhone launch, offering subtler AI features that make everyday tasks like photography and phone calls better.

https://www.wired.com/story/apple-iphone-15-opts-for-intuitive-ai-not-generative-ai/

Google’s search engine dominance is at the center of the biggest US antitrust trial in decades

https://apnews.com/article/google-antitrust-trial-search-engine-justice-department-2cfb06271455c7e12c4927959061e832

Google files motion to dismiss Gannett’s ad tech lawsuit

Google is seeking to dismiss an lawsuit from Gannett alleging that the search giant’s ad dominance undercuts revenue for publishers.

https://www.axios.com/2023/09/08/google-gannett-antitrust-lawsuit-motion-dismiss

People Are Streaming Pirated Movies on TikTok, One Short Clip at a Time

MT @mediagazer A look at the proliferation of pirated movies and TV shows on TikTok, posted as small clips by accounts that don’t appear to make any money from the content

https://www.wsj.com/tech/tiktok-pirated-movies-free-2cd9389a

TikTok and Billboard team up to launch a top 50 song chart

TikTok and Billboard are partnering to launch an official TikTok Billboard Top 50 Chart that tracks the most popular songs on the short-form video-sharing app, the company announced today.

https://techcrunch.com/2023/09/14/tiktok-and-billboard-team-up-to-launch-a-top-50-song-chart/

Publishing & Media

Where Have All the YA Paperbacks Gone?

MT @JulieBlattberg Author Jessica Kara asks some valid questions and make some important points about the market for and pricing of YA books.

https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/childrens/childrens-authors/article/93160-where-have-all-the-ya-paperbacks-gone.html?oly_enc_id=8020C6697490I5S

Textbook Publishers Sue Notorious ‘Shadow Library’ Libgen

A group of five major textbook publishers this week filed a copyright infringement lawsuit. The suit claims that Libgen, one of the most popular pirate sites, attracts some nine million users a month in the U.S. alone, and offers 20,000 of the publisher plaintiffs’ works for illegal download.

https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/digital/copyright/article/93189-textbook-publishers-sue-notorious-shadow-library-libgen.html

Does Reading Improve Health?

It does — mental health, physical health, and brain health.

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/alpha-blog-charlie/202309/does-reading-improve-health

Agents & Editors: Jamia Wilson

#teamPRH

https://www.pw.org/content/agents_and_editors_jamia_wilson

PRH Updates Hybrid Work Policy, Plans to Shrink Headquarters

#teamPRH

https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/industry-news/publisher-news/article/93157-prh-updates-hybrid-work-policy-plans-to-shrink-headquarters.html

2023 NBA Longlist for Young People’s Literature Announced

Via @emkantor

https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/childrens/childrens-industry-news/article/93167-2023-nba-longlist-for-young-people-s-literature-announced.html

National Book Awards Drops Drew Barrymore as Host

The National Book Awards has rescinded its invitation to Drew Barrymore to host the 74th National Book Awards following the actor’s decision to resume filming her daytime talk show in spite of the ongoing Hollywood strikes.

https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/industry-news/awards-and-prizes/article/93168-national-book-awards-drops-drew-barrymore-as-host.html

I Am La Cultura

MT @penguinrandom Join us in celebrating Latine and Hispanic authors, creators, and trailblazers whose stories are redefining identity and shaping today’s culture — from music to politics and everything in between. #teamPRH

https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/shop/i-am-la-cultura/

Picture books by Latinx/e & Hispanic Creators

HT @PenguinClass Download the booklist for 80+ titles from picture books to YA. #teamPRH

https://storage.googleapis.com/classroom-portal-production/uploads/2023/08/7427d572-latinxe-voices-booklist-202223.pdf

Why there has never been a better time to be an online creator

MT @mediagazer It might be harder than ever to earn $1M per year, but it has never been easier to make $50K

https://hunterwalk.com/2023/09/09/the-only-thing-which-has-failed-about-the-creator-economy-thus-far-is-venture-capitals-attempts-to-get-their-piece-why-theres-never-been-a-better-time-to-be-a-creator/

Ten major trends in news consumption publishers need to be thinking about

News avoidance and the displacement of TV and print publishers as a source for news are among the trends found by the Reuters Institute

https://pressgazette.co.uk/media-audience-and-business-data/media_metrics/news-trends-2023/

9 Hard Truths About Reviving Local News

$500 million in philanthropic funding is a start, but let’s make sure we’re focusing on the right things MT @kdoctor With Press Forward $500M funding for local news, moving forward, where do we stand approaching an anxious 2024 for all of us in the revival movement?

https://niemanreports.org/articles/9-hard-truths-about-reviving-local-news/

Byron Allen submits a preliminary $10B offer to Disney to acquire its ABC TV network, local stations, and the FX and National Geographic cable channels

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2023-09-15/byron-allen-makes-10-billion-bid-for-abc-other-disney-networks#xj4y7vzkg

Every Book Banned in America

HT @DGephartWrites Through the courageous work of PEN America, here is a scrollable, shoppable list of every book currently banned in the United States

https://www.harpersbazaar.com/culture/a45012950/banned-book-list/

Eight Authors on How It Feels to Have Their Books Banned

HT @PENamerica “We do what we need to do: we resist, we inform, we amplify, we write,” says Jacqueline Woodson.

https://www.harpersbazaar.com/culture/a44853494/eight-authors-books-banned/

20K books now under review at Marietta City Schools, superintendent says

RT @veronikellymars Marietta’s school board (GA) just gave carte blanche to removing books deemed “inappropriate” to the superintendent. Now, 20,000 books are under review.

https://www.11alive.com/article/news/education/marietta-city-schools-reviewing-books/85-b04ec4f1-68d9-45a5-b49c-ea8ca3a264ee

Books published in 2008 or earlier removed from school library amid confusion around new equity-based process

Harry Potter, The Hunger Games and Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry. Those are all examples of books Reina Takata says she can no longer find in her public high school library in Mississauga, Ont.”This year, I came into my school library and there are rows and rows of empty shelves with absolutely no books.” She estimates more than 50 per cent of her school’s library books are gone.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/peel-school-board-library-book-weeding-1.6964332

128 books under review in Indian River County (FL) school libraries; some already removed

MT @FLFreedomRead They aren’t just checking these books out to an “under review” sub-location in the library catalog as they did in other districts to “quarantine” titles. They are deleting the titles up front. Assumed guilty based on the word of someone that hasn’t bothered to read the book.

https://www.tcpalm.com/story/news/education/indian-river-county-schools/2023/09/14/indian-river-county-school-district-reviewing-128-challenged-books/70831287007/

Fort Worth ISD (TX) has temporarily removed over 100 books in violation of district policy

MT @ncacensorship Fort Worth Independent School District has temporarily removed over 100 books from school libraries. NCAC urges the district to return the books immediately as required by district policy.

https://ncac.org/news/fort-worth-isd-has-temporarily-removed-over-100-books-in-violation-of-district-policy

Katy ISD (TX) bans 14 more books, including Dr. Seuss title, after putting $93K in books in storage

MT @FReadomFighters More book removal in Katy ISD! “Eric Carle’s ‘Draw Me a Star,’ Judy Blume’s ‘Are you there God? It’s me, Margaret,’ Dr. Seuss’ ‘Wacky Wednesday,’ and Robert Munsch’s ‘The Paper Bag Princess,’” all of which have been in circulation for more than 40 years.

https://www.houstonchronicle.com/neighborhood/katy/article/katy-isd-banned-books-dr-seuss-18300888.php

Book fairs will see an increase in censorship attempts this year

Via @veronikellymars

https://bookriot.com/book-fairs-will-see-an-increase-in-censorship/

‘We’re facing another old enemy’: Rushdie warns against global authoritarianism

HT @PENamerica Salman Rushdie has warned of the threat of authoritarianism globally and said the US Republican party is “seeking to undermine” democratic values. “If you asked me 10 or 20 years ago, I would probably have said that the main problems facing freedom of expression emanate from religious extremism,” Rushdie said. “I think now we’re facing another old enemy, which is authoritarianism. I think there’s a real rise in authoritarian movements around the world, populist authoritarian demagoguery. “Coupled with that, [there is] a willingness amongst at least some part of the population to cease to value the democratic values enshrined in the first amendment. So I think the problem is, I would now say, political more than primarily religious.”

https://www.theguardian.com/books/2023/sep/13/were-facing-another-old-enemy-rushdie-warns-against-global-authoritarianism

Ed Dept. Hires Book Ban Czar to Monitor Escalating Challenges Over Content

HT @veronikellymars

https://news.yahoo.com/ed-dept-hires-book-ban-213100735.html

‘Don’t give an inch on this’: Lawmakers argue over book bans in heated hearing

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2023/09/12/book-bans-hearing-senators-parents-rights-education/70827114007/

Resources & Opportunities

Celebrating Latina Storytellers

Additional speakers announced!

Grace Bastidas, Editor-in-Chief of Parents and former founding Editor-in-Chief of Parents Latina
Adriana Domínguez, Senior Agent at Aevitas Creative Management and former co-founder of the Comadres and Compadres Writers Conference
Michelle Herrera Mulligan, Executive Editor at Atria Books and former founding Editor-in-Chief of Cosmo For Latinas magazine.
Jeanine Ramirez, former NY1 Anchor and podcaster will be moderating

Come join us IRL 10/3 5:30-7:30pm ET at Penguin Random House in NYC incl. wine/cheese & networking. $20 for WMG members, $25 for non-members.

https://www.womensmediagroup.org/event-5413577

A Journey in Podcast Producing

Come hear Golda Arthur talk about her new podcast, “Overlooked: A Story about Ovarian Cancer” and hear how she used a grant from WMG’s Rise Fund to produce it. This is a great chance to see behind the curtain of how podcast production works. 9/20 12-1pm ET via Zoom. Free for WMG members, $15 for non-members.

https://www.womensmediagroup.org/event-5385280

Gail Papp and Rose Styron Talking Memoirs

Join this special event with Gail Papp and Rose Styron, two of the most accomplished women in American culture, for a peek into their memoir writing process, the challenge of writing about lives lived in public, and tips for aspiring memoir writers. 9/26 6-7pm ET via zoom. Free for WMG members, $15 for non-members.

https://www.womensmediagroup.org/event-5392534

AAP Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Summit

in person and via zoom 11/6 9-5:30pm ET

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/aap-diversity-equity-and-inclusion-dei-summit-tickets-679397445047?aff=oddtdtcreator

How To Build a Better World

RT @LatinxKidLitBF Join us as U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor opens the Latinx KidLit Book Festival with a discussion of her New York Times bestselling children’s books, along with award-winning illustrators Rafael López and Angela Dominguez.

https://www.latinxkidlitbookfestival.com/2023-festival/how-to-build-a-better-world

Hispanic & Latinx Heritage Month

MT @Bookshop_Org Join us, LatinxinPub, and latinxparenting in celebrating Latinx & Hispanic Heritage Month with 20% off recommended books by Latinx & Hispanic authors. Use code HHM2023 at checkout to receive 20% off these select titles.

https://bookshop.org/info/hispanic-heritage-month

Book Bans Affect Everybody — Here’s How You Can Help

RT @QueenOfRats Wondering how you as a regular person not affiliated with a library can fight book bans? Here you go:

https://www.tor.com/2022/03/16/book-bans-affect-everybody-heres-how-you-can-help/

Artists Against Book Bans

HT @jodipicoult Sign the petition.

https://campaigns.moveon.org/banned-bookmobile/artists/

On America: What We Talk About When We Talk About Book Bans

MT @jbakernyc If you’re in NYC or interested in tuning in online, on 9/20 at 7pm ET, I’m moderating a discussion around book bans at the Center for Fiction w Emily Drabinski, Kim Snyder, Liliana Corabca, and Errol McDonald! This is a low-cost/pay-what-you-will event.

https://centerforfiction.org/event/on-america-what-we-talk-about-when-we-talk-about-book-bans/

Off the Shelf: Book Challenges, Bans and Promoting Inclusive Literature

HT @ADL_Education

https://adl.zoom.us/webinar/register/1316921126894/WN_Rp4olEgfRvOPVyVIcZOXSg#/registration

Banned Books Week

MT @BannedBooksWeek Are you hosting a Banned Books Week event or display? Don’t forget to add it to our event calendar! October 1-7, 2023!

https://bannedbooksweek.org/events/community/add/

Education for Everyone: How Libraries Open Doors with Adult Learning

HT @amlibraries FREE webinar Tuesday, September 19, at 2 pm ET.

https://ala-events.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_j1JTIfCTS0i3UWZNLOkVtg#/

The 2023 Novel Excerpt Contest is Now Open for Submissions

MT @AuthorsGuild Submissions are open for The Masters Review 2023 Novel Excerpt Contest (open thru 11/2). Excerpts up to 6,000 words are eligible; the grand prize is a $3,000 cash prize, publication, and an hour-long consult with a literary agent.

https://mastersreview.com/the-2023-novel-excerpt-contest-judged-by-matthew-salesses-is-now-open-for-submissions/

Steinbeck Fellowship

HT @zyzzyvamag The Steinbeck Fellowship at San José State University is open for applications until 1/5. The fellowship is focused on supporting emerging early career writers, and can be remote.

https://www.sjsu.edu/steinbeck/awards-fellowships/steinbeck-fellowship/index.php

Sundress Academy for the Arts Seeks Spring 2024 Writer in Residence

MT @SundressPub The Sundress Academy for the Arts, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, is looking for a Writer in Residence to run from January 1st to May 12th, 2024. This fully funded residency will require 10-20 hours of work exchange. Applications due 9/30!

http://www.sundresspublications.com/news/2023/09/sundress-academy-for-the-arts-seeks-spring-2024-writer-in-residence/

Libraries Transforming Communities: Accessible Small and Rural Communities

MT @ALALibrary Apply now for round 2 of Libraries Transforming Communities: Accessible Small and Rural Communities. Grants of $10,000 or $20,000 will be awarded to increase the accessibility of facilities, services, and programs to better serve people with disabilities.

https://programminglibrarian.org/articles/apply-now-LTCAccess

Creative Industries and AI Challenge: Focus on Books, Music, Film & Television

NYC Media Lab is looking for teams (from universities or startups) to work w Bertelsmann (Fremantle, PRH, and BMG) on how AI will impact the creative industries. #teamPRH

https://engineering.nyu.edu/research-innovation/centers/nyc-media-lab/projects/creative-industries-and-ai-challenge-focus-books

Book Swap!

MT @penguinusa JOIN US for a community book swap in Brower Park on Sunday, Sept 24th from 2-4 pm ❤️ We’re bringing Latine- and Hispanic-authored reads, locally sourced empanadas, and refreshments. BYO Book by your favorite Latine author to swap 📚 #teamPRH

https://partiful.com/e/cDhaFTXUQV1uzLXudZBo