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

Important Items

Louisiana High Court: It’s Priests’ “Right” Not to Be Sued for Abuse

The state Supreme Court ruled that priests have a “property right” not to be sued for sexually abusing children.

https://newrepublic.com/post/180677/louisiana-court-sexual-abuse-victims-catholic-priests

Women: Apply!

ICYMI RT @AdamMGrant Self-doubt stops too many women from applying for jobs. After clearing the bar for expert-level work, 92% of men applied—but only 50% of women did. It shouldn’t matter whether you feel qualified. That’s for the employer to judge. If you’re interested, put your hat in the ring.

https://pubsonline.informs.org/doi/abs/10.1287/mnsc.2023.4907

NCAA Women Beat Men in Finals’ Ratings for First Time—but Got 99% Less TV Money

HT @LZSundayPaper Women’s basketball championship game drew 18.9 million viewers vs. 14.8 million for the men’s final, fueled by Caitlin Clark’s emergence as a superstar

https://www.wsj.com/business/media/the-womens-ncaa-tournament-outshone-the-mens-but-it-got-99-less-tv-money-74806707

The fallout from Arkansas’ “right to mine” bitcoin law

MT @Pogue My story on “CBS Sunday Morning:” Bitcoin mining is already an environmental disaster. But now, cheap Chinese plants are building open-air mining plants in residential areas, with DEAFENING noise 24/7, causing medical issues & plummeting property values.

https://youtu.be/E-uUW9Zqv1o

Innovation

The 3 Relevances.

Always a good idea to take the time to slowly read and savor the wisdom about biz & innovation from @rishad.

https://open.substack.com/pub/rishad/p/the-3-relevances

Technology

Could the AI Industry Implode?

Per @ThadMcIlroy, publishers have nowhere to hide from AI. It is now, and will increasingly be, a part of how writers write and how editors edit and how marketers market. It is now inextricably entwined with the future of publishing.

https://thefutureofpublishing.com/2024/04/could-the-ai-industry-implode/

How Tech Giants Cut Corners to Harvest Data for AI

I had missed this tidbit in last week’s story about how the tech giants were using copyright material to train their AI – Meta considered buying S&S! HT @PublishersWkly ‘At Meta managers, lawyers & engineers discussed buying Simon & Schuster to procure long works…. Negotiating licenses w publishers, artists, musicians & the news industry would take too long, they said.’

https://www.nytimes.com/2024/04/06/technology/tech-giants-harvest-data-artificial-intelligence.html

AI is already reshaping newsrooms, AP study finds

Despite ethical concerns, nearly 70% of newsroom staffers recruited for an Associated Press survey say they’re using generative AI to create content

https://www.poynter.org/tech-tools/2024/artificial-intelligence-transforming-journalism/

Spotify’s latest AI feature builds playlists based on text descriptions

The author asked “make me feel like a vampire hunter from Blade (1998)” and it even titled the playlist as “Blade’s Essence” without additional input.

https://www.theverge.com/2024/4/8/24124070/spotify-ai-playlist-music-beta-launch-premium-uk-australia

The Weather Channel’s parent company has a new AI tool to make hyperlocal weather videos

The Weather Company says ReelSphere cuts down the amount of work meteorologists have to do to keep viewers updated on the weather.

https://www.theverge.com/2024/4/11/24126670/weather-channel-weather-company-ai-local-forecast

AI race heats up as OpenAI, Google and Mistral release new models

Launches within 12 hours of one another, and more activity expected in industry over summer

https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2024/apr/10/ai-race-heats-up-as-openai-google-and-mistral-release-new-models

How to Stop Your Data From Being Used to Train AI

Some companies let you opt out of allowing your content to be used for generative AI. Here’s how to take back (at least a little) control from ChatGPT, Google’s Gemini, and more.

https://www.wired.com/story/how-to-stop-your-data-from-being-used-to-train-ai/

No One Actually Knows How AI Will Affect Jobs

Some businesses are replacing people with AI; others are augmenting their workforce or hiring new workers. The long-term impact on labor is murky.

https://www.wired.com/story/ai-impact-on-work-mary-daly-interview/

Meta will auto-blur nudity in Instagram DMs in latest teen safety step

Meta said it will also nudge teens to protect themselves by serving a warning encouraging them to think twice about sharing intimate images. Meta hopes this will boost protection against scammers who may send nude images to trick people into sending their own images in return.

https://techcrunch.com/2024/04/11/meta-will-auto-blur-nudity-in-instagram-dms-in-latest-teen-safety-step/

TX replacing thousands of human exam graders w AI

The Texas Education Agency is expecting the system to save $15–20 million per year by reducing the need for temporary human scorers, with plans to hire under 2,000 graders this year compared to the 6,000 required in 2023. However, a School District superintendent said her district saw a “drastic increase” in constructed responses receiving a zero score when the automated grading system was used 12/23 on limited basis.

https://www.theverge.com/2024/4/10/24126206/texas-staar-exam-graders-ai-automated-scoring-engine

Students Are Likely Writing Millions of Papers With AI

Turnitin, a service that checks papers for plagiarism, says its detection tool found millions of papers that may have a significant amount of AI-generated content.

https://www.wired.com/story/student-papers-generative-ai-turnitin/

DuckDuckGo Is Taking Its Privacy Fight to Data Brokers

HT @michellemanafy Privacy-focused company DuckDuckGo is launching a tool to remove data from people-search websites, a VPN, and an identity theft restoration service.

https://www.wired.com/story/duckduckgo-vpn-data-removal-tool-privacy-pro/

TikTok Plots Using Virtual Influencers for Advertising

TikTok has started pitching advertisers on an in-development generative AI tool that would create AI avatars to star in their ads—potentially competing with creators for brand deals in the process.

https://www.theinformation.com/articles/tiktok-plots-using-virtual-influencers-for-advertising

TikTok Launches New Rewards App to Boost Growth

TikTok is launching a new app in Europe that gives consumers financial incentives for watching videos, in a bid to attract more users 18 and older.

https://www.theinformation.com/articles/tiktok-launches-new-rewards-app-to-boost-growth

TikTok’s Instagram competitor likely to be named TikTok Notes

TikTok users have been getting pop-up notifications about a new TikTok Notes app to share photos. Users’ existing photo posts will be shared on the app, but they can choose not to.

https://techcrunch.com/2024/04/08/tiktoks-instagram-competitor-likely-to-be-named-tiktok-notes/

YouTube launches new Shopping features to help creators market products and grow their earnings

You can curate shoppable collections, better plan shoppable videos + quickly monetize older videos. TikTok reportedly aims to grow their Shop U.S. biz 10x to $17.5B this year, so YouTube is trying to compete.

https://techcrunch.com/2024/04/09/youtube-launches-new-shopping-features-to-help-creators-market-products-and-grow-their-earnings/

San Francisco’s Train System Still Uses Floppy Disks—and Will for Years

Three 5.25-inch floppy disks help keep Muni running every morning. A tech upgrade could take until 2030.

https://www.wired.com/story/san-francisco-muni-trains-floppy-disks/

Publishing & Media

Kobo announces its first color e-readers

Rakuten Kobo is launching its first color e-readers, the Kobo Libra Colour and the Kobo Clara Colour. Both use E Ink’s latest Kaledio color screen technology, which has subtle, pastel-like hues and drops from a 300ppi grayscale resolution to 150ppi when you view content in color.

https://www.theverge.com/2024/4/10/24124411/kobo-libra-colour-clara-colour-e-reader-kindle-e-ink

Penguin Random House Canada Introduces Kids Reading App in Conjunction w Phillips Smart Home

I thought this was an interesting partnership. #teamPRH

https://lbbonline.com/news/penguin-random-house-canada-introduces-app-to-help-kids-find-the-magic-of-reading

BookTok has the power to change publishing for the better

The author argues that the influence of BookTok creators doesn’t have to and shouldn’t be limited to books. It’s time to use it for the people behind the books and demand better treatment for them.

https://thegatewayonline.ca/2024/04/booktok-has-the-power-to-change-publishing-for-the-better/

‘Transitioning’ to Digital Distribution

In transitioning Mensch Publishing to a wholly digitally-driven model,’ Richard Charkin looks at the pros and cons.

https://publishingperspectives.com/2024/04/richard-charkin-transitioning/

Print revival: Magazines make surprise comeback as marketing tool

Nylon, the 25-year-old fashion outlet, will release its first physical magazine this month since stopping print editions and becoming a digital-only publication in 2017 – and it’s part of a trend: Sports Illustrated will continue print publishing under Minute Media, after its previous owners said it would cease those operations. Ebony, Saveur, Complex, and Swimming World all will be returning to print. Sherwood Media, a new media company backed by retail trading platform Robinhood, plans to launch a print magazine in the second half of the year.

https://www.axios.com/2024/04/09/nylon-print-returns-magazine

Field & Stream Is Expanding Its Brand Across Hotels, Festivals and Merch

The publisher will lend its branding to 20 to 25 newly built or converted hotels across the country.

https://www.adweek.com/media/field-and-stream-branded-universe/

Brooklyn and Seattle Public Libraries Release Joint Report on Banned Books

The report, “In Their Own Words: Youth Voices on Books Unbanned,” documents responses from library patrons ages 13-26 who participated in the libraries’ Books Unbanned program, which distributed nearly 13K library cards to young people across the U.S., Guam, and Puerto Rico, granting them free access to the libraries’ digital collections. Collectively, Books Unbanned cardholders from these two library systems have checked out over 286K books, and both libraries have been flooded with thousands of testimonials from young people across the country who have signed up for the program, openly sharing their experiences with censorship and other barriers to accessing books and libraries, along with their desire to exercise their right to choose what they read.

https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/newsbrief/index.html?record=4628

No more Shakespeare? State education board could have greater say over library books

https://www.postandcourier.com/politics/south-carolina-school-library-book-bans/article_fd3dbc54-f762-11ee-8f22-0b29f08a24b5.html

Fort Bend ISD School Board (TX) Considers Major Policy Changes to Book Selection & Reconsideration Policy

MT @FReadomFighters Among other things this library policy in Fort Bend ISD would regulate examples of smoking in library books. So what to do about Huck Finn smoking a pipe or Richard Scarry’s books? These types of rules go far beyond what HB900 requires. We aren’t educating for the 1800’s.

https://www.txftrp.org/fort_bend_isd_school_board_considers_major_policy_changes_to_book_selection_reconsideration_policy

Resources & Opportunities

Zibby Owens and Estelle Erasmus Talk Publishing

RT @WMG_NYC Join us for a chat with @zibbyowens of Zibby Books & @EstelleSErasmus, award-winning author! Get insider insights into publishing, perfect for aspiring authors & seasoned publishers! We are celebrating our 50th anniversary all year with exciting programs! 🎉

https://www.womensmediagroup.org/event-5643789

Practical Artificial Intelligence

Content creators, publishers, marketers: Find out how to use AI to grow your biz w PR guru @KathMSchmidt, Caitlin Kelly (Co-CEO of EZ Newswire), + moderator @mscharlies (Head of Original Content Development & Publishing at Scribd). 4/24 noon ET – FREE for @WMG_NYC members, $15 nonmembers

https://www.womensmediagroup.org/event-5682423

Free Ireland Writing Retreat 9/2-9/6

Via @AriannaSidd This will be the only year that accommodations and the retreat will be free of charge.

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSd4mQI4yZsx6PM7-5oGCXBk3tAYKA-rXug7BLvcSLtHx9LbHQ/viewform

Roots. Wounds. Words. Autumn Writers’ Retreat for Storytellers of Color

MT @wordisdiversity This September, @rootswoundsword Autumn Writers’ Retreat for Storytellers of Color hosts a sacred space wherein BIPOC storytellers are immersed in liberation while receiving literary arts instruction offered by award-winning BIPOC writers. Apply by 4/21.

https://www.rootswoundswords.org/2024retreat-autumn

The Pen Parentis Writing Fellowship for New Parents

Via @PenParentis One talented writer who is the parent of at least one child under 10 years old will receive $2,000 to further their writing career, a year of mentorship, and will be offered the opportunity to read their winning story online at a Pen Parentis Literary Salon in Fall 2024. Their winning story will also be published in Dreamers Creative Writing Magazine (both online and in print) as well as included in the annual Dreamers Writing Anthology. Deadline 4/17.

https://penparentis.org/fellowship/

Imagine 2200: Write the future

MT @grist We’re looking for short stories envisioning the next 180 years of equitable climate progress. ❌No entry fee. 🏆Top prize is $3k and publication.

https://grist.org/climate-fiction/imagine-2200-contest-submissions/

Rainbow Book Fair

Via @RainbowBookFair, the largest LGBT book fair in America. Our twelfth annual event will take place on 4/20 at the LGBT Center, 208 West 13th St., in Greenwich Village, New York, NY, from 12-6pm. The event is free, with a suggested donation of $3.00. It’s a benefit for the Center for LGBTQ Studies at CUNY, the first university-based LGBTQ research center.

https://rainbowbookfair.com

Gay Book Fair Bushwick 4/27

MT @hivemindbookstore Like a Scholastic book fair, but gay. And in a bar. This is a pop-up bookstore hosted by Hive Mind Books. It’s all books for browsing, not an author event! Celebrate Independent Bookstore Day on Saturday 4/27 with a Queer Book Fair hosted by Hive Mind Books at The Bush in Bushwick 6-9pm. Come by The Bush to end your Brooklyn Bookstore Crawl.

https://www.instagram.com/p/C5lyzNCujX0/

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