Media Insider: Facebook Employees Walk Out, ACLU Files Suit Against MN Police, SC Journalists Return To The Office

Welcome to Media Insider, PR Newswire’s round-up of media stories from the week.

Black and white photo of protesters on steps in front of a building

THE NEW YORK TIMES | SHEERA FRENKEL, MIKE ISAAC, CECILIA KANG, AND GABRIEL J.X. DANCE
Facebook Employees Stage Virtual Walkout to Protest Trump Posts

On Monday, hundreds of Facebook employees virtually walked out in protest of CEO Mark Zuckerberg’s decision to do nothing about inflammatory posts from President Trump on the platform. Automated email responses said that the protesters were out of the office to show their support for demonstrators across the country. Inside the company this week, employees have circulated petitions, threatened to resign, and several employees have publicly criticized the company and its executives. However, Zuckerberg said President Trump’s posts did not violate the social network’s rules and held firm on his hands-off approach to what people post. Zuckerberg posted the following statement on his Facebook page: “Personally, I have a visceral negative reaction to this kind of divisive and inflammatory rhetoric. But I’m responsible for reacting not just in my personal capacity but as the leader of an institution committed to free expression.”

Read more from social media companies taking a different approach: Twitter adds warnings to Trump and White House tweets and Snapchat stops promoting Trump’s account.

ACLU
ACLU Files Class Action Lawsuit Against Minneapolis Police For Attacking Journalists At Protests

The ACLU of Minnesota filed a class-action lawsuit on behalf of journalists who were attacked by Minneapolis and Minnesota police while covering protests over the killing of George Floyd. The lawsuit was filed against the city of Minneapolis, the Minnesota State Patrol, and the Minneapolis police. Attacks by law enforcement against members of the press have escalated in recent days. In Minnesota alone, police have fired rubber bullets at journalists; tear-gassed them; pepper-sprayed them; thrown flash grenades at them; and arrested them – even after journalists warned police of their media status. The lawsuit asks for an order declaring law enforcement’s actions unconstitutional and prohibiting them from targeting and attacking journalists again. The ACLU states that this is the first of many lawsuits it intends to file across the country to protect journalists and free speech.

Continue reading: U.S. police have attacked journalists more than 130 times since May 28.

THE DAILY BEAST | MAXWELL TANI
South Carolina’s Biggest Paper Forcing ‘Terrified’ Reporters Back to Office Even as Confirmed COVID Cases Rise

The employees at South Carolina’s largest newspaper, Post & Courier, returned to the office this week despite rising COVID-19 cases throughout the state. The newspaper owners, Evening Post Industries, notified staff of the return date late last week in a weekly newsletter, explaining the return as a “business decision.” In response to employee concern, management confirmed the following precautions have been put in place: revised seating arrangements, installed sneeze-guard-like dividers between cubicles, availability of hand sanitizer around the office, provided masks, and mandatory temperature checks when entering the building. The Post & Courier is one of the only major publications in America to return full-time to its offices amid the outbreak.

ICYMI: Gannett was criticized for putting ads in front of major news stories.

THE GUARDIAN | JIM WATERSON
Microsoft sacks journalists to replace them with robots

Microsoft announced it will end its contract with PA Media at the end of the month. Starting in July, Microsoft will no longer employ PA Media journalists to select, edit, and curate news articles on its MSN website and its Edge browser. Around 27 journalists employed by PA Media will lose their jobs and be replaced by artificial intelligence software. Several tech companies are steering away from manual curation and funding projects to understand uses for artificial intelligence in journalism. The adoption of AI in journalism means more job cuts in an industry that is already hurting.

Check out a sneak peek of Apple’s new “Apple News+ Audio” feature.

NIEMANLAB | SARAH SCIRE
VizPol takes a cue from bird-watching apps to help journalists identify unfamiliar political symbols

This week, Columbia University began invite-only beta testing on a new app called VizPol. VizPol was built by Columbia University’s journalism and engineering schools to help journalists covering demonstrations identify symbols in real time. The VizPol app can currently recognize 52 symbols associated with political and/or extremist groups. Using the app, journalists can reverse image search by uploading images and framing the symbol they want to identify. The Columbia team reached out to more than two dozen photojournalists for images from demonstrations to create the app’s catalogue of symbols. The team also had to train the app’s algorithm to recognize symbols in a variety of contexts and renderings to account for things like hand-drawn symbols or the different textured materials the symbols would be printed on.

Photographers share what they experienced while covering protests across America.

Subscribe to Beyond Bylines to get media trends, journalist interviews, blogger profiles, and more sent right to your inbox.

[blog_subscription_form]

Erin Wade is a Senior Customer Content Specialist with PR Newswire. She is also an animal lover and aspiring world traveler. Tune into her insights as a social curator at @TotalCSR.

You may also like...

43 Responses

  1. There is definately a lot to find out about this subject. I like all the points you made

  2. There is definately a lot to find out about this subject. I like all the points you made

  3. For the reason that the admin of this site is working, no uncertainty very quickly it will be renowned, due to its quality contents.

  4. Amelia Cole says:

    I appreciate you sharing this blog post. Thanks Again. Cool.

  5. naturally like your web site however you need to take a look at the spelling on several of your posts. A number of them are rife with spelling problems and I find it very bothersome to tell the truth on the other hand I will surely come again again.

  6. Janet Chang says:

    Nice post. I learn something totally new and challenging on websites

  7. I’m often to blogging and i really appreciate your content. The article has actually peaks my interest. I’m going to bookmark your web site and maintain checking for brand spanking new information.

  8. I very delighted to find this internet site on bing, just what I was searching for as well saved to fav

  9. You’re so awesome! I don’t believe I have read a single thing like that before. So great to find someone with some original thoughts on this topic. Really.. thank you for starting this up. This website is something that is needed on the internet, someone with a little originality!

  10. Great information shared.. really enjoyed reading this post thank you author for sharing this post .. appreciated

  11. I’m often to blogging and i really appreciate your content. The article has actually peaks my interest. I’m going to bookmark your web site and maintain checking for brand spanking new information.

  12. Reed Griffin says:

    This is really interesting, You’re a very skilled blogger. I’ve joined your feed and look forward to seeking more of your magnificent post. Also, I’ve shared your site in my social networks!

  13. Jovan Zuniga says:

    There is definately a lot to find out about this subject. I like all the points you made

  14. Luz Stout says:

    This is my first time pay a quick visit at here and i am really happy to read everthing at one place

  15. For the reason that the admin of this site is working, no uncertainty very quickly it will be renowned, due to its quality contents.

  16. Cali Pierce says:

    Good post! We will be linking to this particularly great post on our site. Keep up the great writing

  17. I like the efforts you have put in this, regards for all the great content.

  18. This is my first time pay a quick visit at here and i am really happy to read everthing at one place

  19. Laura Moran says:

    Hi there to all, for the reason that I am genuinely keen of reading this website’s post to be updated on a regular basis. It carries pleasant stuff.

  20. Leila Branch says:

    I am truly thankful to the owner of this web site who has shared this fantastic piece of writing at at this place.

  21. Armando Chan says:

    very informative articles or reviews at this time.

  22. This is really interesting, You’re a very skilled blogger. I’ve joined your feed and look forward to seeking more of your magnificent post. Also, I’ve shared your site in my social networks!

  23. Great information shared.. really enjoyed reading this post thank you author for sharing this post .. appreciated

  24. This is really interesting, You’re a very skilled blogger. I’ve joined your feed and look forward to seeking more of your magnificent post. Also, I’ve shared your site in my social networks!

  25. There is definately a lot to find out about this subject. I like all the points you made

  26. Rene Cooley says:

    There is definately a lot to find out about this subject. I like all the points you made

  27. Amiya Lynch says:

    Nice post. I learn something totally new and challenging on websites

  28. Nice post. I learn something totally new and challenging on websites

  29. I am truly thankful to the owner of this web site who has shared this fantastic piece of writing at at this place.

  30. Meadow Cook says:

    I very delighted to find this internet site on bing, just what I was searching for as well saved to fav

  31. I appreciate you sharing this blog post. Thanks Again. Cool.

  32. I’m often to blogging and i really appreciate your content. The article has actually peaks my interest. I’m going to bookmark your web site and maintain checking for brand spanking new information.

  33. You’re so awesome! I don’t believe I have read a single thing like that before. So great to find someone with some original thoughts on this topic. Really.. thank you for starting this up. This website is something that is needed on the internet, someone with a little originality!

  34. I just like the helpful information you provide in your articles

  35. Kale Padilla says:

    I like the efforts you have put in this, regards for all the great content.

  36. Ivy Bell says:

    This was beautiful Admin. Thank you for your reflections.

  37. Pretty! This has been a really wonderful post. Many thanks for providing these details.

  38. very informative articles or reviews at this time.

  39. Clay Cooke says:

    For the reason that the admin of this site is working, no uncertainty very quickly it will be renowned, due to its quality contents.

  40. Eva Archer says:

    Pretty! This has been a really wonderful post. Many thanks for providing these details.

  41. Great information shared.. really enjoyed reading this post thank you author for sharing this post .. appreciated

  42. Saniya Giles says:

    Very well presented. Every quote was awesome and thanks for sharing the content. Keep sharing and keep motivating others.

  43. I very delighted to find this internet site on bing, just what I was searching for as well saved to fav

Leave a Reply