Media Insider: Allure Opens Retail Store, WeChat Deletes LGBT Accounts, Trump Sues Facebook and Twitter

Welcome to Media Insider, PR Newswire’s roundup of media news stories from the week.

AP NEWS | FU TING
Chinese social media giant WeChat shuts LGBT accounts

WeChat deleted accounts on LGBT topics run by university students and nongovernment groups. WeChat sent account holders a notice saying rules were violated but gave no additional details. The LGBT groups speculate the order to remove the accounts, which included personal stories and photos, was given to WeChat by Chinese authorities. The ruling party has been tightening political controls and trying to silence groups that might criticize its rule. Chinese authorities aren’t the only ones trying to silence gay and lesbian content, university officials asked students two months ago to shut down LGBT social media groups or to avoid mentioning their school names.

Related: The Los Angeles Times’ past coverage failed the transgender community.

ABC NEWS | WILL STEAKIN, KATHERINE FAULDERS AND JOHN SANTUCCI
Trump says he’s filing class action lawsuits against Facebook, Twitter and Google

Former President Donald Trump announced he will be filing class action lawsuits against Facebook, Twitter, and Google. Following the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol, the former president was banned from Twitter, Facebook and YouTube (which is owned by Google). At a press conference, Trump announced the lawsuits and demanded “a stop to the blacklisting, banishing, and canceling that you know so well.” The lawsuits argue that all three companies are actually government entities. Sarah Isgur, ABC News analyst and former Justice Department spokesperson, believes that argument will face hurdles. She says, “This lawsuit argues that these social media platforms are bound by the First Amendment because they are the equivalent of government actors. It’s hard to imagine any judge in the country agreeing with them on this point.”

Justice Neil M. Gorsuch and Justice Clarence Thomas ask the Supreme Court to reconsider the longstanding standard for public officials set in New York Times v. Sullivan.

MEDIAPOST | RAY SCHULTZ
‘Allure’ Extends Brand With Store In New York

Allure magazine has opened a 360-degree immersive retail experience in New York City. The store offers a curated selection of over 280 makeup, hair-care, and skincare products. It also features smart mirrors that allow customers to create looks, augmented-reality capabilities that allow customers to try products virtually, and QR codes leading customers to multimedia content. The Allure editorial team and featured brands plan to host in-store events, tutorials, and masterclasses.

More from MediaPost: Bloomberg Appoints Jason Angrisani As Global Chief Marketing Officer.

MEDIAPOST | RAY SCHULTZ
Recurrent Ventures To Acquire And Revive ‘MEL’ Magazine

Recurrent Ventures acquired MEL Magazine from Dollar Shave Club. The men’s health and culture publication will serve as the flagship brand of Recurrent Ventures’ new lifestyle division. Recurrent Ventures will keep Josh Schollmeyer as MEL’s editor-in-chief and rehire several MEL writers. The MEL website, newsletter, and social feeds will be relaunched at the beginning of August.

ICYMI: NPR faces backlash after criticizing the Declaration of Independence.

AXIOS | SARA FISCHER
The Information is launching its first standalone publication

The Information is launching a new standalone publication focused on batteries and electric vehicles. “The Electric” will be written and led by Steve LeVine. LeVine specializes in the coverage of batteries, electric vehicles, transportation, and future technologies. It will consist of a weekly newsletter, daily email updates, industry briefings, conference calls, and events. Consumers will pay for access to the publication separately from the Information, but pricing details haven’t been disclosed yet.

Read Next: USAToday.com Kicks Off Pay Wall.

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.