Media Hits: April 2022
Every month, media outlets around the world consult with the experts at the Newhouse School for context on what’s happening in communications and why. Here are some of this month’s stories:
Media hits
“[Students] want to do something that’s more meaningful, tighter to a community, standing for something bigger, [rather] than ‘Oh, yeah, our marketing is that we help poor kids, but that’s just a marketing spin.’ Instead, it’s built in.”
Sean Branagan
Associate Professor
COMMUNICATIONS
Media hits
“What we have done is put even more power into fewer hands.”
Kyla Garrett-Wagner
Associate Professor
COMMUNICATIONS
Media hits
- What Musk’s past tweets reveal about Twitter’s next owner
ASSOCIATED PRESS - Twitter says it’s testing an ‘edit’ button
ASSOCIATE PRESS
“No one person should have this kind of power.”
Jennifer Grygiel
Associate Professor
MAGAZINE, NEWS AND DIGITAL JOURNALISM
Media hits
- Johnny Depp and Amber Heard Defamation Case Heads to Trial in Virginia
INSIDER - HBO Libel Suit May Not Be ‘Winning Time’ For Jerry West
LAW360 - What 3 experts think about Elon Musk buying Twitter
PBS NEWSHOUR - Lawsuits against Alex Jones are a new strategy in curbing conspiracy theories
GRID NEWS - Heard v Depp: dueling defamation claims embroil actor and her ex in court battle
THE GUARDIAN
“It’s really the heart of defamation case. This is vindication for being accused of something that he claims he didn’t do.”
Roy Gutterman
Assistant Professor
TELEVISION, RADIO AND FILM
Media hits
- Could Oscar slap put a dent in Will Smith’s bankability?
NEWSNATION - As shares plunge, Netflix takes aim at password sharing, ads
ASSOCIATED PRESS
“It feels like this is Netflix’s ‘come-to-Jesus’ moment. They were able to be headstrong and play the role as a disruptor for a long time. But now the honeymoon is over and they have to face the reality of business.”
J. Christopher Hamilton
Trustee Professor
TELEVISION, RADIO AND FILM
Media hits
- Bruce Willis’ diagnosis shows people don’t know what others, particularly celebrities, are going through, experts say
NBC NEWS - New CNN+ Streaming Service Shutting Down
WSYR
“We have an illusion of knowing celebrities intimately, but that’s just what it is: an illusion.”
Robert Thompson
Director
BANDIER PROGRAM
Media hits
- This year’s Grammys were supposed to be a return to normal. Then came The Slap
THE LOS ANGELES TIMES
Media Hits: March 2022
Every month, media outlets around the world consult with the experts at the Newhouse School for context on what’s happening in communications and why. Here are some of this month’s stories:
Professor of Practice
PUBLIC RELATIONS
Media hits
“[Teaching] struck me as a chance to contribute meaningfully to the profession, and it’s been more rewarding than I had even imagined.”
Anthony D’Angelo
Associate Professor
COMMUNICATIONS
Media hits
“”That’s how warfare is conducted in the information space. It’s about narratives and public belief.”
Jennifer Grygiel
Associate Professor
MAGAZINE, NEWS AND DIGITAL JOURNALISM
Media hits
- Missouri station offering Russian state radio to listeners
CBS19 NEWS - Heard v Depp: dueling defamation claims embroil actor and her ex in court battle
THE GUARDIAN - Gagged America (co-author)
SOCIETY OF PROFESSIONAL JOURNALISTS - Lupardo-Kavanagh bill would expand press freedoms for student journalists
THE LEGISLATIVE GAZETTE
“Whenever we see one of these defamation cases, especially with a verdict against a speaker or a writer, there’s always a fear of a chilling effect, and the underlying Washington Post column was a serious exploration of an individual’s experience with domestic violence.”
Roy Gutterman
Trustee Professor
TELEVISION, RADIO AND FILM
Media hits
“There did used to be a sense that there was this almost sacred space after someone had died. You didn’t say anything bad at their funeral and you waited a certain time before you said something bad thereafter. That included your uncle, and it included celebrities.”
Robert Thompson
Media Hits: February 2022
Every month, media outlets around the world consult with the experts at the Newhouse School for context on what’s happening in communications and why. Here are some of this month’s stories:
Professor of Practice
PUBLIC RELATIONS
Media hits
- High-powered PR firm secretly bought an industry news site to tout itself, bash rivals
CRAIN’S NEW YORK
“The end game for public relations is trust and once trust is fractured it’s tough to earn back.”
Tony D’Angelo
Associate Professor
ADVERTISING
Media hits
- Prepare Yourself for This Weekend’s ‘Crypto Bowl’
THE NEW YORK TIMES
“These companies are conveying that we’re not this weird little nerdy kid in the corner who’s doing sort-of shifty stuff. We are a real company, a real advertiser, we’re here to stay, we’re mainstream.”
Beth Egan
Associate Professor
COMMUNICATIONS
Media hits
“Since Trump wants to run for office again, the timeline of the app is driven by political objectives—not by readiness of the platform.”
Jennifer Grygiel
Associate Professor
MAGAZINE, NEWS AND DIGITAL JOURNALISM
Media hits
- Sarah Palin’s Anti-New York Times Crusade Crashes and Burns
THE DAILY BEAST - Judge will toss Sarah Palin’s defamation lawsuit against New York Times
THE NEW YORK DAILY NEWS - Roy Gutterman on Sarah Palin’s Defamation Lawsuit Against the New York Times
C-SPAN - Censorship of Tully student offers an inadvertent civics lesson (author)
SYRACUSE.COM
“This is the type of case that shows exactly why we have the actual malice standard under the First Amendment. Public officials have to overcome a high burden for a reason.”
Roy Gutterman
Assistant Professor
TELEVISION, RADIO AND FILM
Media hits
Associate Professor
PUBLIC RELATIONS
Media hits
- 10 crucial considerations for making digital content accessible (co-author, with doctoral student Katherine Hausler)
PRDAILY
Director
BANDIER PROGRAM
Media hits
“I don’t think for most rational people this Joe Rogan issue is about censorship, as much as it is about this belief that folks should be liable for distributing [irresponsible] information.”
Bill Werde
Media Hits: January 2022
Every month, media outlets around the world consult with the experts at the Newhouse School for context on what’s happening in communications and why. Here are some of this month’s stories:
Associate Professor
COMMUNICATIONS
Media hits
- ‘It’s an easy fast dollar’: How organized retail theft rings in one Ohio town use Facebook Marketplace to sell stolen goods
NBC NEWS - Twitter’s Marjorie Taylor Green ban fuels GOP attacks on ‘Big Tech’
THE HILL
“It’s starting to look like whoever can exploit Facebook the most wins. Anything goes, selling drugs, selling weapons, fencing goods.”
Jennifer Grygiel
Associate Professor
MAGAZINE, NEWS AND DIGITAL JOURNALISM
Media hits
- Rand Paul Quits Youtube, Cites Censorship
NTD - Sarah Palin set to battle New York Times at defamation trial
REUTERS
“This is a lawsuit over an editorial, essentially an opinion. This is a potentially dangerous area. If we give public officials a green light to litigate on editorials they disagree with, where’s the end?”
Roy Gutterman
J. Christopher Hamilton
Assistant Professor
TELEVISION, RADIO AND FILM
Media hits
Trustee Professor
TELEVISION, RADIO AND FILM
“Betty White’s career in television goes back, for all intents and purposes, before television. Nobody had a TV in 1939.”
Robert Thompson
- Music catalogs are fetching huge deals. Are they overvalued?
LOS ANGELES TIMES
“If I can count on one thing, as I look at the history of the music business, it’s that you can always count on folks saying people are paying too much for publishing assets. And generally, they’re not.”
Bill Werde
Media Hits: December 2021
Every month, media outlets around the world consult with the experts at the Newhouse School for context on what’s happening in communications and why. Here are some of this month’s stories:
Associate Professor
MAGAZINE, NEWS AND DIGITAL JOURNALISM
COMMUNICATIONS
Director
TULLY CENTER FOR FREE SPEECH
ADWEEK: “Delaware Court Judge Rejects Fox News’ Motion to Dismiss Dominion’s Defamation Lawsuit“
REUTERS: “Special Report: Pro-Trump news site targets election workers, inspiring wave of menace“
“I was struck by some of the judge’s candid analysis including stating that it ‘is reasonably conceivable that Fox’s reporting was inaccurate.’ But we are still at the preliminary phase here and this case is still very far away from a conclusion and we’ll await Fox’s full substantive defense and presentation of additional evidence and pleadings.”
Roy Gutterman
ADWEEK: “Delaware Court Judge Rejects Fox News’ Motion to Dismiss Dominion’s Defamation Lawsuit“
NEW YORK TIMES: “A $550 million Springsteen Deal? It’s Glory Days for Catalog Sales“
Media Hits: November 2021
Every month, media outlets around the world consult with the experts at the Newhouse School for context on what’s happening in communications and why. Here are some of this month’s stories:
SPECTRUM LOCAL NEWS: “Why it’s best to talk with kids about what they’re viewing online”
“Part of the socialization process, part of talking and communicating with friends, is via social media… But in consequence, when you see the content, here is almost a potential for not understanding the consequences of that kind of content, how someone can actually get hurt.”
Makana Chock
SPECTRUM LOCAL NEWS: “Why it’s best to talk with kids about what they’re viewing online”
CNN: “Big Tech television ads paint a rosy picture of a problematic industry”
“It’s a societal shift, primarily driven by Gen Z, really focusing on ‘I’m going to put my money where my mouth is, I’m not going to purchase from companies who aren’t exhibiting and treating their employees the right way.'”
Beth egan
CNN: “Big Tech television ads paint a rosy picture of a problematic industry”
Associate Professor
MAGAZINE, NEWS AND DIGITAL JOURNALISM
COMMUNICATIONS
Director
TULLY CENTER FOR FREE SPEECH
WASHINGTON EXAMINER: “Rittenhouse judge kicks out MSNBC for allegedly following jury bus“
“While the public has an important right of access to a criminal trial and the press have a First Amendment right to attend and report on judicial proceedings, the allegations here could certainly cross the line of propriety.”
Roy Gutterman
WASHINGTON EXAMINER: “Rittenhouse judge kicks out MSNBC for allegedly following jury bus“
Eric Grode
Director
GOLDRING ARTS JOURNALISM AND COMMUNICATIONS
Associate Professor
ARTS JOURNALISM AND COMMUNICATIONS
Associate Professor
MAGAZINE, NEWS AND DIGITAL JOURNALISM
THE NEW YORK TIMES: “20 Stephen Sondheim Songs to Listen to Right Now” (author)
Assistant Professor
ADVERTISING
YAHOO! FINANCE: “Facebook’s metaverse will still track your every move“
“The way I think about it is these are all new touch points that can inform the profiles that they build around all of their users and the accounts today. That’s going to be massive for them because it’s going to create this new unique way that they can essentially target audiences.”
Daniela Molta
YAHOO! FINANCE: “Facebook’s metaverse will still track your every move“
Assistant Professor
ADVERTISING
BUZZFEED NEWS: “Women Are Sharing Stories Online About Sex With Celebrities”
WAER: “CNY Health Communication Expert Hopeful For Vaccination Participation Among Young Children“
“Somebody with power [is] going to be able to use that power against anybody who is accusing them. … To gain any power back, you have to sometimes go into these anonymous ‘unverified spaces’ because you’re not being heard anywhere else.”
rebecca ortiz
BUZZFEED NEWS: “Women Are Sharing Stories Online About Sex With Celebrities”
Media Hits: October 2021
Every month, media outlets around the world consult with the experts at the Newhouse School for context on what’s happening in communications and why. Here are some of this month’s stories:
Associate Professor
ADVERTISING
Co-director
WEISS CENTER FOR SOCIAL COMMERCE
VALUEPENGUIN.COM: “Expert Insights to Help You Make Smarter Financial Decisions“
Associate Professor
COMMUNICATIONS
WASHINGTON POST: “New political ad strategy in Virginia: Promoting news articles in Google search results“
WASHINGTON POST: “People or profit? Facebook papers show deep conflict within“
USA TODAY: “Facebook CEO Zuckerberg: Whistleblower, leaked documents paint a ‘false picture’ of company“
NEW YORK TIMES: “Facebook Renames Itself Meta“
“Ultimately, it rests with Mark and whatever his prerogative is—and it has always been to grow, to increase his power and his reach.”
Jennifer grygiel
WASHINGTON POST: “People or profit? Facebook papers show deep conflict within“
Assistant Professor
TELEVISION, RADIO AND FILM
POST PERSPECTIVE: “Shaina Holmes on Creating VFX for Indie Film ‘Looks That Kill‘”
Professor
COMMUNICATIONS
PSYCHOLOGY TODAY: “Acknowledging ‘Missing White Woman Syndrome’“
COLUMBIA JOURNALISM REVIEW: “The circular reckoning over ‘missing white woman syndrome’“
LA TIMES: “Gabby Petito and one way to break media’s ‘missing white woman syndrome’“
“Police have way too much influence in determining which missing people the news media cover. They are real gatekeepers in that regard.”
CAROL LIEBLER
LA TIMES: “Gabby Petito and one way to break media’s ‘missing white woman syndrome’“
Advanced Media Professor in Residence
NEW MEDIA MANAGEMENT
GOOD DAY NEW YORK: “Facebook Went Down. What Happened?“
“One of the things everybody should know is that it had zero to do with user information. This was just infrastructure configuration that went horribly wrong.”
SHELLY PALMER
GOOD DAY NEW YORK: “Facebook Went Down. What Happened?“
Trustee Professor
TELEVISION, RADIO AND FILM
Director
BLEIER CENTER FOR TELEVISION AND POPULAR CULTURE
THE GUARDIAN: “‘Hilarious and very honest’: Katie Couric casts off her perky persona in her new memoir“
“Even when she was at the top of her game, there was a sense that the ways she was being described and therefore judged in gender-specific terms typical of a sexist TV news industry. The perky, friendly image of a person you could talk to across the backyard fence is something she has long tried to dispel.”
Robert Thompson
THE GUARDIAN: “‘Hilarious and very honest’: Katie Couric casts off her perky persona in her new memoir“
Stevens publishes book on designing for extended reality
Renée Stevens, associate chair and assistant professor of visual communications, is an award-winning motion and augmented-reality (AR) designer, educator and public speaker whose creative research explores how AR can help overcome learning disabilities. Her new textbook, “Designing Immersive 3D Experiences,” was published by Peachpit Press in July. We sat down with Stevens to ask a few questions about her new book.
What inspired you to write this book?
This book was created out of a need in the design industry. I was looking for a book I could recommend to designers getting into the extended reality (XR), but there wasn’t one. There are books for developers and for people who wanted to know more about the technology, but none created from the design perspective. For mass adoption of XR to occur, designers need to be working with programmers to create immersive interactions that focus on the user experience. This book was written in that space.
How is designing for 3D and extended reality different from other kinds of design work?
The foundation and theories of design remain the same as they apply to everything you design. However, when you add a third dimension to your space, you have new problems and relationships to solve. Within augmented reality (AR) there are parts of the experience you can’t control. The background and the lighting are just two examples that will be dynamic since they are controlled by each individual user. You have to learn to design for the uncontrollable and allow the user to personalize their experience to best suit their needs. On the other end of that, one of the biggest benefits of creating an experience in XR is the multiple modalities that you can engage. Instead of just seeing information a user can touch it, move it, hear it, and in some cases even smell it.
What is your best advice for young designers interested in learning about 3D and extended reality designing?
Try it. The best way to really learn about it is to use the technology and see first hand what some of the challenges are, and what the experience is like for you as a new user. Try some applications and experiences that exist currently. Then take notes on what you liked and what you didn’t like. From there you can begin to work out ways to design experiences that continue to get better and better. The second piece of advice I have is to start to think in 3D by creating for real physical objects. Design packaging for a product and make a paper prototype with your design wrapped around it that you can hold in your hands. This way you can start to experience and evaluate designing every plane.
“Designing Immersive 3D Experiences” is available now from Peachpit Press.
Media Hits: September 2021
Every month, media outlets around the world consult with the experts at the Newhouse School for context on what’s happening in communications and why. Here are some of this month’s stories:
Assistant Professor
MAGAZINE, NEWS AND DIGITAL JOURNALISM
POYNTER: “Journalists who question objectivity still value truth-telling, study finds” (co-authors)
Assistant Professor
COMMUNICATIONS
ABC NEWS: “Time, misinfo complicate teaching 9/11 to kids born after it”
“Conspiracy theories take root when there are unknowns, and there were so many unknowns about that day. In the absence of information, people go online. And what do they find? It depends.”
Jennifer Grygiel
ABC NEWS: “Time, misinfo complicate teaching 9/11 to kids born after it”
Associate Professor
MAGAZINE, NEWS AND DIGITAL JOURNALISM
COMMUNICATIONS
Director
TULLY CENTER FOR FREE SPEECH
BLOOMBERG: “Trump Suit Against N.Y. Times, Niece a ‘Stunt,’ Lawyer Says“
““The Supreme Court has acknowledged that reporters can rely on leaked materials as long as they did not break to law to get them. There is not a scintilla of evidence that the Times broke the law to collect this information.””
Roy Gutterman
BLOOMBERG: “Trump Suit Against N.Y. Times, Niece a ‘Stunt,’ Lawyer Says“
Professor
MAGAZINE, NEWS AND DIGITAL JOURNALISM
Associate Dean
OFFICE OF GRADUATE PROGRAMS
GV WIRE: “‘Hijacked’ or On Course? Future of Fresno’s Troubled Public TV Outlet Questioned“
MOTHER JONES: “Slow News Is Good News”
“[Attempts to cut off funding] almost always came from criticism from the right about the left and that public broadcasting is very liberal and they don’t take the conservative point of view on anything. So it is kind of ironic, especially in California, that it would be the other way around,””
Joel Kaplan
GV WIRE: “‘Hijacked’ or On Course? Future of Fresno’s Troubled Public TV Outlet Questioned“
Dean
CHARLOTTE OBSERVER: “After a summer of conflict, UNC seeks a new journalism dean. How appealing is the job?“
“In many ways, if there’s a silver lining it’s that all the stones have been turned over by now.”
MARK LODATO
CHARLOTTE OBSERVER: “After a summer of conflict, UNC seeks a new journalism dean. How appealing is the job?“
Dan Pacheco
Professor of Practice
MAGAZINE, NEWS AND DIGITAL JOURNALISM
Peter A. Horvitz Endowed Chair in Journalism Innovation
CNN BUSINESS: “Some of the most iconic 9/11 news coverage is lost. Blame Adobe Flash“
“This is really about the problem of what I call the boneyard of the internet. Everything that’s not a piece of text or a flat picture is basically destined to rot and die when new methods of delivering the content replace it. I just feel like the internet is rotting at an even faster pace, ironically, because of innovation. It shouldn’t.”
dan pacheco
CNN BUSINESS: “Some of the most iconic 9/11 news coverage is lost. Blame Adobe Flash“
Bill Werde
Title
Director
BANDIER PROGRAM FOR RECORDING AND ENTERTAINMENT INDUSTRIES
Co-director
AUDIO ARTS
FINANCIAL TIMES: “The last mogul: an interview with Universal Music’s Lucian Grainge“
Media Hits: August 2021
Every month, media outlets around the world consult with the experts at the Newhouse School for context on what’s happening in communications and why. Here are some of this month’s stories:
Associate Professor
COMMUNICATIONS
ASSOCIATED PRESS: “Misinformation at public forums vexes local boards, big tech“
THE WASHINGTON POST: “Facebook shared new data about what’s popular on its platform. The answers are deeply weird.”
FAST COMPANY: “TikTok hits the big time: The MLA Handbook has decided how to cite it in academic works“
“Anytime there is a public arena—a city council hearing, a school board meeting, a public park—the public has the opportunity to potentially spread misinformation. What’s changed is it used to stay local.”
Jennifer Grygiel
ASSOCIATED PRESS: “Misinformation at public forums vexes local boards, big tech”
Director
TULLY CENTER FOR FREE SPEECH
Associate Professor
MAGAZINE, NEWS AND DIGITAL JOURNALISM
Associate Professor
COMMUNICATIONS
SYRACUSE.COM: “Harry Rosenfeld, editor behind Watergate, knew how fragile the world is” (author)
“Rosenfeld might be more responsible for the Watergate coverage than anyone else at the paper. He was the editor who hired Woodward after the reporter pestered him for a year and, according to his memoir, likely saved Bernstein from being fired.”
ROY GUTTERMAN
SYRACUSE.COM: “Harry Rosenfeld, editor behind Watergate, knew how fragile the world is” (author)
Assistant Professor
ADVERTISING
AD AGE: “Putting consumers first means protecting their data: Opinion” (author) (subscription required)
Assistant Professor
ADVERTISING
WASHINGTON POST: “The FAA’s new weapon in the fight against unruly passengers: Memes“
“You have to run this up the ladder; you have to make sure that everybody who might have to answer for this is comfortable with what they’re putting out. Usually that’s where creativity gets stifled.”
Rebecca ortiz
WASHINGTON POST: “The FAA’s new weapon in the fight against unruly passengers: Memes”
Professor
ADVERTISING
FAST COMPANY: “The Olympics are always a schlockfest, but these ads are actually great“
“For brands like Nike, which have a history of inspiring all kinds of athletes and taking on social issues in the process, they still ring true. For others, not so much.”
brian sheehan
FAST COMPANY: “The Olympics are always a schlockfest, but these ads are actually great”
Trustee Professor
TELEVISION, RADIO AND FILM
Director
BLEIER CENTER FOR TELEVISION AND POPULAR CULTURE
PBS: “In a pandemic Olympics without all the crowds, what gets lost?“
“The audience in the venue is no longer the economics. The media is the economics.”
Robert Thompson
PBS:”In a pandemic Olympics without all the crowds, what gets lost?“