Filed under: Etc.,Automotive History,Convertible,Classics
Continue reading Junkyard Gem: 1977 MG MGB
Junkyard Gem: 1977 MG MGB originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 31 May 2020 14:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | CommentsFiled under: Etc.,Chevrolet,Dodge,Car Buying,Truck,Coupe,Off-Road,Specialty,Classics
Continue reading 1972 Dodge Challenger on an M1009 CUCV military frame is YES
1972 Dodge Challenger on an M1009 CUCV military frame is YES originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 31 May 2020 12:30:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | CommentsFiled under: Etc.,Jaguar,Citroen,Classics
Continue reading $4.5M Maryland mansion has a brick street with classic cars in its basement
$4.5M Maryland mansion has a brick street with classic cars in its basement originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 31 May 2020 12:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | CommentsFiled under: Chevrolet,GM,Convertible,Coupe,Luxury,Performance
Continue reading 2020 Chevy Corvette loses High Rear Wing option, but gains new accessories
2020 Chevy Corvette loses High Rear Wing option, but gains new accessories originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 31 May 2020 11:30:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | Comments
Continue reading This 21-foot-tall Willys replica is the world's largest running Jeep
This 21-foot-tall Willys replica is the world's largest running Jeep originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 31 May 2020 11:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | CommentsFiled under: Spy Photos,Ford,SUV,Off-Road,Videos
Continue reading Video of 2021 Ford Bronco prototypes plying muddy trails shows trick tech
Video of 2021 Ford Bronco prototypes plying muddy trails shows trick tech originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 31 May 2020 10:19:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | CommentsFiled under: Green,Etc.,Green Culture,Hatchback,Electric
Continue reading BlueIndy electric cars will be repurposed — or crushed
BlueIndy electric cars will be repurposed — or crushed originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 31 May 2020 10:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | Comments
Continue reading Streets converting to restaurant patios in cities across America
Streets converting to restaurant patios in cities across America originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 31 May 2020 09:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | CommentsFiled under: Tesla
A rocket ship built by Elon Musk’s SpaceX company thundered away from Earth with two Americans on Saturday, ushering in a new era in commercial space travel and putting the United States back in the business of launching astronauts into orbit from U.S. soil for the first time in nearly a decade. NASA’s Doug Hurley and Bob Behnken rode skyward aboard a sleek, white-and-black, bullet-shaped Dragon capsule on top of a Falcon 9 rocket, lifting off at 3:22 p.m. from the same launch pad used to send
Continue reading SpaceX rocket blasts into orbit with 2 American astronauts
SpaceX rocket blasts into orbit with 2 American astronauts originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 30 May 2020 16:23:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | CommentsFiled under: Government/Legal,Green,Transportation Alternatives
Continue reading Wildest rideshare driving experiences
Wildest rideshare driving experiences originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 30 May 2020 15:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | CommentsFiled under: Weird Car News,MINI
The Jamaican bobsleigh team is used to training without snow, but the coronavirus lockdown has seen its male athletes resort to pushing a car around the streets of an English city to stay in shape, with an eye on Olympic qualification. "If you're able to do the same sort of training without the same equipment, then you should be able to achieve more with the right equipment," he said.
Continue reading Jamaican bobsled team pushes a Mini around town to keep Olympic dream alive
Jamaican bobsled team pushes a Mini around town to keep Olympic dream alive originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 30 May 2020 14:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | CommentsFiled under: Etc.,Cadillac,Automotive History,Classics,sedan
Continue reading Junkyard Gem: 1967 Cadillac Fleetwood Sixty Special Sedan
Junkyard Gem: 1967 Cadillac Fleetwood Sixty Special Sedan originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 30 May 2020 13:30:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | CommentsFiled under: Green,Transportation Alternatives,Technology
The option, which is already available in a handful of cities in Australia, Africa, Europe and the Middle East, will cost $50 per hour. Fares for regular Uber rides are generally based on the level of demand and the trip distance. Uber said it decided to expand the hourly feature to the U.S. after riders requested an option for extended trips during the pandemic to avoid exposure to different drivers and vehicles when taking multiple trips in a confined time period.
Continue reading Uber launches $50-per-hour booking option in some U.S. cities
Uber launches $50-per-hour booking option in some U.S. cities originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 30 May 2020 13:15:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | CommentsFiled under: Transportation Alternatives,Motorcycle
Continue reading Kawasaki is developing a three-wheel Slingshot competitor that leans
Kawasaki is developing a three-wheel Slingshot competitor that leans originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 30 May 2020 12:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | CommentsFiled under: Chevrolet,GM,Auto Repair,Insurance,Maintenance,Convertible,Coupe,Luxury,Performance
Continue reading GM won't sell C8 Chevy Corvette structural parts to independent shops
GM won't sell C8 Chevy Corvette structural parts to independent shops originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 30 May 2020 11:25:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | CommentsFiled under: Green,Autonomous
Continue reading Nuro will test autonomous prescription delivery for CVS
Nuro will test autonomous prescription delivery for CVS originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 30 May 2020 11:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | Comments
Continue reading ATS Corsa’s 600-hp RR Turbo track car hits production, priced from $146,000
ATS Corsa’s 600-hp RR Turbo track car hits production, priced from $146,000 originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 30 May 2020 10:30:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | CommentsFiled under: Aftermarket,Nissan,Truck,Racing,Performance
Continue reading SB Motorsport building a 1,000-hp GT-R-powered Navara frankentruck
SB Motorsport building a 1,000-hp GT-R-powered Navara frankentruck originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 30 May 2020 10:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | CommentsFiled under: Nissan,Crossover,Hatchback,Driveway Tests
Continue reading 2020 Nissan Kicks Luggage Test | All you realistically need
2020 Nissan Kicks Luggage Test | All you realistically need originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 30 May 2020 09:30:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | CommentsFiled under: Honda,Auctions,Automotive History,Coupe,Classics
Continue reading This 2000 Honda Civic Si for sale has only 5,600 miles
This 2000 Honda Civic Si for sale has only 5,600 miles originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 30 May 2020 09:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | CommentsFiled under: Green,Technology,Electric
Continue reading Battery-electric Cessna passenger plane makes maiden flight
Battery-electric Cessna passenger plane makes maiden flight originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 30 May 2020 08:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | CommentsFiled under: Etc.,Porsche,Auctions,Coupe,Racing,Performance
Continue reading A 2020 Porsche 935 is already up for auction, and it has zero miles
A 2020 Porsche 935 is already up for auction, and it has zero miles originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 29 May 2020 15:30:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | CommentsFiled under: Etc.,Porsche,Auctions,Coupe,Racing,Performance
Find out how to train like an F1 Driver, climb Pikes Peak and go for a ride in Ken Block's Hoonitruck in this week's episode of The Autoblog Show originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 29 May 2020 15:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | CommentsFiled under: Ford,Auctions,Coupe,Performance,Classics
Continue reading This 1970 Ford Mustang Mach 1's appearance on Bring a Trailer is well-timed
This 1970 Ford Mustang Mach 1's appearance on Bring a Trailer is well-timed originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 29 May 2020 14:30:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | CommentsFiled under: Lamborghini,Coupe,Luxury,Performance,Supercars
Continue reading 188,000-mile Lamborghini Huracan from Las Vegas rental fleet listed for sale
188,000-mile Lamborghini Huracan from Las Vegas rental fleet listed for sale originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 29 May 2020 14:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | CommentsFiled under: Commerce
Sick of being stuck inside? Enter to win a road trip through the Pacific Northwest in a mid-engine Corvette originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 29 May 2020 13:30:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | CommentsFiled under: Spy Photos,Bugatti,Coupe,Supercars
Continue reading Short-tailed Bugatti Chiron Super Sport spied testing
Short-tailed Bugatti Chiron Super Sport spied testing originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 29 May 2020 13:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | CommentsFiled under: Plants/Manufacturing,Detroit Auto Show,Ford
Continue reading 2021 Ford F-150 to officially debut June 25
2021 Ford F-150 to officially debut June 25 originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 29 May 2020 12:24:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | CommentsFiled under: Rumormill,Spy Photos,Ford,SUV,Off-Road
Continue reading 2021 Ford Bronco leaks: center stack revealed, 7-speed manual confirmed
2021 Ford Bronco leaks: center stack revealed, 7-speed manual confirmed originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 29 May 2020 12:21:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | CommentsFiled under: Buick,Crossover,Luxury
Continue reading 2021 Buick Envision is a vision of Buick's future that's shockingly stylish
2021 Buick Envision is a vision of Buick's future that's shockingly stylish originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 29 May 2020 11:31:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | CommentsFiled under: Ford,Coupe,Performance,Classics
Continue reading Ford Mustang Mach 1: Time-traveling at the speed of sound
Ford Mustang Mach 1: Time-traveling at the speed of sound originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 29 May 2020 11:15:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | CommentsFiled under: Toyota,Hatchback,Future,Performance
Continue reading Toyota Corolla Sport GRMN to get AWD, too
Toyota Corolla Sport GRMN to get AWD, too originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 29 May 2020 11:06:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | CommentsFiled under: Mercedes-Benz,Crossover,SUV,Luxury,Performance,Driveway Tests
Continue reading 2021 Mercedes-AMG GLS 63 Exhaust Test | Treating the ears of all aboard
2021 Mercedes-AMG GLS 63 Exhaust Test | Treating the ears of all aboard originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 29 May 2020 10:30:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | CommentsFiled under: Spy Photos,Nissan,SUV,Luxury,Off-Road
Continue reading 2021 Nissan Armada spied hiding refreshed nose and tail
2021 Nissan Armada spied hiding refreshed nose and tail originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 29 May 2020 10:28:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | CommentsFiled under: Motorsports
Continue reading Want to buy an F1 team? Williams is considering selling
Want to buy an F1 team? Williams is considering selling originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 29 May 2020 10:19:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | CommentsFiled under: Mazda,Convertible,Performance,Driveway Tests
Continue reading 2020 Mazda MX-5 Miata RF Luggage Test | It's not the size that counts ...
2020 Mazda MX-5 Miata RF Luggage Test | It's not the size that counts ... originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 29 May 2020 10:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | CommentsFiled under: Ford,Coupe,Performance
Continue reading 2021 Ford Mustang Mach 1 to be 'most track-capable' non-Shelby Mustang ever
2021 Ford Mustang Mach 1 to be 'most track-capable' non-Shelby Mustang ever originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 29 May 2020 10:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | CommentsFiled under: Green,Plants/Manufacturing,Volkswagen,Electric
Volkswagen is spending 2 billion euros ($2.2 billion) to expand its presence in China’s electric car industry in the biggest foreign investment announced since the country's economy began to reopen following the coronavirus pandemic. Volkswagen AG said Friday it will buy control of its electric vehicle venture with a Chinese partner in a 1 billion euro ($1.1 billion) deal. The German automaker said it would spend another 1 billion euros ($1.1 billion) to become the biggest shareholder in a bat
Continue reading VW spending $2.2 billion to expand in China's electric car market
VW spending $2.2 billion to expand in China's electric car market originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 29 May 2020 09:43:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | CommentsFiled under: Green,Crossover,Electric
Continue reading Vietnam's VinFast plans to sell Pininfarina-designed electric crossover in the U.S.
Vietnam's VinFast plans to sell Pininfarina-designed electric crossover in the U.S. originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 29 May 2020 09:15:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | CommentsFiled under: BMW,Buying Guide,New Car Reviews,Luxury,Performance,sedan
Continue reading 2020 BMW 2 Series Gran Coupe Review | The not-so-budget BMW sedan
2020 BMW 2 Series Gran Coupe Review | The not-so-budget BMW sedan originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 29 May 2020 09:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | CommentsFiled under: Earnings/Financials,Hirings/Firings/Layoffs
Renault acknowledged that its global ambitions had been unrealistic, announcing plans to cut about 15,000 jobs, shrink production and restructure French plants as it pressed the reset button and sought to banish the spectre of Carlos Ghosn. Faced with a slump in demand that has been exacerbated by the coronavirus pandemic, Renault detailed plans on Friday to find 2 billion euros ($2.22 billion) in savings over the next three years. "We thought too big in terms of sales," said interim Chief Exe
Continue reading We thought too big, Renault says as it axes 15,000 jobs in cost-cutting reboot
We thought too big, Renault says as it axes 15,000 jobs in cost-cutting reboot originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 29 May 2020 08:54:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | CommentsOFF THE TOP
You might have heard: Trump signs executive order targeting protections for social media platforms (Axios)
But did you know: Trump’s social media executive order poses threat to online review sites (Skift)
While President Trump’s recent executive order is largely seen as a way to punish social media companies after Twitter “fact-checked” one of his tweets, the implications of this new interpretation of the Communications Decency Act could have farther ranging implications. Currently, sites that connect users to each other, like AirBnb, or host reviews, like Yelp, are absolved from liability related to content posted by users, but that could change under this new executive order.
+ Related: Twitter placed a warning on one of Trump’s tweets early Friday morning, saying it violated a site rule about “glorifying violence” in discussing protesters in Minneapolis (New York Times)
+ Noted: CBS hit by newest round of ViacomCBS layoffs (Hollywood Reporter); The Center for Public Integrity names Matt DeRienzo as editor in chief (The Center for Public Integrity); Google News Initiative to provide emergency funding for 5,300 local news organizations (Google); The Wirecutter moves to the nytimes.com domain (Wirecutter); The Billings Gazette newsroom announces formation of the Montana News Guild (Twitter, @mtnewsguild); Playboy lays off 25 staffers, plans to reorganize business model (The Wrap)
API UPDATE
API is hiring part-time community managers
The American Press Institute is hiring community managers with some web development knowledge as independent contractors to support dozens of news organizations who will use API’s Metrics for News application to guide their elections coverage from now through November. Applications are due by June 12.
+ Why Twitter’s “get the facts” label matters, cyberattacks targeting homebound individuals are on the rise, and journalists challenge “fake news” laws in Puerto Rico (Factually)
TRY THIS AT HOME
How KPCC embraced its role as LA’s help desk—and what they’ve learned along the way (Medium, Engagement at KPCC)
Since the coronavirus hit Los Angeles in early March, KPCC has received thousands of pandemic-related questions — and personally answered more than 2,900. To achieve this, the newsroom’s seven-person engagement team has been staggering shifts to cover nights and weekends, coordinating to make sure the homepage is always up to date and maintaining a master database of questions. The questions have fed into reporting and vice versa, spotlighting issues from wedding licenses to unemployment. It’s all led to a rise in traffic, an increase in newsletter subscriptions and higher open rates.
OFFSHORE
A new Canadian organization is helping entrepreneurial journalists launch their own businesses (J-Source)
Journalists in Canada may now find it easier to start their own digital news outlet. Indiegraf, a new network of independent journalist-entrepreneurs and community-owned publishers, will share resources to help small news outlets grow and find sustainable models for local news. The idea is to offer the perks of a big newspaper chain, like infrastructure support and access to capital, without the high overhead and editorial squeezes of a corporate owner. So far, six news outlets across Canada have launched with Indiegraf since mid-March.
+ Music magazines fight for survival in the U.K. (The Guardian)
OFFBEAT
The next media business: Talent, reputation, and lessons from record labels (Medium, Jarrod Dicker)
With media companies struggling to monetize content online, Jarrod Dicker says that the modern media outlet should look to the record industry for ideas. Media companies, Dicker argues, are clinging to an old-fashioned notion of being the exclusive platform for content. But with news outlets having their “Napster moment” — i.e. losing control of the means of distribution — media organizations should embrace their place in the talent business. By nurturing top talent and encouraging them to build their personal brand, media outlets can benefit from their successes in ways they currently can’t.
+ Earlier: The new model media star is famous only to you (The New York Times)
UP FOR DEBATE
Washington Post public editor: The Post’s union shows the best of journalism (CJR)
As layoffs and pay cuts abound throughout the media industry, the Washington Post Guild recently signed a contract extension that delays its next round of negotiations with the company for another year. That may not sound like monumental news, but Hamilton Nolan argues, it’s a sign that this guild will live to fight another day in a tough marketplace. The union, he says, “protects one of America’s best newsrooms from being torn apart by some powerful egos.” The Washington Post guild was founded in 1934 and, after decades of turmoil and divisiveness, it has found a new generation of journalists willing to pay dues and fight for better working conditions.
SHAREABLE
If reading a newspaper is a ritual, Sunday’s New York Times front page was a journalistic ritual of mourning (Poynter)
Last Sunday, the New York Times devoted its cover, and several interior pages, to the names of 1,000 people who have died of COVID-19. In an essay for Poynter, Roy Peter Clark called the tribute “a kind of public ritual of mourning designed to express shared values and move the community to a shared purpose.” The piece, which was run to mark the approach of 100,000 deaths from coronavirus in the U.S., repeated that number often as a reminder of the vastness and poignancy of the country’s loss.
FOR THE WEEKEND
+ Reuters Tomorrow’s News 2020 survey reveals accuracy and impartiality as the “defining” factors of trusted content (Reuters Communications)
+ Left-wing podcasters are charting a future without Bernie Sanders (Bloomberg)
+ How the free press worldwide is under threat (The Guardian)
+ The Drudge Report has been linking to this Armenian guy’s site instead of The New York Times (Buzzfeed)
The post Need to Know: May 29, 2020 appeared first on American Press Institute.
Filed under: Earnings/Financials,Motorsports
Renault will stay in Formula One, interim Chief Executive Coltilde Delbos said on Friday after announcing the carmaker's restructuring measures including plans to cut 15,000 jobs worldwide. Renault's F1 future had been uncertain given the financial pressures on the French car giant and a slump in demand due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Renault finished fifth overall last season.
Continue reading Renault staying in Formula One despite massive restructuring
Renault staying in Formula One despite massive restructuring originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 29 May 2020 08:50:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | Comments
Continue reading Small cars have highest driver death rates, IIHS says — with a few exceptions
Small cars have highest driver death rates, IIHS says — with a few exceptions originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 29 May 2020 07:30:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | CommentsFiled under: Etc.,Automotive History,Hatchback
Continue reading Junkyard Gem: 1985 Plymouth Horizon
Junkyard Gem: 1985 Plymouth Horizon originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 28 May 2020 13:40:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | CommentsFiled under: Plants/Manufacturing,TV/Movies,Aston Martin,Coupe,Luxury,Performance,Classics
Continue reading Aston Martin begins building continuation DB5 with fake machine guns
Aston Martin begins building continuation DB5 with fake machine guns originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 28 May 2020 13:20:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | CommentsFiled under: Acura,Luxury,sedan
Continue reading 2021 Acura TLX vs. luxury sedans: How they compare on paper
2021 Acura TLX vs. luxury sedans: How they compare on paper originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 28 May 2020 13:01:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | CommentsFiled under: Design/Style,Acura,Luxury,Performance,sedan
Continue reading 2021 Acura TLX revealed, finally looks like a credible luxury sports sedan
2021 Acura TLX revealed, finally looks like a credible luxury sports sedan originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 28 May 2020 13:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | CommentsFiled under: Nissan,Truck,Crossover
Nissan gives us our first look at the next-gen Frontier and many other upcoming models originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 28 May 2020 12:55:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | CommentsFor the first time, Twitter this week flagged two tweets from the president of the United States. It didn’t choose the tweets that had attracted the most attention in Tuesday morning’s barrage from the White House (those would be the ones about Joe Scarborough). Nor was Twitter’s label particularly bold.
“Get the facts about mail-in ballots,” read the blue label underneath President Donald Trump’s tweet that mail-in ballots used in November’s election will be “substantially fraudulent.”
Some saw the label as a bit subtle, noting that unless you clicked on it, the message could be seen as a warning about mail-in ballots, not about Trump’s tweet. It was widely called a fact-check, but was really just a flag that linked to a collection of tweets with links to news stories and other information about mail-in voting. One question is whether the label would change anyone’s thinking on the issue. Trump loyalists might just dismiss Twitter’s warning as “fake news” and move on.
But it was a flag, nonetheless – a big step for Twitter after years of pressure from its critics to take action against Trump and his falsehoods on his social media platform of choice.
So what happens next?
First, now that Twitter has applied the label for the first time to Trump, we can expect ongoing fights over who gets checked and who doesn’t. Some conservatives already claim, without evidence, that they face “censorship” on social media platforms. Trump on Wednesday threatened (on Twitter, of course) to “strongly regulate” the companies “or shut them down.” On Wednesday White House reporters tweeted that Trump’s press secretary said he would soon sign an executive order “pertaining to social media” but did not provide details.
The notion that the social media platforms have a liberal agenda has been a running theme in conservative circles, one echoed Tuesday by Trump’s 2020 campaign manager, Brad Parscale. “Partnering with the biased fake news media ‘fact checkers’ is only a smoke screen Twitter is using to try to lend their obvious political tactics some false credibility,” he said. In fact, Twitter cited fact-checks in the links it provided, but has not officially “partnered” with fact-checkers the way Facebook has. And in any case, Facebook generally does not subject politicians’ posts to fact-checking. Notably, the same statement went unflagged on Facebook as recently as late Wednesday.
The other – perhaps more consequential – meaning of the label is that it suggests Twitter is taking seriously Trump’s efforts to undercut mail-in voting as a growing number of states are turning to it in light of the coronavirus pandemic.
Trump has in recent months weaponized the issue, as The New York Times put it this week, despite the fact that states widely using mail-in voting have not seen an increase in election fraud. The narrative that mail-in voting is more subject to manipulation than in-person balloting is not supported by election experts, even those who acknowledge that it’s not perfect. There are scores of fact-checks and analyses of the issue. Some experts have suggested Trump’s real agenda is to lay the groundwork for disputing the November results.
In other words, Twitter picked for its first fight one where it had plenty of ammunition – and where the stakes couldn’t be higher.
– Susan Benkelman, API
Hackers have launched cyber-attacks on the computers of British people working from home as a result of the coronavirus lockdown, the Guardian reported. The attacks include malicious email campaigns, fake requests to reset their virtual private networks, and an increase in spoofing attacks, the paper said.
“One spoofing attack featured an unnamed company chief executive supposedly asking workers to donate to his health charity, while others mimic IT support departments asking workers to download new software,” wrote Jasper Jolly.
The MIT Technology Review’s Abby Ohlheiser reviewed a new analysis on why older Americans are more likely to share false information on social media. Fact-checks aren’t necessarily the solution, she writes.
The American Civil Liberties Union has filed a lawsuit on behalf of two journalists challenging two Puerto Rico laws that make it a crime to share information about “fake news.” Violators face up to three years in jail and a fine of up to $5,000.
Axios cited the lawsuit in a story about the proliferation of such laws around the world. “Targeting the press under the guise of stopping ‘fake news’ is increasingly becoming more normalized,” wrote Sara Fischer.
The new chairman of the U.S. Senate Intelligence Committee, Marco Rubio, warned in an interview with the Associated Press that foreign actors will amplify conspiracy theories about the coronavirus and find new ways to interfere in the 2020 presidential election.
“I think the COVID-19 crisis is one in which you’ve seen efforts to promote false narratives that drive some of the friction in this country,” the Florida Republican said.
The BBC took a deep dive into the human costs of misinformation and conspiracy theories, including people who consumed detergent and some who didn’t believe that COVID-19 was a real illness, so didn’t take their symptoms seriously at first.
“We thought the government was using it to distract us, or it was to do with 5G. So we didn’t follow the rules or seek help sooner,” Brian Lee Hitchens told the network from his hospital bed in Florida, where his wife was critically ill and on a ventilator in an adjacent ward.
The COVID-19 pandemic is an “experimental subject like no other” for people who study health and science disinformation, Philip Ball and Amy Maxmen wrote for Nature this week.
“This is an opportunity to see how the whole world pays attention to a topic,” Renée DiResta at the Stanford Internet Observatory in California told the authors.
This week’s fact-check deals with a claim that is popular in the CoronavirusFacts Alliance database — that Italian doctors discovered COVID-19 was a bacterial disease and had found a cure.
This claim first appeared in Mexico, but has since spread to India where fact-checking network FactCrescendo broke it into three parts and addressed each separately.
First, the fact-check cited the broad scientific consensus that COVID-19 is a virus, not a bacterial disease. Second, it quoted health experts in India and Italy to debunk the idea that ventilators won’t help COVID-19 patients. Third, it addressed the nuance that while some COVID-19 patients have died from inflammation of the blood vessels, the overwhelming evidence shows this is not the primary cause of death.
What we liked: This fact-check was easily digestible, but more importantly, it highlights how a claim like this can spread from country to country. FactCrescendo used a combination of local and international experts to explain why this claim is incorrect, and hopefully, stop its spread.
Researchers from the University of Wisconsin reported this week that the effectiveness of fact-checks depends on what people knew about an issue before encountering the fact-check and whether the story is clearly labeled as one.
A study out of France’s Université Science Po finds there was a 25% decrease in the sharing of misinformation after study participants were exposed to fact-checks.
Brazil’s federal police searched the homes and offices of allies of President Jair Bolsonaro on Wednesday, Reuters reported, as part of an investigation into alleged “fake news” attacks against the country’s Supreme Court.
The Guardian reported that Australian mobile phone companies are working with police to head off more arson attempts at 5G cellular towers. The fires are based on a conspiracy linking the technology to COVID-19.
PolitiFact’s Daniel Funke wrote about ways to fact-check your friends and family about COVID-19 misinformation.
That’s it for this week! Feel free to send feedback and suggestions to factually@poynter.org. And if this newsletter was forwarded to you, or if you’re reading it on the web, you can subscribe here. Thanks for reading.
The post Factually: Why Twitter’s ‘get the facts’ label matters appeared first on American Press Institute.
