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Lawsuit Blames Social Media For Harming Teens

“These never-before-seen documents show that social media companies treat the crisis in youth mental health as a public relations issue rather than an urgent societal problem…”

Maddy Troy

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An Oakland, California judge has put forth a federal lawsuit alleging intentional harm to young people by social media companies, Meta, TikTok, YouTube, Snapchat, and their parent organizations.

The lawsuit is comprised of complaints from teens and young adults across America. The suit was filed previously, but an un-redacted version was just made available this past weekend, according to Media Post.

One of the major accusations in the case is that social media companies in question intentionally use algorithms that drive addictive behaviors leading to anxiety, depression, sleeplessness, eating disorders, and sometimes suicide.

“These never-before-seen documents show that social media companies treat the crisis in youth mental health as a public relations issue rather than an urgent societal problem brought on by their products,” the three plaintiffs’ lawyers leading the lawsuit, Lexi Hazam, Previn Warren and Chris Seeger, said in a statement.

“This includes burying internal research documenting these harms, blocking safety measures because they decrease ‘engagement,’ and defunding teams focused on protecting youth mental health.”

Another charge was specifically leveled at Meta for defunding its team dedicated to addressing the mental health ramifications of its Facebook and Instagram platforms despite Meta employee’s warning CEO Mark Zuckerberg about the issue.

The suit quotes a message sent directly to Zuckerberg stating that Facebook is “not on track to succeed for our core well-being topics (problematic use, bullying & harassment, connections, and SSI), and are at increased regulatory risk and external criticism. These affect everyone, especially Youth and Creators; if not addressed, these will follow us into the Metaverse.”

Big social media brands have long relied on Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act to protect them from liability for material posted by third parties, but the statute is up for debate with the recent sequence of lawsuits, including the Supreme Court case brought against Google for its proposed role in an ISIS attack. The impact of specific algorithms on the health of young people is similarly a point of legitimate concern when it comes to the extent of Section 230’s protection.

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Media Business

49th Annual Gracie Awards Winners Announced

The winners of the awards will be celebrated at the foundation’s annual gala on Tuesday, May 21st at the Beverly Wilshire, a Four Seasons Hotel, in Los Angeles.

Barrett News Media

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The Alliance for Women in Media Foundation has released the winners of its 49th annual Gracie Awards, with radio, television, and digital media outlets well represented in the honorees.

“As Women’s History Month draws to a close, we honor the remarkable women storytellers whose courage and resilience continue to inspire us. Their stories, strengths, and influence are actively shaping our present and future,” said Alliance for Women in Media Foundation President Becky Brooks. “The impact of women is undeniable, and we look forward to celebrating these powerful contributions and achievements at the upcoming Gracie Awards.”

In the radio sector, several prominent women took home major awards.

CBS News Radio host Allison Keyes was the winner of the Nationally Syndicated Weekend News host radio award. The network’s Jill on Money took the award for best talk show.

ABC News Radio took home the award for Best National Crisis Coverage/Breaking news for its Foreign Crisis Coverage. Network host Michelle Franzen won the award for Outstanding News Anchor.

NPR took home several awards. It won the Public Affairs category with its “Battle of Bamber Bridge” coverage, alongside its breaking news coverage of the “Historica UAW Strike of 2023”, News Feature in conjunction with WBUR, Nationally Syndicated Non-commercial Reporter/Correspondent (Katia Riddle), best nationally syndicated non-commercial series (“On The Ground in Iran” for All Things Considered), and best interview feature (“One Couple’s Fight to Cure ALS” for All Things Considered).

iHeartMedia won the award for best news feature for its “Black, Autistic, and Safe” story.

In local radio, 77 WABC host Rita Cosby took home the award for best Local Radio Interview Feature for her sitdown with former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo. Meanwhile, the station’s Cindy Adams won the award for best Local non-morning drive weekend show for the large/major market category.

Seattle’s KIRO Newsradio won the award for local Hard News Feature for its “Facing Fentanyl” story. It also won the award for Soft News Feature for a report on the work being done for students at Kent-Meridian High School.

Lisa Dent of WGN in Chicago took home the honors for best Non-Morning Drive Talk/Personality Host in a Large/Major Market.

WCBS Newsradio 880 producer Lisa Tschernkowitsch took home the Best Local Radio Producer award for her work on Newsline with Brigitte Quinn.

KCBS in San Francisco won the local radio award for Best Crisis Coverage/Breaking News for its reporting on the wildfires in Maui.

The news television sector was well represented in the awards.

CNN won an award for Best National Hard News feature for its coverage of a Hamas attack at an Israeli Morgue. The network’s Jomana Karadsheh took home the ward for National Reporter/Correspondent.

ABC World News Tonight with David Muir Producer Esther Castillejo won for Best Producer of a National Newscast.

Bloomberg took home the honor for Best National Investigative Feature for its “Run For Your Life” segment during Bloomberg Investigates.

There was crossover from the News Television and Radio worlds in the digital sector, as well.

Audacy Podcasts took home the award for Lifestyle Podcast co-host/ensemble for We Can Do Hard Things, hosted by Glennon Doyle, Abby Wambach, and Amanda Doyle.

Kayla Whitworth of ABC News won the award for best National News Podcast Host for her The King Road Killings podcast.

CNN’s Ladan Anoushfar won the award for best National Online News Producer for the As Equals series.

The winners of the 49th annual Gracie Awards will be celebrated at the foundation’s annual gala on Tuesday, May 21st at the Beverly Wilshire, a Four Seasons Hotel, in Los Angeles.

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Media Business

Audacy Podcasts to Debut Series on Cultural Impact of MTV

“MTV is still on the air in 2024, and it’s still profitable, but my nieces and nephews know it as a logo on an Urban Outfitters t-shirt. I wanted to know what happened, and where the spirit of MTV exists now.”

Barrett News Media

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A photo of the Who Killed the Video Star? The Story of MTV logo

Audacy Podcasts is set to release a new podcast series called Who Killed the Video Star? The Story of MTV.

The eight-part series will be hosted by former MTV VJ and Esquire Editor-At-Large Dave Holmes. The first two episodes released Wednesday, with new episodes releasing weekly through Wednesday, May 8th.

“In the ‘80s and ‘90s, MTV was a window into an alternate universe, one full of music and art and style and sex, that commanded the attention of my whole generation. At the turn of the millennium, I climbed through that window and worked there, and found myself surrounded with the smartest, hardest-working people on Earth, people who loved music and pop culture the way I did,” said Dave Homles.

“MTV is still on the air in 2024, and it’s still profitable, but my nieces and nephews know it as a logo on an Urban Outfitters t-shirt. I wanted to know what happened, and where the spirit of MTV exists now. As I gathered the story, in real-time, a few other bulletproof media brands– Vice, Pitchfork, Sports Illustrated, MTV News itself– went out of business. The story of MTV is a fascinating one in its own right, but it’s also turned out to be, in microcosm, the story of media in 2024.”

“Dave’s insider perspective makes him the perfect person to dissect the trajectory of the cultural phenomenon that is MTV, “ said Jenna Weiss-Berman, EVP, Podcasts, Audacy. “This series is a treat for listeners across all the generations who made MTV a part of their lives.” 

Guests on the show include former VJs “Downtown” Julie Brown,  Damien Fahey, and Kevin Seal. Additionally, former MTV News reporters like Gideon Yago, Chris Connelly, and Suchin Pak will also be featured.

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Media Business

Salem Media Group Sees Drop in 2023 Broadcast Revenue, Slight Increase in Digital

Digital revenue at the company was up 4.1% with increases from the Salem Podcast Network, Salem News Channel, and digital marketing.

Barrett News Media

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A photo of the Salem Media Group logo

Salem Media Group has released its 2023 financial results, and the company saw a slight dip in broadcast revenue during the year.

Overall, the company reported revenue had declined $7.6 million compared to 2022, representing a drop of 3.7%. Nearly half of that figure was political advertising, as that sector dropped from $5.9 million to $2.3 million, a loss of $3.6 million.

However, digital revenue at the company was up 4.1% with increases from the Salem Podcast Network, Salem News Channel, and digital marketing.

In total, the company reported a rise in operating expenses during the year, ultimately reporting a net loss of $43.3 million in 2023 compared to the $3.2 million it lost in 2022.

Salem Media Group instituted several measures throughout 2023 to mitigate the losses, including selling its publishing and church products divisions. It also sold its former California headquarters for more than $6 million, while agreeing to lease the building for $500,000 per year.

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