CEOs of Facebook, Google, Twitter to Testify
The CEOs of Facebook, Google and Twitter are set to testify before the Senate Commerce committee on Oct. 28. Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg, Google CEO Sundar Pichai and Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey will face questions on Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, which provides a liability shield for Big Tech.
The title of the hearing is “Does Section 230’s Sweeping Immunity Enable Big Tech Bad Behavior?” “The hearing will examine whether Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act has outlived its usefulness in today’s digital age,” says a Senate description. “It will also examine legislative proposals to modernize the decades-old law, increase transparency and accountability among big technology companies for their content moderation practices, and explore the impact of large ad-tech platforms on local journalism and consumer privacy.” The hearing may get more attention after Twitter and Facebook made headlines by cutting or blocking access to a New York Post story on Hunter Biden. Twitter blocked the Post’s account.
Dallas Morning News Journalists Vote for Union; Fort Worth May Follow
Journalists at The Dallas Morning News and Al Dia have won the right to negotiate as a group for a union contract, the paper reports. The National Relations Labor Board said newsroom staff voted 84 to 28 in favor of union representation. NLRB must formally certify the results.
“We are disappointed with the unofficial results of the union vote,” said The News’ Publisher Grant Moise in a statement. “We felt strongly that the best way to move forward is without a third party being inserted into our newspaper’s culture. We respect the rights of these employees and will proceed forward in good faith negotiations.” A. H. Belo owns the paper.
The vote to form the Dallas News Guild under the Communications Workers of America makes them the only unionized newsroom in Texas. That may be short-lived, however, as journalists at the Fort Worth Star-Telegram announced last week that they are forming a union. McClatchy owns the paper.
Gannett Offering Buyouts; Layoffs at Lee
Gannett will be extending voluntary buyout offers to staffers this week, Poynter reports. It’s not clear how many buyouts will be offered, Poynter says. Iowa-based Lee Enterprises has also seen layoffs this month, including at the Tulsa World and the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Poynter and the St. Louis Business Journal reported. Lee was also in the news after a radio story on Floyd Press (Virginia) employee Ashley Spinks. Spinks said she was fired after the story, WCTF reports.
Hartford Courant to Move Printing
The Hartford Courant announced today that the paper is moving its printing to The Springfield Republican (Massachusetts). An undisclosed number of jobs will be lost, the paper said. Tribune Publishing owns the Hartford Courant. Advance Publications owns The Springfield Republican.
QIPC-EAE, Koenig & Bauer to Cooperate
Koenig & Bauer is expanding its service portfolio. In cooperation with Q.I. Press Controls (QIPC – EAE), Koenig & Bauer will be offering retrofits and technical service for presses with EAE controls or QI Optical measurement and control systems. “Our customers want one point of contact for all their needs. And we can now offer them this possibility. We have always enjoyed a very trustful relationship when working with QIPC-EAE in the past, and so this sales cooperation is the logical next step,” says Thomas Potzkai, head of service at Koenig & Bauer Digital & Webfed. The cooperation will initially cover Koenig & Bauer customers in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. “It is a win-win situation for everyone involved,” says Menno Jansen, chairman of QIPC-EAE.
“We are delighted that our cooperation with Koenig & Bauer has now become even closer.” The intention is to add further regions and printing presses from other manufacturers to the portfolio in the future. Koenig & Bauer established a partnership with S.E.M. Servicegesellschaft two years ago. Germany-based Koenig & Bauer is the oldest printing press manufacturer in the world.QIPC – EAE, with headquarters in Germany and the Netherlands, is the result of the acquisition of EAE by Q.I. Press Controls in 2014.
More news
• The Williston Observer (Vermont) has new owners. Paul and Marianne Apfelbaum have sold the paper to Susan and Rick Cote.
• The Binghamton University Foundation has bought a former newspaper printing plant in Johnson City, New York, for $4.5 million, the Binghamton Press & Sun-Bulletin reported.
• The Pilot (Southern Pines, North Carolina) is buying Walter, an arts and culture magazine covering Raleigh, from McClatchy.
• Southwest Journal (Minneapolis) says its final issue will be out Dec. 24. The publication blames COVID-19. The paper has been looking for a buyer for the Southwest Journal and its two magazines, Minnesota Parent and Minnesota Good Age.
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