Hi, friends. Welcome to the latest edition of Newley’s Notes.
🚨 Elections here in India, the world’s largest democracy, begin Thursday. They run in several stages through May 19.
I had several stories – some election-related, some not – out last week.
First, those related to elections.
📰 Online and on Monday’s WSJ front page:
Fake News Runs Wild on WhatsApp as India Elections Loom.
The lede:
In India, viral fake news is lighting up Facebook Inc.’s WhatsApp messaging app as the world’s biggest democracy prepares for national elections in the coming weeks.
Efforts by WhatsApp and the government to stop the spread of misinformation are having little effect, according to fact-checking groups and analysts.
Then two more:
- Facebook Removes Hundreds of Fake Accounts Ahead of India Elections
- WhatsApp Adds Tip Line to Fight Misinformation in India
Meanwhile, a couple of other stories I wrote with colleagues:
- Airbnb Takes Stake in Indian Hotel-Booking Startup Oyo
-
Singapore to Demand That Facebook, Twitter and Google Fix Fake News
Here are ten items worth your time this week:
📹 1) YouTube Executives Ignored Warnings, Letting Toxic Videos Run Rampant [Bloomberg]
“The company spent years chasing one business goal above others: ‘Engagement,’’ a measure of the views, time spent and interactions with online videos. Conversations with over twenty people who work at, or recently left, YouTube reveal a corporate leadership unable or unwilling to act on these internal alarms for fear of throttling engagement. ”
⚠ 2) Old, Online, And Fed On Lies: How An Aging Population Will Reshape The Internet [Buzzfeed News]
“Older people play an outsized role in civic life. They also are more likely to be online targets for misinformation and hyperpartisan rhetoric.”
👂 3) Amazon Is Making a Rival to Apple’s AirPods as Its First Alexa Wearable [Bloomberg]
“The Seattle-based e-commerce giant is readying earbuds with built-in Alexa access for as early as the second half of this year, according to people with knowledge of the plans.”
⭐ 4) The Most Hyped Technology of Every Year From 2000–2018 [Visual Capitalist]
“Today’s graphic is a retrospective look at which trends scaled the summit of the Hype Cycle each year since 2000.”
📚 5) They Had it Coming [The Atlantic]
“Thirty years ago, having tapped out of a Ph.D. program, I moved to Los Angeles (long story) and got hired at the top boys’ school in the city, which would soon become co-educational. For the first four years, I taught English. Best job I’ve ever had. For the next three, I was a college counselor. Worst job I’ve ever had.”
🔫 6) Reflections on The Sopranos [Econlib/Bryan Caplan]
“Here are the top social science insights I take away. (minor spoilers)”
🚢 7) Building the Largest Ship In the World, South Korea [Alastair Philip Wiper]
“Apart from a couple of guys finishing some last-minute paint jobs, I pretty much had the whole ship to myself. ”
🎤 8) A New Role for Madhur Jaffrey: Rap Grandma [NY Times]
“In the video, which debuted Monday online, the character describes herself as ‘85 years gold’ and ‘the best damn Nani that you ever done seen,’ among other assertions too colorful for this newspaper.”
⚾ 9) A dinosaur tried to throw the first pitch at a Rangers game, but it did not go well [MLB] (Thanks, PB)
“It’s hard to make a pitch when you have tiny arms.”
🐶 10) Say Hi to the people [Reddit] (Thanks, Anasuya)
💡 Quote of the week:
"The meaning of life is to give life meaning.” – Viktor Frankl
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👊 Fist bump from New Delhi,
Newley