New Zealand’s government will move forward with a bill requiring digital platforms to compensate media companies for news content. The legislation, mirroring Australia’s digital bargaining law, aims to support local media struggling against tech giants for advertising revenue.
Ken Doctor, a former newspaper business consultant, is launching a new digital news site in Eugene-Springfield in late 2024 or early 2025. The site, called Lookout Eugene-Springfield, will have a staff of 20, including 15 journalists. It has raised $2.5 million from Eugene-area foundations and families and plans to raise another $1.5 million. The largest donor is the Tykeson Charitable Family Trust, which pledged $1 million as a challenge grant. Doctor believes that a well-managed news operation offering quality watchdog journalism can succeed in the era of smart phones and social media.
A recently released photo of Prince Louis for his 6th birthday sparked conspiracy theories on social media, with users claiming it was actually from 2022. However, evidence suggests this is not the case. The image comparison that fueled the speculation can be attributed to a technical anomaly. A video featuring Louis’ best moments from 2022 was reused in a 2024 birthday article, with the cover image updated to the latest photo. Further examination using the Wayback Machine confirmed that the Louis photograph in question was not published in 2022. Additionally, the argument about missing teeth supports the notion that both photos are recent, as Prince Louis’ bottom teeth were present in April 2022.
