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The happy advertising people are always gracious. Never the Mad Men stereotype; so last century. They have suffered. With the clients - the brands - all agitated about appearances and placement opportunities reduced to bot-powered nuisances, not to forget irritable private equity investors, these keepers of the commercial flame rarely speak out in anger. There’s no money in it.
Ahead of the famous Cannes Lions advertising festival, in recent years not roaring, the ad world has already given a loud shout-out to a new-found supporter. Netflix co-chief executive Ted Sarandos is to be honored as Entertainment Person of the Year. The global streaming video giant will be a Cannes Lions participant for the first time ever. Perhaps by coincidence (winkie blinkie) Netflix is opening a special advertising-powered user tier. (See more about streaming media here)
Mr. Sarandos is “a leading creative force who has developed a body of truly compelling content at Netflix, transforming the creative landscape over the last decade,” said Cannes Lions chairperson Philip Thomas, quoted by Hollywood Reporter (June 9). Any friend of advertising is a friend of theirs. Amazon, which has given us Amazon Prime Video, will also be a first-timer at Cannes. They are sponsoring a port, as in place to park the yacht. TikTok and Roku will be there, too. “The yachts are back,” proclaimed Ad Age (June 8).
Mr. Sarandos will be presented the award during a live event (June 23) hosted by New York Times media/tech writer Kara Swisher and MediaLink chief executive Michael Kassan. Cannes Lions took a Covid-19 break after the 2019 ad fest, during which long-time "Saturday Night Live" (NBC) producer Lorne Michaels received the first Entertainment Person of the Year Award. Despite its contribution to the film and TV world, Netflix dropped participation in the unrelated Cannes Film Festival over rules favoring French theater operators.
Results of recent parliamentary elections in Slovenia were generally seen as bad news for Hungarian prime minister Viktor Orban’s ambitions of engaging wider geographic impact for his brand of “illiberalism.” Right wing populist prime minister Janez Jansa was sent packing, replaced by a left-leaning coalition led by Robert Golob. The Slovenian Democratic Party (SDS) conceded after a record-breaking 70% voter turnout.
The day election results were announced (May 25), publisher Nova Obzorja found a new principal owner as Peter Schatz, proxy for Hungarian interests, withdrew in favor of TV broadcaster NovaTV24 SI. Nova Obzorja publishes weekly Demokracija and online tabloid Škandal24. As usual in the Balkans - as well as in Hungary - details are rather opaque. NovaTV24 SI is principally owned by Hungarian companies, including publisher Ridikul, involved in spreading the media influence of the Fidesz political party of PM Orban. Smaller shareholders are leading SDS members. Slovenian news portal Necenzurirano (June 1) suggested the long term plan is withdrawal by SDS and Hungarian backers from their Slovenian media holdings. Interesting questions were also raised about financial arrangements for the separation. (See more about media in Slovenia here) (See more about elections and media here)
The ownership change, so far, has been slightly reflected in the Demokracija editorial line. However, director and editor-in-chief Joze Biscak abruptly resigned “for health reasons.” This week (June 9) it argued on the front page that the Jansa government, supported by Mr. Orban, had only tried to find "political balance in all segments of society” but voters bought into a "demagogic buzz about Jansa introducing a dictatorship and taking Slovenia in the direction of Orban's Hungary,” reported STA (June 9). All this takes place as new PM Golob announced “a parliamentary inquiry into the financing of party media, especially from Hungary.”
The Italian Foreign Ministry summoned Russian Federation ambassador to Italy Sergey Razov Monday (June 6) to a dressing down over a rant about alleged anti-Russian propaganda. The Italian Foreign Ministry was miffed - probably remaining so - at a statement from the Russian Foreign Affairs Ministry, on Facebook no less, about “a campaign against Russian culture and its representatives” in Italian media. The statement also questioned the “morality of (Italian) politicians.” The day before Italian Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio reiterated that Italian media is "saying what happens, that Russia has used over 2,000 missiles against Ukraine, that 200 children have died.”
Faced with Italian Foreign Ministry secretary general Ettore Sequi, Ambassador Razov, according to Corriere della Sera (June 7), was out of his depth, unable to explain the various statements from the Moscow office. Ambassador Sequi bore down on “extreme declarations, serious words, unacceptable slanderous expressions by a diplomat.” Later on Monday (June 6), in a diplomatic note to his Italian counterparts, Ambassador Razov expressed, however slightly, a bit more calm. In the view of Italian diplomatic observers, Ambassador Razov does not want to be expelled from Italy. (See more about media in Italy here) (See more about disinformation here)
Italian news media - some, at least - have gone ballistic over the coziness of certain colleagues with Russian figures. Coinciding with the diplomatic row, on a Sunday (June 5) La7 talk show, center-right newspaper Libero director Alessandro Sallusti called out showhost Massimo Giletti, huddled with Russian Foreign Affairs Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova and notorious Russian TV ranter Vladimir Solovyov in Moscow’s Red Square, for “making propaganda.” The TV moment was hot. “I imagined you were going to speak with Putin or a top official and you were going to make us proud of our free press. Instead… I find myself witnessing total servilism to the worst possible kind of propaganda.” Then he exited.
Much has been written in recent memory about the fraught relationships between news outlets and social media. Not all that long ago, publishers lobbied lawmakers to claim payments from portals allowing their brilliant content to be shared, leading some portals to cut them off, creating a perfect illustration of unintended consequences. Of course, a reliable study must exist somewhere about the inverse correlation between shortened or distorted memory and social media usage.
At the first of June, just a week ago, Norwegian public broadcaster NRK discontinued Facebook pages for its news channels. With typical Norwegian bluntness came the broadcaster’s rationale a few weeks ago. “Audience dialogue is too important for us to leave it to algorithms from Palo Alto,” said NRK Nyheter (news) executive editor Espen Olsen Langfeldt, quoted by Morganbladet (May 22). "We see that the public conversation created through Facebook has limited value. One can ask questions about what the comment fields bring to Norwegian society of positive values.” (See more about media in Norway here)
A lively debate ensued within the Norwegian media sphere - and elsewhere - largely centering on media diversity, the value of public discourse and, of course, those comment fields. Some took shots at NRK. “The best political commentators on Facebook are many notches ahead of the often shallow perspectives served up by the dinosaur NRK,” said commentator Simen Sandlien for advertising portal Kampanje (May 22). Few others agree. The advertising people have a special relationship with social media. (See more about social media here)
The NRK Nyheter Facebook page was the biggest from a news organization in Norway, about 500,000 daily page views. Some news items appear on the standard NRK Facebook page, which still exists. Then, too, NRK continues to share material on Snapchat and Instagram. “We will see what the change entails,” continued Mr. Olsen Langfeldt. “But the idea is that we want our own, editorial management of our product. And then Facebook is not optimal.”
An Australian Senate committee, led by the right-wing Liberal Party, officially closed its inquiry last week into public broadcasters ABC and SBS, reported Australian Associated Press (June 2). The inquiry into complaints process had been suspended last November after an independent review was organized. In Parliamentary elections in May, the Liberal-led Coalition “suffered a “staggering loss,” reported the Financial Times (May 25). Center-left Labor Party leader Anthony Albanese replaced Scott Morrison as prime minister.
"As a result of the ABC board adopting all of the review recommendations, and in particular the board agreeing to the establishment of an ABC ombudsman appointed by, and reporting to, the board, the committee has decided not to proceed with its inquiry,” wrote Liberal senator Andrew Bragg, chairperson of the environment and communications legislation committee. Several weeks before the elections, funding increases were approved for both the ABC and multicultural SBS. Previous Liberal coalition governments consistently cut funding for the public broadcasters. (See more about media in Australia here) (See more about public broadcasting here)
The now-terminated Senate inquiry into complaints processing by the ABC and SBS kicked off last year. Senator Bragg listed “a litany” of unhappy folks, including former Sydney Morning Herald editor Milton Cockburn moaning about a documentary and News Corp howling about a rather uncomplimentary news feature on ABC about Fox News’ conduct during the 2020 US Presidential elections. In general, the Liberal Coalition has led “a forever war” against the public broadcasters due to unsubstantiated claims of bias, noted The Conversation (November 16, 2021).
Several media organizations have recently placed restrictions on employes’ use of social media. The reasoning varies with circumstances. Journalists, obviously, use social media to communicate and sift for news leads. Generally, people just like to share pet stories. A few like to blow off steam.
Last week a private social media posting claimed another victim, at least temporarily. Public broadcaster ORF online subsidiary ORF Digital managing director Karl Pachner was indefinitely suspended at his own request, said an ORF statement (June 2). "ORF once again expressly distances itself from this private posting, which has since been deleted and for which Karl Pachner has apologized. The ORF states that the post was a private expression of an employee's opinion on his personal Facebook page, which of course has no connection with the editorial reporting of the independent and independent editors of the ORF.” (See more about social media here)
That Facebook posting, now deleted, said, in a matter of course, that “it would be fair for Viktor Orban to have a heart attack.” Notorious nationalist xenophobe Mr. Orban is Hungary’s prime minister. Herr Pachner apologized for "unintentional and misunderstood wording” in the digital outburst caused by distress over Hungarian resistance to EU sanctions on the Russian Federation. "Of course, I do not wish Orban dead, despite the way some people interpreted my sarcastic text,” noted Hungarian independent news portal Telex ( June 3). “In fact, I do not wish for anyone's death, which is why I am so unhappy about what is happening in Ukraine at the moment, and which has led me to this emotive, reprehensible and unintentional wording. I am very sorry that I posted this."
Right-wing Austrian newspapers, long at war with the ORF, took pains to repeat talking points from right-wing populist Freedom Party of Austria (FPÖ). Kronen Zeitung (June 3) suggested Herr Pachner be terminated. More centrist outlets merely yawned. Center-left Weiner Zeitung ignored the story completely. (See more about media in Austria here)
On cue, Hungarian government luminaries instantly took affront. The Austrian ambassador to Hungary was “summoned.” Chief government spokesperson Zoltan Kovacs said Herr Pachner’s “departure from public life is a moral minimum.” Hungarian government authorities see everything in their own image. Hungarian state broadcaster is fully loyal to prime minister Orban, just as Russian state broadcasting steadfastly adheres to the visions of Vladimir V. Putin.
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