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☆ Rupert Murdoch’s news outlets sue Perplexity AI for allegedly engaging in ‘massive freeriding’
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-21 | by ( Liam Reilly | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

New York CNN —Rupert Murdoch’s Dow Jones, the parent company of the Wall Street Journal, and the New York Post sued Perplexity on Monday, accusing the generative AI company of illegally scraping its reporting and diverting traffic to its own platforms. The News Corp-owned companies accused Perplexity of training its so-called answer machine with copyrighted material, using scraped human-created news content to generate responses to users’ questions, allowing them to circumvent the publishers’ websites. “Perplexity proudly states that users can ‘skip the links’ — apparently, Perplexity wants to skip the check.”A Perplexity spokesperson did not immediately respond to a CNN request for comment. Earlier this year, News Corp inked a massive deal with ChatGPT creator OpenAI, licensing its news content in an agreement reported to be worth more than $250 million. The Times also sued OpenAI last year for copyright infringement, accusing the company of using its reporting to train its chatbots without permission, claiming billions of dollars in damages.

Persons: Rupert Murdoch’s Dow Jones, Perplexity, Robert Thomson, ” Thomson, “ Perplexity, —, OpenAI, Thomson, Sam Altman, “, ” Organizations: New, New York CNN, Wall Street Journal, New York Post, News Corp, CNN, Corp, Artificial Intelligence, New York Times, Times Locations: New York

☆ Opinion | No Turkish Delight for New York’s Mayor
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-28 | by ( Maureen Dowd | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Cindy Adams, The New York Post gossip G.O.A.T., feted her 94th birthday at her rococo Park Avenue apartment in April. I was mesmerized looking around at an amazing web of scheming New York power brokers. A spidery crop of tabloid Gotham villains uneasily circling one another and eating animal crackers and ice cream in the red-lacquered, Ming dynasty’d-out lair of the tabloid queen. Bill O’Reilly was there with an assistant who was handing out cards awarding a free subscription to his substack. Nearby was Robert Thomson, the top lieutenant and best friend of Rupert Murdoch, the mogul who fired O’Reilly for sexual misconduct at Fox News.

Persons: Cindy Adams, you’re, Joey Adams, Roy Cohn’s louche, dynasty’d, Woody, Yi, Bill O’Reilly, Robert Thomson, Rupert Murdoch Organizations: The New, The New York Post, Gotham, Fox News Locations: The New York, New York

☆ Champagne and cheers: The Wall Street Journal fought for Evan Gershkovich’s release for 16 months. It finally paid off
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-01 | by ( Oliver Darcy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

When official word made its way to The Wall Street Journal newsroom that Evan Gershkovich had been released from Russian custody Thursday, unadulterated elation washed over the journalists who had taken part in a 16-month-long pressure campaign to seek his freedom. Meanwhile, The Journal labored behind the scenes with President Joe Biden and his administration on efforts to secure Gershkovich’s release. The Wall Street Journal editor-in-chief Emma Tucker reacts to the news of Evan Gershkovich’s release. Chase Gaewski/The Wall Street JournalRobert Thomson, chief executive of News Corporation, which owns The Journal, offered his “sincere gratitude” to the U.S. government for its efforts. “Unfortunately, many journalists remain unjustly imprisoned in Russia and around the world.”Throughout it all, Gershkovich never lost his spirit as a journalist.

Persons: Evan Gershkovich, “, ” Emma Tucker, Gershkovich, Vladimir Putin’s, Alexey Navalny, Alsu Kurmasheva, Gershkovich’s, Joe Biden, Emma Tucker, Evan Gershkovich’s, Chase Gaewski, Robert Thomson, Thomson, Rupert, Lachlan Murdoch, ”, Tucker, Biden, Evan, Almar Latour, Putin Organizations: CNN, Wall Street Journal, New York, American Radio Free, Radio Liberty, U.S, Street, News Corporation Locations: York, Russian, Yekaterinburg, Moscow, Russia, American Radio Free Europe, Gershkovich

☆ News Corp. and OpenAI strike 'multi-year global partnership' deal to use journalistic content to improve ChatGPT
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-22 | by ( Hayden Field | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

on Wednesday announced a "multi-year global partnership" that will allow OpenAI to access current and archived articles from News Corp.'s outlets, including The Wall Street Journal, MarketWatch, Barron's, The New York Post and more. As part of the deal, OpenAI will be able to display content from News Corp.-owned outlets within its ChatGPT chatbot, in response to user questions. The news follows Reddit's announcement on Thursday that it will partner with OpenAI, allowing the ChatGPT maker to train its AI models on Reddit content. As part of that deal, OpenAI will gain access to Reddit's Data application programming interface, or API, "which provides real-time, structured, and unique content from Reddit," according to a release. Google announced a similar partnership with Reddit in February, allowing the company to train its AI models, such as Gemini, on Reddit content via access to the platform's API.

Persons: Sam Altman, Robert Thomson, OpenAI, Reddit, Mira Murati, Murati Organizations: Economic, News Corp, Wednesday, Street, The New York Post, News, Google, Reddit Locations: Davos, Switzerland, OpenAI, The, OpenAI's

☆ OpenAI Strikes a Deal to License News Corp Content
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-22 | by ( Katie Robertson | More About Katie Robertson | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

News Corp, the Murdoch-owned empire of publications like The Wall Street Journal and The New York Post, announced on Wednesday that it had agreed to a deal with OpenAI to share its content to train and service artificial intelligence chatbots. News Corp said the multiyear agreement would allow OpenAI to use current and archived news content from News Corp’s major news outlets, including brands in the United States, United Kingdom and Australia as well as MarketWatch and Barron’s. The agreement does not include content from News Corp’s other businesses, such as its digital real estate services or HarperCollins. The Wall Street Journal reported the agreement could be worth as much as $250 million over five years, citing unnamed sources. A News Corp spokesman declined to comment on the reporting.

Persons: Murdoch, OpenAI, “, ” Robert Thomson, Sam Altman, ”, ” Mr, Altman Organizations: Corp, Street, The New, The New York Post, . News Corp, HarperCollins, News Corp, Street Journal Locations: The New York, United States, United Kingdom, Australia

☆ Breakingviews: Rupert Murdoch will redefine chair emeritus
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-21 | by ( Jennifer Saba | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

NEW YORK, Sept 21 (Reuters Breakingviews) - Rupert Murdoch is tiptoeing slowly out the door. The decision at least solidifies succession plans, but there can be little doubt that his chairman emeritus title will be more than just a retirement honorific. He has been sharing the chairman’s job with his son, Lachlan, who will take the seat himself and keep his chief executive position at Fox. Follow @jennifersaba on XCONTEXT NEWSRupert Murdoch is stepping down as co-chair of media companies Fox and News Corp and his son, Lachlan, will become sole chair, the companies said on Sept. 21. Rupert will be chair emeritus of both Fox and News Corp.

Persons: Rupert Murdoch, tiptoeing, Murdoch, Lachlan, James, Walt Disney, Robert Thomson, ”, Rupert, Jeffrey Goldfarb, Sharon Lam, Aditya Sriwatsav Organizations: Reuters, Fox, News Corp, Fox News, Wall Street, Walt, Disney, Communications, . News Corp, Thomson

The News Corporation logo is displayed on the side of a building in midtown Manhattan in New York, U.S., February 27, 2018. "What you will see over time is a lot of litigation; some media companies have already begun those discussions," said News Corp Chief Executive Robert Thomson, speaking at the Goldman Sachs Communacopia + Technology Conference. It's unclear whether more publishers will ultimately strike deals with the tech companies or pursue litigation related to the use of that content. The Associated Press struck a deal in July, licensing a part its archive of news stories to ChatGPT-owner OpenAI. Reporting by Zaheer Kachwala in Bengaluru; Editing by Pooja Desai and Aurora EllisOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Lucas Jackson, Robert Thomson, Goldman Sachs, we're, Bard, ChatGPT, OpenAI, Zaheer Kachwala, Pooja Desai, Aurora Ellis Organizations: REUTERS, News Corp, News, Technology, Publishers, Sunday Times, Wall Street, OpenAI, Associated Press, Thomson Locations: Manhattan, New York, U.S, Bengaluru

☆ News Corp beats profit estimates on cost cuts, touts AI boost to future sales
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Aug 10 (Reuters) - Rupert Murdoch's News Corp (NWSA.O) on Thursday beat quarterly profit estimates thanks to its cost-cutting efforts and talked up how generative artificial intelligence will support future results. For the first time, digital revenue accounted for over half of the company's total revenue for the full year, News Corp said. Higher digital subscription revenue in its fiscal fourth quarter helped News Corp absorb the impact of a 11.5% decline in advertising revenue. Revenue in its professional information business, which includes data and analytics platforms such as Oil Price Information Service, rose 10%. Excluding items, News Corp earned 14 cents per share, beating estimates of 8 cents, according to Refinitiv data.

Persons: Rupert, Robert Thomson, OpenAI, Thomson, Chavi Mehta, Dawn Chmielewski, Anil D'Silva, Stephen Coates Organizations: Rupert Murdoch's News Corp, News Corp, Sunday Times, Wall Street, Associated Press, Corp, Revenue, Price Information Service, New York Times Co, Fox Corp, Thomson Locations: Bengaluru, Dawn, Los Angeles

☆ Prince Harry fights for trial in hacking case against Murdoch's UK group
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-05 | by ( Sam Tobin | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

LONDON, July 5 (Reuters) - Prince Harry on Wednesday fought to take his phone-hacking lawsuit against Rupert Murdoch's UK newspaper arm to trial, asking London's High Court to let him rely on an alleged "secret agreement" between Britain's royal family and the publisher. David Sherborne, representing Harry, argued there was clear evidence of an agreement between NGN and the royal family, which meant Harry was unable to bring his lawsuit earlier. Harry also said his attempts to progress his case against NGN, with the backing of the late Queen Elizabeth, were stonewalled by NGN and royal aides. Sherborne argued in court filings on Wednesday that NGN had not provided any evidence from Brooks and Thomson "despite their evidence having been identified as critical". He became the first senior British royal to appear in a witness box for more than 130 years when he gave evidence in his MGN lawsuit last month.

Persons: Prince Harry, Rupert Murdoch's, London's, Harry, King Charles, NGN, Harry's, NGN's, Hugh Grant, David Sherborne, Prince William's, William, Queen Elizabeth, Rebekah Brooks, Robert Thomson, Sherborne, Brooks, Thomson, Sam Tobin, Devika Organizations: Wednesday, Murdoch's News Group, Sun, Buckingham Palace, NGN, Royal, News, News Corp, British, Mirror Group, Thomson Locations: Buckingham, British, NGN, Buckingham Palace

Digital Content Next shared the principles with its board and relevant committees Monday. Digital Content Next's "Principles for Development and Governance of Generative AI": Developers and deployers of GAI must respect creators' rights to their content. The urgency behind building a system of rules and standards for generative AI is intense, said Jason Kint, CEO of Digital Content Next. How generative AI will unfold in the coming months and years is dominating media conversation, said Axios CEO Jim VandeHei. "Even with AI tools or generative AI models that work in text like ChatGPT, it doesn't change the fact we're already doing this work," said Looft.

Persons: Andrew Burton, Robert Frost, Vincent Van Gogh, Google's Bard, GAI, Jason Kint, I've, Kint, We've, Jim VandeHei, VandeHei, Barry Diller, Robert Thomson, Thomson, Diller, Chris Berend, Pope Francis, Chris Looft, Berend Organizations: New York Times, Getty, NBC, The Washington Post, Street, News Corp, Development, ., A.I, Digital, Facebook, Nasdaq, Market, Big Tech, International News Media, News Media, NBC News Group, Pentagon, Bloomberg, Axios Technology, Google, Disney, ABC, NBC News, CNBC Locations: New York City, New York, Washington ,

☆ Palace email says queen knew Murdoch's UK group spied on her family
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-27 | by ( Sam Tobin | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Clive Goodman, the News of the World's then royal reporter, was jailed in 2007 for illegally intercepting royal household phone messages. Harry, estranged from his father King Charles, says he did not bring a lawsuit earlier because of a "secret agreement" between Buckingham Palace and Murdoch's executives to protect the royal family from embarrassment. News Group denies any such agreement, while the palace has not commented. Osman told Brooks in a separate 2018 email that there was an "institutional appetite" within the royal family to resolve Harry’s phone-hacking case. Harry, who now lives in California with his family, was not in court, but is following the proceedings by video link.

LONDON, April 26 (Reuters) - Prince Harry is not criticising his grandmother, the late Queen Elizabeth, or Britain's royal family over a "secret agreement" with Rupert Murdoch's UK newspaper arm, his lawyer told London's High Court on Wednesday. His lawyer David Sherborne told the court on Wednesday that Harry did not bring his lawsuit previously because of the agreement with NGN, which denies its existence. Sherborne said Harry was "told more" about phone hacking in 2012, when Harry says in his witness statement that he was told his voicemails had been intercepted, "but that was essentially dealt with by his family ... and their solicitor". "This is no criticism of the queen or his family," Sherborne said. Harry, who now lives in California with his family, was not in court, but watched proceedings by video link, Sherborne said.

☆ A tally of the times Rupert Murdoch, Sean Hannity, and Laura Ingraham privately trashed Rudy Giuliani in the wake of the 2020 election even as Fox News continued to have him on their shows
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-28 | by ( Kelsey Vlamis | Jacob Shamsian | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Dominion's lawsuit revealed comments Fox News hosts and execs made about Rudy Giuliani in 2020. Dominion is suing Fox for defamation related to unfounded election fraud claims about the company. Rupert MurdochRupert Murdoch, the founder and chairman of Fox News, made several claims disparaging Giuliani and doubting the veracity of his claims. Drew Angerer/Getty ImagesSean HannityOn November 11, 2020, Fox News host Sean Hannity said, "Rudy is acting like an insane person," according to the court documents. Laura IngrahamOn January 12, 2021, Fox News Host Laura Ingraham said, "Rudy is such an idiot," the documents said.

☆ Rupert Murdoch's News Corp is cutting 1,250 jobs
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-10 | by ( ) edition.cnn.com time to read: 1 min

News Corp said Thursday that it would cut 5% of its workforce, or 1,250 jobs, after the media conglomerate fell short of quarterly Wall Street estimates for profit and revenue, hurt by declines across its businesses, including news. The company also said it incurred $6 million in one-time costs associated with its plans to merge with Fox Corp , which Rupert Murdoch , News Corp executive chairman and Fox co-chairman, scrapped in January. News Corp NWS A slump in advertising spending by businesses hit by rising inflation and higher interest rates has dented one of the major sources of revenue for companies such as, which publishes the Wall Street Journal. "A surge in interest rates and acute inflation had a tangible impact on all of our businesses," Chief Executive Robert Thomson said in a statement. Shares of the company were down nearly 3% in extended trading Thursday.

The company also said it incurred $6 million in one-time costs associated with its plans to merge with Fox Corp (FOXA.O), which News Corp Executive Chairman and Fox Co-Chairman Rupert Murdoch scrapped in January. To combat the slowdown, Thomson said there were a number of initiatives underway, including the job cuts. The layoffs will be made across all businesses and result in savings of at least $130 million on an annualized basis. Advertising revenue in the second quarter fell 10.6% to $464 million during the quarter. Revenue was $2.52 billion in the second quarter ended Dec. 31, while analysts on average expected $2.55 billion, according to Refinitiv data.

☆ News Corp announces job cuts, misses estimates for earnings
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Feb 9 (Reuters) - Media conglomerate News Corp (NWSA.O) said on Thursday that it would cut 1,250 jobs after it missed estimates for second-quarter earnings due to weakness in its news and digital real estate businesses. "A surge in interest rates and acute inflation had a tangible impact on all of our businesses," Chief Executive Robert Thomson said in a statement. Advertising revenue fell 10.6% to $464 million during the quarter. Revenue was $2.52 billion in the second quarter ended Dec. 31, while analysts on average expected $2.55 billion, according to Refinitiv data. Reporting by Chavi Mehta in Bengaluru; Editing by Anil D'SilvaOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ News Corp. announces it will cut 1,250 positions this year
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-09 | by ( Lillian Rizzo | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

News Corp . said Thursday it will cut about 1,250 positions, or 5% of its workforce, in the latest round of layoffs that have hit the media and tech industries in recent months. Rupert Murdoch's media company, which owns such names as The Wall Street Journal, the New York Post, Barron's and HarperCollins, said the tough marcoeconomic environment and higher interest rates have been hurting the company. On Thursday the company reported earnings results and said its quarterly revenue decreased 7% to $2.52 billion from the year-earlier period. Thomson noted that despite "the obvious global challenges," its professional information business at Dow Jones, the publisher of the Journal, saw revenue surge. Quarterly revenue for the overall Dow Jones segment rose 11% from the year-earlier period.

Three sources familiar with the matter said News Corp was in talks to sell its stake in Move to CoStar for about $3 billion. The deal would have recombined the media empire Murdoch split nearly a decade ago. No offer was exchanged between News Corp and Fox Corp before merger deliberations were abandoned, according to sources familiar with the process, who said pushback from News Corp shareholders played a role in those plans being scrapped. News Corp currently has a market capitalization of about $11 billion, while Fox is valued at a shade over $17 billion. Rupert Murdoch and his family trust control about 40% of News Corp and Fox.

Jan 24 (Reuters) - Rupert Murdoch reversed course on Tuesday and withdrew a proposal to re-unite News Corp (NWSA.O) and Fox Corp as the company is also exploring a sale of its stake in Move Inc., which operates the Realtor.com website, according to a regulatory filing and sources familiar with the process. Several top shareholders had publicly said they opposed the proposed plan, and on Tuesday News Corp said in a statement that the combination was "not optimal for shareholders of News Corp and Fox at this time." The deal would have reunited the media empire Murdoch split nearly a decade ago. No offer was exchanged between News Corp and Fox Corp before merger deliberations were abandoned, according to sources familiar with the process, who said pushback from News Corp shareholders played a role in those plans being scrapped. "Looking ahead, News Corp has an opportunity to create substantial value for its owners."

☆ In leaked memo one day after Dow Jones layoffs, News Corp CEO urges 'full compliance' with back-to-office schedule for Wall Street Journal, New York Post staffers
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-12 | by ( Claire Atkinson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

News Corp CEO Robert Thomson sends staff memo about the importance of in-person collaboration. The news comes a day after layoffs at News Corp unit Dow Jones that affected less than 2% of staff. The CEO flagged that he'd be asking business leads to consult with managers to "ensure full compliance with in-office work schedules," which "will evolve in the coming weeks," he wrote. The Wall Street Journal's in-office staffing situation in New York is currently being monitored by the company, according to two sources. The spontaneity and serendipity of a dynamic office environment are crucial in creating and in iterating, so in-office attendance is vital to our future success.

Dec 12 (Reuters) - News Corp (NWSA.O) named Sunday Times editor Emma Tucker the new editor of the Wall Street Journal and Dow Jones Newswires on Monday. In his new role, Murray will take on “several critical growth projects supporting News Corp,” the company said. That vision appears to align with that of the Journal's publisher and Dow Jones chief executive, Almar Latour, who is credited with leading the digital transformation of the publication, which now boasts more than 3 million digital subscribers. “Emma is a brilliant, inspiring editor, with digital nous and the highest standards of integrity,” Thomson said in a statement on Monday. “She has been a thoughtful custodian of The Sunday Times and will bring verve and virtue to Dow Jones.

☆ Emma Tucker Named New Editor of The Wall Street Journal, Succeeding Matt Murray
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-12 | by ( Jeffrey A. Trachtenberg | Alexandra Bruell | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

U.K. journalist Emma Tucker next year will succeed Matt Murray as the editor in chief of The Wall Street Journal. News Corp named veteran U.K. journalist Emma Tucker as the next editor in chief of The Wall Street Journal, succeeding Matt Murray , who oversaw significant digital growth and guided the news organization through the Covid-19 pandemic. Ms. Tucker, 56 years old, will assume her new position on Feb. 1, the company said Monday. Mr. Murray, also 56, will work with Ms. Tucker during a transition period until March 1. He will then continue in a senior position at News Corp, where he will work on new projects and report to Chief Executive Robert Thomson .

☆ Emma Tucker Is Named New Editor of The Wall Street Journal, Succeeding Matt Murray
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-12 | by ( Jeffrey A. Trachtenberg | Alexandra Bruell | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

☆ Emma Tucker has been named editor-in-chief of The Wall Street Journal in a Murdoch editorial shakeup
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-12 | by ( Steven Perlberg | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Tucker will join The Wall Street Journal from The Sunday Times, another Murdoch-operated newspaper. Journal editor Matt Murray is staying on at a senior role within News Corp, the company said. Rumors have been swirling for weeks about the potential change, Insider previously reported. Emma Tucker, previously the editor of The Sunday Times, will replace Editor-in-Chief Matt Murray, a Journal veteran who has served atop the Rupert Murdoch-owned paper since 2018. "Her global vision and experience will be particularly important at a time of immense international opportunity for The Wall Street Journal.

☆ Lachlan Murdoch biographer breaks down his relationship with father Rupert Murdoch and why a merger of Fox and News Corp is about 'entrenching Lachlan's control'
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-30 | by ( Claire Atkinson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +10 min

A new unauthorized biography of Lachlan Murdoch explores his business profile and family relationships. Its author, Paddy Manning, speculates about who might exit if Rupert Murdoch's Fox Corp and News Corp recombine. Rupert Murdoch remains executive chairman of News Corp and chairman of Fox. Lachlan Murdoch was named Fox's CEO, and James Murdoch, after four years as CEO of 21st Century Fox, was left to carve his own path. If you're looking longer-term about who's going to run the company beyond the merger, if it happens, [News Corp CEO] Robert Thomson is probably retiring.

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