Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Alex Mahadevan @alexmahadevan.com · 1d

Really makes u think

Alex Mahadevan @alexmahadevan.com · 1d

If anything signals that we are truly watching the U.S. crumbling in real time, it’s an AI video of MLK promoting crypto on a fully AI slop platform. Fake, dying empire

1

Reposted by Alex Mahadevan

Felix M. Simon @felixsimon.bsky.social · 1d

No time to read the long version of our new @reutersinstitute.bsky.social research on use & views around GenAI, information, and news in 6 countries? Then read the summary, just out with @niemanlab.org.

www.niemanlab.org/2025/10/peop...

People are using ChatGPT twice as much as they were last year. They’re still just as skeptical of AI in news.

"For news organizations, our findings are in some ways bitter medicine."

www.niemanlab.org

1 11 13

Alex Mahadevan @alexmahadevan.com · 1d

The Free Press paying to promote the dumbest hot takes imaginable on Reddit lol

Alex Mahadevan @alexmahadevan.com · 1d

lol

Orgrim Doomscroller, City of Criminals resident @californiascroll.bsky.social · 2d

Please welcome CBS News Deputy Editor-in-Chief Bill Belichick

1

Alex Mahadevan @alexmahadevan.com · 3d

Seeing all the Bob Ross videos on Sora 2 is particularly revolting when you know about the war over his likeness after his death, and what his family went though

Reposted by Alex Mahadevan

the Mountain Goats @themountaingoats.bsky.social · 3d

GOOD MORNING TWO NEW MOUNTAIN GOATS SONGS ONE WHERE ME AND PETER BALKAN AND ADAM START CALCULATING HOW TO SURVIVE AFTER A SHIPWRECK & ONE WHERE ADAM EXITS STAGE LEFT NEVER TO BE SEEN AGAIN

30tgrs.ffm.to/coldatnight-...

The Mountain Goats - Cold at Night / Rocks in My Pockets

Choose your preferred music service

30tgrs.ffm.to

17 64 450

Alex Mahadevan @alexmahadevan.com · 7d

I’m sure @murderxbryan.bsky.social has some insight on this type of review guy

1

Alex Mahadevan @alexmahadevan.com · 7d

My experience with Tyler Cowen is from Econ grad school, when every smart professor would roll their eyes at every insane new blog he released. OG rage baiter and Econ oversimplifier

1

Alex Mahadevan @alexmahadevan.com · 8d

a man in a suit is sitting in a chair with a book in front of him and the website sharktankgifts.com is visible

ALT: a man in a suit is sitting in a chair with a book in front of him and the website sharktankgifts.com is visible

media.tenor.com

2

Alex Mahadevan @alexmahadevan.com · 8d

🫡🫡🫡🫡

Tim Onion @bencollins.bsky.social · 8d

Apparently the new AI thingy everyone likes is stealing Norm Macdonald's likeness and that got my panties in the ol' twist. Poynter's @alexmahadevan.com asked me about it.

www.poynter.org/tech-tools/2...

Comedian Norm Macdonald died in 2021. But, on OpenAI’s new generative AI social media platform, he’s releasing new material about China, artificial intelligence taking jobs and his drinking (he said he didn’t drink).

“It certainly continues to revolutionize hackery,” said Ben Collins, CEO of The Onion, about Sora 2. “Also Norm would f—— hate this. Imagine AI trying to do the moth joke. Imagine how f—— awful that would be. How does a bot come to understand, let alone bottle, the kind of social tension built into that bit?”

3

Alex Mahadevan @alexmahadevan.com · 8d

AP style, my friend

1 2

Alex Mahadevan @alexmahadevan.com · 8d

High praise from the TRUE master of all this

Alexios Mantzarlis @mantzarlis.com · 8d

Good stuff from @alexmahadevan.com

My journey into the artificial world of Sora 2 - Poynter

OpenAI’s new social media platform is filled with AI slop and people scamming for likes

www.poynter.org

1

Reposted by Alex Mahadevan

Alexios Mantzarlis @mantzarlis.com · 8d

New on @indicator.media: Almost all major platforms have promised to label AI content on their services, but it can be hard to keep track of who said they do what and how.

I collected information for 8 different platforms in one nifty table, that we will keep updating.

The Indicator Guide to AI labels

We’ve collected in one place how and when major platforms label AI content

indicator.media

2 10 17

Alex Mahadevan @alexmahadevan.com · 9d

What’s Sora 2 like, you ask? Well, got to see SpongeBob as Hitler

1 1

Reposted by Alex Mahadevan

Dave Jorgenson @davejorgenson.bsky.social · 11d

“But they’re all criminals for coming here illegally.”

Being undocumented in the United States is a civil infraction. If someone is undocumented, without having committed any other crimes, they’re not a criminal.

Here's important facts to combat ICE talking points:
lni.media/p/how-to-tal...

How to talk to your neighbor about ICE

Uncover the conversation around ICE, federal workers, and social media commentary with Dave Jorgenson's provocative take on controversial recruitment tactics and viral content.

lni.media

6 69 300

Reposted by Alex Mahadevan

Dave Jorgenson @davejorgenson.bsky.social · 17d

doing news videos is really a catch-22:

if you are good at it, top brass think it's easy and try to replicate cheaply it without your help (i.e. WP never once asked for my help with Ventures)

if you're bad at it, or it's not working, they shut all of it down without trying to fix it

4 5 120

Reposted by Alex Mahadevan

Sam Cole @samleecole.bsky.social · 18d

we're suing ICE, and your support makes this fight possible:
www.404media.co/were-suing-i...

We’re Suing ICE for its $2 Million Spyware Contract

404 Media has filed a lawsuit against ICE for access to its contract with Paragon, a company that sells powerful spyware for breaking into phones and accessing encrypted messaging apps.

www.404media.co

2 27 100

Alex Mahadevan @alexmahadevan.com · 20d

props to @usatoday.com's new chatbot for entertaining my query about god punishing dabo swinney

Screenshot of a USA TODAY chatbot response to the question 'Is God punishing Dabo Swinney?' The AI-generated answer explains that divine punishment isn't supported by evidence but acknowledges Clemson coach Dabo Swinney is facing real challenges, including scrutiny after a loss to Syracuse and questions about his leadership due to the team's poor performance against strong competition.

Alex Mahadevan @alexmahadevan.com · 22d

“One of these days I’m going to follow through on the Clav threat.”

Thank you @themountaingoats.bsky.social for a joyful respite from this hell we’re living in.

The Mountain Goats John Darnielle, bathed in blue light, at his Korg, threatens to play the next song on clavinova

1

Reposted by Alex Mahadevan

Merriam-Webster @merriam-webster.com · Sep 3

enshittification | noun | when a digital platform is made worse for users, in order to increase profits

510 8.7K 29K

Reposted by Alex Mahadevan

The Poynter Institute @poynterinstitute.bsky.social · Aug 27

“When you exit a big company and you start your own thing, there's no going back,” veteran media reporter Oliver Darcy told Poynter Report Podcast host Tom Jones. “You are on your own. It's sink or swim. And that's a daunting feeling for sure. “

Watch the full episode: poynter.org/commentary/2...

What is the most undercovered media story right now? - Poynter

Veteran media reporter Oliver Darcy points to an implosion on the West Coast on today’s episode of ‘The Poynter Report Podcast’

poynter.org

1 2 5

Alex Mahadevan @alexmahadevan.com · Aug 16

Just realized I am 1/1 on Meta's Community Notes

1

Alex Mahadevan @alexmahadevan.com · Aug 14

AI is so awesome

Screenshot of a Reddit post from r/ChatGPT by user Zyaraa with the title: “I asked chatgpt to enhance the only picture of my grandfather smiling and it turned him into Mandela. What did I do wrong?” The post is tagged “Gone Wild.” Below, there is a screenshot of ChatGPT’s response saying it will enhance the image by reducing graininess, sharpening features, and improving resolution while preserving his smile. The generated image shows a man closely resembling Nelson Mandela, wearing a blue suit and smiling in front of a building with windows.

1

Reposted by Alex Mahadevan

Dave Jorgenson @davejorgenson.bsky.social · Aug 13

Benny Johnson has a long history of bending the truth or flat-out lying to fit a narrative.

I had the bad luck of working with him for two years. He’s a bad person with no moral compass.

Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · Aug 12

Benny Johnson claims that while he lived in DC he was carjacked, had murders and mass shootings happen right outside his house, and had his house set ablaze

Sounds like a skill issue, bro

6 51 380