The Frenemy Report: Trust Issues

We'll start with a bit of positive affirmation before heading into the stress-ridden social platform scrutiny. For any networks/media companies investing in "Social TV," ...studies say you're onto something. Half of Refinery 29's viewership comes from Smart TVs and devices -- the publisher's now launching Channel 29, with 24/7 programming exclusively via connected TVs. And eMarketer reports that half of social media users ages 18 to 24 said they are interested in watching TV shows on social platforms.Lots of trust issues coming to the surface, trigger alert. Facebook is assigning users "trustworthy scores" (they say it's based on their ability to flag fake news, but are we sure they don't mean Black Mirror?). Fake views on YouTube are booming. On Tuesday evening, reports surfaced that both Twitter and Facebook had to remove hundreds of accounts that were linked to the spread of misinformation by Iran and Russia. And the deadline for Jack Dorsey testifying before congress is creeping up, by EOD today (Friday, August 24).Of course, the biggest trust breach of them all may be Netflix adding commercials.If the headlines are stressing you out, take a page from my book and eat your feelings -- luckily, those in LA and NYC can have Los Pollos Hermanon (the fried chicken restaurant made famous in Breaking Bad & Better Call Saul) delivered to them, thanks to a unique promo partnership between Postmates and AMC.  Sweet, Hearst's Snapchat media property, pivots to video [Digiday]Hearst's Sweet, the first Snapchat-only media property, is closing its daily digital magazine, but the brand will be kept alive with a new show under that name. Other video titles will be available as well. The publisher has fired some staff as a result of the change, but would not say how many people.As demand for Instagram Stories ads heats up, some early adopters turn to Facebook Stories [Digiday]There are other advertisers looking to benefit from the lack of competition for ads in Facebook Stories with early tests to see how people respond to organic posts before deciding on whether to buy the actual ads.Russia and Iran created 652 Facebook pages, groups and accounts to mislead users around the world, company says [WashPo]On the heels of Facebook’s revelations Tuesday evening, Twitter also said that the company had removed 284 accounts for engaging in “coordinated manipulation.”Twitter CEO Dorsey admits not being clear on company's goals amid right-wing ban controversies [CNBC]The leader of the social media giant said in an interview that aired on CNN Sunday that the company is "ready to question everything" in its efforts to create a healthier platform.Brand Safety Concerns Come to Twitter as Sponsored Tweets Run on Profiles Selling Illegal Drugs [Adweek]“We recently determined that ads were being served on profiles that were selling restricted products, amounting to 450 impressions and $1.34 in spend,”It’s a Smart TV/Device World After All [MediaVillage]According to Nielsen’s Total Audience Report (TAR), released earlier this month, 76 million or 63.2 percent of all TV households possess at least one smart set or device, a more than 50 percent increase from winter 2016-17. Univision estimates that 46 percent of all Latino households possess a smart TV or device as of four months ago.  That’s up 28 percent from a May 2017 estimate of the same household base (36 percent). Refinery 29, in fact, disclosed at its NewFront event that half of its viewership comes from smart TVs and devicesSocial Networks Get Serious About TV-Style Programming [eMarketer]About half of social media users ages 18 to 24 said they are interested in watching TV shows on social platforms.Facebook begins rating users on how trustworthy they are at flagging fake news [The Verge]Facebook didn’t tell the Post everything that went into the score, but it is partly related to a user’s track record with reporting stories as false.Netflix tests video promos in between episodes, much to viewers' dislike [TechCunch]This test is currently live for a small percentage of Netflix’s global audience.Facebook Sued Over Audience Metrics [MediaPost]The complaint draws on reports by outside groups, including the industry organization Video Advertising Bureau, as well as a survey commissioned by the plaintiffs.Sky Media turns to YouTube show to drive non-TV viewers [Digiday]Sky’s purchase 18 months ago of multichannel network Diagonal View, which owns Football Daily, gave it entry into YouTube programming.YouTube Testing ‘Subscriptions’ Shelf On Recommendations-Driven ‘Home’ Page [Tubefilter]On its Creator Insider channel, the company announced that a new ‘Subscriptions‘ self will be rolling out for 0.25% of English language users on their ‘Home’ pages — bringing self-selected content to a tab within the app that is widely dominated by suggestions.YouTube Is Adding Fact-Check Links for Videos on Topics That Inspire Conspiracy Theories [Slate]While the move is clearly aimed at curbing the impact of accounts peddling conspiracy theories, it also affects the treatment of certain topics by even reputable outfitsThe Flourishing Business of Fake YouTube Views [New York TimesThe fake-view ecosystem of which Mr. Vassilev is a part can undermine YouTube’s credibility by manipulating the digital currency that signals value to users. While YouTube says fake views represent just a tiny fraction of the total, they still have a significant effect by misleading consumers and advertisers.YouTube: how vloggers became the new Oprah Winfreys [Financial Times]Viacom’s Channel 5 Strikes Terms Of Trade Deal With UK Producers – Edinburgh [Deadline]Los Pollos Hermanos Delivers For ‘Saul’ Via Postmates [Broadcasting & Cable]Thanks to memes, Netflix is dominating social media [Mashable]The Genius Of Fox's New Trivia App, FN Genius [Forbes]Facebook Bans 2nd Quiz App Over Concerns Data on 4M Users Misused [NBC LA]Digital advertising is a mess — meet 23 industry insiders working on high-profile efforts to fix it [Business Insider]‘Follow This’ Trailer: BuzzFeed’s Investigative Reporting Comes to Life Courtesy of Netflix Docuseries [IndieWire]NBC News Expanding ‘Stay Tuned’ To Instagram [TV News Check]YouTube, Roadside Partner for Susan Sarandon's 'Viper Club' [The Hollywood Reporter]Facebook's Next Big Opportunity Is eBay's Worse Nightmare [Seeking Alpha]Fandango’s Eileen Rivera: Instagram has been a ‘revolution’ for video content [Digiday]Traditional Media Players Could Lose As Much As $30B In Shift To OTT [MediaPost]HBO, Bumble take over NYC brownstone for movie date night activation [Marketing Dive]