| For the past few days I've struggled with what to say in this space. My job is to give a weekly dose of entertainment and technology news. But now is not the time for a lengthy dissection of Apple's new Martin Scorsese movie, or Quibi's ongoing struggles. (If you do crave a brief business recap, please scroll down.) I have been horrified by the events of the past week, and frightened by the divergent ways we have experienced them. For most of us, there is a shared set of facts. A black man was killed by police officers after allegedly using a fake $20 bill. His death sparked a wave of protests decrying police brutality and racism. As the police sought to disperse the protests, they arrested and injured several members of the press. Rioting and looting ensued, provoking governors to call in the national guard. But the similarities end there. As protests played out across the country, I followed along on Twitter and Instagram, seeing a flood of updates from friends, fellow journalists, celebrities and political officials. Most of my older relatives followed the latest on Facebook, cable news — probably MSNBC, maybe CNN — and via newspapers Sunday morning. The average Fox viewer is told to view the protesters as violent, and support the deployment of the national guard. But CNN employees saw their own colleague arrested just for doing his job. Those of us following on social media have all experienced different versions of the week's events. While my feed has lots of journalists who've been attacked and friends who peacefully protested, the top trending videos on YouTube describe the protests as violent. Followers of rapper Killer Mike heard anger and sadness over the death of George Floyd, but also a plea for peaceful activism in the place of violent protest. Followers of rapper Tory Lanez heard a different message: a rebuke of celebrities who criticized the protesters. There are those who fear we've slipped into some totalitarian nightmare, and those who see anarchy. This atomization of media consumption, and the feedback loops of social media will only calcify the divide between different segments of society. If you can't agree on what happened, you can't agree on how to respond to it. That's problematic when everyone does seem to agree they must say something. The most common post I've seen all weekend calls on everyone to speak out, equating silence with complicity. Media companies, typically afraid to aggravate their customers, have posted that those who do not speak out against racism are perpetuating it. To this I must add, sometimes the most powerful thing you can do is listen. Overwhelmed by many emotions, I have more questions than answers right now. We seem stuck in a perpetual loop of conflict and recrimination with no resolution. For guidance, I look to voices that know far more about the history of race relations in this country than I do. To that end, I've moved up my weekly recommendations. - Read: "They Can't Kill Us All," Wesley Lowery's book on the rise of the Black Lives Matter movement, and Karen Attiah's piece on how Western media would cover this oment if it happened in another country.
- Watch: These speeches from Killer Mike, the Atlanta rapper and activist, and Keisha Lance Bottoms, the mayor of Atlanta, as well as this report from Los Angeles Times reporter Molly Hennessy-Fiske.
- Listen: "1619," the award-winning New York Times podcast on the roots of racial oppression in America.
I don't know how we will deal with the trauma of the past week, but I do know that educating ourselves and then talking to one another will probably help. How do you feel? – Lucas Shaw Introducing: The Bundle Builder  We rolled out a nifty new project that helps you figure out what streaming services you need based on the shows you like (and your budget). It nailed me: I need HBO, Netflix, Hulu, Amazon and Showtime (though I also pay for a few more). But most Americans prefer a different quartet: Netflix, Disney+, Hulu and Amazon. Our survey also reveals which services are most popular by age, region and gender. Some takeaways: - Disney+ is less popular in the south and with baby boomers, but more popular among Gen Z and Midwesterners.
- Amazon Prime is far more popular among rich people in the suburbs (and a lot less popular with households making less than $70,000 a year).
- CBS All Access is not the preferred service of people under 40, but has strong affinity with viewers over 40 (and especially older than 56).
- Netflix is a popular across almost every age demographic, though most popular among those viewers under 40.
The best of Screentime | 
Post a Comment