Reluctant Twitter users, influencers and others are flocking to Meta’s new Threads app

Meta Threads and Twitter app logos are seen in this illustration taken, July 6, 2023. (REUTERS)
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Updated 11 July 2023
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Reluctant Twitter users, influencers and others are flocking to Meta’s new Threads app

  • Instagram head Adam Mosseri said in a Threads post Monday that in the five days since its launch, 100 million people have signed up for Threads, which was rolled out as a companion app to Instagram

NEW YORK: Celebrities, lawmakers, brands and everyday social media users are flocking to Meta’s freshly minted app Threads to connect with their followers, including many Twitter refugees tired of the drama surrounding Elon Musk’s raucous oversight of that platform.
But the real question is: Will they stay?
Instagram head Adam Mosseri said in a Threads post Monday that in the five days since its launch, 100 million people have signed up for Threads, which was rolled out as a companion app to Instagram.
Ann Coleman is among them. The 50-year-old, who lives in Baltimore, said she joined Threads after hearing about the platform from a comedian she follows on social media. She said she loves Twitter and has been using it for more than 10 years. She even met her husband on there.
But Coleman, who is politically progressive, has been looking to switch to a new platform because of Musk’s political views and changes he’s made to Twitter, like upending its verification system. She previously joined the decentralized social network Mastodon, but found it a bit confusing to use.
She said she likes Threads but wishes she could easily follow all her Twitter friends there. Threads gives Instagram users the option to automatically follow the same accounts they do on the photo-sharing app, which makes it easier for active Instagram users to replicate a similar type of engagement on Threads. But others starting from the ground up will have to do more work.
“If I’m going to leave Twitter entirely, I’m going to have to try and find some of these people” from Twitter, Coleman said.
While she said she has her own concerns about Meta — specifically pointing to the Cambridge Analytica privacy breach, among other things — “it’s not with the depth of concern that I do with Musk.”
Michael Evancoe, 28, said he hasn’t used Twitter much since his personal page was suspended years ago for what the platform attributed to violations of its rules on spam. Evancoe, who now works in production, said he agrees with some of the changes Musk has been making on Twitter and he created a new account earlier this year. But he wasn’t able to gain many followers or interactions.
He joined Threads last week, and says he’s been able to interact more with other users. But he hopes that Meta does not moderate the platform overly aggressively.
“I think that would be a deterrent to both interest and engagement as well,” Evancoe said.
For its part, Meta has said it will moderate using Instagram’s content guidelines. In the past few days, the company has been positioning the much-hyped platform as a new digital town square that’s a less toxic version of Twitter, with some executives indicating their aim isn’t to replace Twitter but to offer something more palatable to a vast array of users.
“The goal is to create a public square for communities on Instagram that never really embraced Twitter and for communities on Twitter (and other platforms) that are interested in a less angry place for conversations,” Mosseri said Friday.
In the first two full days that Threads was broadly available — Thursday and Friday of last week — traffic on Twitter was down 5 percent compared with the same period a week ago, and down 11 percent compared with the same period a year ago, according to the web analytics company SimilarWeb. But it also said Twitter traffic has experienced an overall decline even in the absence of Threads.
To Jennifer Billinson, a professor of media studies at Nazareth University in New York, the first days of Threads have highlighted a potential culture clash — specifically one between Twitter refugees and what is likely a much larger number of people just clicking over from Instagram.
The idea that Threads will just become a Twitter clone, she says, is running headlong into the reality that the Twitterites are going to be “vastly outnumbered” on the new platform by those from Instagram, which has more than 2 billion monthly users. By comparison, Twitter has more than 237 million daily users, according to the most recent figures from the company’s earnings report last year.
Among other things, those used to the more abrasive culture of Twitter could easily annoy more laid-back Instagram users. Of course, such tensions might be alleviated by potential platform changes that give people more control over what they’ll see in their Threads feed. At the moment, users are largely at the mercy of the Threads algorithm.
Despite the influx of users, Brendan Gahan, partner and chief social officer at the creative agency Mekanism, stressed it’s too early to know how successful Threads will be. He further questions whether the rapid growth of Threads is even a good thing, pointing out some other successful platforms began with a focused approach and expanded more gradually.
There’s also the question of how influencers will use Threads and whether they can replicate the same following as on other platforms. Most notably, Jimmy Donaldson — a popular YouTube video maker who goes by MrBeast — has already amassed more than 4 million followers on Threads.
By integrating the new app to Instagram, Meta made it very easy for content creators to convert their Instagram followers to Threads followers. But that can also create a situation where popular content creators gain more influence while crowding out emerging talents from cultivating their own culture on a new platform, Gahan said.
Creators might also face other challenges.
“Somebody who is purely video and photo-based may have trouble translating to a text-focused platform,” Gahan said. “That said, a lot of them I see reposting the same content. Time will tell whether or not that’s a successful strategy.”
Asante Madrigal, a content creator who makes his living off of social media posts about pop culture, said he’s been trying out the Threads app and reposting some videos he’s made recently on actress Keke Palmer, among other things.
But at least for now, the 22-year-old said he doesn’t plan to make Threads a priority because he can’t monetize his content on there. Instead, he said he’s going to focus on apps where he’s actually earning money, like Instagram, YouTube and TikTok, where he more than 2 million followers combined.
Madrigal said the Threads algorithm is a black box, and pointed to some things that are still lacking in the app, including hashtags and direct messaging between users. And figuring out what to do on there will take more work.
“I have a lot of friends that do pop culture as well,” Madrigal said. “And they were just like, ‘Oh, my God, not another app’.”
 

 


Media group IMI and UAE Media Council sign deal to recruit and train local talent

Updated 14 November 2024
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Media group IMI and UAE Media Council sign deal to recruit and train local talent

  • Collaboration is part of the Media Apprenticeship Program launched last year by the Media Council and the Emirati Talent Competitiveness Council
  • It targets existing Emirati media professionals, as well as graduates and final-year students in media-related studies

DUBAI: IMI, a media group in the UAE formerly known as International Media Investments, has signed a cooperation agreement with the UAE Media Council to train and recruit local talent and develop media infrastructure in the country.

The initiative is part of the Media Apprenticeship Program, an initiative launched in May 2023 by the UAE Media Council and the Emirati Talent Competitiveness Council. It targets existing Emirati media professionals, as well as graduates and final-year students in media-related studies, with the aim of developing the next generation of talent in the nation’s media sector.

The agreement was signed at IMI’s new headquarters in Abu Dhabi by Mohammed Saeed Al-Shehhi, secretary-general of the UAE Media Council, and Rani Raad, CEO of the recently rebranded IMI Group, which owns several news outlets including Sky News Arabia, The National newspaper, Al-Ain News and CNN Business Arabic.

“We are proud to be the first global media group in the UAE to partner with the UAE Media Council on this initiative,” said Raad.

IMI Group, he added, can offer “aspiring Emirati talent unique opportunities to learn about the best media assets and standards” through its network of companies and the IMI Media Academy.

Launched in September, the IMI Media Academy employs the latest learning methodologies and offers an advanced curriculum focusing on the media industry, journalism and content creation.

Al-Shehhi highlighted the need to forge stronger partnerships with private media companies, and for cohesive country-wide efforts to develop the sector.

He said the partnership with IMI demonstrates the Media Council’s “commitment to empowering the media sector to attain global leadership by investing in the development of national skills and talents and equipping them with the latest media tools and technologies.”

It also aligns with the council’s desire “to nurture a new generation of talents capable of spearheading the sector and achieving significant accomplishments in the future,” he added.


Spotify introduces ‘Fresh Finds Saudi: Class 2k24’ residency program for emerging talent

Updated 14 November 2024
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Spotify introduces ‘Fresh Finds Saudi: Class 2k24’ residency program for emerging talent

  • Initiative covers songwriting and music production, music marketing, music rights and industry knowledge, and touring and performing
  • The Kingdom is an ‘incredibly exciting market’ for Spotify, says platform’s regional managing director

DUBAI: Spotify this month introduced Fresh Finds Saudi: Class 2k24, the first iteration of a program dedicated to the promotion and development of the emerging music scene in the Kingdom.

“We’re incredibly thrilled to launch Fresh Finds Saudi: Class 2k24 and are eager to see the impact it will have on the career growth of the selected artists,” Akshat Harbola, managing director of Spotify in the Middle East and North Africa region, told Arab News.

The program, which ran from Nov. 6 to 11, represented “a long-term investment in nurturing up-and-coming talent, starting with a residency format this year,” he added.

It brought together four local talents who feature on Spotify’s Fresh Finds Arabia playlist, a showcase of the best new music by independent artists and labels from the region: BrownMusic, known for merging Arabic and English lyrics with contemporary experimental electronic beats; hip-hop artist Grzzlee; Kali-B, a singer, songwriter and producer; and Seera, an all-female Arabic psychedelic rock band.

They were chosen by Spotify’s local editorial team as “standout talent” that had “already made an impression on our Fresh Finds Arabia playlist,” Harbola said.

Spotify seeks to showcase different musical genres through the program, he added, and so “we took special care to prioritize a diverse range of styles that highlight the new generation of creators” from Saudi Arabia. The selected artists “have proven they can connect with listeners and are ready to elevate their careers.”

The residency program provided them with support, mentorship and a host of resources aimed at accelerating their growth as artists and expanding their presence in the Saudi music industry, Spotify said.

The program’s curriculum focused on four topics: songwriting and music production; music marketing; music rights and industry knowledge; and touring and performing.

Experts such as lyricist, writer and creative director Menna El-Kiey, and musicians and producers Ntitled, El Waili, Soufiane Az and Ismail Nosrat, offered guidance to the participants on songwriting, beat-making, mixing and mastering.

Amin Kabbani, vice president of Arabic talent at entertainment company Live Nation Middle East, provided insights into planning and executing a successful tour, managing logistics and engaging with fans.

Sony Publishing MENA led the session on music rights and industry knowledge, during which the participants learned about intellectual property, and how to protect their work and navigate the business side of their art.

Spotify also worked with the artists to record new tracks at creative hub Merwas in Riyadh, and the results will be released by the end of the year. Nada Al-Tuwaijri, the CEO of Merwas, said the studio is “committed to nurturing talent and providing artists with the tools and environment they need to unlock their creative potential.”

She added: “The Fresh Finds Saudi: Class 2k24 initiative aligns perfectly with our vision of supporting emerging talent in the Kingdom, the region and beyond.”

Harbola said that the Kingdom is “an incredibly exciting market” for Spotify and although he was “unable to share specific listenership rankings, the level of engagement in Saudi Arabia is truly remarkable.”

The company is seeing a “strong surge” in the popularity of pop music, especially Egyptian pop, and Khaleeji music, “which remains central to Saudi listeners,” he added.

The platform’s focus on the Kingdom has grown in recent months through initiatives such as “Tarab,” a campaign that celebrated Khaleeji music and spotlighted Saudi-based RADAR Arabia artist Sultan Al-Murshed in New York’s Times Square.

Harbola said that the burgeoning local music scene and audience engagement on Spotify is driving the company’s efforts to introduce initiatives such as Fresh Finds Saudi: Class 2k24 and commit to them on a long-term basis

“While we don’t have set dates for future iterations (of the residency), our focus remains on curating unique experiences tailored to artists’ needs in different markets, whether through this initiative or other Spotify Music Programs across MENA,” he added.


Lebanese journalist Soukaina Mansour Kawtharani killed in Israeli strike on Joun

Updated 14 November 2024
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Lebanese journalist Soukaina Mansour Kawtharani killed in Israeli strike on Joun

  • Her death brings the toll of Lebanese media workers killed to 12

LONDON: Lebanese journalist Soukaina Mansour Kawtharani was killed alongside her two children and other family members in an Israeli airstrike on a three-story residential building in Joun, near Sidon in southern Lebanon.

Kawtharani, who worked as a correspondent for Radio Al-Nour, a station seen as close to Hezbollah, was reported dead on Wednesday by the radio station.

The airstrike targeted the building, which was housing displaced families, on Tuesday.

Joseph Qosseifi, president of the Lebanese Press Editors’ Association, condemned the attack, calling it a “crime” and urging international human rights organizations, the International Criminal Court, the General Federation of Arab Journalists and UNESCO to take action.

In a statement issued through the official National News Agency, he said: “The Israeli enemy makes no distinction between civilians and combatants in its bombardments, violates every law, charter and pact, and speaks only the language of fire and blood.”

The building, reportedly owned by the Ghosn family — relatives of Carlos Ghosn, the Brazil-born French Lebanese businessman and former automotive executive — was completely destroyed in the strike, which killed 15 people, including eight women and four children, and injured 12, according to the Health Ministry.

Kawtharani’s death brings the number of Lebanese journalists and media workers killed since the beginning of the Israeli-Hamas conflict to 12, according to the Lebanese Press Editors’ Association.


Parody news website the Onion buys Alex Jones’ Infowars out of bankruptcy

Updated 14 November 2024
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Parody news website the Onion buys Alex Jones’ Infowars out of bankruptcy

  • Families of victims of the Sandy Hook school shooting backed the Onion’s bid

NEW YORK: The parody news website the Onion bought conspiracy theorist Alex Jones’ Infowars brand and website in a bankruptcy auction, according to court documents filed on Thursday.
Jones filed for bankruptcy protection in 2022 after courts ordered him to pay $1.5 billion for defaming the families of 20 students and six staff members killed in the mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut. Jones, unable to pay those legal judgments, was forced to auction his assets, including Infowars, in bankruptcy.
The Connecticut families of eight victims of the school shooting backed the Onion’s bid, saying it would put “an end to the misinformation machine” that Jones operated.
The Onion said it aims to replace “Infowars’ relentless barrage of disinformation” with the Onion’s “relentless barrage of humor.” “The Onion is proud to acquire Infowars, and we look forward to continuing its storied tradition of scaring the site’s users with lies until they fork over their cold, hard cash,” the Onion CEO Ben Collins said in a statement. Everytown for Gun Safety, the largest gun violence prevention organization in the country, said it will serve as the exclusive advertiser on the new Infowars.
The Onion will acquire Infowars’ intellectual property, including its website, customer lists and inventory, certain social media accounts and the Infowars production equipment, the families said in a statement.
“They’re shutting us down,” Jones said on social media site X. “I’m going to be here until they come in here and turn the lights off.”


Bluesky has added 1 million users since the US election as people seek alternatives to X

Updated 14 November 2024
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Bluesky has added 1 million users since the US election as people seek alternatives to X

  • Bluesky said Wednesday that its total users surged to 15 million, up from roughly 13 million at the end of October
  • Championed by former Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey, Bluesky was an invitation-only space until it opened to the public in February

LOS ANGELES: Social media site Bluesky has gained 1 million new users in the week since the US election, as some X users look for an alternative platform to post their thoughts and engage with others online.
Bluesky said Wednesday that its total users surged to 15 million, up from roughly 13 million at the end of October.
Championed by former Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey, Bluesky was an invitation-only space until it opened to the public in February. That invite-only period gave the site time to build out moderation tools and other features. The platform resembles Elon Musk’s X, with a “discover” feed as well a chronological feed for accounts that users follow. Users can send direct messages and pin posts, as well as find “starter packs” that provide a curated list of people and custom feeds to follow.
The post-election uptick in users isn’t the first time that Bluesky has benefitted from people leaving X. Bluesky gained 2.6 million users in the week after X was banned in Brazil in August — 85 percent of them from Brazil, the company said. About 500,000 new users signed up in the span of one day last month, when X signaled that blocked accounts would be able to see a user’s public posts.
Despite Bluesky’s growth, X posted last week that it had “dominated the global conversation on the US election” and had set new records. The platform saw a 15.5 percent jump in new-user signups on Election Day, X said, with a record 942 million posts worldwide. Representatives for Bluesky and for X did not respond to requests for comment.
Bluesky has referenced its competitive relationship to X through tongue-in-cheeks comments, including an Election Day post on X referencing Musk watching voting results come in with President-elect Donald Trump.
“I can guarantee that no Bluesky team members will be sitting with a presidential candidate tonight and giving them direct access to control what you see online,” Bluesky said.
Across the platform, new users — among them journalists, left-leaning politicians and celebrities — have posted memes and shared that they were looking forward to using a space free from advertisements and hate speech. Some said it reminded them of the early days of X, when it was still Twitter.
On Wednesday, The Guardian said it would no longer post on X, citing “far right conspiracy theories and racism” on the site as a reason. At the same time, television journalist Don Lemon posted on X that he is leaving the platform but will continue to use other social media, including Bluesky.
Lemon said he felt X was no longer a place for “honest debate and discussion.” He noted changes to the site’s terms of service set to go into effect Friday that state lawsuits against X must be filed in the US District Court for the Northern District of Texas rather than the Western District of Texas. Musk said in July that he was moving X’s headquarters to Texas from San Francisco.
“As the Washington Post recently reported on X’s decision to change the terms, this ‘ensures that such lawsuits will be heard in courthouses that are a hub for conservatives, which experts say could make it easier for X to shield itself from litigation and punish critics,’” Lemon wrote. “I think that speaks for itself.”
Last year, advertisers such as IBM, NBCUniversal and its parent company Comcast fled X over concerns about their ads showing up next to pro-Nazi content and hate speech on the site in general, with Musk inflaming tensions with his own posts endorsing an antisemitic conspiracy theory.