WhatsApp appears to be testing the ability to follow channels using a QR code, as spotted by WABetaInfo. As the outlet notes, QR codes could make discovery easier for businesses, for example, to share their channel with customers quickly by displaying their QR code in a store or on marketing materials.
A recently discovered performance of “Thompson’s Old Gray Mule” is now the oldest country recording in existence. The performer is Louis Vasnier, a Black artist from New Orleans.
The recording highlights how Black musicians have shaped the genre, despite the erasure of their contributions:
“Black artists by and large, who were the ones who performed and recorded, get wiped out of the picture because they say, ‘Well, it’s not really country,’” Martin says. “So ours is partly a project of reclamation.”
[The Washington Post]
The insurgent social platform that’s giving Threads a run for its money says it’s “exploring” additional ways to show that an account is legitimate.
Users currently can verify their accounts to weed out scammy doppelgangers by linking their website with their Bluesky account. But it gets complicated fast.
Can the legal system protect the vibe of a creator? And what if that vibe is basic?
The TikTok show Boy Room tours the disgusting bedrooms of men, cigarette butts, dirty clothes, and all. It’s gross, funny, and weirdly revealing — and now much more sanitized via an Amazon partnership.
In an HGTV-esque reboot, the show will now give home makeovers featuring Amazon furniture and decor. It serves as a front end to Amazon: Boy Room is also promoting the products via affiliate marketing.
Pew Research Center released a report on news influencers who people are increasingly getting their information from.
The report couldn’t have come at a better time, following an election where the role of influencers and podcasters was especially notable. Of today’s news influencers:
- 77 percent have no background with news orgs
- 65 percent are men
- More identify as Republican or conservative than Democratic or liberal
- Far more have a presence on X than on any other platform
[Pew Research Center]
