Latest news with #OutKick
Yahoo
29-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
The Disinformation Deluge Requires Experts to Step Up as ‘Truth Vigilantes'
As they've licked their wounds since the 2024 election, Democrats have debated how to knife through an information system thick with conservative influencers 'just asking questions' and other fact-free noise, wondering if they need 'their Joe Rogan' to compete. Whatever the tactics, the unsettling reality is experts and true authorities appear ill-equipped to burst well-fortified media bubbles, in what even their allies see as an asymmetrical war. The challenge, according to Angelo Carusone, who leads the liberal watchdog group Media Matters for America, is not just the advantage that purveyors of disinformation enjoy, but whether once-trusted institutions and the people who lead them possess the tools to effectively fight back. He sees ways, but they might require new messengers as well as fresh strategies about how and where to deploy them. 'The expert community has to think about how they're going to evangelize and buttress the credibility of their fields,' Carusone told TheWrap. 'They're going to need warriors. They're going to need truth vigilantes.' Recent studies have painted a gloomy picture of the state of play. A Pew Research Center poll titled 'What Is News?' found that 55% of Americans say it's 'at least somewhat important for their news sources to have political views similar to their own,' further noting that the audience, not journalists, determine what constitutes 'news.' In a related study, Media Matters explored how the most popular and influential online shows — including those that self-identify as nonpolitical — are 'overwhelmingly right-leaning' by almost three to one, despite being described in categories like comedy, entertainment and sports. Some consciously straddle those lines, such as OutKick, whose founder, Clay Travis, parlayed his sports profile into a media platform that incorporates sports, politics and culture with a conservative bent. Fox acquired the site in 2021, and OutKick has grown significantly since then. Others have clearly taken note of such successful examples, with the Media Matters study citing various programs that have 'repeatedly pushed pro-Trump messaging' and right-wing narratives and disinformation that seeps into 'supposedly nonpolitical spaces.' In some respects, this dynamic is nothing new, in the same way Rush Limbaugh carved out a lucrative platform in AM radio, which then became overwhelmingly conservative, countering the 'lamestream media' and attracting an army of loyal 'ditto-heads.' The reason the current battle is so one-sided, Carusone maintains, is the political left lacks the infrastructure to mobilize in a way that can counter voices coming from the right, which has made 'strategic investments in incubating storytellers and talent.' Those storytellers are especially good at reaching what often get referred to as 'low-information voters,' helping them process and understand — or rather, feel as if they understand — complex hot-button issues. The talking points echo across multiple shows and personalities, bolstering conservative and pro-Trump narratives. 'They have reached such a center of gravity that they've created a feedback loop that is pulling more and more programming to the right,' Carusone said, while undermining confidence in institutions. 'Broadly speaking, credentialism just doesn't matter anymore.' That dynamic has certainly been true in medicine and science, where figures like Dr. Anthony Fauci have been demonized as part of efforts to discredit them, a void frequently filled by purveyors of quack science and miracle cures. Some experts in fields like science, medicine, economics and history — people who have invested lifetimes studying them, only to see dabblers swoop in with their hot takes — have taken it upon themselves to try combating disinformation, beyond the customary TV hits within like-minded silos on cable news. Dr. Neil Stone, for example, a London-based infectious diseases specialist, persistently uses his X account to attack anti-vaccine rhetoric and medical misinformation emanating from online posters while regularly calling out Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. 'Social media has a really tedious habit of people dragging up junk theories which have been thoroughly debunked maybe 20-30 years ago, and now we have to do it all over again,' Stone said in one tweet, adding in another, 'RFK Jr. sounds learned and knowledgeable to the uninformed. He sounds like a fraudulent quack to experts.' Others have sought to address disinformation head on by venturing into the belly of the beast, so to speak, confronting the 'just asking questions' crowd on their turf. Historian Douglas Murray caused a stir by engaging in a viral exchange with Rogan and comic Dave Smith, challenging Rogan for booking guests who have 'appointed themselves experts, who are not experts.' 'If you throw a lot of s–t out there, there's some point at which 'I'm just raising questions' is not a valid thing,' Murray argued, while taking Smith to task for weighing in on issues without committing the time to research them. 'You're not raising questions … You're telling people something.' Although such moments occasionally break through via social media, the problem remains that people have limited time, and Trump and his acolytes suck up a great deal of media oxygen. In addition, some attempts to counter the right have also prompted derision for how inorganic and tone-deaf they sound, from Democrats in Congress posting goofy videos to a recent New York Times report about a Democratic plan to 'study the syntax, language and content' necessary to engage and gain attention from young men. Addressing that larger challenge serves as the underlying premise of MSNBC host Chris Hayes' new book, 'The Siren's Call: How Attention Became the World's Most Endangered Resource,' which argues that attention has become a major commodity, and observes that seeking to conduct serious conversations amid the current media din is 'like trying to meditate in a strip club.' 'Can't help but feel we're living through an increasingly existential war between spectacle and substance with spectacle winning battle after battle after battle,' Hayes recently posted on Bluesky, summing up the handicap that expert voices face. Former 'Meet the Press' host Chuck Todd complemented those sentiments during a podcast with Mediaite, saying that while Trump hasn't really changed — he suggested people go read his 1990 Playboy interview as proof — the media has shifted in a manner that benefits him in 'this era of grievance-driven, outrage-driven clicks.' Wading into that vitriol-laced swamp isn't for the faint of heart, which explains Carusone's contention that Democrats need certain kinds of 'warriors' to carry the banner. Moreover, Trump's willingness to use the levers of government against political opponents comes with certain risks. While Trump has blustered about investigating celebrities like Bruce Springsteen and Oprah Winfrey who have spoken out against him (and endorsed Kamala Harris during the campaign), there have been more immediate and tangible manifestations of possible fallout, including reports the Federal Trade Commission is investigating Media Matters for possible collusion with advertisers against X — an action Carusone has characterized as overtly political and an effort to intimidate his group and others. Nevertheless, Media Matters has vowed to continue fighting, with Carusone expressing the belief that despite the right's messaging edge, it's still possible to begin turning the tide. 'It is terribly depressing, but there is still a spark there that's not completely gone,' he said. 'The cancer's operable.' The post The Disinformation Deluge Requires Experts to Step Up as 'Truth Vigilantes' appeared first on TheWrap.
Time of India
16-05-2025
- Sport
- Time of India
Minor League staffer uses bare hand to scoop dog's poop during Cannon Ballers game
Official scoops fresh dog poop with bare hand at Cannon Ballers Vs Mudcats game/ X Screengrab A Minor League Baseball game turned into an unexpected spectacle over the weekend when a Kannapolis Cannon Ballers staffer was caught on camera cleaning up dog feces, using his bare hand. The incident took place on Sunday at Atrium Health Ballpark , during a Single-A matchup between the Kannapolis Cannon Ballers, an affiliate of the Chicago White Sox , and the Carolina Mudcats. During the bottom of the third inning, the Cannon Ballers' beloved bat dog , Kacey Betty , had a bathroom emergency just feet away from home plate. The dog had just relieved herself on the field, moments before preparing to fetch a bat, when a stadium official intervened. Instead of using gloves or waste bags, the employee opted to scoop up the excrement with a clipboard and his bare hand, horrifying both the live audience and fans online. The moment, captured on video and shared widely on social media, left viewers stunned. According to OutKick, 'Good god, he closed the gate with his poo hand!' Another report by TMZ highlighted the viral reactions, with one fan commenting, 'Fire the guy who picked up s** with his bare hands immediately,'* while another exclaimed, 'Ayoooo he bare handed that grounder??' by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like They Lost Their Money - Learn From Their Lesson Expertinspector Click Here Undo Adding to the surreal nature of the moment, OutKick noted, 'That's certainly a new one. We've all done the move where you get something flat like a piece of paper or a clipboard to scoop up a spider or something that spilled, but I've never seen that done with dog poo.' So far, the stadium has made no official statement about the cleanup protocol or the staff member involved. As TMZ reported, 'No public comment from him so far ... but hopefully the stadium had some good hand sanitizer on deck.' The incident also raised questions about preparedness, with OutKick remarking, 'I'm not sure how there wasn't a roll of s--t bags nearby... You'd think if they have a dog working for the team, they have some bags at the ready.' Despite the bizarre mid-game cleanup, the Cannon Ballers pulled off a 3-0 win over the Mudcats. But the real talk of the night wasn't the score, it was the stomach-churning image of barehanded dog poop removal that's now immortalized online.
Yahoo
15-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
OUTKICK CONTINUES TO SEE STRONG GROWTH YEAR OVER YEAR
NEW YORK, May 15, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- National multimedia sports platform OutKick continues to see strong growth year over year in April 2025, according to Comscore. The platform finished with 6.2 million total desktop and mobile unique visitors, posting a 16% increase versus April 2024, 27 million total multiplatform views (+11%) and 24 million multiplatform minutes (+10%). Additionally, OutKick saw 19.1 million total digital multiplatform unique visitors, which ranked 19th out of over 350 sports sites in April platform finished ahead of NBC Sports Video Group, DraftKings, Daily Mail – Sport, Awful Announcing, and many more. In commenting on the digital performance, Senior Vice President and Managing Editor Gary Schreier said, "OutKick is the only sports site that's driving the conversation between the intersection of sports and politics. This not only separates us from a crowded sports media landscape but has been a direct result of our growth." On Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), and Instagram, OutKick in April 2025 saw over 1.2 million social actions, up 36% versus April 2024 and over 16.4 million total video views on Facebook, X, and YouTube, up 45% versus April 2024, according to Shareablee. *Source: Comscore Social, Metrics & Trends, Facebook, Instagram, X, YouTube, January 2025, Report Date: 4/14/2025. Custom-Defined List including Outkick. *Source: Comscore Media Metrix® Multi-Platform, March 2024- March 2025, Desktop and Mobile, US. About OutKickOutKick is one of the fastest growing national multimedia platforms that produces and distributes engaging content at the intersection of sports, sports culture, pop culture and news. OutKick's industry recognized stable of reporters, hosts and contributors are accessible on as well as across video livestreams, social media, podcasts, and radio, reaching tens of millions of fans each month. Owned by FOX Corporation, OutKick was originally founded by Clay Travis. For more information, please visit OutKick Press Contact:Brian Karpas212-301-9966 View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE Fox News Network, LLC Sign in to access your portfolio
Fox News
14-05-2025
- Sport
- Fox News
Female athletes direct pointed messages toward Nike in new ad
Female athletes sent fiery messages to Nike amid the push for fairness in women's sports and the elimination of biological males competing against them in different levels of competition. An XX-XY Athletics advertisement asked several athletes that if they could send a message to Nike, what would it be? Riley Gaines, Macey Boggs, Lauren Miller and Payton McNabb were among those featured in the video. "If I had a chance to talk to Nike, I would tell them to just do it," Gaines, the former Kentucky Wildcats star swimmer and OutKick contributor, said in the clip. "That's your slogan, isn't it, Nike? Just do it. When I say it, I mean the right thing. And that's defending women and biological reality." Miller, a pro golfer who participated in the 2022 U.S. Women's Open, asked the company to "think about your daughters." "If we let men and boys continue to invade, women's sports will be erased," he said. McNabb, who was left with brain damage after being hit in the face by a spike from a biological male during a high school volleyball match, said she had "dreams of playing" the sport in college, but the incident dashed them. "You're saying that you're supporting women, but you're not actually doing anything," Boggs, a high school volleyball player, said. "You are using us when it's convenient, but in private, you're not doing anything about it." Former NCAA swimmer Kaitlynn Wheeler, Canadian weightlifter April Hutchinson, former Nevada Wolf Pack volleyball player Sia Liilii and former San Jose State assistant coach Melissa Batie-Smoose also spoke out. Nike did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment. The company has been under fire over the last few weeks over allegations that it funded a study to research transgender youths and the issue of males competing in girls' and women's sports. The first inkling of the study appeared in a New York Times article. Nike told OutKick the study was "never initialized" and "is not moving forward." Follow Fox News Digital's sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.
Fox News
14-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Fox News
ESPN's Stephen A Smith fires back at Charles Barkley after warning about being overexposed
ESPN star Stephen A. Smith fired back at Charles Barkley over the warning the Basketball Hall of Famer gave to the sports personality about being overexposed in the media. Smith prefaced his remarks on his podcast by saying he had a respect and appreciation for Barkley, suggesting the two were very close. "That's my guy, but that doesn't mean I always agree with him. And it doesn't mean that I'm devoid of the right to call him a flaming hypocrite when it's called upon," Smith said on "The Stephen A. Smith Show." "Do y'all know how many commercials Charles Barkley does a year? He'll tell us two. Have you seen Charles Barkley in two commercials? Are you kidding me? Oh, by the way, the cat that you work with at least twice a week during the NBA season is Shaquille O'Neal. "Can we count the amount of endorsements he has? How often he's seen everywhere? What new product he's pitching? Did you say that about him? No, you didn't. But when it comes to me, I need to be 'careful.'" Smith wanted to get to the "heart of the matter." "And this isn't directed at Charles Barkley. This is directed at all the folks out there – I'm making people out there – I'm making people very uncomfortable, and I don't give s---," Smith said. "You can talk about people not taking me seriously all you want to, we'll see, because I'm a serious brotha. That doesn't mean I don't know how to laugh and smile and have fun, you know who the hell I am." Barkley made his remarks during an appearance on OutKick's "Don't @ Me with Dan Dakich." The former Philadelphia 76ers star said he would not vote for Smith for president before warning Smith that people could get "sick" of him. "I was in the studio last night and I saw he was going to be on 'Law & Order' tonight. I mean he is already on 'General Hospital,' he's already on 'General Hospital,' now he is going to be on 'Law & Order' tonight, and I was just laughing. I was like, 'Yo man, you are starting to be too much right now,'" Barkley said. "Like, you are going to be on CNN, you are going to be on 'Fox & Friends,' now you on 'General Hospital,' now you on 'Law & Order,' I'm like, 'Yo man, knock it off. Stop being on every TV show' because at some point people are going to get sick of you, and you are going to be like, 'Yeah I probably did too much.' But once you do too much, it's too late and people don't take you serious, and I think he's got to be careful in that aspect." Barkley said he wants to be on TV less and less, because "less is more." "My friends close to me give me a lot of credit, and I'm not blowing my own horn, I want to be on TV as less as possible, to be honest with you Dan. That's why I only do a couple commercials a year. I don't go on a bunch of shows, less is more, because the more you do, the less people take you serious. And I don't feel the need to grab every dime, I don't feel the need to grab every dime at my disposal," Barkley said. "I've been arguing with my agent, he said we could do five-seven commercials a year, I said we are going to do two commercials a year, that's it. I don't want to be on TV all the time. I get sick of seeing myself do March Madness, but I don't want to be on TV all the time and I don't do a bunch of TV stuff because I don't want to – people get sick of you, that's my number one thing. People will get sick of you, so I don't want to be on TV more, I want to be on TV less." Follow Fox News Digital's sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.
