Latest news with #Paperboy
Washington Post
14-03-2025
- Washington Post
This Sling TV ad made me really mad
Newspapers have suffered some indignities over the past two decades. More than 3,200 of them have closed since 2005. More than 45,000 newsroom jobs, gone. Many of those remaining get gobbled up by vulture funds; their journalists take abuse at public meetings; and in many jurisdictions, politicians hatch strategies to strip them of a critical revenue source. And now comes 'Paperboy,' an ad for Sling TV, a subsidiary of Dish Network that offers television channels via the internet. Have a look: A great deal of stupidity, it turns out, fits in a 30-second spot. The gist of the Sling ad is that people can do without their newspapers and instead opt for Sling. It depicts a 'paperboy' tossing newspapers to residents as he pedals his throwback bicycle down a street of single-family homes. 'I told you I don't need these anymore. I have Sling,' quips a bathrobe-clad woman who flings the newspaper back at the paperboy. Two other customers chuck it back as well, with the third managing to lodge it in the bike's spokes, causing the paperboy to tumble over the handlebars. He was wearing a helmet. Such hilarious material builds on the history of paper delivery workers who get hit by a van and end up with a 'disfigured' leg and $80,000 in medical bills; who get molested, stuffed in a car trunk and murdered; who get shot dead on their route; and so on. In a 2018 CJR analysis, Jon Allsop found 45 on-the-job deaths in this profession since 1970 and 23 murders/violent killings since 1992, which was more than twice as many as journalists in that time frame. A long trail of reporting establishes that these workers — commonly engaged as contractors — have low pay and few benefits, insurance, etc. At least they make promotional fodder for a multichannel video provider. Attempts to secure comment from Sling have been unsuccessful. Growing up in Schenectady, N.Y., the Wemple brothers dabbled in home delivery of the area's afternoon newspaper, the Knickerbocker News. 'Orchard Park was hell,' recalls my brother Mark, now 65, of a nearby neighborhood teeming with subscribers. 'Riding up that hill, chain coming off.' Collecting payment was a hassle, he says, and a community bully would stop him, stand in front of his bike and prevent him from proceeding on the route. 'So, you want to get going, huh?' taunted the young tough. Demand for the dead-tree news product, which began dwindling even before the internet, has become a niche sensibility. In 2005, the Washington Examiner thought it would be a good idea blanket well-to-do local neighborhoods with complimentary copies. It was no such thing. Recipients of this newsprint windfall essentially tossed it right back at the Examiner, overwhelming the company with complaints. 'I have a recycling bin at the front door, and [the Examiner] goes straight in it,' one recipient told me. Compare that sentiment with that of the woman in the Sling commercial. After tossing her paper back at the paperboy, she says, 'This critical time calls for the critical coverage that Sling provides.' There's the second large problem with this ad: Newspapers provide the critical coverage that Sling provides. Its offerings include the big three cable news networks — CNN, MSNBC and Fox News — plus ABC News, Bloomberg TV and others. Watch those outlets for a while, and you'll notice a pattern in which their hosts make frequent references to the Wall Street Journal, the New York Times, The Washington Post, the Los Angeles Times and many others. Newspapers, all of them. And they break a gobsmacking portion of the scoops that land on TV chyrons. Now for an example. Sling's anti-newspaper ads have run frequently in recent days on CNN, a network that gorges on newspaper-originating stories and commentary. From the Wall Street Journal, it cites editorials critical of Trump's trade policies, breaking news items on the planned closure of the Education Department, an investigation into Medicare abuses, an interview with Vice President JD Vance and more. From the Times come articles about Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Elon Musk's plans to donate big money to Trump's political operations, a Trump administration clash over funding for air traffic control. And so on! There are theories as to why newspapers — on the local and national levels — do so much lifting on the news front. Mine relates to focus. Though modern-day imperatives force them into podcasting and video gigs, newspaper reporters benefit from a simplicity of mission — report, report, report, attend depressing meeting, type, type, type. For TV correspondents, the routine is more like report, look good, check sound, check physique, hang out at the site of an accident that occurred three days ago, type, report, do hair and makeup, do panel discussion, post selfie to social media, wash off makeup, report, type. Frequent visitors here may recognize this topic as a hobbyhorse of mine. Just a few months ago, I wrote about how Fox News bashes mainstream media organizations — including newspapers — even as it relies upon them to feed its 24/7 appetite for content. Peak hypocrisy. Not sure whether it's more or less craven than a tech outfit claiming that it's improving upon the offerings of legacy media.
Yahoo
21-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
"2024 Yuewen Global IP Awards" Shines in Singapore as the "Bellwether of Chinese IP Development"
Stars Qin Li, Dylan Wang, Tao Yin, RuoYun Zhang to Attend SINGAPORE, Feb. 21, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- On February 28, 2025, the "2024 Yuewen Global IP Awards" will take place at Resorts World Sentosa in Singapore. The event will feature diverse programs including the release of the annual IP honor list, captivating stage performances, a star-studded red-carpet show, and an insightful industry forum. It aims to build a platform to promote IP industry integration and serve as a gateway for Chinese IPs to expand internationally. The event will attract a total of over 3,000 industry luminaries, cultural icons, and IP fans worldwide. Notable attendees include over 100 globally renowned online literature authors with cumulative hundreds of millions of fans, such as Cuttlefish That Loves Diving, Er Gen, Paperboy, The Speaking Pork Trotter, Qian Shan Cha Ke, Tian Xia Gui Yuan, Aoki_Aku, Guiltythree, and JKSManga. For instance, Cuttlefish That Loves Diving's works Lord of Mysteries and Circle of Inevitability have amassed over 40 million global readers. Meanwhile, IP adaptations like Guardians of the Dafeng (based on Paperboy's web novel), The Double (based on Qian Shan Cha Ke's web novel), and Blossom (based on Zhi Zhi's web novel) have dominated 2024's hit drama rankings. Adding to the glamour, film and TV stars including XiaoWei Duan, Qin Li, Gang Wu, Dylan Wang, RunZe Wang, Ava Wang, Kiki Xu, Tao Yin, RuoYun Zhang, and Zhu Zhu, alongside music artists Loger, Mario, Laure Shang, Azora Chin, Angela Zhang, will grace the event (Names arranged in alphabetical order from A - Z based on their family names). They will join representatives from China and Singapore's IP sectors, industry associations, academia, and IP industry partners to celebrate the rise of China's IP ecosystem. A highlight of the evening will be the unveiling of Yuewen's highly anticipated annual IP honor list, which includes but is not limited to Influential Novels of the Year, Most Anticipated Adaptations, Outstanding Author of the Year, and Actor of the Year. The awards spotlight 2024's top-performing IPs across literature, animation, film, TV, gaming, and merchandise, showcasing Chinese cultural and entertainment industry achievements in 2024. First launched in 2015, the awards have evolved into a "bellwether of Chinese IP development" renowned for their authority and influence. Notably, all past award-winning works have initiated or completed IP adaptation, spanning publishing, audiobooks, comics and animation, TV dramas and films, gaming, and merchandise. Over 70% of these IPs have achieved international success. For example, Joy of Life 2 (winner of "Most Anticipated Adaptations" last year) broke viewership records on Tencent Video and became the most-watched Chinese series on Disney+ in 2024. Other hits like Guardians of the Dafeng, The Legend of ShenLi, The Outcast, and Tales of Herding Gods have dominated various markets, validating the list's industry impact. In 2024, China's "Goods Economy" (the booming IP-derived merchandise market) surged to 168.9 billion yuan, marking a 40% year-on-year increase and entering a golden growth phase. Projections suggest the market will exceed 308.9 billion yuan by 2029. In keeping with this trend, the "2024 Yuewen Global IP Awards" will debut new award categories for IP merchandise and IP cross - brand marketing, accelerating synergy between the IP and retail economies. Historically, many of the entertainment industry's most iconic works, ranging from classics such as Gone with the Wind and The Godfather to more contemporary sensations like Harry Potter, The Lord of the Rings, and House of Cards, originated from novels. The publishing landscape has undergone a drastic evolution. Chinese companies, with Yuewen serving as a prime example, are now tapping into the potential of digital publishing platforms, web novels, and their authors for comprehensive IP development. These elements offer a rich trove of high-quality content, complete with built - in, passionate fan bases, presenting a valuable new resource for the entertainment industry. The "2024 Yuewen Global IP Awards" will be live-streamed on WeTV at 6 p.m. on February 28, 2025. About Yuewen Yuewen (HKEX: 0772 China Literature Limited) is a culture and entertainment group that was founded in March 2015. It focuses on creating and developing intellectual property (IP) derived from online literature. Yuewen has a diverse portfolio of well-known brands, such as QQ Reading, Qidian, New Classics Media, and Tencent Animation & Comics. It serves as a platform for tens of millions of creators and a rich reserve of literary works across 200 genres, catering to hundreds of millions of users. Yuewen is renowned for its celebrated IP portfolio, which includes popular titles like Joy of Life, My Heroic Husband, Candle in the Tomb, The King's Avatar, Soul Land, and Nirvana in Fire. It has successfully expanded its reach across various media formats, including audiobooks, animation, comics, films, drama series, games, and offline merchandise. For more information, please visit View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE Yuewen
