What’s In This Issue?
Story #1: The Slow Demise Of The Laugh Track
This fascinating story focuses on how the laugh track, once a staple of comedy television, is increasingly seen by audiences as manipulative and not particularly trustworthy. For years, the laugh track has existed to make shows seem funnier. In older times, it was even called "sweetening." Today, the desire seems to increasingly be for shows that are actually funny in real time, recorded in front of a real laughing audience.
Story #2: Why L’Oréal Is Thinking Bigger Than Just Selling Products
After a slate of political statements from fashion designers during past fashion weeks, a hot topic in that industry is just how much of a "statement" these brands and their leaders should be making. This story about L’Oréal focuses on a new brand initiative to partner with a UK based charitable group to offer e-mentorship virtual classes to help 10,000 young people build their self-confidence. The brand is also changing its slogan ‘Because you’re worth it’ to ‘We are all worth it’ to reflect its focus on diversity and be more inclusive.
Story #3: Media Reports Fake Story As Real, Kill Their Own Credibility
As the fierce outcry over fake news continues, the mainstream media fails to help its own case by sharing a viral video of a female biker seemingly responding to unsolicited cat calls from workers in a van by chasing them and pulling off a wing mirror. Unfortunately, the episode appeared to have been staged - but many media only qualified that well after initially publishing the story. The net result? Even less trust in media.
Story #4: How "Groundtruthing" May Be The Only Solution
One interesting solution to this desperate quest for the truth is the idea that perhaps we need to remove the many intermediaries. This idea is defined by Heather Taylor, director of creative strategy for The Economist, who says people increasingly prefer "information provided by direct observation as opposed to information provided by inference." In other words, perhaps the only solution to the modern "post-truth" assault on reality from all sides is to only believe what you see with your own eyes.
