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On this week’s If Then, Slate’s April Glaser and Will Oremus talk about Facebook’s fraught plan to rate the media and the cool yet creepy Amazon store that automatically bills you for your purchases. The hosts are joined by Daily Beast technology and culture reporter Taylor Lorenz to talk about the incredible fame, wealth, and influence of young YouTube stars—and their startling business savvy. And, as always, Don’t Close My Tabs: Netflix’s price hike and an inside scoop on last year’s bizarre blowup by the CEO of HQ Trivia.
Stories discussed on the show:
- Slate: There’s One Big Flaw in Facebook’s Plan to Rate News Sources by “Trustworthiness”
- Slate: Amazon Go Is Dazzling. But How Many Jobs Will It Kill?
- Slate: Amazon’s New Checkout-Free Grocery Store Doesn’t Take Food Stamps
- The Daily Beast: YouTube Star Logan Paul Forced to Apologize for Joking About Dead Body in “Suicide Forest”
Don’t Close My Tabs:
- The Washington Post: Netflix Raised Its Prices, and We Kept Subscribing Anyway
- The Daily Beast: CEO of HQ, the Hottest App Going: If You Run This Profile, We’ll Fire Our Host.
Podcast production by Max Jacobs.
If Then plugs:
You can get updates about what’s coming up next by following us on Twitter @ifthenpod. You can follow Will @WillOremus and April @Aprilaser. If you have a question or comment, you can email us at ifthen@slate.com.
If Then is presented by Slate and Future Tense, a collaboration among Arizona State University, New America, and Slate. Future Tense explores the ways emerging technologies affect society, policy, and culture. To read more, follow us on Twitter and sign up for our weekly newsletter.
