The Guardian goes into the AP cesspool and gets Orwellian

 Two stories whose bare links I dumped on Twitter when they were "live" but that deserve more attention.

First, the "cesspool."

The Guardian has announced that, like the Associated Press, it's going into the e-commerce world. Who the partner is, I don't know. But, since it has a strong presence in the US, could it be Taboola, like AP? Or is there an exclusivity deal between those two?

That said, the cesspool is that it has no paywall and continues to indicate it won't adopt one. Neither does the AP, though it, like the Guardian, shoves out the tip jar requests.

The piece says:

Chief financial and operating officer Keith Underwood has revealed The Guardian will begin making product recommendations “based on the trust that we’ve got within the brand” with the aim of making revenue through affiliate links.

Isn't that the way these things always work? Like the Sierra Club offering a backpack for memberships, and this nearly 20 years ago, and when people like me asked its provenance and Sierra Club said "trust us" and of course ... already 20 years ago? Made in China.

So, no, Keith Underwood, why would I trust you? Old man Stott is surely turning over in his grave.

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The Orwellian?

The Guardian, as part of the 30 or more people it's kicked to the door recently, as part of cuts mentioned at the first link?

Martin Chulov, who won the Orwell Prize a couple of years ago, has not only been shit-canned, his byline has been erased at the Guardian website.

That shit-canning apparently was for more than or other than cost-cutting, though. The link mentions an "internal investigation" along with Chulov's categorical denial it found anything. An internet search led to a link that said it was for "hitting women," but the link for Press Reader says the story is gone. That appears to have been Daily Mail, but it's referenced by sites like this that have still-active links, and indicate the allegations are of sexual as well as physical assault. Chulov was questioned by British police. The Guardian investigation reportedly sustained the physical assault but not sexual assault claims.

It's still Orwellian to erase his byline.