404 Media
| Unparalleled access to hidden worlds both online and IRL. | |
 | |
 Screenshot of the website in November 2023 | |
| Format | Digital |
|---|---|
| Owner(s) | Dark Mode, LLC |
| Founder(s) |
|
| Founded | August 22, 2023 |
| Website | 404media |
404 Media is an online publication focusing on technology and internet reporting.[1][2] The publication covers topics such as hacking, sex work, niche online communities, and the right to repair movement.[3][4] The publication is worker-owned.[5]
History
[edit]
404 Media was founded in 2023 by former staff of Vice Media's Motherboard after it filed for bankruptcy.[6][7] Among the founding members of 404 Media were Jason Koebler, the former editor-in-chief at Motherboard, as well as senior editors Emanuel Maiberg and Samantha Cole, and writer Joseph Cox.[1][3] Fast Company summarized the outlet's creation as "bootstrapp[ing] a spartan setup consisting of a Stripe account and the Ghost web-hosting platform".[8]
In November 2024, 404 Media entered an agreement with Wired to co-publish two of its articles a month on the magazine's website.[9]
Business model
[edit]404 Media, incorporated in California as Dark Mode, LLC,[10] is owned by its reporters, a model that was inspired by organizations such as Defector Media and Hell Gate.[3] The company offers two paid tiers, from a $100 annual subscription to a $1,000 annual subscription.[8]
In January 2024, the website began requiring email addresses to make it harder for websites using Artificial Intelligence article spinners to scrape its articles. As of February 2024, the company is profitable.[11]
Notable reports and coverage
[edit]In January 2024, the outlet reported claiming that AI-generated rewrites of 404 Media articles had begun to show up on search engines, with some of these AI-generated stories prioritized over the original article on Google Search.[12][13]
During the Taylor Swift deepfake pornography controversy, a 404 Media investigation discovered that the images originated from 4chan and were being distributed on Telegram before making it onto social media platforms.[7][5]
In February 2024, 404 Media released a report alleging that Tumblr and WordPress were selling users' data to AI companies OpenAI and Midjourney for training purposes.[2] 404 Media has also covered how so-called "ghost kitchens", delivery-focused restaurants on apps such as UberEats and DoorDash that sell food from other restaurants, have utilized generative AI to create product images.[14]
Reception
[edit]In an article about 2024 media industry layoffs, the Financial Times highlighted 404 Media as a successful new media venture amid an "existential crisis" in the industry. The article stated that the publication has been noted for "publishing an eye-catching range of stories about the tech sector", and noted that "Not only is it producing good stories but its founders say it is breaking even".[12]
On 25 July 2024, the Electronic Frontier Foundation announced that 404 Media was to receive one of three 2024 EFF Awards for their "incisive investigative reports, deep-dive features, blogs, and scoops about topics such as hacking, cybersecurity, cybercrime, sex, artificial intelligence, consumer rights, government and law enforcement surveillance, privacy, and the democratization of the internet."[15]
References
[edit]- ^ a b Korach, Natalie (August 22, 2023). "Four Top Vice Journalists Launch Independent Tech Publication". The Wrap. Archived from the original on November 18, 2023. Retrieved January 29, 2024.
- ^ a b Leeman, Zachary (August 22, 2023). "Former Vice Journos Launch 404 Media After Company's Bankruptcy". The Messenger. Archived from the original on August 22, 2023. Retrieved January 29, 2024.
- ^ a b c Robertson, Katie (August 22, 2023). "After Vice's Downfall, Top Journalists Start Their Own Tech Publication". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on November 8, 2023. Retrieved November 8, 2023.
- ^ Bethlehem, Lily (August 23, 2023). "Former Vice Media Staffers Found 404 Media". Jewish Business News. Archived from the original on September 26, 2023. Retrieved January 29, 2024.
- ^ a b Barwick, Ryan (December 12, 2023). "How new tech publication 404 Media is pitching itself to advertisers". Marketing Brew. Archived from the original on February 13, 2024. Retrieved February 13, 2024.
- ^ Bolies, Corbin (August 22, 2023). "Ex-Vice Editors Launch New Outlet Weeks After Bankruptcy Sale". The Daily Beast. Archived from the original on November 8, 2023. Retrieved November 8, 2023.
- ^ a b Moses, Lucia (August 23, 2023). "How 4 Vice alums are building a new media company with ambitions to turn its journalism into film and TV". Business Insider. Archived from the original on November 18, 2023. Retrieved January 29, 2024.
- ^ a b Berkowitz, Joe (November 9, 2023). "Why worker-owned publications like Defector and 404 Media are winning". Fast Company. Archived from the original on February 20, 2024. Retrieved February 19, 2024.
- ^ Roush, Chris (November 4, 2024). "Wired strikes partnership with 404 Media". Talking Biz News. Retrieved November 10, 2024.
- ^ "404 Media Objects to Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton's Subpoena to Access Our Reporting". 404 Media. December 9, 2024. Retrieved December 9, 2024.
- ^ Tameez, Hanaa' (February 12, 2024). "Six months in, journalist-owned tech publication 404 Media is profitable". Nieman Lab. Archived from the original on February 13, 2024. Retrieved February 13, 2024.
- ^ a b Notopoulos, Katie. "AI spam is already starting to ruin the internet". Business Insider. Archived from the original on February 21, 2024. Retrieved February 20, 2024.
- ^ Zeff, Maxwell (January 19, 2024). "Google Sheds Responsibility for AI Sites Dominating Search Results". Yahoo Tech. Archived from the original on February 20, 2024. Retrieved February 20, 2024.
- ^ Mendoza, Diego (February 28, 2024). "Willy Wonka fiasco highlights risks of AI-made ads". Semafor. Archived from the original on March 2, 2024. Retrieved March 6, 2024.
- ^ Release, Press (July 25, 2024). "Electronic Frontier Foundation to Present Annual EFF Awards to Carolina Botero, Connecting Humanity, and 404 Media". Electronic Frontier Foundation. Retrieved July 25, 2024.
