Brian Fung,

Brian Fung is a technology reporter who covers the intersection of business and policy. Latest Brian Fung is a technology reporter who covers the intersection of business and policy. A native of Washington, D.C., Brian spent almost six years at The Washington Post, where he wrote extensively about the media industry's struggle to adapt to the Internet; the battle over net neutrality; and the rise of novel innovations such as self-driving cars. Prior to The Post, Brian served numerous roles at Atlantic Media, where he was the technology correspondent at National Journal and an associate editor at The Atlantic. He is a graduate of Middlebury College and the London School of Economics, and speaks two dialects of Chinese. Brian is fond of cycling and backcountry camping, and when he's not on a hiking trip, likes to play board games and video games with friends at his home in Washington.

Biography:  https://www.cnn.com/profiles/brian-fung

75%

The overall score is a weighted number that takes into account conflict of interest, bias, deception and other practices that undermines the credibility of the source. It is calculated as:
Analysis.OverallConflictOfInterestScore * 0.3F + Analysis.OverallBiasScore * 0.3F + Analysis.DeceptivenessScore * 0.3F + Analysis.ReadabilityScore * 0.1F

A score that takes into consideration the content for flow, interruptions with ads, and overt search engine optimization techniques that makes the content hard to understand

The Daily's Verdict

This author has a mixed reputation for journalistic standards. It is advisable to fact-check, scrutinize for bias, and check for conflicts of interest before relying on the author's reporting.

Bias

86%

Examples:

  • California Attorney General Rob Bonta said in a news conference Thursday that the landmark lawsuit filed against Apple will ultimately be good for business and consumers. However, this is not entirely accurate as it implies that Bonta believes the lawsuit to be pro-business when he actually stated it was 'pro-consumer.'
  • The alarm over an outage of a major cell network that at one point affected more than 74,000 customers is understandable.
  • The author uses sensationalist language such as 'landmark' and 'vital component', which could mislead readers into believing that this is a significant event.

Conflicts of Interest

75%

Examples:

  • For many critics of Live Nation, the Swift debacle revealed how a lack of competition has led to harms ranging from poor customer service to confusing pricing to expensive ticketing fees to restrictions on ticket resales - amounting to what many consumers complain of as death by a thousand cuts.
  • Frank McCourt is laying the groundwork to acquire TikTok as part of a broad initiative to make a healthier internet.

Contradictions

92%

Examples:

  • Almost 6 years at The Washington Post, Brian covered the media industry's struggle to adapt to the Internet; the battle over net neutrality; and the rise of novel innovations such as self-driving cars.
  • Apple iPhone 15 models are displayed at a store on its release day.
  • Nearly 12-hour AT&T network outage
  • Several local governments said on Thursday that the AT&T outage was causing disruptions and that in some cases AT&T customers were unable to call emergency services.
  • The key battleground ahead is what's considered a market?

Deceptions

62%

Examples:

  • The article contains selective reporting by only mentioning two markets that Apple has allegedly monopolized while ignoring any other potential areas of concern.
  • The author claims that California Attorney General Rob Bonta said in a news conference that the landmark lawsuit filed against Apple will ultimately be good for business and consumers. However, this is not entirely accurate as it implies that Bonta believes the lawsuit to be pro-business when he actually stated it was 'pro-consumer.'.
  • The FBI, meanwhile, said in a statement to CNN that it is in contact with AT&T regarding the outage.

Recent Articles

Justice Department and 29 States Sue Live Nation Entertainment for Alleged Monopoly in Live Entertainment Industry: Time to Break Up Live Nation-Ticketmaster?

Justice Department and 29 States Sue Live Nation Entertainment for Alleged Monopoly in Live Entertainment Industry: Time to Break Up Live Nation-Ticketmaster?

Broke On: Thursday, 23 May 2024 The Justice Department and 29 states have filed a lawsuit against Live Nation Entertainment, alleging monopolistic practices in the live entertainment industry through its subsidiary Ticketmaster. The government accuses Live Nation of engaging in exclusive ticketing contracts, pressuring artists, and threatening rivals. With control over 60% of concert promotions and 80% or more of primary ticketing at major venues, Live Nation is accused of resulting in higher ticket prices and stifling competition. The company disputes the allegations and supports ticketing reforms.
Billionaire Frank McCourt's Bid to Rebuild TikTok: A New Social Media Platform Focused on Individual Rights and Data Control

Billionaire Frank McCourt's Bid to Rebuild TikTok: A New Social Media Platform Focused on Individual Rights and Data Control

Broke On: Wednesday, 15 May 2024 Billionaire Frank McCourt aims to buy TikTok, addressing privacy concerns and giving users control over their data in a potential $100 billion deal. The social media giant, which connects over 170 million users worldwide, faces pressure from the US government due to its Chinese ownership. McCourt plans to seek funding and advisement for this 'people's bid', aiming to create a platform that respects individuals' rights.
Apple Faces Antitrust Lawsuit Over Anti-Competitive Practices

Apple Faces Antitrust Lawsuit Over Anti-Competitive Practices

Broke On: Thursday, 21 March 2024 Apple faces antitrust lawsuit from US government and 16 attorneys general over anti-competitive practices, limiting consumer choices and preventing competition in marketplace. If you use an iPhone, you are subject to several limitations such as not being able to easily read iMessage chats on PCs as compared to Macs. Apple has been accused of keeping customers reliant on their iPhones by implementing practices that make it difficult for them to switch.
Nationwide AT&T Outage Leaves Thousands Without Service for Hours

Nationwide AT&T Outage Leaves Thousands Without Service for Hours

Broke On: Friday, 23 February 2024 On February 23rd, AT&T customers experienced a nationwide network outage that lasted for several hours due to an incorrect process used during network expansion. Thousands of customers lost cellular service and faced issues with phone calls, texting, internet access on their mobile devices, and even calling emergency services in some cases. While AT&T has apologized for the inconvenience caused by this outage, it is unclear whether they will offer any credit or compensation to affected customers.
Big Tech Faces Brutal Questioning on Capitol Hill over Harmful Content for Kids and Teens

Big Tech Faces Brutal Questioning on Capitol Hill over Harmful Content for Kids and Teens

Broke On: Wednesday, 31 January 2024 Big Tech faces scrutiny on Capitol Hill over harmful content targeting minors. Senator Marsha Blackburn confronted Zuckerberg about internal Meta documents estimating the lifetime value of a teen user at $270.

Google's Advanced AI Model Gemini: A Leap Forward or Peak AI Hype?

Broke On: Wednesday, 06 December 2023 Google has launched its most advanced AI model, Gemini, to compete with OpenAI's GPT models. Gemini is a multimodal model that can process and understand various types of information including text, audio, images, video, and programming code. Gemini has reportedly outperformed rival AI models in reading comprehension, mathematical ability, and reasoning skills. Some experts argue that Gemini's capabilities are not substantially different from previous models and may signal peak AI hype. Gemini comes in three versions: Pro, Nano, and Ultra. The Ultra version is currently being tested externally and is expected to be released publicly in early 2024.