TicToc, Bloomberg’s 24/7 news network built for social distribution, is hoping to curb the spread of fake news surrounding Tuesday’s midterm election with a series of verified Twitter Moments.
The network, which specializes in smaller, snack-sized clips based on current news events, will create 50 Twitter Moments (one for each U.S. State) surrounding the midterm election.
Its Twitter Moments — which enables TicToc to stitch together multiple tweets into slideshow-like stories — will include real-time updates on election outcomes, a “what you need to know about the candidates” segment and verified tweets from the candidates themselves as well as from other politicians, Bloomberg reporters and thought leaders in the space. At the end of the night, TicToc will create one Master Moment that contains every state-level Moment so viewers can get the entire overview of the night.
“We find that with how crowded and sort of saturated Twitter can be, whether it’s with fake news or just a lot of different outlets poking at the same story, Moments allow us to create this curated feed of verified information where we can say, ‘OK, here’s the top story of the day and here’s what’s important,'” TicToc’s head of social Catherine Taibi told TheWrap’s VideoInk.
Taibi emphasized that the tweets and info curated in each Moment will be verified by one of Bloomberg’s network of 2,700 journalists and analysts, making it a reliable source of information.
“It’s really our attempt at fighting through fake news and fighting through the saturation that will be Twitter on election night,” she added.
The TicToc exec said that discoverability is one of the big reasons the network decided to double down on Twitter Moments, as opposed to live streaming the coverage or stitching together one large video that lives on its profile page. This is because with Twitter Moments, TicToc can reach people who aren’t following the digital news network’s Twitter page, extending its reach to everyone on the social platform.
In addition to its coverage on Twitter, Bloomberg.com and the Bloomberg mobile app will feature a live blog and interactive election results map, where users can filter races by attributes, such as where women are running or which states are key races. The map will also link out to each of the 50 State Moments on @TicToc.
Launched in late 2017, TicToc is currently only available on Twitter, but is expected to extend its reach to other social platforms in the coming year. The digital network is made up of 60 editors, producers, social curators, product developers, engineers and designers operating across offices in New York, London and Hong Kong. All of the content posted on TicToc is verified by Bloomberg’s network of journalists and analysts in more than 120 countries.
26 Streaming TV Shows You Can Binge in a Weekend (Photos)
Labor Day is a great time to hang out with friends and family and do some grilling. It's also a great time to stay in, watch TV, and do absolutely nothing else. Thanks to streaming services like Netflix, HBO Go, Hulu and Amazon Prime, there are a ton of great shows you can stream while you're avoiding sunlight. Here are 26 that you'll be able to wrap up before heading back to work next week.
"Altered Carbon" (Netflix)
A gritty sci-fi murder mystery, "Altered Carbon" takes place in the distant future, where consciousness can be downloaded and people can switch bodies to live forever -- if they can afford it. Action-packed and twisty, "Altered Carbon" is a great 10-episode mystery to work through on your days off.
Netflix
"The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel" (Amazon Prime)
Amazon's period comedy about a housewife turned stand-up comedian took home Golden Globes this year for best comedy TV series and best actress in a comedy series for star Rachel Brosnahan. The funny, expertly cast comedy with eight hour-long episodes to keep you busy for a couple days.
Netflix
"Lost in Space" (Netflix)
Netflix rebooted the 1960s sci-fi TV show "Lost in Space," creating a more modern version of the Robinson family that feels grounded, while still "out there" in a similar way as the original. Parker Posey is also a standout as the slimy Dr. Smith in the 10-episode first season.
Netflix
"The Runaways" (Hulu)
The first Marvel show to make it to Hulu is a refreshing change from the Netflix takes. It follows a group of teenagers as they realize not only that they're special, but that their conspiratorial parents are not to be trusted. At 10 episodes, it's a quick watch and an interesting take on superhero TV shows.
Hulu
"Jack Ryan" (Amazon Prime)
Amazon gives a new look at Tom Clancy's many-storied spy, with John Krasinski taking on the role of the CIA analyst who quickly finds himself trying to take down terrorists. The eight-episode season is a relatively quick watch but has plenty of action and intrigue to keep viewers engaged.
Netflix
"Wormwood" (Netflix)
Directed by legendary documentarian Errol Morris, the hybrid docu-drama miniseries "Wormwood" digs into the story of a man's death, reportedly as part of a CIA experiment in the 1950s. But as files are declassified and more information comes to light, "Wormwood" tells the story of a possible Cold War conspiracy, reenacted by some top Hollywood talent. If you're looking for a new true crime obsession, the six-part miniseries is perfect.
Netflix
"Future Man" (Hulu)
A guy who finds himself recruited by soldiers from the future to fight genetically enhanced bad guys in "Future Man," because he's awesome at a video game. Turns out, he's not especially good at anything else. Riffing on classics like "Back to the Future," "Future Man" is pretty funny, and pretty smart, too. And with one season out, it's easy to work through in a couple of lazy days.
Hulu
"Dark" (Netflix)
It's easy to get lost in the mystery of "Dark," which centers on a small German town where children keep going missing. Before long, it becomes clear there' sci-fi spookiness afoot, as events start to mirror similar ones that happened 33 years ago. With the first season available, "Dark" is a quick watch that will keep you glued to your seat.
Netflix
"The Orville" (Hulu)
The first season of "The Orville" is all available on Hulu, and anybody itching for a return to old-school "Star Trek" should give it a shot. The show is basically what would happen if regular people served on the U.S.S. Enterprise -- a humorous and accessible take on the "Star Trek" formula, but which still gets what made those series so endearing.
Fox
"The Punisher" (Netflix)
The latest of the Marvel Netflix series follows a former marine who takes down criminals -- and finds himself unwittingly at the center of a conspiracy. "The Punisher" might be the best of the Marvel series so far, balancing the Punisher taking down bad guys and dealing with his own personal demons.
Netflix
“The Night Of” (HBO Go, HBO Now)
HBO’s short miniseries starts with an accusation and a murder, and spirals from there. Naz is a Muslim kid arrested for a murder he can’t remember if he committed, and even before his trial, the situation ripples out to affect everyone even remotely related to him or the crime. It’s a dark and dramatic look into the criminal justice system that goes beyond the usual police procedural.
HBO
“The People vs. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story” (Netflix)
Looking back into the American zeitgeist of 1994, FX’s drama adaptation of the trial of the century is an enthralling 10 episodes. It’s brilliantly cast and captures the moment, with all its bizarre and upsetting ins and outs, extremely well.
Netflix
“The OA” (Netflix)
Diving deep into the "strange and mysterious serialized show" category is "The OA," about a kidnapped blind woman who returns to her hometown with the ability to see. The series gets even weirder after that, constantly posing mysterious questions about the woman's powers and her kidnapping. The strangeness only escalates, so binge now for a mystery to solve ahead of the show's second season.
Netflix
"Castle Rock" (Hulu)
Part adaptation, part original story, "Castle Rock" takes place in the spooky town that's the setting for many of Stephen King's spookiest stories. "Castle Rock" is still airing new episodes weekly in the first season of the anthology series, but there are enough to make what's available a binge-worthy proposition.
“Black Mirror” (Netflix)
There are actually four seasons' worth of episodes of “Black Mirror” available on Netflix, but at only six episodes each, the series is just contained enough that you can get through the whole thing in a couple of days. It’s worth it, too, as “Black Mirror” puts a “Twilight Zone” twist on modern technology and human relationships.
Netflix
“The Jinx” (HBO Go and HBO Now)
The story of Robert Durst is a strange one, filled with disappearances, murder, dismemberment, and bad disguises. The six-episode documentary miniseries goes through the story of Durst's early life and the disappearance of his wife, through two other deaths, and ends with a possible bombshell break in the case. It's the kind of binge watch material that's hard to pull away from.
HBO
“The Fall” (Netflix)
This British police procedural about a detective hunting a serial killer stars Gillian Anderson of “X-Files” fame and Jamie Dornan of “Fifty Shades of Grey.” Though it covers three total seasons, the shorter series of BBC shows means the grand total is just 17 episodes.
Netflix
“Band of Brothers” (HBO Go and HBO Now)
Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks produced this drama that follows the 101st Airborne through the European Theater in World War II. Intense, personal and powerful, the 10-part series tells the story of the war in a way that few other movies or series have captured.
HBO
“Making a Murderer” (Netflix)
This intensive documentary series covers the story of Steven Avery, who was exonerated of a rape accusation before being arrested for murder. The documentary covers the sorted story of the crime, the investigation, and the prosecution over 10 episodes, raising plenty of questions about whether Avery is guilty along the way.
Netflix
“Crazy Head” (Netflix)
British horror-comedy “Crazy Head” is about two women who can see demons. At first they think they’re crazy — but then they realize the demons are real. Over six episodes, Amy and Raquel battle the forces of evil, making it a funny experience that’s easy to knock out in a hurry.
Netflix
“11.22.63” (Hulu)
Adapting Stephen King’s novel of the same name, “11.22.63” sends James Franco back in time from 2016 to the 1960s. The plan: stop the assassination of John F. Kennedy and rewrite the entire future of America for the better. The entire story is perfect weekend material, covered in just eight episodes.
Hulu
"The Young Pope" (HBO Go, HBO Now)
Jude Law is the first American pope in a dark comedy about religion, authority, politics and backstabbing. "The Young Pope" has its surreal moments as Law's Pius XIII tries to deflect the machinations of the cardinals around him and figure out what to handle being His Holiness.
HBO
"Big Little Lies" (HBO Go, HBO Now)
HBO's scandal- and rumor-fueled dark comedy "Big Little Lies" also became a whodunit as its drama unfolded. With a star-studded cast that includes Reese Witherspoon, Nicole Kidman, Shailene Woodley, Alexander Skarsgard and Laura Dern, and clocking in at only seven episodes, "Big Little Lies" is a quick, high-quality watch. A second season of the show is on the way, but it probably won't land until 2019, so you've got plenty of time to catch up.
HBO
"The Confession Tapes" (Netflix)
The latest true crime documentary series on Netflix focuses on several cases in which people confessed to crimes they claim they didn't actually commit. Each case will leave viewers wondering if the people in question really are the perpetrators, or if police misconduct, psychological probing and other factors are really to blame for creating false confessions. There are no easy answers, but the questions "The Confession Tapes" raises about the American justice system are definitely interesting ones.
Netflix
"The Keepers" (Netflix)
Another of Netflix's lengthy true crime documentary sets out to try to find the killer of Sister Cathy Cesnick, a Catholic nun and teacher who died in 1969. The show quickly uncovers a sprawling, horrific tale of sexual abuse at a Baltimore Catholic school that might have led to Sister Cathy's murder, and possibly a cover up.
NBC
"The Staircase" (Netflix)
Dig into the story of the murder trial of Michael Peterson, accused of killing his wife Kathleen on the staircase in their house, as the story spans more than a decade. Netflix's new documentary adds three new episodes to the story of the trial, which took place in 2003, and its aftermath, digging into the investigation surrounding Peterson, the trial, and his ultimate fate.
If you’re looking to beat the heat and stay home, settle in with these great streaming shows you can wrap up over the course of a few easy-going days
Labor Day is a great time to hang out with friends and family and do some grilling. It's also a great time to stay in, watch TV, and do absolutely nothing else. Thanks to streaming services like Netflix, HBO Go, Hulu and Amazon Prime, there are a ton of great shows you can stream while you're avoiding sunlight. Here are 26 that you'll be able to wrap up before heading back to work next week.