Press Play with Madeleine Brand
The Cost of the Sony Hack, Florida-Cuba Politics, and L.A.’s Best Restaurants
What’s the financial cost of the Sony hack, from legal fees to lost business? It could be the most expensive computer breach in history. Also, two of L.A.’s most well-known restaurant critics duke it out over the city’s best new eateries of 2014.
By Madeleine Brand • • 52m ListenWe start with a look at the enormous financial cost of the Sony Pictures email hack, from legal fees to lost business. Then, how will the Obama administration’s new policy toward Cuba change politics in Florida? Next, two of L.A.’s most well-known restaurant critics duke it out over what eatery qualifies as the city’s best addition of the year. Turning to media stories, we say goodbye to two transformative series that both air their final episodes today, The Colbert Report and the podcast Serial. And finally, a look at a giant fight between Google News and publishers in our weekly Internet roundup.
Banner Image: Sony Pictures has cancelled the planned US release on 25 December of the film The Interview (poster shown here), after major cinema chains decided not to screen it.
In this episode
5 storiesThe Cost of the Sony Hack
The dark days for Sony Pictures aren’t ending anytime soon. The studio is not releasing the Seth Rogen movie The Interview after threats of terrorist attacks. Meanwhile, the White House has concluded that North Korea was “centrally involved” in the hacking of Sony’s computers.
Read the story8 minCuba, Florida and a Changing Political Landscape
Outside the Versailles restaurant in Miami last night, Cuban-Americans protested and argued over President Obama’s decision to re-establish diplomatic relations with Cuba. Three-quarters of America’s Cuban population lives in Florida, and it’s been a powerful political force in the state. Could the President’s decision change that?
Read the story7 minThe Best L.A. Restaurants of 2014
Where can you find the best meal in Los Angeles? Two prominent restaurant critics duke it out over what place should get top honors for the year. They also talk about the great food spots they agree on, and their secret guilty eating pleasures.
Read the story10 minGoodbye Colbert, Goodbye Serial
Today, we say goodbye to two series that changed their respective media platforms: The Colbert Report and the podcast Serial . What made them game changers, and what can we expect from their last episodes? (No spoilers, we promise!)
Read the story12 minGoogle v Newspapers with “Reply All”
It’s almost 2015, and the battle between publishers and Google News continues -- at least in Spain, where newspapers are furious at the Internet giant for publishing snippets of their articles in search results. So, the country passed a new law to protect the papers, but it might have the opposite effect.
Read the story8 min
