Netflix Gives Obamas Global Reach, Local Responsibility
*By Britt Terrell and Max Godnick*
Netflix's international distribution can help Barack and Michelle Obama reach a wide audience for whatever programming they decide to create, according to TV critics and media analysts.
"They are a power couple and this is a power move," Natasha Alford, the deputy editor for TheGrio, said in an interview with Cheddar.
Netflix and the Obamas announced a multi-year deal Monday for the former first couple to produce scripted and unscripted shows, series, features and documentaries for the streaming service by way of the Obamas' Higher Ground Productions.
Neither Netflix nor the Obamas have shared the specifics of exactly what kinds of content they will make under their new production company, Higher Ground Productions. [The New York Times] (https://www.nytimes.com/2018/05/21/us/politics/barack-obama-netflix-show.html) reported that the former president does not plan to make content that directly attacks President Donald Trump or conservative media outlets like Fox News.
"Whatever format they want to tell these stories whether it's focused on education or gun control or the health of our young people ー these are issues that are important to them," said Kristen Baldwin, the TV critic for Entertainment Weekly, who said the Netflix deal could help the Obamas amplify the work of their foundation.
Alford of the TheGrio agrees: "I think we're going to see material that's more along the lines of what is on the Obama Foundation [YouTube channel] (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCiaba-DmYJacphj7r7Knrwg)," she said on Cheddar.
The deal gives the Obamas direct access to Netflix's 125 million worldwide subscribers.
"The Obama's want a global audience, Netflix has it," Baldwin said Tuesday in an interview with Cheddar. "And they are also giving them the freedom to create any type of program that they find interesting."
With that freedom, however, comes the responsibility to provide content that would otherwise not be available if commercial and corporate interests had the final say, said Alexander Heffner, the host of "The Open Mind" on PBS.
He said the Obamas should also use Netflix's reach to serve people who that might not have access to high-speed internet and reach communities that would benefit from high-quality programming.
"It should be integrated in classrooms," Heffner said on Cheddar. "As long as the Obamas' contract says that they can do that and not charge whatever public school district from Tucson to Des Moines."
Alford said the move makes sense given Barack Obama's early adoption of technology and social media during his presidential campaign in 2008.
"He was one of the first to really understand grassroots digital activism and getting people behind him," she said. "Of course he would be getting ahead of the curve and thinking about Netflix."
For the full interview, [click here](https://cheddar.com/videos/obamas-sign-multi-year-netflix-deal).
Hinge users who have children can opt-in to a $100 stipend up to $25,000 for childcare. Logan Ury, the director of relationship science for the online dating platform, noted the issue as an obstacle for single parents who want to go out on dates. "We have heard that singles with children have a hard time going on dates for one of the reasons being that it's just hard to find childcare and it's hard to be able to afford it," she said. Ury also said that the hot topic among Hinge's users is mental health and the prioritizing of mental health.
On this episode of Cheddar Innovates: CEO of HereAfter AI discusses how artificial intelligence can be used to preserve family history and stories, and allow you to 'talk' to loved ones that have passed; Creator of the board game 'Travel Explore Discover' explains how she came up with the idea for this informative and educational board game, and how she's using the proceeds to give back to her community; Cheddar gets a look at Curiosity Stream's 'The Humboldt Current.'
James Vlahos, Co-Founder and CEO of HereAfter AI, joins Cheddar Innovates to discuss how artificial intelligence can be used to preserve family history and stories, and allow you to 'talk' to loved ones that have passed.
Facebook parent Meta’s miss on Q4 earnings raised alarm bells amongst investors. The tech giant lost users for the first time as it invests a lot into the metaverse, its virtual realm, in the hopes that consumers will move their social media consumption there. The stock dropped around 25 percent on the report, and CEO Mark Zuckerberg chalked it up to people flocking toward apps like TikTok, even as his own platform attempts to make a big pivot to the metaverse future. "It's gonna take a long time to develop and it's gonna take a long time to bring to fruition," Rebecca Walser, president of Walser Wealth Management told Cheddar. "In the meantime, the world is moving on. We have a very short attention span, especially on social media, and we want the short little videos. And Tiktok has just taken off."
Just this week, Facebook's parent company Meta released an update for its 3D avatar creation on Facebook and messenger. This update is encouraging users of Instagram to create their virtual selves, and it is an early step towards making the metaverse vision a reality. David Ewalt, editor-in-chief at Gizmodo joins Cheddar News to discuss.
Ed Butowsky, managing partner at Chapwood Investments, joined Wake Up With Cheddar to break down the disappointing takeaways from Spotify's Q4 earnings report, which sent the stock plunging.
Google parent company Alphabet saw yet another successful quarter reporting its final earnings report for 2021 on Tuesday. The tech giant beat Wall Street expectations across the board with much of that success owed to not only the growth of its cloud business, but also its multi-platform advertising. Joanna O'Connell, Principal Analyst at Forrester explains why advertising may be one of the keys to Alphabet’s future success.
