One year ago this week, Chicago Public Media announced the acquisition of The Chicago Sun-Times, a public radio station combining forces with a cherished hometown newspaper. The Chicago merger has created one of the largest nonprofit news enterprises in … Read more
When my wife and I visited New York in December, I wasn’t sure if we’d be safe on the subway, walking up and down the streets, or if it would be wiser to stick to Uber. I’m certain a major … Read more
On the very first day of my “Reporting on Climate Change” class at the Harvard Extension School last August, a student asked if I had any strategies for responding to editors who say there’s not enough room for in-depth climate … Read more
Since the $44 billion acquisition of Twitter by Elon Musk went through in late October, the social media platform has seen a lot of change. Within Musk’s first week on the job, Twitter’s staff of 7,500 employees was cut in … Read more
The news that Elon Musk was actually going through with the purchase of Twitter came as a genuine surprise to me. From the start I somewhat assumed Musk was throwing his money and influence around, hoping to affect change at … Read more
A few years ago, at a conference, I said that Mexico had more protection for journalists and press freedom than the United States, Great Britain, or France. I got confused stares in response. Mexico, as everyone there knew, is … Read more
When news organizations cover police statements, why do they do it? This isn’t a trick question. Or it shouldn’t be. In theory, reporters seek police comments to better understand matters of community safety and urgent public concern. Police statements, in … Read more
Driving home from the beach a few weeks ago, I listened to a guest on NPR assert that most of the damage from Hurricane Ian was insured, implying, I imagined, that homeowners would rebuild without too much trouble. Wait, I … Read more
Whatever happened to values voters? Were they wiped off the face of Earth like dinosaurs? Hitched a ride on unidentified interstellar object Oumuamua, which Harvard astrophysicist Avi Loeb thinks might be evidence of alien intelligence, and are now on … Read more
They said it wouldn’t work. They had said the same thing when we started Daily Maverick, a fiercely independent, long-form news publisher, in 2009. At least they were consistent. Most people couldn’t get their heads wrapped around a voluntary membership … Read more
