In the normal course of human affairs, journalism is the first rough draft of history. In a pandemic, however, journalism is the first rough draft of the future. We are all sitting alone in our homes. We are also sitting … Read more
I can’t say with any certainty whether Joe Biden, the current front-runner for the Democratic nomination for president, is in “cognitive decline,” as many journalists and critics have begun to ponder aloud. I can say with certainty that what you … Read more
When The Washington Post tried to silence reporter Felicia Sonmez, it was likely guided by a tradition bias — a preference for the way things have been over how they should be — that has caused numerous news organizations to … Read more
This column was supported by the Pulitzer Center In a recent tweet, NPR’s New Delhi producer condemned the entire Hindu religion for India’s problems. She said, “If Indians give up Hinduism, they will also be solving most of their problems … Read more
I have no interest in re-litigating why you chose to apologize for simply doing your job as a journalist. Plenty of others have already done so, some condescendingly, some empathetically. Instead I … Read more
Since the attacks of 9/11, the United States has been in a perpetual state of fighting, in places like Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria, Yemen, Somalia, and Libya. About 7,000 American troops have been killed and at least … Read more
We simply wanted to get everyone around one table. Dreading the one-year commemoration of the synagogues shootings in Pittsburgh’s Squirrel Hill neighborhood, on October 27, one of the congregation leaders said with exasperation: “The media’s going … Read more
It’s tempting to fall back on journalistic defaults during confusing times like these, such as making political ramifications the primary focus of the unfolding scandal involving President Donald Trump and his attempts to influence the 2020 elections by pressuring … Read more
Nieman Foundation deputy curator James Geary delivered this talk to the Samsung Press Foundation in Seoul earlier this summer. I would like to talk to you tonight about football, American football, unfortunately, not the kind of football that is … Read more
The optics were flawless. The best Hollywood screenwriters and directors could not have produced a better performance. There he was, a black Republican, a decorated war hero and general, a secretary of state who was one of the most trusted … Read more