Opinion

“A Wake in Words”: The Importance of Obituaries During — and After — the Pandemic

“A Wake in Words”: The Importance of Obituaries During — and After — the Pandemic

Unless news organizations continue to invest in obituaries, a fundamental way of keeping people together — and informed — will be lost
July 19, 2021
Maureen O’Donnell
The Real Meaning of “He’s No Angel” for Journalism

The Real Meaning of “He’s No Angel” for Journalism

Why an artist’s angelic rendering of George Floyd could help change the way journalists describe victims of police violence
July 14, 2021
Austin Bogues
“As Journalists, Our Greatest Tool is Telling Stories that Bind Us, that Connect the Dots”

“As Journalists, Our Greatest Tool is Telling Stories that Bind Us, that Connect the Dots”

The executive editor of The Providence Journal on how his identity as the first-generation son of immigrant Chinese parents informs his journalism
July 8, 2021
David Ng
There Is an Open War on Facts and Truth. That’s Why We Need Accountability Reporting in Political Stories

There Is an Open War on Facts and Truth. That’s Why We Need Accountability Reporting in Political Stories

It’s past time to move on from “both sides” reporting and stop worrying about faux cries of bias
June 17, 2021
Tim Lambert
Challenging Traditional Views of Objectivity Is Not a Call to Lower Standards But to Reexamine Them

Challenging Traditional Views of Objectivity Is Not a Call to Lower Standards But to Reexamine Them

The New York Times story about internal struggles at the ACLU. is an illustration of the futility of clinging to “objectivity.” It parallels the wrestling over the First Amendment and…
June 11, 2021
Issac J. Bailey
Post-Covid, Newsrooms Should Cover What’s Going Right in Indian Country, Too

Post-Covid, Newsrooms Should Cover What’s Going Right in Indian Country, Too

The mainstream press covered Indian Country at its worst. Its Covid-19 recovery is just as newsworthy
June 8, 2021
Kyle Edwards
3 Steps Toward Making NPR More Inclusive and Diverse

3 Steps Toward Making NPR More Inclusive and Diverse

Creating public media for everyone means realizing a more equitable distribution of power. Here’s how
June 4, 2021
Tina Pamintuan
In Polarized Times, Local Papers Need to Lean Even Harder into Tough Issues

In Polarized Times, Local Papers Need to Lean Even Harder into Tough Issues

Local newsrooms should report with nuance, grace, and empathy — especially when covering political hot-button issues
June 2, 2021
Austin Bogues
Lukashenko’s Hijacking of the Free Press in Belarus

Lukashenko’s Hijacking of the Free Press in Belarus

Calls for Raman Pratasevich’s freedom need to be coupled with demands that all media in Belarus are free to report without fear of reprisal
May 25, 2021
Ann Cooper
For Visual Journalists, The Pandemic Was Creative Inspiration to Try Harder

For Visual Journalists, The Pandemic Was Creative Inspiration to Try Harder

At the Minneapolis Star Tribune, photographers and videographers didn’t flinch from showing what was happening, but they also portrayed subjects in their full humanity
May 24, 2021
Deb Pastner