ISSUE

Spring 2016

Covering the Campaign

In a year in which there’s been a sprawling presidential race, a fractured media landscape, and unprecedented opportunities for candidates to appeal directly to voters, campaigning and campaign coverage are being transformed. The press faces a genuine risk of being displaced from its role as a crucial source of insight and information for the electorate. Avoiding this fate will entail a return to some of the basics of coverage, while simultaneously adapting new digital strategies and technologies to remain relevant and accessible.

Articles

News is a Public Good

News is a Public Good

An economics professor argues that journalism outlets should be granted “nonprofit media organization” status
Reporting on Disability with Sensitivity, not Sensationalism

Reporting on Disability with Sensitivity, not Sensationalism

One day back in the spring of 2013, New York Times reporter Dan Barry was looking for a topic for “This Land,” his column about American life, when he came…
Obstacles and Opportunities for Journalists with Disabilities

Obstacles and Opportunities for Journalists with Disabilities

My first real mishap as a blind journalist happened during my first reporting internship at a small public radio station in southern Connecticut. It was a languid summer afternoon, and…
Making News Websites Accessible to All

Making News Websites Accessible to All

For journalists who want to represent readers’ interests, ensuring equal access to online content is essential

Make the News a Conversation

The first time I invited my readers to meet up at a coffee shop, one person came. His name was Jimmy. He was a fan of my geeky news and…
To Stay Relevant, Newsrooms Rethink Campaign Coverage

To Stay Relevant, Newsrooms Rethink Campaign Coverage

Even in his first big presidential campaign, in a milieu where few people were short on confidence, Ted Cruz stood out for his self-assurance and conviction that he knew what…
Loathing on the Campaign Trail

Loathing on the Campaign Trail

If casting for an act one in this inglorious season of American political journalism, a mid-July moment in The Huffington Post newsroom might do. “After watching and listening to Donald…
The Future of Political Fact-Checking

The Future of Political Fact-Checking

In awarding its Lie of the Year title to Donald Trump last December, the staff at PolitiFact had a lot of material from which to choose.During the first GOP debate…
What Every Journalist Should Know About Science

What Every Journalist Should Know About Science

A condition called ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) is—or is not—a precursor of breast cancer. It does—or does not—require treatment. Doctors differ on these questions because definitive scientific evidence doesn’t…
Gabriel Dance of The Marshall Project: "We don't care where you see our content"

Gabriel Dance of The Marshall Project: “We don’t care where you see our content”

For a guy with a bachelor’s degree in computer science and a master’s in multimedia journalism, you might think Gabriel Dance wouldn’t be all that enamored of non-fiction prose. But…
Bringing Native American Stories to a National Audience

Bringing Native American Stories to a National Audience

On a cold winter’s night, a few minutes after 6 p.m., police in Rapid City, South Dakota were called to a house in the Lakota Community Homes development where Allen…
Finbarr O'Reilly, NF '13, collaborates with a Marine to drive conversation about war's aftermath

Finbarr O’Reilly, NF ’13, collaborates with a Marine to drive conversation about war’s aftermath

When I met Sgt. Thomas James Brennan at a remote combat outpost in Afghanistan’s Helmand Province in 2010, I was an embedded Reuters photographer and he was the leader of…