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width: 100%; border-bottom: 1px solid lightgrey;"> </div>  <div class="simple-totalpackage">  </div> <div class="simplefront-wrapper" style="max-width: 90%; width: 990px; margin: 0 auto;"> <div class="simplefront-wrapper-inner" style="max-width: 100%; width: 100%; margin: 0 auto; padding-top: 4.040404040404% /* 40/990 */; text-align: left;"> <style> .simple-mobile-break { display: none !important; } .mobile-hero-headline { font-family: freight-text-pro, georgia, sans-serif; font-size: 26px; line-height: 28px; } .mobile-hero-headline-noart { font-family: freight-text-pro, georgia, sans-serif; margin-top: 20px; font-size: 26px; line-height: 28px; } .mobile-hero-headline-link { font-family: freight-sans-pro, helvetica, sans-serif; margin-top: 20px; font-weight: 100; font-size: 22px; line-height: 26px;} .mobile-hero-headline a, .mobile-hero-headline-noart a { font-weight: bold; } .mobile-hero-headline a, .mobile-hero-headline-noart a, .mobile-hero-headline-link a { color: #2c2c2a; } .mobile-hero-art img { width: 111.111111111111%; max-width: 111.111111111111%; margin-left: -5.555555555555%; margin-bottom: 10px; } .mobile-storybox { border-bottom: 1px solid #ddd; width: 111.111111111111%; max-width: 111.111111111111%; margin-left: -5.555555555555%; padding: 0 5.5555555555%; } .s2-mobile .mobile-storybox:first-child { border-top: 1px solid #ddd; } @media screen and (max-width: 767px) { .s2-left, .s2-right { display: none !important; } .s2-bottom-emailpromo { display: none !important; } } @media screen and (min-width: 768px) { .s2-mobile { display: none !important; } } </style> <div class="s2-mobile" style=""> <div class="mobile-storybox"><a href="https://www.niemanlab.org/2025/04/as-trump-silences-voice-of-america-russia-and-china-seize-the-opportunity-to-reshape-africas-news-ecosystem/"><div class="mobile-hero-art"><picture><source style="" srcset="https://www.niemanlab.org/images/voa-jpeg-480x257.jpg" media="(max-width: 767px)"><img style="" srcset="" /></picture></div></a><div style="clear:both;"></div><div class="mobile-hero-headline" style=""><a href="https://www.niemanlab.org/2025/04/as-trump-silences-voice-of-america-russia-and-china-seize-the-opportunity-to-reshape-africas-news-ecosystem/">As Trump silences Voice of America, Russia and China seize the opportunity to reshape Africa’s news ecosystem</a><div class="hero-deck" style="color: #333;">Experts warn that the president’s decision to shut down the U.S. international broadcaster is leaving a void that authoritarian regimes are trying to fill.</div><div style="margin-top: 10px; font-size: 16px; line-height: 20px; text-transform: uppercase; font-weight: bold; font-family: freight-sans-pro; color: #2c2c2a;"><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: normal; text-transform: none;">By </span>Gretel Kahn</div></div><div style="clear:both;"></div><div style="width: 100%; margin: 20px 0; border-top: 0px solid lightgrey;"></div></div><div class="mobile-storybox"><a href="https://www.niemanlab.org/2025/04/how-to-leak-to-a-journalist/"><div class="mobile-hero-art"><picture><source style="" srcset="https://www.niemanlab.org/images/AdobeStock_104164933-480x232.jpeg" media="(max-width: 767px)"><img style="" srcset="" /></picture></div></a><div style="clear:both;"></div><div class="mobile-hero-headline" style=""><a href="https://www.niemanlab.org/2025/04/how-to-leak-to-a-journalist/">How to leak to a journalist</a><div class="hero-deck" style="color: #333;">Planning to leak? Read these tips first.</div><div style="margin-top: 10px; font-size: 16px; line-height: 20px; text-transform: uppercase; font-weight: bold; font-family: freight-sans-pro; color: #2c2c2a;"><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: normal; text-transform: none;">By </span>Laura Hazard Owen</div></div><div style="clear:both;"></div><div style="width: 100%; margin: 20px 0; border-top: 0px solid lightgrey;"></div></div><div class="mobile-storybox"><a href="https://www.niemanlab.org/2025/04/can-blueskys-at-protocol-build-the-decentralized-social-media-ecosystem-the-fediverse-aspires-to/"><div class="mobile-hero-art"><picture><source style="" srcset="https://www.niemanlab.org/images/shubham-dhage-T9rKvI3N0NM-unsplash-480x270.jpg" media="(max-width: 767px)"><img style="" srcset="" /></picture></div></a><div style="clear:both;"></div><div class="mobile-hero-headline" style=""><a href="https://www.niemanlab.org/2025/04/can-blueskys-at-protocol-build-the-decentralized-social-media-ecosystem-the-fediverse-aspires-to/">Can Bluesky’s AT Protocol build the decentralized social media ecosystem the Fediverse aspires to?</a><div class="hero-deck" style="color: #333;">The odds are against it, but it’s the most likely candidate to “save social media from billionaire capture” so far.</div><div style="margin-top: 10px; font-size: 16px; line-height: 20px; text-transform: uppercase; font-weight: bold; font-family: freight-sans-pro; color: #2c2c2a;"><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: normal; text-transform: none;">By </span>Joshua Benton</div></div><div style="clear:both;"></div><div style="width: 100%; margin: 20px 0; border-top: 0px solid lightgrey;"></div></div><div class="mobile-storybox"><a href="https://www.niemanlab.org/2025/04/a-hungarian-investigative-news-site-finds-youtube-success-with-an-old-fashioned-documentary/"><div class="mobile-hero-art"><picture><source style="" srcset="https://www.niemanlab.org/images/dynasty-direkt36-480x270.png" media="(max-width: 767px)"><img style="" srcset="" /></picture></div></a><div style="clear:both;"></div><div class="mobile-hero-headline" style=""><a href="https://www.niemanlab.org/2025/04/a-hungarian-investigative-news-site-finds-youtube-success-with-an-old-fashioned-documentary/">A Hungarian investigative news site finds YouTube success with an “old-fashioned” documentary</a><div class="hero-deck" style="color: #333;">“In a bizarre way, the government propaganda also helped create some buzz around the film.”</div><div style="margin-top: 10px; font-size: 16px; line-height: 20px; text-transform: uppercase; font-weight: bold; font-family: freight-sans-pro; color: #2c2c2a;"><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: normal; text-transform: none;">By </span>Sarah Scire</div></div><div style="clear:both;"></div><div style="width: 100%; margin: 20px 0; border-top: 0px solid lightgrey;"></div></div><div class="mobile-storybox"><div class="mobile-hero-headline-link" style=""><a href="https://www.niemanlab.org/2025/04/in-2011-npr-executives-drafted-a-secret-plan-for-the-worst/">In 2011, NPR executives “drafted a secret plan for the worst”</a></div><div style="clear:both;"></div><div style="width: 100%; margin: 20px 0; border-top: 0px solid lightgrey;"></div></div><div class="mobile-storybox"><a href="https://www.niemanlab.org/2025/03/propublica-wanted-to-find-more-sources-in-the-federal-government-so-it-brought-a-truck/"><div class="mobile-hero-art"><picture><source style="" srcset="https://www.niemanlab.org/images/ProPublica-truck-hat-480x320.jpg" media="(max-width: 767px)"><img style="" srcset="" /></picture></div></a><div style="clear:both;"></div><div class="mobile-hero-headline" style=""><a href="https://www.niemanlab.org/2025/03/propublica-wanted-to-find-more-sources-in-the-federal-government-so-it-brought-a-truck/">ProPublica wanted to find more sources in the federal government. So it brought a truck.</a><div class="hero-deck" style="color: #333;">“It’s funny how you can know nothing about something like LED billboard trucks and then suddenly become an expert in them.”</div><div style="margin-top: 10px; font-size: 16px; line-height: 20px; text-transform: uppercase; font-weight: bold; font-family: freight-sans-pro; color: #2c2c2a;"><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: normal; text-transform: none;">By </span>Neel Dhanesha</div></div><div style="clear:both;"></div><div style="width: 100%; margin: 20px 0; border-top: 0px solid lightgrey;"></div></div><div class="mobile-storybox"><a href="https://www.niemanlab.org/2025/03/far-fewer-americans-are-hearing-about-trumps-attacks-on-the-media-this-time-around-report-finds/"><div class="mobile-hero-art"><picture><source style="" srcset="https://www.niemanlab.org/images/ashley-parker-isoj-480x320.jpg" media="(max-width: 767px)"><img style="" srcset="" /></picture></div></a><div style="clear:both;"></div><div class="mobile-hero-headline" style=""><a href="https://www.niemanlab.org/2025/03/far-fewer-americans-are-hearing-about-trumps-attacks-on-the-media-this-time-around-report-finds/">Far fewer Americans are hearing about Trump’s attacks on the media this time around, report finds</a><div class="hero-deck" style="color: #333;">It’s not because they’re tuned out entirely. About 40% of Americans say they’re paying more attention to political news with Trump in the White House for a second time.</div><div style="margin-top: 10px; font-size: 16px; line-height: 20px; text-transform: uppercase; font-weight: bold; font-family: freight-sans-pro; color: #2c2c2a;"><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: normal; text-transform: none;">By </span>Sarah Scire</div></div><div style="clear:both;"></div><div style="width: 100%; margin: 20px 0; border-top: 0px solid lightgrey;"></div></div><div class="mobile-storybox"><a href="https://www.niemanlab.org/2025/03/how-can-we-reach-beyond-the-local-news-choir-spotlight-pas-founding-editor-has-ideas/"><div class="mobile-hero-art"><picture><source style="" srcset="https://www.niemanlab.org/images/AdobeStock_390476506-480x343.jpeg" media="(max-width: 767px)"><img style="" srcset="" /></picture></div></a><div style="clear:both;"></div><div class="mobile-hero-headline" style=""><a href="https://www.niemanlab.org/2025/03/how-can-we-reach-beyond-the-local-news-choir-spotlight-pas-founding-editor-has-ideas/">How can we reach beyond the local news choir? Spotlight PA’s founding editor has ideas</a><div class="hero-deck" style="color: #333;">In the wake of the 2024 election, where “democracy” was not a top issue for most voters, local news messaging focused on democracy may not suffice to build the broad coalition essential to give local news in the U.S. a sustainable future.</div><div style="margin-top: 10px; font-size: 16px; line-height: 20px; text-transform: uppercase; font-weight: bold; font-family: freight-sans-pro; color: #2c2c2a;"><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: normal; text-transform: none;">By </span>Sophie Culpepper</div></div><div style="clear:both;"></div><div style="width: 100%; margin: 20px 0; border-top: 0px solid lightgrey;"></div></div><div class="mobile-storybox"><a href="https://www.niemanlab.org/2025/03/robert-w-mcchesney-americas-leading-left-wing-critic-of-corporate-media-has-died/"><div class="mobile-hero-art"><picture><source style="" srcset="https://www.niemanlab.org/images/robert-mcchesney-books-480x282.jpg" media="(max-width: 767px)"><img style="" srcset="" /></picture></div></a><div style="clear:both;"></div><div class="mobile-hero-headline" style=""><a href="https://www.niemanlab.org/2025/03/robert-w-mcchesney-americas-leading-left-wing-critic-of-corporate-media-has-died/">Robert W. McChesney, America’s leading left-wing critic of corporate media, has died</a><div class="hero-deck" style="color: #333;">After studying the early days of radio, McChesney developed a holistic critique of media structures that exposed how open they were to manipulation by those in power.</div><div style="margin-top: 10px; font-size: 16px; line-height: 20px; text-transform: uppercase; font-weight: bold; font-family: freight-sans-pro; color: #2c2c2a;"><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: normal; text-transform: none;">By </span>Joshua Benton</div></div><div style="clear:both;"></div><div style="width: 100%; margin: 20px 0; border-top: 0px solid lightgrey;"></div></div><div class="mobile-storybox"><a href="https://www.niemanlab.org/2025/03/national-trust-for-local-news/"><div class="mobile-hero-art"><picture><source style="" srcset="https://www.niemanlab.org/images/maine-coast-cc-480x227.jpg" media="(max-width: 767px)"><img style="" srcset="" /></picture></div></a><div style="clear:both;"></div><div class="mobile-hero-headline" style=""><a href="https://www.niemanlab.org/2025/03/national-trust-for-local-news/">“Some hard and important lessons”: One of the most promising local news nonprofits looks back — and ahead</a><div class="hero-deck" style="color: #333;">The National Trust for Local News is a nonprofit organization with a mission so important even its harshest critics want it to succeed.</div><div style="margin-top: 10px; font-size: 16px; line-height: 20px; text-transform: uppercase; font-weight: bold; font-family: freight-sans-pro; color: #2c2c2a;"><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: normal; text-transform: none;">By </span>Sarah Scire <span class="coauthor-and">and</span> Sophie Culpepper</div></div><div style="clear:both;"></div><div style="width: 100%; margin: 20px 0; border-top: 0px solid lightgrey;"></div></div><div class="mobile-storybox"><a href="https://www.niemanlab.org/2025/03/jeffrey-goldberg-got-the-push-notification-of-all-push-notifications-and-a-hell-of-a-story/"><div class="mobile-hero-art"><picture><source style="" srcset="https://www.niemanlab.org/images/pentagon-cc-480x270.jpg" media="(max-width: 767px)"><img style="" srcset="" /></picture></div></a><div style="clear:both;"></div><div class="mobile-hero-headline" style=""><a href="https://www.niemanlab.org/2025/03/jeffrey-goldberg-got-the-push-notification-of-all-push-notifications-and-a-hell-of-a-story/">Jeffrey Goldberg got the push notification of all push notifications — and a hell of a story</a><div class="hero-deck" style="color: #333;">His inclusion on a high-level Signal chat about American war plans highlights how the Trump administration is operating — and how much of a threat it is to a free press.</div><div style="margin-top: 10px; font-size: 16px; line-height: 20px; text-transform: uppercase; font-weight: bold; font-family: freight-sans-pro; color: #2c2c2a;"><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: normal; text-transform: none;">By </span>Joshua Benton</div></div><div style="clear:both;"></div><div style="width: 100%; margin: 20px 0; border-top: 0px solid lightgrey;"></div></div><div class="mobile-storybox"><a href="https://www.niemanlab.org/2025/03/theres-another-reason-the-l-a-times-ai-generated-opinion-ratings-are-bad-this-one-doesnt-involve-the-klan/"><div class="mobile-hero-art"><picture><source style="" srcset="https://www.niemanlab.org/images/pablo-garcia-saldana-lPQIndZz8Mo-unsplash-2-480x270.jpg" media="(max-width: 767px)"><img style="" srcset="" /></picture></div></a><div style="clear:both;"></div><div class="mobile-hero-headline" style=""><a href="https://www.niemanlab.org/2025/03/theres-another-reason-the-l-a-times-ai-generated-opinion-ratings-are-bad-this-one-doesnt-involve-the-klan/">There’s another reason the L.A. Times’ AI-generated opinion ratings are bad (this one doesn’t involve the Klan)</a><div class="hero-deck" style="color: #333;">At a time of increasing polarization and rigid ideologies, the L.A. Times has decided it wants to make its opinion pieces less persuasive to readers by increasing the cost of changing your mind.</div><div style="margin-top: 10px; font-size: 16px; line-height: 20px; text-transform: uppercase; font-weight: bold; font-family: freight-sans-pro; color: #2c2c2a;"><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: normal; text-transform: none;">By </span>Joshua Benton</div></div><div style="clear:both;"></div><div style="width: 100%; margin: 20px 0; border-top: 0px solid lightgrey;"></div></div><div class="mobile-storybox"><div class="mobile-hero-headline-link" style=""><a href="https://www.niemanlab.org/2025/03/after-years-of-exploring-a-sale-the-skimm-is-acquired-by-ziff-davis/">After years of exploring a sale, The Skimm is acquired by Ziff Davis</a></div><div style="clear:both;"></div><div style="width: 100%; margin: 20px 0; border-top: 0px solid lightgrey;"></div></div><div class="mobile-storybox"><div class="mobile-hero-headline-link" style=""><a href="https://www.niemanlab.org/2025/03/report-for-americas-parent-organization-will-sunset-its-in-house-editorial-projects-to-focus-on-funding-local-journalism/">Report for America’s parent organization will “sunset” its in-house editorial projects to focus on funding local journalism</a></div><div style="clear:both;"></div><div style="width: 100%; margin: 20px 0; border-top: 0px solid lightgrey;"></div></div><div class="mobile-storybox"><a href="https://www.niemanlab.org/2025/03/the-nbas-next-big-insider-may-be-an-outsider/"><div class="mobile-hero-art"><picture><source style="" srcset="https://www.niemanlab.org/images/luka-doncic-cc-480x263.jpg" media="(max-width: 767px)"><img style="" srcset="" /></picture></div></a><div style="clear:both;"></div><div class="mobile-hero-headline" style=""><a href="https://www.niemanlab.org/2025/03/the-nbas-next-big-insider-may-be-an-outsider/">The NBA’s next big insider may be an outsider</a><div class="hero-deck" style="color: #333;">While insiders typically work for established media companies like ESPN, Jake Fischer operates out of his Brooklyn apartment and publishes scoops behind a paywall on Substack. It’s not even his own Substack.</div><div style="margin-top: 10px; font-size: 16px; line-height: 20px; text-transform: uppercase; font-weight: bold; font-family: freight-sans-pro; color: #2c2c2a;"><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: normal; text-transform: none;">By </span>Jordan Teicher</div></div><div style="clear:both;"></div><div style="width: 100%; margin: 20px 0; border-top: 0px solid lightgrey;"></div></div> </div> <style> .s2-left a:hover, .s2-right a:hover { color: #666 !important; text-decoration: none !important; } a.hero-link:hover { color: white !important; } .hero-headline { position: relative; z-index: 200; background: #2c2c2a; text-align: center; padding: 25px 25px; margin: 0px; border: 0px solid #eee; font-family: freight-text-pro; } .hero-headline-noart { position: relative; z-index: 200; background: white; text-align: left; padding: 25px 25px; margin: -20px 20px 20px 20px; border-bottom: 1px solid #eee; font-family: freight-text-pro; } .hero-deck { color: whitesmoke; margin-top: 10px; font-family: freight-sans-pro; font-weight: normal; font-size: 20px; line-height: 26px; } .hero-author { margin-top: 10px; font-size: 16px; text-transform: uppercase; font-weight: bold; font-family: freight-sans-pro; color: whitesmoke; } #mc-embedded-subscribe:hover { background: whitesmoke !important; color: #333 !important; } .s2-rightpost { border-bottom: 1px solid #ddd; } /* .s2-rightpost:first-of-type { border-bottom: 0; } */ .s2-linkpost { font-family: freight-text-pro, sans-serif; font-style: italic; font-size: 20px; line-height: 24px; color: #333; margin-bottom: 30px; padding-bottom: 30px; } .s2-linkpost2 { font-style: normal !important; } .s2-unfeaturedpost { margin-bottom: 30px; border-bottom: 1px solid #ddd; padding-bottom: 20px;} .s2-right-labpromo-inner:hover { background: yellow !important; -o-transition: all .2s ease; -moz-transition: all .2s ease; -webkit-transition: all .2s ease; transition: all .2s ease; } .s2-left { width: 65.656565656566% /* 650px/990px */; float: left; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; } .s2-right { width: 30.30303030303% /* 300px/990 */; float: right; border-left: 0px solid #ddd; margin-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; } </style>  <div class="s2-left"> <div class="s2-left-hero" style="margin-bottom: 6.153846153846% /* 40/650 */"> <a href="https://www.niemanlab.org/2025/04/as-trump-silences-voice-of-america-russia-and-china-seize-the-opportunity-to-reshape-africas-news-ecosystem/"><picture><source srcset="https://www.niemanlab.org/images/voa-jpeg.jpg" media="(min-width: 768px)"><img style="float: left; width: 100%;" title="" alt="" srcset="" /></picture></a><div style="clear:both;"></div><div class="hero-headline" style=""><a class="hero-link" style="font-size: 34px; line-height: 36px; color: whitesmoke; font-weight: bold;" href="https://www.niemanlab.org/2025/04/as-trump-silences-voice-of-america-russia-and-china-seize-the-opportunity-to-reshape-africas-news-ecosystem/">As Trump silences Voice of America, Russia and China seize the opportunity to reshape Africa’s news ecosystem</a><div class="hero-deck" style="">Experts warn that the president’s decision to shut down the U.S. international broadcaster is leaving a void that authoritarian regimes are trying to fill.</div><div class="hero-author" style=""><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: normal; text-transform: none;">By </span>Gretel Kahn</div></div><div style="clear:both;"></div> </div> <div class="s2-left-nexttwo" style="margin-bottom: 6.153846153846% /* 40/650 */"> <div style="display: table-row;"><div class="nexttwo-box" style="width: 46.923076923077% /* 305/650 */; text-align: left; display: block; float: left ;"><a href="https://www.niemanlab.org/2025/04/how-to-leak-to-a-journalist/"><picture><source srcset="https://www.niemanlab.org/images/AdobeStock_104164933-315x177.jpeg" media="(min-width: 768px)"><img style="width: 100%; float: left;" title="" alt="" srcset="" /></picture></a><div style="clear:both;"></div><div class="nexttwo-headline" style="font-family: freight-text-pro; font-size: 22px; line-height: 24px; font-weight: bold; margin-top: 10px;"><a class="nexttwo-link" style="color: #333; " href="https://www.niemanlab.org/2025/04/how-to-leak-to-a-journalist/">How to leak to a journalist</a><div class="nexttwo-deck" style="font-family: freight-sans-pro; font-size: 16px; line-height: 20px; font-weight: normal; margin: 5px 0 0 0;">Planning to leak? Read these tips first.</div></div></div><div class="nexttwo-box" style="width: 46.923076923077% /* 305/650 */; text-align: left; display: block; float: right ;"><a href="https://www.niemanlab.org/2025/04/can-blueskys-at-protocol-build-the-decentralized-social-media-ecosystem-the-fediverse-aspires-to/"><picture><source srcset="https://www.niemanlab.org/images/shubham-dhage-T9rKvI3N0NM-unsplash-315x177.jpg" media="(min-width: 768px)"><img style="width: 100%; float: right;" title="" alt="" srcset="" /></picture></a><div style="clear:both;"></div><div class="nexttwo-headline" style="font-family: freight-text-pro; font-size: 22px; line-height: 24px; font-weight: bold; margin-top: 10px;"><a class="nexttwo-link" style="color: #333; " href="https://www.niemanlab.org/2025/04/can-blueskys-at-protocol-build-the-decentralized-social-media-ecosystem-the-fediverse-aspires-to/">Can Bluesky’s AT Protocol build the decentralized social media ecosystem the Fediverse aspires to?</a><div class="nexttwo-deck" style="font-family: freight-sans-pro; font-size: 16px; line-height: 20px; font-weight: normal; margin: 5px 0 0 0;">The odds are against it, but it’s the most likely candidate to “save social media from billionaire capture” so far.</div></div></div></div><div style="clear: both;"></div> </div> <div class="s2-left-wwr" style="background: #5b6163; padding: 30px; margin-bottom: 40px;"> <style> .wwr-item { padding: 20px 0; border: 0px solid #ddd; width: 100%; text-align: left; color: #c1dbd9; } .wwr-flag { margin: 0 0 3px 0; font-family: freight-sans-pro; letter-spacing: 1px; text-transform: uppercase; font-size: 12px; } .wwr-headline { font-family: freight-sans-pro; font-size: 30px; line-height: 34px; font-weight: 100; } a.wwr-link { color: #c1dbd9 !important; } a.wwr-link:hover { color: white !important; } .wwr-deck { font-family: freight-sans-pro; font-size: 16px; line-height: 20px; font-weight: normal; margin: 10px 0 0 30px; } .wwr-deck a { color: white !important; } </style> <style> a.wwr-header { color: #c1dbd9; } a.wwr-header:hover { color: white !important; } a.wwr-header:hover div { border-color: white !important; } .wwr-footertease a:hover { color: white !important;} </style> <a class="wwr-header" href="https://www.niemanlab.org/reading/"><div style="font-family: freight-macro-pro, jubilat, freight-sans-pro; font-size: 34px; line-height: 38px; font-weight: bold; border: 1px solid #c1dbd9; padding: 5px 10px; margin: 0 0 15px 0; display: inline-block;"> What We’re Reading </div></a> <div class="wwr-item" style=""><div class="wwr-flag" style="">Mississippi Today</div><div class="wwr-headline" style=""><a class="wwr-link" style="color: white !important;" href="https://mississippitoday.org/2025/04/04/a-win-for-press-freedom-judge-dismisses-gov-phil-bryants-lawsuit-against-mississippi-today/">Judge dismisses former governor’s defamation lawsuit against Mississippi Today</a><div class="wwr-deck" style="">“Too seldom does our state’s power structure offer taxpayers true government accountability, and Mississippians routinely learn about the actions of their public officials only because of journalism like ours. This reality is precisely why we launched our newsroom nine years ago, and it’s why we devoted so much energy and spent hundreds of thousands of dollars defending ourselves against this lawsuit. It was an existential threat to our organization that took time and resources away from our primary responsibilities — which is often the goal of these kinds of legal actions.”</div></div></div><div class="wwr-item" style=""><div class="wwr-flag" style="">The Verge / Kylie Robison</div><div class="wwr-headline" style=""><a class="wwr-link" style="color: white !important;" href="https://www.theverge.com/ai-artificial-intelligence/641193/openai-anthropic-education-tool-college">OpenAI and Anthropic are fighting over college students with free AI</a><div class="wwr-deck" style="">“It’s the constant one-upping we’ve all become familiar with: this week, Anthropic dropped their announcement at 8 AM Wednesday, while OpenAI followed with nearly identical news at 8 AM Thursday…Both labs releasing education initiatives simultaneously reveals the high value of college students. The race to embed AI tools in academia is a competition to shape how the next generation works with AI — and crucially, to become their default AI tool.”</div></div></div><div class="wwr-item" style=""><div class="wwr-flag" style="">The New York Times / Benjamin Mullin and Katie Robertson</div><div class="wwr-headline" style=""><a class="wwr-link" style="color: white !important;" href="https://www.nytimes.com/2025/04/03/business/media/radhika-jones-vanity-fair-steps-down.html">Radhika Jones, Vanity Fair’s top editor, is stepping down after seven years on the job</a><div class="wwr-deck" style="">“Ms. Jones, 52, said in an email to Vanity Fair’s staff that she was leaving to take on new challenges, adding that she didn’t want to experience the ‘horror of staying too long at the party.’”</div></div></div><div class="wwr-item" style=""><div class="wwr-flag" style="">The New York Times / Benjamin Mullin</div><div class="wwr-headline" style=""><a class="wwr-link" style="color: white !important;" href="https://www.nytimes.com/2025/04/02/business/media/newsmax-stock-ipo.html">Why was Newsmax, the right-wing channel, suddenly worth more than U.S. Steel?</a><div class="wwr-deck" style="">“The stock rocketed to a high of $279 on the New York Stock Exchange this week, a price that briefly valued the company at more than $20 billion. On Wednesday, the stock crashed to $52, giving it a market valuation of about $5 billion by the time the market closed. It was briefly ahead of U.S. Steel, which is valued at roughly $9.5 billion. The wild stock market debut was just the latest unexpected twist for Newsmax, started more than two decades ago as a long-shot challenger to more established cable news channels like Fox News, CNN and MSNBC.”</div></div></div><div class="wwr-item" style=""><div class="wwr-flag" style="">The Wall Street Journal / Katie Deighton</div><div class="wwr-headline" style=""><a class="wwr-link" style="color: white !important;" href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/former-vice-ceo-nancy-dubuc-is-back-this-time-tackling-womens-sports-a4007be4?mod=media_news_article_pos3">Former Vice CEO Nancy Dubuc is back, this time tackling women’s sports</a><div class="wwr-deck" style="">“Togethxr, pronounced ‘together,’ is behind the ‘Everyone Watches Women’s Sports’ T-shirt that has become a common sight at sports events around the world. It also produces social media content, documentaries, podcasts and newsletters about female athletes and their fans. Dubuc’s arrival at the four-year-old company unites her with several other media veterans looking to catch the wave of interest in women’s sports…At Vice, which she joined as chief executive in 2018, Dubuc…consolidated some of its brands, diversified its revenue and oversaw numerous rounds of layoffs. But the company’s losses mounted, and Dubuc stepped down months before the company filed for bankruptcy in May 2023.”</div></div></div><div class="wwr-item" style=""><div class="wwr-flag" style="">The New York Times / Jessica Testa</div><div class="wwr-headline" style=""><a class="wwr-link" style="color: white !important;" href="https://www.nytimes.com/2025/04/02/business/media/spotify-advertising.html">Spotify sells itself to advertisers as an alternative to doomscrolling</a><div class="wwr-deck" style="">“Alex Norstrom, co-president and chief business officer of Spotify, believes some apps will soon ‘self-swipe,’ requiring even less of your effort or awareness. His company is moving in a different direction: Using Spotify, he said, ‘takes commitment.’…[Spotify users are] learning the somewhat fussy technical process of joining a ‘jam’ (listening to music simultaneously with friends), Mr. Norstrom said; or getting to know the host of a podcast who already has 2,000 episodes; or pressing play on a 48-hour audiobook. And a more engaged audience is more likely to engage with ads.”</div></div></div><div class="wwr-item" style=""><div class="wwr-flag" style="">Variety / Brian Steinberg</div><div class="wwr-headline" style=""><a class="wwr-link" style="color: white !important;" href="https://variety.com/2025/tv/news/cbs-evening-news-overhaul-tv-ratings-paramount-1236352859/">CBS put ‘Evening News’ through a massive overhaul. Now it needs people to watch.</a><div class="wwr-deck" style="">“This ‘Evening News’ has two anchors — John Dickerson and Maurice DuBois — not the single voice that many viewers have come to expect from the format. This ‘Evening News’ likely won’t lead off each night with a rat-a-tat-tat series of headlines and on many days has little room from the daily utterances of President Donald Trump. And this ‘Evening News’ gives more of a spotlight to the reporters around the globe who help put it together — even letting them surface before commercial breaks to tell viewers to stay tuned for their coming stories.”</div></div></div><div class="wwr-item" style=""><div class="wwr-flag" style="">The Verge / Dominic Preston</div><div class="wwr-headline" style=""><a class="wwr-link" style="color: white !important;" href="https://www.theverge.com/news/642620/trump-tariffs-formula-ai-chatgpt-gemini-claude-grok">Trump’s new tariff math looks a lot like ChatGPT’s</a><div class="wwr-deck" style="">“Economist James Surowiecki quickly reverse-engineered a possible explanation for the tariff pricing. He found you could recreate each of the White House’s numbers by simply taking a given country’s trade deficit with the US and dividing it by their total exports to the US. Halve that number, and you get a ready-to-use ‘discounted reciprocal tariff’…If you ask ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude, or Grok for an ‘easy’ way to solve trade deficits and put the US on ‘an even playing field,’ they’ll give you a version of this ‘deficit divided by exports’ formula with remarkable consistency.”</div></div></div><div class="wwr-item" style=""><div class="wwr-flag" style="">Semafor / Brendan Ruberry and Mizy Clifton</div><div class="wwr-headline" style=""><a class="wwr-link" style="color: white !important;" href="https://www.semafor.com/article/04/02/2025/paywall-removal-sites-mysteriously-redirect-to-kremlin-controlled-media-outlet">Paywall removal sites mysteriously redirect to Kremlin-controlled media outlet</a><div class="wwr-deck" style="">“In a statement to Semafor, RT (formerly Russia Today) said it had ‘no connection’ to at least one of the sites affected. The outlet did not respond to follow-up questions regarding the other sites. The most likely explanation is ‘either a prankster, or that Russian hackers have actually compromised these sites,’ said Matt Pearl, who previously worked at the National Security Council, and is now the director of the Strategic Technologies Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies.The latter interpretation would be ‘consistent’ with the tactics of Russian hackers who have long sought to claim vulnerable internet domains as trophies, Pearl said.”</div></div></div><div class="wwr-item" style=""><div class="wwr-flag" style="">The New York Times / Maggie Astor</div><div class="wwr-headline" style=""><a class="wwr-link" style="color: white !important;" href="https://www.nytimes.com/2025/04/02/well/hhs-workers-cuts-rfk-jr.html">Kennedy guts teams that share health information with the public</a><div class="wwr-deck" style="">“Good public health is a partnership with the public…It’s about helping people make decisions and take actions that protect them and their loved ones, and to do that, fundamentally, you have to be able to talk to people.” – Gillian SteelFisher, a principal research scientist at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. </div></div></div><div class="wwr-footertease" style="float: right; display: inline-block; padding: 5px 10px; margin: 20px 0 0 0; font-size: 20px; border: 1px solid #c1dbd9; color: #c1dbd9; font-family: freight-macro-pro, jubilat, freight-sans-pro; font-weight: bold;"><a style="color: #c1dbd9;" href="https://www.niemanlab.org/reading/">See what else we’re reading →</a></div><div style="clear: both;"></div> </div> </div>  <div class="s2-right"> <a class="s2-predixpromo-link" style="color: white;" href="https://www.niemanlab.org/collection/predictions-2025/"><div class="s2-predixpromo" style="background: orange; transition: background 0.2s; color: white; padding: 10%; font-weight: bold; font-family: freight-sans-pro; margin-bottom: 30px; font-size: 24px; line-height: 28px; text-align: center; ">To close out 2024, we asked some of the smartest people we know to predict what 2025 will bring for the future of journalism. Here’s what they had to say.</div></a> <style> .s2-predixpromo-link:hover div { background: #333 !important; color: white !important; } </style> <div class="s2-rightpost s2-unfeaturedpost"><a href="https://www.niemanlab.org/2025/04/a-hungarian-investigative-news-site-finds-youtube-success-with-an-old-fashioned-documentary/"><picture><source srcset="https://www.niemanlab.org/images/dynasty-direkt36-315x177.png" media="(min-width: 768px)"><img style="width: 100%; height: auto; margin-bottom: 10px;" title="" alt="" srcset="" /></picture></a><div class="s2-unfeaturedpost-headline" style="text-align: left; font-family: freight-text-pro, sans-serif; font-weight: bold; font-size: 22px; line-height: 26px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><a style="color: black;" href="https://www.niemanlab.org/2025/04/a-hungarian-investigative-news-site-finds-youtube-success-with-an-old-fashioned-documentary/">A Hungarian investigative news site finds YouTube success with an “old-fashioned” documentary</a></div></div><div class="s2-rightpost s2-linkpost" style=""><a style="color: #333;" href="https://www.niemanlab.org/2025/04/in-2011-npr-executives-drafted-a-secret-plan-for-the-worst/">In 2011, NPR executives “drafted a secret plan for the worst”</a></div><div class="s2-rightpost s2-unfeaturedpost"><a href="https://www.niemanlab.org/2025/03/propublica-wanted-to-find-more-sources-in-the-federal-government-so-it-brought-a-truck/"><picture><source srcset="https://www.niemanlab.org/images/ProPublica-truck-hat-315x177.jpg" media="(min-width: 768px)"><img style="width: 100%; height: auto; margin-bottom: 10px;" title="" alt="" srcset="" /></picture></a><div class="s2-unfeaturedpost-headline" style="text-align: left; font-family: freight-text-pro, sans-serif; font-weight: bold; font-size: 22px; line-height: 26px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><a style="color: black;" href="https://www.niemanlab.org/2025/03/propublica-wanted-to-find-more-sources-in-the-federal-government-so-it-brought-a-truck/">ProPublica wanted to find more sources in the federal government. So it brought a truck.</a></div></div><div class="s2-rightpost s2-unfeaturedpost"><a href="https://www.niemanlab.org/2025/03/far-fewer-americans-are-hearing-about-trumps-attacks-on-the-media-this-time-around-report-finds/"><picture><source srcset="https://www.niemanlab.org/images/ashley-parker-isoj-315x177.jpg" media="(min-width: 768px)"><img style="width: 100%; height: auto; margin-bottom: 10px;" title="" alt="" srcset="" /></picture></a><div class="s2-unfeaturedpost-headline" style="text-align: left; font-family: freight-text-pro, sans-serif; font-weight: bold; font-size: 22px; line-height: 26px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><a style="color: black;" href="https://www.niemanlab.org/2025/03/far-fewer-americans-are-hearing-about-trumps-attacks-on-the-media-this-time-around-report-finds/">Far fewer Americans are hearing about Trump’s attacks on the media this time around, report finds</a></div></div><div class="s2-rightpost s2-unfeaturedpost"><a href="https://www.niemanlab.org/2025/03/how-can-we-reach-beyond-the-local-news-choir-spotlight-pas-founding-editor-has-ideas/"><picture><source srcset="https://www.niemanlab.org/images/AdobeStock_390476506-315x177.jpeg" media="(min-width: 768px)"><img style="width: 100%; height: auto; margin-bottom: 10px;" title="" alt="" srcset="" /></picture></a><div class="s2-unfeaturedpost-headline" style="text-align: left; font-family: freight-text-pro, sans-serif; font-weight: bold; font-size: 22px; line-height: 26px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><a style="color: black;" href="https://www.niemanlab.org/2025/03/how-can-we-reach-beyond-the-local-news-choir-spotlight-pas-founding-editor-has-ideas/">How can we reach beyond the local news choir? Spotlight PA’s founding editor has ideas</a></div></div><div class="s2-rightpost s2-unfeaturedpost"><a href="https://www.niemanlab.org/2025/03/robert-w-mcchesney-americas-leading-left-wing-critic-of-corporate-media-has-died/"><picture><source srcset="https://www.niemanlab.org/images/robert-mcchesney-books-315x177.jpg" media="(min-width: 768px)"><img style="width: 100%; height: auto; margin-bottom: 10px;" title="" alt="" srcset="" /></picture></a><div class="s2-unfeaturedpost-headline" style="text-align: left; font-family: freight-text-pro, sans-serif; font-weight: bold; font-size: 22px; line-height: 26px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><a style="color: black;" href="https://www.niemanlab.org/2025/03/robert-w-mcchesney-americas-leading-left-wing-critic-of-corporate-media-has-died/">Robert W. McChesney, America’s leading left-wing critic of corporate media, has died</a></div></div><div class="s2-rightpost s2-unfeaturedpost"><a href="https://www.niemanlab.org/2025/03/national-trust-for-local-news/"><picture><source srcset="https://www.niemanlab.org/images/maine-coast-cc-315x177.jpg" media="(min-width: 768px)"><img style="width: 100%; height: auto; margin-bottom: 10px;" title="" alt="" srcset="" /></picture></a><div class="s2-unfeaturedpost-headline" style="text-align: left; font-family: freight-text-pro, sans-serif; font-weight: bold; font-size: 22px; line-height: 26px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><a style="color: black;" href="https://www.niemanlab.org/2025/03/national-trust-for-local-news/">“Some hard and important lessons”: One of the most promising local news nonprofits looks back — and ahead</a></div></div><div class="s2-rightpost s2-unfeaturedpost"><a href="https://www.niemanlab.org/2025/03/jeffrey-goldberg-got-the-push-notification-of-all-push-notifications-and-a-hell-of-a-story/"><picture><source srcset="https://www.niemanlab.org/images/pentagon-cc-315x177.jpg" media="(min-width: 768px)"><img style="width: 100%; height: auto; margin-bottom: 10px;" title="" alt="" srcset="" /></picture></a><div class="s2-unfeaturedpost-headline" style="text-align: left; font-family: freight-text-pro, sans-serif; font-weight: bold; font-size: 22px; line-height: 26px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><a style="color: black;" href="https://www.niemanlab.org/2025/03/jeffrey-goldberg-got-the-push-notification-of-all-push-notifications-and-a-hell-of-a-story/">Jeffrey Goldberg got the push notification of all push notifications — and a hell of a story</a></div></div><div class="s2-rightpost s2-unfeaturedpost"><a href="https://www.niemanlab.org/2025/03/theres-another-reason-the-l-a-times-ai-generated-opinion-ratings-are-bad-this-one-doesnt-involve-the-klan/"><picture><source srcset="https://www.niemanlab.org/images/pablo-garcia-saldana-lPQIndZz8Mo-unsplash-2-315x177.jpg" media="(min-width: 768px)"><img style="width: 100%; height: auto; margin-bottom: 10px;" title="" alt="" srcset="" /></picture></a><div class="s2-unfeaturedpost-headline" style="text-align: left; font-family: freight-text-pro, sans-serif; font-weight: bold; font-size: 22px; line-height: 26px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><a style="color: black;" href="https://www.niemanlab.org/2025/03/theres-another-reason-the-l-a-times-ai-generated-opinion-ratings-are-bad-this-one-doesnt-involve-the-klan/">There’s another reason the L.A. Times’ AI-generated opinion ratings are bad (this one doesn’t involve the Klan)</a></div></div><div class="s2-rightpost s2-linkpost s2-linkpost2" style=""><a style="color: #333;" href="https://www.niemanlab.org/2025/03/after-years-of-exploring-a-sale-the-skimm-is-acquired-by-ziff-davis/">After years of exploring a sale, The Skimm is acquired by Ziff Davis</a></div> </div> <div style="clear: both; margin: 0;"></div> <div class="s2-bottom-emailpromo" style=""> <div class="simple-emailsignupbox" style="border-bottom: 0px solid #ddd; margin-bottom: 40px;"> <div class="simple-emailsignupbox-inner" style="font-family: freight-sans-pro, sans-serif; border-radius: 5px; font-size: 30px; line-height: 34px; background: #00B6B6; border: 0px solid #ED2E24; padding: 30px 40px 20px 40px; color: white; font-weight: 100;"> <div style="padding-bottom: 25px;">Nieman Lab is a project to try to help figure out where the news is headed in the Internet age. 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