American journalism’s “racial reckoning” still has lots of reckoning to do
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Tuesday, March 8, 2022
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American journalism’s “racial reckoning” still has lots of reckoning to doThe news industry was quick to hire for diversity-focused roles after George Floyd’s murder in 2020 — but sustaining that change has proven slow and challenging. By Hanaa' Tameez. |
What We’re Reading
Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism / Monica Cole
"There is a hostility for touching those kinds of topics”: Lessons from journalists covering femicide in Mexico and Argentina →
“Many news organisations print photographs of the clothing the victim was wearing when killed, implying that her choice of outfit played a role in her murder. Use of the passive voice is also common, deflecting guilt from the perpetrator and normalising violence as something that occurs rather than a criminal act that is perpetrated, by saying ‘she was killed’ rather than ‘he killed her’.”
The Washington Post / Taylor Lorenz
Twitter is looking for younger users. It’s turning to the tech world’s teen savant to help find them. →
“Despite its large cultural relevance, Twitter has repeatedly failed to gain mass adoption, and its forays into new formats like short-form video and live-streaming have flopped. But cultivating a young, hyper-engaged user base could be a key step toward becoming a platform as influential as its power users believe it to be.”
Vox Media
Sam Sanders from NPR’s “It’s Been a Minute” will develop and host Vulture’s new flagship culture podcast →
“Audio journalist Sam Sanders will develop and host a flagship podcast for Vulture, New York Magazine's culture and entertainment site, editor-in-chief David Haskell announced today. Sanders will bring Vulture's wide-ranging culture coverage to audio, working with New York's editorial director for audio Hanna Rosin and Vulture editor Neil Janowitz. Sanders begins his role in April, with the show launching later in the spring.”
The New York Times / Jennifer Schuessler
Two “Leftist bros” dive into conservatism in their podcast “Know Your Enemy” →
“The podcast contextualizes today's hot-button debates like the battles over critical race theory in schools. But it mostly offers deep dives into conservative intellectual history, going into the weeds of the weeds armed with reading lists, reams of footnotes and archival documents.”
The Verge / Adi Robertson
Google is releasing an open source harassment filter for journalists →
“Google's Jigsaw unit is releasing the code for an open source anti-harassment tool called Harassment Manager. The tool, intended for journalists and other public figures, employs Jigsaw's Perspective API to let users sort through potentially abusive comments on social media platforms starting with Twitter.”
The Washington Post / Ben Strauss
The MLB lockout is a labor story →
“To plenty, the coverage has been a welcome pendulum swing from what baseball's economic coverage once looked like and an acknowledgment that baseball players, like any other workforce, ought to exercise their labor rights.”
The Associated Press / Samuel Petrequin
The EU pledges to fight Russia’s “information war” in Europe →
“Borrell said he will soon propose a new mechanism that will allow the EU to sanction disinformation actors. Lawmakers from the special committee on foreign interference and disinformation are also proposing to establish a sanctions regime to deal with foreign meddling.”
The Guardian / Rhoda Kwan
A Chinese government adviser is calling for a law to ban “fake news” →
“…While Jia's proposal appears to be more domestic-focused, observers question any tangible impact of a ‘fake information law’ when China's internet is already heavily censored and often scrubbed of information Beijing wants to disappear. Some also worry that, if not properly implemented, such a law could have a profound impact on journalistic activities in China by both domestic and foreign news outlets, given Beijing's track record in press freedom. In the last few years, for example, China has called reports of human rights abuses in Xinjiang ‘fake news’ or ‘lie of the century’.”
Poynter / Bill McCarthy
How misinformers exploit TikTok’s audio features to spread fake war footage in Ukraine →
“TikTok's audio feature is the driving force behind the lip-syncing and dancing videos that typically inspire viral trends on the platform. But in the fog of war, misinformers are taking advantage of the design, layering old or out-of-context audio on top of unrelated videos to create false footage purportedly captured amidst the chaos in Ukraine.”
Rest of World / Leo Schwartz
Amateur open-source researchers went viral unpacking the war in Ukraine by reconstructing events on the ground →
“As Russia continues its invasion of Ukraine, amateur OSINT researchers have gained a particular mainstream traction. Specialized social media accounts on Twitter, like Intel Crab, Calibre Obscura, and Aurora Intel, have transfixed an information-hungry public with an analysis of key movements in Russia's invasion, using newly available technologies to provide real-time analysis of key activities…”
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