Nieman Lab: The Daily Digest

It’s time for the global North to look South

“In the face of climate collapse, it’s time for the North to start looking South — and learn from its people and journalists.” By Natalia Viana.

Turning technology into an accelerant for truth

“If money and criminality know no boundaries, then why should journalism?” By Raney Aronson-Rath.

Inverting the talent pipeline

“To grow talent, news organizations need to invest in creating fertile ground for emerging journalists to do their best — and to make occasional mistakes.” By Doris Truong.

Newsrooms, social scientists, public health professionals, and librarians unite

“We’ll see more attacks on public institutions — libraries, universities, school boards, news organizations. They’ll be hard to parse and hard to think about as connected.” By Melody Kramer.

The great transition

“The gravitational pull toward the grave remains rather ferocious. But what’s exciting is that there are many seeds being sown, watered, and tended to in the bottom loop — the emergent system.” By Jennifer Brandel.

What the next generation of journalists thinks

“Old journalism will be swept away about newer, younger, more diverse journalism that looks like my students.” By Robert Hernandez.

Collective impact models will strengthen and redefine local news

“To be truly impactful, any such coalition should be built to put the people and communities most affected in decision-making roles and also focus on policy and systems change.” By Stefanie Murray.

The news industry will stop saying overdue UX fixes are too hard

“‘Too hard’ isn’t an acceptable answer in a college classroom, much less from some of the smartest technically minded people in the world.” By Nikki Usher.

The hedge funds don’t have to win every time

“There’s nothing wrong with for-profit as long as your company isn’t interested only in profit.” By Larry Ryckman.

Audience engagement ≠ community engagement

“Newsrooms won’t find the key to any of this in their analytics.” By Ariel Zirulnick.

Both sides when there’s only one

“Whether they center their reporting on elected officials or everyday Americans, journalists are faced with a nearly impossible choice when it comes to the Republican Party.” By Shannon McGregor and Carolyn Schmitt.

Data’s not enough: It’s time to meet with your community

“Data can trick us into repeating the same patterns because they satisfy our current audience — instead of helping us build a larger or more deeply engaged one.” By Francesco Zaffarano.

We remember the importance of face-to-face reporting

“It might let you glimpse that almost imperceptible frown on your source’s face when you ask a question.” By Alice Antheaume.

Journalism goes Web3

“It’s not hard to imagine that many in the next generation of challengers to established digital media players like BuzzFeed and Vox Media will be DAOs.” By Daniel Eilemberg.

Audience development roles broaden further

“We’ll mitigate the risks of our often uneasy relationships with Facebook, Google, and Apple by further doubling down on diversifying our audience sources and cultivating direct relationships with readers.” By Sarah Marshall.

When care becomes a core tenet of journalism

“Issues of care extend not just to newsrooms but also to how we do the news; our audiences are suffering, too.” By An Xiao Mina.

Limiting limitless news

“Maybe it’s the pandemic, maybe it’s just a pendulum swinging back, but data suggests people are moving in the direction of more finite forms of news in their diets.” By Tamar Charney.

Audio docs embrace “muxture”

“Today’s audio documentaries are allergic to rhythm and obsessed with a hero’s narrative.” By James Green.

Being honest about how journalists are different from their communities

“Journalism is a team sport. We rely on each other to help us best reflect a complicated world and to wrestle with the most accurate versions of a variety of perspectives in good faith.” By Joy Mayer.

Publishing goes direct as news goes conversational

“Direct publishing through conversational platforms offers a mobile-native, highly interactive experience in apps and interfaces that most people are using every day.” By Tom Trewinnard.

Media stays Covid-escapist, but grief creeps in

“You won’t see many mask-wearers in films this year.” By Megan McCarthy.

It’s time to take podcast audience development seriously

“We’re past the point of ‘If you podcast it, the audience will come.‘” By Joni Deutsch.

Accessibility in journalism is urgent

“We must take advantage of new technologies in the name of inclusion.” By Chicas Poderosas.

Doubling down on Brazilian journalism’s strengths to stand up for democracy

“2022 will be the year of a plural, accessible, inclusive journalism — and in being so, one that is more capable of representing the complexity of Brazil.” By Moreno Cruz Osório.
What We’re Reading
Axios / Sara Fischer
Media layoffs and job cuts hit their lowest point since 2008 →
“An unprecedented level of job cuts in 2020 led to fewer-than-expected cuts in 2021.”