Nieman Lab: The Daily Digest

Seeing stories of kindness may counteract the negative effects of consuming bad news

“This shows us there’s something unique about kindness which may buffer the effects of negative news on our mental health.” By Kathryn Buchanan.
What We’re Reading
Rest of World / Martin K.N Siele
Following content moderation job cuts at Facebook’s former partner Sama, over Kenyan 200 workers are struggling with bills and emotional trauma →
“The former content moderators say they have been trapped in a difficult situation. In addition to losing their income, many told Rest of World they’re dealing with mental health issues resulting from their work, and are struggling to find employment elsewhere.”
Word In Black / Anissa Durham
What happened to journalism’s racial reckoning? →
“I think a lot of my time is spent scraping by. It feels like the further we get away from the summer of 2020, the harder it is to raise money to do that, [and] to be taken seriously in the idea that criticism from Black journalists about their experiences is important.”
Vox / Zack Beauchamp
The next target of the right’s campaign against woke companies is Fox News →
“Whether or not Tucker himself is behind the handbook leak, or it’s merely the work of some of his allies and former employees, one thing is for certain: The network is continuing to suffer from parting ways with its biggest star. And what matters for Fox matters for the conservative movement writ large.”
NPR / Bobby Allyn
TikTok is suing the state of Montana over its new law banning the app →
“The widely expected lawsuit argues that banning a hugely popular social media app amounts to an illegal suppression of free speech tantamount to censorship.”
The Verge / Jon Porter
U.S. Surgeon General says social media may be hazardous to teen health →
“Although the report says social media can provide benefits to younger users and cautions that more research is needed to fully understand its impact, it says America needs to ‘urgently take action to create safe and healthy digital environments that minimize harm and safeguard children’s and adolescents’ mental health and well-being during critical stages of development.’”
The Rebooting / Brian Morrissey
B2B’s moment →
“There will always be a need for specialist information, and creating marketplaces for buyers and sellers to meet, so long as capitalism is around.”
American Journalism Project / Loretta Chao
American Journalism Project asked 5,000 people what they want from local news →
One theme? People want to know about decisions before they’re made.
Vice / Chloe Xiang
Verified Twitter accounts have spread an AI-generated hoax about an explosion at the Pentagon →
“The spreading of this fake news across accounts that have up to a million followers and blue checks raises more alarm bells on how Twitter’s current structure as a result of Elon Musks’s ownership can expedite a misinformation campaign.”
Rest of World / Kanika Gupta
Pakistani YouTubers are exposing the dangers of illegal migration to Europe →
“Dunki is a local term for the practice of illegal migration from Pakistan to European countries. Ali is among a clutch of young Pakistani YouTubers who understand the pitfalls of dunki, and are intervening to stop the trend. They create and post videos that shed light on the risks and implications of illegal migration, and help dispel misinformation spread by dunki agents and human smugglers online.”
Washington Post / Perry Bacon Jr.
7 news outlets reinvigorating political journalism in smart ways →
“Several new or expanding outlets are addressing some of political journalism’s long-standing shortcomings: insufficient coverage of state and local government and of people who aren’t white and upper-income; an over-prioritization of elections over policy; a failure to recognize that the courts are a central front in today’s political conflicts.”
The Guardian / Christopher Knaus
Australian media’s racism reckoning: Indigenous journalist quits over “unrelenting” abuse →
“Sometimes we need to just take time out. Sometimes our souls are hurting and so it is for me. I’ve had to learn that endurance is not always strength. Sometimes strength is knowing when to say stop.”
Press Gazette / Charlotte Tobitt
U.K.’s Reach creates “My News Assistant,” an AI-curated website with content from across group →
“Tired of navigating multiple news websites trying to filter out news and topics that’s relevant to you? Well, your search is over!”
The Washington Post / Paul Farhi
The looming existential crisis for cable news →
“A Washington Post calculation suggests that at $6 a month, Fox Nation’s subscribers (said to be 1.5 million strong two years ago) generate far less than 10% of the $3 billion Fox News collected from the cable industry last year.”
The Daily Beast / Confider
The Messenger claims it is “in beta” and is “fully launching in the latter part of June” →
A Messenger PR person also said the company is “entirely different from Quibi for a multitude of reasons. To state the obvious, they were creating an entirely new form of media that didn’t work.”
New York Times / Benjamin Mullin
BuzzFeed is bringing AI to the kitchen with “Botatouille” →
“Hmm, it seems like you might be feeling a bit down. How about I recommend a meal that will lift your spirits?” Botatouille said. “For a laid-off digital media worker, I suggest trying the one-pan chicken and veggie meal prep 2 ways.”