Nieman Lab: The Daily Digest

This newspaper ruined everyone’s night by sending a premature push notification about the winner of Jeopardy!

“I will remember this when it’s time to renew my subscription. Goodbye.” By Laura Hazard Owen.

Four lessons from two decades of newsroom lawyering

“Behind all of the best press lawyers stand great reporters.” By Richard Tofel.
“Lowbrow despicable”: New York Magazine’s Approval Matrix gets a…competitor
What We’re Reading
Testify
The Marshall Project launches Testify, a reporting initiative to probe the criminal justice system in Cleveland →
“Using tens of thousands of court records, The Marshall Project is exploring the lopsided outcomes in Cuyahoga County’s court system – including why 75% of incarcerated people convicted in Cuyahoga County are Black.”
The Verge / Ashley Carman
Why Spotify can’t afford to lose Joe Rogan →
“A source previously told me that if marketers buy ads on Rogan, they have to buy ads on the rest of Spotify’s catalog, too, meaning Rogan’s success brings more advertisers to the rest of Spotify’s investments. Without him, Spotify has Call Her Daddy and Armchair Expert, but neither reaches Rogan’s scale. It’s easy to see why Spotify didn’t cave so easily.”
Teen Vogue / Siri Chilukuri
Misinformation on social media in India is causing tension among families →
“This phenomenon has been painful for members of the diaspora, who say they’re eager to discuss issues such as Islamophobia, casteism, and homophobia, but know they may face intense backlash — including from their own relatives — for doing so.”
Pew Research Center / Amy Mitchell and Jacob Liedke
Only about a third of U.S. adults are very closely following Covid-related news, according to a new survey →
“Overall, 37% of U.S. adults say they are following news about the coronavirus outbreak very closely. That is up from 31% in March 2021 and back to the level of interest seen in fall and winter of 2020 – a time when cases were increasing, businesses faced closures and many schools returned to virtual learning.”
The New Republic / Timothy Noah
The long history of asking presidents idiotic questions →
“It’s the rules themselves that are bad, and they have been for decades. They’ve rewarded political reporters, and especially TV reporters, for turning White House press availabilities and press conferences into opportunities to perform rather than inquire. The introduction into the White House press corps of right-wing crackpots like Chanel Rion of the conspiracy-mongering One America News Network made things worse, but they were pretty bad already.”
The Washington Post / Elizabeth Dwoskin
Conspiracy theorists, banned on major social networks, connect with audiences on newsletters and podcasts →
“[Newsletters and podcasts] cater to subscribers who seek out specific content that accommodates their viewpoints — potentially making the services less responsible for spreading harmful views, some misinformation experts say. At the same time, the platforms are exposing tens of thousands of people to misinformation each month — content that can potentially lead people to engage in behaviors that endanger themselves and others.”
Twitter / Marc Tracy
New York Times media reporter Marc Tracy is moving over to the Culture desk →
“…next month I am moving to the Culture desk, tackling a beat about how disputes over politics and ideas shape arts and culture, and vice versa.”
Poynter / Rick Edmonds
Coming off big digital subscription growth, Hearst Newspapers plan a new data and product hub for 2022 →
“The company closed the year with more than 300,000 paid digital-only subscriptions, an increase of 100,000 or 50% from the year before. It is targeting 100,000 more this year.”
Gawker / Tarpley Hitt
What happened at The Root? →
“Eight former and current Root staffers told Gawker that management seemed to want less of the overtly provocative work its writers were known for in favor of ‘a softer, gentler, more upbeat site,’ with an emphasis on entertainment, fewer swear words, a blurrier relationship with advertisers, and stories like, as one source put it: ‘This Girl Applied For 17 Scholarships And Got Into Three Ivy League Schools.'”
Columbia Journalism Review / Haley Swenson and Rebecca Gale
Every news outlet needs a childcare beat →
“Rather than selectively engage childcare as an add-on or afterthought to those legacy beats, the time has come to make childcare its own beat.”
The Washington Post / Travis M. Andrews
Spotify pulls Neil Young’s music after his ultimatum regarding vaccine disinformation on the platform →
“We regret Neil’s decision to remove his music from Spotify, but hope to welcome him back soon,” a Spotify spokesperson told The Washington Post in a statement.
Global Investigative Journalism Network / James Fahn
The rise of science-based investigative journalism →
“Journalists are increasingly using the tools of science journalism and scientific inquiry to carry out investigative reporting, and even to shine a spotlight on questionable scientific findings.”