Debugging tech journalism

[Nieman Lab: The Daily Digest] Wednesday, May 1, 2024 [Debugging tech journalism]( A huge proportion of tech journalism is characterized by scandals, sensationalism, and shoddy research. Can we fix it? By Timothy B. Lee. What We’re Reading Teen Vogue / Angie Jaime [Nine student news outlets to follow for ongoing university protests coverage →]( “Amid this complex and often chaotic landscape, school newspapers have become a direct source for coverage on the ground, with access that mainstream media may be barred from, or lack context around. These young journalists are meeting the moment, working hard to report on a pivotal moment in history.” The Emancipator / Anne G Fellers-Mason [Elihu Embree published the first abolitionist newspaper in America. He was also an enslaver. →]( “Describing his history as an enslaver as ‘the worst acts of the worst part’ of his life, he expressed his hope that this would not prevent readers from embracing the ‘self-evident truth: ‘That all men are created equally free and independent and are entitled to their liberty, whatever may be the misconduct of others.’” TechCrunch / Aisha Malik [Substack now lets writers paywall their “Chat” discussion spaces →]( “The company believes paywalled Chats will help keep conversations intimate and free of trolls, while also acting as a paid perk for readers. Substack says its data shows that active Chat participants are 12% more likely to retain their subscriptions.” The Verge / Mia Sato [Instagram’s updated algorithm prioritizes original content instead of rip-offs →]( “The update targets serial reposters — accounts that share content that they didn’t ‘create or enhance in a material way’ more than 10 times in 30 days. This means that, in theory, your Instagram Explore page or main feed recommendations won’t include content from aggregation accounts.” AP News / David Bauder [News organizations have trust issues as they gear up to cover another election, a poll finds →]( “About half of Americans, 53%, say they are extremely or very concerned that news organizations will report inaccuracies or misinformation during the election. Some 42% express worry that news outlets will use generative artificial intelligence to create stories, according to a poll from [the American Press Institute and The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research]( Press Gazette / Jim Edwards [1440 bets on paying to acquire readers and then selling ads against them →]( “Advertising to attract new readers isn’t a new or unique practice, but 1440 has taken the model to an extreme. The company runs ads on all the main social media channels, encouraging people to subscribe to its daily news summary. Its average cost-per-acquisition starts at around $3 per reader, [CEO Tim] Huelskamp says. At a pace of a quarter of a million new signups per month that would imply a monthly marketing budget of the better part of $1m.” Poynter / Fernanda Camarena and Mel Grau [Shut out: Strategies for good journalism when sources dismiss the press →]( “Journalists are historically hesitant to make themselves the story and/or worried that admitting the government is stifling their ability to report the news is a confession of weakness. That needs to stop.” The Guardian / Amy Hawkins [Number of writers jailed in China exceeds 100 for first time, says report →]( “There are 107 people behind bars because of their published statements in China, more than any other country on the index. It is the first time that Pen America’s count of writers jailed in China has surpassed 100.” Platformer / Casey Newton and Zoe Schiffer [Publishers gamble over AI licensing deals →]( “Recent events suggest [publishers] have less leverage over OpenAI, Google, and other LLM makers than they might hope — and that when they look back on this time in the years ahead, they may wish they had put their attention elsewhere. Because while they negotiate, another version of the internet is already under construction. It’s a place where visiting websites is a thing of the past, and browsers and AI companies team up to give people everything the broader internet used to without ever having to leave their walled gardens. A relatively small number of deals may offer a trickle of revenue to publishers, even as the products themselves introduce huge disruptions into how news is distributed and consumed.” TechCrunch / Ingrid Lunden [LinkedIn launches gaming: three logic puzzles aiming to extend time spent on its networking platform →]( “LinkedIn — designed for professional networking and specifically for job hunting and recruitment — has long been trying to find ways to get people to engage on its platform in more natural and less transactional ways.” [Nieman Lab]( / [Fuego]( [Twitter]( / [Facebook]( [View email in browser]( [Unsubscribe]( You are receiving this daily newsletter because you signed up for for it at www.niemanlab.org. Nieman Journalism Lab Harvard University 1 Francis Ave.Cambridge, MA 02138 [Add us to your address book](