Vice News Issues takes a “homepage-isn’t-dead” approach to big topics (first up: populism): The latest from Nieman Lab

[Nieman Lab: The Daily Digest] Tuesday, May 9, 2017 [Vice News Issues takes a “homepage-isn’t-dead” approach to big topics (first up: populism)]( “We wanted to try to bring a little more energy back to our homepage and really act like a main magazine for a day.” By Laura Hazard Owen. [So how in the world do you break into a career in podcasting, anyway?]( Plus: Getting podcast recs at hotel check-in, a bilingual radionovela, S-Town hits 40 million downloads, and Invisibilia gets ready to return. By Nicholas Quah. [After a snap election was called in the U.K., the BBC turned its Brexit bot into an election bot]( “You have to take a 500-word news article and think: If I was to see this in the form of a series of message alerts, what would I want to see and what would I leave out? That’s a different way of thinking about journalism.” By Joseph Lichterman. What We’re Reading Reynolds Journalism Institute / Jennifer Nelson [What an Idaho TV station is learning from flying a drone →]( “As the news crew at KTVB in Boise, Idaho, has learned, launching their drone for news coverage can draw a crowd. Executive News Director Kate Morris says this has been a good opportunity to educate the public about the opportunities the new technology offers journalists and assure folks of the TV station’s commitment to ethical journalism and safety. But crowds have also posed challenges. Morris says her team has learned that it’s best to have additional staff on hand to answer people’s questions so the drone operators can stay focused on the job at hand.” Poynter / Benjamin Mullin [Why The New York Times isn’t diving headfirst into international editions →]( “A lot of our research tells us that readers abroad don’t want a different version of The New York Times. They want the real Times. I think they do need guidance through the report as to what’s most relevant for them.” Digiday / Lucia Moses [Now profitable, Patch wants to be a platform for other local news outlets →]( “Patch is setting up local pages for top 125 designated market areas where it doesn’t already have a presence, such as Boise, Idaho, and New Orleans, then bringing in an editor if traffic shows promise. Patch has hired 20 journalists in the past three months to fund this expansion.” Columbia Journalism Review / Yemile Bucay, Vittoria Elliott, Jennie Kamin, Andrea Park [America’s growing news deserts →]( See also Josh Benton’s recent column on [the unnewsed](. Stratechery by Ben Thompson / Ben Thompson [Ben Thompson on the local news business model: “Everything is obsolete” →]( “Most local newspapers are simply are not worth saving, not because local news isn’t valuable, but rather because everything else in your typical local newspaper is worthless (from a business perspective).” Current / Tyler Falk [NPR to consolidate digital teams in Washington →]( “The network has asked all 32 Digital Services staffers at their offices in Boston to move as part of an effort to unite digital teams at its headquarters. NPR’s Digital Media team is already based in Washington. The move will be made in September. Affected employees will be offered relocation assistance.” [Nieman Lab]( / [Fuego]( / [Encyclo]( [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](