What a yarn! Journalists are turning to crochet to tell data stories

[Nieman Lab: The Daily Digest] Wednesday, August 9, 2023 [What a yarn! Journalists are turning to crochet to tell data stories]( “I’m really interested in these beautiful, touchable representations of data that use texture to encode information in a way that our screens cannot reproduce.” By Sarah Scire. What We’re Reading New York Times / Kellen Browning [ESPN jumps into online gambling with $2 billion casino deal →]( As part of the transaction, the casino company Penn Entertainment is selling Barstool Sports back to its founder, David Portnoy. The Nevada Independent / Jannelle Calderon [North Las Vegas is using AI to translate public meetings in real time →]( “During public comment or in a presentation by a Spanish speaker, a translated transcription of the person’s words can be seen on large screens at the front of the room. Accuracy depends on the speed and clarity of the speaker, but the audience can also see how the AI technology will often try to fix the sentence and clean up words so it makes sense.” Yahoo News / AFP [Canadian publishers ask government to investigate Meta’s blocking of news articles →]( The publishers asked the Competition Bureau to prohibit Meta from continuing to block Canadians’ access to news and pressed Meta to “refrain from discriminating, by algorithm or by any other means, against content from Canadian news organizations.” Meta “began the process of ending news availability” on Facebook and Instagram in Canada [earlier this month](. TheWrap / Lucas Manfredi [BuzzFeed is still burning through millions in cash →]( “The struggling digital media company that [shuttered its news branch]( amid companywide layoffs in April reported second-quarter revenue of $77.9 million Tuesday and a net loss of $27.8 million, for a loss per share of 20 cents, missing Wall Street estimates.” Committee to Protect Journalists / Gulnoza Said [Violence against journalists in the Netherlands is dimming a beacon of press freedom →]( Reporter Peter De Vries’ killing was the most serious attack on journalist safety in a country where press freedom has long been taken for granted. Axios / Sara Fischer [The Atlantic thinks it might (finally) reach profitability in 2024 →]( “Despite slower ad and sponsorship sales, The Atlantic has currently booked more overall revenue to date compared to this time last year, thanks to a surge in subscriptions, Thompson said.” (For context, roughly 60% of The Atlantic’s revenue comes from consumer subscriptions and 40% from advertising and events.) Rest of World / Martin K.N Siele [TikTokers are documenting — and monetizing — anti-government protests in Kenya →]( “The phones keep us safe in a way. People protesting point them at the police officers, so they don’t arrest or shoot us.” the Guardian / Amanda Meade [Australia’s national broadcaster has shut down almost all its accounts on Elon Musk’s Twitter →]( The ABC cited “toxic interactions” and increasing costs. Axios / Dan Primack [Barstool’s Dave Portnoy beat the house →]( “Portnoy gets hundreds of millions of dollars via the original Penn Gaming sale — albeit not all $551 million, since an outside investor owned 51% — and less than four years later gets back 100% control of what he sold.” [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](