Ideas

03
Aug

How to respond to common objections to audience research

"Objections about time and money are always a smokescreen using a bad model of what research is."
1 min read
03
Aug

The case for treating audience research as investigative journalism

Discover value; Define value; Design value; Deliver value; Repeat;
4 min read
17
Jul

From digital monarchies to decentralized republics: Social media protocols are political

Social media platforms have become virtual nations, each with its own governance structure.
2 min read
13
Jul

An obituary test: AI's (probably unintentional) autocratic leanings in different languages

A simple experiment with AI-generated obituaries uncovers troubling biases in language models that show how they reinforce autocratic narratives across different languages.
3 min read
02
Jul

Truth < Need

Your truth is not necessarily someone else’s need, and without a need, your truth won't bring about change.
7 min read
31
May

Surviving Google Zero: Insights from dissident media

Some newsrooms have been navigating the realities of Google Zero for a long time: exiled media organizations. There's a lot that can be learned from them.
7 min read
30
Apr

Journalism awards for jobs done

Can we be more intentional about what we praise? Can we reflect more on the service provided than the format? How was this piece of reporting useful? How many breaking news awards do we really need?
4 min read
24
Apr

Experimenting with Polis for Community Conversations

Has anyone / would anyone be interested in implementing Polis for community conversations?
11
Apr

'Lifetime civic value' as a media impact metric

A proposal for non-profit newsrooms to measure impact through audience civic engagement, tracking actions that contribute to public good.
3 min read
01
Feb

My ten lessons in media leadership at RFE/RL

Driving innovation for legacy media means taking strategy seriously, creating space for audience ambassadors, and building shared aspirations
5 min read