February | 2020 | Nieman Journalism Lab

Archives: February 2020

Joshua BentonFebruary 27, 2020

On a rough day for American newspapers, investors aren’t buying Gannett’s story and Tribune’s not done chopping

“I just don’t believe where the stock is trading” is not a thing you want to hear from one of your biggest investors. And in Chicago, some of the most prestigious positions in journalism are now either eliminated or part-time gigs.

Hanaa' TameezFebruary 27, 2020

No one cares that you were editor of your college newspaper: Reporter bios don’t improve readers’ trust in your news outlet

Crave the smell of barbecue? Love your kids? Won a Pulitzer? None of it seems to move the needle on how your readers perceive your work.

Ever wonder why Gmail doesn’t put your newsletter in subscribers’ primary inbox?

Joshua BentonFebruary 26, 2020

Maybe publisher cooperation is a path forward for news, but it shouldn’t be at the expense of public media

In Norway and Sweden, a survey finds some people won’t pay for online news because the news from their free public broadcaster is good enough. That’s a feature, not a bug.

Sarah ScireFebruary 25, 2020

“Big tech is watching you. Who’s watching big tech?” The Markup is finally ready for liftoff

After a false start, the unconventional team of algorithm investigators is ready to dive deep. “I’ve heard that we are tying our hands behind our backs, but there must be a way to engage an audience without subjecting readers to a surveillance ecosystem.”

You can tune into the Knight Media Forum 2020 from your desk

Nicholas QuahFebruary 25, 2020

Can Rupert Murdoch and Boris Johnson team up to kneecap the BBC?

Plus: A new and more inclusive top-podcasts ranking, new funding for a premium-feed provider, and why album-specific podcasts are the hot new promotional tool for music.

How screwed are we? Experts don’t see a bright future for technology’s impact on democracy (or journalism)

Hanaa' TameezFebruary 24, 2020

Report for America will support 19 journalists to cover Native American communities

“You build trust through listening and through recognizing other people’s knowledge…In order to build trust, you have to believe what people tell you.”

Lisa FazioFebruary 24, 2020

Who needs deepfakes? Simple out-of-context photos can be a powerfully low-tech form of misinformation

A bogus headline seems both more true and more familiar to people when it’s accompanied by a photo of any kind.

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