Nieman Lab
The Weekly Wrap: February 18, 2025

Emotion as “a starting seed for stories”

We have lots of great reads for you on the site this week:

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— Laura Hazard Owen

From the week

A new report suggests journalism support orgs, funders, and local newsrooms unite around four goals

“We, as a field, need to be able to make coherent, persuasive, rigorous, and empirical arguments for why local news and information is critical to the health and safety of our communities.” By Sophie Culpepper.

The New York Times will let reporters use AI tools while its lawyers litigate AI tools

“Generative AI can assist our journalists in uncovering the truth and helping more people understand the world.” By Joshua Benton.

Blurred lines: When it comes to news habits, age may be more important than nationality

A digital media landscape that shapes news habits similarly across borders may be erasing some country-specific patterns. By Sarah Scire.

Trump wants news outlets to get on board with “Gulf of America” — or else. Will they?

The White House’s move to block AP’s reporters over its house style has turned a debate about language into one about power. By Joshua Benton.
BBC News finds that AI tools “distort” its journalism into “a confused cocktail” with many errors