As the news media continues to face major headwinds following last week's layoffs at Washington Post, independent journalism remains as important as ever. For Long Lead's DEPTH PERCEPTION newsletter, top journalists weigh in on what makes them hopeful for the future of the industry.

The players at the Super Bowl are going long, but not as far as free diver Alenka Artnik. She dived 122 meters on one breath to set a world record in 2021. That's the equivalent of 1.1 football field. Take a dip into the Long Lead archives to read her story: thedepths.longlead.com

This is absolutely untrue. For more than a decade, Kennedy campaigned against vaccines, as @vermontgmg.bsky.social reported in @longlead.com’s LONG SHADOW podcast. Listen to this episode, featuring @noupside.bsky.social’s fight against his antivax efforts as far back as 2013, for the full context:

The players at the Super Bowl are going long, but not as far as free diver Alenka Artnik. She dived 122 meters on one breath to set a world record in 2021. That's the equivalent of 1.1 football field. Take a dip into the Long Lead archives to read her story: thedepths.longlead.com

When discussing what's happening in Venezuela right now, journalist Tony Frangie Mawad (@tonyfrangie.bsky.social) shares, "this moment is both significant and limited" as the country faces a forked path.

Long Lead's documentary film short TWINS FEST has been officially selected by the Short Sweet Film Fest, making its festival debut on Sunday, March 8 in Cleveland, Ohio. shortsweetfilmfest.com/2026-festiva...

The players at the Super Bowl are going long, but not as far as free diver Alenka Artnik. She dived 122 meters on one breath to set a world record in 2021. That's the equivalent of 1.1 football field. Take a dip into the Long Lead archives to read her story: thedepths.longlead.com

Long Lead founding editor John Patrick Pullen (@jppullen.com) discusses all things podcasts — like which he thinks is most interesting and which show was his very first listen — with Keelin (@iamkeelinit.bsky.social) from Mentally a Magpie. Read the full Q&A today.

This is such a great interview, and @tonyfrangie.bsky.social's newsletter "What Happened Last Week in Venezuela" is required reading for this moment in South America. Get your news from journalists who are — and have been — there!

For journalist Tony Frangie Mawad, covering Venezuela came from the realization that there was a real hunger for good, reliable information through non-blocked channels. He launched VENEZUELA WEEKLY, publishing English and Spanish editions to report on dynamics that were ignored in reporting abroad.

Though they may sound alike and look alike, multiples share their experiences growing up with a sibling and not having the same taste in clothing and hobbies.

How did we get to the current state of the internet, where violent videos go viral, and cyberbullying, racism, and misogyny run rampant? LONG SHADOW: BREAKING THE INTERNET tells the story of how the web, a tool with the power to fuel democracy, became a weapon aimed at the very heart of it.

During World War II, over 120,000 Japanese Americans were taken from their homes and forced to live in incarceration camps with only what they could carry from home. Most of them were American citizens.

A judge temporarily blocked the Trump administration from removing temporary protected status for up to 350,000 Haitian immigrants living in the U.S. amidst an ongoing gang crisis in the Caribbean country. 📷: Odelyn Joseph/AP storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...

Monica Hunter and Marlene Parkison share that an important part of being a twin is having bonding time with your multiple to solidify closeness. While they're not together all the time, the twins share how they frequently dress in similar outfits without consulting each other.

Long Lead is honored to share that LONG SHADOW: BREAKING THE INTERNET is a finalist for the 2026 Ambies Awards in the categories of Best Knowledge, Science or Tech Podcast, Best News & Politics Podcast, and Best Scriptwriting, Non-Fiction.

Megan and Keri have 113 matching tattoos, nearly all of them homages to local bands in Pennsylvania, New York, and New Jersey. The identical sisters do almost everything together and their bond shows the importance of companionship.

When deciding to write about ICE and who exactly the agency is arming and sending to America's streets, journalist @laurajedeed.bsky.social took a different approach. She attended the agency's recruitment expo in Texas in August 2025. Much to her surprise, she was offered a job.

Twins have a bond that can't be explained to those who weren't born on the same day. Fraternal twins Erin and Laura share their bond is like "having a soulmate that you’re kind of born into.”

Today is Fred Korematsu Day, a day recognized for the Japanese-American civil rights activist best known for resisting the internment of Japanese Americans during World War II. 📷: Courtesy of the family of Fred T. Korematsu

"Who brings guns to a protest?!" It's a question that was asked when Trump supporters brought guns to anti-lockdown protests in 2020 and is now being asked again in reference to protesters bringing guns to anti ICE protests.

When reflecting on the news of the day this week, journalist and Long Lead collaborator David Wolman made a great point: Minneapolis has a lot of parallels to the Arab Spring. Listen to learn more about it in episode 3 of LONG SHADOW: BREAKING THE INTERNET: longshadowpodcast.com/podcasts/bre...

Long Lead's features range from the history of rubber bullets and how they have left their victims with life-altering injuries to a podcast on how the internet has divided us. Follow us across social media platforms to keep up to date with our latest features. longlead.com

Just six years ago while Trump’s supporters were protesting COVID lockdowns, Trump supported protesters’ rights to carry guns, sharing in a tweet “SAVE YOUR GREAT 2ND AMENDMENT.” During anti-ICE protests though, Trump and his administration are apparently against carrying guns.

@laurajedeed.bsky.social was offered a job by ICE after attending the agency's recruitment expo in Texas in August 2025. Though the Army vet-turned-journalist expected to be turned away — something that may have happened if they had just Googled her name — instead, she received a final offer.

As ICE protesters fight the senseless killings of people like Renee Nicole Good and Alex Jeffrey Pretti, journalist David Wolman is brought back to his days covering the authoritarianist regimes of the Middle East, pointing out Minneapolis has a lot of parallels to the Arab Spring.

For twins, comparisons naturally happen all their lives, but it doesn't mean it makes it any easier. Identical twins Carmelle and Cathy share how they've had body dysmorphia and have grown up with preconceived notions based on labels given years ago.

"Who brings guns to a protest?!" It's a question that was asked when Trump supporters brought guns to anti-lockdown protests in 2020 and is now being asked again in reference to protesters bringing guns to anti ICE protests.

During World War II, over 120,000 Japanese Americans were taken from their homes and forced to live in incarceration camps with only what they could carry from home. Most of them were American citizens.

War reporter Ben Anderson has risked his life toggling between print and film in his pursuit of truth in some of the world’s most dangerous war zones. He weighs the pros and cons of writing books vs. creating documentaries, sharing that he thinks books are far more impactful, but docs open doors.

Sometimes as a twin, constant comparisons are made to differentiate between the two. For identical sisters Carmelle and Cathy, being labeled as the "pretty" twin and the "fat" twin affected their self esteem and how they saw themselves growing up.

During World War II, over 125,000 Japanese Americans were unjustly incarcerated by the U.S. government. They brought with them the belongings they could carry and were taken in dark trains to new towns across the United States to start lives of incarceration.

“How did we get here?” is something @vermontgmg.bsky.social frequently asks on LONG SHADOW. Well, here’s how we got to today’s horrors:

Anti-ICE protesters are gathering in Minneapolis on Friday, protesting the presence of federal immigration agents. If you're protesting, here's how to tell if law enforcement is armed with less-lethal munitions. Remember: "Less lethal" means "still deadly."

During World War II, over 120,000 Japanese Americans were taken from their homes and forced to live in incarceration camps with only what they could carry from home. Most of them were American citizens.

Identical twins Carmelle and Cathy sometimes speak in unison and they often finish each other’s sentences, but they insist they’re very different. Carmelle shares, “She drives me crazy sometimes, and I drive her crazy. But we still cannot be apart.”

Former special counsel Jack Smith testified on Thursday about Trump criminal investigations. Across two seasons of Long Lead's Edward R. Murrow-winning podcast LONG SHADOW, host Garrett Graff has tracked how Trump came into power and how social media algorithms helped spread political conspiracies

War reporter Ben Anderson has risked his life toggling between print and film in his pursuit of truth in some of the world’s most dangerous war zones. With the baffling geopolitical events over the last few months, Anderson seems uniquely qualified to assess the advantages and dangers of the events.

Have you listened LONG SHADOW with @vermontgmg.bsky.social? With these Ambie noms, it's now won or been a finalist for: • A Peabody Award* • An RFK Human Rights Prize • An Edward R. Murrow Award • An International Documentary Association Award* • 8 Signal Awards • A Webby Award • More *Finalist

Long Lead is honored to share that LONG SHADOW: BREAKING THE INTERNET is a finalist for the 2026 Ambies Awards in the categories of Best Knowledge, Science or Tech Podcast, Best News & Politics Podcast, and Best Scriptwriting, Non-Fiction.

From Long Lead's in-depth report on vets fighting the VA for housing to our narrative podcast chronicling how the internet has fractured the world, our reporting has been pivotal in affecting change. Get updates on our award-winning journalism by subscribing to the LONG LEAD newsletter.

On Jan. 20, 2020, the U.S. recorded its first case of COVID-19. LONG SHADOW: RISE OF THE AMERICAN FAR RIGHT recounts how the pandemic would inflame the anti-government sentiment that had been building for 40 years — confirming the fears of many on the far-right that the government was tyrannical

If you talk about Howard Dean's presidential run, you likely won't hear about its inspired use of the internet for grassroots organizing Heard from the TVs all across America on January 19, 2004, the Dean scream became a meme, long before the word meme even existed.

The day is January 19, 2004. Howard Dean addresses his supporters after losing the Iowa caucus to John Kerry. And in the heat of the moment, he screams a "HYAAA" that's heard around the world. youtu.be/tOaOu1ShF-I

Identical twin brothers Skyler and Spencer Nick have been loyal attendees of the annual Twins Days Festival since they were 2 years old, attending the event for 31 consecutive years.

An anti-ICE protester has been permanently blinded by a less-lethal munition shot by a Department of Homeland Security agent. Long Lead's THE PEOPLE VS RUBBER BULLETS tells the full story of kinetic impact projectiles and their use as a method of crowd control, leaving victims injured and even dead

While many moments from the Revolutionary War seem to echo with friction in today’s cultural and political landscape in America, when creating his new series “The American Revolution," filmmaker Ken Burns shares that his team was never explicit in how information is presented.

Megan and Keri have 113 matching tattoos, nearly all of them homages to local bands in Pennsylvania, New York, and New Jersey. The identical sisters do almost everything together and their bond shows the importance of companionship.

Last week, an anti-ICE protester was permanently blinded by a less-lethal munition shot by a Department of Homeland Security agent. It’s not the first time someone has been blinded by a less-lethal munition, as seen in Long Lead's feature THE PEOPLE VS. RUBBER BULLETS:

Will AI-driven "fake news" crush journalism in 2026? It's possible. But in 2025, three of the industry's sharpest minds — @zachseward.com, @karenhao.bsky.social, and @nxthompson.bsky.social — told Long Lead's DEPTH PERCEPTION newsletter that journalism can benefit from these tools.