What a way to end Spring Break!! (For those who don't know, RTPC is USC's term for non-tenure faculty.)

2006 internet: RSS feeds, forums, communities of hobby blogs, where people post about interior design, fashion, and music for free 2026 internet: sponsored content, paid partnership, buy my merch, try my supplements, invest in my crypto, click link in bio to unlock the secrets of life for $30

+1 to everything Karl is saying here. And also: The *logic* of the metaverse press coverage in 2021-22 was, “there is SO MUCH money and SO MUCH engineering talent pointed at this stuff that it is bound to amount to something.” That’s facially reasonable, so it gets repeated every time.

Others: Go to a journalism happy hour to network with other journalists. Me: Goes to a journalism happy hour, meets a crafters group on the patio, bonds with them instead, paints this quick lil acrylic piece on canvas, and gets added to the group chat!

why are men

My cat Butters secretly knows how to open closet and cabinet doors, especially the closet where I keep his food. Last night when I got home, I found the closet door open, a bag of food from a high shelf on the floor, clawed open, and him proudly meowing about his victory and making air biscuits.

please do not boil the professors, they don't like it.

My favorite stat from the Oscar Pool I ran for the Annenberg students this year: 100% of respondents picked KPop Demon Hunters for Best Animated Feature. The only certainty. #Oscars

The USC podcast I produce is recording a LIVE episode in April! Prof. Chip Zukoski, the podcast and event host, is an incredible speaker and science professor who is an expert on data center issues. Also, there will be pizza! RSVP: uscannenberg.formstack.com/forms/electr...

Javier Bardem at the Oscars: No to war, and free Palestine.

Traditionally (but not always), the movie that wins Best Editing is often the same movie that wins Best Picture. This aligns more often that Best Director and Best Picture (which has a good chance of going to two different films this year). #Oscars

ICYMI, I've been running a California + Pacific Northwest + remote journalism jobs newsletter on Substack for 6 years. For the past few months, I've been wanting to leave the platform. Vote in this poll if you have a preference for where it goes next westcoastmediajobs.substack.com/p/weekly-job...

John Oliver on his son's Mets fandom and how the Mets are actually very British.

Check out the TV news show my USC students worked on today, which includes an interview with my favorite actor Noah Wyle (!!), coverage of winter travel delays from LAX, and Punch the Monkey. Watch here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=52u0...

Still looking for mentors to step up for our many mentees! All experience levels welcome to give back. Deadline is tomorrow.

RIP Wes Rucker, a tremendous former colleague I was so lucky to start my career alongside at the Chattanooga Times Free Press. TFP forever.

update www.niemanlab.org/2026/02/the-...

"Media veterans looking to join a groundbreaking publication will receive a plot of land to tend and protect in exchange for publishing ten articles per week and complete loyalty to the Crown."

I tell my journalism students specifically not to do this. It's a hack move to make people sound dumb. Everyone talks like this — with the exception of maybe Pete Buttigieg — and it's an editorial choice to leave the little filler words in there.

My New Year's resolution is conquer my pop/nerd culture blind spots, starting with LOTR. The list also includes STAR WARS and D&D. Also, feel free to follow me on @letterboxd.social, the last good social media platform. boxd.it/d72RkT

I wish there were a @letterboxd.social for TV where I could talk about The Pitt, Industry, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms and Heated Rivalry. (Reddit doesn't cut it because...it's Reddit.)

With the awful WaPo layoffs and the state of journalism more broadly, if it's useful for any writers and reporters considering going indy, @molly.wiki, @xoxogossipgita.bsky.social of Aftermath, @jasonkoebler.bsky.social of 404 Media, @edzitron.com and me will do a little workshop next week.

Unquietly working on the most important project of my life. ⬇️

Another project that went live this week: I was the supervising producer on a special 3-episode season of the @usc.edu podcast, Electric Futures, spearheaded by @whatearth.org with editing and sound design by @scline.bsky.social. Read about it in Los Audio: losaudio.substack.com/p/new-season...

My latest for @theguardian.com: Writers and theater groups across the country are creating works in response to crackdowns and funding cuts on their communities, featuring @scandela9.bsky.social @theclemente.bsky.social & more. www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026...

Federal judge has ordered the release of Liam Ramos (the bunny hat boy) and his father. A brief and rather remarkable order. Clearly written to be shared widely, so please do. storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...

I got an invite to make a Qualtrics account this week and it feels like I unlocked a new level of academia.

Hello journos! We at @montereycountynow.com are excited to launch Salinas Valley Now this spring. We are hiring a full-time staff writer and a part-time editor. Please share among your networks, @mallorycarra.com @thelatinonewsletter.org www.journalismjobs.com/job-listings...

Spider-Man backpack. A five year old with a Spider-Man backpack. Peter Parker would be absolutely beside himself.

Calling all mentors and aspiring mentors! I'm co-leading @aajaofficial.bsky.social's Mentor Match program this year and we're looking for great journalism mentors to pair with young mentees. Is this you? Apply to be both a mentor or mentee here: www.aaja.org/programs-and...

oh to be a round little gray cat with no emails

So grateful to have The Handbasket acknowledged in such talented company.

“The trans community really doesn’t trust legacy media because they feel that their stories aren’t being told, their perspectives aren’t being incorporated, and that propaganda is dominating the narrative” @evanurquhart.bsky.social

A nice feather in @autonomynews.co's cap!!

Thank you to @mallorycarra.com‬ for covering the rise of independent journalism, and including Bolts in the article.

A benefit of having a gazillion little indie news outlets is that we're much more difficult for the administration to suppress. Titans can be felled. A swarm has no weakpoint to target. Thanks to @mallorycarra.com for telling the story of independent journalism as a tool of resistance in the US.

Good morning, we're in The Guardian alongside some greats

What a treat to appear alongside @marisakabas.bsky.social, @evanurquhart.bsky.social, and our friends at @404media.co who have answered approximately 1,000 questions for us. Shoutout to @tinynewscollective.bsky.social for its essential support, without which we would not have liability insurance!

Independent journalism is absolutely a form of resistance, thanks to the important work of @marisakabas.bsky.social @autonomynews.co @404media.co @assignedmedia.org @boltsmag.org. My latest in @theguardian.com: www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026...

Hey, @theguardian.com wrote about zines in today's movement and talked to @meganpiont.bsky.social and @prisonculture.bsky.social!!!! www.theguardian.com/us-news/ng-i...

love seeing great people recognized for great work @meganpiont.bsky.social @prisonculture.bsky.social

Inside the resistance-powered resurgence of zines. My first for @theguardian.com: www.theguardian.com/us-news/ng-i...

Escape room where the thing you are trying to escape is reading about Olivia Nuzzi

Congrats Zohran on being the first Mets fan to realize that if he wanted to see a big win in his lifetime he’d have to do it himself

thank you for all the support; the statement from our union is now live here with some more reporting. now that this is public I can confirm that the majority of today’s layoffs were women of color. there are no longer any Black women working at Teen Vogue.

I'm seeing a whole lot less outrage for the journalists of color who have been systematically discarded at places like NBC and CBS (and across journalism, really) than the response to Jimmy Kimmel's 5-day suspension.

US colleges need cats

when you’ve stayed up too late watching the world series

NHK graphics department forced to improvise in order to keep up with this marathon World Series game