Looking for a meaningful way to celebrate America 250 on July 4? Take a free, short, nonpartisan HarvardX online course on the U.S. Constitution: bit.ly/FreeCourseHa... (click “audit” for free version)

We’ve launched a new Substack from the Shorenstein Center: Critical Information — our working notes on how media, politics, and technology shape the information we all depend on. Subscribe here: criticalinformation.substack.com

We are saddened by the passing of Elizabeth “Betsy” Arnold, Spring 2018 Joan Shorenstein Fellow and award‑winning KTOO and NPR journalist. Her work on how “doom and gloom” climate coverage affects public engagement continues to shape conversations in newsrooms: shorensteincenter.org/person/eliza...

Explore opportunities to tackle loneliness and drive social change with Dame Tracey Crouch, Olivia Field, Trey Leveque, @alexsmith1982.bsky.social, and @egsch.bsky.social in a webinar on June 2 at 9am ET / 2pm BST, co-hosted with @jocoxfoundation.bsky.social. Register here: lnkd.in/ejVBPa_x

What can public policy students learn from Beyonce? In Ayushi Roy's class, students use Cowboy Carter as a jumping off point for thinking about what - and who - is missing in the implementation of public programs. https://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2026/05/lessons-from-beyonce-on-public-policy

The Shorenstein Center is launching the Fandom and Social Connection Initiative, a new lab led by Todd Rogers and supported by FOX Sports to study how sports fandom shapes relationships, well-being, and belonging. Learn more: fandomandconnection.org

The UK loneliness field made an extraordinary impact in a short time, but that work needs turbocharging again. My Harvard Kennedy School @shorensteinctr.bsky.social report, based on research with 15 sector leaders, offers new ideas for progress: shorensteincenter.org/resource/onl...

Congratulations to Hannah Dreier and the staff of The New York Times, winners of the 2026 Goldsmith Prize for Investigative Reporting for their series "Exposed and Expendable": https://loom.ly/QYRYH84

We're just an hour away from our annual Goldsmith Awards Ceremony! Tune in to the livestream at 6PM and find out which of our 6 finalists will take home the Goldsmith Prize for Investigative Reporting: https://loom.ly/FvK_uLw

"When we are really thoughtfully engaged with opposing perspectives, we make better decisions," says Shorenstein Center Professor Julia Minson, who is working across Harvard to teach her evidence-based methods for improving how we communicate across and through disagreements. https://loom.ly/pOdzD8w

Watch Live: Ken Burns and Nancy Gibbs in conversation about storytelling and the idea of America: About Ken Burns https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f4_CiGTgR5g

Read an excerpt of @juliaminson.bsky.social's new book pulling together years of her research on conversational receptivity and ways to communicate across differences! https://loom.ly/gyeC5t0

Meet the finalists for our 2026 Goldsmith Prize for Investigative Reporting! Read more about this incredible group of reporters and the stories they uncovered, and join us April 9 when we announce the winner live at the Goldsmith Awards Ceremony: https://loom.ly/q1VDZmI

Excited to share that Jeffrey Goldberg, editor in chief of The Atlantic, and moderator of Washington Week With The Atlantic on PBS, will be the recipient of this year's Goldsmith Career Award for Excellence in Journalism! Join us for the Goldsmith Awards April 9 + learn more: https://loom.ly/-41AqFA

Tune in at noon ET to hear Director Nancy Gibbs in conversation with @politicsprof.bsky.social & Stephen Richer about the current state of the media on @harvardash.bsky.social's Terms of Engagement podcast. Join live or watch/listen later.

The Shorenstein Center & the Documentary Film in the Public Interest Initiative (DFPI) will recognize THE ALABAMA SOLUTION, directed and produced by Andrew Jarecki and Charlotte Kaufman, with a Special Citation for Documentary Film at the 2026 Goldsmith Awards: https://loom.ly/j7oGHig

We are so excited to share the semifinalists for this year's Goldsmith Prize for Investigative Reporting! This group represents the top 30 entries that our judges deemed to be of extremely high quality and in keeping with the Prize's criteria for impact on US government: https://loom.ly/b1vGj3s

There's still time to register for today's 1PM ET webinar with the winner's of this year's Nyhan Prize for Public Policy Journalism—Judd Legum and Samantha Maldonado. Join us! https://loom.ly/SC34x7w

Who can deploy the National Guard, and what can they be called up to do? Following Governor Tim Walz’s recent deployment of the Minnesota National Guard, we’re taking a look back at our Unlocked episode with Former Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick for answers: https://loom.ly/eZhuiMg

Congratulations to Judd Legum, founder and author of Popular Information, and Samantha Maldonado, senior reporter at THE CITY — winners of this year’s David Nyhan Prizes! Join us in conversation with our honorees on Feb. 2 @ 1PM ET: https://loom.ly/SC34x7w

“What would public media look like if we designed it from scratch, for this moment?” Doc Film Fellow Jax Deluca is attempting to answer this question in a new series for the Shorenstein Center, and she wants your input. Check out her 1st post + survey: https://loom.ly/YyG5Wec

We are living through a kind of media & information transition that has rarely been experienced before. Apply for @nancygibbs course "Leading through a Changing Media Landscape" by 1/13! https://www.hks.harvard.edu/faculty-research/policy-topics/media/todays-media-landscape-attention-battlefield

One week left to submit your work for the Goldsmith Prizes for Investigative or Explanatory Reporting! Not too late to hit that deadline of Jan 5 at 11:59pm ET. Learn more about the criteria and how to submit - https://goldsmithawards.org/nominations-open-for-2026-goldsmith-awards/

One week left to submit your work for the Goldsmith Prizes for Investigative or Explanatory Reporting! Not too late to hit that deadline of Jan 5 at 11:59pm ET. Learn more about the criteria and how to submit - https://goldsmithawards.org/nominations-open-for-2026-goldsmith-awards/

Has your investigative reporting made an impact on public policy or government in 2025? Submit it for the Goldsmith Prize for Investigative Reporting! Winners receive $25k, finalists $10k. Deadline: Jan 5, 2026. https://goldsmithawards.org/the-goldsmith-prize-for-investigative-reporting/

Last year @washingtonpost Opinions won the Goldsmith Prize for Explanatory Reporting for "Who is Government". This year could your reporting on the inner workings of government & public policy win? Submit by Jan 5! https://goldsmithawards.org/the-goldsmith-prize-for-explanatory-reporting/

Has your investigative journalism in any medium made an impact on public policy or government? Submit it for the Goldsmith Prize for Investigative Reporting! Small, independent, local & nontraditional orgs are encouraged to submit. Deadline: Jan 5, 2026. https://loom.ly/uDxZSu4

The Goldsmith Prize for Explanatory Reporting awards $15,000 to the best reporting of the year in any medium that explains the inner workings of government and public policy implementation. Submit your work by January 5! https://goldsmithawards.org/the-goldsmith-prize-for-explanatory-reporting/

Wednesday: Join Nancy Gibbs for an online conversation on today’s media landscape: the evolving role of the press, challenges of communication in a polarized environment & the influence of creators and independent media. https://loom.ly/C9fcsuQ

Nominations are now open for the 2026 Goldsmith Awards! Submit your investigative or explanatory reporting on government by Jan 5, 2026. More information and guides to preparing your submissions are at GoldsmithAwards.org.

Hey folks! A little bit of news from me. I'll be starting a new program at the @harvardkennedy.bsky.social @shorensteinctr.bsky.social in January focusing on how we can support and bolster the independent media that is so crucial to our democracy. shorensteincenter.org/article/inde...

Instructors at 2- and 4-year colleges! Give your students free access to a virtual tutor optimized for learning by taking part in our study on using AI to improve education. Instructors receive a $1,000 honorarium. Apps received by 8/8 receive priority: pingpong.hks.harvard.edu/eduaccess

From detention and deportation procedures to what happens at the border, @juliettekayyem.bsky.social breaks down the rights afforded to citizens & non-citizens alike on a new episode of #Unlocked: https://loom.ly/DE3Zv-M#Unlocked

"How do you tell the difference between an arrest and an abduction? Short answer: You can't." - @shorensteinctr.bsky.social Director @nancygibbs.bsky.social in an op-ed this week for @postopinions.bsky.social,"The obvious peril of federal agents in masks" www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/202...

NEW #Unlocked: Shorenstein Center Director Nancy Gibbs talks w/ Dartmouth climate scientist Justin Mankin about the history & importance of publicly-funded data collection, the risk of privatization, & what it means for access to life-saving info in the face of climate change https://loom.ly/xz_mHIc

How has the President's approval rating shifted since his inauguration? A new interactive tool from the Civic Health and Institutions Project (CHIP50) lets you dig into the project's 50 state survey data. https://www.chip50.org/blog/whose-approval-disapproval-of-trump-shifted-the-most

What is the federal debt, what are the impacts of rising debt, and how does it relate to the deficit? Economist Karen Dynan explains in the latest episode of Unlocked, to help reporters and commentators better understand news about the federal government. https://loom.ly/puclAXA

Congratulations to former fellow Tom Casciato and his @okapifilm.bsky.social team, who produced "Two American Families" with Bill Moyers over the course of 30 years. The film won an Emmy this week on the same day Moyers died at age 91. www.pbs.org/wgbh/frontli...

Can local tv still be a valuable resource in today's digital media world? Thomas Patterson's new study explores how local TV news, despite its own struggles, can help people stay informed & connected on the things they care about most. https://loom.ly/KGOp8Uk

Just Published: Can They Do Good and Still Do Well? Local TV Stations and Communities’ Information Needs. New survey of local tv news stations in the U.S. gives one of the most comprehensive looks at how tv news is adapting to the changing media environment. shorensteincenter.org/can-good-sti...

Congratulations to the winners of this year's Nyhan Prize — Michael Harriot & Rose Conlon! They'll be in conversation with Cynthia Tucker for a May 15 webinar about doing people-centered public policy journalism in today's political climate. Register here: shorensteincenter.org/new-event/na...

Congratulations the inaugural grand prize winner of the Henry Awards for Public Interest Documentary, awarded last week to While We Watched, directed by Vinay Shukla, and to the finalists: Four Daughters, Hollywoodgate, Queendom, and Three Promises. henryawards.org/finalists/

How does the government track vaccine safety? Naseem Miller of The Journalist's Resource provides a helpful explainer in this #Unlocked feature: shorensteincenter.org/government-t...

At a time when democracy faces significant challenges, understanding how the U.S. government was designed to function & why is essential for journalists and citizens. Unlocked is a new explanatory series from the Shorenstein Center and @journoresource.bsky.social shorensteincenter.org/unlocked/

Congratulations to Katey Rusch and Casey Smith for winning the 2025 Goldsmith Prize for Investigative Reporting for "Right to Remain Secret" @sfchronicle.com @ucberkeleyofficial.bsky.social Investigative Reporting Program - www.sfchronicle.com/projects/202...

"It's never been more important to honor the excellence that journalists bring to their work" Nancy Gibbs, opening the 2025 Goldsmith Awards. Watch live: www.youtube.com/live/6606P4F...

Starting at 2pm ET - hear from the finalists for the Goldsmith Prize for Investigative Reporting about how they got their stories that have made impacts on healthcare, policing, military health, children and families, and people in recovery. Join via Zoom: shorensteincenter.org/new-event/jo...

💫 NEW! Two reporters, nominated for @shorensteinctr.bsky.social's 2025 Goldsmith Prize, spent years investigating legal agreements in California that hide police officers’ past misconduct from the public. @journoresource.bsky.social shares how they did it: https://twp.ai/1VSqbN

What did it take to get the story? What roadblocks did they hit as they tried to uncover the truth? Join us April 3 at 2PM for our favorite annual tradition — a panel discussion with the finalists of this year's Goldsmith Prize for Investigative Reporting: shorensteincenter.org/new-event/jo...

Reporter Shoshana Walter shares tips on using confidential child welfare records and interviewing traumatized parents. journalistsresource.org/home/marshal...