My friends at Niemanreports.org asked me to write about the experience of being a journalist on the ground in Minneapolis right now. I knew I wanted to tell reporters elsewhere how even this most hopeless of times has been clarifying and, in some ways, energizing. (1) share.google/ms1wKDQZmgep...

Journalists shifted their approach because DHS is not forthcoming and has a proven history of distortions/lies. "There are so many basic facts the government doesn’t share with the public, including who is arrested, on what charges, or where they’re being sent." (5) niemanreports.org/minneapolis-...

I wrote that "Minneapolis sometimes has the feel of a dystopia, with feds arresting and brutalizing citizens, seemingly with no real response from state authorities. As residents remind me all the time, 'No one is coming to save us.'" (4) niemanreports.org/minneapolis-...

Outrage has shifted, from constitutional and legal violations by the feds "to disturbing images of masked, anonymous federal agents using pepper spray and tear gas on peaceful observers, and even detaining a 5-year-old boy in a bunny-ears hat." (3). niemanreports.org/minneapolis-...

In a situation where the old rules no longer apply, and the federal government makes little pretense of telling the public what's being done in their name, journalists in Minneapolis (and St. Paul!) have covered the stories from the ground up. (2) niemanreports.org/minneapolis-...

On the latest episode of the @niemanstoryboard.org podcast, journalists Leah Sottile and Ryan Haas join Editor @markarms.bsky.social to discuss the final season of their serialized podcast “Hush." 🎧: https://niemanstoryboard.org/2026/01/22/leah-sottile-ryan-haas-true-crime-podcasting-journalism/

"My stewardship of the Post and my support of its mission, which will remain unswerving, is something I will be most proud of when I’m 90 and reviewing my life" www.niemanlab.org/2026/02/some...

The streets of Minneapolis feel dystopian, writes @jcollins.bsky.social of @mprnews.org "with feds arresting and brutalizing citizens, seemingly with no real response from state authorities. As residents remind me all the time, ‘No one is coming to save us.’" niemanreports.org?p=20920&prev...

My latest newsletter for @niemanstoryboard.org: Featuring @soledadobrien.bsky.social with @cmtapper.bsky.social on documentary storytelling and the Oscar-nominated "The Devil Is Busy," plus links from @thelincoln.bsky.social and @lizkellynelson.com niemanstoryboard.org/2026/02/06/i...

Nieman Storyboard host @markarms.bsky.social interviewed @leahsottile.bsky.social and I about the Hush podcast and our approach to ethical journalism. He asked really insightful questions and it was a delight to share our process.

"The Post newsroom became very accustomed to a billionaire patron giving them everything they wanted in perpetuity." "Letting Ezra walk." "My take today on Jeff Bezos since I met him at his struggling start up in the 1990s in Seattle: Twice the muscles, half the man"... + more ideas from you.

A new bill in the NY state legislature would require news orgs to label any content “substantially composed, authored, or created" with generative AI. It would also require that humans review that content before publication. More details @niemanlab.org. www.niemanlab.org/2026/02/a-ne...

Long one of the strongest public media outlets in the country, Minnesota Public Radio has reached new traffic highs amid the ICE raids and protests there. www.niemanlab.org/2026/02/as-t...

"There are so many basic facts the government doesn’t share with the public, including who is arrested [by ICE], on what charges, or where they’re being sent." niemanreports.org/minneapolis-...

Don’t miss this outstanding op-ed essay in @niemanreports.org by @jcollins.bsky.social who has been doing exceptional reporting for @mprnews.org on the moral injury, economic devastation and social harm caused by the Party of Trump and ICE. //Also: J-ethics. niemanreports.org/minneapolis-...

"The responses we’ve received from the public about our coverage make it clear that people want and appreciate journalists who hold power to account instead of cozying up to it." @jcollins.bsky.social @niemanreports.org niemanreports.org/minneapolis-...

The streets of Minneapolis feel dystopian, writes @jcollins.bsky.social of @mprnews.org "with feds arresting and brutalizing citizens, seemingly with no real response from state authorities. As residents remind me all the time, ‘No one is coming to save us.’" niemanreports.org?p=20920&prev...

"[AI] tech is not magic. Once you get around to using it for real-life work, we realize its limitations. Start with what problem you are trying to solve before using it as a solution," @jaemark.co for @niemanfoundation.bsky.social and @niemanreports.org. niemanreports.org/ai-research-...

The folks at @niemanreports.org wrote up a panel I was fortunate to moderate on AI and journalism with @niemanfoundation.bsky.social alums @jaemark.co, Uli Köppen and Ron Stodghill. niemanreports.org/ai-research-...

Behind the lens with photojournalist Carol Guzy: Capturing a family's anguish at an U.S. Immigration Facility niemanreports.org/carol-guzy-i...

NEW OP-ED by Leah Clapman, founder of @reportinglabs.bsky.social. The journalism industry is losing future generations — here’s what we can do. niemanreports.org/teen-media-f...

Plastics Crisis Intrudes on Paradise: A dramatic scene in Bali provides a cautionary environmental tale. New photo essay by Sean Gallagher ⬇️ niemanreports.org/plastics-cri...

"Digging teaches patience. It teaches skepticism. ... This resonates deeply with my journalism, especially when dealing with opaque systems [and] with platforms and institutions that exercise power quietly." niemanreports.org/digging-for-...

this Q&A by @neeldhanesha.com about what federal agents are using in MN, is alarming, but also really interesting. The pepper spray in use today is hotter & clingier than it used to be. "Less than lethal" rounds are larger & faster, and standard eye protection doesn't protect against them.

NIEMAN FOUNDATION: What a safety expert thinks journalists should know about “less than lethal” rounds and chemical irritants used by ICE buff.ly/RkqHeHH @niemanfoundation.bsky.social @niemanlab.org @niemanreports.org #journalism #photojournalism

🎥 Lights, Camera, Action: Niemans Making Films In this installment of Niemans@Work, we highlight a sampling of recent documentaries featuring Nieman alumni who have directed, produced, starred in, or otherwise contributed to a wide range of productions. niemanreports.org/making-films...

NIEMAN FOUNDATION: Lights, Camera, Action: Niemans Making Films - Nieman Reports ift.tt/aZie2Wt @niemanfoundation.bsky.social @niemanlab.org @niemanreports.org #journalism #photojournalism

Even when they talked about chronic factual errors and complained about chatbots failing to provide up-to-date information, interviewees were quick to forgive chatbots and continue using them to stay informed. www.niemanlab.org/2026/01/peop...

With "Web Guide," Google is testing AI rewrites of meta-descriptions. It's just the latest example of the search giant chipping away at news publisher real estate in search. www.niemanlab.org/2026/01/disc...

Fearing major layoffs, current and former Posties rally around #SaveThePost campaign www.niemanlab.org/2026/01/fear...

Bellingcat is increasingly partnering with American news sites, Macguire said, to bring its work to “the audiences who need to see them most — including those local to the events we are reporting on.” www.niemanlab.org/2026/01/in-m...

Who knows whether Yahoo Scout will be a success — the mind of the 2026 Yahoo user is inherently inscrutable — but it’s a reminder that we’re not destined to end up with just one single AI “answer engine." www.niemanlab.org/2026/01/yaho...

When @opb.org ended Hush, even Harvard's Nieman Storyboard could see how short-sighted that was. After making four successful podcasts together, @ryanjhaas.bsky.social and I are committed to continuing our investigative work in the Northwest, and we're launching our own publication. More soon.

the work @bellingcat.com is doing in Minneapolis is essential. I spoke with @eoghanmacguire.bsky.social about the site's U.S. strategy www.niemanlab.org/2026/01/in-m...

As President Trump’s second term unfolds, experts warn a growing pattern of insults, lawsuits, and access restrictions reveals an unprecedented, multifront assault on U.S. news media. niemanreports.org/lawfare-us-m...

My Friday newsletter for @niemanstoryboard.org: Thank you @startribune.com @mprnews.org @minnesotareformer.com and all the independent reporters and outlets on the ground. niemanstoryboard.org/2026/01/23/h... #journalism #storytelling #longreads

At @niemanlab.org we're starting a new series called Creators of Record, where we interview news influencers about how they do their jobs. Who should we interview next?

Loved sitting down with @leahsottile.bsky.social and @ryanjhaas.bsky.social for the @niemanstoryboard.org podcast to talk about the second season of their series "Hush" — and I'm so excited they're launching their own independent publication. niemanstoryboard.org/2026/01/22/l... #longreads

"We are not in the business of keeping journalists employed. We’re not even in the business of preserving journalism, per se. We’re in the business of preserving public information." niemanreports.org/gina-chua-ai...

“If you are going to try something hard, do it in the smallest way possible first. Take the smallest bite of the sandwich.” Love this Erika Hayasaki conversation with author and essayist Grace Talusan at @niemanstoryboard.org niemanstoryboard.org/2026/01/15/g... #journalism #writing #longreads

“I ultimately think it's healthier for a publication to owe their financial health to their readers instead of their donors.” www.niemanlab.org/2026/01/l-a-...

Publishers prepare to be “squeezed” by AI and creators in 2026 www.niemanlab.org/2026/01/publ...

“If major news organizations like CBS and ABC settle lawsuits that they could win, it only empowers bullying tactics against other news organizations." niemanreports.org/lawfare-us-m...

Quoted here in an informative @niemanreports.org piece by Jared Schroeder on the growing threats to press freedom: “I don't think it is an exaggeration to say that what we're seeing from the Trump administration is an unprecedented level of hostility towards the press.”

US Media in the Crosshairs: The Trump administration is deploying a range of legal weapons to attack US news outlets niemanreports.org/lawfare-us-m...

My Friday newsletter for @niemanstoryboard.org: A book club Zoom with Susan Orlean reveals an ending for Ellie Silverman's story about a D.C. officer who defended the Capitol on Jan. 6. niemanstoryboard.org/2026/01/16/h... #journalism #longreads

"Machines are good at some things, humans are good at some things. Let’s put those two together, and maybe we will actually move forward as a species." @ginaskchua.bsky.social on AI and industry disruption for @niemanfoundation.bsky.social and @niemanreports.org niemanreports.org/gina-chua-ai...

"What do journalists do now? The only answers seem to be: keep showing up, keep bearing witness, keep documenting history, and keep creating trustworthy drafts of history. Every image, every story, and every angle makes the truth harder to hide."

🎯 "What’s more, young people who work alongside professionals to create news understand its value, & become invested in its survival." #Journalism

"For 16 years now, we’ve asked smart people what they think will happen in the coming year in the world of journalism and digital media. And this year’s collection of predictions, published last month, is the biggest — and, I think, the best — yet." www.niemanlab.org/2026/01/what...