Nieman Lab
@niemanlab.org
We are the Nieman Journalism Lab, part of the Nieman Foundation at Harvard. We're trying to figure out the future of news.
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🔗 https://www.niemanlab.org/
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Nieman Lab
@niemanlab.org
· May 10
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The Daily Digest
Nearly 70,000 people get our newsletter, The Daily Digest, which goes out at 3 p.m. ET Mondays through Thursdays. It includes both our own stories and our curated rundown of the most...
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What’s the best way to follow how the news is changing?
📨 Our daily email, with all the freshest future-of-journalism news. We also have a weekly version. www.niemanlab.org/subscribe/
📨 Our daily email, with all the freshest future-of-journalism news. We also have a weekly version. www.niemanlab.org/subscribe/
It seems fair to say that the relaunched Bread & Butter — with an introductory post titled “Your dad may have mentioned us” — is aiming for a younger crowd. www.niemanlab.org/2025/11/cons...
Consumer Reports revives a 1940s-era newsletter for cash-strapped Americans on Substack
With its new Substack, Consumer Reports aims for an audience beyond "your dad."
www.niemanlab.org
November 26, 2025 at 6:04 PM
It seems fair to say that the relaunched Bread & Butter — with an introductory post titled “Your dad may have mentioned us” — is aiming for a younger crowd. www.niemanlab.org/2025/11/cons...
Traffic data for the United States’ largest local newspapers shows big gains for Gannett, the impact of national news on local sites, and one way the Rust Belt still beats out the Sun Belt. www.niemanlab.org/2025/11/rust...
Rust Belt cities may have shrinking populations, but their newspapers have a big traffic edge over Sun Belt peers
Plus some excellent numbers for Gannett. Here’s our monthly ranking of the top 25 local newspaper websites in the United States.
www.niemanlab.org
November 26, 2025 at 5:33 PM
Traffic data for the United States’ largest local newspapers shows big gains for Gannett, the impact of national news on local sites, and one way the Rust Belt still beats out the Sun Belt. www.niemanlab.org/2025/11/rust...
Reposted by Nieman Lab
Many nonprofit newsrooms worry that selling ads could jeopardize their tax-exempt status. But IRS records show that rarely happens buff.ly/hp9lLV2 via @niemanlab.org
Nonprofit news outlets are often scared that selling ads could jeopardize their tax-exempt status, but IRS records show that’s been rare
Nonprofit news outlets face pressure to find new sources of revenue from their funders.
buff.ly
November 25, 2025 at 1:07 PM
Many nonprofit newsrooms worry that selling ads could jeopardize their tax-exempt status. But IRS records show that rarely happens buff.ly/hp9lLV2 via @niemanlab.org
An AI translation tool may perform very well for a language pair like English and Spanish, but introduce significant errors when it’s used for less common languages...One article, for instance, mistranslated the English term “street food” into Kiswahili as “food of the road.”
buff.ly/FiAyV9Z
buff.ly/FiAyV9Z
Studies on AI transcription and translation in journalism reveal “low-resource” language gap, new report finds
A new report from the Center for News, Technology & Innovation (CNTI) reviewed over 55 studies to better understand the state of AI translation and transcription in journalism. The global research…
www.niemanlab.org
November 25, 2025 at 9:06 PM
An AI translation tool may perform very well for a language pair like English and Spanish, but introduce significant errors when it’s used for less common languages...One article, for instance, mistranslated the English term “street food” into Kiswahili as “food of the road.”
buff.ly/FiAyV9Z
buff.ly/FiAyV9Z
“There is no real working revenue model for journalism right now, so it can feel incredibly daunting, possibly even insane, to say you’re building a media outlet during this volatile and difficult period in our history.”
www.cjr.org/feature/the-...
www.cjr.org/feature/the-...
With the Border Chronicle, a group of veteran journalists cover “the backdrop for national politics and rhetoric.”
A group of veteran journalists cover “the backdrop for national politics and rhetoric.”
www.cjr.org
November 25, 2025 at 7:31 PM
“There is no real working revenue model for journalism right now, so it can feel incredibly daunting, possibly even insane, to say you’re building a media outlet during this volatile and difficult period in our history.”
www.cjr.org/feature/the-...
www.cjr.org/feature/the-...
This isn’t the infamous “pivot to video” of the 2010s, when publishers rushed to create Facebook news video teams, only to find nobody was watching. [These publications] are doubling down on news video on their own platforms, while also publishing vertical video to social media. buff.ly/hTzOprq
News publishers embrace vertical video with in-app “watch” tabs
“We're not trying to be TikTok."
www.niemanlab.org
November 25, 2025 at 6:12 PM
This isn’t the infamous “pivot to video” of the 2010s, when publishers rushed to create Facebook news video teams, only to find nobody was watching. [These publications] are doubling down on news video on their own platforms, while also publishing vertical video to social media. buff.ly/hTzOprq
The @sltrib.com has budgeted nearly zero subscription income in 2026 because of its plans to drop its paywall and adopt a membership model.
How The Salt Lake Tribune spent 2025 preparing for a 2026 without subscription revenue
Personally, my favorite form of journalistic impact is when the reporting becomes a central plot point on a Real Housewives franchise. In the Season 6 premiere of The Real Housewives of Salt Lake…
www.niemanlab.org
November 24, 2025 at 10:04 PM
The @sltrib.com has budgeted nearly zero subscription income in 2026 because of its plans to drop its paywall and adopt a membership model.
Reposted by Nieman Lab
“We all had our doubts. If people tell you they had no doubts about this, they’re lying.”
www.niemanlab.org/2025/11/what...
www.niemanlab.org/2025/11/what...
What newsroom organizers learned from the years-long strike at the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
The importance of coordination, how digital news consumption patterns limit the effectiveness of public shame, and more.
www.niemanlab.org
November 24, 2025 at 9:31 PM
“We all had our doubts. If people tell you they had no doubts about this, they’re lying.”
www.niemanlab.org/2025/11/what...
www.niemanlab.org/2025/11/what...
Some local news nonprofits are selling ads, despite their reservations about the potential tax impact and the potential threat of the IRS revoking their tax-exempt status. www.niemanlab.org/2025/11/nonp...
Nonprofit news outlets don’t need to fear ad sales, my tax research shows
Some news nonprofits are directly challenging the traditional classification of advertising revenue as unrelated business income.
www.niemanlab.org
November 24, 2025 at 8:31 PM
Some local news nonprofits are selling ads, despite their reservations about the potential tax impact and the potential threat of the IRS revoking their tax-exempt status. www.niemanlab.org/2025/11/nonp...
As the striking journalists return to the newsroom, both sides expect it’ll be a rocky reunion. www.niemanlab.org/2025/11/what...
What newsroom organizers learned from the years-long strike at the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
The importance of coordination, how digital news consumption patterns limit the effectiveness of public shame, and more.
www.niemanlab.org
November 24, 2025 at 8:23 PM
As the striking journalists return to the newsroom, both sides expect it’ll be a rocky reunion. www.niemanlab.org/2025/11/what...
Reposted by Nieman Lab
"A lot of people have been hurt over this strike financially [and] emotionally. I want to make sure that has its due. But we’re going to have to work through that very quickly and get back to work."
by @sarahscire.com
by @sarahscire.com
What newsroom organizers learned from the years-long strike at the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
The importance of coordination, how digital news consumption patterns limit the effectiveness of public shame, and more.
www.niemanlab.org
November 24, 2025 at 8:16 PM
"A lot of people have been hurt over this strike financially [and] emotionally. I want to make sure that has its due. But we’re going to have to work through that very quickly and get back to work."
by @sarahscire.com
by @sarahscire.com
At five, City Cast makes some changes — and reconsiders its markets www.niemanlab.org/2025/11/at-f...
At five, City Cast makes some changes — and reconsiders its markets
"We no longer begin with the idea that we're a local podcast network, even though that is the most familiar thing to most people.”
www.niemanlab.org
November 20, 2025 at 8:57 PM
At five, City Cast makes some changes — and reconsiders its markets www.niemanlab.org/2025/11/at-f...
As the U.S. starves its public media, Denmark wants to figure out a better way to subsidize private news publishers www.niemanlab.org/2025/11/as-t...
As the U.S. starves its public media, Denmark wants to figure out a better way to subsidize private news publishers
"A foundation can pick winners on the basis of its own values and priorities and support them from private sources. But if the state does the same with public funds, we risk the appearance (or even…
www.niemanlab.org
November 20, 2025 at 2:22 PM
As the U.S. starves its public media, Denmark wants to figure out a better way to subsidize private news publishers www.niemanlab.org/2025/11/as-t...
"Victoria Goldiee” had freelanced for The Cut and The Guardian. After Nicholas Hune-Brown, executive editor of The Local, greenlit her pitch, the red flags started popping up. www.niemanlab.org/2025/11/ever...
“Every media era gets the fabulists it deserves”
Back in August, the Press Gazette's Charlotte Tobitt reported that Wired and Business Insider had taken down AI-generated articles by a "freelancer" named "Margaux Blanchard." It was a case study of…
www.niemanlab.org
November 20, 2025 at 2:49 AM
"Victoria Goldiee” had freelanced for The Cut and The Guardian. After Nicholas Hune-Brown, executive editor of The Local, greenlit her pitch, the red flags started popping up. www.niemanlab.org/2025/11/ever...
Suncoast Searchlight's reporters told their board their editor-in-chief was secretly using AI tools and adding hallucinated quotes to drafts. The next day, one of those reporters was fired. www.niemanlab.org/2025/11/flor...
Florida nonprofit news reporters ask board to investigate their editor’s AI use
Suncoast Searchlight’s four reporters told the board their editor-in-chief was using AI editing tools and inserting hallucinations into drafts. The next day, one of the reporters was fired.
www.niemanlab.org
November 19, 2025 at 10:07 PM
Suncoast Searchlight's reporters told their board their editor-in-chief was secretly using AI tools and adding hallucinated quotes to drafts. The next day, one of those reporters was fired. www.niemanlab.org/2025/11/flor...
Reposted by Nieman Lab
Last week, Suncoast Searchlight's four reporters wrote a letter to their board. Their editor-in-chief had secretly been using ChatGPT and inserting hallucinated quotes into their drafts.
The next day, one of those reporters was fired. My latest for @niemanlab.org. www.niemanlab.org/2025/11/flor...
The next day, one of those reporters was fired. My latest for @niemanlab.org. www.niemanlab.org/2025/11/flor...
Florida nonprofit news reporters ask board to investigate their editor’s AI use
Suncoast Searchlight’s four reporters told the board their editor-in-chief was using AI editing tools and inserting hallucinations into drafts. The next day, one of the reporters was fired.
www.niemanlab.org
November 19, 2025 at 9:20 PM
Last week, Suncoast Searchlight's four reporters wrote a letter to their board. Their editor-in-chief had secretly been using ChatGPT and inserting hallucinated quotes into their drafts.
The next day, one of those reporters was fired. My latest for @niemanlab.org. www.niemanlab.org/2025/11/flor...
The next day, one of those reporters was fired. My latest for @niemanlab.org. www.niemanlab.org/2025/11/flor...
A rapidly multiplying number of new media upstarts are entering the fray in Los Angeles — from driven local journalists to national commercial and philanthropic institutions that sense opportunity. www.niemanlab.org/2025/11/more...
“More of everything”: In Los Angeles, an “explosion” of new efforts aim to up the city’s local news game
A well-funded coalition building out neighborhood news, a new newsletter from an expanding for-profit site, and a nonprofit breaking through on social media are just a few examples of the latest bids…
www.niemanlab.org
November 18, 2025 at 10:02 PM
A rapidly multiplying number of new media upstarts are entering the fray in Los Angeles — from driven local journalists to national commercial and philanthropic institutions that sense opportunity. www.niemanlab.org/2025/11/more...
The partnership makes two new Vox shows exclusively available to Patreon supporters: a Supreme Court-focused series called “The Docket,” which released its first episode Monday, and a solutions-oriented policy series called “What’s Working.”
Vox is on Patreon now
Patreon is best known as a subscription-based platform for individual creators, especially those making podcasts and video content. Now, it counts one of the most prominent digital media companies…
www.niemanlab.org
November 17, 2025 at 8:31 PM
The partnership makes two new Vox shows exclusively available to Patreon supporters: a Supreme Court-focused series called “The Docket,” which released its first episode Monday, and a solutions-oriented policy series called “What’s Working.”
"It reflects a broader cultural mood where young people feel paralyzed in the face of a media ecosystem flooded with sensationalism and polarization. When the game feels rigged, why bother playing? Fighting the algorithm can feel as futile as tilting at digital windmills."
buff.ly/76lJxB5
buff.ly/76lJxB5
Trapped by what they know: Young adults’ algorithmic cynicism
Teaching young people to trace why certain stories trend or how recommendation systems work can build a shared sense of how truth circulates online.
www.niemanlab.org
November 17, 2025 at 6:33 PM
"It reflects a broader cultural mood where young people feel paralyzed in the face of a media ecosystem flooded with sensationalism and polarization. When the game feels rigged, why bother playing? Fighting the algorithm can feel as futile as tilting at digital windmills."
buff.ly/76lJxB5
buff.ly/76lJxB5
The broader global trend is unmistakable. The BBC is not unique in this struggle, but because of its scale and cultural importance, the stakes are higher.
buff.ly/RnmP2Uc
buff.ly/RnmP2Uc
After resignations at the top, the BBC faces a defining test: What does impartiality mean now?
The organization, like many news outlets worldwide, is caught in a bind, accused of bias from both the left and the right — and while in the past this might suggest a fair balance, in today’s climate…
www.niemanlab.org
November 17, 2025 at 2:48 PM
The broader global trend is unmistakable. The BBC is not unique in this struggle, but because of its scale and cultural importance, the stakes are higher.
buff.ly/RnmP2Uc
buff.ly/RnmP2Uc
A “win-win” partnership brings a surge of reporting firepower to hyperlocal news outlets around Boston www.niemanlab.org/2025/11/a-wi...
A “win-win” partnership brings a surge of reporting firepower to hyperlocal news outlets around Boston
The Boston University Newsroom has published nearly 400 news articles in hyperlocal outlets in and around the city.
www.niemanlab.org
November 13, 2025 at 4:09 PM
A “win-win” partnership brings a surge of reporting firepower to hyperlocal news outlets around Boston www.niemanlab.org/2025/11/a-wi...
The JSX is a first step toward transparency in the journalism support industry, showing “who is doing what, and for whom." www.niemanlab.org/2025/11/the-...
The Journalism Support Exchange is a new matchmaking tool for local news outlets to get the help they need
Put a finger down if you've ever been in a journalism-related Slack and asked for recommendations or help with something, got a bunch of responses that you sifted through, only to find in the end…
www.niemanlab.org
November 12, 2025 at 10:45 PM
The JSX is a first step toward transparency in the journalism support industry, showing “who is doing what, and for whom." www.niemanlab.org/2025/11/the-...
Pro tip: Organizations with revenue generation staff had median revenue “700% higher than those without.” www.niemanlab.org/2025/11/want...
Want to build a sustainable local newsroom? These 21 steps will help you get there, a new report finds
“Having dedicated staff to generate revenue was transformational to an organization’s chances of sustainability.”
www.niemanlab.org
November 12, 2025 at 10:04 PM
Pro tip: Organizations with revenue generation staff had median revenue “700% higher than those without.” www.niemanlab.org/2025/11/want...
Reposted by Nieman Lab
"More relevant than ever": Read @sarahscire.com's full review of @lauragarbes.bsky.social's new book Listeners Like Who?: Exclusion and Resistance in the Public Radio Industry in @niemanlab.org: www.niemanlab.org/2025/11/fund....
Funding cuts may make public radio more reliant on old, rich, white donors
After years of interviews, research, and writing, Laura Garbes submitted the final draft of her book on public radio in December 2024. By the time Listeners Like Who? Exclusion and Resistance in the…
www.niemanlab.org
November 12, 2025 at 9:21 PM
"More relevant than ever": Read @sarahscire.com's full review of @lauragarbes.bsky.social's new book Listeners Like Who?: Exclusion and Resistance in the Public Radio Industry in @niemanlab.org: www.niemanlab.org/2025/11/fund....
Reposted by Nieman Lab
BBC resignations are a symbol of mounting pressure on public broadcasters in the Trump era.
In the current political environment, public broadcasters are high-priority targets for right-wing media and politicians.
In the current political environment, public broadcasters are high-priority targets for right-wing media and politicians.
BBC resignations are a symbol of mounting pressure on public broadcasters in the Trump era
In the current political environment, public broadcasters are high-priority targets for right-wing media and politicians.
www.niemanlab.org
November 10, 2025 at 8:47 PM
BBC resignations are a symbol of mounting pressure on public broadcasters in the Trump era.
In the current political environment, public broadcasters are high-priority targets for right-wing media and politicians.
In the current political environment, public broadcasters are high-priority targets for right-wing media and politicians.