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Richard Tofel

@dicktofel.bsky.social
3.6K followers 242 following 1.1K posts

now consulting at Gallatin Advisory, instructor @HarvardChanSPH, author of Second Rough Draft on Substack; former president of ProPublica

PostsRepliesMedia
Reposted by Richard Tofel
Rebuild Local News @rebuildlocalnews.bsky.social · 1h
California created the nation's largest public subsidy for community news, and with it comes a big question. In a Q&A, @dicktofel.bsky.social asks @stevenwaldman.bsky.social whether the government can support local media without influencing it. Read it here: dicktofel.substack.com/p/unpacking-...
dicktofel.substack.com
Unpacking the New California Subsidy for News
A conversation with Steve Waldman of Rebuild Local News
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Richard Tofel @dicktofel.bsky.social · 08/10/2026
Q&A with @stevenwaldman.bsky.social of @rebuildlocalnews.bsky.social on the $40 million annual California subsidy for newsrooms. Plus a PS on our own support for nonprofit journalism. This week’s Second Rough Draft newsletter dicktofel.substack.com/p/unpacking-...
dicktofel.substack.com
Unpacking the New California Subsidy for News
A conversation with Steve Waldman of Rebuild Local News
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Richard Tofel @dicktofel.bsky.social · 08/10/2026
GOP Super PAC buys multiple NATIONAL ads on Guardians game against Sherrod Brown. Local presumably unavailable, but that’s hugely inefficient and expensive.
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Reposted by Richard Tofel
Freedom of the Press Foundation @freedom.press · 05/10/2026
Thanks to those who tuned in to our webinar about why "independent" editorial boards can't protect journalism, and a special thanks to our panelists: @marielgarza.bsky.social, @bgrueskin.bsky.social, @sulliview.bsky.social, and @dicktofel.bsky.social. Did you miss it? Watch it here:
youtube.com
A paper tiger for the press: Why ‘independent’ editorial boards can’t protect journalism
YouTube video by Freedom of the Press Foundation
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Richard Tofel @dicktofel.bsky.social · 03/10/2026
In which the Wall Street Journal edit page expresses real concern about the revelations in @propublica.org’s story on Trump Jr. (albeit without crediting ProPublica) Quite a moment www.wsj.com/opinion/dona...
wsj.com
Opinion | Don Jr.’s Star Turn Is Coming
The Trump family businesses will be in the spotlight on Capitol Hill for the next two years.
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Richard Tofel @dicktofel.bsky.social · 03/10/2026
Inspired by clips chosen by Natalie Harp, now being described as Trump’s “ever-present assistant and provider of positive news about himself” www.nytimes.com/2026/10/02/u...
nytimes.com
Trump Directed Use of Taxpayer Money for Ads Praising His Presidency (Gift Article)
The government-funded ads show just how much President Trump has been able to use federal money for his own aims.
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Reposted by Richard Tofel
Chris Hendel @chrishendel.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
The White House Press Corps Needs to Stop Compromising with Trump—and On Its Own Integrity by @dicktofel.bsky.social dicktofel.substack.com/p/the-white-...
dicktofel.substack.com
The White House Press Corps Needs to Stop Compromising with Trump—and On Its Own Integrity
Disputes as matters of not just law, but principle
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Reposted by Richard Tofel
Josh Sternberg @joshsternberg.com · 01/10/2026
This, from @dicktofel.bsky.social, says it all better than this thread: "If, instead, we fail to hang together, and temporize, haggling with the autocrat, we should not be surprised if they conclude that we value access more highly than freedom." dicktofel.substack.com/p/the-white-...
dicktofel.substack.com
The White House Press Corps Needs to Stop Compromising with Trump—and On Its Own Integrity
Disputes as matters of not just law, but principle
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Richard Tofel @dicktofel.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
Half-measures by the White House press corps in response to Trump’s exclusions are not enough. This week’s Second Rough Draft newsletter dicktofel.substack.com/p/the-white-...
dicktofel.substack.com
The White House Press Corps Needs to Stop Compromising with Trump—and On Its Own Integrity
Disputes as matters of not just law, but principle
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Reposted by Richard Tofel
Carl Quintanilla @carlquintanilla.bsky.social · 30/09/2026
GATES: “.. I almost can’t believe you’re asking that.” @ezraklein.bsky.social @nytimes.com www.nytimes.com/2026/09/29/o...
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Reposted by Richard Tofel
Freedom of the Press Foundation @freedom.press · 28/09/2026
🔔 Can the judiciary oversee Paramount's self-appointed editorial board? Hear from journalists who saw how these boards work (or don't), with @marielgarza.bsky.social, @bgrueskin.bsky.social, @sulliview.bsky.social, and @dicktofel.bsky.social. 🗓️ Oct. 5, 1 pm ET RSVP: freedom.press/editorial-bo...
Invitation to Oct. 5 FPF Zoom webinar on "independent" editorial boards
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Reposted by Richard Tofel
Richard Tofel @dicktofel.bsky.social · 26/09/2026
As Trump pushes the limits of his power and the crisis of the news business rolls on, I argue in @theatlantic.com that structural changes in the press have actually weakened the presidency. www.theatlantic.com/ideas/2026/0...
theatlantic.com
How 21st-Century News Weakens the Presidency
Structural forces in the industry have made the effective exercise of presidential power more difficult.
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Richard Tofel @dicktofel.bsky.social · 26/09/2026
As Trump pushes the limits of his power and the crisis of the news business rolls on, I argue in @theatlantic.com that structural changes in the press have actually weakened the presidency. www.theatlantic.com/ideas/2026/0...
theatlantic.com
How 21st-Century News Weakens the Presidency
Structural forces in the industry have made the effective exercise of presidential power more difficult.
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Richard Tofel @dicktofel.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
And yet more previously-uncounted wounded wapo.st/4xNlJ17
wapo.st
Pentagon quietly adds dozens to tally of troops wounded amid Iran war
With the addition of 29 U.S. sailors and eight Marines, the total number of personnel wounded since the start of hostilities has risen to 861, a Pentagon database shows.
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Reposted by Richard Tofel
Dan Kennedy @dankennedy.net · 25/09/2026
A tough-minded assessment of the McClatchy cuts from @dicktofel.bsky.social: ‘Bigger candy bars may not be possible, but tastier ones could be. For that, however, you would need some vision of what constitutes “tasty.”’ dicktofel.substack.com/p/mcclatchy-...
dicktofel.substack.com
McClatchy, Cutting Newsrooms, Says the Quiet Part Out Loud
A timely reminder of where hedge fund ownership is leading
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Reposted by Richard Tofel
Damon Kiesow @kiesow.net · 24/09/2026
More on “cutting to profitability” from @dicktofel.bsky.social dicktofel.substack.com/p/mcclatchy-...
Discovering that less is not more
While thus offering substantially less to readers, they had somehow expected, they say, that
"continued investment in our journalism would strengthen our relationship with subscribers."
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Reposted by Richard Tofel
Chris Krewson @ckrewson.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
I didn't know that Chatham Asset Management, owner of the just-gutted McClatchy, was under a consent decree for securities trading issues. via @dicktofel.bsky.social dicktofel.substack.com/p/mcclatchy-...
dicktofel.substack.com
McClatchy, Cutting Newsrooms, Says the Quiet Part Out Loud
A timely reminder of where hedge fund ownership is leading
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Richard Tofel @dicktofel.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
The recent McClatchy layoff announcement makes painfully clear where most metro newspapers are heading. This week’s Second Rough Draft newsletter dicktofel.substack.com/p/mcclatchy-...
dicktofel.substack.com
McClatchy, Cutting Newsrooms, Says the Quiet Part Out Loud
A timely reminder of where hedge fund ownership is leading
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Richard Tofel @dicktofel.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
I am “deeply concerned” about Susan Collins’ response to the @propublica.org story about a federal investigation of her fundraising, especially after reading this. www.propublica.org/article/debu...
propublica.org
ProPublica Debunks Susan Collins’ Claims About FBI Anti-Corruption Probe
ProPublica revealed that the FBI was circling Sen. Collins over a defense contractor’s donations — until President Trump gutted the unit in charge. Collins has since mustered a defense with a series o...
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Richard Tofel @dicktofel.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
A big part of Susan Collins’ campaign pitch is her ability to sway the appropriation of tax dollars. Does it have a darker side? Just out @propublica.org www.propublica.org/article/fbi-...
propublica.org
The FBI Anti-Corruption Squad Was Circling Susan Collins — Until Trump Got in the Way
After the FBI caught a defense contractor’s CEO making illegal campaign contributions, it sought to launch a sweeping political bribery probe involving Collins and others. Then the second Trump admini...
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Richard Tofel @dicktofel.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
As CBS and CNN get an “editorial independence” committee, an account of the limits of a previous effort in the same direction. dicktofel.substack.com/p/heres-a-wa...
dicktofel.substack.com
Here’s a Way Not to Protect CNN from the Ellisons
Beware allusions to the Dow Jones Special Committee
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Reposted by Richard Tofel
Bill Kristol @billkristolbulwark.bsky.social · 18/09/2026
Other news organizations should leave the White House. They can of course still cover the administration--almost none of their coverage depends on being there physically. But they shouldn't stay there, raising their hands dutifully in the briefing room, as if it's business as usual.
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Reposted by Richard Tofel
Bill Grueskin @bgrueskin.bsky.social · 18/09/2026
Trump says he's banning CNN, MSNow & Politico from the White House. If he goes through w/ this, the WH press corps needs to boycott. Fox too No more of the correspondents association's white-tablecloth, gladhanding bullshit. Pentagon reporters showed they don't need in-house access. You can too.
Donald J. Trump

@realDonaldTrump

I am proud to announce that, effective immediately, I am banning Fake News CNN, MSNOW (who recently changed their name from MSNBC due to lack of viewership and credibility!), and Politico (The recipients of an illegal and ridiculous $8 Million Dollar subscription, an All Time Record, directly from the United States Government, under Crooked Joe Biden, in order to keep them “alive.” Seems like corruption to me!), from the White House as a result of their constant “reporting” FAKE NEWS! Media Outlets shouldn’t be able to constantly write or report FICTION and LIES when they’re covering the President of the United States, the Trump Administration, or the United States of America. Other Fake News Media Outlets to follow. Thank you for your attention to this matter! President DONALD J. TRUMP
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Richard Tofel @dicktofel.bsky.social · 18/09/2026
It's even worse than I thought: they are under-reporting the US death toll: wapo.st/476epmc
wapo.st
More U.S. troops have died amid Iran war than Pentagon has disclosed publicly
Officials who spoke with The Post expressed frustration that the additional loss of life in the Middle East is not reflected in the Defense Department’s casualty database.
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Reposted by Richard Tofel
Carl Quintanilla @carlquintanilla.bsky.social · 18/09/2026
JPMORGAN, on oil: “.. the exit strategy is less clear, not more. .. the assumption that the disruption Is temporary is becoming increasingly difficult to sustain. So what happens if it doesn’t?” ⛽️
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Reposted by Richard Tofel
Chris Hendel @chrishendel.bsky.social · 18/09/2026
Excellent column today by the former president of ProPublica, @dicktofel.bsky.social 👏 💪 Pentagon News Follies and the Historic Failure in Iran dicktofel.substack.com/p/pentagon-n...
dicktofel.substack.com
Pentagon News Follies and the Historic Failure in Iran
We need to know more on the wounded, damaged bases and munitions shortages
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Reposted by Richard Tofel
Rachel Maddow @maddow.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
"The price for a gallon of regular spiked 25 cents between Wednesday and Thursday in Iowa, according to AAA. In Wisconsin, it was up 23 cents. In Michigan, it was up 22 cents..." www.washingtonpost.com/world/2026/0...
washingtonpost.com
Gas prices are about to take a big jump, analysts say, with the worst still to come
The forecast of economic impacts beyond November’s midterms contrast with the Trump administration’s optimistic messaging.
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Richard Tofel @dicktofel.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
Today is Constitution Day, the 239th anniversary of its signing. Here’s a chance to celebrate by thinking about how the Constitution could be made even more effective. www.amazon.com/dp/B0HF9H1M2...
amazon.com
Three Branches, Three Amendments: A Constitution for Our Time
Amazon.com: Three Branches, Three Amendments: A Constitution for Our Time eBook : Tofel, Richard: Kindle Store
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Richard Tofel @dicktofel.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
Hegseth’s Pentagon has forgotten the lessons of Vietnam. In its coverage of the Iran war, the press needs to re-learn them. This week’s Second Rough Draft newsletter dicktofel.substack.com/p/pentagon-n...
dicktofel.substack.com
Pentagon News Follies and the Historic Failure in Iran
We need to know more on the wounded, damaged bases and munitions shortages
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Richard Tofel @dicktofel.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
Strong explainer from @bgrueskin.bsky.social about how the NYT came to lose a libel case. Feels like the big mistake here, beyond the original reliance on one anonymous source, was in placing the burden of proof after publication on those refuting the story. www.cjr.org/news/how-the...
cjr.org
How the New York Times lost a defamation trial.
An anonymous source, a “hillbilly ambulance chaser” text message, and the newsroom’s first defamation defeat in this country in more than fifty years.
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Reposted by Richard Tofel
Brian Stelter @brianstelter.bsky.social · 15/09/2026
This jaw-dropping story has become ProPublica's most-read article of 2026, with more than 2.2 million views in the first day, a spokesperson tells me
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Richard Tofel @dicktofel.bsky.social · 15/09/2026
With the disastrous ratings for 60 Minutes— lowest season premiere this century, off by 1/3 from last year in the demo (younger viewers)— another reminder that the real problem with Bari Weiss is that she’s not a news person but an opinionator, and had no qualifications for her job running CBS News.
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Richard Tofel @dicktofel.bsky.social · 14/09/2026
If you really thought the pace of your business posed a threat to the lives of all of your loved ones, would you make slowing that pace conditional on your competitors doing the same thing?
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Richard Tofel @dicktofel.bsky.social · 14/09/2026
How close is the oligarch to Putin? The week before the wedding he had joined him on a state visit to Xi in China. The month before, Putin had publicly bestowed an honor on him.
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Richard Tofel @dicktofel.bsky.social · 14/09/2026
BREAKING @propublica.org: Trump Jr.’s wedding this May was heavily funded by a Russian oligarch close to Putin www.propublica.org/article/dona...
propublica.org
Donald Trump Jr.’s Wedding Bankrolled by Putin-Linked Russian Oligarch
The oligarch, Umar Kremlev, spent hundreds of thousands on expenses like renting out a private island. He appears to have met Trump Jr. only recently, but he attended the intimate wedding with a large...
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Richard Tofel @dicktofel.bsky.social · 13/09/2026
Flagging this as the political debate on AI intensifies dicktofel.substack.com/p/the-real-i...
dicktofel.substack.com
The Real Issues, Once and Again
What seemed at stake long ago, and now on the road ahead
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Richard Tofel @dicktofel.bsky.social · 12/09/2026
Jimmy Kimmel’s show reaches 2-3 million people each night. Due to the political genius of Brendan Carr, his Talarico interview on YouTube is at 6 million and counting.
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Richard Tofel @dicktofel.bsky.social · 11/09/2026
From last year, what I learned about journalism (and management) a quarter of a century ago today. dicktofel.substack.com/p/the-journa...
dicktofel.substack.com
The Journalism Lesson I Learned on September 11
Why the most effective preparation for a crisis lies in empowerment
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Richard Tofel @dicktofel.bsky.social · 10/09/2026
The press covers today’s fixations as we choose leaders to grapple with tomorrow’s challenges. There is a better way. This week’s Second Rough Draft newsletter dicktofel.substack.com/p/the-real-i...
dicktofel.substack.com
The Real Issues, Once and Again
A look back at my first published piece, and toward the road ahead
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Richard Tofel @dicktofel.bsky.social · 04/09/2026
Trump probably thinks that threatening to wreck the economy unless the Fed lowers rates will get them not to raise rates, as some sort of compromise. Back on planet Earth, it likely increases pressure to raise rates to prove Fed independence, while hurting the economy through increased uncertainty.
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Richard Tofel @dicktofel.bsky.social · 02/09/2026
Also why abolishing the Electoral College is a bad idea, but enlarging the House of Representatives makes sense. Free for the next three days at Amazon. www.amazon.com/Three-Branch...
amazon.com
Three Branches, Three Amendments: A Constitution for Our Time
A blueprint for practical, bipartisan constitutional reform. There have been no successful constitutional amendments proposed in more than a half century, and this extended essay argues that the time ...
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Richard Tofel @dicktofel.bsky.social · 02/09/2026
An argument for a new wave of constitutional reform— including curbs on partisan gerrymandering, an upper age limit on the presidency and structural limits on the politicization of the Supreme Court. 1/2 www.amazon.com/Three-Branch...
amazon.com
Three Branches, Three Amendments: A Constitution for Our Time
A blueprint for practical, bipartisan constitutional reform. There have been no successful constitutional amendments proposed in more than a half century, and this extended essay argues that the time ...
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Richard Tofel @dicktofel.bsky.social · 02/09/2026
Was delighted to talk with @columjournreview.bsky.social for this, and very sorry to see ABC News altering its editorial decisions in the face of Trump pressure. www.cjr.org/analysis/why...
cjr.org
Why ABC self-censored.
In a lawsuit, the network cops to making coverage decisions based on government pressure. It’s a striking admission—and an untested legal strategy.
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Richard Tofel @dicktofel.bsky.social · 01/09/2026
Great interview with @charlesornstein.bsky.social on an important subject www.niemanlab.org/2026/09/go-w...
niemanlab.org
Go west: With a new operation in California, ProPublica continues its expansion outside Manhattan
"I think with Trump's first election in 2016, it became painfully clear to the media broadly that you can't just look at the world primarily from the coasts."
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Reposted by Richard Tofel
SOME PEOPLE @some-people-usa.bsky.social · 01/09/2026
Slop prevention guide rails from @dicktofel.bsky.social l dicktofel.substack.com/p/time-for-s...
dicktofel.substack.com
Time for Some Ground Rules for AI and Writing
And while we’re at it, let’s come clean on editors and ghostwriters (but op-eds are different)
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Richard Tofel @dicktofel.bsky.social · 31/08/2026
The $300 million dollar cost to taxpayers of Trump’s ballroom is almost exactly the amount they want to cut from the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children. The program provides nutrition assistance to low‑income mothers, infants, and young children. Priorities.
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Richard Tofel @dicktofel.bsky.social · 30/08/2026
Four the nation’s top military commanders dissent from Trump and Hegseth’s current deployment approach with Iran wapo.st/4wT23bL
wapo.st
Military leaders warn Hegseth against extending Iran war operations
A recent classified assessment advised that prolonged large-scale operations in the Middle East risk weakening U.S. capabilities elsewhere.
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Richard Tofel @dicktofel.bsky.social · 30/08/2026
Once again, Trump & Co. try to shape the news by barring reporters whose coverage they don’t like. How has this worked out for the Pentagon in the last six months? It is a tactic born of weakness and betraying it. Both counterproductive and just plain dumb. www.nytimes.com/2026/08/29/b...
nytimes.com
Treasury Bars Some Reporters From G20 Finance Meeting (Gift Article)
Specific reporters from The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal and Bloomberg were not granted credentials to cover the meeting of financial leaders next week in Asheville, N.C.
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Richard Tofel @dicktofel.bsky.social · 28/08/2026
Trump has posted a ranking of presidents, with himself the greatest. He ranks Andrew Johnson, a vicious racist and consensus choice for worst, as average. And he just plain forgot WH Harrison, Garfield, Truman, Ike, JFK, LBJ, Nixon, Ford, Reagan and both Bushes (the last 9 in his own lifetime).
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Reposted by Richard Tofel
New York Focus @nysfocus.com · 28/08/2026
If you’ve read an op-ed attributed to a New York politician in the last few months, there’s a good chance that not all of it was written by a human being. Here’s what we found in our analysis of opinion articles published since May.
nysfocus.com
New York Politicians Are Using AI to Write Their Op-Eds
Politicians including the governor's running mate and the mayor of Albany acknowledged using artificial intelligence to write op-eds.
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