Laura Hazard Owen @laurahazardowen.bsky.social · 08/10/2026"We're in their shit. They're not in ours" is an incredible line! 011
Laura Hazard Owen @laurahazardowen.bsky.social · 07/10/2026so you might have noticed @niemanlab.org has a new look! more from @joshuabenton.com here: www.niemanlab.org/2026/10/niem...niemanlab.orgNieman Lab has a new lookMore layout diversity, new typefaces, and restructured archives. 041
Reposted by Laura Hazard OwenAndrew Deck @andrewdeck.bsky.social · 05/10/2026ChatGPT is adding the signatures of real New Yorker cartoonists to its AI-generated images. So far, I've found the signatures of more than 15 contributors. "It’s slop, and unlike the other slop that I’ve encountered, this is slop that’s pretending to be me." www.niemanlab.org/2026/10/chat... 9042071689
Reposted by Laura Hazard OwenNieman Foundation for Journalism at Harvard @niemanfoundation.bsky.social · 29/07/2026We’re pleased to announce that veteran journalist Henry Chu has been named curator of Nieman Foundation for Journalism at Harvard. A longtime foreign correspondent and editor who has reported from more than 30 countries, Chu will be Nieman’s ninth curator. hvd.gs/431352hvd.gsHenry Chu named curator of Nieman Foundation for Journalism — Harvard GazettePrize-winning veteran foreign correspondent, editor aims to focus on challenges facing industry, including AI, press freedom, polarization. 1156
Reposted by Laura Hazard OwenJoshua Benton @joshuabenton.com · 01/07/2026New by me —> Now we're getting AI fake news complaining about how AI fake news is the death of real news! How a fake news site splits its energy between (a) the imagined closure of real US newspapers and (b) Chinese-friendly takes on Taiwan www.niemanlab.org/2026/07/now-...niemanlab.orgNow we’re getting AI fake news complaining about how AI fake news is the death of real newsDid 47 Alabama newspapers die on a single day and no one noticed? (Hint: No, they didn't.) 7211102
Reposted by Laura Hazard OwenAndrew Deck @andrewdeck.bsky.social · 21/05/2026NEW: More than 340 U.S. local news outlets are restricting Internet Archive access. @hanaatameez.bsky.social and I mapped out the full list, showing just how dire this trend is for the future of local news archives. www.niemanlab.org/2026/05/more...niemanlab.orgMore than 340 local news outlets are limiting the Internet Archive’s access to their journalismMcClatchy, Advance Local, Tribune Publishing and other major newspaper chains are restricting the nonprofit's archiving bots. 21819
Laura Hazard Owen @laurahazardowen.bsky.social · 29/04/2026"'What kinds of editorial businesses can only be built around a human being' feels like it is going to become a more and more important question." I spoke with @caseynewton.bsky.social about how he's revamping his newsletter to compete with AI:niemanlab.orgMore scoops, less aggregation and analysis: How Casey Newton is revamping his newsletter to compete with AI"'What kinds of editorial businesses can only be built around a human being?' feels like it is going to become a more and more important question." 2226
Laura Hazard Owen @laurahazardowen.bsky.social · 28/04/2026i loved the richard scarry part of this so much (imagining your source immediately being like "so, i actually think i'm more like bananas gorilla") 130
Reposted by Laura Hazard OwenOliver Darcy @oliverdarcy.bsky.social · 14/04/2026Scoop: Mediaite has suspended its founding editor Colby Hall after a series of instances we raised about significant errors and outright fabrications in his work. Full story in @status.news tonight. 925465
Laura Hazard Owen @laurahazardowen.bsky.social · 09/04/2026hi! hopefully this is not a dumb answer but i didn't control for the algorithm at all - I think one question is if tweets with links are less likely to appear in the "For You" column (I think probably but I didn't test it) 020
Laura Hazard Owen @laurahazardowen.bsky.social · 08/04/2026Do links hurt publishers on Twitter? Our new analysis says yes. (+ some data coming for Bluesky!) 38624
Laura Hazard Owen @laurahazardowen.bsky.social · 01/04/2026and Neel's story, a candidate for best single story/article, is here! www.niemanlab.org/2025/08/how-...niemanlab.orgHow tribal radio stations are preparing for a future without the Corporation for Public Broadcasting“These stations are not just media outlets, they are cultural infrastructure.” 010
Laura Hazard Owen @laurahazardowen.bsky.social · 01/04/2026Hanaa's story, a finalist for best in-depth/enterprise reporting, is here: www.niemanlab.org/2025/09/from... 100
Laura Hazard Owen @laurahazardowen.bsky.social · 01/04/2026so excited that 2 @niemanlab.org stories are Mirror Award finalists: @hanaatameez.bsky.social's "From reckoning to retreat: Journalism’s DEI efforts are in decline, and @neeldhanesha.com's "How tribal radio stations are preparing for a future without the Corporation for Public Broadcasting"newhouse.syracuse.eduMirror Award FinalistsThe Newhouse School has recognized the best in media industry reporting since 2007. 1107
Laura Hazard Owen @laurahazardowen.bsky.social · 21/02/2026the Atlantic moved the disclaimer to the top. 0122
Laura Hazard Owen @laurahazardowen.bsky.social · 19/02/2026lol do you know how many people have told me second person is always fiction and I’m an idiot and bad reader for even wondering otherwise?! 100
Laura Hazard Owen @laurahazardowen.bsky.social · 19/02/2026I don’t blame the writer here tbh. this is ultimately an editorial call i think? 360
Laura Hazard Owen @laurahazardowen.bsky.social · 19/02/2026update www.niemanlab.org/2026/02/the-... 20379104
Laura Hazard Owen @laurahazardowen.bsky.social · 15/02/2026also ppl keep being like "well DUH the 2nd person is always fiction," which just isn't true 040
Laura Hazard Owen @laurahazardowen.bsky.social · 15/02/2026ty sam!!! i am not an expert but i do read a lot lot of things and I just think the explainer could have been longer and at the top. putting it at the bottom is a little too gotcha esp considering how few readers get to the ends of things 240
Laura Hazard Owen @laurahazardowen.bsky.social · 14/02/2026the other thing is I think you could find a real actual mom who could say a lot of these things as an “as told to.” (you could probably not get this ending that way, though.) it would be hard to find that person…but, unfortunately, easier than it used to be. I think it could be done. 3131
Laura Hazard Owen @laurahazardowen.bsky.social · 14/02/2026thank you for your good thoughts on the interview!! this is ultimately where I’m at too. Primarily I think the disclaimer should be at the top. 3822
Laura Hazard Owen @laurahazardowen.bsky.social · 13/02/2026i'm still not sure how I feel about it but glad I got to ask! 130
Laura Hazard Owen @laurahazardowen.bsky.social · 13/02/2026So I asked her a bunch of questions, beginning with the choice to write this as "creative nonfiction," which she kindly answered! Interview here: www.niemanlab.org/2026/02/the-...niemanlab.orgThe Atlantic’s Elizabeth Bruenig on her “hypothetical,” heavily reported measles essay"We were attracted to the idea of providing a play-by-play of the progression of measles in granular detail." 4502
Laura Hazard Owen @laurahazardowen.bsky.social · 13/02/2026I was stunned by Elizabeth Bruenig's @theatlantic.com essay, "This Is How a Child Dies of Measles." Then I was struck by the disclaimer at the bottom: "This story is based on extensive reporting and interviews with physicians, including those who have cared directly for patients with measles."theatlantic.comThis Is How a Child Dies of MeaslesWhen your family becomes a data point in an outbreak 57816
Laura Hazard Owen @laurahazardowen.bsky.social · 12/02/2026so @theonion.com actually predicted this in its print issue last month 101100144
Laura Hazard Owen @laurahazardowen.bsky.social · 11/02/2026"Built in-house and known internally as the 'Manosphere Report,' the tool uses large language models to transcribe and summarize new episodes of dozens of podcasts." www.niemanlab.org/2026/02/how-... by @andrewdeck.bsky.socialniemanlab.orgHow The New York Times uses a custom AI tool to track the “manosphere”The daily podcast round-up is just one way the Times is adopting in-house AI transcription and summarization tools. 1168
Laura Hazard Owen @laurahazardowen.bsky.social · 11/02/2026"I don’t pay to go to church, to get a spiritual message, you know? And if you’re true, and your mission is to relay facts that are fundamentally important for people’s well-being, do I need to pay you for that?"niemanlab.orgMost Americans don’t pay for news and don’t think they need toFor a new report released Wednesday, the Pew Research Center surveyed 3,560 U.S. adults in December 2025 about their relationship to the news and how they perceive its value in everyday life. Pew aThe... 51010
Laura Hazard Owen @laurahazardowen.bsky.social · 10/02/2026Medill posits that folks living in news deserts are happy enough because "residents get so used to feeling thirsty that they no longer realize there is a different way to live" www.niemanlab.org/2026/02/many... 160
Laura Hazard Owen @laurahazardowen.bsky.social · 10/02/2026You too may become a "postal guru" after reading this story www.niemanlab.org/2026/02/terr...niemanlab.org“Terribly frustrating”: After USPS changes, more newspapers aren’t reaching subscribers on timeNewspaper delays are just one consequence of cost cuts and changes to a fraying 250-year-old system. 1196
Reposted by Laura Hazard OwenBen Welsh @palewi.re · 09/02/2026🗞️ Nieman Lab republished the piece Scott Klein and I put together analyzing the decline of open-source news. If you haven't checked it out yet, here's another chance. www.niemanlab.org/2026/02/journalis…niemanlab.orgJournalism lost its culture of sharing. Here’s how we rebuild itThe data are clear: The open-source culture that defined an earlier era of online journalism has collapsed. 12513
Laura Hazard Owen @laurahazardowen.bsky.social · 05/02/2026you guys have been posting a lot. i harvested it into nieman lab content www.niemanlab.org/2026/02/30-t...niemanlab.org30+ things The Washington Post did wrong and 19+ things they could do to fix it"@mackenziescott you have the opportunity to do an extremely funny (and genuinely heroic) thing right now." 2167
Laura Hazard Owen @laurahazardowen.bsky.social · 05/02/2026doing a gigantic thread of ppl's advice for the washington post and/or diagnoses of what went wrong so if you've seen good posts lmk 223
Laura Hazard Owen @laurahazardowen.bsky.social · 04/02/2026Jeff Bezos used to say interesting things about the Post and showed genuine curiosity in newspaper owning! in 2013, he talked about the importance of bundles and daily habits & so on that language changed a lot over the last few years. by 2024 it's "small inventions" and "stay tuned"niemanlab.org“Something I will be most proud of when I’m 90”: How Jeff Bezos used to talk about The Washington Post, and what’s changedJeff Bezos used to talk about The Washington Post with real curiosity, and the things he said were interesting and specific. Over time, that changed. 041
Laura Hazard Owen @laurahazardowen.bsky.social · 04/02/2026eliminating the books department when you have the whole amazon/goodreads thing does not make sense, to me! 1110
Laura Hazard Owen @laurahazardowen.bsky.social · 03/02/2026"You have this vision of your perfect job: Finally, you’re out of the thumb of the traffic-obsessed boss, and you can do your big investigations. But the reality is that now you have all these other jobs that [other] people used to do, and now you have to do them too." by @neeldhanesha.comniemanlab.orgJournalism coops seem utopian. What’s it like working in one?"If I was less self-directed, I'd probably be freaking out." 051
Reposted by Laura Hazard OwenAndrew Deck @andrewdeck.bsky.social · 29/01/2026NEW: News publishers are limiting Internet Archive access to prevent AI crawlers from using the digital library as a backdoor to their content. @hanaatameez.bsky.social and I confirmed The Guardian and The New York Times have put in place new restrictions. www.niemanlab.org/2026/01/news...niemanlab.orgNews publishers limit Internet Archive access due to AI scraping concernsOutlets like The Guardian and The New York Times are scrutinizing digital archives as potential backdoors for AI crawlers. 0207
Laura Hazard Owen @laurahazardowen.bsky.social · 29/01/2026this 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.niemanlab.orgWhat a safety expert thinks journalists should know about “less than lethal” rounds and chemical irritants used by ICE"The consideration that we make with all of our recommendations is, 'What is the safest thing you can use while still getting your assignment done?’" 2118
Laura Hazard Owen @laurahazardowen.bsky.social · 29/01/2026"Back in the day, you’d have [riot police using] beanbag guns, or Nerf or sponge rounds that were moving at 150 to 200 feet per second. The newer 'less than lethal' rounds move 450 to 500 feet per second." www.niemanlab.org/2026/01/what...niemanlab.orgWhat a safety expert thinks journalists should know about “less than lethal” rounds and chemical irritants used by ICE"The consideration that we make with all of our recommendations is, 'What is the safest thing you can use while still getting your assignment done?’" 141
Reposted by Laura Hazard OwenTaylor Kate Brown @taylorkatebrown.bsky.social · 29/01/2026two great stories from @niemanlab.org today. One, on a storyshare run by a tiny NH news co-op " Brannon praised Bassett for listening so attentively to local newsrooms — including some of the smallest newsrooms and newspapers with clunky tech in her cohort" by @sarahscire.comniemanlab.orgA scrappy story-sharing tool with local newsroom DNA gains tractionPlucky Wire was incubated in an unlikely place for a journalism technology: the tiny Granite State News Collaborative. Now, it's being used by hundreds of outlets countrywide. 143
Laura Hazard Owen @laurahazardowen.bsky.social · 26/01/2026the 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...niemanlab.orgIn Minneapolis and other U.S. cities, Bellingcat supplements local news by “zooming in with a forensic lens”Partnerships with local news outlets help "bring our stories to the audiences who need to see them most." 2593166
Laura Hazard Owen @laurahazardowen.bsky.social · 20/01/2026he says other journalism funders should ask themselves 2 questions: 1. Do the organizations have real plans to grow their audiences outside of their most faithful followers? 2. Do they understand how to defend themselves and their work from bad actors? www.niemanlab.org/2026/01/crai...niemanlab.orgCraig Newmark explains why he’s pulling back on funding journalismOne question he says other funders should ask: "Do the organizations have real plans to grow their audiences outside of their most faithful followers?" 194
Reposted by Laura Hazard OwenSteve Mullis @stevemullis.net · 08/01/2026"In the aftermath of Good’s killing by ICE agent Jonathan Ross, it’s clear some news organizations were better equipped than others to analyze the visual evidence provided from bystander videos," writes @laurahazardowen.bsky.social for @niemanlab.org.niemanlab.orgWhen just showing the video isn’t enough: Minneapolis shooting puts news organizations to the testWhen everyone has seen the same videos, what service do news sites provide? 062
Laura Hazard Owen @laurahazardowen.bsky.social · 10/12/2025ok these gifts will not save journalism. BUT they will caffeinate, entertain, feed, and snuggle journalists www.niemanlab.org/2025/12/the-...niemanlab.orgThe 2025 gift guide for journalistsCoffee (faster!), #tradwife murder mysteries, heated mattress pads, Prohibition-era video games, and much more. 1114
Laura Hazard Owen @laurahazardowen.bsky.social · 25/11/2025the board has published an update that does not seem to address the reporters' actual concerns suncoastsearchlight.org/board-direct... they also say, "We will have a public-facing policy governing the use of AI in research and writing before the end of the year."suncoastsearchlight.orgSuncoast Searchlight Board Of Directors Response To Recent Concerns Over Use Of AI - Suncoast SearchlightNovember 25, 2025 Recently, after Suncoast Searchlight reporters raised concerns about the use of AI in editing, the Board of Directors worked with staff and management to review how AI has been used... 041
Laura Hazard Owen @laurahazardowen.bsky.social · 24/11/2025it's harder than using a password bc you have to click out then go back! i was wondering if they're trying to cut down on password sharing or? 110
Laura Hazard Owen @laurahazardowen.bsky.social · 24/11/2025so many news sites are making you log in with an email + a 6-digit code sent to your email and this is not less annoying? 2120
Laura Hazard Owen @laurahazardowen.bsky.social · 24/11/2025"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.comniemanlab.orgWhat newsroom organizers learned from the years-long strike at the Pittsburgh Post-GazetteThe importance of coordination, how digital news consumption patterns limit the effectiveness of public shame, and more. 065
Laura Hazard Owen @laurahazardowen.bsky.social · 20/11/20253 unusual things about this story: *it's a nonprofit investigative news site we're talking about *high-profile media execs/journalists on the board *1 of the journalists who reported was fired less than a day after letter sent to board by @andrewdeck.bsky.socialniemanlab.orgFlorida nonprofit news reporters ask board to investigate their editor’s AI useSuncoast 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. 081