By Matt Carroll <@MattCData>

Dec. 9, 2017: Cool stuff about journalism, once a week. Get notified via email? Subscribe: 3toread (at) gmail. Originally published on 3toread.co

1. Mike Rezendes of the ‘Spotlight’ movie has 13 tips for investigative reporters: Looking for some tips on how to be a good investigative reporter? Mike Rezendes of the Boston Globe (and Spotlight movie fame) has some excellent tips, from the simple to the profound. Mike, who is a friend and former colleague, has been doing this for a long time and knows what he is talking about. Check them out.

2. The live-streamers who are challenging traditional journalism: Never mind the “coming” revolution with AR and VR. There’s already a revolution going on, and it’s with live-streamers. A fascinating trip with Tim Pool, one of the top live-streamers out there, and how he goes about his business. His stuff is raw, confusing, occasionally boring as all hell — but often riveting. It’s clear this is one direction journalism is headed. Nice story by Andrew Marantz in the New Yorker.

3. How brands secretly buy their way into Forbes, Fast Co & HuffPo stories: Take a peek behind the curtain at the (very) dark side of freelance journalism. It’s about how brands secretly buy their way into digital news stories on sites ranging from Forbes to Fast Company by — shocker — bribing the news site’s freelance writers. It’s not exactly surprising given the pittance paid by newsrooms to those freelancers scratching out a miserable economic living in the “gig economy.” But it is certainly ugly and embarrassing for everyone involved. Nice work by Jon Christian for TheOutline.

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Matt Carroll teaches journalism at Northeastern University

Logo by Leigh Carroll <Instagram @Leighzaaah>