By Matt Carroll <@MattCData>

July 18, 2017: Cool stuff about journalism, once a week. Get notified via email? Subscribe: 3toread (at) gmail.

1. Breitbart & its reclusive editor: Trying to pivot a right-wing icon: I’d never heard of Alexander Marlow before this story, yet he is the editor of Brietbart, arguably the most powerful rightwing media site in the country. On one level, it’s an interesting take on a powerful but deliberately reclusive media player. But it’s also a revealing story about how Breitbart, which under the leadership of Steve Bannan, had a meteoric ride backing Trump with a series of caustic and inflammatory stories during the campaign, now is trying in a post-Bannon era to become a little more … mainstream? Well, in a right-wing kind of way. A good read.

2.Two journalistic lessons from Charlottesville: Margaret Sullivan from the WaPo talks about how the events there “should put the nail in the coffin for ‘both sides’ journalism.” And some practical advice from Poynter on how journalists should handle racist words, images and violence.

3. The best reporting advice I ever received was…: Interesting, and a fun read. Lots of great journalists, including David Fahrenthold of the WaPo, share wise advice they were given early in their careers. The words still resonate with these reporters today, with good reason. Great stuff from CJR.

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Matt Carroll is a journalism professor at Northeastern University.

By Matt Carroll <@MattCData>

July 18, 2017: Cool stuff about journalism, once a week. Get notified via email? Subscribe: 3toread (at) gmail.

1. Sharing a bed & a beat on opposite sides of the news spectrum: What’s it like when reporters are married, cover the same beat — and work for newsrooms at either end of the political spectrum? Well, it can get … interesting. A fun read about the awkward (but fun) professional life of this couple, Jennifer Griffin, the national security correspondent for Fox, and her husband Greg Myre, of NPR. By Judith Matloff for CJR.

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2. The new yardsticks for measuring the impact of investigative journalism: In the old days, measuring the impact of an investigative piece was straightforward: How many indictments? That’s changing. A new generation of investigative reporters is measuring impact by some “on less tangible markers like raising awareness and sparking widespread conversation.” It’s a very different way of thinking about impact. An interesting take by Jeff KellyLowenstein for CJR.

3. Legacy media look for lifesaver against Facebook, Google: Legacy newsrooms are splitting with digital natives and are seeking legislative help in their simmering war against the duopoly of Google and Facebook, writes Emily Bell of the Tow Center. The legacy group wants an exemption from antitrust regulations so they can negotiate as one with the social media and search giants. It’s an interesting group of publishers. It includes such longtime enemies as the WSJ and NYT. Will the newsies succeed? Most people see it as a longshot, especially given the near-open warfare between DC and the press.

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Matt Carroll is a journalism professor at Northeastern University.

By Matt Carroll <@MattCData>

June 20, 2017: Cool stuff about journalism, once a week. Get notified via email? Subscribe: 3toread (at) gmail.

1. Our problem isn’t ‘fake news’ — it’s trust & manipulation: Jeff Jarvis, CUNY J-school prof and blogger, argues the calculated manipulation of news is designed to destabilize our democracy by attacking our most trusted institutions and people. That’s the real issue, he says — not fake news. It’s a solid, and terrifying, statement. But he does offer some solutions: For instance, starve the manipulators of attention by covering their methods, but not their message. Well worth reading.

2. NYT new redesign is all about its reader-centric focus on revenue: Any more doubts about whether the advertising model for news is dying? A perceptive analysis about how the New York Times’s new (subtle) redesign is designed to help get more revenue from the pockets of its most devoted readers. It’s all to further their subscriber-first strategy. By Ken Doctor for NiemanLab.

3. Facebook asks input on 7 ‘hard questions’: Facebook has been bashed left, right and center for its opaque handling — or nonhandling — of everything from fake news to censorship. Now it’s going public, and asking for help, with tough questions it’s dealing with, such as: “Who gets to define what’s false news — and what’s simply controversial political speech?” The questions are fascinating, and will be familiar to news editors. Hopefully it’s a sign FB will be more open in the future. Story by Josh Constine for TechCrunch.

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Matt Carroll is a journalism professor at Northeastern University.

By Matt Carroll <@MattCData>

June 13, 2017: Cool stuff about journalism, once a week. Get notified via email? Subscribe: 3toread (at) gmail.

1. This article is worthless (but its readers are not): Individual stories are worth pennies, at best. But the subscribers the story brings in — that’s something else entirely. Andrew Dunn on Medium argues reporters need to understand they are not content producers — they are building a paying audience. As Dunn puts it: “Chasing page views is a losing battle. Building a stable of committed, enthusiastic subscribers is the only way to sustain a news product in the Internet era.”

2. In defense of The Skimm & a lighter take on the news: The Skimm newsletter gets whacked by critics for its bubbly take on what’s happening in the world, as it writes about the light and heavy. It’s easy to see how its casual writing tone drives some people crazy… but also easy to see why some find it irresistible. (“Some” as in millions, actually.) Kaitlin Ugolik in Columbia Jrn Review rips critics who hold their noses. Look, she says, The Skimm reaches people the MSM would die for. Is that really a bad thing? Shut up, and learn.

3. Did the Intercept blow its NSA leaker’s identity?: A thoughtful look at possible mistakes by the leaker (understandable) and by The Intercept (not understandable, for a veteran organization that prides itself on protecting its sources), which led to the arrest of the improbably named Reality Winner. A step-by-step breakdown of the simple and sophisticated ways it all went wrong. By Jake Swearingen for select/all.

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Matt Carroll is a journalism professor at Northeastern University.