Local news or hyperpartisan hoax?: Hyperpartisan sites have discovered a new approach to gaining readership: masquerading as local news. Over 400 of these sites have been identified across the country, many of them in swing states such as Iowa, Florida and North Carolina. While there are a few liberal-leaning sites on the list, the vast majority (421 out of 429) tilt conservative, and are often funded by government officials, politicians and super PACs. Jessica Mahone and Philip Napoli of NiemanLab take a deeper look at where these sites are  coming from, and how they are contributing to political polarization within the U.S.

Revisiting Edna Buchanan: Former Miami Herald crime reporter Edna Buchanan has reached a level of acclaim that few reporters can hope to achieve. In addition to winning a Pulitzer prize for her reporting and writing a bestselling book, she was the subject of a famous New Yorker profile. However, as Diana Moskovitz writes in an essay for Popula, Buchanan’s tactics and style of reporting have not aged well, particularly in light of several prominent instances of police brutality against Black Americans. Writing as a former crime reporter at the paper where Buchanan once worked, Moskovitz examines the many ways in which Buchanan’s reporting set the tone for crime reporting, as well as how our understanding of crime and justice has changed.

NYT opinion writer resigns: Opinion writer Bari Weiss resigned from the New York Times Editorial department last week, citing a culture of bullying from colleagues who disagreed with her views. A resignation letter she posted on her website alleged that Twitter has become the Times’ “ultimate editor,” and that a culture of “new McCarthyism” is preventing other writers from speaking freely. The reaction from the journalism world has been mixed, according to Washington Post writers Elahe Izadi and Jeremy Barr. While many journalists and editors have condemned her treatment at the Times, others argue that those who disagree with her are exercising their right to free speech, an issue Weiss has highlighted in her columns.

Bonus Article: New Yorker editor Michael Luo delves into the history of the Hutchins Commission, a group of scholars and policymakers formed in the 1940s to reflect on the  state of journalism in America. Luo reflects on the Commission’s goal of a “free and responsible press,” and ponders whether journalism in America has lost sight of its original purpose.

By Maya Homan & Matt Carroll

Who owns podcast content?: The debate over ownership of intellectual property has reached the podcasting world after two prominent podcasters spoke about their experiences on Twitter. Because the podcast industry as a whole is so young, there aren’t any clear-cut guidelines about whether podcast creators own their content, or whether the companies they work for do, Kameel Stanley writes for NiemanLab. Additionally, black creators and creators of color are more likely to face hurdles when fighting for ownership over their ideas. Veteran podcasters’ advice? Bring a lawyer to help negotiate intellectual property agreements.

Boston Globe tackles racial inequities: The Boston Globe has renewed its focus on issues of race and inequality in Boston, according to a leaked memo published by Dan Kennedy for WGBH. In the memo, Globe editor Brian McGrory announced several plans to foster change, including hiring and promoting editors of color, improving coverage of neighborhoods of color and performing audits of Globe reporting to assess how well the paper represents and depicts people of color in its coverage. McGrory also mentioned implementing a “right to be forgotten” policy for nonviolent crimes.

The decline of hometown papers: Writing for The Washington Post Magazine, Margaret Sullivan reflects on her years at The Buffalo News, where she started as a summer intern. At the time, the paper was a powerful force in the community, and as the paper’s first top female editor, Sullivan was able to implement important changes. However, as sources of revenue dried up, the paper was forced to cut down its staff, and its extensive coverage of Buffalo along with it. Sullivan illustrates what happens to local communities as a result of declining local news coverage.

By Maya Homan & Matt Carroll

Facebook: Spies, lies and stonewalling: The tech giant Facebook has made headlines quite a bit over the last several months. However, for tech reporters covering the company, those headlines are just the tip of the iceberg. Writing for the Columbia Journalism Review, Jacob Silverman details the complex system that journalists covering Facebook must navigate while chasing their stories, including off-the-record dinners and interviews that severely limit the information that can be included in published articles. Silverman describes a culture that prevents employees from engaging with the press, leaving little room for transparency with reporters and creating a precarious relationship with media organizations. 

Covering the South Asian diaspora: Boasting both a wide range of coverage and a series of in-person and online events, The Juggernaut has established itself as an informative, accessible publication centered around the South Asian diaspora, Hanaa’ Tameez writes for NiemanLab. Snigdha Sur founded The Juggernaut in late 2018 to combat what she calls a “disproportionately low” level of media coverage of Asian communities. Contrary to other South Asian community papers in the U.S., their coverage is written in English rather than Hindi or Urdu, making it more accessible to first- and second-generation South Asian Americans. Additionally, The Juggernaut has been testing out more nontraditional business models, such as partnering with sponsors for their newsletters rather than turning to advertisers to fund the publication. 

L.A. Times dumps food editor over behavior: Following a series of tweets by freelance food writer Tammie Teclemariam alleging harassment and abusive behavior directed at his staff, Peter Meehan has stepped down as food editor for the Los Angeles Times. In a thread on Twitter, Teclemariam accused Meehan of verbal abuse and sexual harassment dating back to his work at Lucky Peach, the magazine he founded in 2011. Writing for the New York Times, Amelia Nierenberg examines Meehan’s resignation, the latest in a widespread reckoning over the uneven distribution of representation and power among food writers.

By Maya Homan & Matt Carroll