Commentary

A mural on the back of a lamppost. Cut-out letters read Our Histories Matter around a red and purple circle behind a photo of Black hands holding a key and a compass.

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Latest in Commentary
For journalists, U.S. government data deletion should reveal gaps, prompt questions

As U.S. government data collection and archiving faces an uncertain future, the parallels between government data and journalism reveal both the hypocrisy and naivete of the news industry.

Screenshot of an excerpt of an alert sent out by six student journalism organizations on a navy blue background. Text reads: Ethical journalism demands that we minimize harm. We have issued this alert because our organizations believe student media may fail that obligation if they continue to adhere to the traditional guidelines in light of recent developments. ICE has weaponized lawful speech and digital footprints and has forced us all to reconsider long-standing journalism norms.
Journalists can learn from student journalism’s response to immigrant criminalization

Many mainstream newsrooms are failing to reckon with state violence’s impact on both journalists and the communities they report in.

Palestine flags sit among tents at the Gaza Solidarity Encampment on a lawn on Columbia University as people, faces blurred, mill about behind the encampment's entrance.
Government attacks on Palestinian human rights speech are part of a larger pattern

Newsrooms must urgently contextualize the Trump administration’s animosity toward speech supporting Palestine as not just an attack on the First Amendment, but as part of the U.S.’s long history of suppressing solidarity for Palestinians’ rights.

An edited screenshot of a Media Matters chart showing the total following of top right-leaning and left-leaning online shows. Among the top right-leaning shows are Joe Rogan (39.9 million), Ben Shapiro (25 million), Jordan B. Peterson (23 million), and Charlie Kirk (18.6 million). The next closest left-leaning shows are The Young Turks (12 million) and The Breakfast Club (11.4 million).
Media Matters report on conservative media dominance reveals what progressive donors don’t want to hear

Conservative dominance of digital platforms is driven by billionaire backing that the left hasn't matched.

A close-up of the White House signage in the White House press briefing room.
Don’t conflate journalistic caution, care with advance compliance

As Trump's attacks on press continue, the media ecosystem needs to reckon with oppression and censorship by reorienting itself toward real community protection, rather than complying in advance.

The Washington Post Building at 1301 K St at One Franklin Square in NW Washington (DC). Photo taken April 2021.
Democracy can die in broad daylight, too

Jeff Bezos’ suppression of The Post’s opinion section marks a significant blow to a declining mainstream press.

Donald Trump looks down at a podium to read notes in the White House press conference room.
You don’t mean DEI

The president and the people working for him aren’t discussing a pithy acronym, but the unmaking of integration.

A photo of pitcher Rōki Sasaki is superimposed on the king of spades playing card. A photo of outfielder Ronald Acuña Jr. is superimposed on the king of hearts playing card. The background is a photo of the Texas Rangers' stadium in 2009.
Sports media shouldn’t dehumanize international players

Reporting often falls short in critiquing Major League Baseball as a microcosm of labor migration. In the wake of the current presidential administration’s immigration raids, journalists need to be more conscious of how they portray international ballplayers.

A truck with a GLAAD digital billboard sits next to the New York Times building. The side of the truck reads: What has the New York Times done in the past year? The back of the truck reads Dear New York Times: Stop questioning trans people's right to exist & access to medical care. A link to glaad.org/nytimes is underneath the text.
Legacy media helped create this anti-trans moment. Now they’re reporting on it.

Major mainstream newspapers like The New York Times downplay the Trump administration's latest attack on trans rights after years of helping lay the groundwork for it.