Over the last week, I’ve tried to point out the ways that our various media sources fall short of what the current moment demands. Last Friday, I looked at a recent Pew survey and a Columbia Journalism Review article on media critique. The survey made clear that people have high expectations for news organizations even though those expectations are rarely met. The CJR reminds us of what the core business is of journalism: not the bottom line, but the common good.
On Monday, I turned to concerns around print media. As I argued, too many people read a headline and maybe the lede and think they have the gist of the news (and a whole lot more are completely checked out). Using three recent stories, I pointed out that the stories pack in so many random details and quotes that it’s hard to come away with a concise picture of what happened and why.
Yesterday, I was visiting the charter school where I serve as board chair and heard a third grade teacher explain to her students how a good narrative is like a roller coaster, slowly building until hitting the big reveal and resolution. While she was talking about fiction writing, it underscored the exact critique I was making. Why is this so hard for journalists?
Wednesday’s post underscored the myriad ways that the administration, and Trump in particular, controls media attention. Make crazy claims to be fact-checked (note: they don’t care), announce new initiatives of questionable legality, attack an imagined enemy, and tell imaginary stories. Just as it has been since 2015, it’s very difficult for the media to ignore the newest shiny thing.
So where am I finding the news I need to make some sense of where we are as a society? What helps me find a path through the clutter?
I have come to rely on a series of newsletters that I review daily. Some of these require subscriptions but it’s definitely been worth it. I want to suggest to you some of my favorites.
The Bulwark Family. Since it’s launch in 2018, the Bulwark has only gotten stronger and more significant. Originally formed by a center-right group of anti-Trumpers, it has expanded in perspective and reach. I dare say that it is one of the most important sources of news out there. In addition to their raft of excellent (if over-long) podcasts, they have specialists in a number of areas. I always read JVL’s Triad for thoughtful analysis. If I need to know about health care, there’s a newsletter by Jonathan Cohn. For immigration, there’s Adrian Carasquillo. For media issues, there’s Joe Perticone. Each morning, Bill Krystal and Andrew Egger hit the big topics of the day as well as linking to other useful Bulwark sources.
Will Bunch. I’ve been following Will Bunch of the Philadelphia Enquirer for some time, especially since his book on higher education released. He is a careful analyst of what is happening in the current culture on a range of topics.
Greg Sargent and Paul Waldman: I started following these two back when they wrote for the Wonkblog at the Washington Post. They are gone from the Post now. Greg writes and does a podcast for The New Republic and Paul maintains an independent SubStack.
Heather Cox Richardson: This is such an excellent example of how current events should be covered. In her morning newseletter (an audio version drops the night before), she does a deep dive on the previous days happenings. Significantly, as my wife pointed out this morning, she always lists her sources at the end of her newsletter.
Paul Krugman: I always regretted not taking economics in college. Maybe that’s why I find Krugman’s analysis so helpful. He lays out his economic lessons in ways that can be comprehended by laypeople. About one a week, he does an interview with another economist or political scientist and the transcript is easy to read. On the weekend, he provides a Primer for subscribers that does a deep dive into issues like inequality or tariff policy.
In addition to these more “newsy” sources, I regularly pay attention to those writing about political strategy (notably Dan Pfieffer and Brain Beutler) or to public opinion polling (G. Elliott Morris and PRRI).
I also read the latest in higher education news from both Inside Higher Ed and The Chronicle of Higher Education. I also pay attention to the latest religion news from Religion News Service, AP, and Ryan Burge.
As I mentioned last week, I still get daily newsletters from the Washington Post. To be honest, the main purpose for those is to access the word game and news quiz each day. I will be tempted to click on a story (less so an op-ed) even though I usually wind up frustrated.
I always read James Fallows on the press, airplanes, and other interesting things. And as I’ve mentioned, Margaret Sullivan’s newsletter follows what she started as public editor for major newspapers.
I’ll admit, I avoid the Daily Caller and similar right wing sites. BlueSky (I’ve been off X for two years) keeps me informed second-hand on the latest claims by folks like Charlies Kirk so I don’t have to go looking for it.
Truly helpful list of Must-Read's! Both confirming of present choices and introducing new options.