Eggplant.place

175d

Wow! We've hit 10,000 followers! Thanks to all who have joined us for our eclectic mix of company updates, fediverse news, media and journalism stuff, random boosting and #NewstodonFriday posts. We so enjoy being part of this community. Tell us in the comments what kind of posts you'd like to see from us in the future!

#Flipboard #Media #Journalism #Fediverse

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192d

“I Have Lost Everything”: The Toll of Cities’ #Homeless Sweeps
—

Cities often take belongings — including important documents and irreplaceable mementos — when they conduct sweeps of homeless encampments. ProPublica gave notecards to people across the country so they could explain what they lost in their own words.

#News #Journalism #Poverty #Housing #Homelessness

https://propub.li/4gPsKGy

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170d

Latest comic: Oligarchically Correct

#authoritarianism #oligarchy #fascism #media #cartoon #journalism

IT'S 2025. TIME TO BE OLIGARCHICALLY CORRECT

1. USE HIGHLY IDEOLOGICAL LANGUAGE IN A SMUG, SCOLDY TONE.

WHITE GUY IN A SPORTSJACKET SCEAMING AT BLACK WOMAN: WOKE! DEI!

WOMAN: I'M JUST TRYING TO ORDER A SANDWICH.

2. ANY CRITICISM OF THE LEADER MUST BE "BALANCED" BY A COLUMN SUPPORTING HIM.

L.A. End Times Opinion

Herding immigrants into sewage pits is going too far

They aren't sewage pits--they're freedom holes

3. DON'T TEACH ABOUT ANY MARGINALIZED GROUP BEING TREATED UNFAIRLY

PROFESSOR AT LECTERN: AND THEN THE JIM CROW LAWS WERE INTRODUCED BY MOSTLY-WHITE STATE GOVERNMENTS.

STUDENT: I'M REPORTING YOU FOR RACISM!

4. DON'T INSULT OUR HEROIC BILLIONAIRES, ESPECIALLY IN THE NEWSPAPERS THEY OWN.

RENDERING OF ANN TELNAES CARTOON THAT THE WASHINGTON POST REFUSED TO PUBLISH

The Post

EDITOR: THE SACKS OF MONEY WE GET FROM BEZOS HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH OUR SACKING THIS CARTOON!

©2025 Jen Sorensen - Be a subscriber!

ALT

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158d

If you're going to post a link, people, don't just quote the freaking headline, make some effort to tell folks what you're asking them to click through to. The contents, not the clickbait, please.

I'd also say I'm less inclined to click into "news stories" that are little more than tit-for-tat back and forth between people. Tell me what they're doing, not what they're saying. And if they're not doing anything, I don't need commentary on that. I'm not in this for the yuks or self-righteousness.

But do give us the links if you're giving a quote. Show your work.

#journalism

Edited 158d ago

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157d

If you live in the U.S., you may have encountered or even subscribed to a newsletter called Good Day or Good Daily. There are 355 different versions for cities and towns across the country; each is a roundup of links to stories from legitimate local sources. It's all created by one man, Matthew Henderson, and his AI tools. While he claims he's helping struggling local outlets, their teams say he's not — they're not getting traffic from the newsletters and Henderson's business practices are questionable. “From fabricated testimonials on his websites to the absence of contact information and zero transparency about his information-gathering process including AI usage, his approach completely undermines the principles of trustworthy journalism,” says Rodney Gibbs, head of audience and product at the National Trust for Local News. Here's more from NiemanLab.

https://flip.it/-ddikb

#News #Media #Journalism #LocalNews #AI #ArtificialIntelligence

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136d

Every time we come to compile this #NewstodonFriday thread, we’re amazed at what indie newsrooms are able to accomplish — but particularly this week, when we were gobsmacked by two pieces of painstaking reporting, both relating to Texas: @ProPublica wrote about how the state’s abortion ban has made pregnancy more dangerous, and @TexasObserver identified an ICE prosecutor as the operator of a racist social media account. Please click on, read and boost all the stories in this thread, donate to publishers, and support independent media.

⤵️

#Media #Journalism #News #Newstodon #MastodonMigration #FollowFriday

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133d

It's that time of year again: Submissions for the 2025 MOLLY National Journalism Prize for Investigative Journalism are now open!

Submit your entry and/or help us spread the word! 🤠 Deadline for entries is Friday, April 11. https://www.texasobserver.org/molly-awards/the-molly-awards-submissions/

#journalism #media #politics #news #events

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107d

This week's comic: Zero dimensional chess

#cartoon #comic #uspol #media #journalism #authoritarianism #democracy

ZERO DIMENSIONAL CHESS

SIDELINING OTHER MEMBERS OF THEIR OWN PARTY, DEMOCRATIC LEADERSHIP PRESENTS A BOLD VISION.

SCHUMER: WE SUPPORT ABSOLUTELY NOTHING AND WILL DO NOTHING TO GET IT!

STANDING BEHIND A LECTERN WITH A SIGN READING A NONENTITY YOU CAN COUNT ON

VOTER 1: I'LL DO ANYTHING FOR CANDIDATES WHO IGNORE ME AND EVERYTHING I BELIEVE IN!

VOTER 2: LET'S BE WHOLLY DEFINED BY OPPOSITION PROPAGANDA!

HOLDING SIGN READING TABULA RASA NOW!

THE PRESS RESPONDS

PUNDIT 1: FINALLY THE DEMS HAVE STOPPED POLARIZING THE NATION!

PUNDIT 2: YES, BUT ARE THEY CAPITULATING QUICKLY ENOUGH?

ALSO, THEY STILL EXIST.

PUNDITS ARE SITTING AT NEWSDESK THAT READS NATTERING NOGGINS

PUNDIT 3: THEY HAVEN'T LITERALLY IMMOLATED THEMSELVES YET, WHICH STRIKES ME AS OUT OF TOUCH WITH THE WORKING CLASS.

PUNDIT 1: WE CAN ONLY HOPE THEY SOON REACH A BIPARTISAN AGREEMENT TO SELF-DEPORT!

©2025 Jen Sorensen

ALT

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131d

Are you curious how I invented my micro-macro-amplifyer and why I like Dr Who? How I learned from a BBC colleague that a bed is important for work? Do you want to imagine a grey haired woman watching childrens' TV and having a culture clash thanks to Audacity? How I came to podcasting (part 1) ▶️ https://steadyhq.com/en/naturematchcuts/posts/e7f309ce-2f1e-46f0-ba80-e8e86b6a8430

#NatureMatchCuts #podcast #nature #DrWho #curiosity #BBC #moreThanHuman #Tardis #Löwenzahn #journalism #backstage #reconnectingWithNature #podcasting #podcaster

Five hairy ivy roots climb over a fallen sandstone post. Arum leaves grow where they reach into the earth. The roots look like the giant hand of an unknown creature.

ALT

Edited 131d ago

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124d

'Times may be getting tougher, but a hell of a lot of people are committed to doing good. And the best of the good is the #nature that makes up our planet.' ▶️ https://steadyhq.com/en/naturematchcuts/posts/718b5dba-b9d3-448b-96a7-38e99d4ef017

My new blog post about #writing in hard times, developing a story, messy mind palace rooms, #accents, and the sweet poison of #passion. @writers @writing

#storytelling #podcasting #blog #naturelovers #accent #languages #interviews #moreThanHuman #creativity #journalism #solarpunk #hopepunk #author

Shadowbox about cockfights a symptom of our times.

ALT

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97d

Remembering Carlton Carl: a patriot, feminist, Democrat, journalist, bibliophile, philanthropist, entrepreneur, art enthusiast, history buff, and more. He was a staunch supporter of his family and community, of organizations including the Observer, and of the town of Martindale. https://www.texasobserver.org/carlton-carl-1945-2025/

#Texas #memorial #journalism #RIP

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123d

it's nice to see reporting that doesn't mince words.

"Google’s featured snippet is pulling in an Amazon AI summary of Adolf Hitler’s Nazi manifesto Mein Kampf that calls it “a true work of art” in the latest AI-related fuckup affecting top search results."

https://www.404media.co/google-amazon-ai-search-mein-kampf-reviews/

Having ditched my subscriptions to NYT (long ago), WaPo and the LA Times, I'm glad to be a paid subscriber to the journalism from places like @404mediaco.

#journalism #AI #Google #search

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129d

Welcome to the March/April 2025 issue of Texas Observer magazine! Editor-in-Chief Gus Bova introduces our latest by examining the "biannual dread” invoked by the Texas legislature and what we can do about it. https://www.texasobserver.org/editors-letter-introducing-our-march-april-2025-issue/

#TXlege #politics #Media #journalism #news #USpol #Texas

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125d

Hey everyone, you can see me at @Flipboard House next week at #SXSW. I'll be on a panel on Monday, March 10 around 4pm, talking about my experience with federated social media such as Mastodon, and how I (and my client @TexasObserver) use social networks. https://about.flipboard.com/fediverse-house/

*I still do their socials

#SocialMedia #Mastodon #Austin #Texas #events #Tech #journalism #media

Edited 125d ago

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123d

Amazon boycotts must be making a dent; they’re running tv spots “reminding you that 60% of Amazon sales are from independent sellers.”

Time to open a new store, independent sellers!

#JeffBezos #WillLewis #WashingtonPost #WaPo #Journalism #FreePress #BoycottAmazon #BoycottWholeFoods #EatTheBillionaires #USPol

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75d

A top official in the Department of Labor this week informed all staff members that they could face criminal charges if they speak to journalists, former employees or others about agency business.

“This message will serve as your only warning,” the memo stated.

https://www.propublica.org/article/us-department-labor-leak-criminal-charges-threat?utm_source=mastodon&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=mastodon-post

#News #Labor #Government #Journalism #Law #Legal #Press #Media

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146d

#AP Says #Trump Blocked Access Because It Didn’t Rename #GulfOfMexico As #GulfOfAmerica

The #AssociatedPress said it was blocked from covering Trump‘s #ExecutiveOrder signing today because it declined to change the name of the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America in its editorial style standards.

#law #FirstAmendment #FreePress #journalism #whitewashing #WhiteSupremacy #WhiteNationalism
https://deadline.com/2025/02/ap-trump-white-house-gulf-of-mexico-1236285984/

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104d

We're looking for a Texas-based reporter to join our joint investigative newsroom with the Texas Tribune. You would be working with both @ProPublica and @texastribune to investigate abuses of power and trust in the public interest. #journalism https://job-boards.greenhouse.io/propublica/jobs/4552647006

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115d

I'm saving a ton of money over the last year. Here's my secret:

-Cancelled NYT subscription
-Cancelled WaPo subscription
-Cancelled Amazon Prime
-Cancelled Spotify

Turns out I'm saving money and also giving my more directly to smaller businesses, true journalists, and artists.

Really not that hard, people.

#democracy #collaborators #fascism #journalism

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115d

News continues to flow at breakneck speed and independent newsrooms continue to reveal and analyze what’s happening around the world. Highlights for us this week were @ProPublica's exposé on DOGE’s potential impact on social security, @KnowableMag's explainer on pregnancy at altitude, and a lovely interview by @thecontinent of the beloved Ethiopian singer Mahmoud Ahmed. Please check out these stories and all the others in this thread, comment, like, follow their accounts and give them your money. ⤵️

#Media #Journalism #News #Newstodon #MastodonMigration #FollowFriday

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116d

It's been a year since the Texas Observer laid me off, and journalism is in shambles. I reflected on my career and the industry in my newsletter, Gonzo Notes, which is out tomorrow.

Subscribe for free here: https://kitoconnell.com/mailinglist/

(Edit: Read the latest here ... https://kitoconnell.com/2025/03/14/gonzo-notes-whats-up-kit-march-2025/ )

#newsletter #journalism #LGBTQIA+

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56d

<p>At the International Journalism Festival, Mastodon joined forces with Save Social to make a case for journalists and publications to join the network.</p>

Mastodon’s work to highlight their platform to journalists led to the opportunity to host an aperitivo, with special guests Save Social, at the International Journalism Festival (April 9th – 13th, 2025) in Perugia, Italy.

IJF brings together people from across the news industry to talk about the issues they face and celebrate the work they are doing. This year, Big Tech was one of the topics that dominated the panel discussions.

Bonjourno Mastodon

Andy Piper speaking at the event. Source: Saskia Welch

Mastodon, represented by Andy Piper, Head of Communications, Felix Hlatky, CFO, and Philip Schröpel, Head of Staff, brought together supporters of the open social web, Big Tech-disbelievers, and curious locals to a small bar nestled in the old walls of Perugia.

Understanding that many in the audience were unfamiliar with Mastodon, Piper introduced the social platform to the room, highlighting the benefits for journalists. This included the work to highlight article authors, using the byline feature that rolled out in July last year, and emphasis on the value of links to external publications.

Mastodon promised new tools to track referrals through links would be rolling out across the network soon but were already live on mastodon.social – the server run by the Mastodon team.

Looking Ahead

Hlatky spoke of Mastodon’s future as an organisation and their ongoing work to transition from a German gGmbH to a new European nonprofit. He acknowledged internal work to restructure and remove single ownership from Mastodon claiming, “No one gives you money if one owner can run away with it.”

There was a strong message that Mastodon wanted what is best for their users, rather than their pockets. A stark contrast to the Big Tech platforms that had been discussed across the Festival.

To echo the sentiment, Mastodon then invited Björn Staschen from Save Social to speak.

Save Social

Björn Staschen presenting Save Social at the event. Source: Saskia Welch

Save Social is a predominantly German-speaking effort to turn away from Big Tech social media platforms and strengthen alternatives. In less than three months, their petition has reached 200,000 signatures.

“We, as a society, have to be part of the solution,” said Staschen. “We want to strengthen alternative platforms. Ensure freedom of expression by creating diversity and transparency.”

Converting Attendees

When it came to joining Mastodon, Schröpel admitted there are “multiple ways”, but that the Mastodon team are able to support individuals and organisations in setting up their own instance or offer advice on the network.

Philip Schröpel presenting ways to join Mastodon. Source: Saskia Welch

However, joining the platform continues to be a barrier for many users. A group of Italian women who attended the event abandoned their short effort to join the platform half-way into the presentation, confused about where to go and which app to use.

Alongside presenting Mastodon as an alternative platform, the aperitivo offered one of the only opportunities to take tangible action against Big Tech at IJF – attracting doers, rather than the commentators that lined the panels of the main event.

Wrapping Up

“There’s a mix of people in this room right now with the same instincts we have to save democracy,” Piper said in his closing remark, encouraging collaboration and action.

Based on the panels at IJF 2025, journalists are more worried than ever about the role they play in democracy. Witnessing the actions of the White House, many journalists are now calling for an “EU alternative” to Big Tech platforms.

Mastodon now has the opportunity to present themselves as the EU alternative and help journalists protect democracy.

Share Takahe has limited support for this type: See Original Article

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90d

Leigh Hunt, the Unstoppable Critic

Convicted and imprisoned for libeling the Prince Regent, Hunt capitalized on his incarceration by turning his prison cell into a newsroom and grand salon.

By: Emily Zarevich

https://daily.jstor.org/leigh-hunt-the-unstoppable-critic/?utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Lit%20Hub%20Daily:%20April%207%2C%202025&utm_term=lithub_master_list

#books #literature #journalism

James Henry Leigh Hunt, by Benjamin Robert Haydon (died 1846).

Hunt is shown in a half-length view, typically with his head turned slightly to one side.

His expression is gentle, intelligent, and somewhat introspective.

His features are finely drawn—delicate mouth, straight nose, and bright, expressive eyes that suggest warmth and wit.

ALT

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70d

Mike Masnick compares how the Free Press covered the (misleading-to-false) story of the #Biden admin’s "censorship" of #SocialMedia [actually trying to combat harmful #disinformation like #election & #COVID #lies & #ConspiracyTheories or #HateSpeech like #WhiteSupremacy], to how they handled the very real #censorship attack on #Wikipedia by #Trump’s DC #USAttorney #EdMartin.