The hottest Journalism Substack posts right now

And their main takeaways
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Jeff Bezos Just Taught Liberal Elites How Oligarchy Really Works

BIG by Matt Stoller • 67381 implied HN points • 06 Feb 26
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Journalism
  1. A billionaire owner can save a newspaper one year and gut it the next, showing how wealthy owners can use media as a political or business tool and then discard journalistic capacity when it no longer serves them.
  2. Google’s adtech dominance and AI features have siphoned traffic and ad revenue from publishers, collapsing the business model that funded local and investigative reporting and forcing papers to depend on rich benefactors.
  3. This is part of a larger democratic problem: concentrated tech and wealth power is hollowing out institutions and jobs, and while antitrust and bargaining policies could help, political and corporate resistance has limited effective solutions.

The Rise of the News Avoider

Common Sense with Bari Weiss • 412 implied HN points • 20 Mar 26
🎭️ Culture Journalism
  1. Lots of people across the Western world are quietly unplugging from daily news and media, choosing not to follow the day-to-day headlines.
  2. Many people unplug because constant news consumption produces anxiety and exhaustion, and stepping away—whether due to life changes or choice—can reduce stress and improve focus.
  3. This shift likely reflects problems in the media—its emphasis on drama, conflict, and spectacle—rather than a lack of interest in staying informed about the world.

Why tech bros are obsessed with "taste"

Kyle Chayka Industries • 167 implied HN points • 26 Mar 26
🎭️ Culture Journalism
  1. People in tech are treating "taste" like a brand, using it to make AI and other tools feel stylish and personal even when those tools feel threatening or dehumanizing.
  2. Algorithmic feeds and generative AI are automating style and flattening culture, which warps our ability to know and exercise genuine personal taste.
  3. Because of that pressure, it's important to actively think about and cultivate your own taste and rebuild human cultural experiences apart from digital influence.

A Note on a Correction from Jon and Zach

After Babel • 5259 implied HN points • 12 Mar 26
đź“° News Journalism
  1. A guest post was removed after it was found to contain inaccuracies.
  2. The publication says it values rigorous research and admits its editorial process failed to properly vet the piece.
  3. They acknowledge the mistake, thank readers who pointed it out, and signal a commitment to improve editorial standards going forward.

What do "which is A.I.?" quizzes tell us?

Read Max • 3082 implied HN points • 13 Mar 26
🎭️ Culture Journalism
  1. Blind A/B quizzes don’t measure writing quality so much as the rough heuristics people use to guess whether text is human or AI.
  2. People prefer what they think is human-written, so misattribution drives apparent preferences more than any intrinsic superiority of AI text.
  3. The quizzes feed a stylistic arms race: readers change the “tells” of humanness and AI models keep optimizing to mimic or beat those signals.
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Malicious Streetlight Effects Vs. "Directional Correctness" - A Semi-Non-Apology

Astral Codex Ten • 19959 implied HN points • 24 Feb 26
🎭️ Culture Journalism
  1. There are two deceptive moves to watch for: using related-but-different facts to dismiss real complaints (the malicious streetlight effect) and overstating results to be “directionally correct” when the evidence doesn’t support it.
  2. Accurate counting matters — major crime has generally fallen, and explanations like reporting bias or better medical care don’t fully negate that trend, so it’s important to correct false claims about crime rates.
  3. Fixing misleading crime claims can feel like dismissing people’s everyday experiences of disorder, so it’s best to treat major crime statistics and local disorder (e.g., open-air drug markets, tent encampments) as separate issues and address each directly.

Associated Press Cannot Explain Bewildering Reporting on FDA’s Tracy Hoeg and Antidepressant Risks

The DisInformation Chronicle • 600 implied HN points • 09 Mar 26
đź“° News Journalism
  1. A major news story alleged an FDA regulator had a conflict of interest for backing a colleague’s petition, but the reporting did not provide legal or policy evidence and editors did not answer requests for clarification.
  2. A clinician has petitioned the FDA to add pregnancy warnings for antidepressants, citing multiple peer‑reviewed studies — including a Nature Communications paper — that link prenatal SSRI exposure to later child anxiety and brain differences.
  3. Conflict‑of‑interest experts and HHS/FDA officials say friendship alone isn’t a legal COI and agencies have no formal definition of “friend,” which raises questions about the accuracy of the coverage.

Introducing: Who's That Source?

TK News by Matt Taibbi • 5719 implied HN points • 04 Mar 26
đź“° News Journalism
  1. A new tool will expose who funds quoted sources, check experts' track records, flag past mispredictions, and give a "shill factor" estimate for how politically driven an opinion likely is.
  2. Newsrooms often run "Experts Say" headlines without disclosing conflicts or vetting accuracy, which lets partisan or paid voices masquerade as neutral expertise.
  3. Truly independent analysis is getting scarce as many experts are tied to industry or political groups, so transparency about funding and sourcing is needed to improve trust in reporting.

What it takes to join the creator middle class

Simon Owens's Media Newsletter • 399 implied HN points • 12 Mar 26
đź’Ľ Business Journalism
  1. Mid-sized creators can earn solid, middle-class incomes by treating their channels like businesses and optimizing every revenue stream—affiliate links, brand deals, and higher-value products can turn one well-made video into serious income.
  2. Platform economics and new business models are widening who can earn: ad revenue sharing, streaming payouts, events, and creator incubators let more artists and journalists make a living, though network deals can trade off growth for ownership.
  3. Tech and AI are reshaping media work—AI boosts productivity and forces organizational change, while cheaper production tools and legacy publishers’ pivots (like events and rehiring reporters) lower barriers and alter how creators build sustainable careers.

My Friend Doherty

Bet On It • 402 implied HN points • 16 Mar 26
🎭️ Culture Journalism
  1. Brian Doherty was a prolific, deeply knowledgeable polymath and journalist who wrote influential books on the modern libertarian movement, Burning Man, and Ron Paul.
  2. He was a generous mentor and friend who connected people, shared deep cultural knowledge (especially about comics and music), and kept wide, eclectic social circles.
  3. His death was sudden and tragic, likely linked to prior health issues, and it left strong, fond memories and a lasting impact on those who knew him.

The New York Times Makes Sports Miserable

TK News by Matt Taibbi • 8876 implied HN points • 25 Feb 26
🎾 Sports Journalism
  1. Sports should be an escape people enjoy, not a place where athletes are forced to pick political sides. Fans want to celebrate great performances without being dragged into partisan fights.
  2. When media outlets hunt for political angles or nitpick trivial facts, they sap the joy out of big sporting moments. That kind of coverage turns celebrations into sources of outrage instead of shared enjoyment.
  3. Spotlighting players' political interactions and amplifying minor errors shows journalism can prioritize culture-war scoring over accurately capturing what happened on the field. This approach turns communal fun into controversy.

Lara Logan Did Nothing Wrong (Classic Takes)

Emerald Robinson’s The Right Way • 3194 implied HN points • 17 Oct 24
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Journalism
  1. Lara Logan has faced criticism from mainstream media for discussing ideas that some believe are now widely accepted as true. It's argued that certain significant scandals were initially dismissed as conspiracy theories.
  2. She emphasizes traditional values like sovereignty, national identity, and family as important aspects of society. Logan suggests that current challenges, like open borders, are linked to broader negative influences.
  3. There is a belief that influential figures and organizations are trying to shape the world in troubling ways. Logan expresses a strong conviction that these efforts will ultimately fail.

From the New Editor: A Message From Emily Kopp

TK News by Matt Taibbi • 9860 implied HN points • 09 Feb 26
đź“° News Journalism
  1. The newsroom commits to independent, accountability-focused investigative journalism that prioritizes rigorous reporting over prestige or clout.
  2. It will bring old-school journalistic standards to the chaotic new-media landscape by chasing truth, admitting uncertainty, embracing complexity, and avoiding neat, predetermined narratives.
  3. Clear operational rules promise transparency and original reporting—no advertisers or hidden investors, no partisan shaping of stories, original sourcing (including at least one phone call and primary documents), limited anonymous sources, public corrections, and a refusal to trade integrity for access.

Welcome Back to Substack!

Glenn Greenwald • 8151 implied HN points • 09 Feb 26
đź“° News Journalism
  1. Returning to Substack to center on long-form independent journalism after a period producing a nightly live show on another platform.
  2. Plans to use Substack’s expanded tools—Notes, video hosting, podcasts, and subscription tiers—to publish short updates, video-first segments, and in-depth reporting.
  3. A strong commitment to defending independent media and free expression while continuing to report on foreign wars, surveillance, the security state, and threats to civil liberties.

Livestream, 2:00 PM ET: Matt Taibbi and Ryan Lovelace on the FBI's "Prohibited Access" Files

TK News by Matt Taibbi • 1361 implied HN points • 06 Mar 26
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Journalism
  1. Reporters uncovered the FBI's secret "Prohibited Access" filing system and turned a declassified description into a published story in about a week.
  2. A livestream discussion will go over what the files likely contain, why the story matters, who helped reveal them, and what might come next.
  3. The conversation will also explore possible downsides—including how to tell if attempts to expose the system are being blocked—and tells viewers where to tune in to watch.

Some local news outlets are enthusiastically embracing AI

Simon Owens's Media Newsletter • 424 implied HN points • 06 Mar 26
đź“° News Journalism
  1. Local newsrooms are using AI to turn livestreamed government meetings into transcripts and automated story leads, helping fill coverage gaps where reporters can’t be present.
  2. Hyperlocal publishers are scaling AI-generated newsletters and event digests to millions of subscribers, which can be profitable but often leans on aggregated public sources rather than original reporting.
  3. Authors are being flooded with AI-generated book-club invitations that hide participation fees, prompting many writers to stop accepting such appearances.

EXCLUSIVE: Brits Spied on Racket, Other Journalists

TK News by Matt Taibbi • 5251 implied HN points • 12 Feb 26
🌍 World Politics Journalism
  1. A group aligned with the U.K. Labour leader hired a private firm to investigate Racket and several journalists, then passed the findings to an office linked to Britain’s GCHQ equivalent.
  2. The probes targeted multiple reporters from outlets including the Sunday Times, the Guardian, and others after Racket published a series of exposés.
  3. Official statements minimized the scope of the investigations, creating controversy and renewed concerns about political surveillance of journalists and threats to press freedom.

This Is CBS News

Erick Erickson's Confessions of a Political Junkie • 1758 implied HN points • 10 Oct 24
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Journalism
  1. CBS News faced criticism for how it handled an interview with an author who made antisemitic comments. Instead of supporting the interviewer, they punished him for not following their editorial line.
  2. There are concerns about CBS's stance on the status of Jerusalem, as employees were told not to refer to it as being in Israel, highlighting a perceived bias in their reporting.
  3. The network has a history of fact-checking certain politicians against their agreements, suggesting a possible agenda in their news coverage.

Note on a Lawsuit

TK News by Matt Taibbi • 13010 implied HN points • 06 Jan 26
đź“° News Journalism
  1. A public figure was depicted in a book as being "owned" by wealthy tech backers, and they responded by suing to protect their reputation.
  2. They refused a lucrative offer from a powerful platform owner to avoid any appearance of financial ties, even though that decision cost them access and a major story.
  3. The book framed ethical choices as greed and misrepresented motives. When public smears ignore facts, legal action can be the only way to defend a reputation.

Are These 50 Experts Real People?

The Honest Broker • 8178 implied HN points • 19 Jan 26
đź“° News Journalism
  1. Journalists tried to verify 50 experts who were cited over a thousand times but couldn’t find them, and many of the accompanying photos look AI‑generated.
  2. These apparently fake or untraceable experts are appearing in prestigious newspapers and major online platforms, not just fringe outlets.
  3. This may be just the tip of the iceberg and could signal a dangerous erosion of trust in expertise and journalism, with no obvious path back to safety.

A Peek Behind the Curtain at CBS Reveals Journalism in a Death Spiral

The Take (by Jon Miltimore) • 515 implied HN points • 19 Oct 24
đź“° News Journalism
  1. Recent events at CBS have shown a lack of clear leadership and professionalism in journalism. It seems like the environment there is chaotic and not focused on real journalistic practices.
  2. Trust in media is at an all-time low, partly because of how CBS handled a situation with journalist Tony Dokoupil. He was reprimanded for asking tough questions, while another journalist was praised for preparing her interviewee in advance.
  3. The internal reactions at CBS were intense, with reports of shouting and tears. This highlights a deep dysfunction within the newsroom, which makes it hard to maintain trust in media organizations.

Has the internet stopped producing mega stars?

Simon Owens's Media Newsletter • 299 implied HN points • 05 Mar 26
đź’Ľ Business Journalism
  1. Major social platforms have tweaked their algorithms to spread attention across more creators, so it’s now much harder for a single person to become a blockbuster star with tens of millions of followers.
  2. AI-generated search answers have gutted organic traffic to many tech publications, forcing outlets to rely on deeper audience relationships, paywalls, and original longform reporting to survive.
  3. The creator economy is shifting toward niche, subscription-driven projects and more journalists launching indie publications, but live niche shows may not scale easily and launching a new mass-media giant feels much harder today.

The Best Online Articles of 2025

The Honest Broker • 12633 implied HN points • 15 Dec 25
🎭️ Culture Journalism
  1. Exceptional longform pieces this year dug up surprising, overlooked stories—forgotten figures, strange experiments, and hidden personal dramas that stay with you.
  2. Deep reporting and archival work were used to make complex cultural, scientific, and political issues clear and emotionally resonant, turning data and history into vivid human narratives.
  3. The best essays spanned music, art, science, history, and politics, showing that longform storytelling remains a powerful way to explore and connect diverse aspects of modern life.

Nellie Bowles: The Journalist and the Epstein

Common Sense with Bari Weiss • 3575 implied HN points • 03 Feb 26
🎭️ Culture Journalism
  1. A journalist accepted an invitation to meet Jeffrey Epstein for coffee out of curiosity and to pursue possible story angles, including his social reemergence and a mysterious Russian introducer.
  2. Colleagues in the newsroom reassured her that it was safe and described Epstein as an occasional source, which influenced the decision to meet him.
  3. The meeting sparked public scrutiny and criticism, highlighting debates about journalistic judgment and the risks of engaging with notorious figures.

When it comes to scams, journalism is letting down the public

How to Survive the Internet • 139 implied HN points • 25 Oct 24
đź“° News Journalism
  1. Many people have shared their scam experiences, highlighting how common these issues are. They often feel lost because police and mainstream media aren't helping them.
  2. Journalists can play a crucial role in exposing and stopping scams. It's important for them to recognize this responsibility beyond just informing the public.
  3. The media often misses ongoing scams because they lack the resources or willingness to investigate them. This can lead to many victims not receiving the help they need.

The Ugly Truth About Spotify Is Finally Revealed

The Honest Broker • 155259 implied HN points • 19 Dec 24
🎶 Music Journalism
  1. Spotify has been using fake artists to fill playlists, leading to confusion about real musicians. Many tracks are distributed under different names, suggesting a strategy to minimize royalty payments.
  2. An investigative journalist revealed that Spotify has a program aimed at promoting cheaper music, often created without the involvement of human musicians. This raises concerns about the ethical treatment of artists.
  3. There is a call for greater transparency and regulation in the music streaming industry. Some believe that a cooperative platform owned by musicians and labels could be a better solution.

The internet turned us into crappy, unpaid detectives

The Rubesletter by Matt Ruby (of Vooza) | Sent every Tuesday • 926 implied HN points • 19 Feb 26
🎭️ Culture Journalism
  1. The internet has turned a lot of us into amateur sleuths who chase clues and conspiracy theories like a game, trading real investigation for quick dopamine hits.
  2. That game-like digging legitimizes fringe claims and pulls people down rabbit holes of false or exaggerated ideas, making them feel righteous even when they’re wrong.
  3. All that attention on sexy mysteries diverts scrutiny from boring but consequential abuses of power and corruption that happen in plain sight, which would actually benefit from real investigation.

How To Build Your Own Tower

The Ruffian • 460 implied HN points • 07 Mar 26
🎭️ Culture Journalism
  1. Build a personal "tower"—regular, intentional solitude or focused time—to get distance and perspective from the nonstop news and information feed. Without those retreats you can get anxious and lose control over what you think about.
  2. Keep a disciplined daily habit like freeform writing or journaling; short, consistent sessions help ideas germinate and feed larger creative projects. This practice captures stray thoughts and turns them into usable material.
  3. Stay open to the world but choose when to engage with it, not the other way around. Controlling your information diet and stepping back sometimes leads to clearer judgment and better work.

Help me figure out what to do with Read Max

Read Max • 737 implied HN points • 26 Feb 26
🎭️ Culture Journalism
  1. A short reader survey is being circulated and readers are asked to fill it out to help shape the newsletter.
  2. The newsletter began in 2021 and has grown into a full-time project, so it's entering a long-term phase.
  3. The goal is to use reader feedback to figure out what's working, what isn't, and what new features or changes to add.

The 10 Most Popular Articles of the Year

The Honest Broker • 5884 implied HN points • 30 Dec 25
🎭️ Culture Journalism
  1. AI is shredding our shared reality and knowledge system, with fake or indistinguishable content spreading and companies forcing AI into everyday tools whether people want it or not.
  2. Students and classrooms are in crisis: constant phone-driven dopamine, poor attention, apathy, and rising cheating are seriously undermining learning.
  3. Big platforms are centralizing control and flattening culture, even as independent communities and alternative platforms grow and attract new audiences and subscribers.

The New York Times Attempts to Bully Elderly People Into the Disability-as-an-Identity Worldview

Freddie deBoer • 10426 implied HN points • 03 Dec 25
🎭️ Culture Journalism
  1. Many older people prefer to treat impairments as problems to manage rather than as a central identity, and they value preserving dignity and continuity of self.
  2. Framing disability primarily as an identity or political category can pressure people to adopt labels, reward pathology, and shift attention away from treatment, recovery, and practical needs.
  3. Society should focus on real supports — medical care, prevention, accessible services, and accommodations — instead of urging people to embrace disability as a defining identity for community or political reasons.

America This Week, 4 PM Monday ET: The Last Show

TK News by Matt Taibbi • 1676 implied HN points • 09 Feb 26
🎙 Podcasts Journalism
  1. The show is ending its Monday live segments and moving to a new schedule with taped Friday episodes.
  2. One co‑host quit after learning of other changes, so the show is temporarily paused while they decide what to do next.
  3. The hosts plan to rethink the format and consult readers before choosing a replacement, and their farewell episode probed how people can stay sane amid overflowing, unresolved news.

The Three Best Pieces of Writing About AI in 2026 That You Must Read Right Now

The Algorithmic Bridge • 881 implied HN points • 24 Feb 26
đź•ą Technology Journalism
  1. Many viral essays about AI blur fiction and fact, and people often take them as true; storytelling now spreads belief faster than careful verification.
  2. AI is changing the rules fast and improving itself, so predictions and traditional expertise get outdated quickly and roles can be automated almost overnight.
  3. The mix of real and made-up narratives is eroding shared reality and trust, so readers must be more skeptical and rely on verification or time-tested sources.

Note to Readers

TK News by Matt Taibbi • 9337 implied HN points • 01 Dec 25
đź“° News Journalism
  1. Keeping a dispassionate distance and prioritizing accuracy over political outcomes used to be a core journalistic virtue, and it helped reporters focus on facts.
  2. In recent years that model has been displaced by advocacy and moral-certainty journalism, which quickly sidelined many old-school, just-the-facts reporters.
  3. The plan is to refocus on phone calls, primary sources and fewer opinions to revive a fact-based ethos, while adopting a tougher, more unapologetic tone during a brief retooling.

The Unbearable Stupidity of Nick Shirley

Richard Hanania's Newsletter • 4535 implied HN points • 09 Jan 26
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Journalism
  1. A 23-year-old influencer’s viral confrontational videos are being praised as investigative journalism even though his methods were sloppy and produced unreliable evidence that led to harassment of targeted daycares.
  2. The right-wing influencer ecosystem often works backwards—starting from a belief and then hunting for so-called "receipts"—which prioritizes identity-based narratives over careful evidence and proper reporting.
  3. Conservative media frequently rewards low intellectual standards and nativist claims, elevating amateurs instead of rigorous journalists and making thoughtful, policy-focused debate harder.

There's a goldmine hiding in your content archives

Simon Owens's Media Newsletter • 349 implied HN points • 25 Feb 26
đź’Ľ Business Journalism
  1. Evergreen content in your archives is a goldmine that’s often overlooked. Regularly resurfacing older articles can boost reader interest and significantly increase subscription conversions.
  2. AI is changing how sourcing works and raising the risk of fake experts and AI-generated commentary. Publishers need stronger verification and access to vetted expert networks to protect trust.
  3. The creator economy and platform monetization are evolving fast, with subscriptions, royalty-tracking tools, and brand deals creating new revenue paths. Creators and startups that capture scale or better revenue tools can reshape how media dollars are distributed.

In Response to an Epstein Comment

TK News by Matt Taibbi • 5489 implied HN points • 20 Dec 25
đź“° News Journalism
  1. Publishing photos or lists that put powerful people next to criminal allegations doesn’t prove those people were involved; you need context and direct evidence to show any real overlap.
  2. Assembling connections or 'contacts' can suggest a conspiracy even when there’s no proven link to wrongdoing, so such compilations can be misleading without further proof.
  3. To establish a criminal 'ring' investigators must show direct ties to the crimes—like victim complaints, documents, or corroborating evidence—rather than relying on friendships or casual associations.

Happy Anniversary!

Steady • 32155 implied HN points • 20 Jan 24
đź“° News Journalism
  1. Dan Rather and Team Steady are celebrating their anniversary on Jan 20, 2024.
  2. The Steady community's support, guidance, and friendship have been crucial to their success.
  3. Dan Rather expresses gratitude and dedication to the readers for their continued support.

The Rise and Fall of Hunter S. Thompson (Part 1 of 3)

The Honest Broker • 20014 implied HN points • 13 Aug 25
🎭️ Culture Journalism
  1. Hunter S. Thompson had a rebellious spirit from a young age, getting into trouble with authorities and showing a knack for creating chaos. This pattern of causing news would shape his career in journalism later on.
  2. Despite his wild and reckless behavior, Thompson was very disciplined in his writing. He practiced by typing out classic books, which helped him develop a unique and powerful prose style.
  3. Thompson's approach to journalism broke conventional rules. He blended the story with his personal experiences and presented himself as part of the narrative, changing how people viewed non-fiction writing.