The hottest Journalism Substack posts right now

And their main takeaways
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The Media’s Capitulation to Power (w/ Ahmed Eldin) | The Chris Hedges Report

The Chris Hedges Report • 187 implied HN points • 05 Mar 26
📰 News Journalism
  1. Mainstream corporate media often protects power by sanitizing language, burying key facts, and treating ‘objectivity’ as a false balance, which hides context and misleads the public.
  2. Journalism is inherently a form of activism that relies on storytelling, transparency, and empathy to hold the powerful to account, and when large outlets fail this duty, independent reporters and artists must step in.
  3. A dangerous consolidation of corporate and institutional power enables censorship and cultural erasure, but grassroots movements, youth activism, and decentralized media offer real paths for resistance and hope.

Meta keeps finding new ways to not pay its creators

Simon Owens's Media Newsletter • 274 implied HN points • 24 Feb 26
💼 Business Journalism
  1. Meta pays creators almost nothing compared with how much Reels and Instagram earn, so monetization is dominated by creators in low-cost countries and that encourages lots of low-effort, AI-driven content.
  2. Shifting from ad-based models to subscriptions and creator-owned projects can sustain independent journalism and niche media, and podcasts or blogs can successfully spin out from companies to build paying audiences.
  3. A purely data-driven playbook that cuts niche or lower-traffic coverage can alienate loyal, information-hungry subscribers, risking long-term subscription value and reader loyalty.

Flurry of Weekend Shootings, Violence Shows Fourth Estate in Disarray

TK News by Matt Taibbi • 4595 implied HN points • 15 Dec 25
📰 News Journalism
  1. A sudden cluster of deadly attacks over the weekend — including a mass shooting in Australia, a campus shooting in Providence, and a high-profile double homicide — made for an unusually violent, chaotic period.
  2. Media, politicians, and social platforms rushed to blame and interpret events before facts were confirmed, turning reporting into a partisan battle instead of clear information-gathering.
  3. Real-time news cycles and social media amplify rumors and mistakes, forcing the public to sort through conflicting claims to find what’s actually true.

The journalists embracing AI in their reporting

Simon Owens's Media Newsletter • 299 implied HN points • 20 Feb 26
📰 News Journalism
  1. Freelance journalists are increasingly using AI to speed up pitching, transcribing interviews, researching, and drafting, which frees time to focus on editing and big-picture reporting.
  2. Some streaming platforms are exploring add-on subscription bundles to sell niche services through their storefronts, but those moves can fail if the host lacks scale or international reach.
  3. Local news can thrive with community-funded, membership-driven models that prioritize neighborhood reporting, enabling growth to tens of thousands of paying subscribers.

15 things I consumed this week

Maybe Baby • 667 implied HN points • 06 Feb 26
🎭️ Culture Journalism
  1. A devastating first-person account of abuse by a public figure teaches important lessons and feels essential reading.
  2. A rediscovered interview with a leading philosopher on moral fragility shows how older ideas can still feel relevant and illuminating.
  3. This is a personal weekly roundup that mixes product picks, long reads, and some paywalled items, functioning as both recommendations and an invitation to subscribe.
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READING: JOHN WARNER: David Brooks Sucks

Brad DeLong's Grasping Reality • 468 implied HN points • 12 Feb 26
🎭️ Culture Journalism
  1. He avoids taking clear moral or factual stances in public, often deferring to investigations instead of calling out obvious wrongdoing.
  2. He repeatedly misrepresents, exaggerates, or invents research and data, turning weak or false claims into broad social theories.
  3. Major media and academic institutions keep giving him influential platforms, which amplifies misleading ideas and harms public discourse.

Why did CNN do it?

Robert Reich • 30051 implied HN points • 12 May 23
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Journalism
  1. CNN's decision to give Donald Trump an hour of prime-time television was criticized for promoting lies and insults.
  2. The shift in CNN's news coverage towards more conservative guests and avoiding certain terms was linked to corporate interests and right-wing billionaire influence.
  3. Criticism of CNN's decisions highlights the importance of maintaining journalistic integrity and not giving a platform to misinformation and demagoguery.

Old Friends, Memories, And The Work

Steady • 29265 implied HN points • 10 Jun 23
🎭️ Culture Journalism
  1. New York City was a significant part of the author's life, professionally and personally.
  2. The author reflects on their career through a documentary that was premiered at a film festival.
  3. The author highlights the importance of journalism and the support they received from friends and colleagues.

The demise of CNN

Robert Reich • 29167 implied HN points • 06 Jun 23
📰 News Journalism
  1. CNN underwent significant changes under Chris Licht's leadership.
  2. There was a shift towards aligning CNN more with Trump and right-wing views.
  3. Despite the changes, CNN's viewership declined rather than attracting new audiences.

Carl Wilson Should Give Himself More Credit

Freddie deBoer • 3001 implied HN points • 09 Dec 25
🎭️ Culture Journalism
  1. Poptimism has largely won: pop music now gets abundant praise and mainstream attention, so it’s wrong to act like pop is a marginalized underdog today.
  2. Large swaths of social media enforce pro-pop views aggressively, and critics who dissent can be publicly shamed or accused of bigotry, which chills honest disagreement.
  3. The erosion of sharp critical standards and negative judgment has flattened taste formation, making cultural discussion blander and depriving fans of the satisfying clash that helps define personal preferences.

The playbook behind one of the fastest-growing social-first newsrooms

Simon Owens's Media Newsletter • 49 implied HN points • 05 Mar 26
📰 News Journalism
  1. They design journalism to live natively on social platforms like TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube Shorts instead of trying to pull young audiences back to a website.
  2. Reporters work as "triple-threat" video journalists who shoot, edit, and publish their own short-form stories using formats like vertical video, swipeable carousels, and short documentaries tailored to each platform.
  3. They combine platform-native storytelling with mainstream journalistic standards, which keeps the newsroom social-first while enabling growth into multiple brands, a creative agency, and an experimental creator platform.

Pitfalls of AI journalism

The Ruffian • 405 implied HN points • 19 Feb 26
🕹 Technology Journalism
  1. AI-detection tools can spot patterns that suggest a writer is using AI, but their findings aren’t always certain.
  2. Some journalists are moving from using AI to polish drafts to using it to draft entire pieces, especially when output is high during big events.
  3. Calling out suspected AI use can feel like public shaming and highlights the need for clear newsroom choices and transparency about how AI is used.

Freedom of the Press Won’t Protect Don Lemon

Common Sense with Bari Weiss • 760 implied HN points • 31 Jan 26
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Journalism
  1. Journalists do not have special criminal immunity; they can be charged for criminal acts even while reporting.
  2. The reports say he met with protesters ahead of time, knew their plans, kept them secret, and filmed the event—facts that could support charges like obstructing worship.
  3. Proving a crime will be hard because prosecutors must show he intended or knew others would commit the offense, and merely "covering" the news usually isn’t enough to convict.

Texas Shame

Steady • 26632 implied HN points • 13 Jul 23
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Journalism
  1. A qualified journalist faced discrimination due to race and gender in Texas.
  2. Texas Governor and red state governments target diversity and inclusion programs.
  3. The incident highlights the bias and discrimination present in society and journalism.

Why Ubiquitous Video Isn’t Making People More Reality-Based

Singal-Minded • 655 implied HN points • 29 Jan 26
🎭️ Culture Journalism
  1. Ubiquitous video does not reliably make people more reality-based; even clear footage often fails to change minds. Many viewers double down on their initial beliefs instead of updating when new evidence appears.
  2. Emotional, social, and tribal commitments shape how people interpret video, so people rationalize or ignore contrary evidence and create competing narratives. That means footage can inflame polarization rather than settle facts.
  3. Persistent human cognitive biases mean more footage isn’t a cure for misinformation or flawed institutional responses. Video can help sometimes, but it won’t eliminate motivated reasoning or group-driven judgment.

Does the Pulitzer Prize Hate Substack?

The Honest Broker • 14894 implied HN points • 22 Jun 25
🎭️ Culture Journalism
  1. The Pulitzer Prize has a history of ignoring or refusing to acknowledge the achievements of alternative media like Substack, despite its growing influence.
  2. Indie journalists and platforms like Substack might not need recognition from traditional institutions like the Pulitzer anymore, as they can create their own awards and communities.
  3. Building a new ecosystem for independent media is crucial, as legacy media continues to face trust issues and declines in relevance.

Announcing the NonZero Network

Nonzero Newsletter • 384 implied HN points • 19 Feb 26
📰 News Journalism
  1. The NonZero Network is a new effort to amplify a small group of independent, intellectually honest newsletters and podcasts so readers can more easily separate signal from noise.
  2. Paid NonZero subscribers get a 50% discount on any member newsletter for a one-year subscription, and those discount purchases are reciprocal with proceeds split evenly between NonZero and the partner newsletter.
  3. All NonZero subscribers will get a weekly curated summary of highlights from network members and a few outside picks (with an opt-out option), and founding members were chosen for their independence and underrepresented perspectives.

The End of an Era: Conventional Wisdom is Dead

TK News by Matt Taibbi • 11578 implied HN points • 28 Jul 25
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Journalism
  1. Many well-known journalists and media figures are leaving their positions due to buyouts and layoffs. This signals a big change in traditional media.
  2. Major media outlets like the Washington Post and CBS are struggling, with drops in subscriptions and staff reductions. This shows a shift in how people consume news.
  3. The mainstream media's influence is declining, leading to a breakdown in the common beliefs or 'conventional wisdom' that they once shared.

The New Cultural Criticism

Political Currents by Ross Barkan • 41 implied HN points • 15 Mar 26
🎭️ Culture Journalism
  1. A new wave of cultural critics mixes novelistic storytelling with serious criticism, producing long, narrative-driven essays that feel more like stories than short reviews.
  2. They favor deep, first-person, character-focused reporting and welcome moral ambiguity instead of quick condemnations, often writing 5,000–17,000 word pieces that let the reporting shape the conclusion.
  3. Publishing on platforms without strict print limits lets this work escape short-form social media, offering a possible antidote to ephemerality and creating criticism that can be read and argued over for years.

A great cyberpunk urban fantasy novel, a throwback corporate paranoia thriller, and more

Read Max • 500 implied HN points • 09 Feb 26
🎭️ Culture Journalism
  1. A standout speculative fiction novel blends cyberpunk and urban fantasy to explore work, scams, and resource politics.
  2. The roundup points to recent columns and articles about Jade Helm, Peter Attia, and how the left should approach AI.
  3. It also recommends a throwback corporate‑paranoia thriller with Michael Clayton/Enemy of the State vibes, shares four favorite music tracks, and invites reader recommendations while offering paid subscriber perks.

Old Media Finally Wakes Up from a Coma

The Honest Broker • 31251 implied HN points • 24 Jan 25
📰 News Journalism
  1. Old media is realizing that it needs to change in order to survive. They can't continue doing things the same way as before.
  2. Influencers and new media figures like Joe Rogan and Elon Musk are now more powerful than traditional journalists. Their ability to reach large audiences is forcing old media to adapt.
  3. Legacy media organizations, like CNN and the New York Times, are starting to imitate the styles and formats of new media to attract viewers. They are trying to be more conversational and engaging.

The sad and self-inflicted decline of the Washington Post, in one chart

Silver Bulletin • 785 implied HN points • 27 Jan 26
📰 News Journalism
  1. The Washington Post has lost a lot of political influence recently, falling from near-parity with the New York Times to a much smaller share of political “mindshare.”
  2. Owner interventions and editorial shifts — like cancelling endorsements, changing leadership, and letting go of columnists — prompted big subscriber cancellations and staff departures that have hurt the paper’s finances.
  3. The Post’s decline highlights how fragile national news brands are in a fractured media ecosystem, where changes in ownership or identity can quickly create winners and losers and leave fewer truly comprehensive outlets.

What Is Happening to Music Criticism?

The Honest Broker • 9840 implied HN points • 24 Jul 25
🎶 Music Journalism
  1. Music criticism is declining, with fewer full-time writers left at newspapers. This has made it hard for local music stories and events to get coverage.
  2. In some big cities, there is only one full-time arts critic left, and they might not last long. This could leave communities without anyone to write about their local arts and culture.
  3. Many places no longer have any paid journalists covering music or culture at all. This lack of coverage can create a 'media black hole' where important stories don't get told.

Inside The New York Times Business Model: How Bundling Saved Journalism

Huddle Up • 166 implied HN points • 25 Feb 26
💼 Business Journalism
  1. The New York Times built a bundle of products — like games, cooking, and Wirecutter — that now drive most user engagement and make news one piece of a larger offering.
  2. Moving readers onto bundled subscriptions instead of news-only plans dramatically improved economics, producing far more subscribers, revenue, free cash flow, and a higher market valuation.
  3. That bundling playbook is being copied across media because diversifying subscription products gives publishers a clearer path to sustainable growth and survival.

Some news from us: The Bulwark is growing.

Bulwark+ • 10299 implied HN points • 05 Feb 24
📰 News Journalism
  1. The Bulwark is expanding its team with new members like Bill Kristol and Andrew Egger.
  2. They are focused on providing valuable content for their audience, not chasing clicks.
  3. The Bulwark leverages Bulwark+ memberships to support their mission of saving democracy.

Mainstream Is Now Fringe, and Fringe Is Mainstream

The Honest Broker • 30220 implied HN points • 18 Dec 24
🎭️ Culture Journalism
  1. The gap between mainstream media and fringe content is closing. People now watch popular streamers and influencers way more than traditional news outlets.
  2. Legacy media companies are struggling and may not survive unless billionaires buy them. Many journalists might find it tough to work in this environment.
  3. The rise of alternative media is changing the game for all creative industries. In the future, small teams or solo creators might take on major companies in music, movies, and games.

When your audience owns you

Random Minds by Katherine Brodsky • 140 implied HN points • 02 Mar 26
🎭️ Culture Journalism
  1. Creators and commentators can get trapped by their audience and ecosystem because their income, status, and belonging depend on sticking to predictable beliefs.
  2. The incentive structure rewards certainty, consistency, and performance while punishing nuance or changing your mind, so people often double down or stay silent instead of revising views.
  3. The escape is to build an audience that values curiosity and principled reasoning and to refuse to perform for applause — follow the evidence and be willing to change even if it costs you.

Debating Russiagate With Michael Isikoff

TK News by Matt Taibbi • 8708 implied HN points • 22 Jul 25
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Journalism
  1. There was a debate about Tulsi Gabbard's claims regarding Trump and Russia, highlighting the confusion in media narratives. It showcased how differing opinions can clash in public discussions.
  2. Michael Isikoff faced criticism for his past work related to the Steele dossier, raising questions about credibility in journalism. It's important to hold journalists accountable for their roles in shaping significant stories.
  3. The ongoing discussion about Russiagate shows that many people are still passionate about the topic. This suggests that public interest in these issues hasn't waned and will continue to spark heated debates.

Thoughts on mainstream media

Tao Lin • 1418 implied HN points • 12 Jul 24
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Journalism
  1. Mainstream media often presents a very simple and one-sided view of the world. This can make complex issues seem less important than they really are.
  2. The content produced by corporate media can feel negative and disheartening. It tends to focus on the tragic aspects of life instead of the positive ones.
  3. Having worked in mainstream media, there is an awareness that the stories told can be limiting and don’t always empower people to see the bigger picture.

The Media is Busted

TK News by Matt Taibbi • 21299 implied HN points • 08 Feb 25
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Journalism
  1. The media is facing significant trust issues and may be failing in its responsibilities. Many people feel let down by traditional media outlets.
  2. There are concerns about unnecessary spending by government agencies on media partnerships. This has raised questions about accountability and responsible use of taxpayer money.
  3. The legacy media's reputation is suffering, and some believe it's time for a major change or even an end to its current structure. Many are frustrated with how the media has evolved over time.

How to hire a dark net hitman

How to Survive the Internet • 139 implied HN points • 08 Oct 24
📰 News Journalism
  1. There are dark net sites that seem to offer hitmen for hire, but many are scams. People might pay money, but they often get nothing in return.
  2. A journalist and his team discovered real dangers behind these sites, revealing 175 kill requests and helping authorities make 34 arrests. This shows the serious risks involved.
  3. Podcasts can have a big impact on solving crimes. By working with law enforcement, journalists can help protect people and uncover hidden dangers in the digital world.

Five Years

Culture Study • 6142 implied HN points • 17 Aug 25
🎭️ Culture Journalism
  1. Leaving a traditional job can give you the freedom to create and write what truly interests you. It allows you to shape your own career path and connect with your audience in a more meaningful way.
  2. Building a curious community around your work can lead to deeper conversations and explorations of topics. Engaging with readers and encouraging their questions fosters a collaborative and enriching environment.
  3. Having control over your content means you can explore diverse ideas without worrying constantly about popularity or metrics. This freedom allows for more thoughtful writing and the ability to reflect on important cultural discussions.

‘Russians hungry but not starving’

Wrong Side of History • 460 implied HN points • 21 Jan 26
📰 News Journalism
  1. Journalists and media pundits often make attention-grabbing predictions and are frequently wrong because they have no skin in the game and have strong ideological biases.
  2. Predicting foreign policy is especially hard since it depends on culture, personalities, and many interacting factors, so disciplined non-specialists (superforecasters) can sometimes outperform supposed experts.
  3. Even respected newspapers and intellectuals can badly misjudge major events — for example, influential commentators once praised Ayatollah Khomeini and underestimated the dangers of the Iranian revolution.

UPDATE: A case study in unethical journalism

Popular Information • 14406 implied HN points • 04 Oct 23
📰 News Journalism
  1. Popular Information reported on a school district in Florida instructing to remove books with LGBTQ characters.
  2. Social media played a role in spreading the report which was later confirmed by various media outlets.
  3. There was controversy surrounding a news report from certain TV stations presenting a different story and eventually taking down the report.

Jeff Bezos has given up on the Washington Post

Simon Owens's Media Newsletter • 374 implied HN points • 27 Jan 26
📰 News Journalism
  1. The Washington Post’s recent moves, like cancelling planned Olympic coverage, suggest ownership is prioritizing cost cuts and managing decline rather than investing to grow the business.
  2. YouTube’s push toward Shorts is reducing reach for longform videos, making discovery more algorithm-dependent and forcing creators to rethink formats and monetization.
  3. Newsrooms are using citizen-shot video as raw material but adding reporting and context—names, dates, and follow-up—to correct narratives and provide the fuller story.

Transparency International accepted $1.3 million from Trump's Pentagon and narc-diplomacy agency, including for 'sponsored research'

All-Source Intelligence Fusion • 956 implied HN points • 28 Dec 25
🌍 World Politics Journalism
  1. Transparency International’s UK and Brazil branches received about $1.3 million in September from U.S. agencies, including a $580,000 DSCA "sponsored research" grant to TI UK and an $800,000 INL grant to TI Brazil to combat illegal gold trafficking in the Amazon.
  2. Transparency International and partner organizations like OCCRP have recurring funding and program links with U.S. security agencies and defense-linked contractors, and they collaborate on initiatives that support enforcement of U.S. sanctions and related policy actions.
  3. Several TI branches have accepted funding from military, intelligence-linked, or corporate actors and have not always fully disclosed those ties, which raises concerns about conflicts of interest and the organisation’s independence.

A Tom-Clancy-meets-Jeff-VanderMeer Native American sci-fi novel, a great new psychedelic conspiracy thriller TV show, and more

Read Max • 553 implied HN points • 18 Jan 26
🎭️ Culture Journalism
  1. A new Native American cosmic-horror sci‑fi novel mixes fast‑paced geopolitical/tech‑thriller action with weird, ecological surrealism.
  2. The roundup highlights in‑depth essays and reporting on politics, journalism, and the healthcare industry, and it recommends a comedy‑thriller TV show about a psychedelic miracle cure and the conspiracies to suppress it.
  3. This is a paid weekly newsletter that offers subscribers extra curated reading, watching, and listening lists, merchandise deals, contact options, and notes that some links may earn small commissions.

Groupthink & Tech Journalism

The Lunduke Journal of Technology • 5170 implied HN points • 27 Jul 25
🕹 Technology Journalism
  1. The '10th Man Rule' suggests that when a group has a strong consensus, the '10th man' should challenge that view. This helps prevent groupthink and encourages diverse opinions.
  2. The Lunduke Journal focuses on sharing truths about the tech industry, even if it annoys some people. It aims to explore stories that other journalists might avoid due to fear of backlash.
  3. By rejecting corporate sponsorship, the Lunduke Journal maintains independence. This allows for honest reporting without worrying about pleasing big companies or public opinion.

My Survey of 16 Classic Works of New Journalism

The Honest Broker • 15725 implied HN points • 12 Jan 25
📚 Literature Journalism
  1. Journalism is changing fast, and traditional media must adapt to survive. Many new outlets are thriving while others struggle and lay off staff.
  2. New Journalism from the 1960s and 70s changed the way stories were told. It blended facts with storytelling, making journalism more engaging.
  3. Today, writers can explore bold stories without corporate limits. This encourages new voices to emerge and could lead to the next generation of impactful journalism.

New column by me in the Wall Street Journal: The Epstein ‘Transparency’ Travesty

Michael Tracey • 76 implied HN points • 04 Mar 26
📰 News Journalism
  1. A major newspaper column offers a distinct, possibly first-of-its-kind perspective on the Epstein Files within mainstream American media.
  2. A profile in an entertainment outlet quoted something the interviewee says they didn’t say, and the interviewee emphasizes avoiding the loaded phrase “conspiracy theory” in favor of a more measured stance.
  3. The column is being shared via a free online link and will appear in the newspaper’s print edition, and the related profile was unexpected but came across as generally positive.