Las Vegas, Nevada Correspondent — This town has a specific and instructive version of the problem. Our daily paper was bought a few years ago through a holding company that initially wouldn't say who owned it. The newsroom found out who its own owner was by reporting the story, which is either the best or … Continue reading Is local journalism going to survive this year, and does it matter if it doesn’t?
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Is local journalism going to survive this year, and does it matter if it doesn’t?
Gastonia, NC Correspondent — This is my trade, so I'll take some length and then be quiet on it for a while. The short answer is that a great deal of it isn't surviving, and that the pandemic finished something that was already most of the way finished. The chain that owned a large share … Continue reading Is local journalism going to survive this year, and does it matter if it doesn’t?
Has the year changed what Americans count as essential work, and will the change survive the recovery?
Gastonia, NC Correspondent — I've held about six of the jobs on the essential list, which gives me an unusual vantage on the word. I've been a chef, a dispatcher, a farm worker, and a few other things before I ended up editing copy. Every one of those was essential this year. The job I … Continue reading Has the year changed what Americans count as essential work, and will the change survive the recovery?
Has the year changed what Americans count as essential work, and will the change survive the recovery?
Cheyenne, Wyoming Correspondent — The word arrived in March and meant one thing: you don't get to stay home. It came with no wage, no benefit, and no protection. It was a permission slip pointed the wrong direction. I keep books for a freight and energy firm and our drivers never stopped. Nobody sent them … Continue reading Has the year changed what Americans count as essential work, and will the change survive the recovery?
How has the college admissions scandal involving wealthy parents and coaches affected public trust in elite universities and the broader debate over merit and privilege?
Prescott Valley, Arizona Correspondent I spent two decades in public schools writing letters of recommendation for students whose parents could not afford a test-prep course, let alone a bribe, and I want to say at the outset that nothing in the indictments unsealed in March surprised a single teacher I know. The surprise, the thing … Continue reading How has the college admissions scandal involving wealthy parents and coaches affected public trust in elite universities and the broader debate over merit and privilege?
What does the Jeffrey Epstein case reveal about accountability for powerful individuals and the handling of sex-trafficking allegations?
Jacksonville, Florida Correspondent The deal that let Jeffrey Epstein walk was made in my state, by a federal prosecutor in Miami, with the knowledge of a state attorney in Palm Beach, and the girls he was walking away from were Florida girls, some of them from the trailer parks west of the interstate, recruited at … Continue reading What does the Jeffrey Epstein case reveal about accountability for powerful individuals and the handling of sex-trafficking allegations?
How has the #MeToo movement evolved in 2018 beyond high-profile cases, and what lasting institutional changes, if any, has it produced in workplaces and public life?
Long Island, New York Correspondent I have worked in and around the law for thirty years, in a district attorney's office, a school district, and a practice that handles the letters people write when they discover the rules apply to them, and I want to answer this question by pointing to the one change this … Continue reading How has the #MeToo movement evolved in 2018 beyond high-profile cases, and what lasting institutional changes, if any, has it produced in workplaces and public life?
With improvements in sports officiating such as allowing challenges, appeals, and/or reviews of calls on the field, will any major sport do away with human officiating?
Owatonna, MN Correspondent-Instant replay has become ubiquitous in all refereed sports. Coaches and managers can challenge calls by referees and umpires, and the number of calls subject to challenge is expanding. Technology can show us the outline of a baseball strike zone, allowing viewers to judge for themselves if the umpire called a pitch correctly. … Continue reading With improvements in sports officiating such as allowing challenges, appeals, and/or reviews of calls on the field, will any major sport do away with human officiating?
Will self-driving cars ever be 100% safe, as most manufacturers claim them to be?
Owatonna, MN Correspondent-Self-driving cars (SDC) seem to be an inevitable development in automobile technology. I hope the technology improves to the point where driving in a car is even safer than airline travel, which is currently the safest form of mechanical transportation. But I don't believe SDCs will ever become 100% safe and remain practical … Continue reading Will self-driving cars ever be 100% safe, as most manufacturers claim them to be?
Considering the growing power and influence of technology companies like Facebook, Google, and Amazon, are we at risk of becoming a Big Brother society where our every move is observed, and every detail of our private lives is accessible to those who wish to manipulate or exploit us in some way?
Gastonia, NC Correspondent-I don’t think we’re at risk of becoming a Big Brother society, I think we’re already there. Big Data has infiltrated every part of our lives, and the ability of hackers to take over smart devices in our homes, listen in our baby monitors and even turn on the cameras in our computers … Continue reading Considering the growing power and influence of technology companies like Facebook, Google, and Amazon, are we at risk of becoming a Big Brother society where our every move is observed, and every detail of our private lives is accessible to those who wish to manipulate or exploit us in some way?
