Who's behind the news?
Who's behind the news?
...and a revamped website
Hello Newsjunkies:
Peter Landau here again. What a time to be alive. AI is here answering every question. Everyone is a broadcaster, the gatekeepers have been vanquished, and prediction markets are the new polls. The flood of data makes it rough to find the nuggets in the noise.
Thankfully, independent outlets such as Capital and Main, ProPublica and Newsjunkie (read on for a major exclusive about our site), if I, as managing editor, may humbly toss our fedora into the ring, have rallied to provide clarity. Every Monday we update our site with Who’s Behind the News (our slogan, and we’re sticking to it), Prairie Fire (charting the government’s campaign to remove public data, and the knowledge sector's response), and publisher Gordon Whiting’s ongoing look at the history and future of news.
Let's see what's going on at the office–
Ramnath Goenka, the Indian newspaper publisher who led The Indian Express in the formative years of the nation, should be better known around the world. In India he was a free speech champion through the years of India’s fight for independence and its subsequent struggle for equilibrium in self-governance.
Goenka is the publisher we need now more than ever. His story is inspirational and required reading for journalists and those who truly support freedom of the press.
Gordon Whiting has an article in our new issue that lays out two incidents in the publisher’s career that illustrate his commitment to truth, and the inventive ways he found to stand up to government overreach.
1975: The Emergency After a judge in Uttar Pradesh voided Indira Gandhi's re-election as prime minister on grounds of electoral malfeasance, she invoked Article 352 of the Constitution and declared a national emergency. For the next 21 months martial law prevailed. Journalists and political opponents were jailed, civil liberties suspended, and restrictive censorship descended on the press with force. News organizations were required to submit reporting for government review before publication. Most complied. Not all. In June 1975, likely in retaliation for his support of opposition leader Jayaprakash Narayan, Goenka and The Indian Express were among the most harshly penalized by Indira's regime. The government pulled advertising, lodged tax inquiries, and dispatched property inspectors. There were, by one count, 320 cases against Goenka across India. His powerful lawyer, Fali Sam Nariman, pleaded with him: "Ramnathji, enough is enough. We don't know how long this damn thing will go on, why don't you compromise?" "Compromise, Nariman? We will fight," he said. On the night of June 25 the power went out on Bahadur Shah Zafar Marg, the Delhi street where newspapers housed their printing operations. Indira made it clear: comply and survive; resist and die. When the lights came back on, Ramnath Goenka had made his decision. In the first post-Emergency issue of The Indian Express, June 28, 1975, the two-column editorial section was empty. White space. Goenka had found a way to say the most important thing a newspaper can say without printing a word. The shock of seeing a void where an editorial should have been sent a clear message to the newspaper's five-million readers, and the word-of-mouth grapevine: resist in any way you can. | ||
Respected news publications such as The New York Times, The Atlantic, and USA Today Co. have used their substantial legal weight to bully one of the good guys. Instead of focusing on an administration that wants to neuter them, these institutions have blocked the Internet Archive’s Wayback Machine from archiving their articles. There are many reasons why archiving the news serves the public. Gordon puts it better than I can in his most recent newsletter. Or watch our interview for more nuance.
These litigious news organizations would find better use of their valuable time reading staff reporter Morgan Kriesel’s interview with Tactical Tech's Laura Ranca. This nonprofit collective keeps tabs on technology and how to avoid becoming another data point for profit or worse. Laura Ranca is a fount of information for journalists, especially investigative reporters, who cover deportations, forced migration, and environmental issues. Her advice on protecting yourself and sources is the foundation on developing trust in that invaluable relationship.
Another part of the Newsjunkie ensemble that keeps us humming along steady and strong is our Guide to Public Archives, an ever-expanding directory of the world's physical and digital knowledge repositories. Sometimes I’ll just wander its many pages like a flâneur. The pleasure of stumbling upon a unique collection, library, or in this case periodical is like having free reign in a candy store for those with a sweet tooth. Take a look at our extensive entry on the Federal Register, published every federal working day since March 16, 1936, where federal agencies must legally publish their proposed rules, final regulations, and public notices before they can take effect.
There’s so much to look forward to on Newsjunkie, but first I want to talk about that look. Since the site launched, we’ve embraced a simple, clean, readable aesthetic. There would be none of the clutter that defines most websites. We aren’t here to entertain, but inform and provide tools. That doesn’t mean we don't value design. Our tech team has refined the UI of the site and this week the new look premieres. It’s an elegant improvement on the classic form, with a crisp presentation that’s as timeless as it is modern. We’re excited! Tell us what you think.
We talk a lot about digital security for individuals and organizations. Our brave new world is no longer that new. We’re constantly being tracked, surveillance is everywhere, and that power is being used to scare us into compliance. Going off-grid might be a fantasy, but is it possible to protect your data and lose the tail of authority that’s always tagging along? Morgan Kriesel wants to know. He’s starting a new column, Security Quest, his personal crusade to get Big Brother off his back. It’s chock full o’useful information and tools from password management to blocking cookies, all in the passionate voice you’ve come to expect from our star reporter.
Joining the Newsjunkie bullpen is Nile Southern, a filmmaker and writer, who is contributing an article on WGNU, the Boulder-based community radio station. He is charting the half-century long success story of a broadcast for the people and by the people, which has rooted itself in homespun quirkiness while filling the void of local news reporting left in the wake of corporate consolidation. It’s the rare example of the little guys winning. Nile Southern is listing out the ingredients that go into this gumbo, to see if that recipe can be replicated. If his name sounds familiar that’s because he’s the son of writer Terry Southern and literary editor Carol Southern. We’re happy to have him on board.
Whew. That’s a lot and it’s not half of what’s on deck. Newsjunkie is full steam ahead, always, and there’s room for everyone. Enjoy the ride. Until then…
Carry on, newsjunkies,
Peter
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