- Defending the Free Press
- The New State Media
- Unexpected Backlash on Talk Radio
- Tech Companies and DEI
- Bezos Turns Washpost into His Toy
- Layoffs at MSNBC
- Covering Resistance
- Tech Imperialism
- Politically Daring Oscar Winners
- How to Use Substack
By Richard J. Tofel
Second Rough Draft
As the inevitable crackdown unfolds, we are going to need more resources than the existing actors, at least as currently constituted, can likely provide. What will ultimately be needed is no less than a broad-based movement committed to preserving the Constitution’s guarantee of a free press.
By Anna Merlan
Mother Jones
From the moment Trump returned to office, his second administration has prioritized giving access and status to an array of far-right influencers and news outlets, including figures with checkered pasts and thin or nonexistent journalistic credentials. In doing so, the administration has created a swell of flattering media coverage, a gauzy bubble around its every decision.
Unexpected Backlash on Talk Radio
Backlash to President Donald Trump’s early actions and statements is starting to erupt at Republican town halls, local and national protests — and on the phone lines of right-wing talk radio shows.
By Dominic-Madori Davis
TechCrunch
Last year, companies like Telsa, GameStop, Workday, and Salesforce started scrubbing mentions of DEI from their 10-K filings, a trend that has accelerated so far this year. Here’s a list of where DEI stands, so far, among tech companies in 2025.
Bezos Turns Washpost into His Toy
By Dan Pfeiffer
The Message Box
The Washington Post is one of the most essential media brands in the country. The Post took down a president and published the Pentagon Papers, and embodies an independent press that covers the news without fear or favor. Those days are now over. We should have known this day was coming the moment Jeff Bezos bought the paper. Corporate-owned media is doomed to fail.
By Katie Kilkenny
The Hollywood Reporter
As MSNBC continues to make major structural changes to its lineup, members of the union representing the cable network’s writers and producers say that 99 of their number are slated for cuts. The network is phasing out The ReidOut, José Díaz-Balart Reports, The Katie Phang Show, Alex Wagner Tonight, Ayman Mohyeldin Reports and Weekends with Jonathan Capehart.
By Vanessa Williamson
Brookings
While many in the media are documenting and even decrying the actions of the administration, they are not yet providing sustained attention to the grassroots opposition, much less the kind of mobilizing support conservative movements have relied upon.
By Salvador Santino Regilme
E-International Relations
The economic rewards of AI are concentrated in the Global North, while its labor exploitation and environmental destruction are outsourced to the Global South. From the exploited workers behind AI training datasets to the environmental costs of massive data centers, the expansion of AI is reinforcing historical patterns of inequality.
Politically Daring Oscar Winners
• No Other Land Al Jazeera
• I’m Still Here By Eileen Jones, Jacobin
By Tom May
Creative Boom
Substack is for reading, as podcasts are for listening. And with all that's happening with changing algorithms on social media, creatives are finding a new home there. If you're curious, here’s how to get involved.
Spread the word