Max Amar-Olkus:
“Journalism Isn’t Dying. It’s Returning to Its Roots” WIRED. In the wake of massive layoffs at leading digital media companies such as the Huffington Post, Buzzfeed, and Vice, many have been quick to proclaim that journalism– especially in the digital age– is a dying field. Issues related to revenue sources and claims of “fake news” plague outlets today. But though traditional “objectivity-based” journalism seems to be faltering, highly partisan sources are flourishing on both sides of the political spectrum. This piece theorizes about how early newspapermen such as Benjamin Franklin or Samuel Adams would view the current media landscape and concludes that they’d likely recognize the highly partisan, ad-fueled turn that digital media outlets have taken.
Dana Gallagher:
“‘Progressive Prosecutor’: Can Kamala Harris Square the Circle?” The New York Times. Kamala Harris portrays herself as a progressive candidate based on her record as California’s Attorney General. But she has earned the ire of skeptics who contend that her positions on the death penalty and criminal justice reform while in office were less than progressive.
Alex Klavens:
“The Valedictorians Project.” The Boston Globe. A five-part series on what came of valedictorians at different Boston public high schools and how different schools within the same school system set students on drastically different paths.
Grace Amato:
“U.S. Masses Aid Along Venezuelan Border As Some Humanitarian Groups Warn Of Risks.” NPR. As the crisis in Venezuela continues, U.S. Humanitarian Aid has become politicized. As the U.S. sets up aid on the border because Maduro will not allow American aid trucks to cross the border, the use of aid is two fold. On one hand, it is meant to help the Venezuelan citizens during the cruel dictatorship that restricts access to food, medicine and other basic needs. On the other hand, placing aid on the border is meant to entice Venezuelan border officials to disobey Maduro and bring in aid against their orders to begin to push him out of power. Additionally, the United States sanctions against Venezuela blocks the sale of Venezuelan oil to the U.S., of which the proceeds are used to import food and medical supplies, only worsening the crisis. Among the politicization of humanitarian aid, it is important to remember that “humanitarian action needs to be independent of political, military or any other objectives” and instead increase aid depending on the “needs of the people.”
