‘We Are on the Platforms Immigrants Are On’
In this episode of The Kicker, host Megan Greenwell talks with Ithar El‑Khattani, editor‑in‑chief of Documented, a nonprofit newsroom that serves New York’s immigrant communities in English, Spanish, Chinese, and Haitian Creole. El‑Khattani explains how Documented uses the platforms immigrants actually use—WhatsApp, WeChat, Nextdoor—to deliver hyper‑local news, service guides, and community‑driven investigations that arise directly from audience questions. She also shares the challenges of scaling a lean newsroom, balancing product, grant funding, and multi‑role staff while maintaining deep listening and rapid response. The conversation highlights the newsroom’s unique model of turning audience inquiries into investigative stories and training other outlets in this approach.
Fair Is Fair
The Investigative Post’s Rohingya refugee story highlighted the vital role of nonprofit journalism, prompting New York to become the first state to fund community‑focused news through a refundable tax credit. However, the tax credit excludes 501(c)(3) outlets, leaving nonprofit publishers without...
White Plight
EEOC Chair Andrea R. Lucas, a Trump appointee, posted a video urging white men to file discrimination claims and subsequently filed a federal civil‑rights suit against The New York Times for allegedly rejecting a white‑male candidate in favor of diversity goals. The...
Blind Spots
Planet Labs, a leading commercial satellite operator, announced an indefinite suspension of new imagery over the Gulf States, Iran, and adjacent conflict zones after a U.S. government request. The blackout began in early March 2026 and has been extended, limiting...
With Malice
FBI Director Kash Patel filed a defamation lawsuit against The Atlantic after the magazine published an April 17 report alleging his intoxication, absenteeism, and a politicized FBI. Patel claimed the story relied on anonymous sources and insufficiently allowed a right‑of‑reply, vowing...
Going Nuclear
Donald Trump used a Truth Social post on March 23 to claim a "complete and total resolution" of hostilities between the United States, Israel and Iran, prompting the Dow, S&P 500 and Nasdaq to rally and oil prices to dip below $100...
Join Us
Columbia Journalism Review (CJR) announced a new $65 annual membership to mark its 65th anniversary, aiming to fund its nonprofit newsroom and daily digital output. Editor‑in‑chief Betsy Morais highlighted the urgent climate for journalism—declining public trust, political attacks, AI disruption,...
In Indiana, a Campus Newspaper Adviser Fights for the ‘Soul of Our Country’
Indiana University fired longtime adviser Jim Rodenbush after he resisted a directive to curb the *Indiana Daily Student*’s print run. Rodenbush sued, alleging First Amendment violations, while alumni pulled more than $1 million in pledged gifts and free‑speech groups rallied to his...
What Mapping Charlotte Can Teach Us About Local News
When Hurricane Helene struck North Carolina in September 2024, residents turned to a patchwork of local news outlets, schools, libraries, and faith groups for urgent information. A new report, funded by the North Carolina Local News Lab Fund, mapped Charlotte’s...
Mapping Local News in Charlotte
The Columbia Journalism Review released a proof‑of‑concept study that uses AI‑driven tools to map Charlotte’s local news ecosystem, expanding the definition of local information providers to include civil‑society organizations. The analysis identified more than 60 outlets—both for‑profit and nonprofit—covering a...
The Post Tries to Regroup
In February the Washington Post cut roughly 350 newsroom jobs, offering severance to those laid off. By March, editors began contacting a subset of the displaced staff with a "delayed layoff" proposal, allowing them to return temporarily through July while...
Larry Madowo on Covering Africa, ‘Warts and All’
Larry Madowo, CNN’s Africa correspondent, has highlighted the covert recruitment of young men from Kenya, Nigeria, Uganda and other nations to fight for Russia in Ukraine, exposing a pattern of deception and forced conscription. He argues that reporting Africa requires...
AI Data Centers in the Land of Diminished Local News
In 2023 the City of El Paso approved Meta’s $800 million AI data‑center project, granting the company 35 years of tax abatements and promising up to 300 low‑wage jobs. The deal, shrouded in nondisclosure agreements, surprised local journalists and highlighted the region’s news‑desert...
Lawfare
President Donald Trump will speak at the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner, a stage he has never occupied as president. The appearance comes days after a federal judge dismissed his defamation lawsuit against the Wall Street Journal over a 2003...
The Identity Crisis Coming for News SEO
Google is experimenting with AI‑generated headlines and summaries that rewrite or replace news publishers' original titles, as seen in a recent test on The Verge. The move extends to Google Discover, which now auto‑summarizes headlines, sometimes producing inaccurate or misleading...