Topic

journalism

A collection of 4 issues

Teens in the Hamptons run a profitable weekly newspaper

Some good news. A team of local teenagers (ages 13 to 17) covers the Hamptons from a resident's perspective in their seasonal newspaper, The Ditch Weekly. Better yet, they’re “very profitable” according to 17-year-old chief financial officer, Charlie Stern.

Everyone thinks of it as just a rich, touristy place, but there’s so much of the past that nobody really knows about,” said Ellis, 15, who wrote an article last year about the history of Montauk’s skate park. Working on the paper, he added, “I learned so much about the town I live in.”
Early issues of The Ditch Weekly, which is named for the founders’ favorite sandy hangout, contained Teddy’s review of dueling pancake houses (headline: “Battle of the Buttermilk”) and Billy’s interview with a surf shop owner. Ellis wrote a weekly roundup of mischief from police reports (headline: “Spring Shenanigans”).

This isn't just a journalistic venture or early exposure to the media business. Something about it reflects the younger generation's disenchantment with screen time.

Perhaps most ambitious of all, they hope to persuade other teenagers to put down their phones and pick up a newspaper.

Politico’s union is preparing for a legal battle over AI

A dispute between Politico management and its union could set a precedent for how journalists use AI in newsrooms.

Last year, Politico started using AI tools to generate news summaries. This year, in partnership with Y Combinator-backed startup Capitol AI, it enabled Policy Intelligent Assistance for paying subscribers.

The union says this AI rollout violates their contract and claims no notice was given. Here’s PEN union chair Ariel Wittenberg, quoted in Wired:

The company is required to give us 60 days notice of any use of new technology that will materially and substantively impact bargaining unit job duties.

And here’s Arianna Skibell, the union’s vice chair for contract enforcement:

Politico’s contract stipulates that the publication needs to use AI in a manner that follows the company’s standards of journalistic ethics.
We're not against AI, but it should be held to the same ethical and style standards as our political journalists.

Watch this space. Full story here.

Against journalism for journalism's sake

Patrick Boehler challenges journalism's self-importance and calls for a media reset: Stop pretending journalism matters on its own.

For media funders, this shift could be transformative. Rather than perpetuating trickle-down systems of generic content creator patronage and rent-seeking, they could support ventures that demonstrate real utility to communities. The strongest media organizations I've encountered understand that people don't seek out journalism for journalism's sake - they want solutions to problems, ways to improve their lives, recognition, community.

Wonderful short read. Subscribe to Patrick's newsletter here.

NYT Cooking's recipe for a post-cookbook world

NYT's food vertical found the right ingredients for a post-cookbook world, Bloomberg reports.

One ingredient: the right talent. NYT Cooking’s YouTube channel features contributions from chef and cookbook author Claire Saffitz. The chef’s croissant video hit 5.1M views—proof that the appetite for quality culinary content remains strong when done right. NYT also brought over two staffers from Buzzfeed’s Tasty.

Another ingredient: authenticity.

... the videos the Times produces are “more intimate” than the polished cooking shows on the Food Network. The team wants to make the chefs seem human and doesn’t necessarily edit out mistakes, such as a burnt dish.

Add a thoughtfully designed app that serves personalized recommendations into the mix.

By Q4 last year, NYT added 350K digital subscribers, reaching 10.82 million total. Nearly half (5.44 million) were bundle subscribers with access to News, Games, and Cooking.

“Bundle and multiproduct subscribers now make up approximately 48% of our total subscribers, well along the path to exceeding 50% by the end of next year,” New York Times Chief Executive Officer Meredith Kopit Levien said on the company’s latest earnings call in February.