Our weekly roundup of news found at the intersection of media, politics, policy and technology, from the Shorenstein Center and from around the web.
This Week at the Shorenstein Center
The Persistent Advocate: The New York Times’ Editorials and the Normalization of U.S. Ties with Cuba. On the one-year anniversary of the U.S.-Cuban Thaw, a new paper by Marie Sanz, Joan Shorenstein Fellow (fall 2015) and senior correspondent for Agence France Presse, examines The New York Times’ editorials on U.S.-Cuba relations over the past five decades, and the role of the press in the restoration of relations between the two countries. Read the paper.
Exporting the First Amendment: Strengthening U.S. Soft Power through Journalism. A new paper by David Ensor, Joan Shorenstein Fellow (fall 2015) and former director of the Voice of America (VOA), makes the case for protecting and strengthening VOA as an independent journalistic voice, in order to increase American soft power. Read the paper.
News from Our Fellows
For the First Time, Women Elected to Municipal Councils in Saudi Arabia. Deborah Amos, former fellow and NPR international correspondent, covers this past weekend’s elections in Saudi Arabia.
How the Economy Helps Trump. Zachary Karabell, former fellow, contributing editor at Politico, and head of global strategy at Envestnet, writes about how the shrinking of the middle class has fueled anger that is being channeled into support for Donald Trump.
Showtime Getting In On 2016 “Circus” With Weekly Documentary Series. “The Circus: Inside The Greatest Political Show On Earth,” will take viewers behind the scenes of the 2016 presidential campaign, and features and features two former Shorenstein Fellows, Mark Halperin and Mark McKinnon, and Kennedy School grad John Heilemann.
Is Bold Ushering in a New Generation of Right-Leaning Digital Natives? Columbia Journalism Review profiles Bold, a news site launched this week that’s aimed at conservative female, LGBT and minority readers. Bold’s founder, Carrie Sheffield, blogs for Forbes and is a former Shorenstein Center Lithgow Intern.
From around the Web
Top 10 New Research Articles on Digital News, Social Media for 2015, from Nieman Lab and Journalist’s Resource.
In White House Talks, SPJ Urges Greater Transparency, from Poynter.
The Press Grapples with Demagoguery, from Nieman Lab.
Why PolitiFact’s Partnership with NBC News is a Big Deal, from Poynter.
All Politicians Lie. Some Lie More Than Others. From The New York Times.
How TV Fact-Checked Spain’s Final Debate, from Poynter.
Heroes or Scoundrels: How Popular Culture Portrays Journalists and What That Means for the 2016 Campaign, from The Conversation.
How Should the Media Cover Donald Trump? From NPR.
Why Social Media Doesn’t Trump TV News, from The Guardian.
The Washington Post Recreates the Mobile Game Sensation Flappy Bird for the 2016 Campaign Season, from Nieman Lab.
The Guardian is Chatting about Tonight’s GOP Debate on WhatsApp, from Nieman Lab.
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