The Daily Digest: April 28, 2025
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| NoahWire is bringing an LLM treatment to news wire services. By Andrew Deck. |
Nonprofit news remains “heavily dependent on philanthropic funding,” study finds What we’re reading
University of Southern CaliforniaFormer Columbia Journalism Review editor Sewell Chan to join USC Annenberg as a Senior Fellow →“Chan was most recently executive editor of Columbia Journalism Review, and an adjunct professor of journalism, in 2024-25. Previously, he was editor in chief of The Texas Tribune from 2021 to 2024, during which the nonprofit newsroom won its first National Magazine Award and was a Pulitzer finalist for the first time.”
The Nutgraf / Chatwan MongkolWhat student journalists learn from being “as unethical as possible” →“It also taught me just how much some of our audience doesn’t know about our mission and our ethics. There’s so much negativity about journalism and the media — some of which warranted — but I hope that issues like this give people insight into what we are trying to accomplish.”
Intelligencer / Charlotte KleinWhat is Semafor? →“Three years since its founding, and three months into Trump’s second term, Semafor today presents an interesting proposition: a media outlet geared toward the powerful, hosting events with all the traditional trappings of power, minus the people across town who actually wield it.”
Columbia Journalism Review / Kyle PaolettaThe legal battle for DOGE transparency →“ournalists will need to rely directly on sources rather than official document requests when it comes to covering DOGE—or any other branch of the federal bureaucracy. In recent years, the number of FOIA submissions has risen dramatically, not just from reporters, but also private firms (in law, real estate, and so on) that have otherwise found it increasingly difficult to access public records. The influx has overwhelmed FOIA offices, many of them part of federal departments now facing stark budget cuts.”
The New York Times / Jack CrosbieHasan Piker: A progressive mind in a MAGA body →“Mr. Piker benefits from ‘jock insurance,’ said Tristan Bridges, a sociologist who studies masculinity and gender at the University of California, Santa Barbara. The term is used to describe how men with ‘a lot of masculine gender capital’ are generally given more leeway to do things like challenge norms and make mistakes, he added.
Deadline / Max GoldbartThe BBC’s bullying review finds “no evidence of toxic culture” but says behavior of small number of individuals “disproportionately” affects reputation and morale →“From today, the BBC said it will launch a new code of conduct with specific guidance for on-air presenters, implement a more robust Disciplinary Policy with updated examples of misconduct and clear consequences and require all TV producers to meet industry standards set out by new, independent anti-bullying body CIISA.”
The New York Times / Jessica TestaSpotify paid $100M to podcasters as creator wars heat up →“The payout is the result of a program introduced in 2025 that opened up new revenue streams to eligible hosts. But it is also an attempt to draw more creators (and their audiences) to Spotify, as the rise of video podcasting has driven many of them to YouTube.”
The Guardian / Alexandra ToppingThe strange case of the writer landing A-lister interviews for local magazines →“The Guardian has seen no evidence that the interviews were not obtained legitimately, but sources close to the stars say they do not recall speaking with Bale. Bale says that he has ‘kept copies of many of the original articles and emails pertaining to articles submitted’ and that he has ‘more than enough evidence, testimonials and so on to prove [his] integrity.'”
Semafor / Max TaniThe Daily Wire is opening a D.C. branch →“The conservative digital media powerhouse The Daily Wire is making a push to have a bigger presence in Donald Trump’s Washington, opening a DC office led by deputy managing editor Tim Rice and promoting Brent Scher to serve as editor-in-chief, a spokesperson said.”
The Guardian / Anna SilmanNow comes the “womanosphere”: the anti-feminist media telling women to be thin, fertile, and Republican →“Like the manosphere influencers, these outlets are animated by a grievance against ‘wokeness’ and the belief that conservatives are the real oppressed minority. They claim that the liberal media and Hollywood are promoting feminist propaganda, and so they must fight back.”
Press Gazette / Dominic PonsfordThe EU’s €500M fine of Apple and enforcement action is good news for publishers →“This means that publishers can now offer their subscribers promotions and deals in their own apps enabling them to build better customer relationships with their subscribers (currently prohibited by Apple).”
Politico / Lachlan CartwrightMaddow’s back! The resistance is rising! So why is MSNBC’s future uncertain? →“The looming split from NBC has stirred deep uncertainty within MSNBC — not just about who stays and who goes, but about what kind of network it wants to be and whether it can survive on its own. Will its future be beholden to resistance viewers, or do they want to hire nonpartisan journalists focused on scoops and beating out their soon-to-be rivals at NBC News? How they square that and resolve those competing interests will define the network’s future.”
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