Drip, drip, drip: The indefatigable Julie Brown keeps breaking news about Trump and Epstein. New at Media Nation. https://dankennedy.net/2026/03/09/drip-drip-drip-the-indefatigable-julie-brown-keeps-breaking-news-about-trump-and-epstein/
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Dan Kennedy
@dankennedy_nu@journa.host
mastodon 4.7.3I'm a journalist and academic specializing in the future of local news. My next book, co-authored with Ellen Clegg, will be called "What Works in Community News: Media Startups, News Deserts, and the Future of the Fourth Estate." It will be published by Beacon Press in early 2024. Follow our updates at our website and podcast as well as my blog, Media Nation, both in the links below. Email me at dan-dot-kennedy-at-northeastern-dot-edu.
4207 Followers
368 Following
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Joined November 08, 2022
Media Nation:
Current project:
Harvard University is offering a free online course on the U.S. Constitution, taught by my friend and mentor Thomas Patterson. Understanding our Constitution has rarely been more important. Here's how you can enroll. https://www.edx.org/learn/government/harvard-university-american-government-constitutional-foundations
New at Media Nation: The Washington Post stands firm in a vital #FirstAmendment battle over its Pentagon tip line. https://dankennedy.net/2026/03/12/the-washington-post-stands-firm-in-a-vital-first-amendment-battle-over-its-pentagon-tip-line/
New at Media Nation: A reporter's home is raided, and the Justice Department is admonished for withholding information. #FirstAmendment https://dankennedy.net/2026/02/26/a-reporters-home-is-raided-and-the-justice-department-is-admonished-for-withholding-information/
New on "Beat the Press with Emily Rooney": As The Washington Post descends into oblivion, The Wall Street Journal is riding high. With Emily, Scott Van Voorhis, Lylah Alphone and me. #journalism https://scottvanvoorhis.substack.com/p/new-on-beat-the-press-with-emily-ac0?utm_source=podcast-email&publication_id=314195&post_id=189254122&utm_campaign=email-play-on-substack&utm_content=watch_now_button&r=sefc&triedRedirect=true&utm_medium=email
On the brand-new "Beat the Press with Emily Rooney," we analyze war coverage; examine Paramount's Trump-friendly media monopoly; give the hairy eyeball to AI and journalism; and weigh in with our Rants and Raves. With Emily, Scott Van Voorhis, Lylah Alphonse and me. https://scottvanvoorhis.substack.com/p/new-in-contrarian-boston-beat-the
New at Media Nation: The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette will go nonprofit after being acquired by The Baltimore Banner's owner. #journalism https://dankennedy.net/2026/04/14/the-pittsburgh-post-gazette-will-go-nonprofit-after-being-acquired-by-the-baltimore-banners-owner/
Four and a half months after being laid off, Jon Keller is returning to WBZ-TV's airwaves. #mapoli https://dankennedy.net/2026/03/16/four-and-a-half-months-after-being-laid-off-jon-keller-is-returning-to-wbz-tvs-airwaves/
South of Boston folks: I'll be speaking on "News and Democracy in a Time of Crisis" at the Stoughton Public Library on Monday, Oct. 20, at 7 p.m. This free and open event is sponsored by the League of Women Voters of Sharon-Stoughton.
New at Media Nation: The Massachusetts public records law needs some teeth. Will 2026 be the year that it finally happens? #mapoli https://dankennedy.net/2026/03/05/the-mass-public-records-law-needs-some-teeth-will-2026-be-the-year-that-it-happens/
New at Media Nation: I watched Fox News cover the Iran war. It was straighter than I had expected — but woefully incomplete. #journalism https://dankennedy.net/2026/03/02/i-watched-fox-cover-the-iran-war-it-was-straighter-than-i-had-expected-but-woefully-incomplete/
Boosted by @flargh@mastodon.social
New at Media Nation: Thinking through the legal and ethical issues raised by Kash Patel's libel suit against The Atlantic. #FirstAmendment. https://dankennedy.net/2026/04/22/thinking-through-the-legal-and-ethical-issues-raised-by-kash-patels-libel-case-against-the-atlantic/
On the new "What Works" podcast, Ellen Clegg and I talk with Rachel White, CEO of the AP Fund for Local Journalism, about how she's working to boost state and news coverage: Plus: Getting ready for Local News Day, and Trump-related trouble in Fargo. #journalism https://whatworks.news/2026/04/08/rachel-white-tells-us-how-an-ap-initiative-is-helping-state-and-local-news-outlets/
New at Media Nation: The Society of Professional Journalists blasts the Commonwealth of Massachusetts for a "troubling lack of transparency and disregard for the public’s right to know." #mapoli #FirstAmendment https://dankennedy.net/2026/03/25/the-society-of-professional-journalists-blasts-massachusetts-for-a-troubling-lack-of-transparency/
On the new "What Works" podcast, Zuri tells Ellen Clegg and me how the The Banner, a nonprofit startup, is reviving local news in the Maryland suburbs of Washington, D.C. #journalism https://whatworks.news/2026/03/23/zuri-berry-tells-us-how-the-banner-a-nonprofit-startup-is-reviving-local-news-in-dcs-maryland-suburbs/
The fog of war: The media try to assess responsibility for the bombing of a girls' school in Iran. New at Media Nation. #journalism https://dankennedy.net/2026/03/11/the-fog-of-war-the-media-try-to-assess-responsibility-for-the-bombing-of-a-girls-school-in-iran/
It's Sun Ra Week at the Media Nation supporters newsletter. For $6 a month, you'll receive my weekly newsletter with exclusive content, which supports my free blog, Media Nation, at dankennedy-dot-net. To become a supporter, just click here: https://patreon.com/dankennedy
New at Media Nation: The @huntnewsnu, @northeastern's independent student paper, celebrates its 100th anniversary. #journalism https://dankennedy.net/2026/02/27/the-huntington-news-northeasterns-independent-student-paper-celebrates-its-100th-anniversary/
New at Media Nation: A Mass. bill would provide tax credits for subscriptions to local news outlets. #mapoli #LocalNews #journalism https://dankennedy.net/2023/02/07/a-mass-bill-would-provide-tax-credits-for-subscriptions-to-local-news-outlets/
Replying to
@catsalad Cute, but I do use a password manager. I have no idea what my passwords are, and I like it that way.
Replying to
@dangillmor@mastodon.social @melaniesill@mastodon.social BTW, I’m not being the least bit dismissive of the media failures that let to Santos escaping scrutiny. I’m just saying it’s an old, familiar problem.
Replying to
@mickeleh@mas.to @dangillmor@mastodon.social Yes to all this. There’s a long history of journalists depending on opposition research, and what Zimmerman came up with was reportedly uninteresting: Santos is a MAGA Trumper, blah blah blah. The media made assumptions (always a bad idea) that Santos had lost before, that he’d lose again, and that it wasn’t worth doing a story.
Replying to
@dangillmor@mastodon.social Good points as always, but have you read any of the Leader’s coverage? It’s a bit of a dumpster fire, and I wouldn’t blame people for not taking them too seriously. That is no excuse, however, for larger media ignoring what was a clear signal to dive in, especially since senior people at Newsday were among the paper’s readers.
Replying to
@dangillmor@mastodon.social @melaniesill@mastodon.social I think it was pretty easy to dismiss the Leader, especially with Team Zimmerman asleep on oppo research. Inexcusable, as I said, but hardly anything novel.
On the latest “Beat the Press with Emily Rooney,” we look at war coverage, the buzz about a possible public radio merger, and why The Washington Post is refusing a Pentagon demand to take down its confidential tip line. Plus our Rants & Raves. With Emily, Scott Van Voorhis, Lylah Alphonse and me. #journalism https://scottvanvoorhis.substack.com/p/new-in-contrarian-boston-beat-the-382
New at Media Nation: How community publishers can survive and thrive in the AI era. #journalism https://dankennedy.net/2026/03/06/local-doesnt-scale-how-community-publishers-can-survive-and-thrive-in-the-ai-era/
The Internet Archive faces a new threat: Wary publishers who opt out to stop scraping by AI bots. New at Media Nation. https://dankennedy.net/2026/04/14/the-internet-archive-faces-a-new-threat-wary-publishers-who-opt-out-to-stop-scraping-by-ai-bots/
New at Media Nation: A New England Muzzle Award to Teresa Riley, the chief immigration judge, for her silence over the censorious firing of the judge who freed Tufts Ph.D. student Rümeysa Öztürk. https://dankennedy.net/2026/04/13/a-muzzle-to-teresa-riley-the-chief-immigration-judge-for-her-silence-over-a-censorious-firing/
New at Media Nation: Hegseth deceptively suggests that Scouting America had banned trans youth. Here's what really happened. #LGBTQ https://dankennedy.net/2026/02/28/hegseth-deceptively-suggests-that-scouting-america-had-banned-trans-youth-heres-the-truth/
Replying to
@dangillmor@mastodon.social @melaniesill@mastodon.social Have you spent much time looking at the Leader? It’s kind of a rag, although the failures are inexcusable.
New at Media Nation: The New York Times may not be perfect, but it remains staunchly independent in an era of bent knees. #journalism https://dankennedy.net/2026/03/23/the-times-may-not-be-perfect-but-it-remains-staunchly-independent-in-an-era-of-bent-knees/
New at Media Nation: A "PBS NewsHour" exchange highlights the endless debate over Biden's and Trump's mental acuity. https://dankennedy.net/2026/04/11/a-newshour-exchange-highlights-the-endless-debate-over-bidens-and-trumps-mental-acuity/
Great talking with Amy Juravich of WOSU Radio about the promise and dangers of AI in journalism, the fate of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, and business models for newspapers following Jeff Bezos' evisceration of The Washington Post. You can listen here: #journalism https://www.wosu.org/show/all-sides/2026-03-04/the-evolving-landscape-of-legacy-media
I'll be on "All Sides with Amy Juravich" on WOSU Radio in Ohio at 8 a.m. CST, 9 EST. We'll be talking about the state of the news media, with David Bianculli of Rowan University and Elizabeth Harris of The New York Times. Listen here: https://www.wosu.org/show/all-sides/2026-03-04/the-evolving-landscape-of-legacy-media
On the new "Beat the Press with Emily Rooney," we look at war coverage, fetish non-coverage and CNN's GenZ ploy. Plus our panel's Rants and Raves. With Emily, Scott Van Voorhis, Lylah Alphonse and me. #journalism https://dankennedy.net/2026/04/07/on-the-new-beat-the-press-we-look-at-war-coverage-fetish-non-coverage-and-cnns-genz-ploy/
Registration is now open for our free What Works webinar on "Audience, AI and Events." The all-day conference, which will be held on May 21, is aimed at local news publishers who wish to build practical skills. What Works is part of @northeasternu.bsky.social. #journalism https://www.eventbrite.com/e/audience-ai-and-events-tickets-1987362369345
Register today for our free all-day What Works webinar on "Audience, AI and Events," to be held on May 21 and focused on practical skills for local news publishers. #journalism https://www.eventbrite.com/e/audience-ai-and-events-tickets-1987362369345
On our latest @whatworks-nu.bsky.social podcast, Barbara "Bob" Allen tells Ellen Clegg and me about the nexus of student journalism and local news. Plus our Quick Takes on developments in local news. #journalism https://whatworks.news/2026/03/10/barbara-bob-allen-tells-us-about-the-nexus-of-student-journalism-and-local-news/