Sean Illing talks with Joe Bernstein of BuzzFeed News about online disinformation and what — if anything — can be done about it. They discuss the role of tech giants in the spread of propaganda, why it's been impossible for researchers to agree on what disinformation even is, and how the nature of both mass media and democracy means that disinformation is here to stay. Host: Sean Illing (@seanilling), Interviews Writer, Vox Guest: Joe Bernstein (@Bernstein), Senior Reporter, BuzzFeed News References:  "Bad News: Selling the story of disinformation" by Joseph Bernstein (Harper's; Sept. 2021) "Civil Society Must Be Defended: Misinformation, Moral Panics, and Wars of Restoration" by Jack Bratich (Communication, Culture & Critique 13 (3); Sept. 2020) "The Priest in Politics: Father Charles E. Coughlin and the Presidential Election of 1936" by Philip A. Grant Jr. (Records of the American Catholic Historical Society of Philadelphia 101 (1); 1990) "Lying in Politics: Reflections on The Pentagon Papers" b

Selling the story of disinformation

On the new Culture podcast "The Review," our Atlantic staff writers break down the Emmy-winning soccer sitcom and its much-discussed second season.

Superfans of productivity apps like Notion and Microsoft Excel are building careers off of them.

A few days after Gov. Mike Parson accused a St. Louis Post-Dispatch reporter of hacking a state website, hundreds of Sinclair Broadcast Group television stations fell victim to a ransomware attack. One of these was a cyberattack, one was reporting. We’ll distinguish between the two. And, is the other shoe about to drop on Facebook? We’ll talk about how the company’s communications team is responding to another set of leaked documents. From Missouri School of Journalism professors Amy Simons, Earnest Perry and Kathy Kiely: Views of the News.

This month, we’re introducing the first in a series of writer residencies designed to give established writers a place to share knowledge and inspire the Substack community.

Inside Alden Global Capital

The RZA is one of the godfathers of hip-hop and leader of the Wu-Tang Clan. Naturally, we invited him on to ask him three questions about Tang, one of the godfathers of powdered orange drinks.

He understands if you are delighted by his return to TV. But like the subjects he'll cover on Apple's 'The Problem With Jon Stewart,' his comeback is a little more complicated: "It’s 'The Daily Show,' but less entertaining — but also maybe more complete."

Genius (née Rap Genius) wanted to "annotate the world" and give your content a giant comment section you can't control. Now it can't pay back its investors.

In the age of streaming, public libraries offer small-scale alternatives for local archiving.

I hadn't seen this from Matt when it first came out last month, but it hit me timely today: When tech oversteps its mandate as a too...

A 15 percent commission with a few important caveats.

One influencer was able to snag free meals for two weeks straight.

A roundtable on addressing the structural breakdown of media

Rural adults are less likely than suburban adults to have home broadband and less likely than urban adults to own a smartphone, tablet or computer.

This is really niche, I know, but if you are lurking on tech Twitter and want to start growing an audience via social media, writing, or video, I have one piece of advice I’d give to everyone: make your content additive, not negative. I don’t mean to say

In a media world increasingly dominated by subscriptions, the money is flowing but very unevenly.

Even if you wouldn't call yourself a power user, the Twitter client's advanced search tools and customizable interface can massively upgrade your feed.

Article originally published in Issue 4 of Rupture, Ireland’s eco-socialist quarterly, buy the print issue:

The year was 1999 and I was in the middle of writing my second novel when I was first struck by the loneliness of being a full-time writer. Stuck on a scene and desperately in need of someone to bo…

The HBO miniseries is about the unreality of wealth, but Rachel ends up being one of the most relatable portrayals of contemporary news media to date.

Listen to your favorite podcast — forever

Corporate publishing wants to turn all readers into renters. We’re trying to stop them.

This article explores the new voice-based app, Clubhouse, and whether the app is truly creating an experience that promotes equity.

The new logo and name will roll out Tuesday.

YouTube is trying to create "the world’s best stage."

An editorial partnership showcasing Black creatives working in electronic music and raising awareness around mental health.

Studies of the social impact of the Internet must consider the changing lifestyle of the new economy and not relate solely to industrial-age concepts.

And they own everything about the show.