Emily Bell
@emilybell.bsky.social
Prof Columbia J School. Director Tow Center . Writes Guardian + elsewhere. Lives in airports…views are my own, thank goodness
Reposted by Emily Bell
That critique of the government extracting resources from PR. The power poles.
February 9, 2026 at 1:30 AM
That critique of the government extracting resources from PR. The power poles.
Reposted by Emily Bell
Wait hold up...
Did Bad Bunny just give his Grammy to Liam Conejo Ramos the poor kid who was kidnapped by ICE? If so amazing
The sign beforehand said "Conejo" on it too
Did Bad Bunny just give his Grammy to Liam Conejo Ramos the poor kid who was kidnapped by ICE? If so amazing
The sign beforehand said "Conejo" on it too
February 9, 2026 at 1:34 AM
Wait hold up...
Did Bad Bunny just give his Grammy to Liam Conejo Ramos the poor kid who was kidnapped by ICE? If so amazing
The sign beforehand said "Conejo" on it too
Did Bad Bunny just give his Grammy to Liam Conejo Ramos the poor kid who was kidnapped by ICE? If so amazing
The sign beforehand said "Conejo" on it too
Reposted by Emily Bell
Morgan McSweeney has resigned
Lots of reasons for it but among them is our revelation on Thursday evening that McSweeney’s think tank paid a PR firm to investigate journalists.
McSweeney was across that decision.
Still so many questions to answer about it
Lots of reasons for it but among them is our revelation on Thursday evening that McSweeney’s think tank paid a PR firm to investigate journalists.
McSweeney was across that decision.
Still so many questions to answer about it
🔴 BREAKING: Labour Together paid controversial PR firm £30k to investigate journalists who were digging into how its undeclared funding
Reporters from Sunday Times, Guardian and other outlets targetted
*And* Morgan McSweeney knew about it
Full story:
democracyforsale.substack.com/p/exclusive-...
Reporters from Sunday Times, Guardian and other outlets targetted
*And* Morgan McSweeney knew about it
Full story:
democracyforsale.substack.com/p/exclusive-...
BREAKING: McSweeney’s think tank paid PR firm to investigate journalists
Labour Together put private investigators onto journalists writing about its funding. Starmer's right-hand man knew.
democracyforsale.substack.com
February 8, 2026 at 2:50 PM
Morgan McSweeney has resigned
Lots of reasons for it but among them is our revelation on Thursday evening that McSweeney’s think tank paid a PR firm to investigate journalists.
McSweeney was across that decision.
Still so many questions to answer about it
Lots of reasons for it but among them is our revelation on Thursday evening that McSweeney’s think tank paid a PR firm to investigate journalists.
McSweeney was across that decision.
Still so many questions to answer about it
💯 first thing I thought, (well the second, after ‘this is an act of political obeisance dressed up as a ‘business’ decision’) . That vaporizing your sports department on the eve of the Super Bowl, the Winter Olympics, and the US hosted World Cup, is insanity
"When you cut your sports section, it’s because you actually don’t want the paper to exist anymore." —Josh Marshall
talkingpointsmemo.com/edblog/do-yo...
talkingpointsmemo.com/edblog/do-yo...
‘Do You Speak Billionaire?’ and Other Stories From the Fall of the Washington Post
I think I can say with little fear of contradiction that I...
talkingpointsmemo.com
February 6, 2026 at 6:15 AM
💯 first thing I thought, (well the second, after ‘this is an act of political obeisance dressed up as a ‘business’ decision’) . That vaporizing your sports department on the eve of the Super Bowl, the Winter Olympics, and the US hosted World Cup, is insanity
Reposted by Emily Bell
Lol since I wrote this the amount shipped today jumped another 6,000.
The whistle goblins shipped 100,000 whistles in the first four days of February. And today? The fifth day? 37,000 more. This is perhaps the most inspiring act of collective action I’ve ever been lucky enough to be a part of.
Help by buying filament: linktr.ee/WhistleWi…
Help by buying filament: linktr.ee/WhistleWi…
February 6, 2026 at 2:50 AM
Lol since I wrote this the amount shipped today jumped another 6,000.
Reposted by Emily Bell
Mayor Mamdani has endorsed Gov. Hochul for reelection via an essay in The Nation that lauds her for fighting back against ICE and committing to funding a childcare expansion in NYC.
www.thenation.com/article/poli...
The essay also includes this section:
www.thenation.com/article/poli...
The essay also includes this section:
February 5, 2026 at 1:05 PM
Mayor Mamdani has endorsed Gov. Hochul for reelection via an essay in The Nation that lauds her for fighting back against ICE and committing to funding a childcare expansion in NYC.
www.thenation.com/article/poli...
The essay also includes this section:
www.thenation.com/article/poli...
The essay also includes this section:
American journalism is being put in peril, not principally by the failure of its business model, but by the political destruction of anti-democratic billionaires….
February 5, 2026 at 12:46 PM
American journalism is being put in peril, not principally by the failure of its business model, but by the political destruction of anti-democratic billionaires….
What does Moltbook have to say about the Epstein Files?
February 5, 2026 at 5:37 AM
What does Moltbook have to say about the Epstein Files?
Reposted by Emily Bell
With the awful WaPo layoffs and the state of journalism more broadly, if it's useful for any writers and reporters considering going indy, @molly.wiki, @xoxogossipgita.bsky.social of Aftermath, @jasonkoebler.bsky.social of 404 Media, @edzitron.com and me will do a little workshop next week.
February 5, 2026 at 12:09 AM
With the awful WaPo layoffs and the state of journalism more broadly, if it's useful for any writers and reporters considering going indy, @molly.wiki, @xoxogossipgita.bsky.social of Aftermath, @jasonkoebler.bsky.social of 404 Media, @edzitron.com and me will do a little workshop next week.
Reposted by Emily Bell
"Rhe only reason we know any of this [about Mandelson] is because Epstein became entangled in the MAGA movement’s narrative.
"What we still aren’t asking is how similar networks of influence are operating elsewhere today."
New on D4S: democracyforsale.substack.com/p/release-th...
"What we still aren’t asking is how similar networks of influence are operating elsewhere today."
New on D4S: democracyforsale.substack.com/p/release-th...
Release the files - on Mandelson, Starmer and McSweeney
Sunlight is the only disinfectant to the corruption that's been revealed this week
democracyforsale.substack.com
February 4, 2026 at 6:50 PM
"Rhe only reason we know any of this [about Mandelson] is because Epstein became entangled in the MAGA movement’s narrative.
"What we still aren’t asking is how similar networks of influence are operating elsewhere today."
New on D4S: democracyforsale.substack.com/p/release-th...
"What we still aren’t asking is how similar networks of influence are operating elsewhere today."
New on D4S: democracyforsale.substack.com/p/release-th...
It is still hard to understand how the Epstein Files’ first significant political casualty might be …Keir Starmer
February 5, 2026 at 5:28 AM
It is still hard to understand how the Epstein Files’ first significant political casualty might be …Keir Starmer
Reposted by Emily Bell
If Jeff Bezos could afford to spend $75 million on the Melania movie & $500 million for a yacht to sail off to his $55 million wedding to give his wife a $5 million ring, please don't tell me he needed to fire one-third of the Washington Post staff.
Democracy dies in oligarchy.
Democracy dies in oligarchy.
February 5, 2026 at 12:16 AM
If Jeff Bezos could afford to spend $75 million on the Melania movie & $500 million for a yacht to sail off to his $55 million wedding to give his wife a $5 million ring, please don't tell me he needed to fire one-third of the Washington Post staff.
Democracy dies in oligarchy.
Democracy dies in oligarchy.
Reposted by Emily Bell
ICE at the polls! Bannon is basically yelling “fire” in a crowded theater here. His objective is to cause chaos (and suppress votes on the left). And it’s already working.
This threat works on multiple levels and doesn’t have to be “real” to serve its purpose.
Let me explain & offer some advice.
This threat works on multiple levels and doesn’t have to be “real” to serve its purpose.
Let me explain & offer some advice.
Steve Bannon says the federal government is planning to send ICE officers to patrol polling stations during the midterms.
"We're going to have ICE surround the polls come November."
"We're not going to sit here and allow you to steal the country again." www.democracydocket.com/news-alerts/...
"We're going to have ICE surround the polls come November."
"We're not going to sit here and allow you to steal the country again." www.democracydocket.com/news-alerts/...
Steve Bannon says ICE will ‘surround the polls’ as Trump doubles down on taking over elections
Trump doubled down on his comments to nationalize voting Tuesday during an Oval Office press conference. “If you think about it, a state is an agent for the federal government in elections,” Trump sai...
www.democracydocket.com
February 4, 2026 at 9:13 PM
ICE at the polls! Bannon is basically yelling “fire” in a crowded theater here. His objective is to cause chaos (and suppress votes on the left). And it’s already working.
This threat works on multiple levels and doesn’t have to be “real” to serve its purpose.
Let me explain & offer some advice.
This threat works on multiple levels and doesn’t have to be “real” to serve its purpose.
Let me explain & offer some advice.
Reposted by Emily Bell
Media coverage of Gaza has plummeted. So today on @thenation.com, we're doing something pretty special: we're only running pieces by people in and from Gaza.
We're calling it "A Day for Gaza." You can find links to all of the incredible pieces here. Please read! www.thenation.com/article/worl...
We're calling it "A Day for Gaza." You can find links to all of the incredible pieces here. Please read! www.thenation.com/article/worl...
A Day for Gaza
Today, The Nation is turning over its website exclusively to stories from Gaza and its people. This is why.
www.thenation.com
February 3, 2026 at 2:54 PM
Media coverage of Gaza has plummeted. So today on @thenation.com, we're doing something pretty special: we're only running pieces by people in and from Gaza.
We're calling it "A Day for Gaza." You can find links to all of the incredible pieces here. Please read! www.thenation.com/article/worl...
We're calling it "A Day for Gaza." You can find links to all of the incredible pieces here. Please read! www.thenation.com/article/worl...
There are few things about the world of large scale technology platforms I enjoy …but the fact this is a calendar reminder is one
February 3, 2026 at 2:59 AM
There are few things about the world of large scale technology platforms I enjoy …but the fact this is a calendar reminder is one
Reposted by Emily Bell
Catherine O'Hara is taken, while Donald J. Trump still wheezes amongst us. The Lord's aim is notoriously sloppy.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=jVoj...
www.youtube.com/watch?v=jVoj...
Schitt's Creek - Moira's Commercial
YouTube video by Schitt's Creek
www.youtube.com
January 30, 2026 at 6:38 PM
Catherine O'Hara is taken, while Donald J. Trump still wheezes amongst us. The Lord's aim is notoriously sloppy.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=jVoj...
www.youtube.com/watch?v=jVoj...
Schitt's Creek - Juice for Alexis
YouTube video by Schitt's Creek
youtu.be
January 30, 2026 at 8:26 PM
Reposted by Emily Bell
A list, in no particular order, of just some of the moves that the Trump administration has made in its ongoing campaign to suppress and deter journalism essential to democracy: Arrest Don Lemon and Georgia Fort for covering an anti-ICE protest. Raid the home of a Washington Post reporter, ...
January 30, 2026 at 6:54 PM
A list, in no particular order, of just some of the moves that the Trump administration has made in its ongoing campaign to suppress and deter journalism essential to democracy: Arrest Don Lemon and Georgia Fort for covering an anti-ICE protest. Raid the home of a Washington Post reporter, ...
Wearing an Arsenal scarf around campus today (it’s cold) - provoked excellent interactions with students, staff and faculty 🔴⚪️
January 30, 2026 at 6:29 PM
Wearing an Arsenal scarf around campus today (it’s cold) - provoked excellent interactions with students, staff and faculty 🔴⚪️
Reposted by Emily Bell
There is no reason any of these men need any of this gear. This entire situation is not only dangerous and illegal. It is absurd and stupid.
www.nytimes.com/video/us/100...
www.nytimes.com/video/us/100...
Video: How Battlefield Tech Was Used in Minneapolis
Our reporter Thomas Gibbons-Neff, who deployed twice to Afghanistan as a Marine and later was our Kabul bureau chief, looks at the battlefield technology used for an immigration arrest at a home in Mi...
www.nytimes.com
January 30, 2026 at 2:19 AM
There is no reason any of these men need any of this gear. This entire situation is not only dangerous and illegal. It is absurd and stupid.
www.nytimes.com/video/us/100...
www.nytimes.com/video/us/100...
Very interesting new work from my @towcenter.bsky.social colleagues - building on excellent @wired.com article on LLMs and breaking news. Who is making decisions on when to ‘turn on’ web search for chatbots and when not to? www.cjr.org/tow_center/a...
AI chatbots can search the Web. So why don't they?
Why AI platforms should be accountable for misrepresenting breaking news
www.cjr.org
January 29, 2026 at 7:00 PM
Very interesting new work from my @towcenter.bsky.social colleagues - building on excellent @wired.com article on LLMs and breaking news. Who is making decisions on when to ‘turn on’ web search for chatbots and when not to? www.cjr.org/tow_center/a...
I am moving ‘fur and feathers Friday’ up a day because of the extreme conditions in the United States of America (both psychological distress and unreasonably low temperatures)
January 29, 2026 at 12:01 PM
I am moving ‘fur and feathers Friday’ up a day because of the extreme conditions in the United States of America (both psychological distress and unreasonably low temperatures)
Reposted by Emily Bell
US Director of National Intelligence furtively lurking round Fulton County Election Hub whilst the FBI take away 2020 ballots…. the zone is now officially flooded to the brim
“.. U.S. Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard speaks on the phone while standing inside a vehicle loaded with boxes outside the Fulton County Election Hub and Operation Center after the FBI executed a search warrant there.”
@reuters.com
@reuters.com
January 29, 2026 at 5:36 AM
US Director of National Intelligence furtively lurking round Fulton County Election Hub whilst the FBI take away 2020 ballots…. the zone is now officially flooded to the brim
Reposted by Emily Bell
Of the biggest scandals in US history just this week, I think I’d rank them:
1) Federal paramilitaries invade US city based on racist lies, murder US citizens
2) Slush fund for the president from stolen foreign resources held in Qatar
3) Whatever FBI and DNI are doing re: 2020 election in Georgia
1) Federal paramilitaries invade US city based on racist lies, murder US citizens
2) Slush fund for the president from stolen foreign resources held in Qatar
3) Whatever FBI and DNI are doing re: 2020 election in Georgia
January 29, 2026 at 2:52 AM
Of the biggest scandals in US history just this week, I think I’d rank them:
1) Federal paramilitaries invade US city based on racist lies, murder US citizens
2) Slush fund for the president from stolen foreign resources held in Qatar
3) Whatever FBI and DNI are doing re: 2020 election in Georgia
1) Federal paramilitaries invade US city based on racist lies, murder US citizens
2) Slush fund for the president from stolen foreign resources held in Qatar
3) Whatever FBI and DNI are doing re: 2020 election in Georgia