Neel Dhanesha
@neeldhanesha.com
Staff writer @niemanlab.org, previously telling climate/science stories in text and audio at Heatmap/Vox/Audubon/Radiolab.
Journalism coops give me — and most of the journalists I know — a lot of hope for the industry. But I've been curious: What's it like to actually work at one? I spent the last few months talking to a bunch of brilliant worker-owners to find out.
www.niemanlab.org/2026/02/jour...
www.niemanlab.org/2026/02/jour...
Journalism coops seem utopian. What’s it like working in one?
"If I was less self-directed, I'd probably be freaking out."
www.niemanlab.org
February 3, 2026 at 10:02 PM
Journalism coops give me — and most of the journalists I know — a lot of hope for the industry. But I've been curious: What's it like to actually work at one? I spent the last few months talking to a bunch of brilliant worker-owners to find out.
www.niemanlab.org/2026/02/jour...
www.niemanlab.org/2026/02/jour...
Reposted by Neel Dhanesha
this Q&A by @neeldhanesha.com about what federal agents are using in MN, is alarming, but also really interesting.
The pepper spray in use today is hotter & clingier than it used to be.
"Less than lethal" rounds are larger & faster, and standard eye protection doesn't protect against them.
The pepper spray in use today is hotter & clingier than it used to be.
"Less than lethal" rounds are larger & faster, and standard eye protection doesn't protect against them.
What a safety expert thinks journalists should know about “less than lethal” rounds and chemical irritants used by ICE
"The consideration that we make with all of our recommendations is, 'What is the safest thing you can use while still getting your assignment done?’"
www.niemanlab.org
January 29, 2026 at 7:55 PM
this Q&A by @neeldhanesha.com about what federal agents are using in MN, is alarming, but also really interesting.
The pepper spray in use today is hotter & clingier than it used to be.
"Less than lethal" rounds are larger & faster, and standard eye protection doesn't protect against them.
The pepper spray in use today is hotter & clingier than it used to be.
"Less than lethal" rounds are larger & faster, and standard eye protection doesn't protect against them.
Reposted by Neel Dhanesha
I wrote about my childhood friend Alexi Pretti. Please read it and share it and remember him as a human being. @theverge.com
I grew up with Alex Pretti
The kind-hearted ICU nurse shot by ICE agents was my childhood best friend.
www.theverge.com
January 27, 2026 at 4:45 PM
I wrote about my childhood friend Alexi Pretti. Please read it and share it and remember him as a human being. @theverge.com
Reposted by Neel Dhanesha
I was one of the four people who got canned.
In the interim, you can subscribe to my newsletter, Straight From The Hut. No paywall, but feel free to choose the pay to support model. I'm not going anywhere — the show goes on, and I'll be back on MSNBC Saturday night. straightfromthehut.substack.com
In the interim, you can subscribe to my newsletter, Straight From The Hut. No paywall, but feel free to choose the pay to support model. I'm not going anywhere — the show goes on, and I'll be back on MSNBC Saturday night. straightfromthehut.substack.com
November 6, 2025 at 6:02 PM
I was one of the four people who got canned.
In the interim, you can subscribe to my newsletter, Straight From The Hut. No paywall, but feel free to choose the pay to support model. I'm not going anywhere — the show goes on, and I'll be back on MSNBC Saturday night. straightfromthehut.substack.com
In the interim, you can subscribe to my newsletter, Straight From The Hut. No paywall, but feel free to choose the pay to support model. I'm not going anywhere — the show goes on, and I'll be back on MSNBC Saturday night. straightfromthehut.substack.com
Reposted by Neel Dhanesha
Hi! Today @quantamagazine.bsky.social published a special issue on climate science, featuring stories about how Earth's climate fundamentally works that I needed to read after covering climate impacts for so many years. I hope you'll check it out! <3 www.quantamagazine.org/how-we-came-...
How We Came To Know Earth | Quanta Magazine
Climate science is the most significant scientific collaboration in history. This series from Quanta Magazine guides you through basic climate science — from quantum effects to ancient hothouses, from...
www.quantamagazine.org
September 15, 2025 at 4:36 PM
Hi! Today @quantamagazine.bsky.social published a special issue on climate science, featuring stories about how Earth's climate fundamentally works that I needed to read after covering climate impacts for so many years. I hope you'll check it out! <3 www.quantamagazine.org/how-we-came-...
Reposted by Neel Dhanesha
This story — which asks what happened to all of those newsroom DEI jobs, committees, and promises from 2020 — is the hardest one I've ever worked on. I hope you'll spend some time with it today.
www.niemanlab.org/2025/09/from...
www.niemanlab.org/2025/09/from...
From reckoning to retreat: Journalism’s DEI efforts are in decline
Diversity-related newsroom jobs haven't totally disappeared — but they also haven't stuck.
www.niemanlab.org
September 11, 2025 at 2:41 PM
This story — which asks what happened to all of those newsroom DEI jobs, committees, and promises from 2020 — is the hardest one I've ever worked on. I hope you'll spend some time with it today.
www.niemanlab.org/2025/09/from...
www.niemanlab.org/2025/09/from...
One thing that struck me about my conversation with @davejorgenson.bsky.social: I think he's having...fun? With journalism? In this economy?
www.niemanlab.org/2025/09/with...
www.niemanlab.org/2025/09/with...
With Local News International, Dave Jorgenson becomes his own TikTok guy
The former Washington Post video star talks about launching a new company with old colleagues, the importance of media literacy, and building a Daily Show for the internet.
www.niemanlab.org
September 9, 2025 at 4:50 PM
One thing that struck me about my conversation with @davejorgenson.bsky.social: I think he's having...fun? With journalism? In this economy?
www.niemanlab.org/2025/09/with...
www.niemanlab.org/2025/09/with...
Reposted by Neel Dhanesha
What it comes down to is: Should beautiful, interesting, entertaining things exist in the world, and should we spend our time making them?
August 25, 2025 at 1:39 PM
What it comes down to is: Should beautiful, interesting, entertaining things exist in the world, and should we spend our time making them?
Reposted by Neel Dhanesha
There have been a ton of 20th anniversary "best of" podcast lists lately, and it has started to feel a bit like an obituary for an industry.
[gift link] defector.com/the-future-o...
[gift link] defector.com/the-future-o...
The Future Of Podcasting Is Here, And It Sucks | Defector
This week, Left Of Dial published its Essential Listening Poll, a compilation of the 100 best podcasts of all time, according to industry creators, writers, and scholars (Disclosure: I was invited to ...
defector.com
August 21, 2025 at 1:59 PM
There have been a ton of 20th anniversary "best of" podcast lists lately, and it has started to feel a bit like an obituary for an industry.
[gift link] defector.com/the-future-o...
[gift link] defector.com/the-future-o...
Reposted by Neel Dhanesha
Hello. I wrote a nice long essay about AI and this very strange moment where we're constantly told we're living in the dawn of a strange new future but the only thing that's actually clear is that everyone feels pretty unmoored and uncertain. I hope you'll read it
AI Is a Mass-Delusion Event
Three years in, one of AI’s enduring impacts is to make people feel like they’re losing it.
www.theatlantic.com
August 18, 2025 at 9:21 PM
Hello. I wrote a nice long essay about AI and this very strange moment where we're constantly told we're living in the dawn of a strange new future but the only thing that's actually clear is that everyone feels pretty unmoored and uncertain. I hope you'll read it
Reposted by Neel Dhanesha
"workers are not allowed to wear masks on the front line, even if they want to" www.nytimes.com/2025/08/17/u...
Wildfire Fighters, Unmasked in Toxic Smoke, Are Getting Sick and Dying
www.nytimes.com
August 18, 2025 at 7:03 PM
"workers are not allowed to wear masks on the front line, even if they want to" www.nytimes.com/2025/08/17/u...
Reposted by Neel Dhanesha
about two months ago, i reached out to @boringstein.bsky.social to ask if they'd be open to talking about the incredible videos they were making for Zohran Mamdani's election campaign
it turned into a much bigger story than i expected
it turned into a much bigger story than i expected
Selling Zohran | Defector
On a cool Sunday in November, a few days after Donald Trump’s re-election, Zohran Mamdani stood on a street corner in Jamaica, Queens, holding up a hastily drawn cardboard sign that read “DID YOU VOTE...
defector.com
August 18, 2025 at 8:29 PM
about two months ago, i reached out to @boringstein.bsky.social to ask if they'd be open to talking about the incredible videos they were making for Zohran Mamdani's election campaign
it turned into a much bigger story than i expected
it turned into a much bigger story than i expected
Reposted by Neel Dhanesha
I have studied the targeting of journalists for many years, but the scale and public display of these killings is truly shocking: “Israel admits deliberate attack on the journalist, known for frontline coverage, in a strike on a tent outside al-Shifa hospital“
www.theguardian.com/world/2025/a...
www.theguardian.com/world/2025/a...
Anas al-Sharif, prominent Al Jazeera correspondent, among five journalists killed in Israeli airstrike on Gaza
Israel admits deliberate attack on the journalist, known for frontline coverage, in a strike on a tent outside al-Shifa hospital
www.theguardian.com
August 11, 2025 at 7:26 AM
I have studied the targeting of journalists for many years, but the scale and public display of these killings is truly shocking: “Israel admits deliberate attack on the journalist, known for frontline coverage, in a strike on a tent outside al-Shifa hospital“
www.theguardian.com/world/2025/a...
www.theguardian.com/world/2025/a...
Shannon is one of the most talented reporters I know, I am SO excited for this book!
So so excited that my book on microplastics and the rise of plastic has been picked up by Harper 🥹🥹
Thank you to agent extraordinaire Alice Whitwham at @cheneyagency.bsky.social, amazing editor Sarah Haugen at Harper, and family & friends for believing in this project.
Thank you to agent extraordinaire Alice Whitwham at @cheneyagency.bsky.social, amazing editor Sarah Haugen at Harper, and family & friends for believing in this project.
July 31, 2025 at 5:06 PM
Shannon is one of the most talented reporters I know, I am SO excited for this book!
Reposted by Neel Dhanesha
i wrote about the texas floods and climate anxiety and mercy defector.com/the-floodwat...
The Floodwaters Are Rising | Defector
It’s easy to forget that God’s covenant is limited. God makes a solemn promise to Noah that He will never flood the whole Earth again … however. “Never again will I let floodwaters destroy all life,” ...
defector.com
July 8, 2025 at 1:11 PM
i wrote about the texas floods and climate anxiety and mercy defector.com/the-floodwat...
Reposted by Neel Dhanesha
🫠 🫠 🫠
Gift link: www.theatlantic.com/science/arch...
Gift link: www.theatlantic.com/science/arch...
Hurricane Science Was Great While It Lasted
The U.S. is hacking away at support for state-of-the-art forecasting.
www.theatlantic.com
July 2, 2025 at 4:36 PM
🫠 🫠 🫠
Gift link: www.theatlantic.com/science/arch...
Gift link: www.theatlantic.com/science/arch...
Reposted by Neel Dhanesha
A story that got less attention was the incredibly cynical primary of my amazing Councilwoman—the first Muslim woman ever elected to the NYC Council—by a billionaire, corporate-backed candidate also lobbing gross accusations of antisemitism. Anyway, the challenger got trounced. Hell yea.
Thank you, Brooklyn! Getting to represent the neighborhoods that raised me is the greatest privilege of my life.
June 25, 2025 at 3:11 AM
A story that got less attention was the incredibly cynical primary of my amazing Councilwoman—the first Muslim woman ever elected to the NYC Council—by a billionaire, corporate-backed candidate also lobbing gross accusations of antisemitism. Anyway, the challenger got trounced. Hell yea.
Reposted by Neel Dhanesha
I'm in touch with a source in Cuomo's camp. They're all screaming and turning back into rats. Not looking good so far
June 25, 2025 at 1:47 AM
I'm in touch with a source in Cuomo's camp. They're all screaming and turning back into rats. Not looking good so far
Reposted by Neel Dhanesha
A Muslim son of immigrants might become mayor of NYC in part because he cross endorsed and supported a Jewish candidate and Black candidate, and vice versa.
It's a beautiful American story for the rest of us. A nightmare for all the right people ;)
It's so New York.
It's a beautiful American story for the rest of us. A nightmare for all the right people ;)
It's so New York.
June 25, 2025 at 1:47 AM
A Muslim son of immigrants might become mayor of NYC in part because he cross endorsed and supported a Jewish candidate and Black candidate, and vice versa.
It's a beautiful American story for the rest of us. A nightmare for all the right people ;)
It's so New York.
It's a beautiful American story for the rest of us. A nightmare for all the right people ;)
It's so New York.
Reposted by Neel Dhanesha
Bill Clinton please endorse my enemies
June 25, 2025 at 1:47 AM
Bill Clinton please endorse my enemies
Reposted by Neel Dhanesha
Cuomo conceded New York City baby lets go Mets baby bodega cats pizza pie I love this city
June 25, 2025 at 2:28 AM
Cuomo conceded New York City baby lets go Mets baby bodega cats pizza pie I love this city
Reposted by Neel Dhanesha
Just click on this: skyviewer.app/explorer #RubinTelescope
Explorer | Skyviewer
skyviewer.app
June 24, 2025 at 2:58 PM
Just click on this: skyviewer.app/explorer #RubinTelescope
Reposted by Neel Dhanesha
The lovely @neeldhanesha.com talked to me about @project-push.tk.gg for @niemanlab.org!
It was great fun to chat about, and really inspired me to give the project another kick. If you're interested, sign up now, and I'll be in touch soon.
www.niemanlab.org/2025/05/proj...
It was great fun to chat about, and really inspired me to give the project another kick. If you're interested, sign up now, and I'll be in touch soon.
www.niemanlab.org/2025/05/proj...
Project Push creates an archive of news alerts from around the world
"One of the most important people in the newsroom is the person who decides that they're going to press a button that sends an immediate notification to millions of people’s phones.”
www.niemanlab.org
May 29, 2025 at 6:12 PM
The lovely @neeldhanesha.com talked to me about @project-push.tk.gg for @niemanlab.org!
It was great fun to chat about, and really inspired me to give the project another kick. If you're interested, sign up now, and I'll be in touch soon.
www.niemanlab.org/2025/05/proj...
It was great fun to chat about, and really inspired me to give the project another kick. If you're interested, sign up now, and I'll be in touch soon.
www.niemanlab.org/2025/05/proj...
Reposted by Neel Dhanesha
I know that media use the term "big beautiful bill" in quotes but it's unfortunate that this many years into covering this president we are still suckered into leading with his language and framing when covering such consequential stories
May 19, 2025 at 9:38 PM
I know that media use the term "big beautiful bill" in quotes but it's unfortunate that this many years into covering this president we are still suckered into leading with his language and framing when covering such consequential stories