Dan Kennedy
@dankennedy.net
J-prof at Northeastern University. Author, most recently, of "What Works in Community News," with Ellen Clegg. News and commentary at Media Nation, https://dankennedy.net.
Pinned
Dan Kennedy
@dankennedy.net
· Oct 19
Book
Home | About the Book | Advance Praise | Reviews and Features | Calendar of Events “What Works in Community News: Media Startups, News Deserts, and the Future of the Fourth Estate,” by Ellen Clegg …
whatworks.news
In "What Works in Community News," Ellen Clegg and I examine about a dozen independent local news outlets in nine parts of the country. We hope it will inspire folks who live in news deserts to take their information needs into their own hands. #journalism #localnews
I’ve always believed that editors are somewhat overrated, although good ones are worth it. Implicit in that, though, is that you hire writers who can write, not smug, self-impressed illiterates.
November 17, 2025 at 8:58 PM
I’ve always believed that editors are somewhat overrated, although good ones are worth it. Implicit in that, though, is that you hire writers who can write, not smug, self-impressed illiterates.
I just read the excerpt, and I get this now. I'm not sure that I've ever read a worse piece of published writing.
Editors have a really hard job, and the good ones can make something unreadable readable, and the great ones can make something unreadable into something good. But they're basically invisible, until someone tries to write without one.
November 17, 2025 at 7:58 PM
I just read the excerpt, and I get this now. I'm not sure that I've ever read a worse piece of published writing.
My God. No one who reads this will buy her book. www.vanityfair.com/news/story/o...
Olivia Nuzzi's 'American Canto': Read the Exclusive Excerpt
She flamed out and she faded away. 'Vanity Fair'’s West Coast Editor returns to the written word to survey scorched earth.
www.vanityfair.com
November 17, 2025 at 7:56 PM
My God. No one who reads this will buy her book. www.vanityfair.com/news/story/o...
New at Media Nation: How Margaret Sullivan's erroneous slip of the tongue became (briefly) an AI-generated "fact." dankennedy.net/2025/11/17/h...
How Margaret Sullivan’s erroneous slip of the tongue became (briefly) an AI-generated fact
Media critic Margaret Sullivan made an error recently. No big deal — we all do it. But her account of what happened next is worth thinking about. First, the error. Sullivan writes in her newsletter…
dankennedy.net
November 17, 2025 at 1:11 PM
New at Media Nation: How Margaret Sullivan's erroneous slip of the tongue became (briefly) an AI-generated "fact." dankennedy.net/2025/11/17/h...
Important goat-related news with many pictures. Gift link. wapo.st/3LHOCJS
She saved a baby goat. Now they travel the country, share a bed.
“She really grounded me and gave me something to take care of and focus on again,” Kate Cramer said. “She’s been my companion.”
wapo.st
November 17, 2025 at 12:14 AM
Important goat-related news with many pictures. Gift link. wapo.st/3LHOCJS
New at Media Nation: We caught a terrific jazz concert at the Clark Art Institute in the Berkshires Saturday night featuring vibraphonists Warren Wolf and Joe Locke, accompanied by bassist Richie Goods. dankennedy.net/2025/11/16/c...
Catching the vibes in the Berkshires
We recently decided to make a return trip to the Clark Art Institute in Williamstown after a too-brief visit in August. While we were looking for other things to do, we noticed that the museum was …
dankennedy.net
November 16, 2025 at 10:58 PM
New at Media Nation: We caught a terrific jazz concert at the Clark Art Institute in the Berkshires Saturday night featuring vibraphonists Warren Wolf and Joe Locke, accompanied by bassist Richie Goods. dankennedy.net/2025/11/16/c...
During Nixon's final days, Al Haig told the Joint Chiefs of Staff to check with him before carrying out any crazy-sounding orders from the president. www.nytimes.com/2025/11/14/u...
Trump Escalates Pressure on Venezuela, but Endgame Is Unclear
www.nytimes.com
November 16, 2025 at 12:32 PM
During Nixon's final days, Al Haig told the Joint Chiefs of Staff to check with him before carrying out any crazy-sounding orders from the president. www.nytimes.com/2025/11/14/u...
I spoke with @apnews.com reporter David Bauder about the impropriety of Michael Wolff compromising his independence and kibbitzing with a child molester like Jeffrey Epstein. apnews.com/article/trum...
How chummy is too chummy? Epstein emails shine light on relationships between journalists, sources
The emails to and from Jeffrey Epstein that were released this week shine a light on the relationship between reporters and their sources — and that light isn't always flattering.
apnews.com
November 15, 2025 at 12:25 PM
I spoke with @apnews.com reporter David Bauder about the impropriety of Michael Wolff compromising his independence and kibbitzing with a child molester like Jeffrey Epstein. apnews.com/article/trum...
This is so impressive. @ellenclegg.bsky.social and I profiled The Mendocino Voice in our book, "What Works in Community News." The Voice is a very different project today but still turning out great work. baycitynews.bluelena.io/index.php?ac...
Who’s behind the local news in Mendocino County?
Real reporters. Real...
baycitynews.bluelena.io
November 14, 2025 at 5:35 PM
This is so impressive. @ellenclegg.bsky.social and I profiled The Mendocino Voice in our book, "What Works in Community News." The Voice is a very different project today but still turning out great work. baycitynews.bluelena.io/index.php?ac...
Important alligator-related news. www.wbur.org/news/2025/11...
Small alligator rescued in Boston after slithering into the city's heart on social media
The small alligator, spotted along the Charles River in Boston multiple times this week, has been rescued and delivered to safety, wildlife officials in Massachusetts said Thursday.
www.wbur.org
November 14, 2025 at 5:24 PM
Important alligator-related news. www.wbur.org/news/2025/11...
Good Lord. www.them.us/story/charli...
The Right Is Now Transvestigating Charlie Kirk and His Wife, Erika
Transphobia truly impacts us all.
www.them.us
November 14, 2025 at 12:09 AM
Good Lord. www.them.us/story/charli...
Good story in @niemanlab.org about our friends at @bostonu.bsky.social and the BU Newsroom, which offers student-produced coverage to hyperlocal news outlets in Greater Boston. www.niemanlab.org/2025/11/a-wi...
A “win-win” partnership brings a surge of reporting firepower to hyperlocal news outlets around Boston
The Boston University Newsroom has published nearly 400 news articles in hyperlocal outlets in and around the city.
www.niemanlab.org
November 13, 2025 at 9:02 PM
Good story in @niemanlab.org about our friends at @bostonu.bsky.social and the BU Newsroom, which offers student-produced coverage to hyperlocal news outlets in Greater Boston. www.niemanlab.org/2025/11/a-wi...
I just posted my 167th Media Nation Supporter Newsletter! To read it, and to support my work at dankennedy-dot-net, please sign up today at Patreon. patreon.com/dankennedy
Get more from Dan Kennedy on Patreon
creating Media Nation • The press, politics, culture and other p
patreon.com
November 13, 2025 at 6:13 PM
I just posted my 167th Media Nation Supporter Newsletter! To read it, and to support my work at dankennedy-dot-net, please sign up today at Patreon. patreon.com/dankennedy
Reposted by Dan Kennedy
According to the car wash owner, agents arrested employees before they could obtain their documentation from their work lockers. So many were likely here legally.
Here's hoping this article on Zac boasting about how he ruined some immigrants' lives follows him around for a very long time.
Here's hoping this article on Zac boasting about how he ruined some immigrants' lives follows him around for a very long time.
BU College Republicans president says he called ICE to ‘detain these criminals’ at Allston Car Wash
The president of Boston University College Republicans wrote on X he called the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement requesting it detain employees at Allston Car Wash, the site of a Nov. 4 raid w...
dailyfreepress.com
November 13, 2025 at 4:03 PM
According to the car wash owner, agents arrested employees before they could obtain their documentation from their work lockers. So many were likely here legally.
Here's hoping this article on Zac boasting about how he ruined some immigrants' lives follows him around for a very long time.
Here's hoping this article on Zac boasting about how he ruined some immigrants' lives follows him around for a very long time.
The NYT Trump approval rating is based on an average, as it should be. But if you scroll down and look at the most recent polls, it seems that Trump's already-bad numbers are finally taking a nosedive. www.nytimes.com/interactive/...
President Trump’s Approval Rating: Latest Polls
Track the latest approval rating and polls on Americans’ approval of President Trump.
www.nytimes.com
November 13, 2025 at 3:10 PM
The NYT Trump approval rating is based on an average, as it should be. But if you scroll down and look at the most recent polls, it seems that Trump's already-bad numbers are finally taking a nosedive. www.nytimes.com/interactive/...
One of our @northeasternu.bsky.social students is helping to organize this. “‘These are our friends’: Students at 11 Mass. colleges join for 1st time to counter Trump” www.masslive.com/news/2025/11...
‘These are our friends’: Students at 11 Mass. colleges join for 1st time to counter Trump
From the University of Massachusetts Amherst to Boston College, students are holding a rally this Saturday to show that they are stronger together.
www.masslive.com
November 13, 2025 at 3:05 PM
One of our @northeasternu.bsky.social students is helping to organize this. “‘These are our friends’: Students at 11 Mass. colleges join for 1st time to counter Trump” www.masslive.com/news/2025/11...
Are there warning signs in rosy announcements about funding for local news? @dicktofel.bsky.social lifts the lid. dicktofel.substack.com/p/why-happy-...
Why Happy Talk Isn’t the Answer for Local News
Overstating revenue gains and ignoring failures doesn't help
dicktofel.substack.com
November 13, 2025 at 2:57 PM
Are there warning signs in rosy announcements about funding for local news? @dicktofel.bsky.social lifts the lid. dicktofel.substack.com/p/why-happy-...
Editor & Publisher's @gretchenapeck.bsky.social reports on new findings that states with fewer newspapers are less likely to comply with public records laws — and that strong press associations are a key to government transparency. www.editorandpublisher.com/stories/when...
When newspapers disappear, transparency declines: Brechner Center FOIA research reveals troubling trends - Editor and Publisher
When newspapers vanish, so does transparency. Two groundbreaking studies from the Brechner Center for the Advancement of the First Amendment expose how FOIA compliance suffers in states with fewer loc...
www.editorandpublisher.com
November 13, 2025 at 1:37 PM
Editor & Publisher's @gretchenapeck.bsky.social reports on new findings that states with fewer newspapers are less likely to comply with public records laws — and that strong press associations are a key to government transparency. www.editorandpublisher.com/stories/when...
So many times between 2015 and 2020 that we said "This is it! The end is in sight." I'll believe it when it happens.
November 13, 2025 at 12:39 AM
So many times between 2015 and 2020 that we said "This is it! The end is in sight." I'll believe it when it happens.
A couple of quick hits from
@niemanlab.org on the local news beat:
First: "Want to build a sustainable local newsroom? These 21 steps will help you get there, a new report finds." www.niemanlab.org/2025/11/want... (1/2)
@niemanlab.org on the local news beat:
First: "Want to build a sustainable local newsroom? These 21 steps will help you get there, a new report finds." www.niemanlab.org/2025/11/want... (1/2)
Want to build a sustainable local newsroom? These 21 steps will help you get there, a new report finds
“Having dedicated staff to generate revenue was transformational to an organization’s chances of sustainability.”
www.niemanlab.org
November 13, 2025 at 12:17 AM
A couple of quick hits from
@niemanlab.org on the local news beat:
First: "Want to build a sustainable local newsroom? These 21 steps will help you get there, a new report finds." www.niemanlab.org/2025/11/want... (1/2)
@niemanlab.org on the local news beat:
First: "Want to build a sustainable local newsroom? These 21 steps will help you get there, a new report finds." www.niemanlab.org/2025/11/want... (1/2)
OK, never mind. I've found JD Vance.
November 12, 2025 at 10:26 PM
OK, never mind. I've found JD Vance.
Anyone seen or heard from JD Vance?
November 12, 2025 at 10:18 PM
Anyone seen or heard from JD Vance?
Find out why I once taped a student's negative evaluation of me to my office door! The @huntnewsnu.bsky.social reports. huntnewsnu.com/89617/primar...
Your professor’s grades matter too: How TRACE evaluations impact instructors - The Huntington News
Final grades are due for Jude Mathews, a professor of chemistry and chemical biology, but her students aren’t the only ones being graded.
huntnewsnu.com
November 12, 2025 at 8:14 PM
Find out why I once taped a student's negative evaluation of me to my office door! The @huntnewsnu.bsky.social reports. huntnewsnu.com/89617/primar...
New at Media Nation: One good reason the shutdown should have continued. Plus, a settlement of that shameful episode involving a Kansas newspaper, and Kara Miller is set to debut a new podcast. dankennedy.net/2025/11/12/o...
One good reason the shutdown should have continued; plus, a settlement in Kansas, and Kara Miller’s new podcast
We’ve been hashing out the pros and cons of ending the government shutdown on Facebook this week. My position has been that the Democrats shouldn’t have caved, but that it was a close c…
dankennedy.net
November 12, 2025 at 6:03 PM
New at Media Nation: One good reason the shutdown should have continued. Plus, a settlement of that shameful episode involving a Kansas newspaper, and Kara Miller is set to debut a new podcast. dankennedy.net/2025/11/12/o...
So now Trumpworld is down to bleating that, OK, maybe Trump had direct knowledge of child rape, but he didn't take part himself.
November 12, 2025 at 3:20 PM
So now Trumpworld is down to bleating that, OK, maybe Trump had direct knowledge of child rape, but he didn't take part himself.