Matt Waite
@mattwaite.bsky.social
Professor of Journalism, University of Nebraska-Lincoln. I teach people who can't spell code to find stories and visuals in data with #rstats. Publish all my course books and tutorials at https://github.com/mattwaite
Long history of soldiers writing on shells and bombs going back to at least the first World War. Probably further back than that.
September 24, 2025 at 5:05 PM
Long history of soldiers writing on shells and bombs going back to at least the first World War. Probably further back than that.
Asked AI for a header image for my AI + Journalism class to put into the LMS. Asked for something evocative of journalism's past and future, colorful and futuristic. What I got vs what my Gen X ass sees:
January 15, 2025 at 10:31 PM
Asked AI for a header image for my AI + Journalism class to put into the LMS. Asked for something evocative of journalism's past and future, colorful and futuristic. What I got vs what my Gen X ass sees:
How big is the Palisades fire compared to where you live? This will tell you: calmatters.org/environment/...
For me, probably 80% of Lincoln is wiped out centering the fire on campus. Everything from far West O east past 84th Street, from Pioneers in the south to Cornhusker Highway in the north.
For me, probably 80% of Lincoln is wiped out centering the fire on campus. Everything from far West O east past 84th Street, from Pioneers in the south to Cornhusker Highway in the north.
January 14, 2025 at 7:28 PM
How big is the Palisades fire compared to where you live? This will tell you: calmatters.org/environment/...
For me, probably 80% of Lincoln is wiped out centering the fire on campus. Everything from far West O east past 84th Street, from Pioneers in the south to Cornhusker Highway in the north.
For me, probably 80% of Lincoln is wiped out centering the fire on campus. Everything from far West O east past 84th Street, from Pioneers in the south to Cornhusker Highway in the north.
Go ahead. Make my day.
January 8, 2025 at 4:06 PM
Go ahead. Make my day.
Can’t lose. Only wins.
December 31, 2024 at 12:14 AM
Can’t lose. Only wins.
My dog vs AI image analysis: FIGHT
December 28, 2024 at 2:41 PM
My dog vs AI image analysis: FIGHT
Rosemary Garlic Focaccia rolls are fire.
December 24, 2024 at 9:22 PM
Rosemary Garlic Focaccia rolls are fire.
Fun to share with your university if they have this feature turned on: www.turnitin.com/blog/ai-writ...
December 10, 2024 at 10:59 PM
Fun to share with your university if they have this feature turned on: www.turnitin.com/blog/ai-writ...
Only God can judge me.
December 4, 2024 at 2:16 PM
Only God can judge me.
One of the most consistent problems I deal with teaching journalism students how to code is they are terrified of/overwhelmed with the content of error messages. Even one like this that actually says what is wrong. What about a code pal for kinder, gentler error messages?
November 22, 2024 at 10:10 PM
One of the most consistent problems I deal with teaching journalism students how to code is they are terrified of/overwhelmed with the content of error messages. Even one like this that actually says what is wrong. What about a code pal for kinder, gentler error messages?
Without spending a dime, I just downloaded an LLM trained for code (qwen2.5-coder), ran it locally (Ollama), added a library that creates an interface to the LLM in R Studio (pal) and wrote my own "pal" to replace my words with code. And it works on an aging M1 Mac. Demo:
November 22, 2024 at 9:29 PM
Without spending a dime, I just downloaded an LLM trained for code (qwen2.5-coder), ran it locally (Ollama), added a library that creates an interface to the LLM in R Studio (pal) and wrote my own "pal" to replace my words with code. And it works on an aging M1 Mac. Demo:
Great moments in midwestern interview transcripts.
November 12, 2024 at 9:29 PM
Great moments in midwestern interview transcripts.
I may genuinely miss the Dumb Siri Era.
June 25, 2024 at 8:53 PM
I may genuinely miss the Dumb Siri Era.
AI hype is stupid and out of control and meaningless all at the same time, washer/dryer combo edition:
Let AI wash and dry your clothes, not those silly cycles we’ve had for decades.
Let AI wash and dry your clothes, not those silly cycles we’ve had for decades.
June 25, 2024 at 2:42 PM
AI hype is stupid and out of control and meaningless all at the same time, washer/dryer combo edition:
Let AI wash and dry your clothes, not those silly cycles we’ve had for decades.
Let AI wash and dry your clothes, not those silly cycles we’ve had for decades.
If you wonder how close to the AI singularity we are, ask one to convert a table inside a PDF into a csv file for you.
February 28, 2024 at 3:36 PM
If you wonder how close to the AI singularity we are, ask one to convert a table inside a PDF into a csv file for you.
Dear Spotify AI headline writer: ageism is an ugly term. Also: die in a fire.
December 20, 2023 at 4:55 PM
Dear Spotify AI headline writer: ageism is an ugly term. Also: die in a fire.
I mean, who doesn't want [[WINNING_TEAM_MASCOT]] merch?
August 21, 2023 at 11:32 PM
I mean, who doesn't want [[WINNING_TEAM_MASCOT]] merch?
If you really want to turn your head inside out, ask AI to help explain Jean Baudrillard's Simulacra and Simulation.
August 17, 2023 at 7:54 PM
If you really want to turn your head inside out, ask AI to help explain Jean Baudrillard's Simulacra and Simulation.
Stages of planning an AI in journalism course:
Summer: I’ve got a sketch for the whole semester that should work.
1 month before class starts: With everything that’s changed, I’m comfortable with the first 8 weeks.
4 days before class starts:
Summer: I’ve got a sketch for the whole semester that should work.
1 month before class starts: With everything that’s changed, I’m comfortable with the first 8 weeks.
4 days before class starts:
August 17, 2023 at 3:37 PM
Stages of planning an AI in journalism course:
Summer: I’ve got a sketch for the whole semester that should work.
1 month before class starts: With everything that’s changed, I’m comfortable with the first 8 weeks.
4 days before class starts:
Summer: I’ve got a sketch for the whole semester that should work.
1 month before class starts: With everything that’s changed, I’m comfortable with the first 8 weeks.
4 days before class starts:
The dead art of newspaper names.
July 25, 2023 at 11:27 PM
The dead art of newspaper names.