MJ
@mjdaoud.bsky.social
Journalist, editor, pushing for more constructive journalism.
Reposted by MJ
My god - Around *100* trans prisoners who were in Iran’s Evin prison are missing after the Israeli strike flattened their section of the prison. 100.
The current death toll is 79. The 100 trans people are presumed dead, which would more than double the death toll.
archive.is/2025.07.06-2...
The current death toll is 79. The 100 trans people are presumed dead, which would more than double the death toll.
archive.is/2025.07.06-2...
July 6, 2025 at 9:38 PM
My god - Around *100* trans prisoners who were in Iran’s Evin prison are missing after the Israeli strike flattened their section of the prison. 100.
The current death toll is 79. The 100 trans people are presumed dead, which would more than double the death toll.
archive.is/2025.07.06-2...
The current death toll is 79. The 100 trans people are presumed dead, which would more than double the death toll.
archive.is/2025.07.06-2...
That's a hell of an investigation, and I feel it went largely unnoticed because of recent events.
"A mobile application, distributed quietly among Syrian officers via a Telegram channel [...] as a carefully planted trap."
newlinesmag.com/reportage/ho...
"A mobile application, distributed quietly among Syrian officers via a Telegram channel [...] as a carefully planted trap."
newlinesmag.com/reportage/ho...
How a Spyware App Compromised Assad’s Army
An investigation reveals how a cyberattack exploited soldiers' vulnerabilities and may have changed the course of the Syrian conflict
newlinesmag.com
June 19, 2025 at 12:02 PM
That's a hell of an investigation, and I feel it went largely unnoticed because of recent events.
"A mobile application, distributed quietly among Syrian officers via a Telegram channel [...] as a carefully planted trap."
newlinesmag.com/reportage/ho...
"A mobile application, distributed quietly among Syrian officers via a Telegram channel [...] as a carefully planted trap."
newlinesmag.com/reportage/ho...
I've been thinking a lot about the state of journalism these past months, and I always go back to the idea that even if you have the greatest content, it won't be shown on social media, because the algorithm is completely skewed to extremes. 1/
www.linkedin.com/pulse/anti-s...
www.linkedin.com/pulse/anti-s...
The Anti-SNARF Manifesto
Most anxieties about the future are really about the present. We worry about a future where AI takes away our human agency, devalues our labor, and creates social discord.
www.linkedin.com
February 12, 2025 at 8:43 AM
I've been thinking a lot about the state of journalism these past months, and I always go back to the idea that even if you have the greatest content, it won't be shown on social media, because the algorithm is completely skewed to extremes. 1/
www.linkedin.com/pulse/anti-s...
www.linkedin.com/pulse/anti-s...
🤦♀️
Did they understand that they would be responsible for Iraq's electrical grid, sewer system, central bank, food imports etc? (I know there are many other issues).
The answer?
"Emile, we put a man on the moon; don't you think we can deal with these problems"
The answer?
"Emile, we put a man on the moon; don't you think we can deal with these problems"
February 7, 2025 at 1:28 PM
🤦♀️
Reposted by MJ
Reading about these tech geniuses descending on US government agencies to 'fix' them takes me back 2 decades to the run-up to the Iraq war.
February 7, 2025 at 1:19 PM
Reading about these tech geniuses descending on US government agencies to 'fix' them takes me back 2 decades to the run-up to the Iraq war.
Reposted by MJ
V. good:
"If anyone with a smartphone can publish, they should also be able to verify. To combat any security threat posed by disordered information we need to teach young people these skills"
By @bellingcat.com @eliothiggins.bsky.social and @drnataliemartin.bsky.social
https://reutersinstitute.politics.o…
By @bellingcat.com @eliothiggins.bsky.social and @drnataliemartin.bsky.social
https://reutersinstitute.politics.o…
How to protect democracies from falsehoods? By empowering the young with open-source investigation skills
“If anyone with a smartphone can publish, they should also be able to verify,” argue Bellingcat’s founder Eliot Higgins and Dr Natalie Martin in this piece.
reutersinstitute.politics.ox.ac.uk
February 4, 2025 at 7:59 AM
V. good:
Reposted by MJ
🧵 THREAD: Trump and Rubio have arrested the international humanitarian aid system and forced lifesaving aid programs to completely halt operations — despite an announcement earlier in the week claiming they had changed course. 1/
February 1, 2025 at 1:07 AM
🧵 THREAD: Trump and Rubio have arrested the international humanitarian aid system and forced lifesaving aid programs to completely halt operations — despite an announcement earlier in the week claiming they had changed course. 1/
Reposted by MJ
America is by far the world's largest aid donor: its $68bn in spending accounts for 40% of all assistance provided by governments. Trump's abrupt cutoff of so much money hit humanitarian agencies like an earthquake. www.economist.com/united-state...
America’s foreign aid pause puts lives at risk
Donald Trump sought disruption. He hurt America first.
www.economist.com
February 1, 2025 at 5:05 AM
America is by far the world's largest aid donor: its $68bn in spending accounts for 40% of all assistance provided by governments. Trump's abrupt cutoff of so much money hit humanitarian agencies like an earthquake. www.economist.com/united-state...
Reposted by MJ
"Netanyahu, almost 16 months after the start of the war, is recognizing, de facto, Hamas as the governing power in Gaza... a reality he had been warned about many months ago, but refused to listen." www.haaretz.com/israel-news/...
One short statement reveals: Netanyahu still accepts Hamas as Gaza's governing power
***
www.haaretz.com
January 31, 2025 at 5:31 AM
"Netanyahu, almost 16 months after the start of the war, is recognizing, de facto, Hamas as the governing power in Gaza... a reality he had been warned about many months ago, but refused to listen." www.haaretz.com/israel-news/...
Reposted by MJ
How has Israeli media evolved during the war in Gaza?
Our Journalist Fellow Davide Lerner examined the key themes recently covered in Israel's Channel 14's flagship show to shed light on the reshaping of the country's public sphere.
Read his project
reutersinstitute.politics.ox.ac.uk/patriot-effe...
Our Journalist Fellow Davide Lerner examined the key themes recently covered in Israel's Channel 14's flagship show to shed light on the reshaping of the country's public sphere.
Read his project
reutersinstitute.politics.ox.ac.uk/patriot-effe...
The Patriot effect: Israel’s shifting civil discourse under Netanyahu
Davide Lerner explores shifting trends in the Israeli media space through the lens of Channel 14's most popular TV show.
reutersinstitute.politics.ox.ac.uk
January 30, 2025 at 12:17 PM
How has Israeli media evolved during the war in Gaza?
Our Journalist Fellow Davide Lerner examined the key themes recently covered in Israel's Channel 14's flagship show to shed light on the reshaping of the country's public sphere.
Read his project
reutersinstitute.politics.ox.ac.uk/patriot-effe...
Our Journalist Fellow Davide Lerner examined the key themes recently covered in Israel's Channel 14's flagship show to shed light on the reshaping of the country's public sphere.
Read his project
reutersinstitute.politics.ox.ac.uk/patriot-effe...
Reposted by MJ
A rare but welcome evidence-based and nuanced exploration of tech panic - no, your smartphone/laptop is not making you stupid or 're-wiring your brain' despite endless subjective handwringing from frightened elite non-techies www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle...
All in the mind? The surprising truth about brain rot
Is screen use really sapping our ability to focus and lowering our IQs? The scientists who have actually analysed the data give their verdict
www.theguardian.com
January 29, 2025 at 9:21 AM
A rare but welcome evidence-based and nuanced exploration of tech panic - no, your smartphone/laptop is not making you stupid or 're-wiring your brain' despite endless subjective handwringing from frightened elite non-techies www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle...
“The big joke on democracy,” Goebbels observed, “is that it gives its mortal enemies the means to its own destruction.”
www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archiv...
www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archiv...
How Hitler Dismantled a Democracy in 53 Days
He used the constitution to shatter the constitution.
www.theatlantic.com
January 29, 2025 at 8:18 AM
“The big joke on democracy,” Goebbels observed, “is that it gives its mortal enemies the means to its own destruction.”
www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archiv...
www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archiv...
These maps are super useful to put data into context. www.ft.com/content/42bb....
The Israel-Hamas war in maps and charts
A visual guide to the conflict and its regional impact on the Middle East
www.ft.com
January 29, 2025 at 7:05 AM
These maps are super useful to put data into context. www.ft.com/content/42bb....
"of more than 700 prime-time news items aired during the first six months of the war, only four mentioned civilian deaths in Gaza."
Israelis literally don't have access to the same news than we do.
reutersinstitute.politics.ox.ac.uk/patriot-effe...?
Israelis literally don't have access to the same news than we do.
reutersinstitute.politics.ox.ac.uk/patriot-effe...?
The Patriot effect: Israel’s shifting civil discourse under Netanyahu
Davide Lerner explores shifting trends in the Israeli media space through the lens of Channel 14's most popular TV show.
reutersinstitute.politics.ox.ac.uk
January 29, 2025 at 6:40 AM
"of more than 700 prime-time news items aired during the first six months of the war, only four mentioned civilian deaths in Gaza."
Israelis literally don't have access to the same news than we do.
reutersinstitute.politics.ox.ac.uk/patriot-effe...?
Israelis literally don't have access to the same news than we do.
reutersinstitute.politics.ox.ac.uk/patriot-effe...?
The Mediterranean region is warming 20% faster than the global average. Today, about 250 million people in Mediterranean countries reside in river basins, where flooding is more likely.
www.nytimes.com/interactive/...
www.nytimes.com/interactive/...
The Floods This Time: In the Mediterranean, Climate Change Is Already Here
Short, heavy rainfall is typical of the Mediterranean, but nothing is typical about what has been happening there recently.
www.nytimes.com
January 15, 2025 at 8:48 AM
The Mediterranean region is warming 20% faster than the global average. Today, about 250 million people in Mediterranean countries reside in river basins, where flooding is more likely.
www.nytimes.com/interactive/...
www.nytimes.com/interactive/...
"misinformation is powerful, not because it changes minds, but because it allows people to maintain their beliefs in light of growing evidence to the contrary. " This is so true. And now that we've nailed down the problem, can we please talk about the solutions?
January 6, 2025 at 7:05 PM
"misinformation is powerful, not because it changes minds, but because it allows people to maintain their beliefs in light of growing evidence to the contrary. " This is so true. And now that we've nailed down the problem, can we please talk about the solutions?
Reposted by MJ
Tips for Using the Open Source Munitions Portal (OSMP):
• Beware alternate names for munitions.
• Counter misinformation and propaganda claims with analyst notes.
• Use OSMP as an orientation and learning tool.
More: https://twp.ai/1KatSf
• Beware alternate names for munitions.
• Counter misinformation and propaganda claims with analyst notes.
• Use OSMP as an orientation and learning tool.
More: https://twp.ai/1KatSf
New Open Source Tools and Tips to Investigate Bombing of Civilians
An innovative new database, the Open Source Munitions Portal (OSMP), identifies and shows remnants of explosive devices in conflict zones.
twp.ai
December 29, 2024 at 2:30 PM
Tips for Using the Open Source Munitions Portal (OSMP):
• Beware alternate names for munitions.
• Counter misinformation and propaganda claims with analyst notes.
• Use OSMP as an orientation and learning tool.
More: https://twp.ai/1KatSf
• Beware alternate names for munitions.
• Counter misinformation and propaganda claims with analyst notes.
• Use OSMP as an orientation and learning tool.
More: https://twp.ai/1KatSf
This is confirmation of something I've heard before, that the pagers and walkie talkie operation was at least 10 years in the making.
www.nytimes.com/2024/12/29/w...
www.nytimes.com/2024/12/29/w...
Behind the Dismantling of Hezbollah: Decades of Israeli Intelligence
A Times investigation shows how extensively Israel penetrated the Lebanese militia, closely tracking the group’s commanders and culminating in the assassination of its leader, Hassan Nasrallah.
www.nytimes.com
December 29, 2024 at 1:01 PM
This is confirmation of something I've heard before, that the pagers and walkie talkie operation was at least 10 years in the making.
www.nytimes.com/2024/12/29/w...
www.nytimes.com/2024/12/29/w...
"The Lebanese population has also been sobered to discover that assassinations of political leaders, however divisive, do not translate into political openings, and that callous sectarian gloating poisons communal relations. "
www.iiss.org/online-analy...
www.iiss.org/online-analy...
The Death of Nasrallah and the Fate of Lebanon
Most Lebanese blame the current war there, which they do not want, as much on Hizbullah’s recklessness – including Hassan Nasrallah’s miscalculations – as on Israel’s brutality.
www.iiss.org
December 26, 2024 at 8:42 AM
"The Lebanese population has also been sobered to discover that assassinations of political leaders, however divisive, do not translate into political openings, and that callous sectarian gloating poisons communal relations. "
www.iiss.org/online-analy...
www.iiss.org/online-analy...
Reposted by MJ
Assad's final hours in Syria: Deception, despair and flight www.reuters.com/world/middle...
Assad's final hours in Syria: Deception, despair and flight
Bashar al-Assad confided in almost no one about his plans to flee Syria as his reign collapsed. Instead, aides, officials and even relatives were deceived or kept in the dark, more than a dozen people with knowledge of the events told Reuters.
www.reuters.com
December 13, 2024 at 1:10 PM
Assad's final hours in Syria: Deception, despair and flight www.reuters.com/world/middle...
"Soon, many routine stories across news departments — world and national briefs, business earnings reports, sports summaries — will be AI-generated. This evolution frees human writers to focus on what truly sets their work apart: authentic, personal voice and distinctive style." Couldn't agree more
"As AI-generated content becomes ubiquitous, the qualities that define human writing — authenticity, emotional depth, and creative intuition — will become even more critical," Mario García writes.
The distinct human writer becomes more essential
"As AI-generated content becomes ubiquitous, the qualities that define human writing — authenticity, emotional depth, and creative intuition — will become even more critical, ensuring that a writer's…
buff.ly
December 11, 2024 at 4:35 PM
"Soon, many routine stories across news departments — world and national briefs, business earnings reports, sports summaries — will be AI-generated. This evolution frees human writers to focus on what truly sets their work apart: authentic, personal voice and distinctive style." Couldn't agree more
💯
Reading about the cruelty of the Assad regime prisons and its so-called justice system is one thing. Watching families recount the harrowing stories of loved ones lost to that abyss is another. The heartbreak is relentless, the cruelty unfathomable—and the stories never stop
December 10, 2024 at 1:08 PM
💯
💯
I need bluesky to add bookmarks so I have a place to put things I'll never look at again
December 10, 2024 at 12:46 PM
💯
Reposted by MJ
I’m at a decadent house in Damascus, people here said it was one of Assad’s residences. People are picking the kumquats from the garden in the front yard and exclaiming how delicious they are.
December 9, 2024 at 8:23 AM
I’m at a decadent house in Damascus, people here said it was one of Assad’s residences. People are picking the kumquats from the garden in the front yard and exclaiming how delicious they are.
Reposted by MJ
This man refused to bomb Hama during Hafez Assad’s 1982 massacre. He paid the price with 43 years behind bars.
Ragheed Al-Tatari is now free. #Syria
Ragheed Al-Tatari is now free. #Syria
December 8, 2024 at 10:04 PM
This man refused to bomb Hama during Hafez Assad’s 1982 massacre. He paid the price with 43 years behind bars.
Ragheed Al-Tatari is now free. #Syria
Ragheed Al-Tatari is now free. #Syria