The Texas Observer mourns the loss and celebrates the life of Carlton Carl—longtime board member, fierce supporter, and fighter for progress—who passed away Tuesday. We'll publish more soon, but for now we hope you'll revisit this 2024 interview: https://www.texasobserver.org/carlton-carl-texas-observer-70th/
journalism
How Investigative Journalists Actually Find Fraud, Waste and Abuse
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While investigative journalists immerse themselves in minutiae to identify waste and fraud, Elon Musk’s team has taken a chainsaw approach to spending based on cursory examinations. That might help explain some of their well-publicized stumbles, our editor-in-chief writes.
https://www.propublica.org/article/doge-government-waste-fraud-approach?utm_source=mastodon&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=mastodon-post
#Journalism #ElonMusk #DOGE #Government #USPolitics #Musk #Fraud
It’s #NewstodonFriday once again, and we’ve tried to find the heartwarming, inspiring and funny in this week’s tsunami of terrible (though we couldn’t find the silver lining in everything). Highlights include @ProPublica’s story about a lawyer who switched sides, @TexasObserver’s review of a film about inspiring librarians across America, and @Daojoan's story about why we’ve come to believe that you have to be an a**hole to be a genius. Plus, our @CultureDesk shared the only information you need to know about tariffs. Check out these stories and all the others in this thread, comment, like, follow their accounts and give them your money. ⤵️
#Media #Journalism #News #Newstodon #MastodonMigration #FollowFriday
Edited 134d ago
I think seeing captured film reels from WWII in grade 10 social studies of bodies being bulldozed into mass graves by Nazi labourers and hearing classmates gasp, several of them breaking down, openly weeping, was a turning point in my view of humanity; I expect parents today would be outraged at such shocking material being put before schoolchildren...
#history #media #journalism #education #genocide
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It’s #NewstodonFriday once again. Please enjoy a selection of stories from independent newsrooms on politics, technology, books, history, and giant almond trucks. Check out the thread, comment, like, follow their accounts and give them your money. ⤵️
#Media #Journalism #News #Newstodon #MastodonMigration #FollowFriday
Edited 128d ago
You can do something about this. It takes two minutes.
Here is the CBC Ombudsman's complaints address:
https://cbc.radio-canada.ca/en/ombudsman/contact
Here's what I wrote, feel free to borrow:
I'm dumbfounded at CBC's disgraceful presentation of its story on AI image manipulation.
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/chatgpt-fake-politicians-1.7507039
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Remembering the Incredible Life of DIY Geneticist Jill Viles
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In 2013, ProPublica reporter David Epstein was contacted by a woman with a wild story and a batch of photos she believed were clues to the mystery of her condition. Turns out, she was right.
https://www.propublica.org/article/remembering-jill-viles-diy-geneticist-muscular-dystrophy-david-espstein?utm_source=mastodon&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=mastodon-post
#Journalism #Genetics #Science #Research #Health #Disability
It’s #NewstodonFriday once again, where we share stories from independent newsrooms and journalists, plus a smattering from our own editorial desks. Check out the thread, comment, like, follow their accounts and subscribe to independent media. ⤵️
#Media #Journalism #News #Newstodon #MastodonMigration #FollowFriday
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Announcement: The MOLLY Prize Gala will be held on Wednesday, May 28, 2025 at Fair Market in #Austin. Congressman Greg Casar will join us in conversation with our editor-in-chief, Gus Bova!
Don't miss your chance to attend, get your tickets today: https://www.texasobserver.org/molly-awards/
We asked Texas Gov. Greg Abbott for his and his staff’s emails with Elon Musk and Musk’s companies.
The governor’s office won’t turn them over, saying some contain “intimate and embarrassing” information that is “not of legitimate concern to the public.”
https://www.propublica.org/article/texas-governor-greg-abbott-elon-musk-emails-foia?utm_source=mastodon&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=mastodon-post
#News #Texas #ElonMusk #Musk #Email #Journalism #FOIA #GregAbbott
We’re proud to welcome to the Observer masthead @candicequestions and Mary Tuma as special investigative correspondents, joining @stevanzetti as freelance reporters helping us tackle the #environment, reproductive rights, and #extremism respectively: https://www.texasobserver.org/home/staff/
#ReproductiveRights #abortion #healthcare #ClimateChange #news #fascism #journalism #nonprofit #media #environment
Want to learn about the Supreme Court justices’ financial connections to companies and people?
We’ve updated our database with the latest filings from eight justices, detailing millions in book income, almost 40 trips and one gift:
https://www.propublica.org/article/propublica-supreme-connections-database-2024-filings?utm_source=mastodon&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=mastodon-post
Introducing the September/October 2025 issue of Texas Observer magazine, with cover art by Adrià Volt, and stories by Michelle Pitcher, Julie Poole, Francesca D'Annunzio and more.
Become a member to get our magazine 6 times per year: https://texasobserver.fundjournalism.org/join/
#journalism #media #HumanRights #healthcare #Texas #politics #USpol #news #disability #nonprofit
“This is the most massive secrecy grab in #Texas since the adoption of the Public Information Act.”
New today from Michelle Pitcher: A move to "standardize" #police personnel files could have devastating consequences for #transparency. https://www.texasobserver.org/secrecy-g-file-police-records-texas-legislature/
#news #politics #USpol #fascism #TXlege #journalism #HumanRights #news #democracy