Shorenstein Center on Media, Politics and Public Policy

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From detention and deportation procedures to what happens at the border, @juliettekayyem.bsky.social breaks down the rights afforded to citizens & non-citizens alike on a new episode of #Unlocked: https://loom.ly/DE3Zv-M

Opinion | The obvious peril of federal agents in masks They demand the right to be anonymous, and blur the line between law enforcement and lawlessness.

"How do you tell the difference between an arrest and an abduction? Short answer: You can't." - @shorensteinctr.bsky.social
Director @nancygibbs.bsky.social in an op-ed this week for
@postopinions.bsky.social,"The obvious peril of federal agents in masks" www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/202...

NEW #Unlocked: Shorenstein Center Director Nancy Gibbs talks w/ Dartmouth climate scientist Justin Mankin about the history & importance of publicly-funded data collection, the risk of privatization, & what it means for access to life-saving info in the face of climate change https://loom.ly/xz_mHIc

Whose approval/disapproval of Trump has shifted the most?

How has the President's approval rating shifted since his inauguration? A new interactive tool from the Civic Health and Institutions Project (CHIP50) lets you dig into the project's 50 state survey data. https://www.chip50.org/blog/whose-approval-disapproval-of-trump-shifted-the-most

Unlocked: Understanding the Federal Debt | Shorenstein Center On this episode of Unlocked, Shorenstein Center Director Nancy Gibbs talks with Karen Dynan, Professor of the Practice in the Harvard University Department of Economics and at the Harvard Kennedy School, about the federal debt—who the U.S. owes money to, why it matters, and what the implications of rising debt are for state and local …

What is the federal debt, what are the impacts of rising debt, and how does it relate to the deficit? Economist Karen Dynan explains in the latest episode of Unlocked, to help reporters and commentators better understand news about the federal government. https://loom.ly/puclAXA

FRONTLINE Wins 2 News & Documentary Emmy Awards, Including for Bill Moyers’ Final Documentary With the Series | FRONTLINE ‘Two American Families: 1991-2024’ and ‘Maui’s Deadly Firestorm’ were honored at the 2025 News & Documentary Emmy Awards, and veteran FRONTLINE filmmaker Michael Kirk was inducted into the Gold Circle...

Congratulations to former fellow Tom Casciato and his @okapifilm.bsky.social team, who produced "Two American Families" with Bill Moyers over the course of 30 years. The film won an Emmy this week on the same day Moyers died at age 91. www.pbs.org/wgbh/frontli...

Can local tv still be a valuable resource in today's digital media world? Thomas Patterson's new study explores how local TV news, despite its own struggles, can help people stay informed & connected on the things they care about most. https://loom.ly/KGOp8Uk

Can They Do Good and Still Do Well? Local TV Stations and Communities’ Information Needs | Shorenstein Center The views expressed in Shorenstein Center Discussion Papers are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect those of Harvard Kennedy School or of Harvard University. Discussion Papers have n...

Just Published: Can They Do Good and Still Do Well? Local TV Stations and Communities’ Information Needs.

New survey of local tv news stations in the U.S. gives one of the most comprehensive looks at how tv news is adapting to the changing media environment. shorensteincenter.org/can-good-sti...

Narrating America, Reporting for People: A Conversation with Michael Harriot and Rose Conlon | Shorenstein Center Join the 2024-2025 Nyhan Prize winners in a discussion about doing people-centered public policy journalism in today’s political climate.

Congratulations to the winners of this year's Nyhan Prize —
Michael Harriot & Rose Conlon!

They'll be in conversation with Cynthia Tucker for a May 15 webinar about doing people-centered public policy journalism in today's political climate.

Register here: shorensteincenter.org/new-event/na...

2025 Grand Prize Winner and Finalists - Henry Awards for Public Interest

Congratulations the inaugural grand prize winner of the Henry Awards for Public Interest Documentary, awarded last week to While We Watched, directed by Vinay Shukla, and to the finalists: Four Daughters, Hollywoodgate, Queendom, and Three Promises. henryawards.org/finalists/

How does the government track vaccine safety? | Shorenstein Center The Journalist’s Resource’s explainer on childhood vaccine safety includes a primer on how the government tracks vaccine safety data. As changes are proposed to federal vaccine policy, this guide can ...

How does the government track vaccine safety? Naseem Miller of The Journalist's Resource provides a helpful explainer in this #Unlocked feature: shorensteincenter.org/government-t...

Unlocked: How Government Works | Shorenstein Center Unlocked is a new series that aims to make the inner workings of government more understandable to journalists, content creators, and others tasked with explaining the news of the world today. In thes...

At a time when democracy faces significant challenges, understanding how the U.S. government was designed to function & why is essential for journalists and citizens. Unlocked is a new explanatory series from the Shorenstein Center and @journoresource.bsky.social shorensteincenter.org/unlocked/

This is the secret system that covers up police misconduct — and ensures problem officers can get hired again Behind locked drawers, in police departments all over California, sit documents no one is supposed to see. Known as clean-record agreements, they conceal officers' misconduct, helping them land new jo...

Congratulations to Katey Rusch and Casey Smith for winning the 2025 Goldsmith Prize for Investigative Reporting for "Right to Remain Secret" @sfchronicle.com @ucberkeleyofficial.bsky.social Investigative Reporting Program - www.sfchronicle.com/projects/202...

Goldsmith Awards YouTube video by Institute of Politics Harvard Kennedy School

"It's never been more important to honor the excellence that journalists bring to their work" Nancy Gibbs, opening the 2025 Goldsmith Awards. Watch live: www.youtube.com/live/6606P4F...

How Journalism Drives Change: The power of investigative journalism to shape democratic governance | Shorenstein Center Join representatives of each finalist reporting team for the Goldsmith Investigative Reporting Prize for a discussion on the craft and impact of their work, and the importance of investigative journal...

Starting at 2pm ET - hear from the finalists for the Goldsmith Prize for Investigative Reporting about how they got their stories that have made impacts on healthcare, policing, military health, children and families, and people in recovery. Join via Zoom: shorensteincenter.org/new-event/jo...

How Two Graduate Reporters Exposed a System Used to Hide Police Officer Misconduct Two reporters, nominated for the 2025 Goldsmith Prize, spent years investigating legal agreements in California that hide police officers' past misconduct from the public.

💫 NEW! Two reporters, nominated for @shorensteinctr.bsky.social's 2025 Goldsmith Prize, spent years investigating legal agreements in California that hide police officers’ past misconduct from the public.

@journoresource.bsky.social shares how they did it: https://twp.ai/1VSqbN

How Journalism Drives Change: The power of investigative journalism to shape democratic governance | Shorenstein Center Join representatives of each finalist reporting team for the Goldsmith Investigative Reporting Prize for a discussion on the craft and impact of their work, and the importance of investigative journal...

What did it take to get the story? What roadblocks did they hit as they tried to uncover the truth? Join us April 3 at 2PM for our favorite annual tradition — a panel discussion with the finalists of this year's Goldsmith Prize for Investigative Reporting: shorensteincenter.org/new-event/jo...

How she did it: Marshall Project reporter shows how false positive drug tests in hospital maternity wards harm families A behind-the-scenes look at a Marshall Project series that reveals that hospitals drug tested pregnant patients and reported false positives to authorities.

Reporter Shoshana Walter shares tips on using confidential child welfare records and interviewing traumatized parents.

journalistsresource.org/home/marshal...

@journoresource.bsky.social is reporting on the reporting of the finalists for this year's Goldsmith Prize for Investigative Reporting. Check out the latest behind-the-scenes, about David Philips' @nytimes.com reporting, and find the whole series at journalistsresource.org/tag/2025-gol...

Congrats to @postopinions.bsky.social for winning our inaugural Goldsmith Prize for Explanatory Reporting! The writers of their “Who Is Government?” series highlighted the value of government work & the dedicated civil servants that are rarely written about or celebrated: loom.ly/Z1lD6Mw

8 things journalists should know about minority-serving institutions Knowing these eight things will help journalists ask better questions and provide more probing coverage of minority-serving institutions.

Executive orders President Trump has signed in recent weeks carry significant implications for minority-serving institutions, which rely heavily on federal funding.

journalistsresource.org/home/minorit...

The future of the US Education Department: 8 tips for journalists We offer eight tips to help you interrogate and contextualize President Trump's plan to close the U.S. Department of Education.

These tips will help you interrogate President Trump's proposal to close the U.S. Department of #Education, provide historical context and evaluate the agency's effectiveness.

journalistsresource.org/education/us...

The Loneliness Crisis: Evidence on Causes and Solutions from the UK | Shorenstein Center In October, 2018, I stood inside a drafty community center tucked under a bridge over a quiet side street in otherwise bustling south London, nervously awaiting the arrival of Britain’s prime minister...

As a Visiting Fellow at @harvardkennedy.bsky.social @shorensteinctr.bsky.social I've reviewed evidence on The Cares Family's impact from 2011-2023.

The study shows how intergenerational connection can reduce loneliness and build community in times of change:

shorensteincenter.org/commentary/l...

Meet the finalists for our 2025 Goldsmith Prize for Investigative Reporting! Read more about this incredible group of reporters and the stories they uncovered, and join us April 3 when we announce the winner live at the Goldsmith Awards Ceremony: loom.ly/UMyb72E

YouTube video by Institute of Politics Harvard Kennedy School The Future of Trustworthy Information: Learning from Online Content Creators

Interested in this? Tune in to hear Julia Angwin talking about creating trustworthy journalistic media online with Joss Fong (Howtown), Jessica Yellin, and V Spehar (Under the Desk News) www.youtube.com/watch?v=tZGV...

YouTube video by Institute of Politics Harvard Kennedy School The Future of Trustworthy Information: Learning from Online Content Creators

Happening now! Tune in to hear @juliaangwin.com @jossfong.bsky.social Jessica Yellin and V Spehar (@underthedesknews.bsky.social) talking about building trusted audiences for their journalistic work online. www.youtube.com/watch?v=tZGV...

Announcing the semifinalists for this year's Goldsmith Prize for Investigative Reporting! This group represents the top 30 entries that our judges deemed to be of extremely high quality and in keeping with the Prize’s criteria for impact on US government: loom.ly/Rqu0D…

The Future of Trustworthy Information: Learning from Online Content Creators | Shorenstein Center The views expressed in Shorenstein Center Discussion Papers are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect those of Harvard Kennedy School, Harvard University or the organizations and insti...

With trust in traditional media at an all-time low, a new paper from Shorenstein Fellow @juliaangwin.com examines what content creators — currently engaged in journalist-style work & courting large, loyal audiences — can teach journalists about trustworthiness loom.ly/90Ja7CM

CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS: we are now accepting submissions for the 2025 Goldsmith Prize for Investigative Reporting, as well as our new Prize for Explanatory Reporting and our Book Prize!

Learn more and submit you entries: loom.ly/qpAE1Jo

#GoldsmithAwards