Reporting Right

Reporting Right is a project of The Pro-Democracy Information Lab. We work to raise awareness about anti-democratic forces and encourage the journalism community to see combatting authoritarianism and raising awareness about extremist threats as key goals.

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- Daniel Drezner

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Kyle Spencer

What was the Valentine’s Day Massacre?

Politics and Family Vacations

Reporting Right — Sat, 01 Aug 2026 17:30:18 GMT

THIS WEEK: Politics & Family Vacations

Parents are fuming, and the sibs are beating each other up in the back seat. The family vacation just hit another bump in the road: a long line at the entrance to one of the country’s picturesque national parks.

To the casual observer, the above sounds like a family affair.

For reporters covering recent cuts to the parks — this family affair is also a political one, a reminder that budget cuts made in D.C. have real consequences that are felt — but not always entirely understood — by the people most impacted by them.

Today, Reporting Right is offering some info on what’s happening inside these parks. Read up and don’t forget to share your stories with us.

It’s a great time to cover this…because…who doesn’t love those parks? Read on, and we’ll tell you.

What cuts?

Hiring freezes, layoffs, and staffing reductions began in early 2025, as part of the Trump administration’s austerity efforts — along with more cuts ($267 million) to staffing allocations, as a result of the 2025 Trump budget bill. These cuts have rendered one of America’s favorite pastimes (exploring the nation’s most cherished natural treasures) less convenient, pleasant, and safe. More cuts, FYI, are expected to come down the pike.

Can parks bring us together?

Yup, it’s true. Americans can’t seem to agree on much. But what they do agree on, across party lines, is that national parks are a public good worth preserving. All the more reason to report on this.

That’s what park rangers called the February 2025 day when word came down about the firings.

Show me what the chaos looks like?

Above, find a report from Yosemite.

And in Acadia?

Rangers are in short supply. The crowds are still coming.

What about de-woking the parks?

The Guardian did an incredible investigation on this. Check it out, above.

What about bears, are they paying attention?

Nope. They are showing up, even if resources to deal are under strain.

How should I cover this?

It’s not always clear to the public how individuals are impacted by public policy, philosophies around governing and decisions about what is and is not a priority. The National Park story can:

Shed light on how people are reacting to Trump Administration priorities.
Explore the bipartisan appeal of The National Park system.
Address public opinion on the ripple effect of Trump’s austerity cuts.
Gage where Americans are as it relates to Trump. Are they storming the parks, enraged? Or...are they resigned to the cuts and happy to do their part in cutting the federal budget, even if it means summer inconveniences.

Also in the News:

Rightward turn for College Republicans

Is RFK Jr the new Julia Child?

Fear and loathing about upcoming elections

Politico owner loves the antichrist lecturer Peter Thiel. With publishers like these…

What is electability? What Dems don’t know they don’t know.

Keep Reporting Right Free

We’re Watching:

The National Parks: America’s Best Idea

Ken Burns

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Our Executive Editor

Kyle Spencer

Our Guest Editor

Casey Glickman

It was started during the depression

Apple Pie and the Working Poor

Reporting Right — Thu, 23 Jul 2026 19:43:00 GMT

THIS WEEK: Apple Pie and the Working Poor

The “working poor” — it feels like a term that ought to apply to people toiling on the floor of a garment factory in 19th century England.

But now it’s as American as baseball and apple pie.

Federal minimum wage is now a poverty wage. In other words, if you work full-time and make minimum wage ($7.25) you would still officially qualify as a person living in poverty per the U.S. government.

Wait…what? Yup

This matters a lot right now as Americans are increasingly feeling the ripple effect of changes to SNAP benefits, part of the GOP’s budget reconciliation package passed last year.

Even people who work full-time and make well above the minimum wage are struggling.

Consider the math: Someone working $17 an hour who works 30-hours a week will earn $26,500. In a lot of places you’ll need half of that to cover rent.

That’s where SNAP comes in. It’s a government food program designed to supplement a working person’s income, while that person looks for ways to get paid more.

What exactly are these jobs that people are doing that lead them to ask the government to supplement their incomes and/or work a second shift?

You might be surprised to discover that a lot of them are jobs we (and members of our families) rely on quite a bit.

1. Home heath aides

2. Child-care workers

3. Nursing home aides

4. School bus drivers

5. Farm workers

6. Store clerks

Because changes to SNAP benefits are increasingly impacting states, the job/wage/hunger story is top of mind.

So, Reporting Right has some answers to FAQ’s.

What is the history of SNAP?

Who is eligible for SNAP?

Here’s how it works

How many people in my state are losing SNAP?

Center for Budget and Policy Priorities

If SNAP work-requirements are tightening, does that mean more people are getting jobs?

The Hamilton Project produced this report with that question top of mind

Tell me about food banks. How do they fill in the gaps?

With difficulty

Are the SNAP changes impacting schools?

Yes

What are some good stories about this?

Also in the News:

The 8 political tribes in America

Texas kids have a new reading list

What’s this war really costing?

Keep Reporting Right Free

We’re Watching:

The Working Hungry - PBS

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Our Executive Editor

Kyle Spencer

Our Guest Editor

Casey Glickman

Dear Reader: We bring you tips, mostly for free! Now, we’re bringing you boot camps, starting this fall! Can you do this for us? Please take our 3-minute survey. Tell us: Do you want to know how to cover militia groups, Christian Nationalism, White Supremacists, or Moms for Liberty? Maybe you want a 1-hour zoom workshop or a 1-day seminar, a list of experts and/or data, original story ideas or some face time with award-winning journalists? You tell us!!!! CLICK HERE

Hot or Not? Covering Democratic Socialism On Your Beat

Reporting Right — Tue, 14 Jul 2026 17:34:10 GMT

THIS WEEK: Democratic Socialism?

What’s a democratic socialist, anyway?

As MAGA fatigue ripples through the country, a counter-narrative for the young and disgruntled has taken hold. Could a hefty dose of democratic socialism solve what ails America?

The prospect is enticing an energized — and in some cases, unlikely — slice of the country, while eliciting fear and loathing among mainstream Dems, conservatives, extremists, and even some traditional liberals.

Some of these folks really abhor the ideas espoused by democratic socialists. But others don’t seem to really know what democratic socialists actually believe.

That’s where you come in. Your job isn’t to sway voters one way or the other. Rather, it’s to create clarity. So voters know what it is they are looking at.

Reporting Right has got your back. Find below a handy FAQ on the democratic socialists in your midst and what exactly they stand for.

Q:Who are these democratic socialists, anyway?

The Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) is the largest democratic socialist organization in the United States.

Q: Are adherents part of a political party?

No. DSA is a membership organization that endorses candidates, organizes activists, and advocates for policies.

Q:Wait, so how does that work in a two-party system?

Many of the politicians associated with DSA —either as members or allies —run as Democrats rather than on a separate ballot line.

Q: So, what exactly do they believe?

DSA members and allies argue that unchecked capitalism empowers a small number of wealthy Americans at the expense of poor and working class ones — creating gross structural inequalities that don’t have to exist at the extreme levels they now do.

Q: And…what do they want to do about this?

Their solutions include:

Stronger, more genuinely protective labor unions
Universal health care
More robust housing access and protections for tenants in public and private dwellings
Tuition-free public colleges and universities
Student debt relief
Public investment in clean energy
Higher taxes on the wealthy
Expanded immigrant protections
Prison and police reform
Nationalizing some industries — including utilities, railroads, health care financing, energy, etc.

Q: Wait, are these people communists?

No. Communists believe the state ought to own nearly everything. In Russia, China, Cuba etc. (places that have embraced communism with no democratic protections) what has emerged are authoritarian regimes, with one-party rule.

Q: So, these folks like democracy and democratic protections?

Yes, one point democratic socialists often emphasize is that they explicitly reject authoritarian models. They are firm believers in:

Free and fair elections
Free speech
Civil liberties
Constitutional government

Q: How do these idea differ from the ones held by mainstream Democrats?

A larger role for government in the economy

More public ownership
More redistribution of wealth
Greater labor power
Less protective policies for large corporations

Many Democrats support public health care expansion, higher taxes on the wealthy, and public climate spending while still holding that capitalism ought to remain the dominant economic system.

Q: What are countries that support this type of government?

Think Nordic: Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Finland

Q: What candidates/leaders are members or allies of the Democratic Socialists of America?

Here are a few:

Zohran Mamdani

NYC Mayor

Campaigned on rent freezes, free city buses, universal childcare, expanded public housing, and tax hikes for the rich.

Fans say: He speaks truth to power.

Critics say: He hates the rich.

Claire Valdez

NY Assemblymember, now a U.S. House candidate

Supports affordable housing, Medicare for All, has promised “a golden age for organized labor.”

Fans say: Finally, someone in our district who gets how hard it is to make it in New York.

Critics say: She’s too radical, hates America.

Francesca Hong

State rep running in Democratic primary for governor of Wisconsin

Running on universal health care, labor rights, affordable housing, opposition to data centers

Fans say: She cares about working families.

Critics say: Too lefty for a swing state.

Abraham Aiyash

Was majority leader of the Michigan State House of Representatives

Supported affordable utilities, universal childcare, affordable car insurance, public support for programs for the needy.

Fans say: Cares about clean water, environment, people.

Critics say: Wrong side of the Israeli/Palestinian conflict.

Q: What do foes say about these folks?

Critics—including some moderate Democrats—argue that DSA policies would:

Increase taxes significantly
Expand government bureaucracy
Reduce incentives for innovation and investment
Slow economic growth
Lead to inefficiencies

Q: Are there common reporting mistakes I should try to avoid when covering these folks?

Yes. Here are a few:

Using the social democracy label without explanation
Allowing the opponent of a Social Democratic candidate to define them inaccurately as a communist or a socialist, without clarifying what the person really stands for
Ignoring policies. Often the particular policies a DSA leader or candidate wants to push for are more clarifying than a label that doesn’t have the same meaning for everyone.

Q: What books should I read?

Here are a few ideas:

The Socialist Manifesto
The Nordic Theory of Everything — Explains Nordic welfare states often cited in these debates
Capital in the Twenty-First Century — Influential work on inequality that informs many contemporary debates

Also in the News:

Wikipedia under fire

The dark side of trad-wifing

Maybe you should have been a philosophy major?

The new, new drug that may be coming to your beat

We’re Reading:

The Third Way

by Anthony Giddens

Comic Relief:

If You Like What You Are Reading:

Reach out for help at ReportingRight@googlegroups.com.

Tell your fellow reporters to subscribe.

See You Next Week!

Our Editor

Kyle Spencer

“Covering Extremism” Boot Camps Coming Soon! Help us build trainings that work for you! Fill out our survey!

The Many Faces of Patriotism

Reporting Right — Sat, 04 Jul 2026 13:16:00 GMT

THIS WEEK: The Many Faces of Patriotism

Happy 4th!

Today, Reporting Right offers reading, reflection, and a few different ways to think about the birth of our nation.

Enjoy! Take a break! Stay cool!

What does it mean to be patriotic, anyway?

Democracy Under Construction: Hear from Nikole Hannah Jones.

Proud to be American? Not so much.

Violence in a democracy? Too many think it’s not just okay, but necessary.

Struggling with your own patriotism? A look back to the Progressive Era.

Had to include a Hamilton mention!

How others celebrate:

Canadian Exceptionalism

Haiti: Celebrating the first Black republic

Seventeen African states

Share Reporting Right

Also in the News:

When heat waves and data centers mix

SCOTUS and protecting your sources

If you want to get married at Madison Square Garden, here’s what you need to know.

We’re Reading:

This America: The Case for the Nation

Jill Lepore

Comic Relief:

If You Like What You Are Reading:

Reach out for help at ReportingRight@googlegroups.com.

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See You Next Week!

Our Executive Editor

Kyle Spencer

Our Issue Editor

Casey Glickman

“Covering Extremism” Boot Camps Coming Soon!

Freedom for Whom?

Reporting Right — Fri, 26 Jun 2026 16:35:23 GMT

THIS WEEK: Freedom for Whom?

This week the term “religious freedom” took center stage.

A Supreme Court — that has heralded “religious freedom” as a major priority — made a curious ruling: that a Rastafarian man whose religion required him to wear dreadlocks could not hold prison guards personally responsible after they forcibly shaved his hair. This despite a federal law that protects religious expression in prison.

Critics pounced on the case, pointing out that the Roberts Court has repeatedly ruled to protect “religious freedom” as it relates to conservative Christianity, often at the expense of other rights for other people. Whether the cases involved an employee’s right to contraception coverage (Burwell v. Hobby Lobby), a coach’s right to gather students for a post-game prayer on the football field (Kennedy v. Bremerton), or the right of parents to shield their children from LGBTQ-themed books in public schools (Mahmoud v. Taylor), the Court has repeatedly declared “religious freedom” so important it can even outweigh competing rights.

This recent case highlights why reporters should be cautious about using the term “religious freedom” as an entirely neutral value.

Like the term “parents’ rights” which is often used to define a very specific type of right for a very specific type of parent, “religious freedom” often has an unspoken narrowness to its meaning.

Both terms are politically-charged. They are no longer useful descriptors with traditional meanings. We should not treat them as such.

When judges, elected leaders, CEO’s, or citizens claim to care deeply about one’s right to religious expression, parenting, and/or free speech we should do what reporters are taught to do with all claims. We should ask them to prove it. And if they can’t? That’s a great story.

Also in the News:

Dreadlocks in the news

Are public schools turning into Sunday schools?

Running on progressive Christianity

If you didn’t know that New Hampshire is where libertarians go to rule, read this!

We’re Reading:

Jesus and John Wayne

by Kristin Kobes Du Mez

Comic Relief:

If You Like What You Are Reading:

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Our Editor

Kyle Spencer

Redistricting Democracy Away

Reporting Right — Fri, 19 Jun 2026 21:29:00 GMT

THIS WEEK: The Many Faces of Nihilism

The kids are not alright. And they don’t think we’re doing that great, either.

This spring, during the 52nd Harvard Youth Poll an alarming number of young people reported something we have all sensed. They think things look kinda hopeless. And they’re pretty certain they can’t do much about it.

This isn’t just about isolation, loneliness or online addiction —although these are real problems, too. It’s a general sense that the American political system isn’t just failing other people. It’s failing them.

It’s a worrisome assessment as it lays down fertile ground for some pretty destructive solutions.

Hello, political nihilism –the not-so-new idea that is turning on way too many of the young and the restless.

Modern-day Nihilism comes in a variety of different forms.

This week, Reporting Right offers a primer.

Right-Wing Nihilism: David Brooks recently wrote about it.
Reactionary Nihilism: Katherine Stewart coined the term in her recent book.
Right Accelerationism: The idea that our current political system is so deeply flawed that we must accelerate internal crises to generate political collapse.
The Neo-Reactionary Movement: Founded by Curtis Yarvin and developed further by Nick Land, the NRx also known as the Dark Enlightenment is an anti-democratic movement that promotes more hierarchical forms of governance often inspired by monarchical nations, tightly-controlled corporate management styles and the fantastical idea that technologically driven city-states are our best future.
Nihilistic Violent Extremism: Support of violence as a means of getting to societal collapse. NVE groups like 764 and No Lives Matter don’t tend to have a clear political agenda, instead they aim to generate chaos by glorifying extreme acts of violence through their online networks.

Identifying people and/or orgs with nihilistic leanings isn’t always easy. Here are some warning signs:

Frequent discussion of (and excitement around) the idea of a collapsing nation
References to “the coming storm,” “civil war,” “national divorce”
Glamorization of political violence

The number of true American nihilists is still low. But it’s growing. Research shows that certain Americans, already attached to fringe groups, are at particular risk of falling down the rabbit hole. Here are some of them:

Disaster preppers
Military-grade gun aficionados
Election deniers
Conspiracy theorists
Manosphere dwellers
Religious zealots

Telling stories about the rise of politically-motivated nihilistic thinking — not the “I’m a Sartre lover and wonder why we’re all here” kind — requires some ingenuity.

Here are some coverage ideas:

Report on the concerned:

People who interface frequently with the young are often the first to recognize darker movements rising up. Concern among teachers, church leaders, local police departments or coaches is worth reporting on.

Dig into the causes:

The presence of inflammatory local leaders, militia groups and/or white supremacists can all directly link to the rise of nihilism among the young. Look out for ways the presence of anti-social groups have caused ripple effects and tell stories about how they may have set the stage for political violence in your community.

Highlight the helpers:

If a local police department, PTA or youth group is taking steps to educate around these issues, report on that. These local hero stories can be particularly inspiring and engaging.

Also in the News:

Problems with the pool

The price of data centers

The Iran War and Rural America

Learn about Reporting Right

We’re Reading:

Nihilism

by Nolan Gertz

Comic Relief:

If You Like What You Are Reading:

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See You Next Week!

Our Staff

Executive Editor Kyle Spencer

Our Board of Advisors

Alex Aronson, executive director of Court Accountability

David Armiak, research director for the Center for Media and Democracy

Connor Gibson, founder of Grassrootbeer Investigations

Maurice Cunningham, retired associate professor of political science at the University of Massachusetts at Boston and author of Dark Money and The Politics of School Privatization.

Isaac Kamola, associate professor of political science at Trinity College, founder of Faculty First Responders and co-author of Free Speech and Koch Money, Manufacturing a Campus Culture War

Nancy MacLean, William H. Chafe distinguished professor of history and public policy at Duke University and author of Democracy in Chains: The Deep History of the Radical Right’s Stealth Plan for America

Ralph Wilson, founder of the Corporate Genome Project and co-author of Free Speech and Koch Money, Manufacturing a Campus Culture War

Punishing Speech

Reporting Right — Mon, 01 Jun 2026 16:28:02 GMT

^{THIS WEEK: Punishing Speech}

Free Speech is on the chopping block. Likely, on your beat. Some speech stories look like other stories. They hide. But The First Amendment is no joke.

Reporting Right has gathered a series of speech violation stories below. We know that speech infringement builds tolerance for more speech infringement. It can start to feel normal. Our job is to remind our audiences that curbing a person’s right to speech is often a political tool. Here’s how:

Name names: Who is responsible?

Name motives: Why? Is this part of a larger effort/movement?

Name Outcomes: What does this mean for people’s rights?

Name scope: Where else is this happening?

Some Speech Violation Stories

VIOLATION: Posting a flyer about a protest

PUNISHMENT: Sent to disciplinary academy that feels like jail

VIOLATION: Teaching Plato, who is Greek and wrote about sex

PUNISHMENT: No more Plato in college courses

VIOLATION: Rainbow cross walks

PUNISHMENT: Not allowed

VIOLATION: Dissenting at a college founded for dissenters

PUNISHMENT: You’re fired

Resources

PEN America

If you need a laugh

Doc about downing the New College of Florida

This is not new

Florida and U.S. history

Also in the News:

Who’s got the young men?

Your salary is too low? Blame AI

What it really looks like when libertarians take over

ICE detainees dying by suicide at an alarmingly high rate

The Great Dissent: How Oliver Wendell Holmes Changed His Mind and Changed the History of Free Speech in America

We’re Reading:

by Thomas Healy

Comic Relief:

If You Like What You Are Reading:

Reach out for help at ReportingRight@googlegroups.com.

Tell your fellow reporters to subscribe.

See You Next Week!

Our Staff

Executive Editor Kyle Spencer

Issue Editor You-Yan Wang

Our Board of Advisors

Alex Aronson, executive director of Court Accountability

David Armiak, research director for the Center for Media and Democracy

Connor Gibson, founder of Grassrootbeer Investigations

Maurice Cunningham, retired associate professor of political science at the University of Massachusetts at Boston and author of Dark Money and The Politics of School Privatization.

Isaac Kamola, associate professor of political science at Trinity College, founder of Faculty First Responders and co-author of Free Speech and Koch Money, Manufacturing a Campus Culture War

Ralph Wilson, founder of the Corporate Genome Project and co-author of Free Speech and Koch Money, Manufacturing a Campus Culture War

What’s redistricting and gerrymandering, anyway?

Redistricting Democracy Away

Reporting Right — Tue, 19 May 2026 16:29:16 GMT

THIS WEEK: Redistricting Democracy Away

Redistricting? What to say?

All hell has broken loose.

Here’s some background:

Do other democracies do this?

Why did the Roberts Court hate the Voting Rights Act?

So, what was the Voting Rights Act, anyway?

Was Calais an election-denier?

Are we really post-racial?

Post-racial era begins

Nope, post-racial is a myth

Where can I get state-specific info?

HERE

Play the game: Can you gerrymander your party to power?

STORY IDEAS

We’re going to go out on a limb and suggest that the most important stories on local redistricting efforts will:

Inform communities about how rare it is for other democracies to do all this redistricting
Explore how much race plays into this
Show the impact that this is going to have on voters
Unpack why this has become such a thing in the first place
Include stories of how this will impact actual voters
Consider the troubling past of the man who filed the complaint that the Supreme Court used to basically dismantle what was left of the Voting Rights Act

Also in the News:

Trump states the obvious

The AI reporters got fired

“My admiration is not increasing” — says German Chancellor (re: USA)

We’re Reading:

The Fight to Vote

by Michael Waldman

Comic Relief:

If You Like What You Are Reading:

Reach out for help at ReportingRight@googlegroups.com.

Tell your fellow reporters to subscribe.

See You Next Week!

Our Staff

Executive Editor Kyle Spencer

Issue Editor You-Yan Wang

Our Board of Advisors

Alex Aronson, executive director of Court Accountability

David Armiak, research director for the Center for Media and Democracy

Connor Gibson, founder of Grassrootbeer Investigations

Maurice Cunningham, retired associate professor of political science at the University of Massachusetts at Boston and author of Dark Money and The Politics of School Privatization.

Isaac Kamola, associate professor of political science at Trinity College, founder of Faculty First Responders and co-author of Free Speech and Koch Money, Manufacturing a Campus Culture War

Ralph Wilson, founder of the Corporate Genome Project and co-author of Free Speech and Koch Money, Manufacturing a Campus Culture War

Who will stand up to the Supreme Court justices?

Join my Reporting Right chat

Reporting Right — Mon, 11 May 2026 21:16:37 GMT

Today I’m announcing a brand new addition to my Substack publication: Reporting Right chat.

This is a conversation space—kind of like a group chat or live hangout. I’ll post questions and updates that come my way, and you can jump into the discussion.

Join chat

How to get started

Get the Substack app by clicking this link or the button below. New chat threads won’t be sent sent via email, so turn on push notifications so you don’t miss conversation as it happens. You can also access chat on the web.

Get app

Open the app and tap the Chat icon. It looks like two bubbles in the bottom bar, and you’ll see a row for my chat inside.

That’s it! Jump into my thread to say hi, and if you have any issues, check out Substack’s FAQ.

To Tucker With Love

Reporting Right — Fri, 08 May 2026 20:34:09 GMT

THIS WEEK: Loving Tucker Carlson

Tucker Carlson was once deemed so racist even Fox News wanted some distance.

Then the mainstream media fell in love with Tucker, forgetting:

his racist rants
More of his racist rants
his friendly banter with misogynistic, anti-semite Nick Fuentes
his election denial
his support of the “Great Replacement” theory

Consider:

This adoring podcast

(Lulu, we love you! How could you do this to us?)

This glowing feature
This Economist look at The Tucker
This take-down, which reads like fan mail
This BBC take, which managed to confront Carlson much more aggressively than The NYT on his choice to platform an anti-semitic guest with a big space for Hitler in his heart

Should we be concerned? Is there no low that is too low? Is all prior bigotry forgivable?

Or maybe…it’s just okay to be kinda in the camp of white people, now that DEI is so out?

We, at Reporting Right, suspect that the NYT was feeling slightly queasy about its choices.

Doesn’t THIS read like a bit of a defensive rebuttal?

We also think that the NYT has a right-wing quota of sorts that it feels compelled to fill — considering its regular look at Trump-aligned (or once aligned) figures. Consider: THIS and THIS and THIS.

Still, not everyone is super excited about what Tucker has to say.

The SPLC thinks of him like THIS.

This Atlantic report moans: “Seriously, Tucker Carlson?”

At Reporting Right, we think there are many, many reasons to be shocked and disgusted by Israel’s behavior in the Middle East. But we question the judgement of a news outlet choosing a guy who has been so often accused of anti-semitic leanings/associations to platform as a leading voice against the Jewish state.

Do we want to hear everyone on every topic?

Maybe not.

Also in the News:

Did AI know about the White House correspondents’ dinner shooting?

We’re Reading:

Hated By All the Right People

by Jason Zengerle

Comic Relief:

If You Like What You Are Reading: Tell your fellow reporters to subscribe.

See You Next Week!

Our Staff

Executive Editor Kyle Spencer

Issue Editor You-Yan Wang

Our Board of Advisors

Alex Aronson, executive director of Court Accountability

David Armiak, research director for the Center for Media and Democracy

Connor Gibson, founder of Grassrootbeer Investigations

Maurice Cunningham, retired associate professor of political science at the University of Massachusetts at Boston and author of Dark Money and The Politics of School Privatization.

Isaac Kamola, associate professor of political science at Trinity College, founder of Faculty First Responders and co-author of Free Speech and Koch Money, Manufacturing a Campus Culture War

Ralph Wilson, founder of the Corporate Genome Project and co-author of Free Speech and Koch Money, Manufacturing a Campus Culture War

The Substack-ification of American religion

Killing Weeds, Killing People

Reporting Right — Fri, 01 May 2026 17:35:00 GMT

THIS WEEK: Cancer Clusters Near You

If you cover a rural community, you likely have a cancer cluster near you.

And if the makers of Roundup — the most widely-used weedkiller in the world, which is believed by many researchers to be connected to those cancers — gets its way, Roundup will be blamed for making thousands of Americans sick for years to come, with little or no repercussions.

How is this possible?

Bayer, the parent company of Monsanto which makes Roundup, is drowning in lawsuits that are hurting its bottom line and its reputation.

Meanwhile, it is doing everything it can to keep the product on the market and shut down future lawsuits.

Where?

In the Supreme Court where it is trying to beat back countless lower court suits that are seeking to hold the company responsible for cancer cases.
In state legislatures where it is writing bills that will give it immunity from tens of thousands of Roundup cancer claims. (Find more on that HERE.)
In communities where it is propping up the Modern Ag Alliance, a fake grassroots org it leads, controls, and funds — to mislead the public about the safety of Roundup.
In the 2026 farm bill where a pro-pesticide provision sought to grant Bayer immunity from lawsuits. The bill has since passed in the House, without the measure.
In a Trump executive order that declared the use of the chemicals in Roundup “critical to national security.” The chemicals are also used in U.S. Military ammunition.

Here are five things you need to know.

What is in Roundup and why are the ingredients inside it thought by many scientists to be harmful?

Check THIS out.

What does the EPA, the federal agency funded to protect Americans from harmful products, say about Roundup’s ingredients?

THAT THEY’RE FINE.

Why is that?

See REGULATORY CAPTURE.

Where is RFK Jr. and MAHA on this?

RFK JR has ABANDONED his original convictions about the pesticide.

Many MAHA members are MAD.

How can journalists address/correct pesticide science denial?

CONFRONT THE SPIN

Where is info on the SCOTUS case?

HERE

How does Monsanto go after journalists?

THIS WAY

What are foes of the weed-killer doing?

THIS

Also in the News

Nicotine, anyone?

We’re Reading:

Whitewash: The Story of a Weed-Killer Cancer, and the Corruption of Science

by Carey Gillam

Comic Relief

If You Like What You Are Reading:

Reach out for help at ReportingRight@googlegroups.com.

Tell your fellow reporters to subscribe.

See You Next Week!

Our Staff

Executive Editor Kyle Spencer

Issue Editor You-Yan Wang

Our Board of Advisors

Alex Aronson, executive director of Court Accountability

David Armiak, research director for the Center for Media and Democracy

Connor Gibson, founder of Grassrootbeer Investigations

Maurice Cunningham, retired associate professor of political science at the University of Massachusetts at Boston and author of Dark Money and The Politics of School Privatization.

Isaac Kamola, associate professor of political science at Trinity College, founder of Faculty First Responders and co-author of Free Speech and Koch Money, Manufacturing a Campus Culture War

Ralph Wilson, founder of the Corporate Genome Project and co-author of Free Speech and Koch Money, Manufacturing a Campus Culture War

A camp to turn you into an Alpha-male

Jesus in the Classroom

Reporting Right — Sat, 25 Apr 2026 17:31:00 GMT

THIS WEEK: Bibles at School

“Don’t forget your bible.”

That may be the new morning reminder for a slew of public school parents with children in certain states, as getting bible instruction in schools has become an increasingly popular item on the Christian Nationalist to-do list. In many places, local Republicans have been happy to support the addition.

Here are some examples

Some Tips on Covering Religion in Schools

EXPLAIN THE LEGAL RAMIFICATIONS

Most all initiatives are being contested, like in Oklahoma

DON’T ADOPT PARTISAN FRAMING DEVELOPED BY A PR FIRM

Many of the supporters of bible study in schools are framing bible study as a literacy enrichment issue. In other words, they insist they are offering something missing, not imposing something controversial and unconstitutional. Instead of repeating the framing as if it were fact, report on how the framing is — or is not — working and how opponents are framing the issue.

UNDERSTAND AND REPORT ON FIRST AMENDMENT AND THE ESTABLISHMENT CLAUSE

Critics see the above framing as just a way to get around regulations that relate to separation of church and state. Unpacking this is important.

TELL STORIES THAT EXPLORE HOW ACTIVISTS ARE PUSHING BACK

Like THIS.

OFFER CONTEXT

Efforts to get bibles in public schools are overlapping with a push to get religious schools included in state education funding programs. They also coincide with efforts among Christian Nationalists to take over school districts. Inform your audiences about the larger efforts among ultra-conservative Christians to push Christianity onto American students, at the taxpayer’s expense.

ASK ABOUT OTHER RELIGIONS

Folks who are pushing bibles into schools are often the same ones pushing for more of their conservative Christianity into many other facets of daily life. Be mindful of the number of other religions in America; and what it means to favor one. SEE: The Tyranny of the Majority

A guide for covering religion in schools

Also in the News

Anthropic and religion

With no civics, voters are in dark

Florida has vouchers for swimming lessons

We’re Watching:

Jesus Camp

Comic Relief

If You Like What You Are Reading:

Reach out for help at ReportingRight@googlegroups.com.

Tell your fellow reporters to subscribe.

See You Next Week!

Our Staff

Executive Editor Kyle Spencer

Issue Editor You-Yan Wang

Our Board of Advisors

Alex Aronson, executive director of Court Accountability

David Armiak, research director for the Center for Media and Democracy

Connor Gibson, founder of Grassrootbeer Investigations

Maurice Cunningham, retired associate professor of political science at the University of Massachusetts at Boston and author of Dark Money and The Politics of School Privatization.

Isaac Kamola, associate professor of political science at Trinity College, founder of Faculty First Responders and co-author of Free Speech and Koch Money, Manufacturing a Campus Culture War

Ralph Wilson, founder of the Corporate Genome Project and co-author of Free Speech and Koch Money, Manufacturing a Campus Culture War

MAGA influencers want to jail each other

MAHA Who?

Reporting Right — Fri, 17 Apr 2026 19:11:14 GMT

THIS WEEK: Covering MAHA

So what does MAHA even mean?

The loosely defined catch-all phrase seems to have a myriad of — sometimes diametrically opposed — definitions.

Here are a few of them:

A political ploy disconnected to real efforts to improve American health standards
A bunch of savvy social media mavens who profit off of real fears that public officials don’t actually care about the health of their constituents
The overlap between spiritual progressives and conservative Christians who have come together over their health concerns
A vaccine-obsessed movement that exploded when RFK Jr. messaged to a bunch of mothers (with unsubstantiated info on the health risks of vaccines) that he heard them
A bad answer to a good question

…All to say, when the term shows up in the news, it does not help audiences really understand the complex sentiments most Americans have about our healthcare system, or lack thereof….

So…when telling MAHA health stories:

Don’t oversimplify.
MAHA folk don’t all believe the same thing. If you are quoting self-identified MAHA’s, tell your audience exactly what they believe.
Don’t used loaded words like toxins, chemicals, or corruption.
Instead, report claims with language that describes the actual complaints, where they come from, and whether there is any substantiated evidence related to them.
Don’t report false claims as if they were accurate.
Instead, indicate what sources believe versus what experts report.
Don’t overlook political or economic incentives.
Instead, explain what they are. Businesses and some politicians now use MAHA as a catchphrase to sell products and get votes.
Don’t pit junk science against real science.
Instead, if people are disputing the science, unpack that.

Some good reading on the MAHA phenomenon

Your guide to who’s who in the MAHA Movement
MAHA: the numbers
The MAHA Report - what is it, anyway?
Don’t ask ChatGPT about your health!
Measles in America: Who exactly are the unvaccinated?
SNAP: more rotisserie chicken, less soda, and other ways fans of deregulation want to regulate what poor people eat.

Also in the News

The Annoyance Economy

How to guess if your job will be around in the future

Taxes? No!

Dems getting religion

We’re Reading:

KFF’s Health News haikus - see bottom of Morning Briefing

Comic Relief

If You Like What You Are Reading:

Reach out for help at ReportingRight@googlegroups.com.

Tell your fellow reporters to subscribe.

See You Next Week!

Our Staff

Executive Editor Kyle Spencer

Issue Editor You-Yan Wang

Our Board of Advisors

Alex Aronson, executive director of Court Accountability

David Armiak, research director for the Center for Media and Democracy

Connor Gibson, founder of Grassrootbeer Investigations

Maurice Cunningham, retired associate professor of political science at the University of Massachusetts at Boston and author of Dark Money and The Politics of School Privatization.

Isaac Kamola, associate professor of political science at Trinity College, founder of Faculty First Responders and co-author of Free Speech and Koch Money, Manufacturing a Campus Culture War

Ralph Wilson, founder of the Corporate Genome Project and co-author of Free Speech and Koch Money, Manufacturing a Campus Culture War

Covering the Rise of Abortion Abolitionists

Reporting Right — Fri, 10 Apr 2026 21:42:32 GMT

THIS WEEK:

Abortion Abolitionists are coming to your state.

As with many activists on the Extreme Right, these ones are:

led by men
getting national funding
building via local networks
pushing model legislation inside state legislatures
benefitting from assumptions that their goals are too extreme to ever materialize, while they work to normalize them slowly in the eyes of the public

For journalists, the question is no longer whether to cover these abortion abolitionists, but how to do so without normalizing their efforts to jail — and even execute — women who have sought abortions.

National coverage has mostly focused on the big picture. But there is not enough local reporting shedding light on the growing number of local initiatives.

To get some ideas about covering reproductive rights, in general, check out THIS.

For some background on the abortion abolitionist movement, check out THIS.

For a list of the model bills and info on actors, funders and tactics, check out THIS.

TIPS ON COVERING ABORTION ABOLITIONISTS

Name names

Multiple organizations are leading these pushes. Report on who’s working in your state.

Check out THIS

Don’t underestimate local buy-in

Check THIS out from Oklahoma

Explore growing fissures inside the anti-choice movement

Read THIS

Report on rhetorical tactics

For example, activists are comparing themselves to slavery abolitionists.

LIKE THIS

Also in the News

America’s Holy War

Campaigning on the flight

Will the Dems ever catch up?

Ripple effect of Iran war

Iran’s meme factory

The activists who want to abolish IVF

We’re Listening to:

Comic Relief

If You Like What You Are Reading:

Reach out for help at ReportingRight@googlegroups.com.

Tell your fellow reporters to subscribe.

See You Next Week!

Our Staff

Executive Editor Kyle Spencer

Issue Editor You-Yan Wang

Our Board of Advisors

Alex Aronson, executive director of Court Accountability

David Armiak, research director for the Center for Media and Democracy

Connor Gibson, founder of Grassrootbeer Investigations

Maurice Cunningham, retired associate professor of political science at the University of Massachusetts at Boston and author of Dark Money and The Politics of School Privatization.

Isaac Kamola, associate professor of political science at Trinity College, founder of Faculty First Responders and co-author of Free Speech and Koch Money, Manufacturing a Campus Culture War

Ralph Wilson, founder of the Corporate Genome Project and co-author of Free Speech and Koch Money, Manufacturing a Campus Culture War

A Journalist’s Guide to Protest Safety

Your Job is Dangerous!

Reporting Right — Fri, 03 Apr 2026 14:13:02 GMT

THIS WEEK: Safe on the Job

Press freedom is under attack.

The United States fell to 57th in the 2025 Reporters Without Borders’ Press Freedom Index. We are below countries like Poland, Ghana, Estonia, and South Africa. That marks our lowest rating since the index’s inception in 2002.

With this in mind, the Journalism Protection Institute at the Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism recently released a safety guidebook.

FIND IT HERE.

Some Important Takeaways

Journalists are no longer just neutral observers. They’re targets.

Safety prioritization and preparedness should be embedded into your newsroom’s culture.

Editors should be aware when assigning stories that identity-based risk is rising.

Legal warfare, surveillance, and subpoenas are new tools that may be used against your news outlet to suppress you.

Building safety into your reporting routine can help protect you.

More Resources

Promoting Journalist Safety

Some Alarming Reading

The story I have not told until now: Neo-Nazi threats and harassment

RSF condemns wave of violence against journalists covering Los Angeles protests

FBI asking press for info: Photographer questioned over identity of protesters at the Federal Building

Nashville journalist speaks out after ICE detention, calls experience ‘terrifying’

Nashville journalist’s release from ICE detention delayed, slowing action in federal lawsuit

FBI raids home of Washington Post reporter in ‘highly unusual and aggressive’ move

Also in the News:

Save D.C. golf from Donald Trump

Why (and how) everyone is cold-calling the president

The women who believe women should not have the right to vote

Using water to combat ICE

We’re Watching:

My Undesirable Friend

Comic Relief

If You Like What You Are Reading:

Reach out for help at ReportingRight@googlegroups.com.

Tell your fellow reporters to subscribe.

See You Next Week!

Our Staff

Executive Editor Kyle Spencer

Assistant Editor You-Yan Wang

Our Board of Advisors

Alex Aronson, executive director of Court Accountability

David Armiak, research director for the Center for Media and Democracy

Connor Gibson, founder of Grassrootbeer Investigations

Maurice Cunningham, retired associate professor of political science at the University of Massachusetts at Boston and author of Dark Money and The Politics of School Privatization.

Isaac Kamola, associate professor of political science at Trinity College, founder of Faculty First Responders and co-author of Free Speech and Koch Money, Manufacturing a Campus Culture War

Ralph Wilson, founder of the Corporate Genome Project and co-author of Free Speech and Koch Money, Manufacturing a Campus Culture War

Young Republicans are increasingly being flagged for openly racist ideologies.

The Hate Economy

Reporting Right — Fri, 27 Mar 2026 15:00:00 GMT

THIS WEEK: The Hate Economy

Most journalists are encountering a hard-to-describe phenomenon: The normalization of hate.

The American Defense Secretary’s pastor has a guest on his show who wishes out loud that God would kill a Texas senate candidate.

That same Secretary of Defense tells a press corps the United States negotiates with bombs.

Open misogynists are getting mainstream play.

A GOP lawmaker tells a journalist: “I’d bust your face right now.”

How did this become normal?

This week, we are exploring:

Why this is happening.

How it is happening.

Where it is happening.

If hate is showing up on your beat — IRL or online —cover it.

Here’s some stuff to read:

Covering Hate Speech - A Guide for Journalists

Hate Speech & Hate Crimes - the American Library Association

The Extreme Gone Mainstream

Hate in the Headlines

Also in the news:

Naomi Klein thinks maybe it’d be good to unmute.

I’m selling your water?

Should Dems get sexier?

This homeschooler wants to protect the kids.

Secession, anyone? Not the show, the country.

We’re watching:

The Inquisitor (about civil rights icon Barbara Jordan)

Comic Relief

If You Like What You Are Reading:

Reach out for help at ReportingRight@googlegroups.com.

Tell your fellow reporters to subscribe.

See You Next Week!

Our Staff

Executive Editor Kyle Spencer

Our Board of Advisors

Alex Aronson, executive director of Court Accountability

David Armiak, research director for the Center for Media and Democracy

Connor Gibson, founder of Grassrootbeer Investigations

Maurice Cunningham, retired associate professor of political science at the University of Massachusetts at Boston and author of Dark Money and The Politics of School Privatization.

Isaac Kamola, associate professor of political science at Trinity College, founder of Faculty First Responders and co-author of Free Speech and Koch Money, Manufacturing a Campus Culture War

Ralph Wilson, founder of the Corporate Genome Project and co-author of Free Speech and Koch Money, Manufacturing a Campus Culture War

YouTube, it’s your turn in the spotlight.

Gaslighting MAGA

Reporting Right — Fri, 20 Mar 2026 16:23:00 GMT

THIS WEEK: Gaslighting MAGA

Tucker, Joe, Megyn, and a whole host of other former fans are shocked that the Trump presidency isn’t going the way they planned.

So are a lot of Trump voters who believed T…

Bring the War Home

Reporting Right — Fri, 13 Mar 2026 15:36:18 GMT

THIS WEEK: BRING THE WAR HOME

The American military is raining down on an already fragile region as Trump wages an unpopular, and ill-planned war with Iran.

As questions continue to swirl over the constitutionality of this war, journalists around the country — no matter their beat —ought to focus on keeping Americans as informed as possible.

A good rule of thumb: Start with what people already care about, and go from there.

______________________________________

STORY IDEAS TO INCREASE AWARENESS OF IRAN WAR

Safety Last

War Story: Hundreds of thousands of Americans were left stranded in the region as the war broke out.
Local Angle: Tell the story of anyone on your beat who tried to flee, fled, or has a U.S. family member detained in Iran.

Like This: They fought to get out.

Like This: Will my loved one become collateral?

Paying the Price

War Story: Gas prices are up and down because transportation routes are being disrupted.
Local Angle: Report on what that will look like for utility bills in your state?

Like This: States like these are vulnerable to soaring prices.

What Family Vacation?

War Story: Spring and summer travel is likely going to be impacted by increased airfare due to higher fuel prices.
Local Angle: Tell stories about how this will impact family travel on your beat? Are families making other plans?

Get Interactive

War Story: Polls show the war is enormously unpopular.
Local Angle: Launch an online conversation in your community. How do people feel? What are they worried about? How is the war already impacting their lives and their families?

Like This: We asked.

School Violence

War Story: Earlier this month, at least 175 student and educators in Iran were murdered after a Tomahawk missile, the kind only the United States has access to, hit their school.
Local Angle: Gun violence is an issue in American schools. How do local educators feel about American missile violence?

National Guard Goes International

War Story: Trump sent many National Guard troops to Middle East.

Local Angle: Is your state one of the targets?

Like This: Deployed.

Also in the news

Another journalist detained.

Taxpayers are still footing the bill for Noem’s Big Beautiful Jet.

Data Centers are reshaping politics.

We’re Reading

Shah of Shahs

by Ryszard Kapuscinski

Comic Relief

If You Like What You Are Reading:

Reach out for help at ReportingRight@googlegroups.com.

Tell your fellow reporters to subscribe.

See You Next Week!

Our Staff

Executive Editor Kyle Spencer

Our Board of Advisors

Alex Aronson, executive director of Court Accountability

David Armiak, research director for the Center for Media and Democracy

Connor Gibson, founder of Grassrootbeer Investigations

Maurice Cunningham, retired associate professor of political science at the University of Massachusetts at Boston and author of Dark Money and The Politics of School Privatization.

Isaac Kamola, associate professor of political science at Trinity College, founder of Faculty First Responders and co-author of Free Speech and Koch Money, Manufacturing a Campus Culture War

Ralph Wilson, founder of the Corporate Genome Project and co-author of Free Speech and Koch Money, Manufacturing a Campus Culture War

Joe and James: Could Rogan support Talarico?

Some Law Firms Said "No" to Trump: Make Them Household Names

Reporting Right — Thu, 05 Mar 2026 17:23:51 GMT

REPORTING RIGHT WILL BE AT IRE

JUNE 18-21

for a workshop on

COVERING RIGHT-WING EXTREMISM

If you did a story you’d like to share with colleagues

REACH OUT

Tell hero stories. Right now, they’re necessary.

Few of us want to talk about the pernicious act of journalistic ignorance that comes from being decent. You just can’t believe some of the horrible stuff that is happening.

For months in 2016, before MAGA dragged the nation down, we saw reporters and editors mocking the orange-haired Trump. He was simply too gross, to win. Then, he did.

Then we had one assault after another on our democracy. We’ve seen Trump enrich himself with so many unethical, immoral, obscene moves — it all begins to feel like a dystopian film with Trump as the all-powerful ogre no one can defeat.

Now, if we are being honest, a lot of us are wondering if we can ever get out from under this turn of events. On some level, should we just accept that these are the new terms of engagement?

Exhausting us, numbing us, getting us to lower our own moral standards and our sense of urgency — this is, of course, part of the plan.

But some people have not allowed such normalization. Pro-democracy legal advocacy orgs — we see you Democracy Forward — have worked tirelessly, putting up one fight after another.

Those are heroes.

The other legal entities that have refused to kowtow to the Trump Machine? Four law firms, who embarrassed their weaker, morally-inferior counterparts when Trump came after them for bribe money, as part of an executive order that was essentially an intimidation move and a shake-down.

While many firms got on their knees - shame Paul Weiss— these firms: Jenner & Block, Susman Godfrey, Perkins Coie and WilmerHale said: “No!”

Heroes.

It’s depressing and upsetting to think that we are now praising American law firms for standing up for the law. But here we are.

Earlier this week, these firms were in the news when the DOJ dropped its cases, after federal judges had struck down the executive orders seeking to punish them for their passing an unseemly ethics test. The DOJ, in classic Trump fashion, quickly changed its mind. The appeals were still on.

Still, most people are pretty certain the firms will prevail. And everyone knows the firms that capitulated are now seeing that letting Trump bully you leads to one thing: More Trump bullying.

The honest people standing up to Trump, the bully, should be household names, included in American legend and lore — as should any and all MAGA resisters who stand up and win.

Heroism is contagious. Bystanders react when they see others react.

Journalists committed to fighting the anti-democratic forces racing through our country should know this, too.

If we believe now it is an American obligation to stand up for democracy, we need to show Americans other people who have done so, too. Even if, yes, we are exhausted.

Please tell hero stories.

HOW TO TELL HERO STORIES

Tell stories that:

Show how local leaders are standing up to Trump

LIKE: Local leaders protecting against Trump

Show how people finally said: “We can no longer support this.”

LIKE: Republicans finally standing up to Trump

Outline what got people finally protesting

LIKE: Why they came to the No Kings event

Turn ordinary people into heroes

LIKE: Americans communities resist ICE

Also in the news

Famous and Sane: U.S. seems no longer such a great place to live

Social media as state media

Google may want you dead, if you click a lot before

We’re Reading

The Last Honest Man

by James Risen

Comic Relief

If You Like What You Are Reading:

Reach out for help at ReportingRight@googlegroups.com.

Tell your fellow reporters to subscribe.

See You Next Week!

Our Staff

Executive Editor Kyle Spencer

Our Board of Advisors

Alex Aronson, executive director of Court Accountability

David Armiak, research director for the Center for Media and Democracy

Connor Gibson, founder of Grassrootbeer Investigations

Maurice Cunningham, retired associate professor of political science at the University of Massachusetts at Boston and author of Dark Money and The Politics of School Privatization.

Isaac Kamola, associate professor of political science at Trinity College, founder of Faculty First Responders and co-author of Free Speech and Koch Money, Manufacturing a Campus Culture War

Ralph Wilson, founder of the Corporate Genome Project and co-author of Free Speech and Koch Money, Manufacturing a Campus Culture War