Christoph Mergerson
@mergerson.bsky.social
📍 Journalism professor, University of Maryland
📕 PhD in media studies from Rutgers
🌪️ I study weather media
🌪️ Former NWS intern
🏛️ Also study media history, trust in news, and the well-being of media professionals
🏛️ Formerly at Brookings
📕 PhD in media studies from Rutgers
🌪️ I study weather media
🌪️ Former NWS intern
🏛️ Also study media history, trust in news, and the well-being of media professionals
🏛️ Formerly at Brookings
It’s wild when people on social media show up to try to “correct” you, then block you when you refute their argument. Poor taste, isn’t it? Don’t try to dunk on people if you can’t clear the rim.
Yeah, I’m good with what I originally posted. It’s an editorial judgment to decide whether to highlight or obscure the fact that a 57-year-old television producer is accused of harassing a teenager. It shouldn’t be obscured.
November 25, 2025 at 4:40 PM
It’s wild when people on social media show up to try to “correct” you, then block you when you refute their argument. Poor taste, isn’t it? Don’t try to dunk on people if you can’t clear the rim.
Yeah, I’m good with what I originally posted. It’s an editorial judgment to decide whether to highlight or obscure the fact that a 57-year-old television producer is accused of harassing a teenager. It shouldn’t be obscured.
November 25, 2025 at 4:29 PM
Yeah, I’m good with what I originally posted. It’s an editorial judgment to decide whether to highlight or obscure the fact that a 57-year-old television producer is accused of harassing a teenager. It shouldn’t be obscured.
Whether done intentionally or through negligence—neither of which is professional—when journalists misrepresent or obscure the truth of what’s happening to marginalized communities, it reveals what those “objective” journalists really think of them: as people unworthy of their respect and dignity.
"Activist" is being purposely used by Sky News here to obscure the fact that Linehan had a violent outburst with a teenager.
Graham Linehan cleared of harassment but guilty of criminal damage to trans activist's phone
November 25, 2025 at 12:51 PM
Whether done intentionally or through negligence—neither of which is professional—when journalists misrepresent or obscure the truth of what’s happening to marginalized communities, it reveals what those “objective” journalists really think of them: as people unworthy of their respect and dignity.
He must know this is a transparently silly explanation. Is his calculation that so long as he doesn’t explicitly admit what seems obvious, he can limit the political damage?
“I would never ever do it in a hurtful or insulting way”
Nigel Farage responds to allegations of racist behaviour from when he was a teenager at school
@itvnewspolitics.bsky.social
Nigel Farage responds to allegations of racist behaviour from when he was a teenager at school
@itvnewspolitics.bsky.social
November 24, 2025 at 8:19 PM
He must know this is a transparently silly explanation. Is his calculation that so long as he doesn’t explicitly admit what seems obvious, he can limit the political damage?
Was obsessed with Weather Star III era Weather Channel, and record stores only paid $6.75/hour.
November 22, 2025 at 8:29 PM
Was obsessed with Weather Star III era Weather Channel, and record stores only paid $6.75/hour.
Not paying a dime for Lizza’s jeremiad but this does seem like an important detail to follow, as does the post that comes after it:
Lizza also talks about Nuzzi going even deeper into ethics violations by doing catch-and-kill on stories about RFK and writing campaign strategy memos
This is far more important than the disgusting sex shit and I'm kind of mad Lizza paywalled it
This is far more important than the disgusting sex shit and I'm kind of mad Lizza paywalled it
November 22, 2025 at 3:16 PM
Not paying a dime for Lizza’s jeremiad but this does seem like an important detail to follow, as does the post that comes after it:
So, you’re telling me the poem was called American Canyon and the book is called American Canto? Is that what you’re telling me?
November 22, 2025 at 3:05 PM
So, you’re telling me the poem was called American Canyon and the book is called American Canto? Is that what you’re telling me?
Stuff like this is why I regularly watch the WWL Morning News in New Orleans as my local television news source, despite living out of market. Brandon Walker, the anchor who did this interview, said he knew his grandmother would be watching. If you know, you know. #YR #Nola
November 21, 2025 at 1:40 PM
Reposted by Christoph Mergerson
not particularly fond of this 2025 normalization-of-Nazi-symbols speedrun but, alas, here we are
November 20, 2025 at 7:13 PM
not particularly fond of this 2025 normalization-of-Nazi-symbols speedrun but, alas, here we are
The sentence is piercing: "The dueling missives from Nuzzi and Lizza show two showboats trying to out-detail each other, with maudlin prose dissecting a relationship that’s portrayed as tortured, but was really just between two careless narcissists." I lowkey might assign this piece in class.
I think @dinfontay.com summed up the moral fracture in journalism really well: “I feel cliché referencing George Carlin, but after a week like this what else can you say? There is a big club, and we aren't in it.”
Moral rot in elite journalism is killing the whole field
The Nuzzi/RFK Jr. mess and the revelation of Esptein's journo pals lay bare a profound moral absence at the heart of our free press.
www.thehandbasket.co
November 20, 2025 at 5:01 PM
The sentence is piercing: "The dueling missives from Nuzzi and Lizza show two showboats trying to out-detail each other, with maudlin prose dissecting a relationship that’s portrayed as tortured, but was really just between two careless narcissists." I lowkey might assign this piece in class.
Reposted by Christoph Mergerson
I am obviously a big proponent of local news. It's critical to a functioning democracy. However, we need more independent media publications. Legacy sites with big corporate owners have websites that are frequently, maddeningly unusable. By the time you access the content, you're already pissed.
November 20, 2025 at 4:12 PM
I am obviously a big proponent of local news. It's critical to a functioning democracy. However, we need more independent media publications. Legacy sites with big corporate owners have websites that are frequently, maddeningly unusable. By the time you access the content, you're already pissed.
"Making both sides mad" might be a good definition for clickbaitism, but I'm not sure that it's journalism.
My sense is they feel very affirmed when people get mad. "If both sides are angry I'm doing my job," is a line I have heard from a high-level NYT editor, not saying which one.
November 14, 2025 at 9:02 PM
"Making both sides mad" might be a good definition for clickbaitism, but I'm not sure that it's journalism.
Have a feeling that folks doing security for the Wicked premiere in Singapore on Thursday will be available for hire on Friday. Cynthia Erivo was offering more protection than they were. #ArianaGrande
www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie...
www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie...
Ariana Grande Rushed by Fan on ‘Wicked’ Red Carpet; Cynthia Erivo Fights Back
A fan broke through the 'Wicked: For Good' security line to charge the actress in videos going viral Thursday.
www.hollywoodreporter.com
November 14, 2025 at 3:03 AM
Have a feeling that folks doing security for the Wicked premiere in Singapore on Thursday will be available for hire on Friday. Cynthia Erivo was offering more protection than they were. #ArianaGrande
www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie...
www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie...
Reposted by Christoph Mergerson
DO NOT REPEAT THIS INSIGHT is going at the end of all of my emails from this point forward.
November 12, 2025 at 5:08 PM
DO NOT REPEAT THIS INSIGHT is going at the end of all of my emails from this point forward.
Reposted by Christoph Mergerson
In fairness to Bari, a lot of cub reporters feel that way when they get to their first real news job
“I’ve been hearing that standards will be eliminated or severely cut back. Bari has told people that she wants to get rid of standards and is shocked that they have so much power. She also asked openly, ‘What’s the point of standards?’” one CBS source said.
www.independent.co.uk/news/world/a...
www.independent.co.uk/news/world/a...
Bari Weiss wants to take down ‘too much power’ CBS News Standards unit: sources
EXCLUSIVE: Internal rumblings within the newsroom come after the S&P head resigned and the network disbanded its vaunted Race and Culture unit.
www.independent.co.uk
November 11, 2025 at 2:56 PM
In fairness to Bari, a lot of cub reporters feel that way when they get to their first real news job
Senate Democrats play themselves like the Allman Brothers playing "Jessica."
November 11, 2025 at 2:00 AM
Senate Democrats play themselves like the Allman Brothers playing "Jessica."
Federal workers and anyone affected should ask Senate Democrats what was the point of all the missed paychecks, and all the chaos with the airports and benefit checks if they're simply going to fold in the end. If the House doesn't pass those ACA extensions, once again the Dems played themselves.
November 11, 2025 at 1:58 AM
Federal workers and anyone affected should ask Senate Democrats what was the point of all the missed paychecks, and all the chaos with the airports and benefit checks if they're simply going to fold in the end. If the House doesn't pass those ACA extensions, once again the Dems played themselves.
Reposted by Christoph Mergerson
As the owner of an independent bookstore, I must ask all of y'all to do the opposite of this forever and ever, amen.
I am not allowed to buy more books until I read the ones I already own
November 8, 2025 at 9:17 PM
As the owner of an independent bookstore, I must ask all of y'all to do the opposite of this forever and ever, amen.
Do newspapers have copy editors in 2025, or are random combinations of letters the new spelling? #journalism
November 7, 2025 at 9:55 PM
Do newspapers have copy editors in 2025, or are random combinations of letters the new spelling? #journalism
You don't need to go to journalism school to be a journalist, but you should perhaps learn some best practices of journalism before playing a journalist on social media. Maybe if this fellow had Tom Rosenstiel as a professor, he would learn that journalism is a discipline of verification. #Cowboys
November 6, 2025 at 4:20 PM
You don't need to go to journalism school to be a journalist, but you should perhaps learn some best practices of journalism before playing a journalist on social media. Maybe if this fellow had Tom Rosenstiel as a professor, he would learn that journalism is a discipline of verification. #Cowboys
It's always interesting to see how so many people who present themselves as believing in racial equality and inclusion so quickly fall in line with racist beliefs when experiencing the mildest social pressure to do so. #Vivek
November 5, 2025 at 12:20 PM
It's always interesting to see how so many people who present themselves as believing in racial equality and inclusion so quickly fall in line with racist beliefs when experiencing the mildest social pressure to do so. #Vivek
Cuomo been pinned twice. Time to stop pushing him. He's never getting over again. #wrestling
Zohran Mamdani will be New York’s youngest mayor in over a century and the city’s first Muslim and first South Asian mayor. He has twice defeated Andrew Cuomo, who resigned as governor in the face of sexual harassment allegations. https://bit.ly/47pa8LH
Zohran Mamdani, who ran on universal child care, elected New York City mayor
Mamdani defeated Andrew Cuomo, who resigned as governor in 2021 in the face of sexual misconduct allegations.
19thnews.org
November 5, 2025 at 2:22 AM
Cuomo been pinned twice. Time to stop pushing him. He's never getting over again. #wrestling
Reposted by Christoph Mergerson
Actually a travesty. Teen Vogue was a shockingly reputable publication with forward thinking politics that reflected the generations it represented. I've worked with several media companies in my career. Watched multiple go through "reorg" after "reorg" where competent people got axed over politics.
November 4, 2025 at 1:00 AM
Actually a travesty. Teen Vogue was a shockingly reputable publication with forward thinking politics that reflected the generations it represented. I've worked with several media companies in my career. Watched multiple go through "reorg" after "reorg" where competent people got axed over politics.
Reposted by Christoph Mergerson
Show me your area’s free media mix — radio, tv — with its local ads and I can pretty much tell you about your local ruling class, your social hierarchy, and labor market. Show me your grocery stores and I can fill in the rest!
November 3, 2025 at 9:42 PM
Show me your area’s free media mix — radio, tv — with its local ads and I can pretty much tell you about your local ruling class, your social hierarchy, and labor market. Show me your grocery stores and I can fill in the rest!