Aaron S. Veenstra
@asveenstra.bsky.social
970 followers 120 following 3.9K posts
FAU Journalism Prof and UFF-FAU Steward, political communication & digital media // The Press and Democratic Backsliding from Lexington Books, LXFANDF30 for 30% off // he/him manytoomany.com scholar.google.com/citations?user=-KlefNYAAAAJ Log off.
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asveenstra.bsky.social
Now officially published – my article (with several of our master's students) on journalism undergrads' use and perception of generative AI tools. If you want to check it out and don't have JMCE access, let me know and I'll hook you up. 📟
Sage Journals: Discover world-class research
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journals.sagepub.com
asveenstra.bsky.social
It's amazing that the press has let every Republican leader get away with saying they haven't about majorly bad Trump statements – while laughing! – for nearly a decade. Just no comprehension of their role whatsoever. Vincent Adultman could do a better job.
atrupar.com
Q: Do you agree that the mayor of Chicago and governor of Illinois should be in prison?

MIKE JOHNSON: Should they be in prison? I'm not the attorney general. I'm not following the day to day on that
Reposted by Aaron S. Veenstra
franciswilkinson.bsky.social
1. Trump Culture War quote.
2. Johnson CW quote.
3. *Imagined* Schumer CW quote.
4. “These culture wars get sillier by the day.”
asveenstra.bsky.social
This looks like an outtake from a 90s sketch show. It's Ben Garant in the chicken suit. Jay Johnston is there, too.
reichlinmelnick.bsky.social
This made me laugh so hard. Second screenshot is of the video posted by Benny Johnson of the event.
Benny Johnson « @bennyjohnson
X.com
BREAKING: DHS Secretary Kristi Noem stares down army of Antifa and a guy in a chicken suit from the rooftop of the ICE facility here in Portland.
Noem says:
"Hey; Guy in the chicken suit. You can do better.
Too bad they are uneducated and ill-informed."
Noem isn't chicken: [chicken emoji] A view from the roof of the building. There are about 15-20 people visible in total, several of whom appear to be reporters. Most are holding signs. They aren’t even taking up the whole sidewalk. One guy is wearing a chicken suit.
asveenstra.bsky.social
At the time it does collapse we will still have ~20 states under fascist rule.
asveenstra.bsky.social
One for the "news is just fodder for posting" file. We haven't had an ambassador in a country in our backyard with whom we have normal relations for 15 years? And the reason why isn't even hinted at in the story? Don't need it when the subject's lack of qualifications is interesting, I guess!
Reposted by Aaron S. Veenstra
elisewang.bsky.social
One of the more incredible stories out of LA this year has been how a taco review blog became the best on-the-ground coverage of ICE raids in the city.

They do a dispatch every day, follow-up on the kidnapped people (which almost no media outlet has done), and fact-check government claims.
motherjones.com
@lataco.bsky.social first began as a blog documenting local Mexican cuisine. Now, it’s an essential reporting powerhouse to the city as Trump’s mass deportation plot unfolds.

Check out the latest from our friends at Reveal: tinyurl.com/4cm2bsdr
asveenstra.bsky.social
Bari Weiss discovered Australia and somehow came back with sub-replacement level swearing ability, smdh.
asveenstra.bsky.social
I'm working on something I don't know how to articulate yet, but basically it's a hypothesis that highly engaged news consumers (including Weiss, Trump, and everyone on Bluesky) increasing understand "news" only through the framework of opinion/posting.
kevincollier.bsky.social
Not an expert on this stuff but I have the sense that no one backing Weiss understands that what she has done her whole career, opinion-based news-flavored content, is distinct from news reporting.
maxtani.bsky.social
Bari Weiss introduced herself to CBS News staff today on the network's 9AM call, saying she wants to "win," which requires restoring trust to CBS. She also said she was excited for staff to get to know the Free Press, and ended her remarks by saying: "Let's do the fucking news."
Reposted by Aaron S. Veenstra
nycsouthpaw.bsky.social
Do you even hear yourselves?
npr.org
NPR @npr.org · 1d
President Trump is bucking tradition and legal precedent in pushing to deploy the National Guard to Democratic-led cities like Portland, Oregon, and Chicago due to what he says is rampant crime and to support his crackdown on illegal immigration.
Trump's power to deploy National Guard, explained
President Trump is bucking tradition and legal precedent in pushing to deploy the National Guard to Democratic-led cities like Portland, Oregon, and Chicago due to what he says is rampant crime and to support his crackdown on illegal immigration.
n.pr
Reposted by Aaron S. Veenstra
evanbernick.bsky.social
This is an image from 1992, in case you were curious
cnn.com
CNN @cnn.com · 1d
"President Donald Trump and his top aides are using the word 'insurrection' more frequently to describe anti-ICE protests in places like Portland," writes Zachary B. Wolf. https://cnn.it/4pWYmzr
asveenstra.bsky.social
Hey, that's the new executive editor of 60 Minutes you're talking about.
asveenstra.bsky.social
Is it really the case that they don't get it, or are the responses *also* pretexts because they can't acknowledge that they are capitulating?
asveenstra.bsky.social
Has there ever been a good "What the youth are doing" trend piece? Decades ago, somebody did a "The Baby Boomers turn 30" piece and poisoned multiple generations of journalists.
cheetah.bsky.social
This piece is bad. The example in their lede isn't actually a marriage, just a couple who call themselves married but aren't in any legal or religious sense. The reporter also didn't speak to any men. Seems more like Gen Z trend piece rage bait than a genuine analysis www.nytimes.com/2025/09/27/s...
What Does Gen Z Divorce Look Like?
www.nytimes.com
Reposted by Aaron S. Veenstra
smsaideman.bsky.social
I have been talking about US autocracy but @dhnexon.bsky.social lays it out more clearly-- the American system has failed. The checks and balances didn't work, so we will need a new constitution and new institutions once the regime is eventually toppled www.lawyersgunsmoneyblog.com/2025/10/the-...
asveenstra.bsky.social
♫ Top 5 artists of the Last.week: Sir Chloe (14) Winter (13) Neko Case (12) Snõõper (12) Sprints (12). #myweekcounted 229 Scrobbles with Lastfm #music via @lastfm.blue
Sir Chloe Winter Neko Case Snõõper Sprints
asveenstra.bsky.social
Every Republican in Congress supports this.
atrupar.com
Trump to the Navy: "We have to take care of this little gnat that's on our shoulder called the Democrats."
Reposted by Aaron S. Veenstra
cristianfarias.com
This video of Chicagoans intervening to save a man from being abducted off the streets by ICE is making the rounds on Instagram.

Community action works.

Source: www.instagram.com/reel/DPZL2AL...
asveenstra.bsky.social
I've been shooting footage around Boca for a project that is scheduled to be done "soon," and I really like this shot.
asveenstra.bsky.social
I'm pretty sure 65% is the worst fake approval rating he has ever awarded himself.
gelliottmorris.com
in a new post, trump claims he has a 65% approval rating. he is trying to manufacture consent. don't let him: www.gelliottmorris.com/p/a-lot-of-p...
asveenstra.bsky.social
The ChatGPT-ass personal logo is the best part of this fascist bullshit.
radleybalko.bsky.social
This story about the FBI director handing out challenge coins that celebrate vigilante violence came out the same week that he fired an agent for having a small rainbow flag on his desk.
asveenstra.bsky.social
Worth noting that Biden and Garland are gone, but all the people who pressured them to give Trump *more* process than anyone else would've gotten, who scolded "Lock him up!" chants even after Trump was convicted of 34 felonies and faced dozens more criminal charges, are still with us.
Reposted by Aaron S. Veenstra
toneloaf.bsky.social
Chicagoans have been hounding ICE when spotted, and the last 24 hours have seen a large increase in erratic behavior.

The "rammed by 10 cars" was likely people following them. Not sure how opening fire makes the situation safer...
clancyny.bsky.social
Logan Square neighborhood, Chicago. Man wearing a balaclava in a white, unmarked vehicle, pulls the pin on a tear gas canister and tosses it in the road.

"Just trying to grab some lunch and these fucking losers showed up. FUCK ICE!"
source: www.reddit.com/r/LoganSquar...
Reposted by Aaron S. Veenstra
andycraig.bsky.social
There’s no rule of journalistic neutrality that requires you to say something is “unclear” when that is objectively untrue. It would be illegal. There’s absolutely zero ambiguity about that fact. Saying it’s unclear is making a false statement in your reporting.
ericlipton.nytimes.com
It is not clear that Mr. Trump’s image can be featured on a coin. An 1866 law enshrined a tradition that only deceased people could appear on U.S. currency to avoid the appearance that America was a monarchy. Trump admin is planning to do it anyway.
By Alan Rappeport

www.nytimes.com/2025/10/03/b...
Treasury Plans to Mint $1 Commemorative Trump Coin
www.nytimes.com
asveenstra.bsky.social
My "The NFL sucks and we'll win and God will bless us and we'll stand and be proud of ourselves at the end of the day and they won't be able to sleep at night because they don't know what they believe" t-shirt is prompting a lot of questions that are answered by the shirt.
patriottakes.bsky.social
Kristi Noem’s message to the NFL for selecting Bad Bunny for the halftime show:

“The NFL sucks and we’ll win and God will bless us and we’ll stand and be proud of ourselves at the end of the day and they won’t be able to sleep at night because they don’t know what they believe…”