briefing.center
@briefing-center.bsky.social
Jim Hightower famously said there was “nothing in the middle of the road but yellow stripes and dead armadillos.” But in 2025, those armadillos have plenty of company: journalists and public officials practicing “both-sidesism” amid the crisis in democracy.
briefing.center/news/witness...
briefing.center/news/witness...
Witnessing a crisis from the middle of the road | briefing·center
briefing.center
January 29, 2026 at 7:07 PM
Jim Hightower famously said there was “nothing in the middle of the road but yellow stripes and dead armadillos.” But in 2025, those armadillos have plenty of company: journalists and public officials practicing “both-sidesism” amid the crisis in democracy.
briefing.center/news/witness...
briefing.center/news/witness...
A month after it was posted, I’m still thinking about smart the piece was in @wired.com by @makenakelly.bsky.social about fandom and politics.
www.wired.com/story/expire...
www.wired.com/story/expire...
Politics Is Fandom; Fascism Is Fanfic
From Zohran Mamdani’s campaign to the US government’s “Halo” memes, fandom has become the defining language of US politics.
www.wired.com
January 23, 2026 at 9:44 PM
A month after it was posted, I’m still thinking about smart the piece was in @wired.com by @makenakelly.bsky.social about fandom and politics.
www.wired.com/story/expire...
www.wired.com/story/expire...
In U.S. political coverage, the dominant theme — the story arc — is the broad abandonment of constitutional governance in favor of one-man rule. Too many news stories obscure this hard fact with traditional on-the-one-hand, on-the-other-hand journalism.
briefing.center/news/burying...
briefing.center/news/burying...
Burying hard truths in a flurry of facts | briefing·center
briefing.center
January 22, 2026 at 5:56 PM
In U.S. political coverage, the dominant theme — the story arc — is the broad abandonment of constitutional governance in favor of one-man rule. Too many news stories obscure this hard fact with traditional on-the-one-hand, on-the-other-hand journalism.
briefing.center/news/burying...
briefing.center/news/burying...
When @awhitneybrown did his wonderful SNL monologue back in 1988 on lying, we still maintained a distinction between truth and falsehoods. Now journalists must navigate a world where truth and lies have equal standing.
briefing.center/news/why-jou...
briefing.center/news/why-jou...
Why journalists must reclaim the frame | briefing·center
briefing.center
January 15, 2026 at 7:30 PM
When @awhitneybrown did his wonderful SNL monologue back in 1988 on lying, we still maintained a distinction between truth and falsehoods. Now journalists must navigate a world where truth and lies have equal standing.
briefing.center/news/why-jou...
briefing.center/news/why-jou...
Markets are not obligated to protect democracy. Journalists shouldn’t pretend otherwise.
briefing.center/news/when-de...
briefing.center/news/when-de...
When democracy and capitalism collide | briefing·center
briefing.center
December 17, 2025 at 7:24 PM
Markets are not obligated to protect democracy. Journalists shouldn’t pretend otherwise.
briefing.center/news/when-de...
briefing.center/news/when-de...
How do we navigate the treacherous, shifting sands of punctuation? I have thoughts.
briefing.center/news/fraught...
briefing.center/news/fraught...
A fraught time for punctuation | briefing·center
briefing.center
December 4, 2025 at 6:07 PM
How do we navigate the treacherous, shifting sands of punctuation? I have thoughts.
briefing.center/news/fraught...
briefing.center/news/fraught...
The news media is under no obligation to accept the political calculations of public officials as their assignment editor. Climate change is still happening, and the cost — in human and economic terms — keeps going up. briefing.center/news/world-n...
The world, but not the U.S., is talking about climate change | briefing·center
briefing.center
November 19, 2025 at 7:54 PM
The news media is under no obligation to accept the political calculations of public officials as their assignment editor. Climate change is still happening, and the cost — in human and economic terms — keeps going up. briefing.center/news/world-n...
50 years after the NY Daily News published the headline, “Ford to city: drop dead,” it’s worth considering what made it so memorable. briefing.center/news/drop-de...
'Drop dead': a 50-year-old headline still has something to say | briefing·center
briefing.center
November 4, 2025 at 8:04 PM
50 years after the NY Daily News published the headline, “Ford to city: drop dead,” it’s worth considering what made it so memorable. briefing.center/news/drop-de...
Amazon chipped in for the demolition and construction project at the White House, while the Washington Post, owned by Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, applauded. @sulliview.bsky.social and @geneweingarten.bsky.social , among others, were not impressed.
briefing.center/news/trumps-...
briefing.center/news/trumps-...
Trump's golden ballroom has friends at the Post | briefing·center
briefing.center
October 29, 2025 at 8:19 PM
Amazon chipped in for the demolition and construction project at the White House, while the Washington Post, owned by Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, applauded. @sulliview.bsky.social and @geneweingarten.bsky.social , among others, were not impressed.
briefing.center/news/trumps-...
briefing.center/news/trumps-...
Last weekend’s demonstrations were the lead story across the country … but not at the NY Times. OTOH, a shout out to Sarah Jeong at The Verge for her gallant effort to count frogs in Portland.
briefing.center/news/too-man...
briefing.center/news/too-man...
Too many frogs to count | briefing·center
briefing.center
October 21, 2025 at 4:49 AM
Last weekend’s demonstrations were the lead story across the country … but not at the NY Times. OTOH, a shout out to Sarah Jeong at The Verge for her gallant effort to count frogs in Portland.
briefing.center/news/too-man...
briefing.center/news/too-man...
CBS News gets a new leader, with an ideological agenda | briefing·center
briefing.center
October 16, 2025 at 5:54 PM
Some nice recognition on the 10th anniversary of the invaluable @statnews.com
www.poynter.org/business-wor...
www.poynter.org/business-wor...
On its 10th anniversary, health care site STAT is flourishing - Poynter
STAT proves a sharp concept and patient money can beat the odds in a brutal news economy
www.poynter.org
September 10, 2025 at 8:22 PM
Some nice recognition on the 10th anniversary of the invaluable @statnews.com
www.poynter.org/business-wor...
www.poynter.org/business-wor...
Some thoughts on billionaires banding together in support of — or acquiescence to — the incoming administration.
johndineen.medium.com/abc-news-cav...
johndineen.medium.com/abc-news-cav...
ABC News caved under Trump’s pressure; will others?
There’s a theme emerging in some of the news recently. It began just before the election, when owners of the Washington Post and Los…
johndineen.medium.com
December 19, 2024 at 12:26 AM
Some thoughts on billionaires banding together in support of — or acquiescence to — the incoming administration.
johndineen.medium.com/abc-news-cav...
johndineen.medium.com/abc-news-cav...
Limited information and firm opinions go hand-in-hand after the election …
johndineen.medium.com/the-election...
johndineen.medium.com/the-election...
The election: Legacy media is told, again, ‘They’re just not that into you’
In a better world, there would be a period of quiet, of licking wounds, of taking stock, after the shock suffered by both Democrats and…
johndineen.medium.com
December 3, 2024 at 8:23 PM
Limited information and firm opinions go hand-in-hand after the election …
johndineen.medium.com/the-election...
johndineen.medium.com/the-election...
The many fact checks of the Harris-Trump debate put the weaknesses and value of the practice on full display.
medium.com/@johndineen/...
medium.com/@johndineen/...
Fact checking: not a tool for all seasons
I’m writing this as a disappointed former fan … of fact checking.
medium.com
September 27, 2024 at 9:31 PM
The many fact checks of the Harris-Trump debate put the weaknesses and value of the practice on full display.
medium.com/@johndineen/...
medium.com/@johndineen/...
At what point will political journalists focus on the actual stakes of this election?
johndineen.medium.com/which-campai...
johndineen.medium.com/which-campai...
Which campaign is it, anyway?
Depending on where you look, mainstream media outlets are serving up two entirely different versions of the 2024 presidential race.
johndineen.medium.com
September 10, 2024 at 7:22 PM
At what point will political journalists focus on the actual stakes of this election?
johndineen.medium.com/which-campai...
johndineen.medium.com/which-campai...
One of the Times’s takeaways from the Harris-Walz CNN interview: “Tim Walz is good at sitting and smiling.” Who is the audience for this … whatever it is?
www.nytimes.com/2024/08/29/u...
www.nytimes.com/2024/08/29/u...
7 Takeaways From Harris’s First Major Interview
Kamala Harris showed her tendency toward winding answers in the CNN interview, but said nothing likely to cause her serious political trouble.
www.nytimes.com
August 30, 2024 at 11:12 PM
One of the Times’s takeaways from the Harris-Walz CNN interview: “Tim Walz is good at sitting and smiling.” Who is the audience for this … whatever it is?
www.nytimes.com/2024/08/29/u...
www.nytimes.com/2024/08/29/u...
When journalists I admire disagree, what to do? Some thoughts on VP Harris and the press …
johndineen.medium.com/journalists-...
johndineen.medium.com/journalists-...
Journalists waiting by the phone, but Harris hasn’t called
One of the most significant public debates in the Harris-Trump race so far has been not between the candidates, but rather among…
johndineen.medium.com
August 20, 2024 at 12:05 AM
When journalists I admire disagree, what to do? Some thoughts on VP Harris and the press …
johndineen.medium.com/journalists-...
johndineen.medium.com/journalists-...
