Newsletter 3.6.18

Hi all,

This week's newsletter below. Thanks as always! 

––Florence, Adam, and Nima 

-------------

Secret NYPD Files: Officers Can Lie And Brutally Beat People — And Still Keep Their Jobs - Kendall Taggart and Mike Hayes, BuzzFeed News (3/5/18)

Buzzfeed put in a lot of work here to expose the widespread cover-up of police officer abuse by the NYPD. 

The Colonial Roots of Gun Culture - Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz, In These Times (3/2/18)

If it seems like the NRA is first and foremost a white supremacist advocacy group, it's probably because the very history of "gun culture" is rooted in colonial narratives.

Children of Color Already Face Violent Discipline in Schools. Arming Teachers Will Get Them Killed - Patrick Blanchfield, The Intercept (2/28/18)

On the list of colossally bad ideas, turning Mr. Tuttle into an insta-Jack Bauer is high up there. Also––surprise––it's grossly racist. 

MSNBC’s Big Names Completely Ignore West Virginia Teachers Strike - Adam Johnson, FAIR (3/2/18) 

In which Adam browbeats MSNBC’s millionaire liberals for ignoring the West Virginia teachers strike for over a week. 

Google Is Quietly Providing AI Technology For Drone Strike Targeting Project - Lee Fang, The Intercept (3/6/18)

“Don’t be evil.”

Chicago Media Help Sheriff Exploit Post-Parkland Gun Fears to Expand Pretrial Punishment - Sarah Lazare, FAIR (2/28/18)

Corporate-run local media does CPD chief’s bidding by exploiting post-Parkland gun fears to demagogue the movement to ease the use of cash bail––a practice that disproportionately punishes the poor and African Americans. 

West Virginia Teachers Are Now Out on a Wildcat Strike. The Labor Movement Should Follow Their Lead - Kate Aronoff, In These Times (5/4/18)

West Virginia teachers go rogue, creating the ideological content we crave––and desperately need. 

Fox News Keeps Running Columns From The Same Guy Explaining, "I'm A Democrat But [Insert Agreement With GOP]" - Eric Hananoki, Media Matters (3/5/18)

This is the funniest goddamn thing we’ve read in awhile: Guy who’s totally a democrat writes same column every few weeks on how he’s “a democrat,” but also thinks Trump kicks ass and democrats are terrible.

Edit Tests Are Out Of Control, Say Journalists in Search Of Jobs - Zoe Beery, Columbia Journalism Review (3/2/18)

As Stephanie Russell-Kraft notes: "1980s: NYT flies applicant to NY for a week of paid work to see if she's right for the job. Today: Bustle asks applicant to come up w/ *35* story ideas, write 2 full pieces, & edit 2,600 words of raw copy, for free."

Top NYT Editor: ‘We Are Pro-Capitalism, The Times Is in Favor of Capitalism’ - Adam Johnson, FAIR (3/1/18) 

Arguably the most influential person in US opinion writing openly admits he's a capitalist ideologue––making our job much easier.