Journalism as a Conversation

Hi: I'm Doreen Marchionni (Ph.D. '09, Missouri School of Journalism). I'm executive editor/managing editor of Snopes.com, where I work to incorporate my research on collaborative news models into everyday workflows. 

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The gang’s all here. (at Tacoma, Washington) https://www.instagram.com/p/CmfuM_br_SW8hSc77jEG0ySWn15EVJy8btDnGY0/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

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The Ultimate Snopes Detective Story

Drumroll, please. After 18 intense months, Snopes published its most complicated — but potentially consequential — investigation. I’ll let readers decide. But what I most admired:

—Its “open-source” reporting using publicly avail documents shared by fellow journalists.

—Our “quiet web” experiment with shutting off all commercial ads to help readers digest the reporting. 

—The tenacious research by Alex Kasprak that only be described as “forensic” — and by that I mean the full-throttle scientific methods applied to a massive international grift.

—The team work and cross-department cooperation of the newsroom with business/product/development. If we could do that on such a complicated business story, pretty sure we can do it on any story going forward. 

Huzzah!

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Disguising Hate: How Radical Evangelicals Spread Anti-Islamic Vitriol on Facebook

A small group of radical evangelical Christians is repurposing Facebook pages and PACs to build a coordinated, pro-Trump network that spreads hate and conspiracy theories.

We're raising our game at Snopes, one investigation at a time. Here's our latest: a look at radical evangelical Facebook pages spewing anti-muslim, anti-immigrant vitriol in the lead-up to the 2020 U.S. presidential election. As the daughter (and daughter-in-law) of immigrant women, I say this one's for you, mamas:

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Imagine a World Without Snopes ...

To see fact checking survive and thrive, we must invest in it together.

Like pretty much every newsroom, we're struggling to stay alive at Snopes because online ad dollars don't really cut it. So today we soft-launched our first-ever membership program. We hope you'll considering joining to help sustain our journalism. Onward ho!

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Hiding in Plain Sight: PAC-Connected Activists Set Up ‘Local News’ Outlets

Star News Digital Media, Inc. may look like a media company that produces local news, but a Snopes investigation reveals deep, undisclosed connections to political activism.

Newshounds: You may be aware I left academia awhile back to try to put my research into practice in an actual newsroom. Now I’m at Snopes.com as managing editor and, my god, I’m learning a lot. Life takes crazy, unexpected turns, and that’s what happened when I learned the founder/CEO of Snopes, David Mikkelson, moved to my neighborhood in Tacoma and was looking for an editor.

Above is our first big investigation. Like all Snopes stories, this one came from a reader (nice journalism-as-a-conversation, yes?). It was an astounding tip alleging a Delaware-registered company was creating fake newspapers funded by dark money/political interests in key battleground states heading into the 2020 election cycle.

I’d love to hear what you think. In the story’s editor note, you’ll see a link to contact us with feedback and more story ideas on this project. Have at it.

Doreen

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To the Press, after 18 Months of Trump

1. Stop treating Trump’s tweets as news.

  2. Don’t believe a single word that comes out of his mouth.

3. Don’t fall for the reality-TV spectacles he creates. (For example, his meeting with Kim Jong-un.) They’re not news, either. 

4. Don’t let his churlish thin-skinned vindictive narcissistic rants divert attention from what he’s really doing. 

5. Focus on what he’s really doing, and put the day’s stories into this larger context. He’s (1) undermining democratic institutions, (2) using his office for personal gain, (3) sowing division and hate, (4) cozying up to dictators while antagonizing our democratic allies around the world, (5) violating the rule of law, and (6) enriching America’s wealthy while harming the middle class and the poor. He may also be (7) colluding with Putin.

6. Keep track of what his Cabinet is doing – Sessions’s attacks on civil rights, civil liberties, voting rights, and immigrants; DeVos’s efforts to undermine public education, Pruitt’s and Zinke’s efforts to gut the environment; all their conflicts of interest, and the industry lobbyists they’ve put in high positions. 

7. Don’t try to “balance” your coverage of the truth with quotes and arguments from Trump’s enablers and followers. This is not a contest between right and left, Republicans and Democrats. This is between democracy and demagogic authoritarianism.  

8. Don’t let him rattle you. Maintain your dignity, confidence, and courage. 

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Yup yup

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We asked readers how they learned about consent — here’s what 250 of them said

The Seattle Times asked readers how and when they learned about consent, and what they remember from that time. Their responses shed light on a topic under increasing scrutiny with the #MeToo movement and the large number of high-profile men accused of sexual misconduct.

A beautiful example of the kind of journalism my research shows really works. Through a series of callouts, writer Paige Cornwell asked audiences what they knew about consent and when they learned it. They told her--some 250 voices strong. I especially liked that Paige didn’t bury the fact this story was crowdsourced but instead spotlighted it. 

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What’s with all the cawing? UW team eavesdrops on crows

Researchers want to understand the cacophony that erupts when 16,000 of the birds congregate at night before roosting in a Bothell wetland.

Not only did I get to edit this package on my spirit animal, but I got to pitch it at the A1 huddle on the same day I happened to be wearing my favorite crow T-shirt given to me by the wondrous Lisa Sholley. Victory.

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What a year ... (at Tacoma, Washington)

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Dr. Dre released The Chronic 25 years ago today. See why it is one of the best albums of the 1990s.

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Daaaaaamn. So fine.

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Albert married these lovely fellows, Tyler Russell and Alex Seiz. And Ty, turns out, was a student of mine at PLU! (at Court House Square)

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Reveal who runs America

Join the movement to create reader-funded journalism to take back our democracy.

Nice--uncovering corporate influence on U.S. politics

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All the President’s Men (1976) dir. Alan J. Pakula

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heh heh

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Opinion | The Megyn Kelly Problem

She’s a right-of-center icon, not a feminist favorite — and, unfortunately, a necessary voice.

Word. Lindy continues to knock it out of the park on the fury around sex-abuse allegations.

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Opinion | Yes, This Is a Witch Hunt. I’m a Witch and I’m Hunting You.

Sorry, Woody Allen. I know you hate rumor mills, but sometimes they’re our only recourse.

Easily the most eviscerating essay I’ve ever read on sexual harassment. Go Lindy West and NYT!

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All The President’s Men (1976).

Dir: Alan J. Pakula

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Newsroom spirit animals (at The Seattle Times)