I'm Sarah Alvarez, and I write News Fix to keep a catalog of the provocations, research, conversations, ideas, and frameworks I hope will help us make the information we consume and produce more useful and helpful.

I'm the James B. Steele Chair of Journalism Innovation at Temple University in Philadelphia. I founded Detroit's Outlier Media in 2016 and led the newsroom until 2025. It remains my favorite place to get news and information.

What is news fix about?

Most of the time I don't feel great after reading, watching, or listening to the news. The number of platforms, sources, and takes to wade through can feel both overwhelming and like a waste of time. There are plenty of exceptions, but too often the news feels very loud, and I'm not sure what to do with all the information. But I don't want to quit the news. I want to keep reporting and I want to take information in I can use to create the kind of life and world I think each of us deserves. This newsletter is for people willing to work a little to fix the news, so that we can keep getting our news fix.

There is something about the way people have always worked to gather, verify, and spread information that is deeply human. The news was a function of societies big and small long before it was a business. We all deserve news that helps us meet our individual and collective challenges and that makes the world easier, not harder, to live in. This is one of the many places we can work to make those changes happen.

What happens if I sign up?

You'll get access to the full archive of all posts and everything that's still to come. A new post will be delivered to your inbox on Tuesday mornings. Your thoughts, contributions and ideas are welcome and valued.

Do you want my money?

Not yet. There might come a time when the cost of producing News Fix requires me to look for support. We're not there yet.

So how can I help?

You can forward the newsletter to somebody you know cares about these things, and encourage them to subscribe. I love feedback, notes, and stray thoughts, please send those my way.

A few things you should know

Everyone needs an editor, and I don't have one here.

I use an AI-assisted spelling and grammar check called Language Tool. Expect copy errors anyway. I love an Oxford comma, but even my use of those is inconsistent. When I find copy errors later, I'll go back and fix them. I won't issue a correction. If you want to tell me about copy errors, that's fine too. I don't expect any factual errors, but mistakes do happen. If you see one of these, please do tell me. I'll address it right away, add correction language, and work to make sure people see it.

Learning and working in public means an evolution of ideas is expected. I'll be learning many things other people, probably some of you, already know. I won't always know when an idea is new, or just new to me. If you have context or information that can help me, I'd love to know.

How do I get in touch?

Replying to any of the newsletters or sending an email to sarah@newsfix.blog is a direct line. I will get back to you.

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