Thank you for being here!
I'm Sarah Alvarez and I write this newsletter not as a side hustle but as a way to stay connected to new ideas, think in public, and connect with people working to make sure news delivers on its promise as a public good.
This newsletter should help spark honest and thought provoking conversations about news and civic information without a lot of negativity. If that sounds like something you're into, you're in the right place.
If you're looking to familiarize yourself with the some of the ideas that make frequent appearances here, there are a few on heavy rotation.
- I'm obsessed with what news can do, rather than just worrying about how it is made. The essential functions of news is a simple framework that pushes these ideas forward and is built on earlier group work on a hierarchy of information needs.
- News Futures is a virtual and IRL community of people working in and around civic information that has been working to encourage and support cool projects with potential for civic value for years. It's the best. If you're interested, read the charter and sign up. That will get you on the Slack and you can take it from there. If you want more background I've got that for you, too.
I really want to hear from you so this newsletter can deliver what you're looking for. Reading recommendations, questions, pushback, it's all very welcome.
Thank you for being here and helping to fix the news. Talk to you soon.