The smallest things
/Sometimes the smallest things take up the most room in your heart. -Winnie The Pooh
AI definitions: The ELIZA effect
/The ELIZA effect - When humans mistake unthinking chat from machines for that of a human. We think we are seeing understanding and intention when in reality a chatbot is just matching patterns and reflecting our statements back to us in different ways.
12 Articles about AI’s future
/Here’s How Long It Will Take for AI to Reach Its Potential – Wall Street Journal
We Asked the Future of Truth Author to Explain How He Used AI. It Didn’t Go Well – Wired
What the 1920s Can Teach Us About Surviving the AI Revolution - Wall Street Journal
AI godfather Yann LeCun's blunt advice for the AI age - Axios
AI optimism surges in Asia, unlike in the U.S. – Rest of World
Can AI Help Predict the Earth’s Climate a Decade from Now? – The Brink
Bracing for the A.I. Economy to Come – New York Times
America isn’t ready for what AI will do to jobs – The Atlantic
Coding After Coders: The End of Computer Programming as We Know It – New York Times
The Chatbots Appear to Be Organizing Moltbook is the chaotic future of the internet. – The Atlantic
The Future We Feared Is Already Here – New York Times
A definition for a successful life
/Any definition of a successful life must include service to others. -George HW Bush (born June 12, 1924)
Next Steps for Communicators
/Communicators should start to think about the different AI systems as their own separate channels or audiences, just like you might think about pitching various outlets or types of media differently. Stay focused on doing what we do best: telling stories and finding the right outlet to deliver them to the audiences that matter most. -Muckrack
The Adventure Risk
/Andre Gide once said, "One does not discover new lands without consenting to lose sight of the shore for a very long time." Explorers of new worlds will always have times of ambiguity where they wonder if they are getting anywhere and whether the voyage was really worth it.
21 Freelancing Articles
/6 ways to find fresh story ideas — and where to sell them - Health Journalism
7 tools and tips for getting — and staying — organized as a freelancer - Health Journalism
14 Ways To Get Paid To Write As A Side Hustle - The College Invester
Chelsea’s Guide To Freelancing - Chelsea Cirruzzo, a reporter with U.S. News & World Report
Freelancing with ADHD: How to embrace your strengths and manage the challenges - Health Journalism
Here's what a bunch of publications pay freelancers - Freelancing with Tim
How AI is transforming freelance journalism - Harvards Nieman Lab
How to ask for more money — and actually get it - Freelancing with Tim
How to become a Freelance Writer (A Guide) - MSN
How to price your work as a freelancer - WePresent
How to Succeed as a Freelance Investigative Journalist - GIJIN
I've been a successful freelancer for 10 years. I still feel like I should always be chasing my next opportunity. - Business Insider
A Journalist’s guide to freelancing - Julie Patel blog
Learning how to thrive as a freelance journalist - Response Source
New market guides for pitching to Good Housekeeping, Big Think and New York Post - Health Journalism
A Quick guide to finding your freelance niche - Freelancers Union
Should freelance journalists get an LLC? - Health Journalism
This writer wants to prevent freelancers from floundering on story pitches - Poynter
Tips for pitching the New York Times, Wired and Consumer Reports - Health Journalism
What Freelancers Need to Know About Income, Deductions, and Taxes - Bloomberg
Why your timing matters when pitching to journalists - PA Media
No amount of AI
/No amount of AI can save us from building the wrong thing. When building becomes easier, it becomes much easier to create things that are technically impressive but strategically irrelevant: More dashboards, more workflows, more internal tools, more apps that work but do not deserve to exist. That is why engineering judgment is becoming more valuable. - Toward Data Science
14 Articles about how AI is Impacting Jobs
/Is A.I. Replacing Tech Workers or Providing an Excuse for Job Cuts? – New York Times
AI Has Ruined the Job Market - The Atlantic
AI Hiring Tools Can Yield Racial Bias and Systemic Rejection - Stanford
5 ideas for how we survive the possible AI jobs apocalypse – Washington Post
AI Job Grief: The Unnamed Psychological Crisis Hitting Tech Workers – Jack Maguire
One Job That Is Growing in the A.I. Era? Cybersecurity Experts. – New York Times
The First Class of AI Natives Is Graduating. Offices Are Getting Ready. – Wall Street Journal
Philosophy Majors’ Job Prospects and the Spread of AI Technology – Daily Nous
Entry-level jobs calling for AI skills nearly doubled from a year ago, says report – CNBC
Employers are demanding AI skills. What's the best way to learn them? – CBS News
Congress Is Doing Little to Prepare for Potential A.I. Job Losses – New York Times
How AI is reshaping workflows and redefining jobs – MIT
College students are changing course in search of ‘AI-proof’ majors. But no one knows what they are – Associated Press
These Companies Say AI Is Reviving Entry-Level Jobs, Not Killing Them - Wall Street Journal
Don’t Think of an Elephant!
/In 1973, America watched as then President Richard Nixon vehemently declared on national television, “I am not a crook” in regards to the Watergate scandal.
Not many people believed him.
In fact, as soon as he uttered the word “crook,” most people immediately envisioned a crook.
The major mistake Nixon made was in his framing. By saying the word “crook,” he evoked an image, experience, or knowledge associated with crook in the minds of everyone watching.
George Lakoff, a professor in cognitive science and linguistics at University of California, Berkeley, makes the point in his book Don’t Think of an Elephant! that when trying to get your point across, refrain from using the other side’s language. Doing so will activate and strengthen their frames and undermine your own views. Instead, successfully arguing a point requires you to establish your own frames and use language that evokes images and ideas that fit the worldview you want.
Think about it this way: Something that has a “95% effective rate” will sell better than something with a “5% failure rate.” It’s all in how you frame it.
Vivian Giange, writing in Fast Company
Practicing Pitches to AI Avatars
/Harvard Business School is using chat and video avatars of its professors in an online boot camp, called Foundry, that it launched in April. Students can pull the A.I. versions of H.B.S. professors into a group text chat to help advise them on their start-up ideas. They can also practice their pitch to customers or venture capitalists with A.I. video avatars that look like the professors. The avatars ask follow-up questions and dispense advice based on both their own expertise and a body of Harvard Business School research and frameworks. - New York Times
AI definitions: AI Translator
/AI Translator (or trust director) – This is a title for a person who understands AI well enough to explain its mechanics to others, particularly to leaders and managers, so they can make effective decisions. These workers will not only explain what the AI output means (especially when it is technical) but also how trustworthy the information and conclusions are. This role may fall under that of a compliance officer, helping organizations understand contracts and reports written by AI.
A Shrinking World
/People shrink their world in order to avoid facing their incompetence. -Stephen Goforth
20 Articles about Cover Letters & Personal Statements
/3 common cover letter mistakes—and how to fix them: One ‘takes literally less than a minute’ - CNBC
5 Online Cover Letter Templates - Make Use Of
6 Cover Letter Hook Templates That Actually Stand Out - Her Campus
6 mistakes job seekers should avoid when using AI for résumés, cover letters, and networking - Business Insider
AI Is Killing the Cover Letter - Knowledge at Wharton
Can you tell the difference between these AI and human-written cover letters? - Archinect
Cover Letter for a Job I Don’t Want but Will Be Offended Not to Get - The New Yorker
Hiring Experts Reveal Why Cover Letters Aren’t Dead (Yet) - Forbes
How AI is breaking cover letters - The Economist
How ChatGPT can help or hinder your job application - CTV
How to get ChatGPT to write you a killer cover letter that doesn't sound like it was AI-generated - Business Insider
How to Write an Amazing Cover Letter - Entrepreneur
How to Write an Entry Level Cover Letter - GlassDoor
I had ChatGPT write my resume, LinkedIn Summary and cover letter — then asked Gemini if I would get the job - Tom’s Guide
In Praise of Cover Letters - Inc.
RIP cover letters - Business Insider
A simple guide for writing the perfect cover letter - USA Today
Write the Perfect Cover Letter With This Template - GlassDoor
Your CV Should inform. Your Cover Letter Should Persuade - The Chronicle of Higher Ed
Writing a Compelling Cover Letter or Personal Statement - University of Utah
AI definitions: Causal Inference
/Causal Inference - The scientific method for determining the cause-and-effect relationship between variables. Causal AI is the software application of that science. Getting to an exact cause can be difficult. A 2021 study found that even in reputable medical journals, a quarter of the published papers failed to identify the correct cause. This is one reason why an AI model can have a high degree of accuracy and still make poor recommendations. If a model is determined to be “accurate,” it means the AI is effective at identifying patterns. However, “accuracy” provides no information about whether those patterns will continue during intervention. In other words, is it possible for machine learning to make a good prediction, but not identify the cause accurately. Note: Most machine learning applications work fine without causal reasoning and do not need that added layer of engineering. It’s when the AI moves from pattern recognition to decision-making that causal reasoning can become essential.
The Point of Life
/The point of life is not to become a more satisfied shopper. -Rod Dreher
CEOs & Profs are Using A.I. Doubles
/Consultants and executive coaches who don’t have the bandwidth to address every inquiry are referring some clients to their A.I. doubles. Harvard Business School professors have incorporated A.I. versions of themselves into courses and office hours. And executives are using their A.I. avatars to address employees in other countries in their own languages. - New York Times
20 Webinars this week about AI, Journalism, & Media
/(And one weekend event on free speech)
Mon, June 8 - Work Smarter with AI Agents - Build them with Octonous
What: This session will explore Octonous, Mozilla.ai's agent platform, and learn how to build AI agents tailored to your team's workflows. No technical skills required. Just bring your curiosity.
Who: Caroline Bohu, Solutions Engineer at Mozilla.ai.
When: 9 am, Eastern
Where: Zoom
Cost: Free
Sponsor: Mozilla.ai
Mon, June 8 - Why Your Website Matters More Than Ever
What: Walk away knowing: Where your website is silently losing donors and what to fix first; What today's funders and supporters actually expect when they land on your site; The practical steps to turn your website into your hardest-working team member; How to make meaningful improvements without a massive budget or a full rebuild.
Who: David Pisarek, CEO of Wow Digital.
When: 12 pm, Eastern
Where: Zoom
Cost: Free
Sponsor: Techsoup, Canada
Tue, June 9 - Santa Marta and the Future of Climate Journalism
What: A discussion about the recent Santa Marta conference focused on transitioning away from fossil fuels — and the future of climate journalism.
Who: Keisuke Katori, Senior Staff Writer, Asahi Shimbun; Saorla McCabe, Advisor on Communication and Information Strategy and Policy, UNESCO; Phil Newell, Communications Co-Chair, Climate Action Against Disinformation; Elena González, Local Television Engagement Manager, Covering Climate Now; Kyle Pope, Executive Director of Strategic Initiatives & Co-Founder, Covering Climate Now.
When: 9:30 am, Eastern
Where: Zoom
Cost: Free
Sponsors: CCNow & UNESCO
Tue, June 9 - The Future of Learning Isn’t Content, It’s AI, Simulation, Coaching and Judgment
What: How learning teams can help employees develop judgment, operational fluency, and the human skills AI can’t replace. As AI becomes increasingly capable of prediction and information generation, the real differentiator will be a workforce that knows how to interpret, apply, question, and act on AI-driven insights.
Who: Karl Kapp, Director, Institute for Interactive Technologies, Bloomsburg University.
When: 12 pm, Eastern
Where: Zoom
Cost: Free
Sponsor: ELB Learning
Tue, June 9 - 'Investigating the Ocean' Webinar Series: 'How To Track Ships Like a Pro Using OSINT'
What: This session dives into vessel tracking and maritime monitoring using open-source intelligence. Journalists will learn how ships move, how to follow them in real time, and how to detect suspicious behavior such as illegal fishing, transshipment, or AIS manipulation. The session will also introduce satellite imagery and remote sensing tools to monitor ocean activity beyond what vessels report themselves.
Who: Fernanda Buffa, Pulitzer Center; Davide Mancini ORN Fellow; Federico Acosta Rainis, Pulitzer Center.
When: 12 pm, Eastern
Where: Zoom
Cost: Free
Sponsor: Pulitzer Center
Tue, June 9 - Trauma-informed Reporting: A Mental Health Reporting Project
What: Master trauma-informed reporting to cover mental health with accuracy, empathy and impact.
Who: Lisa Armstrong, Assistant Professor, UC Berkeley.
When: 1 pm, Eastern
Where: Zoom
Cost: Free
Sponsor: Poynter
Tue, June 9 - Social Media Boot Camp, Part 1
What: We’ll teach you practical tips and tools for extending your cause and mission via social media. We cover the basics of using social media for your nonprofit organization and give you handy tips for the most useful social media platforms for nonprofits.
Who: Kiersten Hill, Director of Nonprofit Solutions.
When: 3 pm, Eastern
Where: Zoom
Cost: Free
Sponsor: Firespring
Tue, June 9 - Let's talk AI-powered conversion propensity models
What: Lessons learned from the panelists’ work and an open the discussion about what's worked and how they've experimented in this space.
Who: Chicago Public Media's Ellery Jones, Aditi Mukund, and Mark Chonofsky.
When: 3 pm, Eastern
Where: Zoom
Cost: Free
Sponsor: Online News Association
Tue, June 9 - Rise of independent journalists: Q&A with creators Levi Ismail and Chelsea Cox
Who: Levi Ismail, Creator and NewsChannel5 journalist; Chelsea Cox, Content creator journalist.
When: 4 pm, Eastern
Where: Zoom
Cost: Free
Sponsor: Center for Scholastic Journalism at Kent State University & and Trusting News
Wed, June 10 - LinkedIn for Small Business
What: In this session, you’ll learn how to optimize your profile to attract ideal clients, create content that gets seen without spending hours online, and turn connections into real business conversations. Whether you’re launching your first business or scaling an established one, you’ll walk away with a practical 30-day action plan to make LinkedIn work for your business goals.
Who: Karen Seymour, Founder and CEO of KJS Digital Marketing.
When: 10 am, Eastern
Where: Zoom
Cost: Free
Sponsor: Small Business Development Center, Temple University
Wed, June 10 - The Future of Medical Writing: Applying AI Through a Human-Centric Lens + Demo
What: This session provides a practical view of how organizations can move from experimentation to scalable impact—while keeping medical writers central to the process.
Who: Melissa Morine, Senior Staff AI Staff Engineer, Weave Bio; Nancy Smith, RAC SVP, Medical Writing Services, Syner-G.
When: 1 pm, Eastern
Where: Zoom
Cost: Free to members
Sponsor: American Medical Writers Association
Wed, June 10 - Encouraging Self-directed Learning in Your Online Learning Environment
What: This webinar to help you define self-directed learning, identify barriers within your online learning environment, and make changes so that learners can drive their professional growth.
Who: Jeremy Tuttle, Director of Learning Design at Niche Academy.
When: 2 pm, Eastern
Where: Zoom
Cost: Free
Sponsor: Niche Academy
Wed, June 10 - AI Has a Black Problem
What: We'll look into how AI sees race, why it matters more than most people realize and what it looks like to navigate a world that's increasingly being built by machines trained on our blind spots. We'll talk about who's at the table when these technologies are created, who's missing, and why that gap has real consequences for our communities.
When: 7 pm, Eastern
Where: Zoom
Cost: Free
Sponsor: Luna
Thu, June 11 - Ask Me Anything: 2026-2027 AI Accountability Network Fellowships
What: Learn more about joining the fifth (2026-2027) cohort of our Al Accountability Fellowships.
Who: Joanna S. Kao, Pulitzer Center; Si Err Yap, AI Fellow; Maria Karienova, Pulitzer Center.
When: 9 am, Eastern
Where: Zoom
Cost: Free
Sponsor: Pulitzer Center
Thu, June 11 - You Are the Experience: What Your Audience Actually Responds To
What: You’ll experience firsthand what truly captures attention, builds connection, and invites participation. Through a series of intentional moments, we’ll explore five specific experiences that consistently spark audience response and how to bring them to life using the tools available to you.
Who: Kassy LaBorie speaker, author, Virtual training pioneer.
When: 12 pm, Eastern
Where: Zoom
Cost: Free
Sponsor: Aha Slides
Thu, June 11 - The KPI Reset: Measuring What Actually Matters
What: This session focuses on how publishers can move beyond surface-level metrics and build KPI frameworks tied directly to financial outcomes.
Who: Reilly Kneedler, an AlignSimple data and audience analytics expert.
When: 2 pm, Eastern
Where: Zoom
Cost: $35
Sponsor: Online Media Campus
Thu, June 11 - Public Sector Social Media: How to balance Creativity and Constraint
What: Whether you're a seasoned social media pro or you're just dipping your toes into the digital waters, you'll walk away with actionable tips, new friends in social . . . and maybe even a giveaway prize!
Who: Jake MacDonald, Hey Orca!
When: 2 pm, Eastern
Where: Zoom
Cost: Free
Sponsor: Hey Orca
Thu, June 11 - Social Media Boot Camp, Part 2
What: Now it’s time to use social media to stand out from the crowd. You’ll learn a few advanced social media tips and tricks, elevate your social media presence through micro strategies and activate your advocates.
Who: Kiersten Hill, Director of Nonprofit Solutions.
When: 3 pm, Eastern
Where: Zoom
Cost: Free
Sponsor: Firespring
Fri, June 12 - Codex for Faculty and Researchers
What: Explore how faculty and researchers can use Codex to move from a research question or teaching need to a working prototype faster. This session will show practical workflows in higher education. We’ll focus on realistic academic use cases, including how to give Codex clear context, review its work, and keep humans in control of research quality and reproducibility.
Who: Gaurav Kaila, AI Deployment Manager, OpenAI.
When: 10 am, Eastern
Where: Zoom
Cost: Free
Sponsor: Open AI Academy
Fri, June 12 - AI & the Creation: Friends or Foes?
What: A moderated discussion and theological responses to the ways in which AI can contribute to planetary flourishing and the ways in which AI contributes to environmental concerns.
Who: Greg Cootsona, Executive Director of AI and Faith; Jim Stump, the Vice President at BioLogos; Sharon Talbot, marketing strategist; Leslie Herrmann, a scholar-advocate; Braden Molhoek, the Director of the Center for Theology and the Natural Sciences
When: 5:30 pm, Eastern
Where: Zoom (hybrid)
Cost: Free
Sponsors: The Center for Theology and the Natural Sciences at the Graduate Theological Union & New College Berkeley.
Sat, June 13 - Free Press Workshop 2026
What: Learn how to assert your right to press freedom and use the law to improve your reporting. This event is open to current undergraduate and graduate students at U.S. colleges and universities, with a special focus on those involved in journalism. Attendees will hear from experts in the field about the importance of student journalism and how to protect a free and open press.
When: 9 am – 5:30 pm
Where: In person (WHYY, Philadelphia)
Cost: Free
Sponsor: FIRE (Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression)
Only the Brave
/Only the brave can endure suspense. -American journalist and author Mignon McLaughlin (born June 6, 1913)
AI definitions: Prompts
/Prompts – These instructions for an AI are the main way to steer it in a particular direction, indicate intent and provide context. Prompting can be time-consuming when the task is complex, but better prompts elicit richer and more robust responses. Prompt strategies include assigning the AI a role, an attitude and a style.