Reading List: No, But Seriously, There Is So Much You Need To Read This Weekend.
Good morning, you lovely humans you. THERE IS SO MUCH I WANT YOU TO READ OMG, so let’s jump right on into that sweet sweet longform content.
Bill Grueskin, How the New York Times editorial page got sued by Sarah Palin (Columbia Journalism Review) - In 2020, many readers don’t know the difference between an editorial (opinion piece written by someone on the regular payroll of that publication) and an op-ed (opinion piece written by a third party.) Or they don’t know that, for the most part, the opinion/editorial staff of a publication are separated from the reporting/straight-journalism side of the publication. (Side note: this isn’t helped by the lack of visual distinction between the two on most sites, or the fact that the biographies of many op-ed writers are hidden at the bottom of their pieces, and sometimes don’t transparently describe the financial relationship between the author and the subject on which they write - read the author bios, folks!) Anyhoozle, that’s beside the point. In this piece, I enjoyed learning about the behind-the-scenes machinations of how an editorial is written, and why the legal system may get involved following opinion pieces. It’s an interesting look at the many year-long ripple effect of one piece, even in an ever-expanding ocean of #content.
Nicole Einbinder, Young Living Essential Oils CEO Mary Young downplays the pandemic after her own employee died from COVID-19, 2 employees say (Business Insider) - OF COURSE the CEO of an essential oils multi-level marketing scheme doesn’t believe in the seriousness of the COVID-19 because it’s “political” and says she’s hug each one of her employees as they come back to work while not requiring masks. OF COURSE. So I suggest you read this, then listen to episode 1 of season 2 of the podcast The Dream to learn about how essential oils are just one aspect of the multi-billion dollar wellness industry, and then read about how Wellness Influencers Are Spreading QAnon Conspiracies About the Coronavirus (h/t FotM Daniel) for an extra reason to slowly walk yourself into the sea.
Brianna Sacks, At 35, Carrie Was Finally Feeling Secure In Her Adult Life. The Coronavirus Completely Derailed It. (BuzzFeed News) - To mark the sixth month (SIXTH!!!) of the pandemic, BuzzFeed is publishing the stories of individuals and the toll the pandemic has had on their lives. And I know this one will hit close to home for many of us elder millennials.
Asawin Suebsaeng, Maxwell Tani and Sam Stein, Trump Was ‘Ecstatic’ About Talking to Woodward—Until He Wasn’t (The Daily Beast)
AND
Nancy Cook and Alex Thompson, Behind Woodward’s September surprise: White House aides saw a train wreck coming, then jumped aboard (POLITICO) - Obviously now that we know that the President of the United States was aware back in February that COVID-19 was highly contagious, airborne, and 5x more deadly than the flu, and yet still lied to the American people, therefor preventing the establishment of an effective national response to the crisis, leading to the deaths of nearly 200,000 people, we’re all going to read the new Bob Woodward book. But I am of course professionally fascinated with, as FotM Aaron pointed out to me last night, “PR malpractice” and how Trump was able to talk to the man who brought down Nixon eighteen (18!!!) times. And this is an example of what happens when a PR team is full of yes people working in an environment when you do not dare to tell the boss no, and even if you do, the boss STILL CALLS BOB WOODWARD omg my brain is broken over this.
Tim Miller, Bob Woodward and the Nihilism of “LOL Nothing Matters” Republicans (The Bulwark) - And as former GOP operative Tim Miller writes, there is something far more chilling about these revelations: “Republicans—and ostensibly “pro-life” Trump apologists—would have you believe that nobody cares about the words and actions of the country’s elected president which resulted in mass death of their fellow citizens.”
And finally
Nadia Ouazzi and Brett Shollenberger, I’m Back In A Relationship With Fivethirtyeight’s Elections Forecast Model, But This Time I Swear He’s Changed (McSweeney’s) - This is parody. But is it? Really?
52 days until the election. Stop looking at the polls and find yourself a phone bank (I am recruiting and captaining some for Biden, so HMU.) Be kind to yourself and fight for democracy.
xoxo Amy