Notes from
the newsroom
No jokes here, or not many. Straight writing about satire, media literacy and the craft behind the stories.
How to tell satire from fake news in under a minute
Satire wants you to get the joke. Disinformation needs you to miss it. Here is how to check which one you are reading.
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A short history of American political satire, from pamphlets to newsletters
Americans have been mocking the people in charge since before there was a country to be in charge of.
Why satire headlines work: the anatomy of a deadpan headline
A good satire headline reads like a wire story and lands like a punchline. The structure is more precise than it looks.
Satire and free speech: what Hustler v. Falwell still means
In 1988 the Supreme Court decided, unanimously, that public figures cannot win damages just because a parody hurt their feelings.
The Smattering style guide: eight rules we write by
Satire looks effortless when it works. Behind every piece are a few rules that keep the joke sharp and the reader on our side.
What political satire is for (and what it is not)
Satire does not change votes very often. It does something more useful: it makes spin visible.
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