Media Coverage of Climate Change Is Caught in an Equilibrium Trap
The media outlets focused on climate change are centered in areas where the actual effects of climate change generally haven't become tangible.
Journalism
Dispatches: Filing a FOIA Request
News and notes from Pacific Standard staff and contributors.
When It Comes to Health-Related Research, Should We Cut Out the Middleman?
A systemic review presents damning evidence that journalists are overselling research.
QAnon Reveals How Poorly Equipped We Are for the Era of Political Trolling
We spoke with a communications professor about the relationship between trolls and the media.
One More Thing That Lowers People's Trust in the News: Seeing Others' Ratings of Articles
Lack of trust in the news in the U.S. runs deep.
How to Inoculate Yourself Against Fake News
Make it a habit to approach stories in an analytical frame of mind.
Stories You Might Have Missed This Week
Women march against ICE, new clues arise in an environmental crime mystery, and grieving journalists keep on writing.
Viewfinder: A Shooting at the Capital Gazette Office in Maryland
Police respond to a shooting on June 28th, 2018, in Annapolis, Maryland.
News on Scary Subjects Gets More Negative as It Spreads
New research finds reintroducing objective facts into the conversation doesn't mitigate this effect.
The Decline of Local News Is Bad for Democracy
Tracking the events in state legislatures and city councils requires skilled beat reporters. They're becoming an increasingly rare breed.
How Ken Layne Created a Publishing Oasis in a Desert Town of 8,000 People
Ken Layne's quarterly magazine, Desert Oracle, tries to give readers a sense of the profound solitude—and weirdness—of the Mojave Desert.
Local Reporting Is Dying. This Training Corps Wants to Bring It Back.
Report for America offers young journalists valuable job training experience—by placing them in talent-starved newsrooms.
Stories We Wish We Had Published in 2017
Our favorite stories from 2017 that were published elsewhere, chosen by the Pacific Standard staff.
How the New Ownership at 'LA Weekly' Played Itself
Semanal Media bought the beloved paper and gutted it from the inside. For what?
Can You Really Shut Down Your Company Right After Your Workers Unionize?
If you're thorough about it, yes.
Are Relations Between Science Agencies and Science Journalists at a New Low?
A look at past surveys of scientists and journalists shows relations have been deteriorating for some time, and have hit a new low under the Trump administration.
Meaningful Magazines
Periodicals that have shaped—and, in a few rare cases, continue to shape—politics and culture.
Do Cable News Networks Have an Obligation to Rebroadcast September 11th Footage?
MSNBC is discontinuing its annual tradition of replaying the network's breaking 9/11 coverage. Is that the best decision?
Viewfinder: Mourning the Murder of a Journalist in New Delhi
Indian activists take part in a protest rally against the killing of Indian journalist Gauri Lankesh at the India Gate memorial in New Delhi on September 6th, 2017.
Judge Throws Out Sarah Palin's Lawsuit Against the 'New York Times'
Palin filed the suit in June, in response to an editorial the newspaper published following the shooting of a congressman.
The Overwhelming Gender Bias in 'New York Times' Book Reviews
A new study finds that gender bias in book reviewing doesn't merely show up in which authors get reviewed more often—it affects authors who veer from common gendered stereotypes as well.
Sports Magazine Covers Sexualize Female Athletes
New research finds women sports stars show more skin, and smile more frequently.