The Economic Hardship Reporting Project sets up a special fund for laid-off Denver Post staffers →

“A reconstruction of Sri Lanka’s descent into violence, based on interviews with officials, victims and ordinary users caught up in online anger, found that Facebook’s newsfeed played a central role in nearly every step from rumor to killing. Facebook officials, they say, ignored repeated warnings of the potential for violence, resisting pressure to hire moderators or establish emergency points of contact.” —CS

“As justifiable as the focus on Facebook has been, though, it isn’t the full picture. If the concern is that companies might be collecting some personal data without our knowledge or explicit consent, Alphabet’s Google is a far bigger threat by many measures: the volume of information it gathers, the reach of its tracking and the time people spend on its sites…”

“These new products all look and function differently: Revcontent’s Engage.im ditches the traditional widget look in favor of an infinite scroll filled with partner publisher content, which can be personalized and partners can monetize however they want; Outbrain’s Sphere looks similar to other widgets, but displays publishers’ brand names very prominently, a move designed to distinguish it from Facebook.”

“A year and a half into her tenure, Ms. Brown, who became a school-choice activist with close ties to conservative politics after her TV career, is emerging as a fiery negotiator for her vision of Facebook as a publishing platform, according to interviews with more than 30 people who work or who regularly interact with her.”

“The next chapter in opinion journalism is instead of dictating the conversation, we’re convening the conversation,” said Sam Guzik, editor for platform and strategies, opinion. “It’s less about telling people what to think and more about saying ‘Let’s come to a consensus and find the way forward as a community.’”

Following the money, humanizing the data, examining high speed rail, gaming the vote, and more.