What We’re Reading

We keep an eye out for the most interesting stories about Labby subjects: digital media, startups, the web, journalism, strategy, and more.

The Economist

Why don’t women use artificial intelligence? →

“Tera Allas of McKinsey, a consultancy, worries that by the time AI is firmly embedded into modern working life, it might be designed to appeal more to men, who are its main users—potentially shutting women out in the long term.”

What else we were reading on August 26

The Present Age / Parker Molloy

How did a vocal Trump supporter end up in CNN’s “undecided voter” panel? →

“This snafu isn’t just about one voter or one segment gone awry. It’s raising questions about how big news networks handle political coverage. Are ‘undecided voter’ panels worth the trouble? And in an age where everyone’s got a mile-long digital footprint, how do we make sure what we see on TV reflects reality?​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​”

The Boston Globe / Aidan Ryan

Two Martha’s Vineyard newspapers aim to reach Brazilian readers with AI translations →

The Brazilian population makes up about 20 to 30% of the island’s 20,000 year-round residents.

The Fix / Alessandra Vescio

Generation gap, military rhetoric and polarisation: what needs to change in Italian sports journalism →

“The episode involving Benedetta Pilato is just one of many examples during the Olympics that showed how news and stories about sport in Italy often lack depth, empathy and respect.”

Semafor / Max Tani

Progressive news site The Barbed Wire launches in Texas →

“I’m really excited to have important, thoughtful content like that, mixed with quick-turn [aggregation]. There are a ton of really excellent local papers still doing excellent work that isn’t reaching wider audiences, and that we would both like to boost and build on that.”

The New York Times / Adam Satariano, Paul Mozur, and Aurelien Breeden

Telegram becomes a free speech flashpoint after founder’s arrest in France →

“Telegram’s light oversight of what people say or do on the platform has helped people living under authoritarian governments communicate and organize. But it has also made the app a haven for disinformation, far-right extremism and other harmful content. Many were shocked when reports emerged on Saturday across French news media that [Russian entrepreneur Pavel] Durov had been arrested in France on charges related to the spread of illicit material on the service.”

The Verge / Justine Calma

Hope and disparity: a colorful new way to visualize air quality around the world →

“A new tool shows how much air quality has changed since the Industrial Revolution in cities across the world. It generates a single image made up of different colored stripes representing pollution each year in each major city.”