Reasons for optimism #12: Jeremy Caplan and AI

He shows how to innovate and save time with tools such as ChatGPT Why write about “reasons for optimism” when so much is going wrong in our politics, economy, and environment? Optimism gives us confidence that we can make things better. As I like to say, it’s another day of opportunity. Jeremy Caplan is director […]

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An experiment in Spanish translation using AI

I compared results from Deepl, Google, and Bard, and got a surprise I’ve been writing blog posts in Spanish and English for 14 years. Although I’m fluent in Spanish, I’m not a native speaker, and I’ve always worried a bit about the finer points. I try to write in a conversational style, and I use […]

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A lost job sparks a local news startup

Meet the entrepreneur who is building trustworthy journalism in Romania Alex Enășescu launched a newsletter and website focused on news about his hometown, Iasi, Romania, in 2021. We began a conversation on Substack when he commented on one of my posts. I thought his story would inspire other digital media entrepreneurs. This interview was done […]

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Credibility and quality find a market in Ecuador

GK has survived and thrived with a model of in-depth story-telling Isabela Ponce and José María León met on Twitter more than a decade ago when it was still “a nice place where you could meet people,” Isabela recalls. From that meeting, they began to exchange ideas and collaborate. What emerged from this partnership in […]

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salesperson

How NOT to finance a news startup

Layoffs and cutbacks at big digital news sites show that less is more — usually One of the biggest mistakes that many news startups make is to burn through their cash before establishing a solid revenue base. And actually, they’re no different from other startups in this regard: They want to gain market share rapidly […]

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Leadership 5: How to give criticism effectively

Here are some simple steps to take and some phrases to use for improving quality and behavior in a small newsroom This is the fifth in a series about leadership. This skill is difficult to teach. Some of it relies on talent, but some of it can be learned. Leaders aren’t necessarily extroverts. Parents, teachers, […]

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