Nieman Lab's Predictions for Journalism 2026
"Each year, we ask some of the smartest people in digital media what they think is coming in the year ahead. Here's what they told us." Some essays from the annual collection that caught my eye.
Latest
Is the article dead?
Personalization is coming to journalism. The question is: who controls it?
Last Call for Mass Market Paperbacks
"The format credited with making books more accessible via low prices and widespread availability will all but vanish from the publishing scene in a few weeks." With it comes a generational loss.
T.S.A. Is Providing Air Passenger Data to Immigration Agents for Deportation Effort
"The Trump administration is providing the names of all air travelers to immigration officials, substantially expanding its use of data sharing to expel people under deportation orders."
Friday links: December 12, 2025
In the face of government oppression, it's time to encrypt.
Trump Signs Executive Order To Combat State AI Regulation
"President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Thursday intended to limit state regulation of artificial intelligence." At the same time, states are watering theirs down.
2025 on Tumblr: Trends That Defined the Year
"Wow, we made it. 2025. One of the years of all time." Tumblr didn't die - figuratively or literally - and, honestly, it's just nice to see it.
US plans to start checking all tourists' social media
"All tourists will have to undergo a social media screening before being allowed entry into the US under new plans being considered by the country's border force."
10 Years of Let's Encrypt Certificates
Let's Encrypt is ten years old. It's changed the web for the better.
The world needs social sovereignty
"By making the news and truth contingent on advertising budgets we’ve created an environment where any narrative can win, as long as the storyteller is willing to pay. If we allow these conditions to continue, we will leave behind the voices that truly matter."
Why RSS matters
The future of the web depends on simple, open standards.
The Web Runs On Tolerance
"History shows us that all progress comes from the meeting of diverse people, with different ideas, and different backgrounds." The web is no different.
Notable links
Friday links: December 5, 2025
What comes after the AI hype cycle; new community platforms; and more.
Technology
Trump administration orders enhanced vetting for applicants of H-1B visa
Under a new State Department memo, people who keep online spaces safe are now ineligible for H-1B visas.
Technology
You can't legislate serendipity
Why Europe's alternative tech vision needs community, not just compliance
Society
Where Do the Children Play?
"In physical space, Western children are almost comically sheltered. But in digital space, they’re entirely beyond our command; and increasingly, that’s where children spend most of their time."
Technology
Introducing Roundabout
New_ Public announced its new community platform is being co-developed with five local US communities - and there's a lot more to come.
AI
What Happens After the Hype? Lessons from Mobile Internet’s Long Road to Success
"The question isn’t whether the current AI investment cycle will face a reckoning. It’s what form that reckoning takes — and what comes after."
Knowing when to leave
I wrote this in my blog drafts well over a decade ago (exact date unclear). I thought I'd publish it as-is as an aside. I'm sure it was going to be an excellent full post, but clearly this is just the intro. I still agree though:
Technology
imperfect notes & my second subconscious
I've never been a great notetaker. Winnie Lim suggests I might be overthinking it: it's not a second brain but a second subconscious mind.
Teams
"Disagree and Let’s See"
"Disagree and commit" is disingenuous. This is a better idea.
Democracy
The Optical Illusion of Prosperity
"We have created a system where the only way to survive is to be destitute enough to qualify for aid, or rich enough to ignore the cost. Everyone in the middle is being cannibalized."
Technology
The EFF we need now
Why the next era of digital civil liberties requires a tighter mission, a bolder strategy, and a clearer view of how power works.
Technology
Of the web
"These days people use the term "web" to mean basically something you can view in a web browser. But that does not mean it is *of* the web."