Media Claims
How to read press releases, spot derivative reporting, and trace claims back to primary sources.
What I mean by this tag
This topic covers how claims spread through media: the chain from primary source to press release to news article to social media hot take. I'm interested in what gets lost, distorted, or invented at each stage of that chain.
This isn't about "media bad"—it's about understanding the structural pressures that shape what gets reported and how. Speed vs. accuracy tradeoffs, engagement incentives, derivative reporting, and the difference between what headlines imply and what the underlying evidence supports.
Start here
If you're new to this topic, begin with this episode.
EP. 001: And so it begins - AI Slop or Modern Telenovela?
Examining how claims about AI content spread, what the research actually says, and separating hype from reality.
All episodes in this topic
Greatest Productivity Hacks? Not so fast! - Part 2
Continuing the productivity deep dive. More claims examined.
EP. 002Greatest Productivity Hacks? Not so fast! - Part 1
Deep dive into popular productivity hacks and the research.
EP. 001And so it begins - AI Slop or Modern Telenovela?
The rise of AI-generated YouTube content and media claims.
Related reading
Sources I trust on this topic.
- Columbia Journalism Review — Media criticism and journalism analysis.
- Nieman Lab — Research and reporting on the news industry.
- Manufacturing Consent (Herman & Chomsky) — The classic on media structure (read critically; it's a model, not gospel).