The Watchdogs
With legacy media focused on Trump's every utterance, these newsletters will keep you up to date on the real stories
ChatGPT’s take on the prompt “Create an image that combines journalism with the term watch dogs.” Not bad—though definitely creepy.
At this moment, JMM is off somewhere in the tundra of Iceland, because that’s his idea of a warm and sunny place to spend spring break. But since the news is once again more fantastical than a sci-fi convention, JMM thought it was about time to list 10 Substacks and other newsletters that often inform this weekly endeavor. There are more, of course, which we’ll get to at another time. But this is a good start—and each one is more than worth the follow.
Popular Information: The first of two newsletters by independent journalist Judd Legum, Popular Information has been breaking stories of political coverage for years now. He and his expanding team of reporters aren’t concerned with horse-race politics. They find the forgotten stories about both Beltway and local politics that put the big policy decisions into perspective. They also provide sharp analysis of political trends that provide a halo view of the system as a whole. Bonus: It’s ad free, so they’re beholden to no one but their readers.
Law Dork: Chris Geidner somehow manages to track the entire legal system—which can’t be easy. While he started Law Dork as a way to provide in-depth coverage of the Supreme Court, its reach quickly expanded to covering the entire federal court system and then even some of the action in state courts. Regardless of where the action is, he’s often taking a critical look at court overreach and cronyism, which in the age of Pres. Donald Trump is more often than you want. He also provides analysis of the issues to help make sense of some of the crazy legal arguments being made these days. It’s a definite must-read as the courts become the only backstop for Trump 2.0.
The Present Age: Anymore, media is a matter of politics. We’re all living in information bubbles. As a result, regardless of where you land on the political spectrum, you likely think at least some part of the media is somehow broken. Parker Molloy explains why. She’s a harsh media critic, digging into the normalizations that can result from unbiased coverage, the decisions of tech giants make that skew public discourse, and the moves by media companies that can undercut the public’s need to know. She’s unabashedly liberal, so take that into account. But that doesn’t mean her insights aren’t scalpel sharp.
Innovation Profs: While it would be easy to see this as a bit of boosterism for some fellow Drake University professors, it’s not. Innovation Profs’ Chris Snider and Chris Porter provide one of the best roundups of AI news for the average geek out there. They also test out and recommend new tools to try, provide a breakdown of lessons they’re teaching in the classroom each week, and regularly host workshops that will sharpen your skills. Bonus: There’s usually an awkward AI-generated image of one of the Profs that reminds you that the robots won’t be taking over too soon.
Gateway Journalism News: Though primarily concerned about media in and around the St. Louis area, Gateway also covers the media throughout the forgotten Midwest. Sure, there are big moves happening out east with Bezos reworking the Washington Post into his own image and networks like MSNBC seemingly removing many of its journalists of color. But here in the Heartland, small media still matters. When local papers close, vital information is cut off. Or when a regional publication gets in a fight with state government, it can have a chilling effect on coverage. Gateway covers what the national legacy media misses.
Jared’s Substack: For a moment, ignore the name. Just know that this is where Jared Bernstein, the former chairman of the Council of Economic Advisors, provides context to the economy—something that we all desperately need in a time of manufactured uncertainty. Even better, he does it in a way that doesn’t require a doctorate in economics.
User Mag: JMM has been a fan of Taylor Lorenz for a while now. She’s long been one of those folks who is ridiculously online so you don’t have to be. She breaks down social media and tech trends into their meme-based building blocks. She uncovers stories few others ever find, and she debunks some of the internet’s more pervasive rumors with ole fashioned solid reporting. She’s even expanding her empire into regular podcast posts on YouTube, chatting with other internet journalists about the dark corners of the web the rest of us shouldn’t go.
Musk Watch: Jedd Legum’s other Substack, this one is all about DOGE. Yes, Elon Musk’s chaotic government actions are some of the most covered moves in Washington, but somehow Legum uncovers plenty that has gone underreported. He’s also launched the DOGE Tracker, which documents how many false claims the Department of Government Efficiency has made in its very short existence. Be ready to read for a while. It’s a lot.
Simon Owens’s Media Newsletter: Unlike Molloy, Owens doesn’t focus on legacy media and its failings. Instead, he spends his time living in that space between media and tech, where AI impacts what you read, where YouTube dominates screen time, and where creators are the new journalists. It’s a sometimes-frightening space given the quiet influence it has on America as a whole. But since we’re all hardwired into our phones these days, it’s a place we can’t ignore.
Ctrl Alt Right Delete: The web is awash in disinformation, much of it promoting extremist views. Journalist Melissa Ryan covers the toxic side of the internet, exposing the fabricated stories that seem to work their way into the mainstream through the right-wing media ecosystem. She’s also a part of the Courier newsgroup, a collection of websites covering state politics and legislatures around the country that counts Iowa Starting Line as one of its members. Again, it’s often scary stuff, though sadly, none of it is surprising anymore.
Internships, Fellowships, and More
• JMM’s first official Fall 2025 internship. Penguin Random House is looking for several Fall 2025 interns. The positions are remote. There are openings in graphic design, editorial, publicity, sales, marketing and more. Regardless, you’ll get an inside look at book publishing. Positions last 10 weeks. You will need to be able to work 21 hours per week. Get all the info here. If you want to apply, the deadline to submit is March 17.
• The National Association of Science Writers is offering the NASW Diversity Summer Fellowship. Fellows receive $3,000 to complete a U.S.-based science communication internship during the summer of 2025. You also receive a one-year membership to the NASW. Click here for more info. Applications are due April 1.
• St. Cloud Live is looking for a summer news intern. The community news organization is focused on delivering local, community driven coverage. You can be a part of that, covering the city’s news and entertainment. You’ll work for 10 weeks, living in and covering St. Cloud. You must be at least a rising sophomore. Pay is $12-$13 per hour depending on experience. For more info and to apply, click here.
• Scientific American wants an extended newsletter and engagement intern. You’ll work with the editorial team to create engaging content that will highlight scientific discoveries, policy moves, technology advances, and more. The position is based in New York City. Pay is $20 an hour. You’ll work 35 hours a week for 5-6 months starting in June. Applications are due March 21. Apply here.
• The News Literacy Project needs a summer communications intern. The remote position’s requirements include being a “news junkie.” You’ll help conceptualize, develop and target campaigns, among other duties. You’ll work 25 hours week starting as early as May 12. Pay is $15-$17 an hour. The deadline to apply is March 24. Get all the details here.
• Slate needs a summer intern for its Advice section. Besides freely giving your opinion on things that aren’t really your business, you’ll support Slate’s flagship columns—Dear Prudence, Care and Feeding, Pay Dirt, How to Do It, and Good Job. The gig can be either based at Slate’s Brooklyn office or remote. It pays either minimum wage in your location or $16 an hour, whichever is greater. You’ll work full-time for 90 days starting in June. The deadline to apply is March 20. Get more info here.
• Her Campus is back, this time looking for a summer New & Politics Intern. You’ll be writing and editing timely news articles, working on larger editorial projects and packages, interviewing talent and expert sources, and more. You must be an undergrad and able to receive credit for the experience. The position is remote. Click here for more info.
• Apple Valley, Minnesota, needs a Video Content Creator intern for the summer. You’ll be creating social media videos for Apple Valley, Farmington, and Rosemount cities during this full-time internship. Editing software and graphics experience is also necessary. Pay range is a very specific $19.15-$21.70 per hour. The internship lasts 12 weeks with a flexible start date. Get more info and apply here.
• For even more internships and full-time gigs, check out MEO’s internship post on LinkedIn, which features 235 positions.
Heard a Real Doozy?
Do you have some essential info or did you just finish your 1,000th episode of your own morning show “Good Day Stateline” like Michelle Abraham (Mags, ’09) just did? If so, then let JMM know by sending that juicy news on over to jeff.inman@drake.edu. JMM will treat it like this LinkedIn poster from Lorien MacEnulty (News, Physics, Astro, ’20) breaking down the way-over-JMM’s-head research that they did to get their doctorate in Physics (!) and tell everyone about it.
Finally, a little Lego Russian Roullet.