Author ON COURAGE: HOW TO BE A DISSIDENT IN AN AGE OF FEAR | NYTimes Opinion Writer | Director, HKS Independent Media program| Founder, Proof News, The Markup
New York
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Two years ago, I launched Proof News with the hypothesis that readers would appreciate seeing the 'ingredients' in their news articles.
This year, we tested our labels with nearly 4,000 news consumers -- and were very happy to learn that labels *did* increase trust!
What if your news diet came with nutrition labels? @JuliaAngwin and the @ProofNews team tested what happens when news videos cite their sources and use other transparency labels. Turns out, showing your work is a fast way to increase viewer trust.
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The most surprising finding was that labels worked *better* on short-form video than on text news articles.
We were skeptical that viewers would pause to read a label placed in credits or in metadata. But they did!
niemanlab.org/2026/10/creato…
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Two types of labels lifted viewer trust on news videos: 1) Labels describing the stories sources
2) Labels describing newsroom standards*
* fun fact, the newsroom standard label was modeled after @davejorgenson 's transparency label
proofnews.org/trust-labels/
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Julia Angwin retweeted
You might know @JuliaAngwin as a @nytopinion writer, or as a @PulitzerPrizes winning journalist, or as the coauthor of a recent book and viral @NewYorker essay on how to be a dissident. But did you know that she has a math degree and is the child of a math professor and is bringing ideas from math and science to save journalism?
One of the most fun, interesting convos I've ever been part of, listen to our latest episode of @breakingmathpod with cohost @1autumn_leaf piped.video/watch?v=8wfksiGY…
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ON COURAGE is out today – wherever books are sold.
Rachel Maddow calls it "A classic of our time."
We interviewed 100+ dissidents on five continents to develop 16 lessons for how to build your political courage and help save the free world.
harpercollins.com/products/o…
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Julia Angwin retweeted
If you’ve been searching for courage in this difficult time, tonight’s column is for you. open.substack.com/pub/joycev…
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Julia Angwin retweeted
How do you defy an authoritarian in an age of fear?
This Wednesday at 5 PM PT, Patt Morrison interviews Julia Angwin & Ami Fields-Meyer on the lessons learned from 100+ global dissidents featured in their new book, "On Courage."
🗓️ Wednesday June 3rd, 5 PM PT
🎟️ Register here: jewsunitedfordemocracy.org/b…
@JuliaAngwin
@pattmlatimes
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The tide is turning. The dollar amount in this lawsuit- $6 million - is low, but the implications are massive.
Tech companies are finally being held liable for designing harmful products. My latest for @nytopinion (gift link) on why this win matters.
nytimes.com/2026/03/26/opini…
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Just got my hands on the first early copies of my forthcoming book with Ami Fields-Meyer -- On Courage: How to Be a Dissident in an Age of Fear!
AND this week Barnes & Noble is running a pre-oder sale March 24-26. Use code PREORDER25 for 25% off!
barnesandnoble.com/w/on-cour…
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Julia Angwin retweeted
We are proud to represent the brilliant & funny .@JuliaAngwin in a nationwide class action over Grammarly’s AI Expert Review tool that used many writers’ names w/out their consent. Please take a moment to hear Julia’s perspective.
nytimes.com/2026/03/13/opini…
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Courage is contagious. But how do we catch it?
For months, Ami Fields-Meyer and I have been asking dissidents and activists from around the world how we can topple authoritarianism.
We assembled their lessons into a field guide to courage.
newyorker.com/news/the-weeke…
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Julia Angwin retweeted
This is a very smart paper; I cringe when journalists refer to audience engagement as *promotion*!as I see it as trust-building and public service.
The key finding of my comparison of how journalists & creators build trust with audiences:
Journalism has placed many markers of trust in institutional processes that are opaque to audiences, while creators embed the markers of trust directly in interactions with audiences.
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Julia Angwin retweeted
Journalists place “many markers of trust in institutional processes that are opaque to audiences, while creators try to embed the markers of trust directly in their interactions with audiences.”- @JuliaAngwin “journalists assume their audiences trust them, and creators do not.”
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The key finding of my comparison of how journalists & creators build trust with audiences:
Journalism has placed many markers of trust in institutional processes that are opaque to audiences, while creators embed the markers of trust directly in interactions with audiences.
With trust in traditional media at an all-time low, a new paper from Shorenstein Fellow @JuliaAngwin examines what content creators — currently engaged in journalist-style work & courting large, loyal audiences — can teach journalists about trustworthiness loom.ly/90Ja7CM
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Final installment in our three-part series on the climate costs of AI. Come to watch @A_W_Gordon ham it up pouring out water bottles, but stay to grapple with the brutal realities of climate mitigations where you can maybe save water or carbon, but it's really hard to save both.
You may have heard that having a conversation with ChatGPT is the climate equivalent of pouring out a bottle of water. In fact, that is likely an underestimate.
In the 3rd installment in our series on the climate costs of AI, we tackle thirsty AI.
piped.video/watch?v=s67L2otH…
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Julia Angwin retweeted
You may have heard that having a conversation with ChatGPT is the climate equivalent of pouring out a bottle of water. In fact, that is likely an underestimate.
In the 3rd installment in our series on the climate costs of AI, we tackle thirsty AI.
piped.video/watch?v=s67L2otH…
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Second part of our three-part series on the climate impacts of AI just dropped! 👇🏻
What is the carbon cost of using an AI bot? The companies stopped disclosing it in 2022.
In the latest installment in our series on the climate costs of AI, we estimate a year of ChatGPT use may emit the same amount of CO2 as driving 2 million miles.
piped.video/watch?v=yekAtc4e…
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First installment of our 3-part series on the climate impacts of AI just dropped on YouTube. 👇🏻
Since 2017, electricity consumption at the biggest AI makers has soared:
186% at Google
186% at Microsoft
367% at Meta
The reason: AI.
@A_W_Gordon stars in the first episode of our new YouTube series on the climate impacts of AI.
piped.video/watch?v=jFd0QUOU…
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At @proof__news, we are betting on:
* Rigorous methods
* Radical transparency
* Reaching audiences where they are
Joining Nebula, the largest indie streaming platform that hand curates its list of high quality content creators, perfectly aligns with our values.
We are thrilled to announce that Proof News is joining Nebula – the independent creator-led video streaming platform. Our video investigations will appear on Nebula as well as on the corporate-owned platforms.
An indie newsroom + indie platform = stronger together!
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Honored to be on @DuckDuckGo's list of annual donations.
Please join them in helping to support our mission!
proofnews.org/donate/
Proof News is an independent nonprofit newsroom. We do rigorous investigations of the most powerful companies in the world.
We have no corporate overlords. We have no ads and no 3rd-party trackers.
We are honored that @DuckDuckGo chose us as one of their annual donations!
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