Reads of the Week: Feb. 26 - March 4
Nuanced news you can use, straight to your inbox, highlighting what you may have missed this week.
Welcome to Nuanced News, a weekly look at the content that encourages you to think in unique ways about a complex world. I may not agree with this content. In some cases that’s why I select it. I also try to separate these individual pieces from the creator’s full body of work. We are all inconsistent beings, after all.
Politics: Lawmakers Propose Legislation to Tighten Rail Safety Regulations
This story is a direct result of independent media. First, Lever News reported about how the railway companies lobbied against safety changes. Then they pressured politicians and even media companies with a series of articles focused on corruption. The environmental disaster in East Palestine is still playing out, and I think it’s important to track how quickly or slowly things move from here.
The Nuance: Independent media can be a tremendous force for good. Congressman Khana even cited the Lever News reporting as he proposed this legislation. They punched way above their weight as a media organization, and it’s great to see. The well-investigated truth can cut through corruption, culture wars and whatever else holds us back.
Media: FBI chief Christopher Wray says China lab leak most likely
I’m not interested in discussing this issue here because it warrants a full breakdown. The consequences of this story spotlight a need for a discussion on media bias, online bullying, appeal to authority fallacies, etc. We are also not informed enough to make a final call on where COVID-19 originated. For now, we must continue to follow how it unfolds and value an open mind.
The Nuance: If this story caught you off guard, it’s a lesson that the first perspective is rarely the full perspective. It also shows the downside of tribalism, as this issue largely split people down party lines. In this case, the left is most worthy of derision. Because even though they were Republicans, it turns out that the Lab Leak Theory proponents deserved to be heard.
Sports: The Kournikoving of College Sports and Its Discontents
This is the most challenging story I read this week. It’s a lesson in incentives, and how we are usually unprepared for the eventual outcomes of those incentives. The NIL law from the NCAA has led to a commodification of young female athletes that nobody really saw coming. Now they are stuck in an incredibly difficult position with the future of college athletics in the balance.
The Nuance: As someone who was supportive of allowing athletes to make money off their likeness, I saw this as an unexpected outcome. How will the NCAA deal with the latest wave of influencers calling them out for sexism? Is this good or bad for female athletics in the long run?
Honorary Mentions
The humanities era in universities seems to be coming to an end. I don’t think the humanities are any less important for society’s flourishing. So what will become of us?
The Problem With the 'Abundance Agenda'
As someone who reads heavily from the likes of Derek Thompson and Ezra Klein, I’ve become a general supporter of the Abundance Agenda they advocate for. Part of that necessitates grappling with its faults, which are outlined here.
Parents push back on allegations against St. Louis transgender center. ‘I’m baffled.’
A well-sourced story pushing back on a whistleblower that accused the clinic of forcing teens toward gender transition surgery. A great lesson in the power of nuanced journalism and its ability to frame a story.
