Sam Liebeskind

Imagine a “Civic Residency” where a Signal Ohio reporter has a dedicated desk in the North Canton or Dublin B&N. This isn’t just about filing copy. It’s about making journalism relational again. By having a predictable physical presence, the journalist becomes a neighbor. You go to B&N to share your thoughts on a zoning issue or ask for help with a... See more

But we’re not the only element — perhaps not even the most important element — in the public information ecosystem. And it’s important to ensure we distinguish between two discussions — one on the survival of journalism, and one on ensuring a healthy public information landscape.

Just as medicine is only one part of a functioning public health... See more

Just as important, they wanted information that was directly relevant to their lives and reflective of their communities. They were not interested in paying for a bundle of content that felt distant from their daily concerns. If local news is to earn financial support, it must first demonstrate local value.

In short, they wanted consistent, reliable... See more

Federation is a misfeature for hosted platforms

When it comes to decentralization, federation is a huge buzzword and selling point. It seems like in theory a good middle ground of peer-to-peer and entirely centralized. However, I think in the case of a chat platform, which hosts a community, it causes more problems than it solves. For things like... See more