Second Rough Draft

Second Rough Draft is a newsletter focused on journalism. It often explores contemporary issues, occasionally looks ahead to the future, and frequently reflects on historical events. This means it not only covers the evolution of journalism but also delves into American history when it connects to the field.

National

English

Newsletter (Digital)

Outlet metrics

Domain Authority

Ranking

Global

N/A

Country

N/A

Articles

Second Rough Draft

1 day ago | dicktofel.substack.com | Richard J. Tofel

This site requires JavaScript to run correctly. Please turn on JavaScript or unblock scripts
Lost Federal Data Means Found Opportunities for Journalism

1 day ago | dicktofel.substack.com | Richard J. Tofel

Welcome to Second Rough Draft, a newsletter about journalism in our time, how it (often its business) is evolving, and the challenges it faces. This week’s edition is being published a day early because of travel plans. You may think of Elon Musk as something of a data geek, but this week I want to talk about implications for journalism of the nihilistic devastation of government data by Musk and his tech bros across a range of policy areas.
Managing Newsrooms Through a Trump Recession

1 week ago | dicktofel.substack.com | Richard J. Tofel

Welcome to Second Rough Draft, a newsletter about journalism in our time, how it (often its business) is evolving, and the challenges it faces. Three years ago, fearing that a recession might be just ahead, I wrote a column with some suggestions about how newsroom managers might think about it. In the event, the Biden Administration and especially the Federal Reserve skillfully managed what is known as a “soft landing,” and no recession occurred (even if the popular vibes were otherwise).
Second Rough Draft

3 weeks ago | dicktofel.substack.com | Richard J. Tofel

This site requires JavaScript to run correctly. Please turn on JavaScript or unblock scripts
Prize-Winning Lessons on Explaining Government

3 weeks ago | dicktofel.substack.com | Richard J. Tofel

Welcome to Second Rough Draft, a newsletter about journalism in our time, how it (often its business) is evolving, and the challenges it faces. Tonight, a series of stories published last October in the opinion pages of the Washington Post will receive the first-ever Goldsmith Prize for Explanatory Reporting.
What to Do About the Looming End of U.S. Public Broadcasting

4 weeks ago | dicktofel.substack.com | Richard J. Tofel

Welcome to Second Rough Draft, a newsletter about journalism in our time, how it (often its business) is evolving, and the challenges it faces. Last May, in another world, I wrote about how I thought NPR should forego public funding for news and substantially revise its own governance to better reflect modern realities. I still think that would have been wise.
Second Rough Draft

1 month ago | dicktofel.substack.com | Richard J. Tofel

This site requires JavaScript to run correctly. Please turn on JavaScript or unblock scripts
Extra! 10 Questions Washington Reporters Need to Ask Right Now

1 month ago | dicktofel.substack.com | Richard J. Tofel

Welcome to Second Rough Draft, a newsletter about journalism in our time, how it (often its business) is evolving, and the challenges it faces. This is a special editiion, reflecting breaking news. People ask a lot these days what they can do in the face of the damage being done by Donald Trump and his cronies.
Second Rough Draft

1 month ago | dicktofel.substack.com | Richard J. Tofel

This site requires JavaScript to run correctly. Please turn on JavaScript or unblock scripts
How Journalism Should Cover a World with the U.S. No Longer at its Center

1 month ago | dicktofel.substack.com | Richard J. Tofel

Welcome to Second Rough Draft, a newsletter about journalism in our time, how it (often its business) is evolving, and the challenges it faces. During all of my life—I’m 68—this country has been the most parochial in the world, the least interested in what was happening elsewhere. Why? Because it could be. It was the richest nation, the one with the most powerful military, separated by large oceans or land masses from all but two others, both of which lived in its economic and geopolitical shadow.