RajenNov 20, 2022
Jay Rosen

"What I’m finding most satisfying about Mastodon, and I’m seeing a lot of other journalists feel this, is that it actually forces you to ask and confront some of these questions and to make active choices. Even if Mastodon were to remain Twitter’s very tiny stepbrother, I would still like to be part of a Mastodon journalist community because I think we got lazy as a field, and we let Mark Zuckerberg, Jack Dorsey, and, god help us, Elon Musk decide..."

—@adamdavidson

https://themarkup.org/newsletter/hello-world/mastodons-moment

Mastodon’s Moment – The Markup

A conversation with Adam Davidson

Nov 19, 2022 at 8:14pmWeb
Show threadTeo ValdésNov 19, 2022
@jayrosen_nyu @adamdavidson What active choices do you think he means? About what instance to choose and then who to include in your feed?
Show threadJay RosenNov 19, 2022
@teovaldes I added the link, which answers that question. https://themarkup.org/newsletter/hello-world/mastodons-moment
Mastodon’s Moment – The Markup

A conversation with Adam Davidson

Show threadTeo ValdésNov 19, 2022
@jayrosen_nyu Thanks!
Show threadJay RosenNov 19, 2022
@teovaldes Yes, that. And what a journalists' instance should be.
Show threadBellison22Nov 19, 2022

@jayrosen_nyu @adamdavidson

America is seeing all the areas they were lazy and complacent in...2022 was a great big magnifying Mirror, reflecting all the lines, wrinkles and dark spots of this country.
In this mirror, we look very old and worn.

Show threadA L KatzNov 19, 2022
@jayrosen_nyu @adamdavidson The world's content & information providers found it ideal to have a public square where everyone could bring their wares. The problem isn't the public square, it's private ownership of same. A privately-owned #birdsite is dangerous to democracy.
Show threadPhilip Ives 🖖Nov 20, 2022
@Alan @jayrosen_nyu @adamdavidson Yes indeed. A decentralised system is best to prevent powerful individuals owning and trying to control content.
Show threadFrida Kahlua🌊🇺🇲🇵🇭🇺🇦Nov 20, 2022
@Alan @jayrosen_nyu @adamdavidson
Indeed.
Show threadTom Bellin Nov 24, 2022
@Alan @jayrosen_nyu @adamdavidson they found it ideal to have a "public square" where their content was heavily privileged irregardless of its quality.
Show threadOisín BreenNov 19, 2022
@jayrosen_nyu @adamdavidson I feel the same.
Show threadSalamNov 19, 2022
@jayrosen_nyu @adamdavidson
I remember going to Twitter's opening party in Dubai with 50/50 journalists split in the room on how good it will be. It's good to be out of your comfort zone.
Show threadEva Libuše Debora PavlíkováNov 19, 2022
@jayrosen_nyu @adamdavidson great point, thank you! + @jakubzelenka
Show threaddaniel s.Nov 19, 2022
@adamdavidson maybe don't suspend trans journalists for opposing transphobia if you want to stick around here
Show threadJaxNov 20, 2022
@selfagency @adamdavidson I don't think blocking servers prevents the people in them from reading you. Public posts are accessible even by rss aren't they?
Show threadsawbonaNov 19, 2022
@jayrosen_nyu @adamdavidson this is an incredible journalism experiment. I wish more journalist from other countries did the same.
Show threadVictor CastonNov 19, 2022
@jayrosen_nyu @adamdavidson AMEN!
Show threadShannonNov 19, 2022
@jayrosen_nyu @adamdavidson YES! Exactly this. Too much reporting on Twitter. And really too much reporting on these people. Like so much of that just boosts their persona and they scam us all. Apparently Elon's credentials are all false. Look at the FTX guy. Reporters need to look more critically at all these things or we will end up with people like Musk moulding the world in the way they want.
Show threadTraceyKNov 19, 2022
@jayrosen_nyu @adamdavidson Hopefully, Mastodon and similar platforms restore a sense of agency within the journalism community in that journalists will now be able to focus on the pursuit and development of stories relevant to them and their readers rather than having to always react in response to what's currently hot on Twitter.
Show threadHannah WeinbergerNov 19, 2022
@jayrosen_nyu @adamdavidson’s comments about how to think of the CW, and recognition that “what is journalism” is in many ways subjective and gate-keepy, were so good. Ty for this @Julia !
Show threadEzekielNov 19, 2022
@jayrosen_nyu @adamdavidson I've seen a lot of blind dogpiling on journa.host for that one account... For every user or instance that is thoughtful about how to use the platform / who to block, how many are there just going with their basest instinct?
Show threadVivekaNov 20, 2022
@Ezekiel You mean Adam? It’s because he’s the admin, and he refuses to moderate.
Show threadEzekielNov 20, 2022
@Viveka naw I meant the antisemitic troll account that was let in, but right that is my understanding. Interesting times
Show threadVivekaNov 20, 2022
@Ezekiel I’m told he also kicked out a trans journalist for asking for more moderation for anti-trans abuse. But I didn’t see that, because I’m on aus.social and we’d already defederated.
Show threadDavid ColborneNov 19, 2022

@jayrosen_nyu @adamdavidson This linked article within the original was also an interesting read.

https://www.cjr.org/analysis/journalists-want-to-recreate-twitter-on-mastodon-mastodon-is-not-into-it.php

Journalists want to re-create Twitter on Mastodon. Mastodon is not into it.

<p>Ever since Elon Musk completed his $45 billion takeover of Twitter last month, there has been a steady stream of users, including a number of journalists, signing up for Mastodon, an open-source alternative. No one controls Mastodon—or rather, everyone controls their own version of it. There are thousands of servers running the software, and each […]</p>

Columbia Journalism Review
Show threadMister Prickles 🦔Nov 19, 2022

@jayrosen_nyu @adamdavidson part of me is sorry journalists stand to lose what was obviously one of their greatest assets. But another part of me thinks you're making an even bigger mistake setting up journa.host. You were already in a walled garden of Blue Ticks in the old place, and you rarely paid mind to hoi polloi.

If all you do is watch each other, then what?

Show threadCOberNov 19, 2022
@jayrosen_nyu @adamdavidson
Show threadHarryNov 19, 2022
@jayrosen_nyu @adamdavidson Mastodon may be more difficult to use than Twitter, but his may focus debates and keep out low effort content.
Show threadBlake C. StaceyNov 20, 2022

@jayrosen_nyu Yeah, so, a whole bunch of instances have been defederating from journo dot host for days now.

https://scholar.social/@socrates/109310119094734208

Administrative account (@[email protected])

Content warning: Scholar de-federation notice

Scholar Social
Show threadpeytonstephensNov 20, 2022
@jayrosen_nyu @adamdavidson
Show threadLindaamaNov 20, 2022
@jayrosen_nyu @adamdavidson
Show threadVivekaNov 20, 2022

@jayrosen_nyu @[email protected]

I am frankly astonished that Adam could give a whole interview about his experiences here without mentioning the two actions he’s taken recently that have horrified the existing community to the point where the largest instances in Australia and New Zealand have *permanently* defederated from journa.host, and issued alerts that it is a threat to the safety of our communities.

I’m sure he disagrees with their assessments. But to not even mention it? Wow.

"The instance has demonstrated numerous times its callous disregard for the safety of users on other instances”… “an admin who arrogantly refuses to admit that they are enabling harm”.

https://aus.social/@AusSocialMods/109362230508696296

"we reiterate that journa[.]host is a threat to safety on the fediverse, especially of marginalised voices and identities, and recommend an immediate #FediBlock”

https://cloudisland.nz/@announcements/109372764251872582

Aus Social Mods (@[email protected])

aus.social is immediately and permanently defederating from journa.host. The instance has demonstrated numerous times its callous disregard for the safety of users on other instances. We stand with those instances. Many of you follow and are followed by users on journa.host. We are sorry, but you will no longer be able to do so from here, because of the actions of some users on that instance and an admin who arrogantly refuses to admit that they are enabling harm.

Aus.Social
Show threadxianNov 20, 2022
@Viveka @jayrosen_nyu definitely blocked on my instance
Show thread@[email protected]Nov 21, 2022
@Viveka @jayrosen_nyu Seeing how journalistic communities can be very very quick to close ranks and protect their own, in particular by strategic memory-holing of embarrassing incidents and criticism external to the community, I am not surprised in the least.
Show threadBreach/CatNov 20, 2022

@jayrosen_nyu @adamdavidson

you just haven't had a taste of the Free Internet yet, when you get the *really* idea behind #Mastodon (and #Fediverse) you'll stop seeing it as a copy of #Twitter

Show threadEvaNov 20, 2022
@jayrosen_nyu @adamdavidson and you hide
Show threadDonnaNov 20, 2022
@jayrosen_nyu @adamdavidson (Rolls eyes)
Show threadLouNov 20, 2022
@jayrosen_nyu @adamdavidson what I'd like to see, is the growth of standards that let us fully control our own feed parameters. The advertiser customer (e.g. twitter) does not represent our interests. Mastedon appears to be doing this at the very nascent (amoebic?) stages
Show threadDoug BostromNov 20, 2022
@jayrosen_nyu @adamdavidson Making a tasty meal at home, as opposed to convenient but dodgy takeout.
Show threadMakinmusic4meNov 20, 2022
@jayrosen_nyu @adamdavidson Thank you! This was an illuminating read and had some great points about how to view this new community.
Show threadRamen MukherjeeNov 20, 2022
@jayrosen_nyu @adamdavidson exactly the point
Show threadTofu GolemNov 20, 2022

@jayrosen_nyu @adamdavidson
Journalists didn't just get lazy. They failed as watchdogs on the powerful. Profoundly.

The "he said/she said" reporting without fact-checking allowed lies to spread like wildfire.

The constant "but both sides" arguments normalized extremism.

Show threadLevantine NativeNov 20, 2022
@tofugolem @jayrosen_nyu @adamdavidson I didn’t see any “but both sides arguments.” I saw opinion posted as news, I saw an epic pandemic of sloth among journalists, and I saw activism instead of journalism. Journalism isn’t supposed to be activism except for editorial pages. It’s supposed to be about fact-finding and providing those facts to the reader so they can then form their own opinions about those facts.
Show threadTofu GolemNov 20, 2022
@levantinenative
They do it constantly. Sometimes subtly, as when they use "everything is so polarized now" to make it sound like both sides made things this way, other times in a far more blatant way, such as when they dig up a random anti-vaccine crackpot to tell the "other side" from an established scientific consensus, and present both sides as having equally valid points.
Show threadMichaelNov 20, 2022
@jayrosen_nyu @adamdavidson It’s a bit tiring that so many journalists do the “both sides” thing whe writing about fascism versus democracy. Seriously?
Show threadSimonTay78Nov 20, 2022
@jayrosen_nyu @adamdavidson@journa host hopefully all mastodon apps can add the "embed toot" options for iOS & Android so #journalist can #embed toots in their news articles Another is to allow celebrities & companies to know how to verify their websites using the rel="me" link found in #mastodon profile copy paste to their website about me page while editing in HTML format. That way journalist can know those profiles are verified & actually the person to report on #mastodonAdmin
Show threadAdam BurckNov 20, 2022
@SimonTay78 @jayrosen_nyu please comment with the #journalists and #news accounts on Mastodon so we can follow them.
Show threadJlc1111Nov 20, 2022
@frigganFrankie
Show threadTraversingthestarsNov 20, 2022

@jayrosen_nyu @adamdavidson

I'm hating Mastodon atm. Can't get a follow to save my life. It's like screaming into a vacuum.

Show threadGrandma’s High Again 🙄Nov 20, 2022
@Traversingthestars @jayrosen_nyu @adamdavidson You have to put something in to get something out. Try posting cat photos. 😄
Show threadWndlBNov 20, 2022
@jayrosen_nyu @Julia @adamdavidson I urge you all, particularly Adam, to read is as a matter of URGENCY: https://twitter.com/threadreaderapp/status/1593979993012736000?s=61&t=CpldSi9KHI22oBT71svu8w
Thread Reader App on Twitter

“@john_howard Hola, here is your unroll: https://t.co/BJqD7UJZg9 Have a good day. 🤖”

Twitter
Show thread🥀SkorpionLucifer - LightAngel🥀Nov 20, 2022
@jayrosen_nyu @adamdavidson I'm 5 hours in and I'm enjoying Mastodon so far. It's so much more relaxing and 99% of everyone here have a brain that critically thinks. It's a good mental change of pace.
Show threadRedshoeNov 20, 2022

@SkorpionLucifer9 @jayrosen_nyu @adamdavidson

I noticed the same thing. I don’t dread opening this app. I realized I was angry and anxious on other sites from constant doom scrolling.

Show thread🥀SkorpionLucifer - LightAngel🥀Nov 20, 2022
@Redshoe @jayrosen_nyu @adamdavidson That and seeing a plethora of spelling and grammatical errors in people's posts. My brain had enough of that super quick. Instagram is a cesspool of bad use of language.
Show threadPeterD 🇩🇪 🇨🇦Nov 20, 2022
@jayrosen_nyu @adamdavidson I may keep my Twitter account just like I do my FB account but use very, very little or not at all. I like Mastodon a lot. I think it is better than the birdie one.
Show threadDan Berky "דן" ℞ MS 🇺🇲 🇩🇪 🇮🇱Nov 20, 2022
@jayrosen_nyu @adamdavidson Corporate monopolies are intrinsically evil
Show threadMelinda browneNov 20, 2022
@Daniel_Berky @jayrosen_nyu @adamdavidson corporate America is the death of us if we don’t put it in its place. That is NOT in Congress or the White House.
Show threadMugsackNov 20, 2022
@jayrosen_nyu @adamdavidson omg, I am so done with those people. They had their chance and pooped the nest. I’m looking for a better world and don’t want to make the obscenely rich and self serving richer.
Show threadPatrickFromFWNov 20, 2022
@jayrosen_nyu @adamdavidson I’m puzzled by the related CJR article quoting a journalist on Mastodon saying that journalists linking their articles or live sharing breaking news like they did on Twitter “won’t fly here”. Why on earth not? If that’s not content someone wants, they don’t have to follow those accounts.
Show threadGary NordellNov 20, 2022
@jayrosen_nyu @adamdavidson thanks for posting this article. I too am loving Mastodon, Adam and Jay. I still use Twitter. As a hub for near instant info regarding things like weather events or wildfire news, Twitter is unparalleled. But so far I really like the vibe here. The @journa.social instance is going to be something really special imo! Thanks