Episode 69 | Pri Bengani

Episode notes

Dan and Ellen talk with Priyanjana Bengan i, a fellow in computational journalism at the Tow Center for Digital Journalism at Columbia. Her work focuses on using computational techniques to research issues in digital media. Her most recent project, published in the Columbia Journalism Review , focused on uncovering networks of "pink slime" local news outlets. There have been several iterations of pink slime sites over the years, such as the North Boston News . (There's no such place as "North Boston," by the way.) They get their name from the pinkish beef paste that is added to hamburger meat. In Quick Takes, Dan revisits Press Forward , the $500 million philanthropic effort aimed at revitalizing local news. When Press Forward was announced a few months ago, many observers were worried that a national, top-down effort might clash with local needs and local concerns. Fortunately, Press Forward is now getting involved in the grassroots in an attempt to leverage its funding and help a wide range of local and regional news projects. Ellen delves into a piece in Racket, an alternative news site in Minneapolis.