Criminal justice researcher at the Vera Institute on combating Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity (SOGI) data gaps

Dr. Jennifer Peirce is a criminal justice researcher at the Vera Institute, a nonprofit policy and research organization dedicated to prison reform. In this conversation with Newsjunkie staff reporter Morgan Kriesel, she discusses the challenges of reaching marginalized populations, why researchers should collaborate with advocacy groups, and ways to combat top-down erasure of our most vulnerable peers.

San José Spotlight’s co-founder Josh Barousse on filling a news desert, getting funding, and disrupting the status quo

Ramona Giwargis and Josh Barousse launched San José Spotlight, a nonprofit newsroom focused on local government, policy, and civic engagement in Santa Clara County.

An interview with Vispi Balaporia, President of the Asiatic Society of Mumbai

Newsjunkie publisher Gordon Whiting speaks with Vispi Balaporia about the mission, collections, challenges, and future of the historic Asiatic Society of Mumbai.

Data behind bars: Incarceration, missing federal statistics, and why erasure is dangerous

Wanda Bertram is a communications strategist at the Prison Policy Initiative, a nonprofit research and advocacy organization that produces widely cited research on mass incarceration and the broader criminal legal system.

Lynda Kellam on the Data Rescue Project and the battle for accessible info

Lynda Kellam is a data librarian and director of research at an Ivy League institution, and a founding member of the Data Rescue Project (DPR).

A veteran’s view on the evolving economics of information flow

In this edited Q&A, conducted on October 10, 2025, Newsjunkie publisher Gordon Whiting spoke with Christopher Simmons about the origins of online newswire service Send2Press, the value of long-tail distribution, how Google changed the wire business, and what AI means for information flow now.

An Interview With Internet Archive Founder Brewster Kahle, October 17, 2025

Gordon Whiting, publisher of newsjunkie.net, sat down with Internet Archive founder and Digital Librarian Brewster Kahle to discuss the future of information gathering. 

“The coolest job in the world” eliminated by RIF

Interview with fired US government health communications specialist Aryn Melton Backus, who co-founded the public heath advocacy group Fired but Fighting.

Former editor shares story of groundbreaking indie investigative journal

Shubhanga Pandey is the former chief editor of groundbreaking South Asian journal, Himal Southasian. He joined Newsjunkie publisher, Gordon J. Whiting, for an interview at UCLA in May 2025.

San Francisco

Andrew Keen is an author and entrepreneur, focusing on technology, culture and democracy.

True North Research founder discusses power and corruption in politics, and the role of journalism

Lisa Graves is founder and executive director of True North Research, a government and corporate watchdog.

Mark Schapiro sits down with Angie Coiro for a gut-check interview on the challenges of science journalism

Environmental journalist Mark Schapiro on the changes coming under Trump II, and how journalists can take the initiative to defeat the attempt to suppress access to scientific research.

Interviews with Dan Gillmor, Kalpana Sharma, Will Bunch, Vikhar Ahmed Sayeed, Naresh Fernandes, Lakshmi Chaudhry, and Me...

The public's perception of fairness in political coverage has changed. Hardened anti-press sentiment has taken hold, stoked by authoritarian politicians and their allies. In the game of gaining and holding power, journalists are targeted as "the enemy of the people." With lives and livelihoods at stake, how does the press continue its mission to hold power to account?

Prince Manvendra Singh Gohil and Duke DeAndre Richardson: Lives of courage and truth

Crown Prince Manvendra Singh Gohil of India, is the first member of a royal family, worldwide, to come out as gay. An energetic advocate for equality, whether for struggling rural communities of Gujarat or for LGBT rights, the prince and his American husband Duke DeAndre Richardson are at the forefront of social change in India.

Coalition works to preserve US science data

The Internet Archive is leading a coalition called End of Term Archive, to capture federal websites and data during the transition from one presidential administration to the next. Mark Graham, director of Internet Archive's Wayback Machine, sat down with Angie Coiro to discuss the scope and scale of the project, and how the public benefits.

Science activists race to preserve access to critical research

Gretchen Gehrke of the Environment Data and Governance Initiative describes the motivation for starting EDGI, the End of Term Archive project, and the mission to monitor and safeguard public science research.

Investigative Reporter for San Antonio Express-News

Emilie Eaton covers police misconduct, family violence and the city’s homicide rate. Her work has led to changes in policies and practices at the San Antonio Police Department.