my february media rewind and news stories you should read this month

a collection of what I have read, watched, and listened to in February.

I delighted in sharing about the media I consumed in January. I am back again with a new batch of reads, listens, watches, and the like. Drop your March recs in the comments (please, I’m serious I love to consume). <3

in the news

• Is the Media Prepared for an Extinction-Level Event?: Clare Malone’s piece for The New Yorker breaks down the collapse of the modern media industry following a series of layoffs by prominent companies like The Los Angeles Times, Vice, Sports Illustrated, and Condé Nast and analyzes the deterioration of traditional news platforms as a result of the internet boom. By the end of this year, Malone writes, it’s expected that the U.S. will have lost a third of its newspapers. The consequences of these losses are not only hundreds of journalists losing their jobs but dozens of communities losing access to critical sources of localized, thoughtfully informed news. Read the full story here.

• Smithsonian should speed up return of human remains, task force says, Claire Healy and Nicole Dungca: This summer, Washington Post reporters Claire Healy and Nicole Dungca reported on the Smithsonian’s “racial brain collection” detailing how tens of thousands of individuals’ bodies were taken by the Smithsonian Institution without consent. The story began when Healy sought to write a story about Filipino American activist and artist, Janna Añonuevo Langholz, who had identified six Filipino people whose brains were archived at the Smithsonian. Further reporting by The Post identified thousands of other individuals whose body parts were collected and stored. The museum has since apologized for the unethical storage methods and acknowledged the racist ideology of researchers who collected the bodies and viewed them as “animals” and “specimens.” Since then, the Smithsonian Institution has stated that the collection is an “unfortunate inheritance, a racist legacy that burdens the Smithsonian and prolongs this injustice.” Read the original story and its latest update here.

• Beyoncé Has Always Been Country: As people across the globe watched the Super Bowl, thousands of Beyoncé fans scanned the internet for a major announcement from the artist. She was releasing new music, a country album to follow her year of house and disco-infused dance hits from her 2022 album “Renaissance,” and some critics were not happy about it. In Taylor Crumpton’s Time magazine analysis of Beyoncé’s recent musical pivot, she examines country music’s roots in the southern Black experience. Many fantastic quotes and segments could be pulled from this article to convey Crumpton’s thoughtful examination of Beyoncé’s claiming space in the country music conversation, but the following is a favorite. “When Knowles-Carter adorns herself in Western gear, it is not a virtue signal to the gatekeepers in Nashville to let her in. It is not a white flag to indicate her surrender, an acknowledgment that in order to be received in the country music industry that she must abject herself to their will. It is her trumpet. A trumpet that must be blown, for the walls of Nashville’s Music Row to fall down, so the rightful heirs of country music may come in.” Read here.

• A woman who was wrongly identified in a police lineup struggles to reclaim her life: Jasmine Violenes feels like her entire identity has been ripped away. The 34-year-old mother of two was set to begin a nursing residency program at Grady Hospital in Atlanta when she was arrested and charged with two felonies. Police suspected she had been involved in a road rage incident, but testimonies from her family members and documents from her workplace prove her involvement in the incident to be a near impossibility. Despite her case’s dismissal and evidence to prove her innocence, Violenes’ uphill battle to clear her record has continued for more than a year, NBC News reporter Deon J. Hampton reports. More on this story here.

• Born with a treatable condition at a Milwaukee hospital, she died 30 hours later. What happened to Baby Amillianna?: For a series of stories focused on overworked hospital staff and patient safety at Milwaukee’s Ascension Hospital, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reporter Jessica Van Egeren tracks the birth and death of Amilliana Ramirez-Johnson. Baby Amilliana represents one of nearly 100 babies who die before their first birthday in Milwaukee. The city carries one of the highest infant mortality rates in the country with life-threatening health risks predominately impacting children of Black, Hispanic, and Native American descent. Read more.

• 27-year-old journalist who died in Harlem fire remembered as generous, gifted colleague: A February 2024 piece in Gothamist memorializes Fazil Kahn, a young journalist and alum of Columbia Journalism School. He arrived in New York from New Dehli in 2020 to pursue his master’s degree. In the years since he arrived in New York, Kahn took on ambitious reporting endeavors exploring the intersections of education and inequity at The Hechinger Report while also developing projects for USA Today and Type Investigations. His friends and colleagues remember him as a sensitive spirit and brilliant mind. Read more about Fazil’s life and journalistic contributions here. An online fundraiser to support his funeral costs and family back home can be found here.

on my screen

This month, I decided to turn my television back on. As a result, I found myself drowning in culture and social media threads to follow. I did a lot of romcom-watching, laughed tons, and failed to abandon my strong desire to watch films starring J.Lo.

• American Fiction (2023): I adored this movie. It was wonderfully paced and packed with thoughtful storylines about family and identity. Between the abundant moments of heartbreak, I appreciated how comedy was woven into the plot. The film tackles the concept of complicity by offering up a central character, Monk, an author who has, for decades, failed to produce a breakthrough literary hit. He succumbs to the pressure of his publisher and writes a story heavily influenced by stereotypes about Black people and poverty. Upon achieving critical and financial success he finds himself unable to turn away from the story as a matter of survival. As we watch Monk’s home life fall apart, his literary career skyrockets. In seeking to rectify the issues caused by his ill-intended creation, he is also tasked with battling the systems that seek to reward stories that feed stereotypes and ignorance. He never truly regains control over the narrative but is instead exposed to the many people and powers that enable it. It was fantastic, and if you have not watched it yet I would highly recommend doing so. My most dominating thought throughout though, why did they do my girl Tracee like that, I cried!

• Valentine’s Day (2009): In the category of mid but probably super high-budget romcom of the late 2000s/early 2010s, this is the perfect film to watch on a snowy day in February. I audibly gasped multiple times and was constantly screaming and laughing at the plot of this Garry Marshall classic. Like many films of this era, it contains one of the goofiest portrayals of journalism that I have EVER seen. In one of my favorite scenes, Jamie Foxx’s character states something along the lines of “Give me two hours I’ll come back with a great investigative sports story for you.” He then spends the day doing interviews on the street about people going through bad breakups, somehow lands in the office of a publicist for a prominent soccer player, and ends the day dating her and sharing a smooch on live TV. It doesn’t make any sense, HOWEVER, I loved it. The Taylor + Taylor of it all is also delightful. Five stars.

• Abbott Elementary (2024): Quinta B, you understand me. From middle school to this very moment, you have brought me so much joy. There’s not much more to say!

• The Vince Staples Show (2024): The first time I saw Vince Staples act was in “Insecure” season 4. I had long been a fan of Staples’ music but was unsure of what to expect when he made a cameo as himself. In an episode filled with critical twists and turns for the show’s core characters, Staples was a standout attention grabber, delivering casually sardonic and dry quips with ease while gently encouraging Issa’s character to continue pursuing her professional aspirations. I walked away from the episode thinking, “Wow! Vince Staples!” His five-episode Netflix series offers another clear example of his compelling on-screen presence and unique artistic vision. With an “Atlanta”-esque energy, the show is filled with bizarre, absurdist humor, heart palpitation-inducing plotlines, and nudging commentary about the experience of being a Black man in America. It fascinated me! I binge-watched all five episodes in one sitting on its premiere day.

• Traitors (2022 & 2024): I am deeply and incredibly obsessed with Traitors. For the past…months, I’ve rushed home every Thursday night and plopped down in front of my television to indulge in this Clue-esque reality T.V. show starring fan favorites from The Real Housewives franchise, The Bachelor, RuPaul’s Drag Race and Survivor. I’d like to give a major thank you to the universe for bringing appointment television back into my life and for granting me the privilege of watching Phaedra Parks, Esq. demolish every person who tries to block her pathway to victory.

  

  I would also like to throw a MAJOR side eye at this cast of characters who might benefit from some unconscious bias training. Watching this group build alliances that entirely excluded women and people of color throughout the season was mind-numbing to watch in real-time. In tandem with being incredibly entertaining and funny, the show subtly exhibits how harmful it can be to rely on stereotypes to shape our perceptions of who is capable of being strategic, intelligent, and/or traitorous. In the show’s post-season reunion, RuPaul’s Drag Race Star, Peppermint, spoke extensively about the experience of being “cast out” from the rest of the cast as a consequence of being Black and trans. She describes how it felt for many of her castmates to say she seemed suspicious or untrustworthy without any grounded evidence. “People have to rely on the biases that they bring into the game, which end up targeting whoever’s the most different from the group,” she said. This was top of mind for me all season and slightly soured my watch experience. As a whole though, this show is a fabulously delightful social experiment and I probably (maybe) will tune in again.

• This Is Me…Now (2024): Let me start by saying that this movie was so fun and so many of us could not do what this woman has done! We, as a culture, need to appreciate a little musical moment! It takes a lot of bravery and passion to share creative work, especially if it reveals even a modicum of truth about your lived experience, fears, and dreams for the future. I greatly appreciated that this story was about J.Lo reckoning with unfulfilled childhood fantasies and reaching for optimism. Though there were occasional silly moments or random drops of astrology lore (lol, I dig it), I thoroughly enjoyed this watch and all of the discussions I’ve been able to have about it. Also, I walked away SO inspired to go to the gym :)

• Players (2024): The practice of “making plays” to get people to fall in love with you just seems too laborious in my opinion. Why would I want to date some rando who knows nothing about me because I’ve fabricated a life that they might think is impressive, bLEH! I don’t regret watching, because now I can talk about it, but when asked to described the film to a friend I said “journalism chaos.” I stand by that.

in my ears

I am a victim of making the longest playlists of all time for every month of my life. For the past six years, I have made delightful 200-300 song playlists filled with songs that I feel accurately convey the energy and emotions of my current lived situation. In February, my days were hip-hop infused and dripping in r&b beats.

music

• Baby By Me, 50 Cent (2009): I started almost every morning this month listening to “Baby By Me” by 50 Cent. Why, you ask? I saw a fan edit of Logan Lerman as Percy Jackson and was immediately reminded of the cultural importance of the auditory masterpiece.

@voidstmrthe son of poseidon. #percyjacksonedit #percyjackson #loganlerman #loganlermanedit #percyjacksonandthelightningthief #fyp | ac: jeansaudios

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• 16 Carriages, Beyoncé (2024): After Beyoncé dropped two singles from “act ii,” I listened to “16 Carriages” approximately 37 times, according to the apps that track my Spotify data. My friend and I were discussing how the song makes us feel and what we see in our minds when we listen. She said the song feels “celestial,” lots of space, stars and glittery imaginations of a life greater than the ones we live. “I imagine the carriages to be like pulling chariots and the horses to be like magical,” she told me. It was all giving Greek mythology. To me, 16 Carriages sounds like WORK and tears. Exhaustion and a day of long hard work, the space between each breath feels like a rattled breathing, being pushed to your limits and dragging yourself along. Generally, we both thought it was a gorgeous and majestic introduction into Beyoncé’s next era. Also, this cover photo! Beauty!!

  

• Period (We Live), City Girls (2018): I did one Peloton workout with this song in it and was launched back into my senior year of high school/freshman year of college. Undeniable banger, makes me want to go for a run.

• Mo Money Mo Problems, The Notorious B.I.G. (1997): The artists are just not making 24-song albums anymore, and Biggie said I HAVE THOUGHTS TO SHARE! Among them, this song rests at a healthy track 10.

• Break Ya Neck, Busta Rhymes (2001): Quarterly, “Break Ya Neck” by Busta Rhymes emerges on my playlists and I feel my most true and awakened self.

• Touch My Body, Mariah Carey (2008): I have been listening to SO much Mariah lately. I think the album “E = MC²” is a masterpiece, obviously. But this song also takes me back to a time (the early months of the pandemic) when every TikToker under the sun was dancing to this song. Can you imagine having initials that lend so well to an album title and/or era of iconism? I mean E = MC²? Destined for stardom.

• Talk That Talk, Rihanna and Jay Z (2009): When I was 9, I knew every word to this song. I stood in my bathroom every night listening to it on Youtube , mouthing the lyrics (omitting the swears) with absolutely no concept of what the lyrics meant or what Rihanna was saying. In 2024, still hits.

podcasts

• The Retrievals, The New York Times: The Retrievals brings listeners to a fertility clinic at Yale University where dozens of women receive I.V.F. treatment. During their egg retrieval process, many women recount their experience of excruciating pain during the procedure. It is revealed that the pain is a consequence of a nurse on staff replacing their fentanyl doses with saline. Throughout the five-part series New York Times reporter Susan Burton examines the treatment of women in medical settings and how pain can often be equated to hysteria and dramatics rather than a serious health risk. Listen here.

• “Great Americans” (w/ Tina Fey), Las Culturistas: This was my favorite episode of Las Culturistas in February, because, in the year of 2024, my lovely Bowen Yang and Matt Rogers do not often grace us with a celebrity interview, but when they do it is always riveting and full of laughs. When Tina Fey said “Podcasts are forever. Authenticity is dangerous and expensive,” I gasped, looked my Substack in the eye and said, “darling, I need a minute!” In all realness though, this episode was a fascinating conversation about the consequences of fame and the entirety of a person’s being held under a microscope for public consumption. What might feel like lighthearted discourse and critique has the possibility of being perceived differently 10 years or 10 minutes after it is shared. It was rare live chat between three fascinating people with similar career trajectories, and honestly just a great reminder that everything that we think about need not be said (oop!). Listen here.

• “This is Me…Madame Web” w. Danielle Brooks, Keep It: For my sixteenth birthday, I took a trip to New York City to fulfill my teenage theater kid dreams. I saw “Hamilton” and “The Color Purple” and had the opportunity to witness the pure magic of Danielle Brooks, Cynthia Erivo and Heather Headley on stage. In this episode of Keep It, Brooks discusses returning to the role of Sofia for the movie musical adaptation of The Color Purple, her desire to direct and create more space for Black performers in theatre and how motherhood reshaped her artistic perspective as an actor. I adored this chat. Listen here.

• “Why menthol cigarettes have a chokehold on Black smokers,” Codeswitch NPR: A 2009 ban on flavored cigarettes sought to eliminate sale and consumption of the products that had long proven to pose significant addictive health risks to people who smoked tobacco. In 2023, the Biden administration’s delay in banning menthols prompted reporters to ask why the United States has had such a difficult time letting go of the product. This episode of Codeswitch examines the racially targeted marketing of menthol cigarettes in the Black community and the consequences of its prominence. Listen here.

on my bookshelf

• Between The World and Me, Ta-Nahesi Coates: Between The World and Me was one of my favorite reads this month. It’s a short and beautiful book constructed similarly to James Baldwin’s “Letter to My Nephew” in The Fire Next Time in which Coates writes to his son, Samori, about growing up Black in America and living in fear of “losing his body” to a world that has brutalized Black people and denied them access to the places that foster growth and human connection. Throughout the book, Coates examines the variety of ways his autonomy and livelihood have been threatened by systems of racism, discrimination, and poverty, weaving the threads of his own experience with prominent activists and individuals who have died at the hands of police. Coates writes about the barriers between the world and himself that are constructed by race.

• The Heaven and Earth Grocery Store, James McBride

• Invisible Man, Ralph Ellison

• The Percy Jackson and The Olympians Series, Rick Riordan: I read all five of these childhood classics this month and had the time of my life. In a direct quote from my Goodreads, “Even though I’ve read it before, I didn’t remember a single detail. I laughed. I giggled. I kicked my feet!” And I am so real for that. There are truly few things that are as delightful as revisiting a book that ignited my passion for adventure, inspired me to dream a little bigger, and granted me the capacity to envision a world better than the one I was born into. I love that, at their core, stories for kids are intended to remind them that this is their world for the taking. It is the little bit of hope that I think we all need.

• Crazy Rich Asians, Kevin Kwan: I’ve technically been reading this book for four years. I’ve read about 30 pages annually and have decided it’s the perfect travel book. I’ll only read it on trains, buses, or planes. When I finish it, I’ll let you all know.

• The Handmaid’s Tale, Margaret Atwood

• Fail Better, Zadie Smith: My favorite section of this essay unraveled the danger of “sleepwalking” through writing, adopting the style and vocabulary of other writers in an attempt to emulate their greatest successes. Though the essay primarily offered insights on writing, I felt this concept provided a critical reminder about life and the insatiable urge to copy the experiences that have made someone else’s life seem enjoyable but fail to align with the goals we have set for ourselves. It takes great bravery and intention to question our wants, ideals, and dreams and then choose to pursue them actively. In the essay, Smith says, “writers are the amenable people you seek out when you want to have your version of the world confirmed and reinforced.” As readers, literature challenges us to open our minds and see the world through another person’s lens. Oppositionally, writing offers a rare opportunity to present our own perspective, to do so critically and with intention is a riveting challenge to undertake.

Vibe of the week

This was cute. I’ve hit my Substack word limit. Spring is upon us. The vibe is!

@amirambappeYes the oliver green jacket is a special guest from 2016#fyp #dancer #whitegirldance

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