Our best TSF conversations of 2022: Today So Far

I consider this newsletter the conversation that happens after the headlines are published. Looking back over 2022, some TSF conversations have received more feedback and attention than others. I consider these some of the more engaging ones we've had this year.

This post originally appeared in KUOW's Today So Far newsletter for December 29, 2022.

Here's a little insight into the nuts and bolts of TSF — I hate hot takes. Rarely do I feel they do the world any good. That's a tricky position to take when writing a newsletter. After all, hot takes are certain to get the clicks and would likely grow this newsletter. The thing is, I am rooted in journalism, and beyond that, I lean more toward old-school-reporter. That sort of perception doesn't translate well into the usual online, "Hey, look at me, I think this, and so should you, and by the way, this is how I vote, and before you go, I have a fresh opinion on the news everyone is talking about." You know, the sort of headlines that start with "We need to talk about..."

But TSF does have a voice. I consider this newsletter the conversation that happens after the headlines are published. When I'm writing to you, I have it in my head that you're at Teddy's with me, or walking the Burke-Gilman Trail, or grabbing coffee at Boon Boona (it really is good coffee), or even grocery shopping at that one Safeway that still stays open late with that one cashier who always chats me up now that he knows I like Star Trek. Any way, the point is, we're griping about work, debating about whether Ross and Rachel were on a break, and also bringing up that story on KUOW. That's TSF.

Looking back over 2022, some TSF conversations have received more feedback and attention than others. I consider these some of the more engaging ones we've had this year.

What's behind these election mailers?: A look at how culture-war motivated interest groups target elections and voters, and how they stretch facts to the point of misinformation.

The fall and rise of community news​​​​​​​: As local news sources are strained, many disappearing, people are starting their own newspapers in Washington. On one level, this is inspiring. But on another level, it can be concerning. This is why news consumers need to be critical thinkers and consider what is news, what is just information, who is a journalist, who is just a witness, or who merely has a lot of time on their hands and access to social media. Local news is important, but it comes down to the audience to keep it going.

'He wanted to show everybody you could do it different': Amid a rise in gun violence, one tragic, fatal shooting prompted a Seattle community to mourn. D'Vonne Pickett Jr. was a community leader and local business owner. The pain of this loss was felt beyond the headlines, but journalists can only go so far when reporting on such a figure. It prompted me to think about the important figures wherever I've lived, from bartenders to barbers — the faces who make a true community.

Resistance is futile, the future is remote: We cannot deny that the pandemic era has permanently shifted some aspects of daily life, including our work lives. Remote work presents a lot of opportunities and benefits for workers, employers, the environment, affordability, and more. Yet, not everybody seems to have warmed up to such working conditions, aka "the future."

Extremism makes it beyond the ballot: A study points out far right lawmakers and the role that social media plays in radicalized politics. Many such candidates were found running in Washington state. It's a recent insight into something that one Washington sheriff has been commenting on for years — extremists running for office.

AS SEEN ON KUOW

Bunthay Cheam, right, leads a dinner party conversation on Thursday, October 6, 2022, in South Park. In a reporter's notebook, Cheam discusses lessons he's learned as a reporter and the approach he has taken reporting in Seattle communities. (Megan Farmer / KUOW)

DID YOU KNOW?

Why do people kiss at midnight at New Year's Eve parties? Turns out, there are probably a few traditions that have mixed and mingled their way into our modern tradition.

Multiple sources point out Saturnalia, a Roman holiday that took place around December. Saturnalia involved gift giving, goodwill, feasts, liberty ... sound familiar? Also, sacrifices to the god Saturn. And during this time, there was a lot of kissing and even some hanky-panky going on — a lot like those embarrassing office holiday parties. All that is to say, there was a tradition of kissing around the new year, going back centuries.

Then you have the Viking holiday Hogmanay, celebrated around solstice, which includes a lot of kissing. There are other examples through history, but a lot of folks credit German immigrants with bringing the midnight kiss to the USA. Germans came over in large waves in the 1800s and 1900s, and brought their traditions with them. The New Year midnight kiss is one such tradition that the rest of the country really seemed to like. It grew over the years to the point that Harry kissed Sally at midnight, so did Bridget Jones and Mark Darcy, and Joey had to manage various kisses on New Year's.

ALSO ON OUR MINDS

Musicians use rhythm and harmony to heal America's toxic divide

It's a chilly night in the Texas Hill Country, but inside the Arcadia Theater in the town of Kerrville there is a blithe spirit afoot. The audience is a mélange of cowboy hats and tattoos, rural folks and urbanites. And everybody seems to be getting along. These days, as polarization reaches deep into American life, some musicians are trying to stay out of the fray and use their music to bridge divides.

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