Ghostwriting has many forms, but it seems to be a thankless job no matter the medium. Alex Sujong Laughlin recounts her journey as a ghostwriter over the past decade, and how she and her colleagues were belittled. She wasn’t considered a real writer — despite writing thousands of words daily — and so her opinions were often ignored; in one instance, she had to go through three editors to remove a racial slur in the headline of an article, because her perspective didn’t matter to the first two. Read full article here
Societal Issues
To curb drug deaths, communities turn to Reddit, texts and wastewater
With drug overdose deaths on the rise, authorities are attempting to curb the epidemic by tracking and sharing information in real time. In one unique effort, a nonprofit in New York City is using drug-testing equipment and stamping or marking habits of dealers to identify drug batches that may endanger users. Other approaches are also being used, such as monitoring drug-related chatter on Reddit and analyzing local wastewater for opioid and other drug levels. With the combination of these efforts, researchers hope to put a dent in the opioid crisis and reduce overdose deaths. Read full article here
Merv
June 1, 2023
