Dropsite News: Disruptive, New Media in the Age of Misinformation

Dropsite news has been one of my go to sources of news information since the war on Iran began. Apart from leaning in the same direction, there's something about the... dispassionate way in which they present facts and stories that really registers. In a world where our collective spider senses tingle so hard when reading the news, Dropsite brings a sense of objectivity and, well, truthfulness that you would struggle to find elsewhere.

Today Ibraaz hosted Jeremy Scahill, Sharif Abdel Kouddous, and Nika Soon-Shiong, all from Dropsite, to present a talk on new media. It was for sure a pitch, but an effective one, a lot reaffirming what fans of the news source already knew. There's value in hearing the story anyway - today brought a sense of passion that can't be found in objective reporting. All three speakers were sharp, articulate and confident - something that is sometimes lost behind a screen.

A note about the space - Ibraaz immediately threw me back to the vibe felt City Circle at Abrar House, except perhaps a little more prestigious and posh. I hope it becomes a regular venue for these type of events. 

I can't remember a time I've been so enthralled by speakers - and in a moment I'm beginning to see as my return to the talk circuit I left over a decade ago, it's a good affirmation that I'm coming back at the right time.

Film: Backrooms

File this under "you'll either love it or hate it". Backrooms probably had an an unfair start in this season of fear films (Hokum and Obsession both being excellent), but even if we put that aside the labouring, meandering pace (more time is spent outside of the Backrooms than inside) and disappointing payoff meant I had to check my watch more times than I would have liked to.

Add to that the (albeit deliberate) lack of resolution and you're left wondering what the point is. One to skip.

Book: We Need to Tax Billionaires, Gabriel Zucman

I'll get straight to the point. This isn't a great book. It might have been a good blog post. What might be mistaken for accessibility is its lack of depth - numbers fly around not meaning much (unless you happen to be an economist already perhaps?). A lot of this might be due to losses in translation.

It's a shame because the message trying to cut through is a pretty simple one. It is also compelling, which is where the real danger lies - unless this argument is made robustly and decisively, it is unlikely to make it to the masses who rely on more alluring sources for their information.

On the other hand, this might just be the fodder needed to generate more messaging to the voting public to make a different choice. I hope the downstream effects are real, because as it stands this book alone won't cut it.