Newsfeed
How worried are we about the future? Let’s quantify it.
The “fear index” measures the ups and downs of the stock market. That often mirrors how we feel about the economy, and world.
A decade connecting young people to the world they live in
For News Decoder 10th anniversary, we look at how we’ve worked with schools to help teens find coherence out of the chaos of their times.
Can a podcast cross borders?
Getting one person to listen to your podcast is hard enough. But how to make one that can travel across borders? That was the task WePod took on.
Decoder Replay: Is truth self-evident?
Every July 4 the United States celebrates its Declaration of Independence. But behind its “self-evident” truths was a load of hypocrisy.
Tourists love Spain. But the feeling isn’t mutual.
Across the globe, tourist hubs are losing their love for the visitors who throng to them. Can an equilibrium be reached?
Top Tips: What does it mean to be an ethical journalist?
We live in an age of disinformation. But most journalists try hard to report the truth without being sneaky or causing harm in the process. They follow a code.
People don’t know you. But do you know yourself?
When we compare ourselves to others we feel lesser. But it is what makes you different that people will appreciate. Embrace what really makes you you.
Decoder Replay: Do the Geneva Conventions still have force?
Israel strikes crowds at food distribution sites. Russia bombs cities in the Ukraine war. Can we not hold nations to account?
Can Kenya keep a small moth from doing a lot of damage?
Kenyan roses are prized for their beauty. The flower industry employs thousands of people there. But just one insect can upend all that.
Can you eliminate a gender gap by segregating genders?
Around the world, data shows that girls do better in school when there are no boys in the class.
Top Tips: To err is human
Everyone makes mistakes. To be credible you have to fess up when you get things wrong. Doing so doesn’t make you look bad. It shows you care about the truth.
Decoder: Great Britain aches with the chronic pain of Brexit
It was thought that the Labour Party would bring stability to the UK after a spate of political chaos. But problems there are thorny, and the public? Not happy.
Decoder Replay: Can you rein in bad nations without war?
Countries are increasingly using sanctions, including travel bans, to bring rogue players into line. But history tells us that they don’t really work.
Where sharks are prey
All parts of a shark can be eaten. Some parts are worth a whole lot of money and that makes them hunted and endangered. Can sharks and shark eaters coexist?
Designed in California but made … all over the world
Many people in the United States feel they can’t live without an iPhone. But its global components have put it is at the heart of an international trade battle.
Top Tips: To write about what’s new, look to the past
Things don’t happen in a vacuum. If we understand how we got here, we might see ways out of the mess we’re in. A little history adds a whole lot of context.
With a passport, you should be able to vacation abroad. No?
Tens of thousands of people pay good money for tourist visas to Western countries. But the odds of getting that passport stamp are getting worse.
Decoder Replay: Is U.S. democracy in a deathward spiral?
Half a century ago, Richard Nixon plunged the U.S. into a constitutional crisis. The crisis under Trump feels much worse.
When a snake bites, sometimes traditional medicine won’t do the trick
In India, traditional medicine seems to cure most snake bites. But most snakes there aren’t venomous. When they are, that’s a different story.
First a drought, then the flood
Kenya has been hit with a whiplash of extreme weather and government help for recovery has eluded many at the bottom level of the income stream.
The war in Gaza is a test for humanity
Standing by while a whole people gets massacred doesn’t absolve countries of their responsibility in that. There is complicity in silence.
The guardians of the exosphere
Some 10,000 U.S. soldiers protect weather balloons and navigation and spy satellites from threats from above. It isn’t the only space force out there.
Here’s to 10 years! And many more.
As News Decoder celebrates its 10th birthday, the need for young people to appreciate different perspectives and be globally aware is more pressing than ever.
Let press freedom ring
In only a handful of countries are journalists supported, protected and generally trusted. We need to change that.
For women athletes, world recognition is a long time coming
From Olympic racers to WNBA ballers, women are now getting the fandom and respect they have long deserved. For girls getting into the game? It’s just a start.
Top Tips: Be naive
When you ask questions about problems people have long accepted you come across as naive. Own that.
The politics of representation
Voters in the U.S. state of Delaware elected someone to Congress because of issues they care about. The gender of that person at birth was not one of them.
Decoder Replay: Spain tries to rein in housing costs
With housing prices at sky-high levels, people in Spain say it is time for their government to take action. Governments elsewhere are taking notice.
With no warning
As the planet heats up and extreme weather events get more common, the United States slashes funding to its weather services. What does that mean for the world?
Music as the lifeblood of a nation
Inside one of Italy’s quietly radical institutions, musicians and educators reshape how we hear — and understand — a nation’s soundscape.
Top Tips: How to get started making a podcast
Good podcasters make podcasting seem easy. But creating one that sounds natural and makes people want to listen takes planning. Here’s a quick guide.
Among explosions and gunfire, a quiet place to study
As India and Pakistan battle over control of Kashmir. Young people there flock to reading halls. They still have exams to pass.
Decoder Replay: Can Britain and Europe be partners again?
The Labour government wants to renew trade with Europe. The Tories had failed to do that after Brexit. We take a look back at that last attempt.
Should schools limit what kids can read?
Curling up with a good book is a basic pleasure. But these days doing just that might be a political statement.
Do teens gamble on sports? You bet!
Sports betting sites are supposed to be off limits to minors. But odds are, many teens get past the barriers.
Is social media turning our hearts to stone?
Social media is supposed to connect us. But endless scrolling through posts leaves many feeling disconnected.
Kidney disease doesn’t have to be a death sentence
Uganda has a lower rate of kidney disease than the United States. But the mortality rate from it? That’s another story.
Decoder Replay: A global revolution in cancer medicine
We seem to be leaping ahead in cancer prevention and treatment. But will that be only for those who can pay? A doctor prepares a cervical exam. (Illustration by News Decoder)...
What happens if you cross a border you cannot see
As India and Pakistan stare each other down, people who fish around a disputed sea border find themselves caught in a trap.
Decoder: A history lesson on Europe for Donald Trump
For eons, European nations were at war with each other. The formation of the European Union was meant to change that. Isn’t that a good thing, Mr. President?
From the ground in Kenya to the gold stud in the ear
Artisanal gold miners in Kenya work to extract the shiny metal even though doing so poses serious health risks.
Can the sea’s rise be a language’s demise?
As rising sea levels force migration of people, the languages they speak can get dispersed and die out.
Decoder Replay: Australia waltzes with two superpowers
Australia is its own continent but it has key strategic relationships with two big nations that don’t like each other. Political isolation is not an option.
And the winners are…
Grade inflation. Book and cell phone bans. Sports equity. School diversity. How a small town dealts with a world conference. Our storytelling contest winners.
Universities struggle with the speed of demographic change
In academia, a cookie-cutter approach to teaching and learning doesn’t always work when students come from diverse geographic regions, cultures and ethnicities.
Should getting ahead depend on who you know?
Nepotism has a bad name because it gives an unfair advantage to those with connections. But isn’t it natural to get a helping hand from friends or family?
When that dream job turns into a nightmare
Victims of fake job offers in South Asia find themselves far from home, forced to work digital fraud scams with high ransoms demanded for their freedom.
Eliminating grade inflation isn’t as easy as ABC
Critics of grade inflation argue that it cheats students who work hard for grades. But to others, letters don’t represent the many ways a student can excel.
The silencing of America’s voice leaves journalists abandoned
Reporters in South Asia have risked their lives to report stories for Voice of America. Now, these journalists are left exposed and their stories left untold.
Decoder Replay: What happens when tyrants fall from power?
Around the world we see tyrants rising. Once they hold power it is difficult to unseat them. But their fall often leaves a vacuum and chaos.