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Is Julian Assange a journalist worthy of press protections?
Some worry that the prosecution of Julian Assange could set a precedent for prosecuting anyone who disseminates information gathered by whistleblowers.
Decoder Replay: Reporting where the press isn’t free
May 3 will mark World Press Freedom Day reminding us that despite the important work journalists do, in many places it is difficult for them to do that job.
Decoder: Why peace in the Middle East seems so out of reach
To understand the anger and fear in Israel and Palestine, you have to go back to Israel’s foundation and the lines drawn in the sand.
Anatomy no longer gray
Ailments affect all kinds of people. But images doctors see in their textbooks and research journals don’t often reflect that. AI just makes it worse.
A disconcerting movie zooms in on war reporting
The movie “Civil War” gives little backstory, leaving viewers to experience war in the moment, the way the reporters in the film cover it.
Decoder: Can the United States make peace with migration?
Millions of migrants cross the U.S.-Mexican border. North of the border, some fear them. But the economy depends on migrants and it is they who face real dangers.
Decoder Replay: What’s “The Fed” and why does it matter?
An announcement from the Federal Reserve of the United States can send investors around the world into a frenzy. We went to our experts to find out why.
Could you crown yourself king?
There are tales in history of common folk becoming supreme rulers. How difficult is that to do?
Who is responsible for climate change? A Decoder Dialogue
Are wealthy countries responsible for mitigating the effects of climate change in developing countries? Students take up the debate — and find common ground.
Can India be a global role model for climate-friendly energy growth?
Meeting a growing energy demand can go hand-in-hand with the green transition. This is what India could show the world.
Decoder Replay: A healthy planet as a human right
Threats to nature persist despite global efforts to save our planet. But do we have an inalienable right to a habitable planet?
Can we find ways to satisfy people’s hunger to learn?
Our new board member wants to foster the insatiable curiosity we all have, whether through a book pulled off a shelf or a digital site like News Decoder.
For media literacy, teach that journalism is real, not fake
News and media literacy groups are calling on Europe to include journalism in media literacy education. Students need to know how to spot news they can trust.
Decoder replay: Financing climate change solutions
We need to mitigate climate change. Only governments have the cash for that. Are they ready to pony up?
Can the United States keep reporters who cover the 2024 election safe?
If the 2020 election in the United States was any indication, there will be a lot of angry people in this go-around regardless of the result.
Education as an alternative to child marriage
Desperate to give daughters a safe life, some refugees marry them off early. One organization in Lebanon is showing girls that there is an alternative.
The COVID-19 symptom that won’t go away: lingering loneliness
Long after teens returned to school, the isolation they endured during lockdown had ramifications we are just now seeing.
Growing food on arid land
Little grew in the Sahel region of North Africa, until the World Food Program helped people revive a traditional farming practice and resuscitate the land.
Decoder Replay: Why would a nation ditch democracy?
Autocrats are on the rise all over the world. Why would a voter choose one over a candidate that believes in democracy?
Even AI thinks journalism is essential
Ask an AI app if it will kill off journalism and you get a nuanced answer. But from a human point of view, things seem more black and white.
When we release a river
It is one thing to taking down a massive hydroelectric dam. Now can we restore the land to what it was a hundred years ago?
Decoder Replay: Fighting to end female genital mutilation
Millions of girls around the world undergo a brutal and unnecessary surgery. Gambia, which banned the practice, is set to reverse course.
WITW? Your instant message can be a permanent pact
Courts around the world are considering promises made via text message as legally-binding contracts.
What happens when space junk falls to earth?
Way up over our heads satellites and rocket parts orbit the Earth. Sometimes pieces of metal fall towards us. Most burn up in the atmosphere, but not all.
Europe learns it’s not so easy to nix nuclear energy
The fear of another Chernobyl makes nuclear energy bad for politics. But with Europe struggling to reduce carbon is it good for the environment?
How one teen turned a school project into a paper plant
Can we turn from plastic to paper without cutting down more trees? At 16, Valentyn Frechka decided he could make paper from fallen leaves.
Decoder Replay: Putin raises the spectre of nuclear war
Three decades after the collapse of the Soviet Union, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has revived dormant fears of a catastrophic nuclear war.
Decoder: The political cost of economic ignorance
People vote with their wallet. But most are clueless about economic concepts. Do they cast votes based on misconceptions about money?
When you live somewhere, is that home?
Millions of people move from one place to another. When it isn’t just the city that changes but the language and culture, it can be difficult to feel at home.
Some teens prefer more time in class
One student compared two schools in different countries and found that where the focus was on education over community, students were more satisfied. What’s that all about?
Can a robot replace a radiologist?
It can spot cancer, answer medical questions, and help develop drugs. But we don’t trust artificial intelligence to be our primary doctor just yet.i
Decoder Replay: For an IVF baby, does life begin in the lab?
Everyone has an origin story. For one woman, that story begins with the love between a husband and wife. And a petri dish.
Do you see the cow you consume when you bite into a burger?
Psychologists call it cognitive dissonance when you disconnect beef from the killing of a cow. But some think you need to know the animal you eat.
Swimming, soccer and…Sabbath services?
Like their parents before them, thousands of U.S. teens head to camp this summer. But for many, this R&R combines relaxation with religion.
Saving the planet, one classroom at a time
Amina McCauley experienced climate change in the ancient forests of Tasmania. Now she wants students around the globe to understand its effects.
In Icelandic history, a woman’s place might be at sea
There isn’t much of a gender gap in Iceland, except in its maritime industry. But go back in time, and you’ll find women pulling in nets and steering the helm.
An 830-mile coastline surrounded by a rising sea
Sri Lanka is trying to do its part to combat climate change. But it will take a sea change to stop the ocean rising around the island nation.
A quest to give Black Marines their due before they die
Thousands of Black Marines fought in World War II. But they had to fight for the right to do so. Now their nation wants to honor them, if they can be found.
A different kind of butterfly effect
A cyclone can affect trees which impact insects and animals spreading diseases to people. Doctors are realizing that individual health is part of an ecosystem.
Pursuing journalism across borders
News Decoder intern Kaja Andrić has genes from two sets of people historically at war with each other. The result? Someone who sees connections, not divides.
Building media literacy into school curriculums worldwide
If a child is old enough to learn to read, it’s time to teach them to be media literate. But how to implement that in schools takes some problem solving skills.
Decoder Replay: Where a vote counts across national borders
Citizens across Europe will vote this summer for members of the European Parliament. That gives them a right that no one else in the world has.
Should we fear what books young people read?
In more regions around the world people want to keep some books out of the hands of youth. But these are the books engage kids the most.
Living in a closed society
Millions in Russia mourn the death of opposition leader Alexei Navalny but few do so openly. In Russia, grieving is an act of political defiance.
Can a longer weekend increase learning?
Some school districts across the world find that one day less of classes per week can produce more effective learning. But not everyone is convinced.
Decoder: When powerful nations don’t play by the rules
For decades nations of the world abided by some basic international rules. What happens when this international order breaks down?
Decoder Replay: NATO and the cost-benefit of mutual defence
The idea behind the North Atlantic Treaty Organization is that an attack on one is an attack on all. But is that only for those who can pay?
Can you say it in plain English? A new Quebec law says: “Non.”
In Montreal, selling books in English is a political statement. Unless you are simply someone who loves books in any language.
Should finders remain keepers when it comes to looted stones?
For two centuries Great Britain and Greece have fought over artifacts taken from the Acropolis. In Athens, the matter of the Elgin Marbles is complicated.
Freelance journalism doesn’t mean free
When you work on your own, you don’t get a steady paycheck. But if you can find enough work, it isn’t a bad gig in this gig economy.