The Hot List + Deep Dive Has Arrived for Spring of '25
THE HOT LIST + DEEP DIVE for Spring 2025 is here! Volume 1, Issue 1 explores “Signal Gate” and the ongoing shit show of unqualified and inexperienced people leading key departments within and for the federal government. This premier issue includes a TL;DR 🔥Hot Tip, some hot takes, memes, comedic relief, and more. There's also ways you can take action, because being informed is only step 1. Step 2: Doing something about ALL THE THINGS.
The goal of this zine is to provide a snapshot in time of a major social, economic, and environmental issue that has a real impact on how we live day to day. Mostly though, it’s a deeper analysis and lesson in media literacy with the goal of prompting you to ask more questions and look more closely at the sources and the information you consume.
When I read anything, I’m asking questions. Who says what and why? Who has the power? How are they connected? What’s their end goal? Who’s paying? Once you start to look with intention, you’ll see the false flags everywhere. I’m not just talking about fake news—though there’s plenty of that. I’m talking about the truth they’re leaving out, the words in between the MAGA lines, embarrassing soundbites and inane posts on Truth social. Their missteps in messaging are everywhere and they usually expose a root cause or two underneath.
THL-DEEP DIVE isn't my first time calling bull shit on The Powers That Be. From media misses to campaign crap, I’ve called out communication fails from everyone trying to sell us a golden ticket to the circus. After another breaking news headline broadcasts another abhorrent or criminal act, I'll challenge anyone who feigns shock.
Emily O. Weltman
If I had to pick the top 3 comms fails I called out they would probably be:
- My response to a Substack post by journalists Dan Rather after a January 6th hearing "bombshell" that was anything but shocking.
- An open letter to former CDC Director Rochelle Wallensky recommending she hire me to fix her comms debacle, re-brand, and align to their mission.
- A social post I made dragging the Biden campaign (before he dropped out) for creating a campaign member ID—one of a few TikTok's I've managed to post.
My penchant for over analyzing language and dissecting every sentence is one reason I prefer long form. The Powers That Be use their share of dog whistles and key words, making their b.s. easy to spot, and a blurb easy to write. I’m on the lookout for the subtext, to understand root causes and power dynamics so we can actually do something about it.
Emily O. Weltman
New Media Has to Keep Growing.
21st century media (publishing) has a few key distinct features that make media analysis a challenge.
- We experience a news cycle that moves at the speed of light. As comedian Josh Johnson noted the media cycle used to be 24 hours, then 12, and now it’s every hour.
- Journalists are moving away from newsrooms and publishing platforms makes the celebrity and/or experienced investigative reporter more accessible. Whether they’re pushed out or quitting, the biggest names are less and less on cable or network news.
- The difference between content creation, research, blogging, and journalism are blurring. Trusted sources are hard to come by and theirs a fight for attention and a sea of voices to choose from.
- We get to consume UGC (user-generated content) alongside the “experts.” The upside: a tweet from a “nobody” can still win the internet on any given day.
- Not only is the news cycle fast, there’s so much happening, all at once, and most of it’s a hot mess. We have to preserve our history, especially as criminals try and erase it, especially their wrong doings. Documentation is imperative.
I put THE HOT LIST + DEEP DIVE together for all of the above reasons, but also one more. Because I am a designer at heart. The way I process information is different than someone who has decades of newsroom experience and investigative journalism chops, or someone who studies complex scientific data and statistics. Designers are well equipped to meet this moment.
Why me? My neurodivergent brain and insatiable drive to get to the heart of the issue means I read ALL THE THINGS so you don't have to. I love curating and amplifying the goods. I boost content, media, journalists and writers outside of the mainstream, especially cultural commentary and independent news media. And I take note of the comparison in messaging from mainstream media, seeking out a balance of information from reputable sources.
Plus, I had to do something with the 100,000 photos on my phone; 90% are screenshots of news I’ve read or posts in my feeds in the last 7 years. Why? See number 4.
As a writer and researcher, as well as an avid beta tester, I have explored the various ways the media, blogs, and newsrooms deliver information. I've worked with journalists, content creators, and media teams for decades and many of us are clear what's missing.
There is a need for more explanatory, honest media delivered with a visual approach and a side of sardonic wit. Sure, there is plenty of rye commentary out there. But the context, history, and power analysis is limited. Most importantly a solid CALL TO ACTION is usually absent, leaving the reader feeling freaked out, overwhelmed and helpless. Solutions journalism offers more than just the problems, but at least 1 possible way of solving it.
Fellow neurodivergent creators see the same gaps and deliver visually engaging, graphic alternatives. Heart-first communicators are building toolkits and resource libraries to ensure everyone has what they need to fight The Man and GSD (get shit done). Like me, they're building new media, zines, research and infographics "bootstrapped," aka without compensation. Why? Because we know what we know, and you should too. We're already collaborating, and aim to team up on bigger projects soon, but we also need to pay bills. (Hint: Funding helps! Subscriptions do too.)
Are you a solopreneur, creator, or change maker looking for a community? Are you navigating the dumpster fire working from home? Check out FLOWLab⁵ and see why members call us a life line. Find your way here.
Because their comms fails keep flowing.
Calling out a comms or media fail as blatant as Signal Gate and the fallout from the “feckless GOP” (h/t Mehdi Hassan) wasn’t on the top of my list. To be honest, it felt too easy—too obvious. When the memes fill the feed as they have, I know people see it clearly. I don't usually go for the obvious punchline, but like a tap at a DoD “working lunch,” the jokes just flow.
When people with so many skeletons in the closet slip up, the stories almost write themselves. What could I say that hasn’t already been said? Evidently plenty. (Okay, it’s me so of course.)
It’s not what I say about their massive fuck ups (hey, Buttigieg said it first) that sets THE HOT LIST + DEEP DIVE apart. It's how I say it. I provide context, a narrative, and a more complete picture of what's happening, the way we actually learn about via the media bombardment and meme storms. I look at the economic and social influences pouring gasoline on the latest dumpster fire. And I aim to capture a moment in time because, frankly, it’s fleeting.
This zine is a gift to you, my fellow non-linear thinkers, grassroots organizers, creative futurists, and caring humans who see ALL, but need support and a reprieve. Don't burnout trying to stay on top of ALL the things; lean into your village and listen to independent, new media peers. Learn from solutions journalists who not only analyze, scrutinize, and educate, but who have a clear solve and call to action.
When we look back at history, we often see things in isolation, unless we're digging deeper or reading a book. A blurb or the headline in the New York Times doesn't paint the picture of everything that was happening around it. THL + DEEP DIVE captures the social context of what's happening around the chaos of a constitutional crisis. This document serves as a meta critique on the state of media in 2025, with hot tips and examples of how to communicate to readers and citizens in ways they can actually use to create change.
THL + DEEP DIVE, Volume 1, Issue 1
There are no guarantees that your conversation is private, safe, or secure. Proceed accordingly.
Please check out the first installment of our digital zine and log in to leave feedback! Membership to the site is free. This issue is open and accessible to everyone.
Accessibility Note: We're testing out heyzine for web accessibility. If you prefer a web-accessible pdf, you can download a free copy below.
Want to support this labor? Please...
Join as a paid subscriber.
Leave me a tip.
Buy me some tea.
And, please consider making a tax-deductible donation to FLOWLab⁵ to support a community of independent creators, researchers, journalists, authors, and media nerds like me. Like information and data, a safe, secure, flexible Future of Work should be accessible to everyone.
If you would like a copy, please download a PDF by signing up and/or logging. (If you're already a member, you'll see the download.)
