Podcast Summary
Discovering humanizing truths in unexpected places: Journalism uncovers surprising connections to our world, even in dangerous zones, revealing humanizing truths through mundane details.
Even in the most dangerous and seemingly unreachable worlds, journalism can uncover surprising connections to our own. Rukmini Kalamaki, a New York Times reporter, does this by accessing information through the internet, even while reporting from war zones with poor internet connectivity. Her life-changing moment came in 2013 when she discovered over a thousand pages of internal documents left behind by Al Qaeda in Timbuktu. These documents revealed the mundane details of jihadis' lives, including expense reports and reprimands for not following company policy. This discovery showed that despite their dangerous actions, these individuals were still human, with bureaucratic processes and hierarchies similar to any other organization. It's a reminder of the power of journalism to reveal unexpected truths and humanize complex situations.
Understanding the Complexity of Terrorism: Exploring the beliefs and motivations of terrorists challenges the common perception of them as inhuman boogeymen, revealing their humanity and the importance of nuanced coverage.
Terrorism is more complex than it seems. Rukmini's discovery of letters among jihadi groups revealed a deeper understanding of their thought processes, showing that they were not just mindless monsters but rather individuals with a system of belief. Additionally, the rise of the Internet as a tool for communication and recruitment by groups like ISIS added a new dimension to the coverage of terrorism. These findings challenged the common perception of terrorists as inhuman boogeymen and highlighted the importance of delving deeper into their motivations and actions.
ISIS members use unpolished language and avatars on social media: Journalist Rukmini Callimachi engages with ISIS sources, fact-checking claims to initiate conversations, but success is limited due to sources' agendas and teenage lingo confusing older security personnel.
ISIS members and sympathizers use various avatars and unpolished language on social media, making it challenging for law enforcement and journalists to distinguish them from undercover agents or innocent users. Rukmini Callimachi, a journalist, engages with these individuals by fact-checking their claims in public to initiate conversations. However, her sources often have an agenda, such as converting her to Islam, using scripts based on their in-depth knowledge of religious texts. This process is laborious and only successful in a small percentage of cases. The use of social media by young ISIS members and sympathizers, along with their unpolished language and teenage lingo, often confuses older security personnel.
Engaging with ISIS online: A risky endeavor for journalists: Interacting with extremist groups online can yield valuable information, but the risks and limitations must be carefully considered.
Engaging with extremist groups online can be a time-consuming and potentially dangerous endeavor. Rukmini Callimachi, a journalist, spent two weeks interacting with an ISIS supporter on Twitter, hoping to bring him to a realization that they could coexist with their different beliefs. However, the man grew increasingly hostile and eventually blocked her, adding to her growing reputation as a nosy interloper in the ISIS community. Despite the risks, Rukmini's sources have provided valuable information that helped shape her reporting, such as the false accusation of ISIS being behind the Charlie Hebdo attack. However, there are limits to what Rukmini and her sources can discuss, and the consequences of getting it wrong can be severe, as seen when her source accused American photojournalist Luke Summers of being a spy, leading to his eventual death. Overall, the experience highlights the complexities and risks of reporting on extremist groups online.
Journalist's emotional and mental resilience in covering terrorism: Journalists covering terrorism must suspend parts of themselves to engage with violent content, minimizing impact on themselves, knowing their reporting sheds light on terrorists' tactics and motivations.
Working as a journalist covering terrorism groups like ISIS requires a great deal of emotional and mental resilience. Rukmini Kalamaki, a journalist who covers terrorism, shares her experience of dealing with the constant stream of violent content, including beheading videos, which she is required to watch for her job. She admits that she has to suspend parts of herself to engage with such individuals and their ideologies, and even goes to great lengths to minimize the impact of the violent content on herself. Despite the challenges, Rukmini continues to do her job, knowing that her reporting helps to shed light on the tactics and motivations of these terrorist groups. It's a sobering reminder of the sacrifices that journalists make to bring important stories to the public.
Handy's Cancellation Process: Intentionally Confusing?: Some companies, like Handy, may intentionally make cancellation processes difficult to keep customers tied to their services, potentially raising concerns for consumer protection.
Some companies, like Handy, make it intentionally difficult for customers to cancel recurring services. This was discovered by Alex, who had a negative experience with Handy's cancellation process. Alex had been using various house cleaning apps, taking advantage of their introductory offers, until he found Handy's extremely low rate. However, after a month, he received a notification for a recurring appointment and was unable to cancel it on the website. Despite reaching out to Handy via Twitter, he received no response and was charged for the next appointment. Alex's experience raises concerns about companies making cancellation processes deliberately confusing or non-existent to keep customers tied to their services. As tech support, it's essential to investigate and understand why Handy may have such a process and whether it's a common practice among other web-based companies.
User finds canceling Handy bookings frustrating: Handy should simplify canceling recurring bookings online for a better customer experience
Handy's website design and customer service process could be improved to make it easier for users to cancel recurring bookings. The user shared their experience of trying to contact Handy through the website and being unable to find clear instructions on how to cancel their account. They eventually had to use a third-party website, gethuman.com, to find a phone number and call Handy to cancel their bookings. The user found the process frustrating and customer unfriendly. Despite the hold music being good, waiting on the phone for assistance was not an ideal solution. The user suggested that Handy should make it easier for users to cancel recurring bookings online by providing clear instructions and a straightforward process on their website. This would save users time and frustration, and improve the overall customer experience.
Creating a positive customer experience: Handy prioritizes customer satisfaction by being transparent, apologizing for mistakes, and continuously seeking ways to improve services.
Effective customer service goes beyond just answering queries or solving problems; it also involves creating a positive experience for the customer. In the discussed interaction between the customer and Handy's representative, the use of hold music and the representative's transparency about the company's policies showed that Handy values its customers and is committed to improving its services. The representative's honesty and apology for the inconvenience, along with the company's response to the issue, demonstrate a customer-centric approach. Despite the initial frustration, the customer appreciated the support and the opportunity to provide feedback. Companies can learn from Handy's example and prioritize customer satisfaction by being transparent, apologizing for mistakes, and continuously seeking ways to improve their services.
Gimlet Media Introduces Membership Program: Gimlet Media launches a membership program, offering benefits like early access to new shows and merchandise, without limiting free content access
Gimlet Media, the podcast production company behind shows like "Reply All" and "StartUp," is introducing a membership program. While the podcasts will still be available for free, members will receive benefits such as early access to new shows and merchandise. The announcement was made during an episode of "Super Tech Support," where the hosts discussed various tech-related issues. It's important to note that this membership program does not create a paywall or limit access to free content. Instead, it offers additional perks for those who choose to support the company financially. The new Gimlet show "Awesome Boring," featuring Adam Davidson and Adam McKay, is one of the perks for members. To become a member, listeners can visit replyall.limo and sign up for an annual subscription. The podcast is hosted by PJ Vogt and Alex Goldman, and produced by Tim Howard, Shruti Panamaneni, Phia Benin, and edited by Alex Blumberg. The theme music is by Breakmaster Cylinder and the ad music is by Build Buildings.
