The Narrative
Aemula Writer Spotlight - 5.22.25
Check out our feature on the recent episode of the Never Close the Inquiry podcast!
After the announcement of former President Joe Biden’s cancer diagnosis, news outlets and social media posts speculated about how the timing of the news could have been used to cover up Special Counsel Robert Hur’s interview recordings, recently released by the Department of Justice as part of the investigation into Biden’s mental acuity during his time in office. People were quick to express their distrust in media outlets that appeared to support a specific narrative by burying or minimizing other stories.
This is merely the most recent example of the belief that media companies control public perception through coordinated promotion and suppression of specific reporting to support ulterior motives. Regardless of whether or not this is actually the case, the fact that the possibility exists allows people with opposing viewpoints to weaponize that distrust. Readers are quick to discredit any reporting from publications that appear to manipulate “the narrative,” even when that may not be the intent.
As long as centralized publications and corporate social networks have the ability to manipulate and control the narrative, there will always be a belief that they are conspiring to push their own agenda at the expense of the truth. No matter what they say about the integrity of their process, people can point to a track record of government influence over even the most credible institutions.
If we want to rebuild trust in media, we must remove this point of weakness. If we can verifiably prove that no one controls the narrative, that no single entity is capable of promoting or suppressing specific stories, and that our entire news ecosystem is free of outside influence, then we can avoid the weaponized distrust that is used to discredit quality reporting.
Aemula provides a solution through a fully transparent, open-source protocol that is governed by the community and built using verifiably neutral, decentralized technology. By eliminating the possibility that powerful entities are controlling the narrative, we can cultivate a high-trust ecosystem for quality news that allows people to focus on the reporting rather than the conspiracies surrounding its intent.
This week, we highlight independent writers who are working to provide more nuanced perspectives on “the narrative” from outside the influence of centralized institutional entities. We encourage you to explore their work and consider subscribing to them directly.
KLIPNEWS
Written by Ken Klippenstein, a former reporter for The Intercept and DC correspondent for The Nation prior to going independent to report more openly on national security, alongside Editor-in-Chief, William M. Arkin, a George Polk Award-winning and Pulitzer Prize-nominated journalist with previous work for The New York Times, The Washington Post, LA Times, and NBC News, and investigative reporter Dan Boguslaw, with work for publications such as Rolling Stone, Vice, and The Intercept. KLIPNEWS was previously featured in our spotlight, “Fact-Checking”.
“KLIPNEWS is an American news organization dedicated to explaining what the national security state is actually up to. Founded in 2024 by corporate media defectors Ken Klippenstein and William M. Arkin, KLIPNEWS is a response to the utter failure of the major media to tell the truth about the national security state's creeping influence — even as it fails to make us any safer. From the Pentagon to the FBI, these agencies are running circles around a press captured by their government sources, industry, or obsolete journalism conventions.”
Unbiased Science
Written by Dr. Jess Steier, “a public health scientist dedicated to bridging the gap between complex scientific evidence and public understanding. With expertise in research methodology, program evaluation, and critical appraisal of evidence, Dr. Steier combines rigorous scientific analysis with clear communication to help people navigate health information.”
“There is no evidence that Biden's doctors missed or overlooked his cancer. The progression of his disease aligns with what medical professionals know about aggressive prostate cancers and the limitations of current screening methods, especially in older patients. While questions about the timeline and specifics of his medical care may persist, focusing on blame is misplaced and unproductive.”
The Free Press
“The Free Press is a new media company founded by Bari Weiss and built on the ideals that once were the bedrock of great journalism: honesty, doggedness, and fierce independence. We publish investigative stories and provocative commentary about the world as it actually is—with the quality once expected from the legacy press, but the fearlessness of the new.”
“With Biden out of office and his decline undeniable—on Sunday, a spokesperson announced the 82-year-old former president has been diagnosed with prostate cancer—Democrats would clearly rather be talking about something else. But changing the subject would be a mistake. A reckoning over this embarrassing scandal is overdue and necessary. Any Democrat who wants to do something about the party’s historically low favorability ratings won’t get very far without one.”
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