Jess Awtry
@awtry.bsky.social
VP/digital strategy+comms at Pew Research Center. Formerly led audience efforts at Newsweek, The Hill, USA Today Network. Journalist, data devourer, friend of strong local journalism. Weird thing for karaoke.
What do you look like when you close your eyes? You likely have a mental image via a life of mirrors & photos. For me, that’s still evolving. I’ve been capturing my reflection in windows to see it from the world’s POV. There’s a normalcy here; that person could be anyone. There’s comfort in that.
I first saw DC’s Metro stations rendered in Fallout 3 years before I saw them in real life…. These days, I spend more than two hours a day on Metro; you’d think the architecture would become background noise at best, symbol of exhaustion of a commute at worst. But I look up and love it, every time.
A "Life is Strange" series has been cast at Amazon? I am … completely OK with this. Great game, but always thought it would be better as a short-run series variety.com/2026/tv/news...
‘Life Is Strange’ TV Series Casts Billy Barratt, Emily Carey, Esther McGregor, Faly Rakotohavana, Mia Isaac (EXCLUSIVE)
The "Life Is Strange" TV series at Amazon Prime Video has added five new cast members, Variety has learned exclusively.
variety.com
An unexpected benefit of life on New Game+ … I adore talking to strangers. Sometimes, it's just a pleasantry; other times, it's an opening to something more lasting. It's made me feel healthier, like I'm putting good into the world. Turns out, it's just solid science: www.npr.org/2026/05/09/g...
Why saying hello to strangers can be good for you
A study establishes that "social ties" — a fancy way of saying being nice to other, even those you don't know — has benefits. A teacher asked her students to test the thesis in real life.
npr.org
I did the thing — #Firefly panel and cast photo at @awesomecon.bsky.social . Was it worth it? You can probably tell by the look on my face in the cast photo. Also, I could fall asleep to the sound of Gina Torres reading the ingredients on a shampoo bottle.
Well, my days of not taking this seriously are certainly coming to a middle. #firefly www.instagram.com/reel/DVjqirj...
Create an account or log in to Instagram - Share what you're into with the people who get you.
instagram.com
The most 2026 thing ever would be this news awakening a faint spark of hope after 20 years of letting go... only to find they were reuniting for a crypto or GLP-1 commercial. #firefly
'Yes, we are!' Nathan Fillion teases Firefly reunion after 21 years
Nathan Fillion has teased a huge announcement with his former Firefly castmates
uk.news.yahoo.com
Maribel Perez Wadsworth with an inspiring call for support of the First Amendment opening the Knight Media Forum 2026 @maribel-wadsworth.bsky.social
*gasp* My new favorite micro-addiction! This takes the 'doom' out of doomscrolling, replacing the fleeting dopamine hit of social feeds with random Wikipedia entries. Shouldn't work as well as it does, and yet… xikipedia.org
Xikipedia
Wikipedia you can doomscroll
xikipedia.org
Nearby couple on a first coffee date — guy keeps testing the nerd waters: Floated Star Trek SNW (she's "been meaning to watch it"), second swing with TNG ("heard of it"). Here's where most get the drift, but this brave fella dove into his 'Old Testament' D&D campaign. There but for the grace of God…
I posted this triple-meta nerd joke 6 years ago today and nobody got it and I'm clearly still salty about it.
So we're gonna just escalate right to "Not only are you somewhere you shouldn't be, but you're clearly not you — you're not even doing a good job of being a person pretending to be you."
Also at the end of the trail today: free bike tune-ups by Friends of the W&OD. Me, ashamed of riding this thing too hard without proper care: “I know it’s been too long since I’ve had a tune up. How bad am I?” Him, after 4 seconds of silence: “… beautiful day, isn’t it.”
Word on the street is that you’re doing awesome. (Spotted at the end of the W&OD trail after a morning ride)
Perceptions of journalism — and who is a journalist — keep shifting. • Good news for journalists: 8 in 10 agree that you deserve that title if you write for a paper/website. • Bad news: About half say influence is on the decline. @pewresearch.org report: www.pewresearch.org/journalism/2...
How Americans View Journalists in the Digital Age
U.S. adults largely value journalists’ role in society but see their influence declining – and they differ over what a journalist is, according to Pew Research Center.
pewresearch.org
People who occasionally play Scrabble (maybe 3-4x per year), help me settle an argument in my house: You just "know" how letter values … right? D=2, J=8, K=5, M=3, Q=10, etc.? I rattled them off to prove it's common knowledge. My wife says this is NOT neurotypical human behavior.
Someone complimented the reference on my shirt with the subtlety of a drug deal at the grocery store. "Nice shirt," he said from behind his oncoming cart. "Yeah, a deep cut," I replied as we passed. "Hey, if you know, you know," he said, and we were gone. #neverfadeaway #cyberpunk2077
Power is out, which means an excuse to dig in the Halloween storage bins. Pros: Can do dishes Cons: Think I summoned something
'Transfer to a toll booth?' C'mon, scammer — what does that even mean? Do *I* get transferred to a toll booth? Is it like a workplace relocation, or more of a quantum state phenomenon?
I sure am glad Apple has kept the ability for me to add my friends' ICQ usernames in Contacts
Discovered #Pantheon a few weeks ago — why am I the only one in the world watching it?? SO. GOOD. The first two eps are slow burns, but the show is otherwise devoid of filler and full of unseen twists. Dramatic, cerebral, prescient, moving, beautiful. On Netflix now and worth a watch!
I'm not always one for gimmicky t-shirts, but I love the subtle ones that wouldn't get a second glance from most and mean the world to fans. … I guess that means I am one for gimmicky t-shirts. rewindera.com/products/cla...
Darmok Jalad Star Trek Classic Unisex T-Shirt
Buy Darmok Jalad Star Trek Classic Unisex T-Shirt is designed & sold by RewindEra and listed on Dec 31, 2024. Most ship worldwide within 6-10 business days.
rewindera.com
Making news pay in 2025: Newsweek's SVP audience development @awtry.bsky.social says: "News publishers looking for a single huge revenue opportunity are setting themselves up for disappointment" and "The future lies where AI algorithms can’t follow: human connection"
Diversify or die? 23 media leaders reveal how to make news pay in 2025
News revenue trends for 2025: 23 senior media leaders in the UK and US share their insights into how to make news pay,
buff.ly
What's cooler than retro synthwave dappled with colors of Japanese fusion? Having a son who just published his first EP, all in that style. Torn between being a proud dad and a fan, so I'mma go with both. Favorite track below — if you dig it, spread the love: open.spotify.com/track/62QzNW...
WAVE GOODBYE
Drew Awtry · TESTRUN · Song · 2024
open.spotify.com
Convinced @newsweek.com has the greatest newsroom break room view in all of breakroomdom. As a native Nebraskan, this never gets old:
Hey, fellow Bluesky pioneers! You're already on the cutting edge just by being here — make even more of it by connecting and chatting with @newsweek.com's growing list of reporters and editors. Starter pack: go.bsky.app/67A9aNk
Hey, news friends: @newsweek.com is live, posting and engaging on Bluesky!
