Emilia Ruzicka
@emiliaruzicka.bsky.social
Data journalist, editor, designer, producer / Recent grad looking for work / Speaker at SRCCON26 / Writer for Data Viz Society / they/them
We are so grateful the people who donated their words this month — @emiliaruzicka.bsky.social and Griffen Stapp from @abilitycentral.bsky.social — so we could publish an August edition. It's a small one, but it's here. the-word.news
The Word
August 2026: Disability gets only 2 cents on the philanthropic dollar; How to make your newsletter accessible; and a Letter from the editor
the-word.news
I wrote a column on newsletter accessibility for @the-word.news and @accessiblejournalism.org this month! With so many journalists using newsletters to reach readers directly, it’s important to think about the accessibility newsletters from the jump. Check out the article for some quick tips!
The Word@the-word.news · 3d agoFor August, @emiliaruzicka.bsky.social would love to help you write that newsletter with some tips on making it accessible. the-word.news/2026/0806/wr...
TIL about the Mobile Bookstore Society themobilebookstoresociety.com and it immediately made me glow that such a thing exists “72 builders and dreamers, growing every week” h/t @emiliaruzicka.bsky.social and this is why I love #SRCCON so dearly 💖 @opennews.bsky.social
The Mobile Bookstore Society
The Mobile Bookstore Society
themobilebookstoresociety.com
How can you support disabled people during Disability Pride Month? By sending your money to nonprofits that support disability rights, accessibility, and disability justice. @equalaccesspublicmedia.org supports accessibility in journalism and news. A $5 monthly gift makes a big difference.
Organization for Accessible Journalism (formerly EAPM)@accessiblejournalism.org · last mo.For Disability Pride Month, help support our mission to make news accessible. givebutter.com/buildnews
I can't make it to SRCCON but if you're in Minneapolis, this is a can't-miss chat! I've always believed that good journalism, like good science, should be replicable and scalable; I'm so excited to see my colleagues Emilia and Joe lead this discussion.
Emilia Ruzicka@emiliaruzicka.bsky.social · last mo.I’m speaking @opennews.bsky.social SRCCON next week! Join @joe.germuska.com and me for a chat about open source journalism—what it is, how it’s useful, and how we can encourage more of it. We’re the last session on Thursday, so don’t miss it!
This session is must-attend if you read the Open Journalism newsletter and are attending SRCCON next week!
Emilia Ruzicka@emiliaruzicka.bsky.social · last mo.I’m speaking @opennews.bsky.social SRCCON next week! Join @joe.germuska.com and me for a chat about open source journalism—what it is, how it’s useful, and how we can encourage more of it. We’re the last session on Thursday, so don’t miss it!
I’m speaking @opennews.bsky.social SRCCON next week! Join @joe.germuska.com and me for a chat about open source journalism—what it is, how it’s useful, and how we can encourage more of it. We’re the last session on Thursday, so don’t miss it!
I’ve been physically visualizing my habits since September and am so grateful I got to reflect on what I’ve learned in Source! If you want to know more, please join us for the community call tomorrow (details in the post below). It’ll be a casual conversation about all things creative viz!
OpenNews @ SRCCON 2026! 🥳@opennews.bsky.social · 2mo agoNew on Source: Emilia Ruzicka reflects on their analog data-collection process and offers us a soothing balm for these overly digital times. Give it a read and join us tomorrow, June 4, to chat about it at our noon ET Community Call!
The May theme at The Plot Exchange is here! This month, we’re reading books without “the” in the title. If you’re looking for a low-pressure, low-commitment way to read more, hop on over to Instagram and join us! www.instagram.com/p/DXo4wekDk9...
The Plot Exchange | Bookstagram on Instagram: "Welcome to May at the Plot Exchange! This month’s theme is: No “the” Read a book that doesn’t have the word “the” in the title. So many book titles us...
2 likes, 0 comments - theplotexchange on April 27, 2026: "Welcome to May at the Plot Exchange! This month’s theme is: No “the” Read a book that doesn’t have the word “the” in the title. So many boo...
instagram.com
New project! Introducing The Plot Exchange: a monthly book club where I pick the theme and you pick the book! If you’re interested in books, reading more, or just following along, please join The Plot Exchange over on Instagram! More details below! www.instagram.com/theplotexcha...
The Plot Exchange (@theplotexchange) • Instagram
10 Followers - 1 Posts - "Welcome to the Plot Exchange: a monthly asynchronous book club where we pick the theme and you pick the book! Each mont…"
instagram.com
If you're at @ire.org's NICAR, don't forget alt text on images you share in social media posts. If you're fuzzy on alt text best practices, @stacykess.bsky.social, @emiliaruzicka.bsky.social, and have a session tomorrow followed by another session where they will dig deeper. #NICAR26 #NICAR2026
Patrick Garvin@patrickmgarvin.bsky.social · 5mo agoThis week, @ire.org has its annual NICAR conference. If you struggle to remember to add alt text to your images, Bluesky has a setting that will remind you. Go to "Settings," then "Accessibility." Select the checkbox for "Require alt text before posting." #NICAR26 #NICAR2026
Remember that time I did a #NICAR lightning talk about how medieval heraldry can teach us about how to make better data stories? Well, I made the lightning talk into a pre- #NICAR26 project! Go check it out! emiliaruzicka.com/LessonsInHer...
Heraldic crests were created to represent families and soldiers at a glance in medieval Europe. They had to be visually striking, but also communicate the history, personality, and intentions of those they represented. Every element of a heraldic crest means something and was chosen with care.
emiliaruzicka.com
This is a great way to make sure your social posts are accessible! And if you don’t know how to write alt text, join @stacykess.bsky.social and I for our “Implementing Accessibility” session at #NICAR26 on Friday!
Patrick Garvin@patrickmgarvin.bsky.social · 5mo agoThis week, @ire.org has its annual NICAR conference. If you struggle to remember to add alt text to your images, Bluesky has a setting that will remind you. Go to "Settings," then "Accessibility." Select the checkbox for "Require alt text before posting." #NICAR26 #NICAR2026
For any and all who will be at @ire.org's NICAR this year, please come to these sessions about accessibility! #NICAR26
Emilia Ruzicka@emiliaruzicka.bsky.social · 5mo agoI am impossibly excited to be speaking at #NICAR26 in Indianapolis! On Friday, I’ll be kicking things off with @stacykess.bsky.social and @patrickmgarvin.bsky.social for “Accessibility Basics.” We’ll give you a crash course in implementing more accessible practices in your own newsroom! (1/4)
I am impossibly excited to be speaking at #NICAR26 in Indianapolis! On Friday, I’ll be kicking things off with @stacykess.bsky.social and @patrickmgarvin.bsky.social for “Accessibility Basics.” We’ll give you a crash course in implementing more accessible practices in your own newsroom! (1/4)
Can’t wait to join @stacykess.bsky.social and @patrickmgarvin.bsky.social to present #AccessibilityBasics and #ImplementingAccessibility at #NICAR26! If you’ll be there, come join us!!
Stacy Kess: the revolution will be accessible.@stacykess.bsky.social · 6mo agoIt is less than a month until #NICAR26, and I'm headed back to Indianapolis to teach #AccessibilityBasics with my two favorite people @emiliaruzicka.bsky.social and @patrickmgarvin.bsky.social. But wait! There's more! Stick around for the new hands-on #ImplementingAccessibility session!
It was a pleasure to review Milan Janosov’s book for @datavizsociety.bsky.social. Go check it out!
Data Visualization Society@datavizsociety.bsky.social · 7mo ago📊 Emilia Ruzicka examines how Milan Janosov structures network science into three digestible parts covering everything from personal datafication to real-world applications like disease prediction. nightingaledvs.com/review-conne...
Yes!!! Me, proposing a whole bunch of accessibility panels with @patrickmgarvin.bsky.social and @emiliaruzicka.bsky.social... #NICAR26
I’ve had Dashboards That Deliver at my desk for a few weeks—I flip through the scenarios when I feel uninspired or stuck to kick my creativity back into gear! Thanks to Amanda Makulec, @acotgreave.bsky.social, Jeffrey Shaffer, and @datarevelations.com for putting together such an amazing book!
So excited to do this with two great people, @emiliaruzicka.bsky.social and @inclusivepixel.bsky.social. Other trainings are general accessibility trainings, but not specific to news or newsrooms. This is built around journalism, for journalism organizations, and for news outlets.
Organization for Accessible Journalism (formerly EAPM)@accessiblejournalism.org · 10mo agoWe offer journalism-centered accessibility training to orgs by bringing together accessibility experts @stacykess.bsky.social, @emiliaruzicka.bsky.social, and @inclusivepixel.bsky.social. Learn more about this new training!
Words can’t express how excited I am to offer this new training program in collaboration with @equalaccesspublicmedia.org, @stacykess.bsky.social, and @inclusivepixel.bsky.social. If your newsroom is looking for journalism-specific accessibility training, check us out!
Organization for Accessible Journalism (formerly EAPM)@accessiblejournalism.org · 10mo agoWe offer journalism-centered accessibility training to orgs by bringing together accessibility experts @stacykess.bsky.social, @emiliaruzicka.bsky.social, and @inclusivepixel.bsky.social. Learn more about this new training!
Thrilled to be speaking alongside Tammye Nash and Kate Sosin about reporting about, for, and with gender-expansive communities. Come join us today at 11am ET at IRE’s #AccessFest25 !
All three of these sessions are going to be good! (And I say that not just because I'm in the last one, but because @stacykess.bsky.social, @emiliaruzicka.bsky.social, @joannaskao.bsky.social, Sam Evans, and Johny Cassidy are all great people who are helping making journalism more accessible.
Stacy Kess: the revolution will be accessible.@stacykess.bsky.social · 10mo agoHey all, if you're attending #AccessFest25 from @ire.org next week, I'll be leading two sessions, plus participating in a third panel! Join @emiliaruzicka.bsky.social and me to learn to make your interviews more accessible! schedules.ire.org/accessfest-2... 1/
#AccessFest25 starts today! Come join @stacykess.bsky.social and I to chat about making your interviews more accessible today at 11am ET!
Stacy Kess: the revolution will be accessible.@stacykess.bsky.social · 10mo agoHey all, if you're attending #AccessFest25 from @ire.org next week, I'll be leading two sessions, plus participating in a third panel! Join @emiliaruzicka.bsky.social and me to learn to make your interviews more accessible! schedules.ire.org/accessfest-2... 1/
I wrote this while on my last overnight train of the trip. Read below! open.substack.com/pub/eruzicka...
The final overnight (Chicago, IL to Pittsburgh, PA)
Or, going the distance
open.substack.com
Some introspective adventures in St. Louis—take a peek! open.substack.com/pub/eruzicka...
Short and sweet (St. Louis, MO to Chicago, IL)
Or, fitting in, standing out, and starting over
open.substack.com
My stay in Little Rock was short, so this one’s a quick read! Check it out! open.substack.com/pub/eruzicka...
A short stay (Little Rock, AR to St. Louis, MO)
Or, learning from people
open.substack.com
📰 What 70+ journalists said about AI & the future of news Most are using it only for quick fixes — transcription, OCR, headline tweaks. Why? Shrinking teams & heavy demands leave little space to think long term. 👉 Full findings from @emiliaruzicka.bsky.social: cnti.org/guest-essay/...
Integrating Emerging Technology in Newsrooms Must Preserve Journalistic Agency
In interviews with more than 70 journalism professionals, Emilia Ruzicka found that daily journalists are being left out of conversations about the future of AI in the field.
cnti.org
This dispatch took many forms before I finally sent it out. See what I settled on after hours of contemplation on the train! open.substack.com/pub/eruzicka...
All in a day’s thought (Austin, TX to Little Rock, AR)
Or, contemplating legacies
open.substack.com
I’m still thinking about everything I experienced in Tucson. Here’s a debrief of what has stuck with me so far! open.substack.com/pub/eruzicka...
All day and all night (Tucson, AZ to Austin, TX)
Or, when the train gives me time to think
open.substack.com