Long Lead

Social media algorithms can lead people down rabbit holes, feeding them narratives that fit what they've consumed in the past — true or not. @noupside.bsky.social saw this first hand when she joined Facebook groups in 2013, which she discusses in Webby-nominated LONG SHADOW: BREAKING THE INTERNET.

Cathy and Carmelle Jean-François have a bond that can't be understood by "singletons." Sometimes the identical twins speak in unison and they often finish each other’s sentences. Even at family reunions, the sisters share, they cannot be apart.

'Drug Story' creator Thomas Goetz (@thgoetz.bsky.social) "cooked up this idea to use a drug to tell these larger stories [about health]." For DEPTH PERCEPTION, he speaks with @jennaschnuer.bsky.social about why he turned to drugs when planning his podcast.

In the time since Russia’s invasion on Ukraine, countries along the new Iron Curtain — from Norway to Kazakhstan — have begun shoring up their borders as the question of Putin’s next invasion looms. Check out Long Lead's new feature BORDER LINE WAR to learn more. border-line-war.longlead.com

This Mental Health Awareness month, find out how freediver Alenka Artnik emerged from mental health struggles to push the limits of the human body, becoming the world’s greatest female freediver. Dive into THE DEPTHS SHE'LL REACH: thedepths.longlead.com

In the time since Russia’s invasion on Ukraine, countries along the new Iron Curtain — from Norway to Kazakhstan — have begun shoring up their borders as the question of Putin’s next invasion looms. Check out BORDER LINE WAR to learn more. border-line-war.longlead.com

Though traditional journalism continues to face major headwinds, independent journalism is currently growing. Long Lead’s DEPTH PERCEPTION takes you inside independent journalism's top news every week, letting you hear from the journalists breaking stories. Subscribe: depthperception.longlead.com

The New York Times' Public Editor role was in charge of fielding hundreds of emails per week from readers, elevating complaints and criticisms to the paper itself. Margaret Sullivan (@sulliview.bsky.social), who was the fifth public editor, doesn't buy why the paper ended up killing the role.

@davidsirota.com has covered the plots for power in the United States for MASTER PLAN, seeing the same decisions made over and over in the U.S. The investigative journalist shares with DEPTH PERCEPTION, "I'm 50 years old. I feel like I've lived through the definition of insanity."

Long Lead is an award-winning journalism studio focused on finding, financing, producing, and publishing original, in-depth reporting. We create journalism without compromise. Follow us across social media to keep up to date with our features.

As Russia tries to weaponize history and expand its control in the region, basing its claims to the land by past Soviet control, the countries that border it are holding a tenuous line. Read BORDER LINE WAR, produced in collaboration with Magnum Photos: border-line-war.longlead.com

This Mental Health Awareness month, find out how freediver Alenka Artnik emerged from mental health struggles to push the limits of the human body, becoming the world’s greatest female freediver. Dive into THE DEPTHS SHE'LL REACH: thedepths.longlead.com thedepths.longlead.com

Mia Yamamoto was born in World War II incarceration camp Poston, AZ, one of several camps where Japanese Americans were wrongly incarcerated following the attack on Pearl Harbor. Yamamoto's life has been shaped by the fight for justice for underrepresented communities. Hear from her on Law Day.

Don’t call @davidsirota.com a liberal journalist. Ever. Though the journalist and founder of investigative news outlet @LeverNews.com covers people who would label themselves conservative, Sirota is driven by one of journalism’s overarching ideas: to hold the powerful accountable.

For DEPTH PERCEPTION, @ParkerMolloy.com speaks with media critic @sulliview.bsky.social on whether Substack is a real alternative to institutional journalism or just a lifeboat for people who already had careers elsewhere. Read the interview: depthperception.longlead.com/p/margaret-s...

The New York Times' Public Editor role was in charge of fielding hundreds of emails per week from readers, elevating complaints and criticisms to the paper itself. Margaret Sullivan (@sulliview.bsky.social), who was the fifth public editor, doesn't buy why the paper ended up killing the role.

Cathy and Carmelle Jean-François have a bond that can't be understood by "singletons." Sometimes the identical twins speak in unison and they often finish each other’s sentences. Even at family reunions, they share they cannot be apart. twins.longlead.com

For the past 27 years, former Columbine High School principal Frank DeAngelis has performed a daily ritual to commemorate the 13 people murdered in the April 20, 1999 mass shooting. Mr. De shared with Garrett Graff (@vermontgmg.bsky.social) how he says the names of his "Beloved 13" every morning.

27 years ago, the mass shooting at Columbine High School in Littleton, Colorado, killed 13 people and changed life for Americans. Episode 1 of LONG SHADOW: IN GUNS WE TRUST examines the repercussions of the 1999 mass shooting, examining how the massacre changed everything in the U.S. gun debate.

Hi there! We'd like to introduce @longlead.com for all of our new followers here. 👋 We're an award-winning journalism studio focused on producing and publishing original, in-depth reporting. Find all of our ground-breaking features here: longlead.com

As Mexico City continues to grow, its drinking water crisis — fueled by overuse of the reservoir that serves the megalopolis, faulty water infrastructure, and tough drought seasons — continues to worsen.

International journalist Joi Lee thinks of journalism "as very much an act of public service," using this ethos to guide how she expresses her viewpoint in her work.

Every first weekend of August, thousands of twins from around the world gather in Twinsburg, OH to find fellowship celebrating their similarities — and differences. TWINS FEST — the documentary in DOUBLE MEANING — takes viewers inside the weekend, filled with costume contests, a parade, and more.

Long Lead's TWINS FEST documentary has been shortlisted by The Telly Judging Council. Help us win a Telly by voting today: bit.ly/TwinsFest4Te...

It's clear that the internet is bad. But just how did it get SO bad? LONG SHADOW: BREAKING THE INTERNET explores that question and more, unpacking how a tool that was meant to democratize the world has torn it apart. It's nominated for a Webby Award and YOU can help us win. bit.ly/LSS4Webby

Journalist Joi Lee had been living abroad prior to the Trump administration’s shift to more aggressive immigration enforcement. With the deployment of ICE agents to Minneapolis, Lee decided to cover the story from the ground, sharing about the collective trauma the city is facing.

Kazakhstan shares a 4,750-mile border with Russia, the longest continuous land border in the world. As Russia expands its imperial reach with its invasion of Ukraine, the countries that border it feel a renewed sense of urgency to shore up their borders.