Alison MacAdam

Alison MacAdam

@ajmacadam.bsky.social

Audio journalist. Story editor. Faded redhead. KY-raised, DC-based. Staying sane via soccer and my dog.

297 followers633 following165 posts

Alison MacAdam
@ajmacadam.bsky.social

Thanks to @niemanstoryboard.org for featuring In the Dark’s latest investigative audio series, “The Journey”! @newyorker.com

Mark Armstrong@markarms.bsky.social

My Friday newsletter for @niemanstoryboard.org: @ajmacadam.bsky.social takes us behind the scenes of the newest season of "In the Dark." Plus @alexanderchee.bsky.social on Annie Dillard, and @mdbell79.bsky.social on sequences in storytelling. niemanstoryboard.org/2026/09/18/h...

niemanstoryboard.orgHow a magazine story becomes a podcast - Nieman StoryboardPlus: Remembering Annie Dillard, and the National Book Awards announces its longlist for nonfiction
Alison MacAdam
@ajmacadam.bsky.social

Yes and… did anyone actually want princess day at the NWSL?!

Jason Anderson@jasondcsoccer.bsky.social

idk how everyone else feels about NWSL announcers playing "how many references can I do?" during games but I have long felt like it's hugely disrespectful to the actual soccer

Alison MacAdam reposted

Reo Eveleth
@reveleth.com

if you want to know the history of this kind of policy, I made a podcast two years ago that explained why these tests make no sense, how they were already used and eventually abandoned by the IOC in the 80's and 90's, and the devastating impacts they have on real athletes: www.tested-podcast.com

tested-podcast.comTESTED – A surprising history of women’s sports
Reo Eveleth@reveleth.com

*sigh* well... I guess we're doing this again www.olympics.com/ioc/news/int...

olympics.comInternational Olympic Committee announces new Policy on the Protection of the Female (Women’s) Category in Olympic SportThe International Olympic Committee (IOC) has announced a new Policy on the Protection of the Female (Women’s) Category in Olympic Sport and Guiding Considerations for International Federations and Sp...

Alison MacAdam reposted

Reo Eveleth
@reveleth.com

In case you want a six part podcast documentary series to explain why this is a Bad Idea boy do I have one for you! www.tested-podcast.com

tested-podcast.comTESTED – A surprising history of women’s sports
Defector@defector.com

No new science is behind this push to resurrect chromosome tests. These tests are just as discriminatory and confused as they were three decades ago. defector.com/chromosome-t...

defector.comChromosome Testing Will Take Sports Back To The Dark Ages | DefectorIn the late 1990s, Olympics officials were suddenly eager to exit the business of testing women’s DNA. After three decades of requiring all women athletes to sit for chromosome tests in order to…
Alison MacAdam
@ajmacadam.bsky.social

If you live in and/or care about DC and good-quality info, and you haven’t yet checked out @51st.news - there’s no better time… 👇‼️

The 51st@51st.news

6/ The Post has lost over 375,000 subscribers in just over a year. If 10% of those readers subscribed to The 51st instead, we could hire 10 reporters and five editors, dramatically scaling our coverage of the city at this critical time. 51st.news/signup

51st.newsJoin The 51stThe 51st is a worker-led nonprofit news source for D.C. Our reporting is rooted in our conviction that local journalism is meant to make people’s lives better — no paywalls, ever. But that's only…
Alison MacAdam
@ajmacadam.bsky.social

This is the absolute truth. (Here’s looking at you, @verizonofficial.bsky.social “live agent.”)

McSweeney's@mcsweeneys.net

"Customers only care about one thing: barely functioning AI crammed into every facet of their lives." www.mcsweeneys.net/articles/our...

mcsweeneys.netOur Customers Demand Terrible AI SystemsWe’ve been banging our heads against the wall, trying to think of the new “it” thing our customers want. At one point, somebody suggested improving...
Alison MacAdam
@ajmacadam.bsky.social

I would strongly recommend to anyone in the #NWSL who is trying to learn from "subject matter experts," go listen to "Tested," by @reveleth.com (from @npr.org & CBC). It's a full education on the history of sex testing in women's sports & DSD athletes today podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/t...

podcasts.apple.comTestedSports Podcast · Weekly Series · Who gets to compete? Since the beginning of women’s sports, there has been a struggle over who qualifies for the women’s category. Tested follows the unfolding story o...
Jason Anderson@jasondcsoccer.bsky.social

#NWSL commissioner Jessica Berman spoke to media at Audi Field during the halftime break. Asked about the league's change from its prior policy on trans players & future plans for a new policy, and got this reply:

Alison MacAdam
@ajmacadam.bsky.social

Queen 👑

OptaJack@optajack.optajoe.com

37.5% - In penalty shootouts in all competitions for #NWSL teams, Aubrey Kingsbury has saved 37.5% of the on-target penalties she has faced (9/24). All other goalkeepers have combined to save just 17.2% (20/116). Different.

Alison MacAdam
@ajmacadam.bsky.social

Check out the trailer now! Episodes coming Oct 28th.

The New Yorker@newyorker.com

“Blood Relatives,” a new series from the Pulitzer Prize-winning podcast In the Dark, examines the story of the Whitehouse Farm murders—the most infamous family massacre in British history.

newyorker.comIn the Dark Releases “Blood Relatives,” an Examination of a Notorious British CrimeThe New Yorker’s Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative podcast returns with a six-part series that asks whether one of the U.K.’s most famous murder cases ended with a wrongful conviction.
Alison MacAdam
@ajmacadam.bsky.social

Yup. Hostile to media… and *completely uninterested* in journalism.

Alex Goldman@agoldman.bsky.social

Add to that the fact that we were all suddenly owned by tech companies who are notoriously hostile to media and it was an uneasy relationship at very best. Spotify almost fired me for talking to the press about their decision to buy the Joe Rogan podcast.

Alison MacAdam
@ajmacadam.bsky.social

A maddening, in-depth explanation of how parks in DC are managed (and what the Prez can and can’t do about it) - thanks to @maustermuhle.bsky.social @51st.news

The 51st@51st.news

“It’s very analogous to all the other things we’re seeing,” says the author of a 2023 report on the state of federal parks in the city. “The federal government is not set up to run the city of Washington, D.C.”

51st.newsTrump says he wants to make D.C. parks great again. That might be harder than he thinksResidents say the federal government has long created more problems than solutions for the city’s green spaces.
Alison MacAdam
@ajmacadam.bsky.social

I wish people who crap on the “mainstream media” or investigative journalism who see how much damn time we spend working to get the facts right. Sometimes it reaches levels of absurdity (is it “and” or “but”? Is it “secret” or “furtive”?) but it’s all in service of actual truth.

Alison MacAdam
@ajmacadam.bsky.social

This is a big deal but most of the coverage is superficial and misinformed. Good thing there is someone who spent a *decade* digging into this (@reveleth.com)! Excellent explainer 👇

Reo Eveleth@reveleth.com

I wrote up what the new World Athletics policy actually means, who is exempt, and what might come next, along with a little *hot take* about the financial piece of this. buttondown.com/tested/archi...

buttondown.comWorld Athletics is indeed going back to mandatory sex testing.In unsurprising, but still pretty unfortunate news: Yesterday, World Athletics announced that it would indeed be bringing back genetic sex testing for all...
Alison MacAdam
@ajmacadam.bsky.social

Great example of local news explaining how government actually works - and the people who make it work. Thanks @maustermuhle.bsky.social @51st.news !

Martin Austermuhle@maustermuhle.bsky.social

🐀 It’s an unpleasant reality of city life: Animals get run over or otherwise die, and someone has to clean them up. I met the two D.C. workers who spend their days doing this thankless-yet-critical job – and you’d be surprised just how busy they are. For @51st.news: 51st.news/dc-who-colle...

51st.newsThese two D.C. workers pick up the city's dead animalsA deceased deer, a run-over rat, a headless goat: someone has to get rid of them.
Alison MacAdam
@ajmacadam.bsky.social

This story focuses on Pineapple St’s Hollywood-adjacent shows, but Pineapple was one of the most creative makers of longform, narrative journalism: HYSTERICAL, WILL BE WILD, BECAUSE OF ANITA, CATCH & KILL - just to name a few. This is very sad news!

The Hollywood Reporter@thr.com

Audacy is closing down its Pineapple Street podcast studio and largely leaving the business of producing podcasts for third-party brands.

bit.lyPineapple Street, ‘Hacks’ and ‘Severance’ Podcast Studio, to Shut DownAudacy is closing down its Pineapple Street podcast studio and largely leaving the business of producing podcasts for third-party brands.
Alison MacAdam
@ajmacadam.bsky.social

After #Nats game but during @washingtonspirit.com game 👀⚽️

Capital Weather@capitalweather.com

🌩️ Storms - some strong to severe - poss late today ⏰Timing: 5-9p ⚠️ Risks include: • Damaging winds • Hail • Isolated tornadoes • Heavy rain/lightning • Most storms prob after #Nats game 🌪️Highest tornado odds just south of DC Details 👉 cwg.live

Alison MacAdam reposted

Howard Berkes
@hberkes.bsky.social

Audio/Radio/Podcast journalists. Learn from/pitch the best in audio @ire.org Conference June 19-22 in New Orleans. Including: @thisamericanlife.org, @npr.org Embedded, @revealnews.org, @wonderymedia.bsky.social, @npr.org Station Investigations, @nhpr.org Document & more: www.ire.org/training/con...

ire.orgIRE 2025 - Investigative Reporters & EditorsInvestigative Reporters and Editors' annual investigative journalism conference is June 19-22, 2025 in New Orleans.
Alison MacAdam
@ajmacadam.bsky.social

This is big news - if you care about threats to a free press… or addiction treatment… or NH… or a whole lot of other things

Howard Berkes@hberkes.bsky.social

www.nhpr.org/nh-news/2025...

nhpr.orgFormer treatment center CEO charged with orchestrating vandalism at NHPR journalists' homesProsecutors say Eric Spofford paid a close friend $20,000 to vandalize the homes after NHPR published an investigation into his alleged sexual abuse and harassment.

Alison MacAdam reposted

The 51st
@51st.news

What with all this RFK news, we want to hear your thoughts. What do you think about the stadium deal, and how would you like to see the RFK site used? Let us know in this survey. (If you're willing, we may reach out to you for an interview!) docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F...

docs.google.comWhat do you think of the city's RFK deal?If somehow you haven't heard, the Commanders are planning a D.C. return. The city struck a $3.7 billion deal to bring the team back to RFK Stadium by 2030. Per the terms of the agreement, the…
Alison MacAdam
@ajmacadam.bsky.social

The 51st is doing good stuff - join! ⬇️

The 51st@51st.news

As we’re seeing attacks on D.C.’s autonomy ramp up, we’re counting on readers to subscribe and to support our independent local reporting. To keep our fundraising on track, we need 132 new members to join by March 31. Things are tough out here but if you can afford to join: 51st.news/signup

Alison MacAdam
@ajmacadam.bsky.social

If you want to actually really truly understand this - listen to Rose’s podcast “TESTED” ⬇️

Reo Eveleth@reveleth.com

Welp, here it is. World Athletics is going back to mandatory sex testing for all women. This is something that was done for years, but abandoned in the 1990's because it was invasive, discriminatory, and also useless. news.sky.com/story/bluesk...

news.sky.comWorld Athletics to introduce mandatory sex testing for female competitionsSebastian Coe, president of World Athletics, says the governing body feels the mandatory tests for athletes are "a really important way of providing confidence".

Alison MacAdam reposted

Reo Eveleth
@reveleth.com

Welp, here it is. World Athletics is going back to mandatory sex testing for all women. This is something that was done for years, but abandoned in the 1990's because it was invasive, discriminatory, and also useless. news.sky.com/story/bluesk...

news.sky.comWorld Athletics to introduce mandatory sex testing for female competitionsSebastian Coe, president of World Athletics, says the governing body feels the mandatory tests for athletes are "a really important way of providing confidence".

Alison MacAdam reposted

Ilya Marritz
@ilyamarritz.bsky.social

www.nhpr.org/nh-news/2025... His mother "described Schmidt being 'violently interrogated' at Logan Airport for hours, and being stripped naked, put in a cold shower" and "pressured" to give up his green card

nhpr.orgGreen card holder from New Hampshire 'interrogated' at Logan Airport, detainedFabian Schmidt’s family said they are unsure of why he is being held. They said he has a recently renewed green card, and no active issues in court.
Alison MacAdam
@ajmacadam.bsky.social

I feel so lucky to have seen this film at the DC Palestinian Film and Arts Festival. I hope many more people have a chance to see it.

Sam Adams@samadams.bsky.social

congratulations to No Other Land, which may be the first film to win a major Oscar but not theatrical distribution.

slate.comThe Most Relevant Movie in Theaters Is Poised to Make Oscar History. It Would Be a Shameful First.It swept the critics’ awards and seems like an Oscars lock, yet it still doesn’t have a distributor.
Alison MacAdam
@ajmacadam.bsky.social

Keith is the best of us. He has made journalism - and journalism organizations - more thoughtful and smarter. And he is one of the best bosses I ever had.

David Folkenflik@davidfolkenflik.bsky.social

News: NPR chief diversity officer Keith Woods to retire, amid broad attack on DEI He told colleagues today that he has been planning his retirement since 2023 but delayed after home destroyed last year by Helene. It follows PBS's ouster of DEI execs. www.npr.org/2025/02/26/n...

npr.orgNPR's chief diversity officer to retire, with DEI in the political spotlightChief Diversity Officer Keith Woods announced he'll retire after a 46-year career in journalism and 15 years at NPR, as the issue he has championed takes center stage in political discourse.