Channels with Peter Kafka

Running a Newsroom in Minneapolis + How to Make a Game of Thrones For Less

10 snips
Jan 28, 2026
Ira Parker, showrunner who adapted a George R.R. Martin novella for HBO, talks about making a lighter, cheaper Game of Thrones spinoff with practical effects and faster shoots. Kathleen Hennessey, editor of the Minnesota Star Tribune and former New York Times reporter, discusses rapid newsroom mobilization, verifying ubiquitous phone footage, and sustaining local coverage under intense pressure.
Ask episode
AI Snips
Chapters
Books
Transcript
Episode notes
ADVICE

Staff For Sustained Crisis Coverage

  • Staff proactively by beefing up weekend, morning, and night shifts to handle prolonged crises.
  • Track workloads closely and force breaks when reporters exceed sustainable hours.
INSIGHT

User Video Isn't Verified Evidence

  • UGC video floods the information environment but doesn't equal verified truth.
  • Newsrooms must slow down, verify, and forensically analyze clips before reporting.
ADVICE

Collect UGC For Reporting, Don't Publish Raw

  • Collect user-submitted video for journalistic use but avoid publishing unverified clips as news.
  • Use UGC to support verified reporting, not replace it.
Get the Snipd Podcast app to discover more snips from this episode
Get the app