The Tech Policy Press Podcast Through to Thriving: Pursuing The Truth with Dr. Jasmine McNealy and Naomi Nix
Aug 17, 2025
Naomi Nix, a staff writer for The Washington Post specializing in technology and social media, joins Dr. Jasmine McNealy, a professor and public interest technologist at the University of Florida. Together, they explore the pathways that led them to focus on tech policy. They delve into the blurry lines between truth and facts, the evolution of digital privacy, and the urgent mission for journalists to regain public trust. Their insights illuminate the vital role of marginalized voices and the need for accountability in today's rapidly shifting media landscape.
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From Architecture Dreams To Journalism
- Jasmine McNealy originally planned to be an architect, engineer, poet and foreign correspondent before journalism became her career.
- She studied journalism and Afro-American studies and worked in newspapers, which shaped her move into media and law-focused tech policy.
From Childhood Paper To Tech Reporting
- Naomi Nix started a homemade paper as a child and became editor of her high school paper, which led to local news and later tech reporting in D.C..
- She moved from local reporting to Bloomberg's new team covering tech policy during the post-Cambridge Analytica moment.
Early Privacy Chats Were Prophetic
- Active privacy and tech communities predicted many harms years before they entered mainstream discourse.
- Jasmine notes vibrant Twitter chats like 'private chat' where advocates and industry foresaw later systemic problems.
