The Xylom

NEW: In a special holiday edition of our newsletter, our Editor-at-Large KC Cheng shares how her first photojournalism project — documenting the impact of climate change and technology on traditional Sámi reindeer-herding communities in Arctic Norway and Finland — still shapes how she approaches Generative AI.

Choosing Humanness Over Algorithms

Why Our Editor-at-Large Doesn’t Use AI as a Photojournalist

In Jakarta, community-led urban farming is not only a solution for citizens to reclaim food sovereignty, but it also increases the megacity's climate resiliency. This is a major transformation for a city that is more than 95% dependent on food from Indonesia’s rural regions. (Published April) https://www.thexylom.com/post/jakarta-s-urban-farms-come-to-the-rescue-of-food-insecure-residents

Good news: One week into NewsMatch, we have raised over $9,500 and hit the first of three match caps! Thanks to the generosity of the MacArthur Foundation and the Knight Foundation, through Dec. 31st, your new monthly donation is matched 24x (or your one-time donation tripled!), up to $1,000. Hear directly from our members on why they make a monthly contribution to The Xylom: https://fundrazr.com/sustain-the-xylom?ref=cr_5EHOt0 #health #environment #climate #news #journalism #fundraiser

Trump may have banned hundreds of terms such as “health disparities”, “environmental justice”, and “climate accountability”, but he can never dictate what we cover and what we don't cover. Tell a friend about NewsMatch: from now until the end of the year, your new monthly donation is matched 36x (or your one-time donation QUADRUPLED!), up to $1,000. https://fundrazr.com/sustain-the-xylom?ref=cr_1EHOhb #health #environment #climate #journalism #news

NEW: A new Heat Risk Calculator developed by Texas researchers is helping burn survivors such as America's Got Talent finalist Kechi Okwuchi assess their heat risk during physical activity. The tool is expected to become more important as climate change increases the frequency and intensity of extreme heat events. https://www.thexylom.com/post/houston-texas-kechi-burn-survivor-heatstroke-climate-health-research #texas #climate #health #research #news #journalism

It is a good day to support your local worker-run news organization. https://fundrazr.com/sustain-the-xylom?ref=cr_5EHOt0

“Ingleside on the Bay is our slice of heaven that you’re willing to turn into hell for a profit,” said Kelley Burnett, who captains the local dolphin boat tours. “This is not just about our health, but our livelihood.” This story was copublished by Drilled, Floodlight, and Deceleration in May 2025. https://www.thexylom.com/post/our-slice-of-heaven-that-you-re-willing-to-turn-into-hell-for-a-profit #texas #pollution #environment #health #climate #photography #news #journalism

“I think a lot of times scientists might want to just put their head down and try to do what they can within their sphere. I think it’s really important for us as Americans to speak up and speak out,” said Yang. “I hope my fellow Asian Americans, whether they’re in science or healthcare, will also speak out. I know that they recognize the danger.” https://www.thexylom.com/post/atlanta-cdc-shooting-rfk-trump-sound-science-saves-lives-protest #atlanta #cdc #health #rfkjr #trump #news #journalism

NEW: Since 2024, six large oil spills have polluted India's western coast, affecting millions; yet, no one, including the government, wants to take responsibility for the cleanup. This story by Pragathi Ravi and Flavia Lopes was supported by the Pulitzer Center. https://www.thexylom.com/post/india-mumbai-gujarat-goa-oil-spill-fish #india #mumbai #oil #climate #environment #health #food #photography #news #journalism

NEW: Despite being one of the densest, wealthiest, and most energy-efficient cities in the world, only 0.8% of Hong Kong’s power comes from renewable sources, even with a generous feed-in tariff program. Why? Reporting for this story was supported by Internews’ Earth Journalism Network. https://www.thexylom.com/post/hong-kong-solar-power-tariff-renewable-energy-carbon-neutral-goal #hongkong #solar #energy #environment #climate #economy #journalism #news