--- title: "Email newsletters as a source of news" description: "☀️ Happy Thursday! The Briefing is your guide to the world of news and information. Sign up here! In today’s email: 🔥 Featured story Three members of the media in Washington state have filed a lawsuit against the state House of Representatives after their applications for statehouse press passes were denied over their political advocacy. All three plaintiffs have […]" date: "2026-02-19" authors: - name: "jhaner" url: "https://www.pewresearch.org/newsletter/the-briefing/email-newsletters-as-a-source-of-news/" --- # Email newsletters as a source of news **☀️ Happy Thursday!** *The Briefing is your guide to the world of news and information*.* [**Sign up here!**](https://www.pewresearch.org/sign-up-for-the-briefing/)* **In today*’*s email:** - **Featured story:** Right-wing media figures sue Washington state House over denied press credentials - **New from Pew Research Center: **Email newsletters as a source of news - **In other news:** Stephen Colbert says CBS pulled interview with Senate candidate over FCC concerns - **Looking ahead:** Homeland Security seeking info on social media users who criticize ICE - **Chart of the week:** Americans are far more confident in their own ability to check the accuracy of news than in others 🔥 **Featured story** Three members of the media in Washington state have [filed a lawsuit against the state House of Representatives](https://www.cjr.org/feature/olympia-washington-press-corps-statehouse-credentials-lawsuit-brandi-kruse-jonathan-choe-ari-hoffman-correspondents-association-legislature.php) after their **applications for statehouse press passes were denied over their political advocacy. **All three plaintiffs have been involved with both journalism and right-wing advocacy. They claim that the denial of press credentials is [a violation of their First Amendment rights](https://www.khq.com/news/conservative-reporters-sue-washington-house-over-press-pass-rejections/article_217c0e35-9f5a-4418-ad06-420ad28fff9a.html). But the House clerk, in a rejection letter related to the press passes, maintained that **“the press should** **act as an independent observer** and monitor of the proceedings, **not as an involved party.”** Americans express mixed views on the question of **whether journalists can also be advocates, **[according to a 2025 Pew Research Center survey](https://www.pewresearch.org/journalism/2025/08/20/how-americans-view-journalists-in-the-digital-age/#americans-hold-mixed-views-on-journalists-as-community-advocates). But they are much less likely to say it’s okay for journalists to **express their political views in their reporting** – just 13% say this is always or usually acceptable. 🚨 **New from Pew Research Center** Email newsletters have become a familiar format for news. But this pathway to news remains somewhat niche, and even among Americans who get news from email newsletters, a majority say they don’t end up reading most of the newsletters they receive, according to a [new Pew Research Center report](https://www.pewresearch.org/journalism/2026/02/19/email-newsletters-as-a-source-of-news/). 📌 **In other news** - **Stephen Colbert** says [CBS pulled interview with Senate candidate ](https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2026/02/17/colbert-blocked-talarico-interview/)over **Federal Communications Commission **concerns - **Journalists arrested in Cameroon **while [investigating facility holding migrants deported from the U.S.](https://www.nytimes.com/2026/02/18/world/africa/cameroon-journalists-arrested-deportees.html?unlocked_article_code=1.NFA.8EHD.ydtMaFQioXI7&smid=url-share) - **Warner Bros. Discovery **[reopens merger talks](https://apnews.com/article/netflix-warner-bros-paramount-skydance-fb7d13e9adc09b82da0332d6278c9b96) with **Paramount** alongside pending **Netflix **deal - **CNN anchor Anderson Cooper **is [leaving 60 Minutes](https://www.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/tv/2026/02/16/anderson-cooper-60-minutes-cbs-exit/88710368007/) - German public broadcaster **Deutsche Welle** [faces budget cuts](https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/germanys-deutsche-welle-loses-millions-111354656.html) - **The Guardian **to launch new [flagship video podcast](https://www.semafor.com/article/02/15/2026/the-guardian-debuts-new-flagship-podcast), as **Apple **pivots its [podcasting platforms to embrace video](https://www.bloomberg.com/news/newsletters/2026-02-18/apple-just-officially-ushered-in-podcasting-s-generational-shift?accessToken=eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJzb3VyY2UiOiJTdWJzY3JpYmVyR2lmdGVkQXJ0aWNsZSIsImlhdCI6MTc3MTQ0NzQzMywiZXhwIjoxNzcyMDUyMjMzLCJhcnRpY2xlSWQiOiJUQU5YSENLSVAzS1gwMCIsImJjb25uZWN0SWQiOiI2RjVFRDg4M0RCMDU0QUQwODc0QTE3MUNBOEI0MUY5NSJ9.alHqG56J8YS89IwNK17oXpBYJdGQ0aCZcm4TMAOfr3A&leadSource=uverify%20wall) and **Crooked** **Media **podcasts [to air on MS NOW](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/business/digital/ms-now-crooked-media-pod-save-america-tv-1236507197/) - A look at [how AI is transforming](https://www.niemanlab.org/2026/02/how-ai-is-transforming-freelance-journalism/) **freelance journalism** - **Atlantic **essay on **measles **[prompts confusion](https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2026/02/18/atlantic-measles-controversy/) and debate about journalism ethics 📅 **Looking ahead** The Department of Homeland Security has been asking tech companies for information about accounts that criticize or track **Immigration and Customs Enforcement, **according to a [New York Times report](https://www.nytimes.com/2026/02/13/technology/dhs-anti-ice-social-media.html). The government has issued hundreds of subpoenas to several companies, including **Google** and **Meta**, seeking identifying data on individual users. A [2023 Pew Research Center study](https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2023/10/18/how-americans-view-data-privacy/) explored Americans’ views on digital privacy, [finding that 72%](https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2023/10/18/views-of-data-privacy-risks-personal-data-and-digital-privacy-laws/#privacy-laws-and-regulation) said they had **little to no understanding about the laws and regulations to protect their data privacy that were in place at the time.** Majorities of U.S. adults [also said](https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2023/10/18/views-of-data-privacy-risks-personal-data-and-digital-privacy-laws/#feelings-of-concern-confusion-and-a-lack-of-control-over-one-s-data) they were concerned about how companies and the government use their data. And most felt they had little to no control over or understanding of what happens with this data. 📊 **Chart of the week** This week’s chart comes from a [recent Pew Research Center study](https://www.pewresearch.org/journalism/2026/02/11/americans-complicated-relationship-with-news/) of **Americans’ relationship with news,** which finds that Americans are much more confident in themselves than in other people to check the facts in the news. Most U.S. adults say they are very (29%) or somewhat (50%) confident *they* would know what steps to take to verify the accuracy of a news story. But only a quarter are very (3%) or somewhat (22%) confident in *other people’s* ability to do so. ![](https://www.pewresearch.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2026/02/Screenshot-2026-02-19-151541.png) *👋 That’s all for this week. * The Briefing is compiled by Pew Research Center staff, including Naomi Forman-Katz, Christopher St. Aubin, Joanne Haner and Sawyer Reed. It is edited by Michael Lipka and copy edited by Mia Hennen. *Do you like this newsletter? Email us at [journalism@pewresearch.org](mailto:journalism@pewresearch.org) or fill out this [two-question survey](https://us1.list-manage.com/survey?u=434f5d1199912232d416897e4&id=449f3c3d35&attribution=false) to tell us what you think*.