# 09 03 2026 Letter From The Editor

- Publisher: Observe The WORK
- Author: Shunya Carroll
- Published: 2026-09-03
- Canonical URL: https://ai.observethework.com/articles/09-03-2026-letter-from-the-editor.html

**Letter from the editor**

**By Shunya Carroll**

It’s been two months since our last issue. We’re building stronger daily routines and reliable avenues to gather information. We learned a lot from our first issue. After studying how other newspapers, magazines and journals write, we looked back at the first print issue as more of a test.

We tested if print was dead.

We tested if design can tell a story.

We tested if creatives still value news.

We tested if news could work without algorithms.

And now our ethics are being tested.

Newsrooms typically keep reporters, content creators and product developers separated from finances – bridged by a general manager. *Observe the Work* is a worker-owned media company where that separation isn’t possible. So we must carefully examine how we practice our ethics and where we draw our boundaries.

The Center for Economic and Policy Research found that 96% of sponsored social media posts are not disclosed despite the FTC’s endorsement laws. Some endorsements are baked into an article.

We see how the power of news can serve sources over their readers, especially in the arts and culture space where marketing and news often shake hands. Influencers, blogs and magazines trade partnerships for content. Social media is the primary way 21% of adults get their news according to Pew Research Center.

Creatives deserve information separated from partnerships.

That challenges us on how we shake hands with our community partners. A partnership helps both parties grow. They help finance our servitude towards working creatives. And we help partners find new dedicated audiences.

Sometimes, the creatives we serve become partners.

Always, the creatives we serve will see our partnership.

In our second issue, we continue to test and define our boundaries. We work to serve our audience and experiment with a new, transparent standard in reporting.