The news that made 2023
Today is the last day of 2023. As a journalist, I always take Dec. 31 as an opportunity look back on all the news that happened this year. From education to unprecedented strikes in Hollywood to the wildfires that ravaged Maui, our country experienced challenges, changes and complexity. These stories delivered new insights and inquiries while also touching on timeless themes — and Paste BN was there to cover every angle.
👋 Nicole Fallert here and welcome to Your Week, our newsletter exclusively for Paste BN subscribers (that's you!). This week, I sat down with Paste BN's new deputy editor-in-chief Karey Van Hall who just joined the team this month. She shared her top three stories of the year and what she hopes to achieve in the newsroom in 2024.
But first, don't miss these are a few of the impactful stories from 2023 made possible by your Paste BN subscription (and keep scrolling for more must-reads!):
- These are 2023's best photos (according to our photo editor Andrew Scott!)
- Reporting from the border: They're ''ditch riders'' by trade but often find migrant bodies.
- The changing education world: Using different address for school placement can be a crime. Is school choice a solution?
- Celebrities (as always) made ripples: When Kim Kardashian's nipple bra dropped, some people laughed. Breast cancer patients rejoiced.
- The sports world took on new forms: Conference realignment left the Pac-12 in pieces. See the decades of shifting alliances.
The stories that shaped the year
Karey Van Hall loves making the news fun. For a profession that often deals with extremely serious content, this can be a tall task. But for her, it's about getting curious, creative and collaborative. Her new role as deputy editor-in-chief means always being the voice in the room to ask what else could be covered and to advocate for unique angles to breaking stories.
Of this past year, three major stories impacted her. The first was the Israel-Hamas war, which broke out on Oct. 7 and has resulted in immense loss of life, changes to college campuses and heightened tensions across the country as a foreign war hits home, she said.
"It's such a wrenching story to deliver," she said.
Also fascinating in 2023 to Van Hall was the battle to control the House of Representatives, from Rep. Kevin McCarthy's, R-Calif., ouster to the dayslong battle to find his replacement. Van Hall said the competition to chair the lower chamber was "fascinating."
"These are the levers of power in the United States," she said. "It has real impact."
Her third top story of the year was any and all news Taylor Swift-related. The last 12 months have undeniably belonged to the songwriter, who championed a mega-hit Eras Tour nationwide, released rerecorded "Taylor's Versions" of both her "Speak Now" and "1989" albums — a billionaire who championed the summer of "girlhood" with friendship bracelets. Not to mention her romance with Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce has been a big conversation.
For a journalist, Swift is a "fascinating figure" to write about, Van Hall said. "It's not only her pop sensibility but also her sense as a business woman."
Looking ahead, Van Hall said she feels 2024 will be decisive for the future of the country, from politics to people's pockets to their post-pandemic well-being. She's interested in the unknown, especially what will happen to litigation facing former President Donald Trump and how elections will shape democracy. But the serious implications of the new year won't stop her from assigning the "stories that bring fairy dust to every day lives," she said.
She also points to Paste BN's "standout" NFL coverage as a win for the newsroom in 2023. The writing and analysis about professional football is a "bright spot" in our newsroom, she said, and whenever we get the opportunity to drill down into what makes the sport so important to our lives, "that's a success," she said.
And to Paste BN subscribers, she wants to remind you that newsroom leadership takes a very targeted approach to the creation of premium content. She hopes to continue her focus on being diligent about providing exclusive content to subscribers.
"2024 is going to be such a big year for the nation and subscribing to Paste BN will bring that inside and value necessary to navigate that pivot," she said.
Thank you
It has been my honor to share the news with you this year. The depth and detail our newsroom accomplishes would not be possible if not for your support. Thank you for contributing to Paste BN's community and I can't wait to see where we'll go next year.
Best wishes,
Nicole Fallert