Journalism that unpacks the global authoritarian toolkit
Current
Polarization
Who you are and what you believe have been weaponized in new ways in the power struggles of the 21st century. We track what price individuals and societies pay for these identity battles.
Bucharest Calling: MAGA goes on tour
The rise of George Simion in Romania shows how an anti-globalist movement has gone global, turning “Make America Great Again” into “Make Europe Great Again”
When autocrats buy zebras
It’s not just a whim, it’s not just eccentricity. It’s a show of power and control
The Laboratory for the Day After Tomorrow
ZEG FESTIVAL 2025
At our annual festival, 800 people, including 120 speakers from around the world, gather to experiment with stories, challenge conventions, and build a new kind of community
Current
Authoritarian Tech
In this current, stories on how technology has captured every aspect of our lives from intimacy to politics.
The Vatican challenges AI’s god complex
Like his predecessor, Pope Leo XIV is a wise, cautionary voice against the embrace of tech at the expense of human beings
Captured: how Silicon Valley is building a future we never chose
AI’s prophets speak of the technology with religious fervor. And they expect us all to become believers.
Current
Oligarchy
Tracking how the super rich are changing the world for the rest of us.
The Big Idea
The Playbook
History doesn’t repeat, but it sure does rhyme. In this special series, we expose the tactics that powerful leaders use to change societies—tactics that follow surprisingly similar patterns wherever they appear
Current
Rewriting History
In this current, stories on how those in power shape our future by weaponized the past and manipulating our memories
How to find your voice when you are being silenced
Resisting authoritarianism is about remaining engaged, remaining receptive and, above all, not turning away
As Ukraine doubles down on its national identity, who is left behind?
Ukraine’s wartime rush to further distinguish itself from Russia has brought collateral damage on the country’s Romanian ethnic community
Our visual narrative has just won the prestigious National Magazine Award for Best Service and Lifestyle Photography. Read more about the award and our collaboration with Stranger’s Guide.
coda story + stranger’s guide collaboration
Our photo story ‘The New Aztecs’ wins National Magazine Award
Current
Armed Conflict
In this current, we take a deep dive into how digital technology is re-defining armed conflicts
Sudan’s forgotten war
While Donald Trump lectures South Africa about ‘genocide’ and brokers peace in the DRC in exchange for minerals, he remains silent about the humanitarian catastrophe in Khartoum
How autocrats manipulate history to hold on to power
The cynical framing of narratives about war to score patriotic points is a tactic we should guard against, even in democracies
Special project
Generation Gulag: how Russia rewrites its Soviet history
Today the Russian government is rewriting some of the darkest chapters of its Soviet past. The eyewitnesses of Soviet authoritarianism have a different story for us and a message for our era.
BY CODA STAFF
