Explainers, calculators and Black Panther: what we liked in news brands this week

In the first in a new weekly series, we share five things from the last few days you need to see, from deep dives and investigations to handy tips and tea break laughs.

This week, we spotlight columns on why journalism matters in a social media world, why the latest Black Panther film deserves the Oscars’ attention and some particularly adventurous animals…

1. Journalism offers a “baseline of trust, authority and history”

With Elon Musk’s plans for Twitter becoming clearer after his controversial takeover of the social network, more media voices are talking about what trusted journalism means to them.

Two weeks ago, it was Katy Perry who professed her love of newspapers to her millions of followers; this week, it was two columnist heavyweights explaining to readers why journalism mattered to them in the digital age.

Criticising social media’s tendency to put brevity above nuance and foster “unhealthy” algorithms, The Sunday Times’ Jeremy Clarkson explained why he spends “an hour or two reading the newspapers” every morning.

Meanwhile the i’s Simon Kelner praised the “baseline of trust, authority and history that [journalism] offers the reader a degree of comfort” compared to social media.

3. Turning percentages into pounds

The Budget comes in the wake of news that the UK economy underwent over 11% annual inflation last month, the highest in over four decades. However, when different products and services undergo different inflation rates and some people spend more on some things over others, it’s difficult for readers to know exactly how less far their wallets are stretching.

The Guardian’s inflation calculator helped readers understand exactly how they are affected by rising prices by calculating their own personal inflation rate.