{"id":55,"date":"2025-10-24T18:49:43","date_gmt":"2025-10-24T18:49:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/balance-of-power\/?page_id=55"},"modified":"2026-01-11T15:30:48","modified_gmt":"2026-01-11T20:30:48","slug":"about","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/balance-of-power\/about\/","title":{"rendered":"About"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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The Balance of Power<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

The first year of Pres\u00adi\u00addent Don\u00adald Trump\u2019s sec\u00adond term in the White House raised sig\u00adnif\u00adi\u00adcant ques\u00adtions about fed\u00ader\u00adal\u00adism and the sep\u00ada\u00adra\u00adtion of pow\u00aders as the admin\u00adis\u00adtra\u00adtion used exec\u00adu\u00adtive orders, fed\u00ader\u00adal fund\u00ading and the pres\u00adi\u00adden\u00adtial bul\u00adly pul\u00adpit to bend pub\u00adlic and pri\u00advate insti\u00adtu\u00adtions to Trump\u2019s will.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Bal\u00adance of Pow\u00ader project exam\u00adines the his\u00adto\u00adry of pres\u00adi\u00adden\u00adtial pow\u00ader in the U.S. and explores how Trump\u2019s expan\u00adsive inter\u00adpre\u00adta\u00adtion of exec\u00adu\u00adtive author\u00adi\u00adty has impact\u00aded the state of Con\u00adnecti\u00adcut and its res\u00adi\u00addents, com\u00admu\u00adni\u00adties and insti\u00adtu\u00adtions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Four\u00adteen jour\u00adnal\u00adism stu\u00addents at the Uni\u00adver\u00adsi\u00adty of Con\u00adnecti\u00adcut researched, report\u00aded and pro\u00adduced this spe\u00adcial project under the super\u00advi\u00adsion of two fac\u00adul\u00adty mem\u00adbers dur\u00ading the Fall 2025 semes\u00adter. They inter\u00adviewed state lead\u00aders and experts from UConn and oth\u00ader uni\u00adver\u00adsi\u00adties, shad\u00adowed advo\u00adcates and pro\u00adtest\u00aders, pored through legal deci\u00adsions and exec\u00adu\u00adtive orders, and chron\u00adi\u00adcled the rip\u00adple effects of the admin\u00adis\u00adtra\u00adtion\u2019s actions through\u00adout Con\u00adnecti\u00adcut.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Learn more about the Bal\u00adance of Pow\u00ader staff and fill out the form below to con\u00adtact us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Sara Bedi\u00adgian<\/strong> (high\u00ader edu\u00adca\u00adtion reporter, pho\u00adtog\u00adra\u00adph\u00ader, fact-check\u00ader<\/strong>) <\/strong>is a jour\u00adnal\u00adism and polit\u00adi\u00adcal sci\u00adence stu\u00addent at the Uni\u00adver\u00adsi\u00adty of Con\u00adnecti\u00adcut and a leg\u00adisla\u00adtive report\u00ading intern at the CT Mir\u00adror. Her work has been pub\u00adlished in news\u00adpa\u00adpers across South\u00adern New Eng\u00adland, includ\u00ading the Worces\u00adter Telegram and Gazette, Worces\u00adter Busi\u00adness Jour\u00adnal, The Val\u00adley Breeze, The CT Exam\u00adin\u00ader and The Com\u00admu\u00adni\u00adty Advo\u00adcate. She is the for\u00admer edi\u00adtor-in-chief of The Dai\u00adly Cam\u00adpus and the cur\u00adrent pres\u00adi\u00addent of UConn\u2019s chap\u00adter of the Soci\u00adety of Pro\u00adfes\u00adsion\u00adal Jour\u00adnal\u00adists. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Bre\u00adan\u00adna Bon\u00adner (high\u00ader edu\u00adca\u00adtion reporter, fact-check\u00ader<\/strong>) <\/strong>is a human rights and indi\u00advid\u00adu\u00adal\u00adized degree stu\u00addent at the Uni\u00adver\u00adsi\u00adty of Con\u00adnecti\u00adcut. She is cur\u00adrent\u00adly a BOLD research Schol\u00adar through the Office of Under\u00adgrad\u00adu\u00adate Research, where she research\u00ades art and pol\u00adi\u00adcy-based inter\u00adven\u00adtions for com\u00admu\u00adni\u00adty gun vio\u00adlence. She also serves as a Peer Research Ambas\u00adsador, Under\u00adgrad\u00adu\u00adate Human\u00adi\u00adties Advi\u00adso\u00adry Coun\u00adcil mem\u00adber, and orga\u00adniz\u00ader of the UConn Human\u00adi\u00adties Under\u00adgrad\u00adu\u00adate Research Sym\u00adpo\u00adsium. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Saman\u00adtha Brody (CT impact reporter, graph\u00adics)<\/strong>  is a sopho\u00admore hon\u00adors jour\u00adnal\u00adism and polit\u00adi\u00adcal sci\u00adence stu\u00addent at the Uni\u00adver\u00adsi\u00adty of Con\u00adnecti\u00adcut. She is cur\u00adrent\u00adly a life edi\u00adtor and board mem\u00adber of The Dai\u00adly Cam\u00adpus, UConn\u2019s stu\u00addent news\u00adpa\u00adper. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Brid\u00adget Brons\u00addon (edu\u00adca\u00adtion reporter, fact-check\u00ader<\/strong>) <\/strong>is a jour\u00adnal\u00adism stu\u00addent with minors in polit\u00adi\u00adcal sci\u00adence and Span\u00adish at the Uni\u00adver\u00adsi\u00adty of Con\u00adnecti\u00adcut. She serves as the sports edi\u00adtor for UConn\u2019s stu\u00addent news\u00adpa\u00adper, The Dai\u00adly Cam\u00adpus, and has interned for We-Ha.com, focus\u00ading in com\u00admu\u00adni\u00adty and busi\u00adness report\u00ading. Her work has been pub\u00adlished by The Hart\u00adford Courant and The CT Mir\u00adror. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Mikay\u00adla Bun\u00adnell (exec\u00adu\u00adtive pow\u00ader reporter, chief copy edi\u00adtor, pho\u00adtog\u00adra\u00adph\u00ader) <\/strong>is a jour\u00adnal\u00adism and polit\u00adi\u00adcal sci\u00adence stu\u00addent with a minor in writ\u00ading at the Uni\u00adver\u00adsi\u00adty of Con\u00adnecti\u00adcut. Her work has been pub\u00adlished in the Hart\u00adford Courant, CT Exam\u00adin\u00ader, CT Pub\u00adlic and the Willi\u00adman\u00adtic Chron\u00adi\u00adcle. She serves as a staff writer in the news sec\u00adtion and a copy edi\u00adtor of The Dai\u00adly Cam\u00adpus, UConn\u2019s stu\u00addent-run news\u00adpa\u00adper. She also serves as the trea\u00adsur\u00ader of the UConn chap\u00adter of the Soci\u00adety of Pro\u00adfes\u00adsion\u00adal Jour\u00adnal\u00adists. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Lily Gold\u00adblatt (exec\u00adu\u00adtive pow\u00ader <\/strong>reporter, video\u00adg\u00adra\u00adph\u00ader, pho\u00adtog\u00adra\u00adph\u00ader)<\/strong> is a jour\u00adnal\u00adism and polit\u00adi\u00adcal sci\u00adence stu\u00addent at the Uni\u00adver\u00adsi\u00adty of Con\u00adnecti\u00adcut. She serves as pro\u00adgram direc\u00adtor for WHUS Radio, UConn\u2019s stu\u00addent-run radio sta\u00adtion, where she hosts a week\u00adly show and has sev\u00ader\u00adal sto\u00adries and pho\u00adto gal\u00adleries pub\u00adlished. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Char\u00adlotte Har\u00advey (exec\u00adu\u00adtive pow\u00ader & legal <\/strong>reporter)<\/strong> is a senior major\u00ading in jour\u00adnal\u00adism at UConn. She was born and raised in Man\u00adches\u00adter, Con\u00adnecti\u00adcut, and lived on the south shore of Long Island before mov\u00ading back to Con\u00adnecti\u00adcut. Char\u00adlot\u00adte\u2019s work has been pub\u00adlished by the Hart\u00adford Courant, CT Com\u00admu\u00adni\u00adty News and the CT Exam\u00adin\u00ader. She aspires to be a legal jour\u00adnal\u00adist writ\u00ading about the courts and law, or a for\u00adeign cor\u00adre\u00adspon\u00addent work\u00ading in Rus\u00adsia and Rus\u00adso\u00adphone coun\u00adtries in the for\u00admer Sovi\u00adet Union.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Anna Heqi\u00admi (immi\u00adgra\u00adtion reporter, pho\u00adtog\u00adra\u00adph\u00ader, fact-check\u00ader<\/strong>) <\/strong>is a jour\u00adnal\u00adism and com\u00admu\u00adni\u00adca\u00adtion stu\u00addent at the Uni\u00adver\u00adsi\u00adty of Con\u00adnecti\u00adcut. She is a broad\u00adcast reporter with the Uni\u00adver\u00adsi\u00adty of Con\u00adnecti\u00adcut Stu\u00addent Tele\u00advi\u00adsion and will be intern\u00ading as a writer for UConn Today, the offi\u00adcial news web\u00adsite for the uni\u00adver\u00adsi\u00adty, in the spring 2026 semes\u00adter. Her work has been pub\u00adlished through\u00adout the state, includ\u00ading in the Hart\u00adford Courant, CT Exam\u00adin\u00ader and CT News Junkie. She is also a Fall 2024 Media Fel\u00adlows schol\u00adar\u00adship recip\u00adi\u00adent with the Wash\u00ading\u00adton Media Schol\u00adars Foun\u00adda\u00adtion. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Jen\u00adna Out\u00adcalt (sci\u00adence & envi\u00adron\u00adment reporter, fact-check\u00ader)<\/strong> is a jour\u00adnal\u00adism stu\u00addent at the Uni\u00adver\u00adsi\u00adty of Con\u00adnecti\u00adcut who focus\u00ades on envi\u00adron\u00admen\u00adtal report\u00ading and local news. She serves as news edi\u00adtor, board mem\u00adber and staff writer at The Dai\u00adly Cam\u00adpus and as a cor\u00adre\u00adspon\u00addent for Plan\u00adet For\u00adward at George Wash\u00ading\u00adton Uni\u00adver\u00adsi\u00adty. She has interned for the PHL17 morn\u00ading show in Philadel\u00adphia and par\u00adtic\u00adi\u00adpates in a biweek\u00adly news pod\u00adcast for WHUS radio at UConn.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Kar\u00adla Perez (immi\u00adgra\u00adtion reporter, video\u00adg\u00adra\u00adph\u00ader, fact-check\u00ader) <\/strong>is a jour\u00adnal\u00adism and com\u00admu\u00adni\u00adca\u00adtions stu\u00addent at the Uni\u00adver\u00adsi\u00adty of Con\u00adnecti\u00adcut. She serves as the edi\u00adtor-in-chief of The Dai\u00adly Cam\u00adpus and as a news\u00adroom intern an NBC Con\u00adnecti\u00adcut. She is part of the New York Times Corps class of 2026. Her work has been pub\u00adlished through\u00adout the state, includ\u00ading in the Hart\u00adford Courant, CT Exam\u00adin\u00ader, Con\u00adnecti\u00adcut Pub\u00adlic, WSHU Pub\u00adlic Radio and CT News Junkie.  <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Eli\u00adjah Polance (LGBTQ+ reporter, pho\u00adtog\u00adra\u00adph\u00ader) <\/strong>is a jour\u00adnal\u00adism and Eng\u00adlish stu\u00addent at the Uni\u00adver\u00adsi\u00adty of Con\u00adnecti\u00adcut. Polance serves as the man\u00adag\u00ading edi\u00adtor for Long Riv\u00ader Review, UConn\u2019s under\u00adgrad\u00adu\u00adate lit\u00ader\u00adary and arts mag\u00ada\u00adzine, and is a staff writer for the life sec\u00adtion of UConn\u2019s stu\u00addent news\u00adpa\u00adper, The Dai\u00adly Cam\u00adpus. Their work has also been pub\u00adlished in the Hart\u00adford Courant.  <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Photo by Sam Brody<\/p>\n\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/balance-of-power\/files\/2025\/12\/Connor-Sharp-edited-1024x1024.jpg\" src=\"https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/balance-of-power\/files\/2025\/12\/Connor-Sharp-edited.jpg\" alt class=\"wp-image-1209\" style=\"aspect-ratio:1;object-fit:cover\" srcset=\"https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/balance-of-power\/files\/2025\/12\/Connor-Sharp-edited.jpg 1667w, https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/balance-of-power\/files\/2025\/12\/Connor-Sharp-edited-300x300.jpg 300w, https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/balance-of-power\/files\/2025\/12\/Connor-Sharp-edited-1024x1024.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/balance-of-power\/files\/2025\/12\/Connor-Sharp-edited-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/balance-of-power\/files\/2025\/12\/Connor-Sharp-edited-768x768.jpg 768w, https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/balance-of-power\/files\/2025\/12\/Connor-Sharp-edited-1536x1536.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1667px) 100vw, 1667px\"><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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Con\u00adnor Sharp (pho\u00adto edi\u00adtor, pho\u00adtog\u00adra\u00adph\u00ader, video\u00adg\u00adra\u00adph\u00ader) <\/strong>is an indi\u00advid\u00adu\u00adal\u00adized major in visu\u00adal media pro\u00adduc\u00adtion at the Uni\u00adver\u00adsi\u00adty of Con\u00adnecti\u00adcut. He is the pho\u00adto edi\u00adtor at The Dai\u00adly Cam\u00adpus, UConn\u2019s stu\u00addent news\u00adpa\u00adper, and a pho\u00adto intern at UConn ath\u00adlet\u00adics. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Dan Stark <\/strong>(exec\u00adu\u00adtive pow\u00ader reporter, fact-check\u00ader)<\/strong> is a jour\u00adnal\u00adism and polit\u00adi\u00adcal sci\u00adence stu\u00addent at the Uni\u00adver\u00adsi\u00adty of Con\u00adnecti\u00adcut. He is an incom\u00ading reporter at The Express News Group and has been pub\u00adlished in The Day. He cur\u00adrent\u00adly serves as Edi\u00adto\u00adr\u00adi\u00adal Direc\u00adtor at Nut\u00admeg Pub\u00adlish\u00ading and served as Life Edi\u00adtor and a staff writer at The Dai\u00adly Cam\u00adpus. He is also the vice pres\u00adi\u00addent of UConn\u2019s chap\u00adter of the Soci\u00adety of Pro\u00adfes\u00adsion\u00adal Jour\u00adnal\u00adists.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Christi C. Throw\u00ader (DEI & exec\u00adu\u00adtive pow\u00ader reporter, fact-check\u00ader)  <\/strong>is a jour\u00adnal\u00adism stu\u00addent at the Uni\u00adver\u00adsi\u00adty of Con\u00adnecti\u00adcut. Her work has been pub\u00adlished in the CT Exam\u00adin\u00ader, CT News Junkie, and WHUS Radio. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Aman\u00adda J. Craw\u00adford (edi\u00adtor, asso\u00adciate pro\u00adfes\u00adsor)<\/strong> is a for\u00admer polit\u00adi\u00adcal reporter for Bloomberg News, The Ari\u00adzona Repub\u00adlic and The Bal\u00adti\u00admore Sun. Her work has appeared in a vari\u00adety of oth\u00ader pub\u00adli\u00adca\u00adtions includ\u00ading The Boston Globe, The Hart\u00adford Courant, Nation\u00adal Geo\u00adgraph\u00adic, Ms. Mag\u00ada\u00adzine, CNN Opin\u00adion, and The Chron\u00adi\u00adcle of High\u00ader Edu\u00adca\u00adtion. Crawford\u2019s aca\u00add\u00ade\u00adm\u00adic research focus\u00ades on media cov\u00ader\u00adage of mass shoot\u00adings, mis\/disinformation and jour\u00adnal\u00adists\u2019 role in democ\u00adra\u00adcy.  Her book exam\u00adin\u00ading mis\u00adin\u00adfor\u00adma\u00adtion, spec\u00adta\u00adcle vio\u00adlence and mass media is forth\u00adcom\u00ading from Colum\u00adbia Uni\u00adver\u00adsi\u00adty Press. Before com\u00ading to UConn in 2018, Craw\u00adford held fac\u00adul\u00adty appoint\u00adments at the jour\u00adnal\u00adism schools at West\u00adern Ken\u00adtucky Uni\u00adver\u00adsi\u00adty and Ari\u00adzona State Uni\u00adver\u00adsi\u00adty<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Marie K. Shana\u00adhan (pub\u00adlish\u00ader, asso\u00adciate pro\u00adfes\u00adsor)<\/strong> serves as head of the Depart\u00adment of Jour\u00adnal\u00adism at UConn. Her aca\u00add\u00ade\u00adm\u00adic research and teach\u00ading focus on the inter\u00adsec\u00adtion of jour\u00adnal\u00adism and dig\u00adi\u00adtal com\u00admu\u00adni\u00adca\u00adtion tech\u00adnol\u00ado\u00adgy. Shana\u00adhan stud\u00adies trends in dig\u00adi\u00adtal dis\u00adcourse, news lit\u00ader\u00ada\u00adcy, mis\u00adin\u00adfor\u00adma\u00adtion and local news engage\u00adment. She is the author of Jour\u00adnal\u00adism, Online Com\u00adments, and the Future of Pub\u00adlic Dis\u00adcourse<\/em> (Rout\u00adledge, 2018). Before join\u00ading the fac\u00adul\u00adty at UConn, she worked for 18 years as a reporter, online pro\u00adduc\u00ader and dig\u00adi\u00adtal edi\u00adtor at The Hart\u00adford Courant.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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CONTACT US<\/h2>\n\n\n
Sub\u00admit a form.<\/a><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The Bal\u00adance of Pow\u00ader The first year of Pres\u00adi\u00addent Don\u00adald Trump\u2019s sec\u00adond term in the White House raised sig\u00adnif\u00adi\u00adcant ques\u00adtions about fed\u00ader\u00adal\u00adism and the sep\u00ada\u00adra\u00adtion of pow\u00aders as the admin\u00adis\u00adtra\u00adtion used exec\u00adu\u00adtive orders, fed\u00ader\u00adal fund\u00ading and the pres\u00adi\u00adden\u00adtial bul\u00adly pul\u00adpit to bend pub\u00adlic and pri\u00advate insti\u00adtu\u00adtions to Trump\u2019s will. The Bal\u00adance of Pow\u00ader project exam\u00adines [\u2026]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"wp_typography_post_enhancements_disabled":false,"ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-55","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":2,"url":"https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/balance-of-power\/","url_meta":{"origin":55,"position":0},"title":"The Balance of Power","author":"Marie K. Shanahan","date":"December 19, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"President Trump\u2019s first year back in office was marked by an expansive interpretation of executive power that he used to reshape the federal government and push his ideological agenda on public and private institutions throughout the United States. In the fall 2025 semester, a team of 14 student journalists spent\u2026","rel":"","context":"Similar post","block_context":{"text":"Similar post","link":""},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/PgTa6m-T","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/balance-of-power\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/55","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/balance-of-power\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/balance-of-power\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/balance-of-power\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/balance-of-power\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=55"}],"version-history":[{"count":83,"href":"https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/balance-of-power\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/55\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2153,"href":"https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/balance-of-power\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/55\/revisions\/2153"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/balance-of-power\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=55"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}