Index: src/middleware/render.js
===================================================================
--- src/middleware/render.js	(revision 3038fc98d6a4082a8669142765a148803ad4a4ba)
+++ src/middleware/render.js	(revision 041a0df519c3282550fe587c0067c34023f20696)
@@ -163,7 +163,12 @@
     // Rewrite a local /media/<file> cover to its on-demand downscaled thumbnail
     // (crisp grid/list images). External URLs + already-thumb URLs pass through.
-    thumb: (url, w) => (typeof url === 'string' && url.startsWith('/media/') && !url.startsWith('/media/thumb/'))
-      ? `/media/thumb/${w || 480}/${url.slice(7)}`
-      : url,
+    thumb: (url, w) => {
+      if (!url || typeof url !== 'string') return url;
+      // Local cover → local thumb route; remote (federated) cover → signed downscale
+      // proxy (same as avatars), so remote line-art covers aren't browser-downscaled jagged.
+      if (url.startsWith('/media/') && !url.startsWith('/media/thumb/')) return `/media/thumb/${w || 480}/${url.slice(7)}`;
+      if (/^https?:\/\//i.test(url)) return imgProxyUrl(url, w || 480);
+      return url;
+    },
     // Crisp avatars: a local /media avatar goes through the local thumb route; a REMOTE
     // (fediverse) avatar through the signed downscaling proxy. Same downscale, the remote
Index: src/views/pages/news.ejs
===================================================================
--- src/views/pages/news.ejs	(revision 3038fc98d6a4082a8669142765a148803ad4a4ba)
+++ src/views/pages/news.ejs	(revision 041a0df519c3282550fe587c0067c34023f20696)
@@ -118,5 +118,5 @@
             <div class="tl-media">
               <% imgs.forEach(function(m){ %>
-                <a class="tl-media-img" href="<%= m.url %>" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img src="<%= m.url %>" alt="" loading="lazy" decoding="async"></a>
+                <a class="tl-media-img" href="<%= m.url %>" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img src="<%= thumb(m.url, 640) %>" alt="" loading="lazy" decoding="async"></a>
               <% }); %>
             </div>