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It’s official: We’re in the dog days of summer. The Institute team is staying cool — and motivated — by working through your feedback on programs you’d like to see through the end of the year.
We know there’s uncertainty ahead — with the unpredictable political climate, the industry on unsure footing, and even in our interactions with sources and the public. What we at the Institute are certain of is our commitment to providing journalists training and support to boost skills and confidence to these uncertain times.
We're looking forward to an exciting training lineup through August — both in person and virtual — that we hope you’ll join. And we have much more coming this fall.
We're also pleased to share highlights from the NPC Press vs. Politicians Spelling Bee (Team Press prevailed!), as well as to announce the winners of the third round of Kozik Environmental Justice Reporting Grants in partnership with the National Press Foundation.
We look forward to a summer full of learning. Thank you for being part of the Institute community, and stay cool!
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Aug. 2: Lunch & Learn with writing coach and editor Steve Padilla
Re-energize how you view writing — and the way you do it — with tips from nationally sought-after writing coach Steve Padilla. Padilla is editor of Column One, the L.A. Times’ showcase for storytelling.
Padilla has partnered with the National Press Club Journalism Institute to guide you out of your writing ruts with sentence-level, achievable techniques to invigorate your writing. Hear his advice over lunch at the National Press Club from noon to 1:30 p.m. ET Friday, Aug. 2.
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Designed for professional nonfiction writers, Padilla’s talk will give you fresh ways to:
- Craft descriptions
- Construct anecdotes
- Trim and squeeze your copy
This event is in person only.
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Aug. 16: Master class on organizing narrative & breaking news stories with award-winning journalists
All great stories have a beginning, middle, and end. But organizing a pile of reporting notes, quotes and data can be, well, overwhelming. Just how should journalists tackle story structure, especially with the variety of options?
Join award-winning reporters and editors from 1 to 5 p.m. ET Friday, Aug. 16, as they explore story structure and strategies for constructing memorable stories on and off deadline. This half-day virtual workshop will include tips and tools for building structures that effectively shape breaking news, feature, and investigative stories.
Speakers include:
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Lane DeGregory, a Pulitzer Prize-winning staff writer at the Tampa Bay Times
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Wesley Lowery, executive editor of Investigation Reporting Workshop at American University and a Pulitzer Prize winner
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Steve Padilla, Los Angeles Times Column One editor
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Eric Tucker, national security reporter for the Associated Press
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Click here to see the full agenda.
Don't have time to attend the entire workshop? All registered participants will receive a link to the video replay. You can login for one or two of the sessions and listen to the recordings of the rest.
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This summer, there are some easy ways you can help support the Institute’s mission of powering journalism in the public interest:
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Create a Facebook fundraiser: Tap into your community and network by creating a Facebook Fundraiser. As journalists and communicators, this is a great way to inspire your online network with the Institute’s important work.
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Employer Gift Matching: You can easily boost your impact through employer gift matching. Check with your HR department to see if your employer matches donations or your volunteer hours, or use this tool to find out.
Can we count on your financial support? Make your tax-deductible gift today.
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And, if you haven’t heard it lately: Thank you for the important work you do for your community and our democracy.
The Institute's tax ID number is 52-1750908.
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The 2024 National Press Club Press vs. Politicians Spelling Bee took place June 27 and brought much B-U-Z-Z Club and Institute. The Bee, a fundraiser for the Institute, pitted five D.C. journalists against five members of Congress in a spelling battle that left the audience in stitches.
Once again, Team Press triumphed over Team Politicians, with Alex Clearfield of Bloomberg Law spelling “gnathic” as the winning word. The Bee also raised more than $20,000, with support from the following sponsors: Publir, The Dictionary Project, The Beer Institute, News/Media Alliance, Washington Intern Student Housing, Leadership Connect, Robert Weiner Associates News and Public Affairs, and the Wounded Paw Project.
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The Institute and partner National Press Foundation have jointly awarded $45,000 to fund four investigative reporting projects on environmental justice. Each of the following grantees will receive $11,250 to fund their project:
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Jena Brooker, BridgeDetroit. Brooker’s project will explore the impacts of Michigan’s Air Pollution Control Exemption, which exempts some of the state’s worst violators of air and water quality laws from sales, use, and property taxes.
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Rob Chaney, Missoulian. Chaney’s project will examine the differences among Indigenous and other communities in transitioning from coal to renewable energy sources, with a focus on three neighboring communities: the Northern Cheyenne Reservation, Crow Nation, and the town of Colstrip.
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Celeste Gracia and Aaron Sánchez-Guerra, North Carolina Public Radio – WUNC. This three-part audio and digital project will focus on labor conditions for outdoor workers in North Carolina as climate change exposes them to higher temperatures.
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Lue Palmer, Freelance. Palmer will investigate the impact of noise pollution on the health of a community in Independence, Louisiana, where residents attribute a spate of recent deaths to relentless late-night noise from sixteen-wheel trucks traveling to and from a nearby dump and gravel pit, seven nights a week.
The four grantees were selected by judges Antonia Juhasz, Yanick Rice Lamb, Charles Self and Harriet Washington. This is the third round of grants awarded since 2021. Read more about the projects here.
The Kozik Grants are funded by a 1991 gift from the late Dr. Franklin Kozik in honor of his deceased son Robert Kozik.
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Share with a student journalist: Applications open for fall 2024 Lewis Scholarship
Aspiring journalists can apply now for a scholarship that provides free housing and a monthly stipend to support student journalists of color with fall internships at news media outlets in Washington, D.C.
Applications are open for the National Press Club’s Lewis Scholarship, which aims to improve accessibility to experiential learning opportunities in the nation’s capital for students of color. This scholarship — administered through the National Press Club Journalism Institute — extends the Lewis family’s commitment to increasing representation in Washington, D.C.
The deadline to apply for the fall 2024 Lewis Scholarship is Sunday, July 28. Application instructions, including eligibility requirements, are available here.
Please share with the student journalists in your network.
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Institute hosts National Student Leadership Conference journalism students
More than 70 high school students explored journalism ethics during two interactive programs designed by the Institute in June. Visiting the National Press Club as part of their National Student Leadership Center summer program, the students from across the U.S. debated what they would do in real-world situations that challenged - and helped define - their professional and personal ethics.
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National Press Club Journalism Institute
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