The Latest: Gannett’s 2024 priorities; New media hires; Preventing online harassment webinar; Photojournalists share Ukrainians’ war stories

February 26, 2024

Top stories

Top news organizations and funders convene to address dire state of news media (Forbes) / WAMU shuts down local news site DCist , will lay off reporters (Washington Post) / When media outlets shutter, why are the websites wiped too ? (Slate)

Gannett’s 2024 priorities include ‘rebooting’ small newsrooms and keeping voters informed (Poynter) / ‘A supermajority of The Desert Sun NewsGuild has voted to authorize a ULP strike . The vote comes after Gannett's refusal to offer consistent cost-of-living raises and health care protections that allow our members to sustainably live in the Coachella Valley’ (Desert Sun NewsGuild)

A new leader for Press Forward, at a pivotal moment for journalism (Columbia Journalism Review)

Vice's avaricious stewards finally succeeded at bleeding it dry (Defector) / How Jimmy Finkelstein wooed me to The Messenger —and left me high and dry (Vanity Fair)

Kristina Peterson returning to WSJ DC bureau as enterprise reporter …after being among layoffs (Talking Biz News) / ‘The weird era of modern media: lay people off...and then hire them back … it's happened at both the LA Times and now the WSJ, and some people who got pink slips at Business Insider last year kept their jobs (Corbin Bolies) / Wall Street Journal reporters speak at contract negotiations (Talking Biz News)

Monica Richardson appointed USA TODAY senior vice president (Business Wire) / Telemundo taps Gemma Garcia to lead news division (Deadline) / Ankush Khardori joins POLITICO Magazine as a senior writer (POLITICO)

‘Happy to announce a new project: a site devoted to a great American cultural institution-late-night TV . “LateNighter” will dive into the hosts/guests/news of late night’ (Bill Carter)

GOP-led states want to regulate posting on social media . The Supreme Court will decide if they can (Associated Press) / The Supreme Court is about to decide the future of online speech (The Verge)

Microsoft's Copilot AI search is making up fake Vladimir Putin quotes from press conferences that never happened (Sherwood Media) / Russia’s 2024 election interference has already begun. Moscow is spreading disinformation about Joe Biden and other Democrats…cyber experts say (NBC News)

How a small Iowa newspaper's website became an AI-generated clickbait factory (WIRED) / A startup sets out to help digital media organizations fight misinformation with blockchain technology (Semafor) / Former Twitter engineers are building Particle, an AI-powered news reader (TechCrunch)

Ukrainians have seen ‘unimaginable’ horror. Photographers share their stories (CNN)

Across LA, college papers offer student reporters a connection to campus, community (Voice of America)

How this AP photographer captured a unique splash at the swim worlds with an underwater camera (Associated Press)

Press Freedom

National Press Club rebukes Mexican president for aggression toward journalist (NPC/JI) / Mexican president defends disclosing a reporter's phone number , saying the law doesn't apply to him (Associated Press)

Response of the New York Times to the Office of the Consulate General of Israel regarding claims against Gazan photographer Yousef Masoud (The New York Times) / New York Times 'reviewing' freelance reporter Amat Schwartz who liked Gaza 'slaughterhouse' tweet (Daily Beast)

AP statement on National Jewish Advocacy Center lawsuit regarding AP’s coverage of the Oct. 7 attacks in Israel (Associated Press) / Miami lawyers sue AP over alleged ties to Hamas (Law.com)

A monthly reminder from AP Stylebook

“When a month is used with a specific date, abbreviate only Jan., Feb., Aug., Sept., Oct., Nov. and Dec. Spell out when using alone, or with a year alone. At the end of February, we enter the months with shorter names that aren't abbreviated : March, April, May, June and July.”

-- AP Stylebook via X

Online Harassment & Privacy Protections: What journalists need to know. Webinar on Friday, March 8, 11:30 am ET. With David Huerta, senior digital security trainer, Freedom of the Press Foundation.

Webinar: Online harassment and privacy protections for journalists

From doxing to hacking, journalists around the world are subject to online harassment and abuse every day. While some of these attacks have been aimed at political journalists and those working to hold power to account, all reporters need to be on the alert for potential online harassment and attacks.

Join the National Press Club Journalism Institute at 11:30 am ET on Friday, March 8, for instruction on how to minimize your personal risk of online harassment and protect your private information, taught by David Huerta, senior digital security instructor for the Freedom of the Press Foundation.

Leadership Tip: Let mistakes demonstrate accountability

“Be quick to admit mistakes and implement corrective actions. Team members start trusting their leaders when they see leaders can make mistakes, admit them, and offer ways to correct them . The team then stops being afraid to make mistakes and stops being afraid to suggest different points of view and argue with the leader.”

-- Gaidar Magdanurov, president of Acronis, excerpt from “20 trust-building strategies for a strong, healthy work culture ” (Forbes)

Resources

This newsletter is written & edited by the National Press Club Journalism Institute staff: Beth Francesco, Bara Vaida, and Holly Butcher Grant. Send us your questions and suggestions for topics to cover.

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The National Press Club Journalism Institute promotes an engaged global citizenry through an independent and free press, and equips journalists with skills and standards to inform the public in ways that inspire a more representative democracy. As the non-profit affiliate of the National Press Club, the Institute powers journalism in the public interest. The Institute's tax ID number is 52-1750908.