January 16, 2024

• Baltimore Sun sold to chairman of Sinclair TV stations (New York Times) / 'The Baltimore Sun's new owner — Sinclair Broadcast's conservative executive chairman David D. Smith — met with staffers today for 2+ hours. It left staffers on edge.' (David Folkenflik) / 'A brief history of my alma mater' (David Simon) 

• News outlets make an early call in Iowa, and a backlash ensues (New York Times) / Why AP called Iowa for Trump: Race call explained (Associated Press) 

• Here’s OpenAI’s big plan to combat election misinformation (The Verge) / What the Supreme Court will do with the NYT AI case and what it means for media and entertainment (The Wrap) 

• Inside the Messenger’s money-torching bet to make media great again (Washington Post)  

• Judge orders Trump to pay The New York Times nearly $400k in legal fees (Associated Press) 

• Red Ventures explores sale of CNET for at least $250 million after acquiring the outlet and other sites for $500 million in 2020 (Axios) 

• Newsroom meddling, money woes: How a billionaire owner lost his star editor at the Los Angeles Times (The Wrap) 

• Bari Weiss' Free Press in talks to raise capital (Axios) 

• The incredible shrinking podcast industry. A change in how Apple counts and tracks downloads is impacting news publishers. (Semafor) 

• Hawaii Tribune-Herald owner is restructuring, selling company (Hawaii Tribune-Herald)

• NBC News quietly laid off several dozen staffers. Among those.. were three employees comprising the company’s Racial Equality and Justice vertical… (Semafor)

• Steelers coach abruptly ends news conference as soon as reporter mentions his contract (Associated Press via NBC News) 

• Katy Tur on how MSNBC will tackle disinformation in 2024 election coverage: 'A battle that we're all fighting' (The Wrap) 

• Why old-fashioned TV is still the winning ticket for political ads (Los Angeles Times) 

Press Freedom 

• Hijab judiciary case opened against 2 Iranian journalists 1 day after their release (ABC News) / Iranian journalists who reported on Mahsa Amini's death released from prison on bail (CNN) / National Press Club statement on Iranian journalists release from prison (NPC/JI) 

• The deadly challenges of war coverage in Gaza (The New Yorker) / National Press Club statement on Israel-Hamas war at 100 Days (NPC/JI)

• Police arrest former chief editors of Ho Chi Minh City newspaper (Radio Free Asia) / Two former newspaper editors arrested in Vietnam in anti-graft sweep (Agence France Presse via Barron's)  

• Russia’s fake news about Ukraine, explained (Voice of America) / Prominent Ukrainian journalist says unknown intruders tried to storm his home (Reuters)

Questions that can help your story find focus

“Good questions help us find the focus and keep the story short. What is this story about? What do I want my reader to learn? What’s the heart or nut of the story? What is the news? What is the point? What is the theme? What’s the most important question answered by the story? Can I describe [the] story in a single paragraph? A sentence? Six words? Three words?”

-- Roy Peter Clark, senior scholar at The Poynter Institute, excerpt from How to write a good story in 800 words or less (Poynter)

Join us for an in-person Moving Meditation class to reduce stress

On Wednesday, Jan. 31, the Institute’s director of training Bara Vaida will lead a gentle movement and breathing class aimed at reducing tension in the body, relaxing the mind, and encouraging connection with fellow hard-working journalists. Vaida is a 500-hour, Yoga Alliance-certified yoga instructor, with specialized training in meditation, stress-reduction, and therapeutics.

This one-hour, monthly gathering will take place in person at the National Press Club, beginning on Jan. 31, at 5:30 p.m. ET. Registration is open, with fees set at $5 for National Press Club members and $15 for nonmembers. 

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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