The Latest: Media vs. Tech; GoFundMe for Messenger staff; Tucker faces backlash; Tips for overcoming career setbacks

February 7, 2024

Top stories

The New York Times made more than $1 billion from digital subscriptions in 2023 (Nieman Journalism Lab) / Fox Corporation ad revenue tumbles 20% due to lower ratings, dip in political advertising (The Wrap)

Over three decades, tech obliterated media (New York Magazine) / What Medium's Tony Stubblebine has learned about tech and journalism (Semafor)

Big media circles the wagons on sports to fend off tech giants — will it work? (The Hollywood Reporter) / New sports streamer will change TV as we know it — and may start an industry fight. Execs tell me what they really think. (Business Insider)

Dow Jones union denies blame for poor layoff rollout (Talking Biz News) / ‘WSJ union IAPE 1096 says it's "bulls**t" for paper managers to blame the labor contract for the elimination of 17 reporting jobs in Washington "from a company recording record profits quarter after quarter" ’(Byron Tau)

Tucker Carlson faces media fury over Putin interview (POLITICO) / Kremlin says Putin agreed to interview with Tucker Carlson because he differs from ‘traditional Anglo-Saxon media’ (Meduza) / CNN's Abby Phillip breaks down Tucker Carlson's lies about news coverage of Russia (CNN)

Media weigh ethics over access for military embeds to Gaza (Voice of America)

New York Times responds to online misinformation about a fictional NYT editor-in-chief named Joseph Hope (New York Times)

Facing outrage, Northwestern student newspaper publisher will attempt to intervene in ‘vandalism’ case (Poynter)

‘Former employees of The Messenger have started a GoFundMe to help staffers laid off without health insurance or severance.’ (Ben Mullin)

CBS News taps Alturo Rhymes as EP of Daily News, Jim Axelrod to lead expanded 'Eye On America' franchise (Deadline) / Central Maine newspapers name new key editors (CentralMaine.com) / Connect Savannah names new publisher (Connect Savannah)

Freelance journalists win $100,000 prizes for work impacting underrepresented communities (Associated Press)

From Taylor Swift reaction shots to dodging oncoming players, Here's how photographers will be capturing the Super Bowl Sunday (People) / Nate Burleson faces a Super Bowl tougher than any football player's (Variety)

The millennial women leading a new era of fashion journalism (Washington Post)

Press Freedom

‘45 WEEKS. Think about all that has happened in your life in the last 45 weeks. Now remember that our WSJ colleague Evan Gershkovich has missed all of those sorts of moments because he has been wrongfully held in a Russian prison since March. #FreeEvan #IStandWithEvan’ (Sarah Rabil)

Ted Cruz proposes legislation that would make it harder to photograph lawmakers jetting off to Cancún while their constituents freeze to death (Vanity Fair)

Media reports: Ukrainian intelligence official fired over surveillance of journalists (Voice of America)

When sources don't respond to your deadline

“In television, every minute counts. And while we are constantly running against the clock to meet deadlines, we know the rest of the world may not operate on our time clock. When sources are not responding, I try to figure out another way to tell my story using other sources. If it's a story where one source is the main source of the story, I regroup with my news team, and we might turn to another story. Not every day happens exactly the way we plan it . Fortunately, as journalists, we are not only resourceful, but we are also adaptable to changes.”

-- Brenda Lepenski, general assignment reporter at KATV News, excerpt from the Society of Professional Journalists career questions page

Journalists & Work: Separating your career from your identity. Virtual program on Friday, Feb. 16, at 12 p.m. ET

Join us for a conversation on separating your job from your self-worth

For many of us, journalism is not just a job; it is a calling. And the high intensity nature of the work of a journalist often means that our job becomes a central part of our identity.

Join the National Press Club Journalism Institute at noon ET on Friday, Feb. 16, for a conversation with a journalist and a psychologist on managing your career in a time of media turmoil.

Speakers:

Dr. Janna Koretz, psychologist and the founder of Azimuth
Kate Woodsome, journalist and filmmaker

How to overcome negative thoughts following a career setback

“Stay aware of the messages that you are giving yourself. If you notice you are having self-critical thoughts (e.g., I will never have a good job again, I feel worthless), it is important to observe this and to tell yourself to stop doing it. These thoughts are unhelpful and make us feel worse . We can not always be in control of what happens to us – in fact, often how we handle what happens to us is the only thing we can control. Remember that nothing ever stays the same, and tell yourself this too shall pass.”

-- Excerpt from “Coping with the emotional impact of a layoff ” (Stanford University)

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.