The Latest: NPR quits Twitter; Fox News sanctioned; Hostage envoy pledges to secure WSJ reporter; Where is COVID coverage?

April 12, 2023

■ NPR quits Twitter after being falsely labeled as 'state-affiliated media' (NPR) / ‘NPR becomes first major news org to stop using Twitter, saying … “We are not putting our journalism on platforms that have demonstrated an interest in undermining our credibility …” ’ (Oliver Darcy) / ‘Aside from the misleading label, NPR says Twitter isn’t used by most Americans; drives little traffic to NPR; and “no longer has the public service relevance that it once had .” ’ (Steve Inskeep) / ‘NPR employees with personal accounts are told they may make their own decisions . …’ (Steve Inskeep) / ‘Musk tweets "Defund NPR " after outlet suspends Twitter use’ (Sara Fischer) / ALSO: PBS stops tweeting after Musk adds ‘government-funded’ label (Axios)

■ Fox News sanctioned by judge for withholding evidence in Dominion case (New York Times) / Judge blasts Fox News over ‘missing’ evidence, orders investigation (Washington Post) / Judge: No separate defamation trials for Fox News, Fox Corp. (Associated Press) / Dominion wants to nix Mike Lindell , Giuliani fans from Fox News jury (Washington Post)

■ Inside Rupert Murdoch’s succession drama (Vanity Fair)

■ News organizations sue to retrieve Jan. 6 footage released to Tucker Carlson (The Hill) / Tucker Carlson raged against Trump in private. But in interview with the former president he took a very different tone (CNN)

■ Local journalists covering shootings share their pain on air (Washington Post)

■ Vox Media spins off NowThis , the viral politics site, a year after buying it (New York Times)

■ Three years later, COVID-19 is still a health threat. Journalism needs to reflect that (Nieman Reports)

■ Weinstein returns to NY prison system after LA conviction (Associated Press)

■ This citizen-run organization is teaching thousands of people to fact-check in Indonesia (Nieman Journalism Lab)

■ Covering a war : A conversation with Isabelle Khurshudyan, Washington Post Ukraine bureau chief (Poynter)

"In some cases, media coverage of public safety has skewed too much toward the narratives of police and other public safety agencies. Some of these stories do qualify as news, and it is relatively quick and inexpensive to accept a government agency press release at face value. This practice — running with stories without thoughtful consideration — can lead to diminished accuracy and lack of depth that may leave audiences with a biased perception of which issues are truly important to communities . ... By deciding what we will cover and what we will avoid — or think deeply about covering or not — we can focus our attention on higher-impact, more meaningful projects and stories."

-- Terence W. Shepherd, news director at KPBS, "Why KPBS developed guidelines for public safety coverage — and why your news organization should, too"

Grants: How to apply successfully and make a living as a freelancer

Entrepreneurial freelancer Stefano Valentino offers tips to optimize grant applications by breaking down professional challenges that freelance journalists face and how they can be tackled using strategies commonly applied by entrepreneurs.

Watch now: A recording from the Freelance journalism empowerment conference.

Grants: How to apply successfully and make a living as a freelancer - Stefano Valentino

National Press Club awards Alexa D’Amato with the 2023 Richard G. Zimmerman Scholarship

The National Press Club, the world's leading professional organization for journalists, has selected Alexa D'Amato of Boxford, Massachusetts, as the recipient of its 2023 Richard G. Zimmerman Journalism Scholarship. The award is given to an exceptional high school senior who plans to pursue a career in journalism, and includes a $5,000 one-time scholarship.

D'Amato impressed NPC judges with her drive, passion for journalism, and keen editorial eye. She joined her high school’s broadcasting crew as a sophomore and was elevated later to director. She also served as editor-in-chief of the school newspaper.

In 2022, D'Amato was accepted to PBS NewsHour Student Reporting Labs’ Summer Academy for an intensive video journalism camp at Arizona State University’s Cronkite School of Journalism. Her work there earned D'Amato recognition on the Student Reporting Labs’ 20 under 20 young storytellers list.

“I hope that my acceptance into the NewsHour internship inspires my current classmates to produce the highest quality work possible, and that my work establishing its curriculum [in my school] shows future students that journalism isn’t a career that is out of reach,” D'Amato wrote in her application essay.

To learn more about NPC scholarship opportunities, click here.

Resources

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

Get this from a friend? Subscribe, and view the archives.

If you value this newsletter, consider supporting The Latest with a tax-deductible, recurring gift to the Institute: Even $5 a month will help fund the technology and time it takes to provide this important service.

SUPPORT THE INSTITUTE

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.