May 8, 2024

• ‘The Philadelphia Inquirer laid off 5 staff members’ (The NewsGuild of Greater Philadelphia) / ‘Four of those employees are in the newsroom — three in photography and one in sports. The fifth is in the support center’ (The NewsGuild of Greater Philadelphia)

• An investigation into AdVon, the company behind Sports Illustrated's fake writers, finds its AI content and fake authors at the LA Times, Miami Herald and more (Futurism) / AI is disrupting the local news industry. Will it unlock growth or be an existential threat? (Poynter) 

• Turning Point USA reporter, protesters clash in bloody campus melee at University of Washington (Newsweek) / ‘Student journalists at U Mass Amherst’s Daily Collegian were on the scene all night covering UMass Amherst's decision to call in police on a pro-Palestine encampment. They documented violent arrests—130+ in total — and so much more’ (Dusty Christensen)

• Dotdash Meredith union secures average pay increase, raises in new contract agreement for staff at People, Entertainment Weekly and Martha Stewart Living (The Wrap) 

• McClatchy DC reporter offers behind the scenes look at how 988 Lifeline story came together (Sacramento Bee)

• Essence magazine publisher Sundial Media Group and new owner of Refinery29 plans to cover sports, buy more media companies (Wall Street Journal) 

• LGBTQA+ nonprofit newspaper opens brick-and-mortar location in Springfield, Ill. (The State Journal-Register) 

• NBCU and Pluto TV launching NBC and Telemundo local streaming news channels (TVNewsCheck) 

• Sports columnist suspended over Caitlin Clark exchange (Poynter) 

• Mark Zuckerberg considered acquiring or permanently funding the Associated Press (Business Insider)

• Christina Capatides to lead CBS News and stations' social media efforts (The Wrap) / Gregory Schmidt named New York Times’ new European business editor (New York Times) / Michal Leibowitz rejoins New York Times’ Opinion section as staff editor (New York Times) / Isobel Yeung joins CNN as an international correspondent based in London (CNN) / Meena Duerson, formerly at Vice News, named CNN correspondent (CNN) 

• Harvey Weinstein sent back to Rikers after THE CITY exposed VIP treatment (THE CITY) 

• A new 'The Office' mockumentary series to be set at a ‘dying historic’ midwestern newspaper with volunteer reporters (Variety) / ‘They should at least do the media industry a solid and hire some laid off journos to consult/write’ (Saba Hamedy)

Press Freedom

• Ukraine’s investigative journalists are facing intimidation (POLITICO) / Arman and the war against journalists: A year of pain and loss (AFP.com) / Russia intensifies crackdown on journalists, dissenting voices on Ukraine (Voice of America) / UN Human Rights chief urges Russia to end crackdown as journalist detentions reach all-time high (UN News)

• Eight people charged in killing of Haiti journalist, including a former senator (Miami Herald) 

• Nigerian police secretly arrest journalist Daniel Ojukwu over critical report (Committee to Protect Journalists)

Media & The Law Webinar: What journalists need to know about copyright & defamation suits

Knowing the essentials of copyright and libel laws is critical for newsroom journalists and independent freelancers — especially in an increasingly litigious media environment.

Media lawyers report a significant uptick in defamation lawsuits brought against journalists by plaintiffs who don’t want to be called on their false narratives or want to punish reporters for their work. Some of these lawsuits are getting farther in the court system than they used to, costing journalists and news organizations precious time and money.

Copyright violations are a risk for media professionals, too. In an era of artificial intelligence and social media, journalists need to be aware of copyright and fair use law when working with digital content, especially when it is easy to cut, paste, and distribute content online.

Register now for a free, 75-minute webinar on Friday, June 7, that begins at 11:30 a.m. ET. Attorney Chad Bowman of Ballard Spahr will outline copyright and libel law essentials for today’s media environment and take questions to help journalists and freelancers understand their rights and how to follow the law. 

Resources

• Reporting tips for covering public financing of sports venues (May 16, 10 a.m. ET) 
• Press coverage of Israel-Hamas conflict, repercussions explored in 2 webinars (May 21, 11 am ET, May 22, 11 am ET)
• Covering marijuana: Research roundup and 7 tips for journalists (The Journalist’s Resource)

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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