The Latest: The battle for CNN; Fox Holocaust comments; That ‘X’ rebranding; Press Club awards; Journalism in Barbie Land

July 25, 2023

■ Owner of @x Twitter handle says no one reached out ahead of Twitter’s rebranding to ‘X’ (TechCrunch) / Meta, Microsoft, hundreds more own trademarks to new Twitter name (Reuters) / Three explanations for Elon Musk’s X (The Atlantic) / Meta’s Threads app is rolling out a Following feed (TechCrunch) / Copycat conundrum (Axios)

■ Inside the battle for CNN: Jeff Zucker, David Zaslav, Chris Licht and 18 months of crazy backstabbing (Variety) / ‘Jeff Zucker and his proxies have pitched some of the world's richest people on a potential CNN play. Many of the details of his pursuit emerged in a confidential WB Discovery investigation into a top CNN executive — a Zucker loyalist who mysteriously exited the network in January.’ (Tatiana Siegel)

■ ‘Patty Stonesifer, interim CEO, addresses The Post: “We need to engage our current readers in more of our great work. At the same time, we must attract new readers and subscribers .” ’ (Ben Mullin)

■ How the news media unintentionally contributes to Donald Trump’s endurance (Poynter)

■ White House briefing room gets a makeover : ‘Smells like a new car in here’ (The Hill)

■ Massachusetts lawmakers consider a tax on streaming services to help fund public access media (Nieman Journalism Lab)

■ Wall Street Journal, ABC News and PBS NewsHour win National Press Club awards (NPC)

■ After pledging ‘accountability,’ Reveal laid off all Black unionized staff (The Objective)

■ Tucker Carlson’s Fox exit helps boost Newsmax ratings (Wall Street Journal)

■ The Guardian keeps growing internationally , in both revenue and journalism (Nieman Journalism Lab) / Guardian creates seven journalist jobs as part of 'restorative justice' plan after slavery link found (Press Gazette)

■ How Wirecutter's social strategy led to increased Prime Day affiliate revenue (Digiday)

■ Fox Corp. appoints David Espinosa president of distribution (TV News Check) / Nexstar names Michael Biard president-COO (TV News Check) / COO Will Lee to leave NPR (Current)

■ How a new two-minute quiz measures misinformation susceptibility (Nieman Journalism Lab)

■ In Greta Gerwig’s ‘Barbie,’ reporting has a prominent place in the dream job pantheon (Poynter)

Press Freedom

■ Independent journalist sues NYPD over right to film in police precincts (Gothamist)

■ Detained Iranian journalist says she is ‘proud of her work’ (Iran International English) / Trial of Iranian journalist Hamedi ends ; verdict expected in coming days (IranWire)

■ A billionaire, a TV network, and the fight for a free press in India (Nieman Reports)

“Unfortunately, not all lighting is even . When the sun is lighting up only a portion of the scene, I tend to see subjects standing in front of the light source. But lighting from behind leaves the whole front of your subject looking too dark. ... Lighting subjects from the front means the light will face them, which I think usually results in a better image. Sometimes, however, the background you want includes a source of light, such as a sunset. In these cases, I've tried an alternative strategy — lighting from the side. This way, I am still able to capture the light and color of the sunset without darkening the subjects by having the sun itself in the frame.”

-- Joey Hadden, lifestyle reporter at Insider Inc, “3 mistakes I see people make when taking pictures on their phones and how to avoid them, from a photojournalist”

“Co-workers and friends who do not meditate imagine a serene experience. 'Have fun!' they say, with a touch of envy. But meditation is hard work. There is the physical discomfort of remaining as still as possible, despite itches and aches. And then there is the mental effort of focusing awareness on the breath while the mind serves up plans, memories and emotions, not all of them pleasant. And just as you finally relax, a fly lands on your hand. Slowly, with enough practice, you learn skills that allow for greater focus . ... Meditation also helped me through the COVID-19 pandemic, even though the retreats were over Zoom. (You may be amused to know that even Buddhists forget to mute.) Back in the newsroom these days, I’m more able to take a beat amid the stress of breaking news.”

-- Patrick LaForge, editor of the Express team at The New York Times, “When a breaking news editor unplugs to meditate”

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.

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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.