February 20, 2024

• Top 25 U.S. newspaper circulations: Largest print titles fall 14% in year to March 2023 (Press Gazette) 

• Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich to remain in Russian prison until at least March 30 (Fox News) / ‘Evan will soon have spent one year in the notorious Lefortovo jail. Days after Alexei Navalny's death, I worry more than ever about our friend Evan’ (Pjotr Sauer) / Wall Street Journal statement

• New York Times publisher A. G. Sulzberger: ‘Our industry needs to think bigger’ (Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism) / New York Times publisher: White House 'extremely upset' on Biden age coverage (POLITICO) 

• Six weeks after abrupt Houston Landing firings, staffers unionize (Nieman Journalism Lab) 

• NYT plans to debut new generative AI ad tool later this year (Axios) / How OpenAI’s new text-to-video tool, Sora, could harm journalism and society (Poynter) / A celebrity dies, and new biographies pop up overnight. The author? AI. (New York Times) 

• Phoebe Connelly named senior editor for AI strategy and innovation (Washington Post) / Stephen Neukam joining Axios to cover the Senate as part of its expanding Capitol Hill team (Stephen Neukam) / Samantha Willis to become next editor of Virginia Mercury (Virginia Mercury)  

• College newspapers’ [independence] under threat (Axios)

• Sinclair’s broadcasts focus on fears, aligning with Trump’s view of cities (Washington Post) 

• Kate Snow to step down as anchor of Sunday edition of 'NBC Nightly News,' will focus on daytime newscast and correspondent role (Deadline)

• Inside Kim Godwin’s challenging tenure as ABC News president (Wall Street Journal) 

• Ad tech company makes case for journalism (Semafor) 

• 11-year-old Jeremiah Fennell talks about interviewing big stars and his journey to journalism (CBS News)  

• New York newspapers push for bill to keep small papers afloat (North Country Public Radio) / The most ambitious package of local journalism policy in Illinois (Northwestern/Medill Local News Initiative) / Lawmakers wander into news deserts (RJI) 

Press Freedom

• Press Club leaders condemn Russian court ruling on Alsu Kurmasheva’s detention, call on U.S. leaders to take action (NPC/JI) / Russia labels RFE/RL 'undesirable organization’ (Voice of America) 

• Pro-Israel group targets Washington Post reporter (Semafor) 

• Myanmar journalist shot, killed while in military custody (Voice of America)

Webinar: Online harassment and privacy protections for journalists

From doxing to hacking, journalists around the world are subject to online harassment and abuse every day. While some of these attacks have been aimed at political journalists and those working to hold power to account, all reporters need to be on the alert for potential online harassment and attacks.

Join the National Press Club Journalism Institute at 11:30 am ET on Friday, March 8, for instruction on how to minimize your personal risk of online harassment and protect your private information, taught by David Huerta, senior digital security instructor for the Freedom of the Press Foundation.

 Participants will learn:



• Why and how journalists can be susceptible targets 
• How to find and remove your personal information on the web 
• How to separate personal identities from professional profiles 
• Security tools for safeguarding personal information and privacy protection
• How to be alert to increasingly sophisticated phishing scams

Resources

• Inside the fight for public records: A webinar by and for student journalists (Feb. 21, 3 pm ET) / Student Press Freedom Day (Feb. 22) 
• WABJ Reporter Workshop: Covering HIV/health responsibly (Feb. 22, 7 pm ET)
• Webinar: Leap into Substack with Tim Riley and Society of Professional Journalists (Feb. 29, 6 pm ET)

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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