The Latest: Trump's Evan-Russia claim; Most trusted TV news anchors; Media moves; News network scramble + debates

May 23, 2024

Top stories

Trump says his relationship with Putin will help free jailed WSJ reporter Evan Gershkovich (Wall Street Journal) / Russia denies Trump’s claim he can free US journalist if he wins election (The Guardian)

CNN, MSNBC and Fox News see ratings surge during Trump trial coverage (The Wrap) / Trump courtroom photographers describe what it’s like to cover hush money trial : ‘You are documenting history’ (Yahoo! News) / Reporters write letter to Judge Juan Merchan objecting to the ‘abrupt closure of proceedings’ that occurred Monday when he admonished witness Robert Costello (Press letter)

Inside the network scramble for 2024 presidential debates . It’s a media free-for-all since the campaigns ditched the debate commission (Vanity Fair)

America's most trusted news anchors are… (The Hollywood Reporter) / ‘Ali Velshi, MSNBC's most trusted anchor . Chris Wallace tied with Anderson Cooper at CNN. Harris Faulkner leads the way at Fox News’ (Erik Hayden)

Semafor's Ben Smith to launch new media podcast 'Mixed Signals' (Bloomberg) / Spotify poll: Audio trust fueling the rise of the 'Podfluencer' (Radio Ink)

An overview of existing deals between news publishers and AI companies and the questions they raise regarding long-term costs, the selection process, and more (Columbia Journalism Review) / Faux ScarJo and the descent of the AI vultures . (The New Yorker)

TikTok moves to limit Russian and Chinese media’s reach in big election year (New York Times)

New 'locally owned' digital news site Estes Valley Voice to launch in Colorado (Inside the News in Colorado) / Freelance reporter Jem Bartholomew launches a new newsletter , ‘Conversations on Poverty,’ …. ‘about how the media covers poverty’ and ’the urgent task of doing it better’ (Columbia Journalism Review) / Carpenter Media Group to acquire ten newspapers spread across Alabama, Georgia and Mississippi (CNHI via E&P)

EL PAÍS US, the voice of Latinos in the United States, is born. Politics, health, business, education, culture and entertainment will be the focus of a newsroom working on the ground from New York to California (El Pais)

Riverfront Times sale and layoff of news staff signals end of 46-year era for St. Louis alt-weekly (St. Louis Public Radio)

Puck’s Teddy Schleifer returns to the New York Times as politics correspondent (New York Times) / Masha Gessen joins The Times as an Opinion columnist (New York Times) / Mary Agnes Carey named managing editor at KFF Health News (Talking Biz News) / Daily Beasts’ Reese Gorman and Riley Rogerson are joining NOTUS as politics reporters (POLITICO) / Reem Akkad promoted to senior international editor (Washington Post)

ESPN's Dallas Cowboys and NFL reporter Ed Werder ends 26-year run at network (Deadline) / News editor Jessy Bains among the layoffs at LinkedIn this week (Talking Biz News) / ‘Bad News: I’ve been laid off from Media Matters for America , along with a dozen colleagues. There’s a reason far-right billionaires attack Media Matters with armies of lawyers: They know how effective our work is, and it terrifies them (him)’ (Kat Abu)

Marshall Allen, former ProPublica health care reporter , dies at 52 (ProPublica)

The journalist biography in an age of crisis (The New Yorker)

In Lone Star State, local news keeps communities connected (Voice of America) / Postcards and laundromat visits: The Texas Tribune audience team experiments (Nieman Journalism Lab)

Why emotional safety matters for journalists

“If we trigger unsafe feelings in our audiences ... it is likely they will stop reading, listening, or watching. It leads to news avoidance. It leads to resentment of the journalists or news organizations telling the stories. It leads to a sense of fatalism about their own abilities to change systems or circumstances. So, it’s incredibly important for us to consider the emotional impact our work has on our audiences : Does it make an audience member recoil out of fear, disgust or pity? Does it feel emotionally manipulative? Can we avoid framing stories in a way that leaves audiences feeling like a situation is hopeless? Can we avoid framing stories that invite pity, othering or objectification?”

-- Megan Finnerty, RJI columnist, excerpt from “Emotional safety for sources, participants and audiences ” (Reynolds Journalism Institute)

Leadership Tip: How to deliver negative feedback in a positive way

“Research has shown a strong link between employee engagement and performance improvement . Employees often prioritize purpose, impact, and meaningful work, which influences their sense of engagement and commitment to the organization. Before initiating a conversation about performance improvement, take the time to understand the employee’s values. This helps ground the conversation in personal and professional growth, aligning organizational goals with their individual aspirations.”

-- Jenny Fernandez, executive and team coach, excerpt from "How to talk to an employee who isn’t meeting expectations" (Harvard Business Review)

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.