The Latest: Washington Post at ‘a crossroads’; Trustworthy images and war; Betting on local news; Sports reporters + gambling

November 2, 2023

Top stories

‘What do we want to be?’: The Washington Post at a crossroads (Vanity Fair) / ‘Management at The Washington Post told us they have no further movement on their buyout package . This week, dozens of Guild members gave testimonies about just how unacceptable that is. Here are some of their words’ (Washington Post Guild)

As of Nov. 2, 35 journalists dead . (Committee to Protect Journalists) / ‘More members of the press have died in the first weeks of the Israel-Gaza war than any other conflict since 1992’ (Committee to Protect Journalists) / News outlets take a more critical stance towards Israel Defense Forces as civilian deaths mount in Gaza (CNN)

Regarding the pain of others in Israel and Gaza: How do we trust what we see ? (Vanity Fair) / Israel-Gaza war sparks debate over TikTok's role in setting public opinion (Washington Post)

A billion-dollar bet on local news (The Atlantic)

New hedge fund is hiring journalists to not do journalism (Axios)

Margaret Sullivan joining Columbia Journalism School as executive director of the Newmark Center (Columbia Journalism School) / Kara Swisher joins CNN as on-air contributor (CNN)

‘The New York Times is expanding its Express Desk breaking news operation and says it expects it to grow by a third by next year, adding more reporters in Seoul and London’ (Katie Robertson)

How the Philadelphia Inquirer held the city’s police department accountable (Lenfest Institute)

Countries at a UK summit pledge to tackle AI's potentially 'catastrophic' risks (Associated Press) / How Microsoft’s AI is making a mess of the news (CNN)

Are journalists serving Virginia’s voters well ? Election could offer insights on media on national level (The Conversation)

ALA report looks at Millennial, Gen Z library usage, media habits (Publisher’s Weekly)

Can reporters make bets on sports they cover ? We asked a dozen newsrooms. (Nieman Journalism Lab)

Press Freedom

Lawyer: Alabama DA who charged newspaper publisher, reporter targets ‘people he has a problem with’ (AL.com) / Press Club leaders condemn arrests of Alabama newspaper reporter and publisher (NPC/JI)

Arrests of two prominent Turkish reporters stokes free-speech concerns (Reuters)

Israel's shuttering of Al Jazeera awaits defense minister approval (Voice of America)

CRAFT

An interview hack from an investigative journalist

“Make the person comfortable. For example, I don’t jump into my questions right away, I like to have a chat first. If I know them personally, I start by asking about their life so they feel grounded and comfortable talking with me and then I start talking about the topic. When I’m talking to a vulnerable group, I want to give them a say. If I notice that they are having a hard time talking to me, I will say: ‘If this is an uncomfortable topic for you, if there’s something that you don’t feel okay sharing, please don’t feel under pressure.’ I let them know they can pass on a question or share as much as they feel comfortable , so they never feel they are being pressed to answer a question.”

-- Zahra Nader, editor-in-chief at Zan Times, “Reporting and sharing women’s stories in the face of Taliban oppression”

CAREER

Share with a student journalist: Spring 2024 Lewis Scholarship applications still open

Aspiring journalists can still apply for a scholarship that provides free housing and a $4,000 stipend to support student journalists of color who plan to intern at news media outlets in Washington, D.C., in spring 2024.

Applications are open for the National Press Club’s Lewis Scholarship, which aims to improve accessibility to experiential learning opportunities in the nation’s capital for students of color. This scholarship, administered through the National Press Club Journalism Institute, extends the Lewis family’s commitment to increasing representation in Washington, D.C., to include news media, adding to their work founding and operating the Washington Intern Student Housing program and the HBCU National Center.

The deadline to apply for the Spring 2024 Lewis Scholarship is noon ET on Thursday, Nov. 30. Application instructions, including eligibility requirements, are available online.

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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.