The Latest: Washington Post newsroom uproar; Headline writing webinar June 21; High-end outdoors magazines thriving; Evan’s Russia trial date set

June 17, 2024

Top stories

Washington Post reporters probe their own bosses amid newsroom uproar (Axios) / Incoming Post editor tied to self-described 'thief' who claimed role in his reporting (Washington Post) / ‘Former WashPost senior managing editor Cameron Barr is now overseeing the paper's coverage of the controversies besetting publisher Will Lewis and his pick as its next editor, Rob Winnett’ (David Folkenflik) / The Washington Post looks to remake its identity (Semafor)

CNN is sharing its presidential debate with rivals. But there are strings attached (Los Angeles Times) / Biden and Trump campaigns agreed to mic muting, podiums among rules for upcoming CNN debate (CNN) / Sinclair floods local news websites with hundreds of deceptive articles about Biden's mental fitness (Popular Information)

Worldwide, news publishers face a 'platform reset ' (Nieman Journalism Lab) / Remarkably few digital news subscribers pay full price : Report (Poynter) / Overview and key findings of the 2024 Digital News Report (Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism)

In a digital age, high-end outdoors magazines are thriving in print (New York Times)

Vivek Ramaswamy’s plan to take control of BuzzFeed (Semafor)

Global audiences suspicious of AI-powered newsrooms , report finds (Reuters) / Why journalists should pay attention to developments in artificial intelligence (Poynter) / Business Insider’s owner signed a huge OpenAI deal . ChatGPT still won’t credit the site’s biggest scoops (Nieman Journalism Lab)

Media personality and radio host Bill Spadea launches campaign for governor of New Jersey (NJ1015)

Local TV giant TEGNA taps Mike Steib as new CEO (The Hollywood Reporter) / Ben Fritz starts new job as editor of the Wall Street Journal’s coverage of the AI industry (Ben Fritz) / Fox News promotes Jacqui Heinrich and Peter Doocy to senior White House correspondents (Deadline) / The Hollywood Reporter lays off legacy TV editor Lesley Goldberg among other staffers (The Wrap) / Layoffs reported at PBS and Lee Enterprises (MediaPost)

The Anderson Cooper of Black Twitter believes journalism can survive influencers (WIRED)

Police abuse hits home for Black journalists: it happens to them and their families, too (journal-isms)

La Periodista de Iowa: At a Spanish-language newspaper in rural Iowa, Lorena López proves that the best counter to online misinformation is human connection (Columbia Journalism Review)

Press Freedom

Russia sets hearing as it moves toward secret trial of falsely accused WSJ reporter Evan Gershkovich (Wall Street Journal)

Reporter's lawsuit secures rights for U.S. jail staff to speak with media (Voice of America)

House Oversight Committee chair James Comer investigating news-rating group NewsGuard (The Hill)

CRAFT

Friday: Crafting sharp & responsible headlines for your political stories

Headlines are the most important starting point of a story. A good one both informs and piques a readers’ interest, encouraging them to read on. But in an era of search engine optimization and short attention spans, writing a good one is harder to do — especially when it comes to political stories.

Join the National Press Club Journalism Institute and Resolve Philly’s Modifier for a free webinar at 11:30 am ET Friday, June 21 .

Instructor Aubrey Nagle, Resolve Philly’s director of practice change, will examine the craft of writing and framing a headline for a political story; the different types of headlines to use depending upon the story; and the pitfalls of using sensationalized or misleading language.

Participants will also practice writing and rewriting a few headlines to get practical experience in producing responsible headlines for your 2024 election coverage.

CAREER

‘Pick up the phone’: An editor’s career advice

For the best career advice received:

"Pick up the phone . This will sound silly to anyone who joined the profession before the Internet and alarming to anyone younger than, say, 30 at the time of this writing. But there remains a wealth of knowledge that isn't online. And you never know who might pick up."

For the worst journalism career advice received:

"If you want to get your start in this industry, you have to get a job at a newspaper in a small town in the middle of the country. That advice was ill-prepared for the media disintermediation of the 21st century."

-- Andrew Nusca , Fortune Brainstorm Tech editor director, excerpt from Q&A "Most of my proudest moments don’t carry my byline"

COMMUNITY

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.