December 13, 2023

Top stories

OpenAI to pay Politico parent Axel Springer for using its content (Wall Street Journal) / Researchers compare AI policies and guidelines at 52 news organizations around the world (Journalists’ Resource)

‘Washington Post plans to ‘end all local columns … and the entire social issues team and half the education reporters …also getting the ax’ (Eugene L. Meyer)

National Press Club statement on developments in the case of Radio Free Europe journalist (NPC/JI) / International Press Institute calls on UN member states to ‘urgently recommit’ to protecting freedom of the press and journalists' safety (International Press Institute)

Law360 (litigation news unit of LexisNexis) union walk off the job in one-day action … (The NewsGuild of New York) / ‘I'm joining my @law360union colleagues for a 24-hour strike today to protest management's illegal threats and refusal to bargain fairly, more than a year into bargaining our second contract….’ (Kellie Mejdrich)

Fox News shakes up executive structure , reassigns Fox Business, Fox Nation (Variety)

‘Bloomberg News director Tina Davis is leaving , per a note to staff this morning.’ (Max Tani)

Laura Bassett will cover the 2024 election for N.Y. Mag/The Cut . She previously was editor-in-chief of Jezebel. (POLITICO Playbook)

Jennifer Finney Boylan, transgender author & advocate, elected president of PEN America (Advocate.com)

Meta is going to fact-check content on the Threads app (Engadget)

Crosstown helps newsrooms create hyperlocal newsletters (Local Media Association)

FCC votes to end pay TV early termination fees (Next TV)

'I don't give a f--k': Behind the media revolt at the New York young Republican gala (Vanity Fair)

5 local news experts on the best and worst of 2023 (Poynter)

CRAFT

Reporting on long COVID-19 taught me to be a better journalist

“I bring as much curiosity and empathy as I can to interviews. I’m not fishing for quotes or dramatic details of horrible symptoms. I want to know how long-haulers feel, including the nuances and minutiae of their lives. I check my own thoughts on the fly, running my interpretations past my sources in real time to check if my understanding and assumptions are correct. I do this iteratively, asking them if they have had the same or similar experiences of the previous sources I’ve interviewed, to identify points of commonality or contention; everyone is wrong about something, and being empathetic doesn’t mean abandoning rigor. This approach reveals sides to the illness that are easily missed.”

— Ed Yong , “Reporting on Long Covid Taught Me to Be a Better Journalist,” for the New York Times

CAREER

It’s review season: How to write an effective self-assessment

“It’s easiest to remember your accomplishments from the past few months, but you want to ensure your self-assessment covers your work from the entire year. If you didn’t keep notes about your accomplishments throughout the year, review your calendar of meetings to remind yourself of projects you worked on and significant conversations you were a part of. Take the time to list all your projects, assignments, and accomplishments in a document separate from the performance review. This will give you a holistic view of your achievements and will help you focus on the most important ones.”

— Marlo Lyons , “How to Write an Effective Self-Assessment” for Harvard Business Review

COMMUNITY

Resources

5 tips to help you cover the college mental health crisis (Journalist’s Resource)
Tips for phishing prevention and email hygiene (Freedom of the Press Foundation)
Kim Wall Memorial Fund 2024 (Application deadline: Dec. 17)

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.