News and information to help journalists serve the public and stay safe.
August 11, 2020
Austin Tice
Photo courtesy of the Tice family
Marc Tice, Austin’s father
Photo by Melissa Lyttle
Austin Tice turns 39 years old today. He should be celebrating with friends & family, looking ahead to his next decade. Instead, he's entering his 9th year of unjust detention in Syria. A veteran Marine Corps captain, Georgetown University graduate, and award-winning journalist, Austin was taken in Syria in 2012, days after his birthday, while reporting for the Washington Post, McClatchy, and other news organizations. 

The U.S. government is offering a reward of up to $1 million for information leading directly to his safe return. A year ago, 173 bipartisan Members of Congress signed a letter urging President Trump to prioritize Austin’s release. “President Trump is committed to bringing Austin home,” say parents Marc and Debra Tice, but other administration officials have blocked direct discussions with Syria. 

“With each day that Austin remains imprisoned, his captors continue to insult the pride and principles of the United States,” wrote Washington Post publisher Fred Ryan today. “More than a single young man is being held hostage: An entire nation is.”

You can show your support for Austin by telling your Members of Congress that his safe return is a priority. And you can show your support for his family by joining the National Press Club on Friday at 12 p.m. ET for the unveiling of a Freedom Clock marking every moment until Austin is returned safely home. 

Austin has been detained longer than any U.S. journalist in history. "Every single day, Austin needs his colleagues in journalism to ask questions about what is being done to bring him home, to dig for answers when they meet with obfuscation, and to hold U.S. government officials accountable for their actions or lack thereof," say the Tices. Help bring him home.
TOP STORIES
As presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden was choosing his running mate, many commentators warned about sexist and racist coverage of his eventual pick for Vice President. Now that he has chosen Sen. Kamala Harris, we thought it would be interesting to look back at some of her first appearances in national media, based on a Lexis Nexis search.

First appearance, Washington Post / Sept. 30, 1996

“A man who scalped his girlfriend with a kitchen knife was sentenced to life in prison. Frankie Vanloock, 33, allegedly had tried once before to scalp her but was foiled by a dull blade. ‘It is appropriate for what he did,’ prosecutor Kamala Harris said of the sentence on Friday. ‘The manner in which this crime was committed was incredibly sadistic.’ “

First appearance, New York Times / June 12, 2004

“Opinion polls show that San Franciscans overwhelmingly oppose the death penalty, and in her winning campaign for district attorney last fall, Kamala D. Harris made no secret of her strong opposition as well. But the killing of a police officer here has placed capital punishment at the center of a political and emotional storm that has some asking whether a different standard should be applied in the case of law enforcement officials killed on the job.”

First appearance, Politico / July 9, 2009

“Even in California, a state with a deep and diverse bench of Democratic talent, San Francisco District Attorney Kamala Harris stands out. A two-term prosecutor whose innovative approach to law enforcement has made her a rising star in progressive politics, she is both the state's first female African-American district attorney and the nation's first Indian-American district attorney.”

(Photo from Google image search results)
As news organizations and the nation have responded to the coronavirus pandemic and the protests following the murder by police of George Floyd, journalists have increasingly confronted the need for newsroom equity and a truer relationship with the communities they serve.

The National Press Club Journalism Institute and PEN America will co-host a program on “Equity and community in local news: Lessons learned in 2020” to identify and share takeaways from pandemic and protest coverage and to look ahead toward election coverage. 

Registration is still available for tomorrow's program, which will be moderated by Jim Friedlich, executive director and CEO of the Lenfest Institute of Journalism, and will feature Denise Rolark Barnes, publisher of The Washington Informer; Cassie Haynes, co-executive director at Resolve Philadelphia; Darryl Holliday, co-founder and News Lab director at City Bureau in Chicago; and Tasneem Raja, editor-in-chief of The Oaklandside.
The highest performers on your team may not require your attention but they deserve it. They thrive with each opportunity, and strive harder when you connect their work to the organization’s success. Learning and growing keep them motivated. So does: “thank you.” 

Advice from Jill Geisler, Bill Plante Chair in Leadership & Media Integrity, Loyola University Chicago, Freedom Forum Fellow in Women’s Leadership
Do you qualify as an ally? Join Jill for the next Freedom Forum Institute Power Shift Project program on August 20 at 1 p.m. EDT. Registration is now open.
Crafting isn’t just for summer camp. If stress has you stuck in a rut, try making something with your hands. 

Making things can provide a healthy distraction from other stresses while letting you flex your creative muscles. Studies suggest that creativity improves mental and physical health. 

How? Making something gives you space to learn something new, focus on a task, break away from screens, and practice mindfulness — all important parts of a self-care routine. 

Ready to get busy? Try:


Read on for more self-care tips, or share your own.
This newsletter is written & edited by the National Press Club Journalism Institute staff: Beth Francesco, Holly Butcher Grant, and Julie Moos. Send us your questions and suggestions for topics to cover.

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