May 4, 2021

Top stories ■ Yamiche Alcindor is named host of ‘Washington Week’ on PBS (New York Times)  ■ CNN revamps digital news leadership, promoting Rachel Smolkin to vice president in charge of national and breaking news, as well as political coverage (The Hill)  ■ How three major news organizations all got a story about Rudy Giuliani wrong: 'I think we all tend to drop our guard when we get beat and are trying to catch up,' said New York Times editor Dean Baquet (Washington Post)  ■ 'My bulletproof vest that I may need to be a journalist in America arrived and they sent me a Small and I had to adjust it to make it a little smaller and for a moment I was happy that I was too small for my bulletproof vest that I need to do journalism in America.’ (Sarah McCammon) / 'Trauma makes its way back to you': Four US journalists on covering mass shootings (CPJ)  ■ Photographer suing L.A. County, sheriff over alleged assault while covering arrest, violent protest (KTLA) / Photographer nearly hit when driver darts away from crash scene (WPLG Local 10) ■ The pandemic didn't wreck news outlets' hopes for events. Far from it, in some cases. (Poynter) / A woman mailed her diary to a stranger, who added an entry and did the same. People have kept it going for a pandemic year (Washington Post)  ■ Trevor Noah shows how accurate COVID vaccine TV reporting would look (The Wrap)  ■ Are the Bidens giants? Are the Carters tiny? Or are our eyes failing us? Surreal photo captivates (Washington Post) / Judicial Watch files lawsuit against Secret Service for records of Biden White House dogs after biting incidents (Judicial Watch)  ■ Twitter's new subscription product could include ad-free journalism (CNN) / Eyeing a future subscription service, Twitter acquires the ad-free news startup Scroll (Nieman Lab) ■ May the words be with you: What writers can learn from 'Star Wars' (Poynter) / Read the 'Star Wars' poem that brought Kelly Marie Tran to tears on May the 4th (L.A. Times)

The National Press Club Journalism Institute is starting a reading group for people who love journalism and books and want to discuss them both. The first book we’ll discuss is “Susan, Linda, Nina & Cokie: The Extraordinary Story of the Founding Mothers of NPR.” The reading group’s first virtual meeting will be Thursday, May 13 at 6 p.m. ET, and we’ll discuss the prologue through Chapter 5 of the book. The gatherings will last one hour and take place over Zoom, and you can drop in just once or join every time. The group is open to all. Please RSVP here if you’re interested in joining. Participants will receive a calendar invitation with the reading schedule and the Zoom link. Contact Julie Moos at jmoos@press.org with questions.

What stories does your team tell about itself?

Job candidates are vetting you as much as you vet them. They’re weighing options and opportunities, checking out reports and rumors, and trying to imagine what job satisfaction and growth would really look like on your team and on your watch. What picture does your team paint for them? Here are seven reasons that good candidates may decide against taking a job and they're some of the same reasons a good employee might leave. Advice from Jill Geisler, Bill Plante Chair in Leadership & Media Integrity, Loyola University Chicago, Freedom Forum Fellow in Women’s Leadership.

Find motivation and some new tools for energizing your writing in this afternoon workshop. You'll get tips on: Energizing tired writing Structuring stories that center inclusivity Crafting irresistible headlines Teachers include Steve Padilla, Column One editor at Los Angeles Time. Register now for this program, which will take place from 1 to 4 p.m. ET Friday, June 4, on Zoom. Tickets are $50 for general registration and $40 for National Press Club members.

Fri, Jun 4, 2021 1:00 PM EST Pro Tips: Writing refresh Tickets

Resources Newsletter: Where to pitch Journalist’s Toolbox: Reporting on hurricanes and tornadoes Diverse voices and the future newsroom (May 6, 12 p.m. ET)

“Career Connection: Defining your digital footprint” is a weeklong series of hands-on workshops to help you create and maintain the professional identity you want to showcase to sources, employers, and publishers. The series will meet from noon to 1 p.m. ET daily, from Monday, May 10 to Friday, May 14. Session spotlight: What hiring managers want you to know Hear what makes someone a great applicant at top news organizations, with insights directly from recruiters and hiring editors. Whether you’re a mid-career professional looking for a change in responsibility or an emerging talent looking for your first newsroom, “What hiring managers want you to know” will give you tools for a successful job search in today’s market. Panelists will include: Priska Neely, Managing editor for Gulf States Newsroom (WBHM, MPB, WWNO, NPR) Traci Schweikert, Chief Talent Officer, POLITICO Mizell Stewart III, Vice President / News Performance, Talent and Partnerships for Gannett/USA Today Network Register here for one program in the series or all off them, which are available at no cost. Registration includes access to the video recordings and resources referenced in all sessions. Monday, May 10: What hiring managers want you to know Tuesday, May 11: Tapping Twitter networks in your job search Wednesday, May 12: How to leverage LinkedIn in your journalism job search Thursday, May 13: How to rev up your resume for today’s job market Friday, May 14: Office hours

National Press Club news Virtual Newsmaker: Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-IL) (May 10, 11 a.m. ET) Virtual Book Event: Don Lemon, ‘This is the Fire’ (May 10, 2 p.m. ET) Virtual Newsmaker: SAG-AFTRA President Gabrielle Carteris (May 12, 11 a.m. ET) Virtual Book Event: Mark Bittman, ‘Animal, Vegetable, Junk’ (May 13, 2 p.m. ET) Podcast: Interview with John Donnelly (World Press Freedom Day)

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. Get this from a friend? Subscribe, and view the archives.

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