News and information to help journalists serve the public and stay safe.
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Join two experienced newsroom editors on
Friday, April 24
as they share their perspectives on leading newsrooms through unprecedented challenges caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Robyn Tomlin
, southeast regional editor for McClatchy and president and editor of The (Raleigh) News & Observer and The (Durham) Herald-Sun, and
Mike Wilson
, editor of The Dallas Morning News, will discuss how to handle the uncertainties journalists face and the ambitions that inspire us. The conversation will be moderated by
Jill Geisler
, Bill Plante Chair in Leadership & Media Integrity and Loyola University Chicago Freedom Forum Fellow in Women’s Leadership.
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Reporter
Natalia Contreras
had long wanted to regularly write and translate Spanish-language stories for
The Indianapolis Star
. After being reassigned to cover underserved communities during the coronavirus pandemic, Contreras pointed out the opportunity to serve the growing Spanish-speaking population. Her editor,
Daniela Franco Brown
, “shared Natalia’s vision and passion for ensuring that our storytelling at the IndyStar serves all communities,” said Katrice Hardy, the paper’s executive editor.
The effort, Franco Brown said in response to an email interview Monday, is to focus on telling everyday stories about Latinos and Hispanics living in Indianapolis.
What motivated the decision to publish in both Spanish and English?
Franco Brown
: (After Contreras expressed her interest) we had a meeting with other managers and producers on how best to start approaching this effort. We concluded that the first thing we should do would be to translate some utility content. Natalia started translating information on
where to get food
, as well as a call for people to
submit info on those they’ve lost due to COVID-19
. Up next: information on education for parents and unemployment.
Why is it important to provide Spanish-language content now?
Franco Brown
: Because it’s important for everyone to get information, regardless of the language. I helped one of our reporters (who doesn’t speak Spanish) conduct some interviews with families in the Latino community. One dad, in Spanish, said “sometimes the information doesn't reach everyone correctly, because we can't all comprehend the same way because it's not in our language.” And I feel that perfectly encompasses the driving force of the effort. It’s our job — as journalists — to provide everyone with the needed information to be safe during this pandemic.
Contreras
:
Representation matters. Yes, these are also tough times within our industry, and cuts are happening everywhere. But when leaders focus on hiring journalists of color and when leaders in newsrooms make sure we can represent our communities accurately and fairly, we can gain the public’s trust.
Read on
to learn what
newsrooms can do when they don't have the resources to report in more than one language
.
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These are three of 20 publications from
Industry Dive
that track a range of sectors from banking to restaurants, from retail to waste management. In the midst of the pandemic, the granular detail that Industry Dive’s reporters are gathering for their readers can be a trove of data, story ideas, and advance warning signs for journalists covering the impact of the outbreak across all sectors of business.
“We're seeing a black swan event that's causing seismic change in every sector we cover,” Industry Dive’s editor in chief,
Davide Savenije
said. “Some changes may last for the duration of the pandemic, and some may last after this is all ‘over.’ ”
That means local and national reporters looking to become experts on multiple fronts in a short period of time.
“A local journalist may not have the time to go deep and immerse themselves on a beat in order to understand all the nuances at play,” Savenije said. “We can be a resource for them in those situations.”
This Q&A is based on email exchanges with Savenije and an interview on Google Hangout.
You do incredibly granular work on a vast range of industries. When did the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic become evident to your trackers? What were the signs you first saw?
Savenije:
The manufacturing and supply chain impacts were very clear early on from China. … It was at some point in mid- to late January when we really started to get a sense about how big of an impact it was going to have, at least on China. By mid-February, we had a pretty decent sense that it was going to impact all of our industries. …
In every industry, we are seeing an extraordinary level of uncertainty, which makes forecasting and planning very challenging for companies. We are seeing many companies in different sectors projecting or already experiencing much lower revenue, much lower demand, supply disruptions, changing work and operational policies, cost cutting, layoffs/furloughs, and in many cases, complete closures entirely.
Read on
to learn how Industry Dive selects and mines its data, and how it can help journalists get deep information quickly.
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Bill Plante Chair in Leadership & Media Integrity, Loyola University Chicago
Freedom Forum Fellow in Women’s Leadership
I like Zoom well enough. And wow, have I been using it.
A few of those sessions normally would have been done from a distance. Others were adaptive — the “Hey, this is the best we can do in these times” variety for those dealing with so much disruption.
On-campus classes were shifted suddenly to online. TV stations, with all their complex moving parts, switched to largely home-based workforces. ONA mobilized online
Community Circles
in response to a
member survey
that revealed a hunger for connection and collaboration amid today’s chaos. The Knight Fellows program had to abandon Stanford’s campus — and modify my annual in-person visit. It’s traditionally a retreat day of conversation, introspection and planning for the future.
As I took part in each of these now-Zoom gatherings, I looked for lessons to share. What works best? What do people need?
Here are some tips:
- Let the meeting’s purpose guide you — and be prepared.
- Use purposeful visuals and audio to enhance key points.
- Know when to set the table for fun.
- Agree about your on-camera/off-camera protocol.
- Build in breaks for longer sessions.
- Make good use of the chat box.
- Make the best possible memory of your meeting.
Finally, don’t be a vampire in the video conference. I’ve shared a short video on social media, but in case you missed it, below is my quick demo on how to use window and supplemental light to put your best face forward.
Better still, my friend
Damon Kiesow
,
the Knight Chair in Digital Editing and Producing at Mizzou, just put together this great
buyer’s guide
for video conferencing with style.
Read on
for examples of how these tips have kept Zoomed-out teams from tuning out
.
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Today we begin spotlighting the next generation of journalists. They are journalism students graduating from college or Master’s programs this spring into
a challenging job market
. We hope they’ll meet future bosses and colleagues here, who will reach out and support them in building journalism’s future together.
School
: St. Mary's University
Location
: San Antonio, Texas
Resume
: Managing editor, The Rattler
Thesis
: How rap music criticizes political environments in Russia
Languages
: French, Spanish, Italian
What do you want to accomplish in your journalism career?
Vazquez:
I would love to work as a foreign correspondent for a major news publication. I want to create a series where I interview Russian youths about what is like to grow up in Russia post-USSR and how they are redefining what it means to be Russian. I think as Americans we tend to demonise Russians but forget they are people who are also working for a fairer country. I think journalism has the potential of creating empathy between countries if we choose to see it that way.
What do you want potential employers to know about you?
Vazquez:
I have known I wanted to be in the journalism field since I was a child. I have been preparing for it by learning several languages, always working on my writing, and taking any leadership opportunity. I truly believe journalism is one of the most important jobs out there especially now. I want to be part of the change and evolution of news reporting.
Read Isabela’s full profile
, including what she’s learned from student media and internships, her best moment in journalism, wackiest story, and which journalist she’d most like to meet.
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Self-Care:
Go green during quarantine
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Feeling listless? Set down some roots.
Whether your ideal garden is a
professionally designed refuge or a succulent on your apartment’s windowsill, a little green goes a long way:
You don’t have to leave home to find your green thumb. Many gardening centers have converted to online sales and contactless delivery. You can also find plants ready to be adopted on sites like Facebook marketplace, OfferUp and LetGo.
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Cast your votes now:
Round 2
ends at midnight.
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This newsletter is written & edited by the National Press Club Journalism Institute staff: Beth Francesco, Holly Butcher Grant, Jim Kuhnhenn, and Julie Moos.
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 civic engagement. Support our important work with a tax-deductible contribution today.
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