July 11, 2022

Top stories

■ Sarasota Herald-Tribune deletes op-ed by Proud Boy wife after backlash — but doesn't address major conflict (Mediaite) / From the editor: Guest column on Proud Boys did not meet our standards (Sarasota Herald-Tribune)


■ Suspended news anchor blames slurred broadcast on 'exhaustion' (New York Post) 


■ ‘The internet has pretty much killed local news wars. The Baltimore Banner, a nonprofit start-up, is trying to change that by taking on The Baltimore Sun.’ (New York Times)


■ While some publishers are slowing hiring plans, publishers like BuzzFeed and the Washington Post are not (Digiday) 


■ Covering mass shootings has become routine – and endless. But it doesn't get easier. (USA Today) / There are too many mass shootings for the US media to cover (Washington Post)  


■ This is where Ukraine's legendary female war reporters are taking a breather (Daily Beast)  


■ Ken Auletta finally wrote the Harvey Weinstein story he wanted to tell (New York Times) / Ken Auletta was scooped on Harvey Weinstein. But he wasn't done — until now (Los Angeles Times) / Could I fairly write about a man who was such a monster?’: With ‘Hollywood Ending,’ Ken Auletta caps his decades-long pursuit of Harvey Weinstein (Vanity Fair) 


■ ICYMI: I’m a journalist and I stopped reading the news. Is the problem me — or the product? (Washington Post) / Grim news makes people feel 'powerless.' Here's how to change that (CNN) / Trust in news collapses to historic low (Axios)


Press freedom 


■ 10 years without answers for family of journalist Austin Tice (VOA) / People are eager to see Austin home, mother of missing journalist says (VOA) / #BringAustinHome campaign to feature sitewide messaging for detained journalist Austin Tice (Washington Post) 


■ First Amendment advocates respond to Arizona law limiting recording of police (NPR) 


■ ICYMI: National Press Club names Josh Renaud 2022 Domestic John Aubuchon Press Freedom Award Honoree (NPC/NPCJI) / National Press Club names Indian journalist Rana Ayyub 2022 Aubuchon Press Freedom Award International Honoree (NPC/NPCJI) / National Press Club statement on Philippine government attempts to shut down Rappler (NPC/NPCJI)

“If you want to communicate science to a group of people, the first thing to do is get their attention. You have to convince them that you’re talking about something that’s of importance and of interest. That’s the thing you have to do right up front; you can’t lose them. And you also have to convince them that you’re the one to do that. What I do a lot is try to get people to the bottom line at the top of a post. So even if they don’t read the rest of it, they get the big picture.”


-- Cliff Mass, University of Washington atmospheric scientist, “A meteorologist attracts an audience with casual writing and controversial views

Political protests and civil unrest are expected across America this summer and fall. The combination of the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe vs. Wade, ongoing right-wing conspiracies about the validity of U.S. elections, and the prospect of domestic terrorist attacks have produced a climate that forebodes tense confrontations between protesters, counter-protesters, and the police.


Journalists are already in the mix covering these clashes, sometimes being mistreated, physically harmed, or even targeted in the process. In the days following the Roe v. Wade ruling, journalists already have been shoved and clubbed in Los Angeles while covering protests


Are you familiar with your rights as a journalist to cover political protests and police responses to them? Do you have a plan on what to do if those rights are challenged — or ignored — by police or protesters? What steps are you taking to keep yourself and your equipment safe and secure, physically and legally?


Registration is open for a National Press Club Journalism Institute virtual safety training at 11:30 a.m. ET on Friday, July 15, on how to cover political protests and civil unrest while limiting your legal exposure and physical safety risks.


Speakers include:


  • Corinne Chin, Emmy-award winning video journalist, and Associated Press director of news talent
  • Kamesha Laurry, Borealis Racial Equity in Journalism Fund Legal Fellow for the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press
  • Mickey Osterreicher, general counsel for the National Press Photographers Association


The conversation will be moderated by Rachel Oswald, National Press Club press freedom team lead and a foreign policy reporter for CQ Roll Call.

Manager's Minute: A staffer asked me for a letter of recommendation. How can I support them?

Jill Geisler, Bill Plante Chair in Leadership & Media Integrity at Loyola University Chicago and Freedom Forum Fellow in Women’s Leadership, shares advice for serving as a reference for a team member who you may not wish to leave.

Manager's Minute: A staffer asked me for a letter of recommendation. How can I support them?

Read next: Say goodbye with grace


Get more career advice: Read Jill's columns | Watch Manager's Minute videos

Resources

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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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.