The Latest: CNN’s new ‘mass appeal’; Journalists do Democracy Day; Press beats politicians at spelling bee

September 15, 2022

Top stories

■ I left Las Vegas. Jeff German stayed, made a mark and paid with his life . (Detroit Free Press) / Journalism organization sets up fund in honor of slain reporter (Las Vegas Review-Journal) / Las Vegas reporter's murder: Threats to journalists are 'much, much worse now ' (KNPR)

■ Fox News producing documentary about reporter injured in Ukraine (The Hill)

■ Don Lemon loses CNN primetime gig , to co-anchor new morning show with Poppy Harlow and Kaitlan Collins (The Wrap) / 'Chris Licht made his name ... reimagining AM shows for MSNBC and CBS, before reviving Colbert’s late night show. Now new AM show for CNN w Don Lemon (who relinquishes prime time), Poppy Harlow & Kaitlin Collins' (David Folkenflik) / 'Mr. Licht called the revamped show “a mass appeal play … It’s meant to be an evolved version of the network morning shows,” he said.' (New York Times) / 'As a result of the move to mornings, Lemon's prime time show will come to an end and Collins will vacate her role as chief White House correspondent.' (Oliver Darcy) / 'I’ve personally been involved in about 5 of these in my lifetime. Couch. Desk. Window. Backdrop. No backdrop. Guests. Remote only. Serious news. Light news. Sports. No sports. I’d say: center people, not politicians in your reporting and that will be a good start' (Soledad O'Brien) / CNN wants to offer balanced news . Step one was to part ways with its Trump critics (KQED) / Prospective CNN guests asked to answer probing questions about political ideology, sexual orientation, gender identity and more (Mediaite)

■ On Democracy Day, newsrooms draw attention to a crisis in the U.S. system of government (Iowa Capital Dispatch) / How can local news help inform voters ? Here are a few good examples (Nieman Lab) / How we know journalism is good for democracy (Democracy Fund) / On Democracy Day, commit to coverage that resists polarization (Trusting News) / The power of democracy and why journalists must work together to protect it (Center for Cooperative Media) / On Democracy Day , protect your vote: Be informed, not misled (The News Literacy Project) / Preserving democracy and economy are top issues motivating Americans to vote, 19th News/SurveyMonkey poll finds (The 19th*)

■ Everybody wants a raise at the New York Times (New York Magazine) / ‘ “For a newsroom that’s been pretty fractious lately, it’s remarkable how much this has unified people ,” says reporter Jeremy Peters. “I’ve never seen it this tense or on the cusp before, and I’ve been here for more than 15 years.” ’ (James Poniewozik)

■ Opinion: Traffic to local news websites has plummeted. What happens now? (Poynter) / How Vermont’s media helps keep the state together (The New Yorker)

■ Fartlek: The word that won journalists a spelling bee against politicians (Washington Post) / Lawmakers break five-year losing streak in Congressional Softball Game, beating women of DC press corps (The Hill)

■ Nina Totenberg opens up about her friend Ruth Bader Ginsburg (New York Times) / ‘...as a human being, Totenberg deserves all the accolades we can muster . But there are issues for her as a journalist ’ (Washington Jewish Week)

■ 11-year-old sports reporter Pepper Persley on how covering the WNBA empowers her (CBS News)

■ ‘Hey, a little public service announcement from KCUR . If you're thinking about sending an unsolicited message to one of our employees – hosts, producers, reporters, anyone – in order to: criticize their voice, talk about their appearance, ask them on a date, instead, don't.’ (KCUR)

■ Colorado man is one of the country’s last linotype newspaper publishers (ABC 10News San Diego)

■ Henry Fuhrmann, Times editor and 'word nerd' who fought for fairness in grammar , dies (Los Angeles Times) / ‘Journalism has lost a kind, principled, diligent advocate for precision and fairness. We need more Henry Fuhrmanns, now more than ever. Our L.A. Times family mourns.’ (Matt Pearce) / ‘Henry was one of my biggest supporters, in big & small ways, since I was an undergrad. Brilliant, diligent, thoughtful. Committed to listening to people and finding ways to improve our journalistic systems , process and standards so that we help, not harm.’ (Wesley Lowery) / ‘Such sad news. Henry was a gentleman and a gentle soul. Oh, how he loved words . I once bounced into his office to share an adverb I’d stumbled across: redly. He delighted in an adverb based on color.’ (Steve Padilla) / ‘Absolutely gutted. Henry Fuhrmann, of the founding generation of AAJA , is among the kindest, most thoughtful, most generous and most patient people I know. The AAJA family is grieving the loss of our dear Henry, a friend and mentor to so many of us.’ (Michelle Ye Hee Lee)

Press freedom

■ Chicago reporter sues Mayor Lori Lightfoot for revoking press credentials: 'Chilling effect on all reporters ' (Fox News)

■ Press Freedom Team launches letter-writing campaign on behalf of Maria Ressa, Rappler (National Press Club)

■ Myanmar court sentences journalist to 3 years in prison (AP via ABC News)

We’re inviting student journalists of all experience levels to join us on Sept. 23 at 2 p.m. ET for a virtual question-and-answer session with internship coordinators from C-SPAN, Dow Jones News Fund, and NPR. Participants will learn how to stand out during the application process, and more!

"Tune into how your own family tells stories. When you’re listening to a story at a family or chosen-family gathering, become a student of structure and tone . What makes the stories unique? What silences are kept? What silences are broken? Surveying all that land can teach you so much about what to write about, and how to do it."

-- Ingrid Rojas Contreras, author, "On writing the real and the surreal"

Manager's Minute: A fellow manager isn’t great at sharing information, what can I do?

Jill Geisler, Bill Plante Chair in Leadership & Media Integrity at Loyola University Chicago and Freedom Forum Fellow in Women’s Leadership, on what to do with a secretive colleague.

Manager's Minute: A fellow manager isn’t great at sharing information, what can I do?

Read next: Here’s why your messages fall flat, create fear, or confuse people

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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