The Latest: ‘Trauma rushed in’; Empathy & exhaustion; Kristof vs. Oregon; Elmo’s feud

January 6, 2022

■ Domestic extremism deserves astute, relentless coverage, but there are few journalists on the beat (Editor & Publisher)

■ As a journalist on Jan. 6, the mob surged at me. Then the trauma rushed in . (The Washington Post) / One reporter's 21-hour nightmare inside the US Capitol on January 6, 2021 (CNN) / 'One year ago today, 3 journalists were detained, 14 assaulted and more than $30,000 worth of equipment was damaged as supporters of then-President Donald Trump stormed the Capitol in Washington, D.C.' (U.S. Press Freedom Tracker)

■ The Jan. 6 Capitol attack: A year of debunking false narratives (PolitiFact) / Fact check: 5 enduring lies about the Capitol insurrection (CNN)

■ Why Fox News congressional reporter Chad Pergram will never call Capitol rioters 'protesters' (The Wrap) / ‘One year ago at 5:04pm, I took this photo of law enforcement using flash bang grenades & tear gas on a violent mob trying to break into the U.S. Capitol. It was hr 4 in my gas mask, helmet & bulletproof vest photographing hand-to-hand combat between police and American citizens .’ (Leah Millis)

■ Steven Ginsberg named managing editor of The Washington Post (Washington Post) / 'Ginsberg is currently a defendant in a lawsuit filed in July by one of his reporters, Felicia Sonmez, who said she was discriminated against by the newspaper after she publicly said she had been the victim of sexual assault' (Felicia Sonmez)

■ NYT to buy The Athletic for $550 million (The Information) / Read the memo to New York Times staff from A.G. Sulzberger (Marc Tracy) / Why the New York Times is buying the Athletic (Vox)

■ Former New York Times columnist Nick Kristof ineligible to run for governor , say Oregon elections officials (Oregon Capital Chronicle) / With Oregon residency in question, Kristof won’t share documents (Oregon Capital Chronicle) / Our opinion: Secretary of state should let Kristof run (Pamplin Media Group) / 'A representative for Kristof says he’s preparing to go to court to challenge the ruling. “We’re confident that we’ll prevail there and that Nick will be elected the next Governor of Oregon.” ‘ (Christopher Cadelago)

■ ‘It seems my assumption that I would have a quiet transition was naïve. So I will attempt to provide whatever insight I can… using language the internet understands lol 🧵#NPR’ (Audie Cornish)

■ Like many Asian Americans, I have long spurned my full name. A wave of racism made me say: No more , writes Washington Post journalist (Washington Post)

■ How a Black journalist from Alabama and a White journalist from Maine are helping unite their communities (CBS News)

■ Trust in media is low worldwide. Are media outlets reaching out to the wrong people? (Poynter)

■ Elmo's feud with a pet rock has consumed the internet (NBC News)

Press freedom

■ 55 journalists killed in 2021, impunity 'alarmingly widespread' (UN News)

■ I had death threats for my reporting . Many journalists in the Pacific face huge dangers (The Guardian)

■ 51% of Americans surveyed said freedom of the press was ‘very important’ to them (Knight-Ipsos)

"I remember very early on in the reporting, I caught myself. I started to call them ‘protesters’ — this was on Jan. 6 — and I’m like, ‘No, these aren’t protesters. Protesters are people who show up and stand outside and have a right to do so and have a sign or whatever' ... These weren’t protesters and so it has made me more attuned to the specificity of language , making sure that you use the right words to describe something, even if sometimes it offends people or that’s not the story they want to hear."

-- Chad Pergram, Fox News congressional correspondent, via The Wrap

Watch next: "Getting it right: Breaking news, the inauguration and the Capitol insurrection"

Leaders: By working on empathy, you will help your team succeed

Imagine you’re a leader who truly wants to help people navigate today’s many newsroom challenges. At every turn, you see articles that stress the importance of empathy .

As you build your capacity for empathy, you’ll face one more reality: It hurts. When you see the world through the eyes of others, you’re more open to feeling their pain, too. You become the Tin Man in the “Wizard of Oz,” who said, “Now I know I’ve got a heart, because it’s breaking .”

That means you need to take good care of yourself. Build your resilience by learning to de-stress. Talk, reflect, pray, exercise, laugh, cry, write, rest. Being both strong and empathetic is hard work. You, your team and your journalism will be better for it.

-- Jill Geisler, Bill Plante Chair in Leadership & Media Integrity at Loyola University Chicago and Freedom Forum Fellow in Women’s Leadership

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.

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

SUPPORT THE INSTITUTE

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. NPCJI is the nonprofit affiliate of the National Press Club.

If you value this newsletter, consider supporting The Latest with a tax-deductible, recurring gift to the Institute: Even $5 a month will help fund the technology and time it takes to provide this important service.