September 25, 2020

Top stories ■ 2 stabbed near former Charlie Hebdo headquarters, terror investigation opens (ABC News) ■ Daily Caller reporters speak out about their arrest and detention while covering Louisville protests (Fox News) ■ Los Angeles D.A. will not prosecute KPCC reporter arrested (L.A. Times) ■ Karen McDougal lawsuit against Tucker Carlson dismissed (New York Times) ■ After LIBRE scandal, Miami Herald publisher steps down and El Nuevo editor resigns (Miami New Times) ■ Jonathan Karl says events have 'vindicated Jim Acosta,' after criticizing Trump clashes (Mediaite) ■ Trump administration revoked award for female journalist who criticized him, says watchdog (The Wrap) ■ 'An election night that could last weeks': How news publishers are updating their digital strategies for the results long haul (Digiday) ■ Google to block election ads after Election Day (Axios) ■ In memoir, former Gov. Paterson recalls shock of Spitzer scandal (Politico) ■ Lorne Michaels isn’t sure SNL can pull this off (New York Times) ■ 'I decided to keep myself company by talking to myself on Twitter, as one does,' writes Susan Orlean explaining that night (Susan Orlean) ■ Do these photos perfectly capture life during COVID? (Washingtonian)

My brother Austin Tice asked me to go to Syria with him. Four months later, he was taken. In an unprecedented collaboration, hundreds of news websites published an op-ed today by Jacob Tice calling for the release of his brother, journalist Austin Tice, in time for Thanksgiving. Austin Tice traveled to Syria in 2012 to report on the unrest there for McClatchy and other news organizations and has been detained ever since — 2,965 days, more than eight years. Hundreds of people have responded to the urgent call today by telling their Members of Congress to make Austin’s safe return a top priority. Please join the campaign.

By Jacob Tice I was at the beach with my family when my brother Austin called. His schedule at Georgetown Law School had prevented him from joining us. I slipped into an empty room at the little house we were renting and listened, astonished, as he told me he was planning a trip to Syria that summer of 2012, and he was asking me to come with him.  To this day I’m not sure why he asked me. We had been on some adventures together, to Glacier National Park, and in the beautiful Pacific Northwest where I have made my home, but nothing approaching these stakes. Maybe he believed I was up for it, that I had the same adventurous spirit burning in him, and I would leap at the chance, fresh out of college with vague plans for the future, to help him change the world. I turned him down. I couldn’t imagine myself in those circumstances, untrained, lacking the war zone experience he had as a Marine Corps veteran with three tours behind him. I encouraged him to follow his heart, to bear witness to the escalating conflict in Syria. I believed in his vision, admired his grit and was behind him completely. He left in May.  On August 14, 2012, at a checkpoint outside Damascus, he disappeared.  Read more to learn how you can help bring home Austin by Thanksgiving.

What does it take to turn your memories into a memoir? When is the right time to write a memoir about your life? How do you report on your own experiences and fact-check them? How do you determine what you don’t know and decide what to leave out? And when, and how, do you tell the people closest to you about their role in the narrative?  These issues will be discussed in a 45-minute program with memoirists Mindy Greiling, author of “Fix What You Can: Schizophrenia and a Lawmaker’s Fight for her Son”; Abby Maslin, author of “Love You Hard: A Memoir of Marriage, Brain Injury, and Reinventing Love”; journalist Angela Greiling Keane, managing editor, states and Canada at POLITICO, whose family played a role in both memoirs; with moderator Aly Colón, Knight Professor of Media Ethics at Washington & Lee University.  Registration is open for the program, which will be held on Oct. 2, from 11:30 a.m.-12:15 p.m.

End the week with two lists “Thank you” is a powerful phrase that motivates teams who hope to earn more than a paycheck. And lists are a powerful tool. Use one to set your intentions. Then get some rest.   Advice from Jill Geisler, Bill Plante Chair in Leadership & Media Integrity, Loyola University Chicago, Freedom Forum Fellow in Women’s Leadership Click here to read Jill’s previous posts.

Give yourself a break: Try this edition of Self-Care bingo If you are like us, you may need a nudge to take a little time for yourself right now. Whether you get a Bingo — or simply fill a space or two — you win when playing this game.

Spread the care: Click on the board for a link you can share with your colleagues and friends. Read on for more self-care tips, or share how you are taking care of yourself right now.

Resources Apply for a grant to support reporting on threats to journalists in the U.S. Free product development training for journalists coming in early 2021

In the lead-up to ScienceWriters2020, the Council for the Advancement of Science Writing and the National Association of Science Writers will be offering a free, weekly series for members of the media and the public. Topics will include an analysis of COVID-19 coverage thus far, the challenges scientists and science writers face as the pandemic and politics converge, and how COVID affects children, families, and college students. The events, which will be held on three Wednesdays, kick off on September 30. Hosted via Zoom - Register Today!

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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