June 17, 2021

This Institute will be closed Friday in observance of Juneteenth. This newsletter will return on Monday, June 21.

Top stories ■ Wall Street Journal shutting down Greater New York (The Hill) / Staff can apply for other jobs in the newsroom (Max Tani) / Read the memo the editor-in-chief sent to staff (via Edmund Lee) / ‘Thank you all for the very kind words. I've been through this before but it's always disheartening, especially after the last year+. I'll still be reporting until the end, on July 9. I hear there's some big stuff happening in New York City next week, and I'm not going to miss it…’ (Katie Honan) / ‘Something happened on my way to a big media career in New York. I got laid off.’ What's it like to move to RI? Projo's newest journalist goes from New Yorker to local (Providence Journal)  ■ Alden's buyout offer coincides with the 3rd anniversary of the Capital Gazette shooting; At least two staffers have already accepted it, including the paper’s top editor (Poynter) / Eric Zorn adds his name to Chicago Tribune's 'tremendous loss of talent' (Robert Feder)  ■ Newsroom culture a factor in two recent WOSU staff departures (Columbus Alive) / Explicit racism is rare in public media — but unconscious racism is everywhere (Current) / Journalism is ableist, down to its language (The Objective) ■ The Race Card Project: What 1 journalist learned from a half-million 6-word essays on race (ABC Chicago) / 'Rise Again': Journalist DeNeen Brown reflects on her coverage of the Tulsa Massacre (ET) ■ Ken Doctor: Six months after launching a local news company (in an Alden market), here’s what I’ve learned (Nieman Lab) ■ ‘My first time back in the office in 15 months, and a classic Marty Baron quote is being put up. I'm certainly at work.’ (Peter Stevenson)  ■ ’A new editorial strategy at Insider: Limiting most stories to under 600 words, per Nicholas Carlson memo "Data shows that [our readers] like short stories... It's OK (and even encouraged!) to write several posts on the same topic from several angles when you have a lot to say."… (Kerry Flynn)  ■ How infighting killed the NY Times’ chance at a GameStop movie deal (Daily Beast)  ■ China hails Hong Kong journalist arrests, warns media outlets (Bloomberg) / Hong Kong police arrest Apple Daily executives (New York Times) / Hong Kong police declare Apple Daily newsroom a crime scene as editors and executives arrested under national security law (CNN) / U.S. press leaders condemn crackdown on Hong Kong's journalists (NPC/NPCJI)  ■ Detained American journalist appears in Myanmar special court (VOA)  / Myanmar extends detention of US journalist Danny Fenster (AP) / ‘I’m somewhere safe’: Journalists hiding from Myanmar’s military (Al Jazeera) ■ Legendary science reporter Sharon Begley wasn't here to celebrate her Pulitzer recognition. But her loved ones haven't forgotten. (Poynter) / Ronald J. Ostrow, deeply sourced Justice Dept. reporter for L.A. Times, dies at 89 (Washington Post) / Provocative journalist with a piercing eye, Janet Malcolm dies at 86 (New York Times) / Dick Stolley, journalist who landed Zapruder film, dead at 92 (New York Post)

"You’re an ambassador of journalism. … I think a lot of people don’t know how reporters really work. And so, showing up and being firm, fair, dogged, persistent and saying, 'I need this. This is why. It’s in the public interest. And, no, I’m not going away until you give it to me,' is helpful. Throwing a public records request into the ether just hoping it’ll come back has limited success." -- Nabiha Syed, president of The Markup, on public records requests best practices

Manager's Minute: What’s one leadership lesson you’ve changed over the years? Jill Geisler, Bill Plante Chair in Leadership & Media Integrity at Loyola University Chicago and Freedom Forum Fellow in Women’s Leadership, on one management lesson that has changed over time.

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

Rethink newsroom burnout and how to avoid it, next week at ONA Among the many challenges exacerbated by the pandemic, burnout became a top-level discussion in newsrooms after several high-profile leaders cited it as a reason for leaving their positions.  Join National Press Club Journalism Institute Executive Director Julie Moos and six other industry leaders next week for guided discussions on six key aspects of burnout and how newsrooms can prevent it.  This session is designed for: Newsroom staff looking to open a dialogue about burnout in their newsrooms Leaders looking for ideas for tools and policies that might help curb staff burnout All members of the ONA community committed to creating and maintaining productive work environments Registration is now open for this ONA Table Talk, which will be held on Wednesday, June 23 at 12 p.m. ET.

Events and resources Journalist Trauma Support Network  Anti-racist table stakes: How to bridge editorial and business needs for more equitable, community focused newsrooms How can your news organization become an institution of belonging? (June 23, 3 p.m. ET)

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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