The Latest: Twitter’s new ‘wizard’; What doomed CNN+; WHCA dinner weekend guides

April 25, 2022

■ White House's Jen Psaki offered reporters a binder full of Covid spending details. Taking a peek was a process (STAT)

■ Here's what to expect at this year's White House Correspondents' Dinner (CNN) / WHCA to honor first two Black women of the White House press corps with the creation of prize for lifetime career achievement (White House Correspondents’ Association) / Bob Woodruff Foundation co-founders Bob and Lee Woodruff to receive 2022 White House Correspondents' Garden Brunch ‘Innovation’ award (White House Insider) / CBS' plans to own WHCA weekend (POLITICO) / Playbook’s guide to WHCA week (POLITICO)

■ Chris Wallace says he's 'going to be fine ' after CNN+ shuttering (Washington Post) / What doomed CNN+? How rival strategies and executive intrigue fueled the streaming service's rapid demise (CNBC) / Inside the implosion of CNN+ (New York Times)

■ Robin Roberts nearly turned down an interview with President Obama in 2012 amid fears of being outed (Hollywood Reporter)

■ For a series on mental health, subjects had questions , too (New York Times)

■ What science journalism can't tell us about Covid-19 deaths (STAT)

■ Former SF reporter discovers the poetry in readers' oddly entertaining hate mail (Datebook)

■ Man charged with threatening Merriam-Webster for redefining 'girl' (Washington Post)

■ Pictures of the Year winners share insights at MU's Reynolds Journalism Institute (Columbia Daily Tribune) / 'No one was in danger ' says photographer who sparked bridge 'rescue' (PetaPixel)

Press freedom

■ Putin claims FSB foiled western plot to kill pro-Kremlin journalist (The Guardian)

■ Hong Kong foreign press club scraps prestigious human rights awards (Washington Post)

■ ‘We intervened in a court case in West Virginia to gain access to a disturbing video of a woman who died in one of the WV group homes. Immediately after we requested access, the company settled the suit and fought to keep the video out of view .’ (Jason Leopold)

Poll results

The practice of holding important reported information for book publications sparked another debate on Twitter last week.

We asked you: Should journalists save important information to reveal in their books or report it right away? Your responses:

53% — No: Reporters have a responsibility to reveal info as they confirm it.
31% — It depends.
16% — Yes: Reporters and editors have discretion over how much info to share & when.

“You can’t be precious about your writing. You should get a range of readers and give them permission to tell you what they think and tell you what’s not working . You should also include people who know you well enough to make suggestions. I had friends say to me, 'You didn’t say this, but you often do say something like this,' and it was kind of beautiful to have them know me so well that they could remind me of important things.”

-- Dr. Chanda Prescod-Weinstein, theoretical physicist and author, via The Atlantic

Manager's Minute: I didn’t tell my boss about a problem and my solution didn’t work. What do 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 when a problem gets out of hand and you have to bring it to your boss.

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

National Press Club news

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.

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.

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 a more representative democracy. As the non-profit affiliate of the National Press Club, the Institute powers journalism in the public interest.