The Latest: Cuomo demands $125M from CNN; Journalist now war refugee; Why your FOIA request was denied

March 16, 2022

■ New York Times photographer who took photo of dead Ukrainian family has now met their father (People) / Letters to the Editor: Times photographer Marcus Yam is in Ukraine. Readers love his work and wish him safety (Los Angeles Times)

■ More Russian TV news employees resign after Monday’s on-air protest (The Wrap) / State TV journalist-protester tells Russians: Open your eyes to Ukraine war propaganda (Reuters)

■ 'I'm on the frontline in Mariupol': The Chinese reporter embedded with Russian troops (The Guardian)

■ I fled Kyiv, but my heart will always be there; A few weeks ago, I was a journalist living a comfortable life in a cosmopolitan city. Now I’m a war refugee . (Daily Beast)

■ Chris Cuomo hits back at CNN ‘smear campaign’ with $125 million arbitration demand (Deadline) / Read the arbitration demand (via Erik Wemple)

■ ‘The era of the foreign correspondent is over ’: Justin Smith on his media start-up with Ben Smith (New York Times)

■ This journalist started owning her identity at work when covering anti-Asian violence (KNAU) / A year later, Atlanta journalist Janice Yu reflects on spa shootings and nuances of covering Asians in the US (Poynter)

■ How L.A.'s writers spent their two-year COVID pandemic (Los Angeles Times)

Press Freedom

■ Journalist killed in Mexico, eighth so far this year (AP)

■ Senators Menendez, Risch on elimination of press freedom in Russia (United States Senate Committee on Foreign Relations)

■ ‘Named one of Time magazine’s ‘Women of the Year,’ Afghan journalist Zahra Joya says she is determined to keep reporting on women’s issues in Afghanistan.’ (VOA)

"Try getting on the phone to better understand why your [FOIA] request was denied. It could be as simple as a problem with the way the request was crafted. Missing a word or poor wording could be the difference between getting a tranche of records or getting a ‘no records found’ response for the agency. Always make sure you have the agency denying your request to cite the laws they are using to base their decision on. If all else fails then appeal the agency’s decisions.”

-- Mark Walker, Freedom of Information Act researcher at The New York Times Washington Bureau and President of Investigative Reporters & Editors, shares tips for accessing public records from home

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Manager's Minute: Why is it so hard to delegate?

Jill Geisler, Bill Plante Chair in Leadership & Media Integrity at Loyola University Chicago and Freedom Forum Fellow in Women’s Leadership, on the importance of delegating work.

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Resources

Aspiring journalists can apply now for any of four National Press Club scholarships for students committed to a career in journalism. The deadline to apply for the awards, which total $50,000 in financial support, has been extended to Sunday, March 27. Opportunities are open to high school, college, and graduate students.

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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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.