March 28, 2022

Top stories

■ Kremlin orders Russian media not to publish rare Zelenskyy interview (Washington Post) / Russia's top independent newspaper suspends publication (The Hill) / The day foreign journalists felt forced to leave Moscow (New Yorker)  ■ Rival networks helped Fox News after Ukraine tragedy, highlighting war-zone collaboration (Wall Street Journal) / Chris Wallace says life at Fox News became 'unsustainable' (New York Times)  ■ CBS News top editor slams boss at goodbye party (New York Post)  ■ Publishers are getting organized to protect female reporters from digital harassment (Ad Week)  ■ Photographer ‘disappointed’ that NBC edited Lia Thomas photos (Peta Pixel)  ■ The New York Times wins its first Oscar (New York Times) / Will Smith’s shocking Oscars slap ignites Twitter with highest overall engagements to date (Variety) / This is actually not a picture of Nicole Kidman reacting to the Slap (Vulture)  Press Freedom ■ Your right to film the police is under attack (Vice)  ■ Lawsuit dismissed after AG agrees to allow barred journalist at news conferences (MyWabashValley.com)  ■ The Kremlin tries to stifle Radio Free Europe — and its audience surges (Washington Post)

Correction: In Friday’s newsletter story on photographing cherry blossoms, Steve Howard was misidentified on the first reference. The story has been corrected.

“Get to know the data as intimately as you would a human source that you are profiling for a year. Get to know the data inside and out. Don’t be afraid to push and to question it, and to twist its arm a little bit.” -- Lylla Younes, News Applications Developer at ProPublica, “How they did it: ProPublica reporters expose hot spots of toxic air pollution across the US”

Every story competes for attention and must earn its readers by making a clear promise to deliver relevant information. Headlines may hook us, but ledes draw us in, and nut grafs keep us. As journalism changes, this is constant: Readers must know what’s at stake in a story and why it matters to them (or should). This hour-long, hands-on workshop for reporters and editors will demonstrate how to make those stakes clear by: Deconstructing the difference between ledes and nut grafs Identifying common mistakes in crafting nut grafs Offering solutions that help an inclusive community connect your journalism to their lives Registration is open for this program, which will take place from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. ET Friday, April 15, on Zoom. Registration is $25. Tickets for National Press Club members are $20.

Manager's Minute: How can I be a good mentor? Jill Geisler, Bill Plante Chair in Leadership & Media Integrity at Loyola University Chicago and Freedom Forum Fellow in Women’s Leadership, describes the qualities of a good mentor.

Watch next: What are the hallmarks of a great boss? Get more career advice: Read Jill's columns | Watch Manager's Minute videos

Resources When books are threatened, where do we turn? (March 29, 7:30 p.m. ET) Leading the way on DEI (March 30, 2 p.m. ET) Who gets to speak in news coverage? Solidarity reporting on trans issues (March 31, 7 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. 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.

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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.