News and information that journalists need to serve the public and stay safe.
March 19, 2020
Students not ‘practicing’ being journalists, says NC editor

“Nope.”

In Anton Delgado’s role as managing editor for The Pendulum, one of four student news platforms at Elon University in North Carolina, he’s learned that saying no to story ideas is just as important as what comes next — reshaping them for the staff’s hyperlocal campus audience.

“During a pandemic, naturally there are a ton of things to write about,” the graduating senior said in an interview with the Journalism Institute. “But what matters is being really purposeful about the work you are doing and making sure that every single story matters to somebody on our campus or in our community.”

Managing peers in crisis. Deciding whether to print an edition. Accessing equipment. Finding sources. Learning how to use remote tools. Working with canceled advertising. Wondering whether your staff will be paid. Reaching a scattered, often scared audience.

Student media staff and their faculty advisors across the country are grappling with the same issues facing their professional peers in covering COVID-19’s outbreak across the country. While challenges are similar, journalism on college campuses poses unique issues

A sense of service is pervasive across campuses — especially at Elon, Delgado said, where campus offices and services remained open Thursday. 

“It’s not us ‘practicing’ being journalists, we’re not ‘trying’ to do journalism,” said Delgado, who continues to work from his newsroom. “We’re actually in the midst of serving our public with some of the most important information they need to know and [it] seems to have infected every reporter — ooh, that was probably the wrong term to use!”

LATEST HEADLINES

· At coronavirus press conference, Trump urges Syria to free detained journalist Austin Tice (The Washington Post) 
· ‘ I think I’m seeing the story of my lifetime ,’ says Lester Holt (Deadline)
· About 70% of U.S. adults following COVID-19 coverage say the media is covering the outbreak well (Pew)
These are stressful times. How do leaders help us stay resilient?

 Advice from Jill Geisler ,
Bill Plante Chair in Leadership & Media Integrity, Loyola University Chicago
Freedom Forum Fellow in Women’s Leadership
Resilience isn’t a quality, it’s a journey. It’s measured by the time, effort and energy it takes to move from anxiety to calm, sadness to smiling, self-doubt to confidence and from hurting to healing. It’s important for newsroom leaders to know that this journey varies for each of us — and that can be a challenge for tough-as-nails bosses.

Managers are often promoted for their journalistic skills, their ability to fight for good stories and develop great coverage strategies. But emotional intelligence may not have been automatically bundled along with that package. In fact, because we tend to like people who remind us of ourselves, strong, tough leaders may not be able to easily empathize with team members who show fear or concern. 

Even if you prefer the company of stoic folks who keep their feelings to themselves, you need to adapt your leadership approach during this crisis. People are carrying heavy loads you might not know about. Anxiety or depression — often hidden disabilities — may grow. People may be feeling guilt about their distance from elderly family members. Your staff members or those close to them may have medical histories that make them more susceptible to COVID-19 and they’re on edge. They may be lonely. We know they’re tired.

So, assume your team is a symphony of needs. Some may be laughing in the face of overwork and uncertainty, while others are losing sleep. Now’s the time to ramp up your emotional intelligence and rely on others on your team to alert you when they sense someone needs support.


Coming : We’re getting on each other’s nerves. How do we resolve real conflict in a virtual newsroom? Have questions? Ask away.
Missing March Madness? Try a new chapter
Missing March Madness? Join our inaugural NPCJI Book Brackets, and help us discover the best in journalism books as they battle it down to the No. 1 title we want on our bookshelf. 

To get us started, share your favorite journalism books. They can cover current affairs, fiction, memoirs, textbooks, books about journalists, books by journalists — whatever you consider a journalism book. There is no limit, but please rank them in order of preference . You have until March 25. 

We'll seed the submissions based on popularity and pit one title against another. Your votes will determine the winners in each round — and help us populate the National Press Club's Eric Friedheim National Journalism Library as we curate new titles for the collection later this year. 
Self Care: Let people share concerns — and listen to them
A lot of us lead on autopilot. We focus on ideas, execution, process, and results. We are programmed to prioritize production over everything, especially during times of crisis. But let’s not forget about the people. 

Start with them first. Schedule phone or video check-ins with staff, individually or collectively, to ask about their well-being. Conversation starters like “how are you feeling?” and “how can I support you?” are underrated when the world feels heavy. These questions offer a moment for people to feel their feelings; to exhale a bit—and gives them a chance to open up and share their needs. Listen. It’s one of our primary skills as journalists. Use it in your newsroom (which is now, perhaps, virtual), with the intention to acknowledge and validate staff concerns.

Make sure you extend that same care to yourself. Block out time on your calendar for self-check-ins and do something for you. Get moving and go for a walk or run, if you can. Get lost in your favorite album or playlist. Get quiet and journal. And get clear on the leader your team needs right now.

RESOURCES

· Debunking COVID-19 misinformation (News Literacy Project)
· Reporting challenges around COVID-19 (Webinar, Friday at 1pm ET from First Draft News)
This newsletter is written & edited by the National Press Club Journalism Institute staff: Beth Francesco, Jim Kuhnhenn, and Julie Moos. Send us your questions and suggestions for topics to cover.

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