The Latest: 'Facts win, truth wins, justice wins’; Semafor investment; Televised GOP debates?; Ex-journalist charged with hate crimes

January 18, 2023

■ GOP in talks with networks about debates, and even CNN is included (The New York Times)

■ Media start-up Semafor plans to buy out Sam Bankman-Fried’s investment (The New York Times) / ‘Scoop: Sam Bankman-Fried invested roughly $10 million of Semafor’s $25 million round, making him the company’s biggest outside investor . …’ (Ben Mullin) / Sam Bankman-Fried's $10 million in investment in Semafor will be held in custody until authorities decide its fate (Insider)

■ PBS to launch multiplatform climate initiative in April (Current)

■ Harvard Medical School joins boycott of U.S. News Rankings (The New York Times)

■ New York Times appoints Adrienne Carter as next Europe editor (Press Gazette)

■ ‘The 1619 Project’: Hulu announces premiere date for docuseries from Nikole Hannah-Jones (Deadline) / 'The 1619 Project' Review: Nikole Hannah-Jones reframes U.S. history (Variety)

■ Ana Walshe case revives 'missing white woman syndrome ' criticism (News One) / Man charged with murdering his wife in closely watched New England case (The New York Times)

■ Maine newspaper apologizes for running a redacted version of 'I Have a Dream' speech (NPR)

■ Case including death of Virginian-Pilot reporter Sierra Jenkins, killed in March 2022 shooting, appears stalled (Journal-isms)

■ Portland man, former journalist, charged with federal hate crimes (OPB)

■ The George Santos debacle and the local newspaper that can say, ‘I told you so ’ (The Hill)

■ ICYMI: A font feud brews after State Dept. picks Calibri over Times New Roman (Washington Post)

Press Freedom

■ Maria Ressa on tax evasion acquittal: 'Today, facts win, truth wins, justice wins ' (Rappler) / Maria Ressa, Philippine journalist, is acquitted of tax evasion (The New York Times) / ‘The motive behind slapping sham charges against journalists is to discredit them and drown them in paperwork, to exhaust them, to silence their journalism. This gives hope to each one of us .’ (Rana Ayyub) / ‘The acquittal of Maria Ressa, editor-in-chief of Rappler and Nobel Peace Prize laureate … is an evidence that the fight for #PressFreedom is also composed of victories . It's worth rolling up our sleeves.’ (Christophe Deloire) / National Press Club statement on court action in case of Maria Ressa (NPC/NPCJI)

■ TikTok rolls out its ‘state-controlled media ’ label to 40 more countries (TechCrunch) / Read the policy (TikTok) / India proposes social media firms rely on fact checking by gov’t agencies (TechCrunch)

“The key thing with solutions—and you’ll hear solutions journalism advocates and experts talk about this, too—is to be critical about them. Here’s what’s good about the solution; here’s what might be bad about it; and here’s how we could make it better. That’s a very easy framework to adopt for covering solutions.”

-- Ajit Niranjan, freelance climate correspondent, Q&A with Covering Climate Now on climate solutions

Scholarships 101: How to make your application stand out in the crowd

Spring is scholarship season: With more than $30,000 in National Press Club scholarships available this year, how can students help their applications stand out?

Join the National Press Club Journalism Institute on Wednesday, Feb. 1, at 6 p.m. ET for a behind-the-scenes discussion on what scholarship judges say makes — or breaks — an applicant’s chances of earning one of five National Press Club scholarships. This year’s deadlines are fast approaching, with the first round due Feb. 15. NPC scholarships include opportunities for graduate students, undergraduates, and high school students.

During this virtual session, scholarship judges will share tips to help them develop strong essay responses, select and submit their work samples, and prepare their applications. We’ll also leave plenty of time for questions about the scholarships, application process, and eligibility.

Share this opportunity with the journalism students in your life.

2023 National Press Club scholarships include:

The Scholarship for Journalism Diversity Honoring Julie Schoo is a $5,000 scholarship awarded to a high school senior. The award can be renewed for up to three years at $5,000 per year.
The Richard G. Zimmerman Scholarship is a one-time scholarship of $5,000 to support a high school senior who wishes to pursue a career in journalism.
The Wes Vernon Broadcast Scholarship, established in 2021, supports diversity within the field of broadcast journalism. The scholarship is $5,000 per year awarded to a student who demonstrates a commitment to a career in broadcast journalism. The award can be renewed up to three years.
The Dennis and Shirley Feldman Fellowship recognizes a student pursuing graduate studies in journalism with a one-time stipend of $5,000 to help defray tuition costs.
The Lewis Scholarship, established in 2022, supports a student journalist of color interning in Washington, D.C., by providing free housing and a monthly stipend for the duration of their journalism internship. The scholarship is valued at $10,000 per semester, and it is offered three times a year to support spring, summer, and fall internships.

Share your work (and your tips!)

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This newsletter is written & edited by the National Press Club Journalism Institute staff: Beth Francesco and Holly Butcher Grant. 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.