May 18, 2021
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The National Press Foundation and the National Press Club Journalism Institute announced today that they will jointly sponsor a program that will award up to $100,000 in grants to journalists who plan to cover environmental justice.

Grants ranging from $10,000 to $25,000 will be awarded to support journalism in any medium that centers environmental justice and environmental racism in the United States. This could include coverage of the disproportionate harms to disadvantaged communities from pollution, the effects of climate change, or other relevant topics. 

Applications are open now and will be accepted until June 15. Details and contest rules are found below. The application form is here. Work supported by these grants should be published or broadcast in a U.S. news outlet by Dec. 31, 2021.

“As the climate crisis worsens, journalists have a special duty to tell the stories of the people who will be most affected – and we now know the human suffering will not be equally shared,” said Sonni Efron, President and CEO of the National Press Foundation.  

“These grants are intended to increase coverage of environmental justice and afford access to a wider range of journalists who want to address the disproportionate effects of environmental challenges on communities of color and other vulnerable populations,” said Julie Moos, Executive Director of the National Press Club Journalism Institute.

The Kozik Grants are funded by a 1991 gift from the late Dr. Robert Kozik in honor of his deceased son. 

The grant applications will be judged by distinguished journalists or former journalists who have produced notable work in exposing environmental racism and its consequences, including Antonia Juhasz, Yanick Rice Lamb and Harriet Washington. NPF and NPCJI thank them for their guidance and support for this project.
After a year of working from home, journalists and communicators around the country are hitting reset on their routines as they consider life after vaccination. Add “Pro Tips: Writing refresh” to your toolkit as you reset.

In this 3-hour workshop, we’ll get you motivated with:
  • Tips on energizing tired writing
  • Structuring stories with inclusivity at their core
  • Writing killer headlines that attract, rather than distract

Registration is open for this program, which will take place from 1 to 4 p.m. ET Friday, June 4, on Zoom. Tickets are $50 for general participants and $40 for National Press Club members.

Session spotlight: How to craft a headline your readers can't resist (3-4 p.m. ET)

Across platforms, headlines are critical to framing a story in seconds for readers. Journalists use headlines to guide readers from pandemic news to protests to picking where they safely venture out today. They need to inform, engage, and fit specs. Word choice, order and pace become even more important. 

Learn “How to write a headline your audience can’t resist” with practical methods you can use in your work right now. Whatever your role in the newsroom – editor, writer, visual journalist, engagement producer – you’ll benefit from learning best practices for: 
  • Choosing which headline type will best fit the tone and story
  • Using writing and language fundamentals to craft quality headlines 
  • Quickly writing and revising headlines to improve them on deadline
  • Understanding how headlines attract or repel audiences

This hands-on, interactive workshop will include exercises you can use immediately in your work. If you’re interested in sharing headlines to be included in the live workshop, please send them to jmoos@press.org.
Jill Geisler, Bill Plante Chair in Leadership & Media Integrity at Loyola University Chicago and Freedom Forum Fellow in Women’s Leadership, on navigating personality conflicts in the workplace.
Journalists believe that more facts get us closer to the truth, and that the way to make society stronger is by spotlighting what’s wrong. Many Americans disagree. New research shows us how to adjust our mix of stories, reframe our coverage, and write headlines to reach people who don’t fully embrace journalism values.

Join us Tuesday, May 25 from 1 to 2 p.m. ET for a National Press Club Headliners virtual event to learn new ways to build trust with the communities your journalism is failing to reach. 

Speakers include:
  • Jennifer Benz, vice president, NORC at the University of Chicago
  • Tom Huang, assistant managing editor for journalism initiatives, The Dallas Morning News
  • Tom Rosenstiel, executive director, American Press Institute
  • Emily Swanson, director of public opinion research, The Associated Press

Lisa Nicole Matthews, assignment manager of U.S. video for the Associated Press and the 114th president of the National Press Club, will moderate the panel.

Registration is open for this one-hour program, jointly produced by the National Press Club Journalism Institute and the National Press Club. The program will stream live on the websites of the Institute and Press Club, and on the Press Club’s YouTube Channel. It is accessible to the press and public at no cost, but registration is required.

Viewers can email their questions in advance or during the live program to Headliners@press.org, with “Trust” in the subject line.
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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