The Latest: ‘This is just horrific’; CNN issues debate deadline; OpenAI + Hearst

Oct. 8, 2024

Top stories

■ ‘As Hurricane Milton tracks toward Florida's Gulf Coast, conspiracy theories about the storm are already swamping some social media feeds.’ (Reliable Sources) / White House launching Reddit account with updates on hurricane response, preparedness (The Hill) / Meteorologist breaks down on live TV over Hurricane Milton's power: 'I apologize — this is just horrific' (People) / North Carolina student journalists rush to cover Hurricane Helene aftermath (The Nutgraf)

■ CNN issues deadline for Trump and Harris to agree to final 2024 debate (CNN) / Stormy Daniels, Boris Johnson guest on Channel 4's U.S. election night (Deadline) / ‘60 Minutes’ says Trump canceled special because they were fact-checking , wouldn’t apologize for 2020 interview (The Wrap)

■ NBC set post-election MSNBC premiere of Errol Morris documentary 'Separated' to avoid offending Trump: Report (The Wrap) / ‘Questions are mounting over why NBCU has opted to shelve the well-reviewed documentary from an Oscar-winning filmmaker until after the election.’ (Oliver Darcy)

■ Political connections of local news owners spur suspicion, distrust (New Jersey Monitor)

■ American audiences do not notice a nonprofit news difference , study finds (Poynter)

■ CBS News says heated Ta-Nehisi Coates interview did not meet editorial standards after criticism (CNN) / CBS interview on Israel triggers fight at network ; Shari Redstone weighs in (Wall Street Journal) / Ta-Nehisi Coates says Tony Dokoupil commandeered CBS interview : ‘I don’t think he did Nate and Gayle a service’ (Hollywood Reporter)

■ How Israel-Gaza misinformation has evolved , one year later (Poynter)

■ OpenAI, Hearst strike content deal (Axios)

■ NBC's 'Dateline' adds Blayne Alexander to its true crime crew (Los Angeles Times) / ADWEEK welcomes Alison Weissbrot as executive editor (Adweek) / Helder Marinho hired as platform editor for Dow Jones NewsPlus (Talking Biz News) / Katrina Cukaj, an ad-sales veteran from Warner and CNN, joins Fox (Variety)

■ TV reporter who just accepted ‘dream’ job is found shot on Ohio sidewalk, reports say (Miami Herald)

■ CPB grant funds access for 30 stations to PRX podcast platform (Current)

■ Fox News to debut Spanish-language show , site ahead of Harris-Trump election (Axios) / El País sweetens subscription offering with full access to The New York Times (Nieman Journalism Lab)

■ Fossil fuel interests are working to kill solar in one Ohio county. The hometown newspaper is helping . (ProPublica)

■ The New York Times is testing a new puzzle called Zorse (Semafor)

3 tips for detecting fake AI-generated images

“Open up your search engine of choice to find more context . Describing the image and adding the phrase ‘fact check’ to your search is often the fastest way to get more information and debunk misleading content.

Use reverse image search tools like TinEye or Google Lens to see where else a certain image has been shared online . This strategy can help you catch AI-generated images, as well as older images from other events that may have been reshared out of context.

Look out for images with strange lighting, hyper-real or overly smooth surfaces, or other details that feel ‘off.’ Inconsistencies in hands and feet, in particular, are a red flag for AI-generated content, though we can’t count on these cues as AI tools are continuing to improve .”

-- Julia Feerrar, digital literary expert, excerpt from "Fake Hurricane Helene images go viral, experts discuss the problem and how to counteract " (Virginia Tech News)

Diversity in newsroom leadership is ‘non-negotiable’ for Gen Z journalists

“Something that is really important to me is diversity in newsroom leadership and staff. ...I have worked in six newsrooms in the U.S., and have only had two editors who were women. One of those women was a person of color. I’ve been really lucky to have great editors, but having editors and people in leadership I can relate to and see myself in does make a difference in newsroom culture , in the stories I am able to pitch and my relationships with them, and the newsroom’s relationships with readers.”

-- Sonia A. Rao, Overseas Press Club Foundation fellow with Reuters, excerpt from "What Gen Z journalists want news leaders to know " (Better News)

Resources

This newsletter is written & edited by the National Press Club Journalism Institute staff: Beth Francesco, Holly Butcher Grant, and Mitch Harle. Send us your questions and suggestions for topics to cover.

Get this from a friend? Subscribe, and view the archives.

DONATE TO 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. The Institute's tax ID number is 52-1750908.