The Latest: Covering Hurricane Milton; Harris, Trump & podcasts; What’s next for Google search?

Oct. 9, 2024

■ Fox News is having to fact-check its own anchors on hurricane lies (The New Republic) / Harris makes impromptu call into CNN , calls Trump’s hurricane comments ‘dangerous’ (The Hill)

■ Why Trump and Harris are turning to podcasts (The Atlantic)

■ U.S. considers asking court to break up Google as it weighs remedies in the antitrust case (Associated Press)

■ Shari Redstone says CBS leaders made ‘bad mistake’ with handling of Ta-Nehisi Coates interview fallout (CNN)

■ Local TV stations still pushing to reclaim 10 p.m. hour from broadcast networks, top exec says (Deadline)

■ Ken Jautz, CNN executive who helped news giant run , to exit (Variety)

■ How The New York Times incorporates editorial judgment in algorithms to curate its home page (Nieman Journalism Lab)

■ London-based The Independent bets on U.S. expansion (Financial Times)

■ Ex-L.A. Times editor Kevin Merida says he didn't want to leave , points to 'disagreements' with owner (The Wrap) / Merida talks media (Oliver Darcy)

■ Oliver Darcy says breaking the Olivia Nuzzi-RFK Jr. story as an independent journalist was 'terrifying' (The Wrap)

■ David Fischer hired as GM of KNKX (Current) / New TV reporter joins San Antonio news station (MySA) / Meet Eugene Rapay, the Des Moines Register's new Iowa State Cyclones beat writer (Des Moines Register)

■ The social-media influencers reshaping how young Americans get their political news (Wall Street Journal) / TikTok users are more interested in pop culture and entertainment than news and politics, study finds (Poynter)

■ Connecticut kid selected to be Scholastic Kids Reporter (FOX61)

Press freedom

■ Florida is threatening to prosecute TV stations over an abortion rights ad. The FCC calls it ‘dangerous’ (CNN)

■ Citizen journalist in Laredo hoping SCOTUS grants appeal over her arrest (The Texan)

■ Musk's X to be reinstated in Brazil after complying with Supreme Court demands (Associated Press)

Election 2024: Covering advance ballots

“The 2024 U.S. election season will see millions of Americans cast their votes for president, other offices, and ballot measures by mail or by delivering them to a local drop box or polling location. Some states allow election officials to begin processing those advance ballots before Election Day. In other states, election officials have to wait until close to or on Nov. 5. ... Sharing this information can help your audiences understand that the democratic process might be slow , but that doesn’t mean it’s not working. It can also give a sense for whether final results will be available shortly after Election Day, especially in states where a relatively large share of voters cast their ballots by mail.”

-- Clark Merrefield, senior editor, excerpt from “When can your state start processing advance ballots? Check out this interactive timeline ” (The Journalist’s Resource)

A neuroscientist on when to take a break for peak productivity

“The more intense the mental work, the sooner fatigue sets in . In high-pressure situations, such as fixing an error just before a launch or managing a crisis, frequent, short breaks — like ‘coming up for air’ — are critical. Pausing for as little as five seconds every two minutes can improve performance significantly. For general mental heavy-lifting, such as decision-making or preparing a presentation, aim for a break every 20 minutes. For tasks that require deep concentration, like reading a report or analyzing a lot of data, performance starts to decline after 60-100 minutes. Here, your breaks should ideally be no more than 90 minutes apart. Short breaks — under 10 minutes — are best if you need to maintain momentum. For more mentally taxing work, longer breaks (over 10 minutes) will help preserve stamina.”

-- Mithu Storoni, neuroscientist, excerpt from "How to manage — and avoid — mental fatigue " (Harvard Business Review)

Mental Health in Journalism Summit: Join the final day

Thursday is the final day of the inaugural Mental Health in Journalism Summit (Oct. 8-10), an inspiring arena to reflect on the profession, share good practices for mental health, and nurture a global movement that prioritizes a healthy work culture in the media sector. There is still time to register and join this free, virtual summit .

Mental Health in Journalism Summit: Free & Online. Oct. 8-10

Thursday's sessions include:

Click here to see the full schedule.

The National Press Club Journalism Institute is proud to be a strategic partner for the summit, which is designed for managers, editors, reporters, freelancers, and anyone working in the media industry, as well as those in academic institutions, journalism unions, and associations. The summit has been organized by The Self Investigation and is co-funded by the Fred Foundation.

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.