April 13, 2023

Top stories

■ Diplomat: Russia might discuss swap for jailed US reporter (Associated Press) / Russia says prisoner swap for WSJ reporter can only be considered after trial (Reuters) / Putin personally approved arrest of U.S. reporter Evan Gershkovich (Bloomberg) / False espionage charge a ‘tough situation,’ says former jailed journalist (VOA) / WSJ reporter Evan Gershkovich named to Time 100 list of most influential people (Wall Street Journal) / Friend of detained journalist Evan Gershkovich: 'We need to make sure he feels he's not alone, he's not forgotten' (ABC News) 


■ Fox News heads to trial in peril: ‘No advantage for Dominion to settle now (Vanity Fair) / Dominion v. Fox jury selection begins. Will Fox News superfans get picked? (Washington Post) / Fox on trial: Rupert Murdoch’s date with destiny (Vanity Fair) / Opinion: Dominion lawsuit pretrial hearings foreshadow a brutal ride for Fox News (Washington Post)  


■ In Fox-Dominion trial, all eyes are on the judge, too (New York Times) / Landmark trial against Fox News could affect the future of libel law (New York Times) / Ex-CNN host Brian Stelter penning new book on Fox News as it faces billion-dollar trial: 'Network of Lies' (Mediaite) 


■ NPR may be ‘going silent’ on Twitter, but it’s keeping its 17.6 million followers on ice (Nieman Journalism Lab) / Twitter loses allure with some news publishers, once its ‘lifeblood’ (Insider)


■ Insider's newsroom will start experimenting with AI (Axios) / My editor's note to the newsroom on AI: Let's think of it like a 'bicycle of the mind' (Nicholas Carlson / Insider) 


■ Montana’s largest newspaper chain makes deep newsroom cuts (Montana Free Press)  


■ ‘I’m all for climate change’: Axel Springer CEO faces heat over leaked messages (The Guardian) 


■ Al Jazeera English announces plans to move from London’s Shard to Qatar (The Guardian) 


Press Freedom


■ Media companies sue for Jan. 6 videos given to Tucker Carlson (NBC News) 


■ India opens new investigation into BBC in widening crackdown (Reuters)


■ Peru jails ex-intelligence chief over 1988 journalist murder (Agence France-Presse via VOA)  


■ Vietnam sentences journalist Nguyen Lan Thang to 6 years in prison (Committee to Protect Journalists)


■ Algeria passes law further curbing press freedom (Agence France Presse via Barron's)

CRAFT

“When it comes to the government, I think in terms of issue-based buckets. You’ve got, for example, energy, transportation, housing, conservation — these issues fall under the umbrella of climate and the environment. Then I want to figure out which government agency is involved with each of those issues; I subscribe to their newsletters and keep an eye out for whatever I can from them. Another story I did for Floodlight, last spring, came from a TCEQ press release that mentioned in passing fines that had been levied against various companies. I started looking into these fines and realized that a bunch of the oil and gas companies, instead of paying their fines to the state, were paying fossil fuel–affiliated nonprofits. As part of a state program, polluters are allowed to pay fines to environment-focused organizations in Texas that do things like clean up dump sites or rehabilitate damaged habitats; yet TCEQ had qualified the Texas Natural Gas Foundation as one of these organizations. So, effectively, you had the fossil fuel industry paying fines to itself.”


-- Amal Ahmed, environmental journalist for Floodlight News, “Q&A: Floodlight’s Amal Ahmed covers Texas communities on the climate story’s front lines”

CAREER

“Burnout is a systemic problem, not an individual one. As such, we can’t expect parents to fix their own burnout. Working parents can try to set boundaries to protect their well-being and ability to care for their children. Sometimes the best sort of self-care requires parents to put themself first, to say no more, or accept doing less as still doing enough. Employee wellness programs can help connect working parents with tangible support such as child care, exercise facilities, and healthcare resources. Healthy workplaces create communities where employees can have coverage from their colleagues in a crisis. Sometimes working parents struggling with burnout may reach a level where they need professional help with depression, anxiety, or substance abuse.”


-- Kelly Fradin, pediatrician and author, “How working parents can advocate for themselves and others”

COMMUNITY

National Press Club awards Tanya Velázquez with the 2023 Wes Vernon Broadcast Scholarship

The National Press Club, the world's leading professional organization for journalists, has chosen Tanya Velázquez of Fort Worth, Texas, as the recipient of its 2023 Wes Vernon Broadcast Scholarship. The award, which promotes diversity within the field, is given to an aspiring broadcast journalist and totals as much as $20,000 over four years.


Velázquez impressed the scholarship judges with a great blend of professionalism and promise. Throughout her academic career, Velázquez has shown a dedication to broadcast journalism by producing stories in video, audio, photo, and digital formats in addition to interning with organizations including KUT Public Media, CBS Austin / Telemundo Austin, and the National Association of Hispanic Journalists.


Velázquez is pursuing bachelor’s degrees in journalism and Latin American studies at the University of Texas at Austin while working to obtain certificates in business, Spanish, and human rights and social justice.

Tanya Velázquez

“To be an effective reporter, I must be able to contextualize the history of the countries I want to report on,” she said. “All my majors and certifications will work together to provide me with the knowledge and skills necessary to achieve my ideal career: a bilingual TV news reporter.”


To learn more about NPC scholarship opportunities, click here.

National Press Club news

Resources

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.


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


If you value this newsletter, consider supporting The Latest with a tax-deductible, recurring gift to the Institute: Even $5 a month will help fund the technology and time it takes to provide this important service.  

Facebook  Twitter  Linkedin  Youtube  

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.