May 12, 2025

Editor’s note: Today kicks off a weeklong campaign to support the production of this free newsletter. Do you find the daily headlines, tips, and resources in The Latest helpful? If so, please consider making a donation of $10, $15, or $25 using this link.


Thank you to our newsletter donors since Friday:

Rubaina Azhar, David Barasoain, Diane Bernard, Ed Brighton, Katie Daugert, Daniel Macy, Denise McCourt, Paul Merrion, Roy Morris, Chuck and Sandy Neubauer, Sitara Nieves, Jean Norman, Eileen Drage O'Reilly, Belinda Rawlins, Mark Stencel, and Kyle Woodley

Top stories

■ ‘How the paper that brought down Richard Nixon is struggling to survive the second term of Donald Trump.’ (The New Yorker) / WaPo CEO in ‘state of hiding’ as Bezos overhauls paper (Daily Beast) / ‘Since the beginning of this year, The Atlantic has hired twelve journalists away from The Washington Post. The New York Times has poached at least ten Posties. CNN has picked up half a dozen. The exodus is deeply distressing to Post staffers.’ (Brian Stelter)


■ ‘POLITICO boss Goli Sheikholeslami opens up about battling misinformation, expanding Playbook, and navigating Donald Trump's second term.’ (Status) / POLITICO announces a new era for Playbook: The launch of a new daily podcast (POLITICO) 


■ Soon-Shiong discusses vision for The Los Angeles Times (MediaPost)


■ New York increases public radio support amid CPB funding threat (Current) / WQED suspends youth media academy, lays off staff (Current) / GBH lays off WORLD journalists, citing 'current environment' (Boston.com) 


■ Trump’s Jeanine Pirro hire leaves a giant hole in Fox News’ biggest show (CNN) / Trump’s Fox News pipeline shows no signs of slowing (Poynter) / Trump fires Copyright Office director after report raises questions about AI training (TechCrunch) 


■ Gannett is using AI to pump brainrot gambling content into newspapers across the country (Futurism) / ‘The rapid development of AI is already changing how journalists operate. Reporters, editors, executives, and others across the news industry share their advice on how to engage — and where to draw the line.’ (Columbia Journalism Review) / PR pros have discovered how to influence the chatbots: Talk to a journalist (Semafor) 


■ Tech entrepreneur Jeremy Gulban is betting on small-town newspapers to challenge Big Tech’s media dominance (Poynter) 


■ NBC hires Michael Jordan to contribute to NBA coverage (Hollywood Reporter) / 538’s former top numbers guy to launch data journalism site (Semafor) / ‘Alexandra Petri is joining The Atlantic.’ (Ben Mullin) / Genna Contino joins personal finance team at MarketWatch (citybiz)


■ Pope Leo XIV urges release of imprisoned journalists, affirms gift of free speech and press (Associated Press) / Pope Leo XIV asks journalists to use communication as a tool for peace (NPR) / ICYMI: How front pages around the world covered the selection of Pope Leo XIV (New York Times)

CRAFT

🚨 PRICE DROP: Intro to AI for journalists workshop


AI is changing journalism, and fast. From reporting and editing to audience outreach, journalists across the industry are integrating AI into their daily work.


Join us at noon ET on Friday for “Intro to AI for journalists,” a half-day workshop designed to help you build confidence and practical skills in using AI tools — no technical background required.


Tickets are now $50 for the public and $40 for NPC members.

👩‍💻 Hear from journalists leading AI innovation


We’re bringing together three powerhouse instructors who are pushing the boundaries of what’s possible with AI in the newsroom:


  • Vania André is the publisher and editor in chief of The Haitian Times, where she’s exploring how AI can support community-centered journalism and multilingual reporting. She brings a wealth of experience in applying emerging tech tools to her journalistic work.


  • Paul Cheung is a leading voice on media innovation and the strategic advisor for Hacks/Hackers. He’s worked at the Knight Foundation and led digital strategy at NBC and the Associated Press. He will guide you through prompt writing exercises to make your work efficient, focused, and strategic.


  • Andrew Wallender is the data editor at Bloomberg Industry Group, where he uses AI and large language models (LLMs) to analyze datasets and streamline investigative reporting. He’ll break down how to use these tools to find better stories — faster.


🧠 What you’ll learn


  • How journalists are using AI today
  • Ethical frameworks for AI-assisted reporting
  • Prompt engineering strategies for better results
  • Intro to LLM-powered tools for data analysis
  • How to start building your personalized AI toolkit


🎟️ Space is limited — register today!

CAREER
 

3 tips to handle mistakes as a freelancer


“1. Keep all of your correspondence with sources and editors, as well as drafts. In the case that an error gets introduced as the piece runs up various channels, you’ll have evidence that it wasn’t your fault.


2. Ask editors if you can see a preview of stories before they run. The editors won’t always agree — especially for time-sensitive stories — but a final read can catch errors and save time, energy and your reputation in the longer run.


3. Tell sources what happened, and apologize. Work with editors to issue any necessary corrections.”


-- Anna Medaris, freelance beat leader at AHCJ, excerpt from “3 common freelance conundrums — and how to handle them” (Association of Health Care Journalists)

 
 
 
COMMUNITY

Resources

This newsletter is written & edited by the National Press Club Journalism Institute staff: Beth Francesco, Holly Butcher Grant, Elliot C. Williams, and Mitch Harle. 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. The Institute's tax ID number is 52-1750908.