October 6, 2020

Top stories ■ WCCO journalist to seek charges after Trump supporter's alleged assault near rally (Star Tribune) ■ 'The committees representing journalists at the Capitol request that extra precautions be taken,’ says letter to Pelosi and McConnell from all four media chairs (RTCA) ■ Photographer covering Trump reveals he tested positive for COVID (Al Drago) / More press aides have tested positive (Jennifer Jacobs) / White House coronavirus outbreak reaches press corps & family as New York Times reporter’s wife tests positive after he does (Axios) / ‘People are livid’: White House reporters fume over team Trump’s ‘reckless’ COVID response (Vanity Fair) / 'It's recklessness out here': White House reporters are furious with the White House for having 'endangered' their lives (CNN)    ■ TV anchor who covered presidential debate in Cleveland pulled from newscasts due to COVID (WVXU) ■ Twitter locked Trump's account over columnist's personal info (New York Daily News) ■ Facebook removes Trump post falsely saying flu is more lethal than COVID (CNN)  ■ Officials at VOA parent breached firewall, committee chair says (VOA) / Acting VOA director pledges to protect newsroom despite inquiry into reporter (NPR)  ■ ‘This gravy train is coming to an end’: News media begins to contemplate a post-Trump White House (Vanity Fair)  ■ Playbook authors will leave Politico at the end of 2020 (Washingtonian) / Memo to staff about change (Politico) ■ The Sentinel opposes a candidate this year (The Goldendale Sentinel)  ■ New Yorker union wins fight for just cause in contract (CNN) ■ 'It's a virtuous loop': Audiences want local news, and national advertisers are turning to Patch to deliver the home front (Digiday) ■ Judge tells reporter he 'should have been a lawyer’ (Hold the front page) ■ COVID kid reporters: Back-to-school edition (Wired)  ■ ‘SNL’ paid its live audience to dodge New York reopening guidelines (New York Times)

Visual social media posts are no longer a nicety — they are a necessity. Not all teams, though, have the resources to devote to designing and creating social media posts that sing.  Learn how to stop skimmers in their scrolls with visually dynamic social media messaging in this program with Beth Francesco, the National Press Club Journalism Institute’s senior director. During this hands-on workshop, participants will practice design fundamentals while creating posts from start to finished product. This session is designed for journalists and communicators who don’t regularly produce graphics but find themselves taking on some of that work right now.  Registration is open for this program, which will be held on Friday, Oct. 9 from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. This is a followup to our June program, “Design Hacks: How to create visuals when it’s not usually your job.” You do not have to have attended that program to benefit from this session.

The best leaders are always learning Leaders, manage yourselves by being aware of your idiosyncrasies and minimizing them so that your team isn’t working around your quirks. Be consistent and clear, let people know how you prefer to get and give information, and make sure everyone understands when they have a voice and when they have a vote in your decisions. Invite feedback, appreciate honesty, reflect on ways you can grow, and show your team that the best leaders are always learning.  Advice from Jill Geisler, Bill Plante Chair in Leadership & Media Integrity, Loyola University Chicago, Freedom Forum Fellow in Women’s Leadership Click here to read Jill’s previous posts.

Self-care: Reading, crosswords and TV marathons Shefali Luthra of the 19th* shared how she’s been taking care of herself during the pandemic. “Daily exercise in the form of either a run or some yoga, cooking dinner most nights, and making a little space each day to read for fun (!) and do the crossword. I’ve also binged The Sopranos and I May Destroy You and am planning an imminent Succession re-watch.” Click here to read Luthra’s tips for how journalists can report on health policy when it’s not usually their job. Read on for more self-care tips, or share how you are taking care of yourself right now.

Resources The Publisher's Guide to Navigating COVID-19 Covering the 2020 Election in the Swing States (Tonight, Oct. 6, 7 p.m. ET) ONA20 “Under the Hood”: Innovation in Newsletters (Oct. 7, 1:15 p.m. ET)

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

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