Oct. 13, 2026

■ Local news deserts skyrocket as newspaper closures escalate, even as startups emerge (Medill School of Journalism, Media, Integrated Marketing Communications)



■ Experts say DOJ antitrust probe could be pretext for seeking journalist records (Axios) / Justice probe into TV networks rests on thin legal grounds, legal experts say (Washington Post)

■ ‘Brutal’: White House officials pan Katie Zacharia’s first press briefing (CNN)

■ Two recent clashes over Israel coverage have roiled Bari Weiss' CBS News, with one confrontation even pushing legendary '60 Minutes' correspondent Lesley Stahl to the brink of quitting. (Status) / CBS News slams ‘ludicrous' report claiming Lesley Stahl nearly quit ‘60 Minutes’ over Bari Weiss (TheWrap) 

■ CNN launches international streaming push as David Ellison takes control (Financial Times)

■ Tegna, Disney renew ABC affiliation agreements in 13 markets (TV News Check)

■ NPR content chief previews newsroom reorg, assures 'no job losses' after Q2 cuts (TheWrap)

■ Getty Images to restructure via bankruptcy; no Seattle layoffs planned (Seattle Times) 

■ Hillary Clinton and Kara Swisher partner to launch High Stakes, a weekly midterm election podcast (New York Times) / Raw Story relaunches website and expands investigative team ahead of midterms (Raw Story) / States Newsroom boosts video capabilities, hires social media strategist (States Newsroom) / Inc. hires McLean as chief financial correspondent (Talking Biz News) / Aviva Bechky joins SF Chronicle to cover South Bay restaurants (SF Chronicle) / Connecticut Public names Missy DiNunno as new vice president of community engagement (Connecticut Public) / New York Public Radio CEO Christy Tanner leaves after eight months (Current)

■ Reporters accuse India of crackdown on journalists, press freedom at youth-led protests (Reuters)

Public Health Journalism: Data and sourcing in public health reporting

As federal data becomes harder to access — whether through resource constraints, shifting priorities, or outright disappearance — the challenge for journalists isn’t just analysis, it’s access.

Join the Institute for practical advice for reporters to navigate a rapidly changing data landscape, where the reliability, availability, and transparency of public health information can no longer be taken for granted.

🗓️ Tuesday, Oct. 20 | ⏱️ 11 a.m. ET | 📍Virtual via Zoom | 🎟️ Free

Featuring public health experts, this session will surface trusted pathways to data at the local, regional, and state levels while offering practical guidance on how to validate and use it responsibly.

We’ll explore how to identify credible data sources beyond federal agencies, verify what you find, and responsibly incorporate emerging tools — including AI-assisted analysis — without compromising rigor. The focus is practical: how to keep your reporting grounded in evidence, even when the evidence is harder to find.

Participants will learn:

• How to identify credible public health data sources beyond federal agencies, with guidance from field experts
• Tips to vet datasets, spot gaps or bias, and fact-check findings with confidence
• How public health organizations are collaborating to keep data sources updated and accessible in spite of challenges

This program is part of the NPCJI’s monthly webinar series produced as part of the Public Health Reporting Fellowship. In partnership with the Common Health Coalition, the fellowship offers training and financial support for mid-career journalists to complete reporting projects focused on the intersection of public health policy and health care delivery.

National Press Club Honors Guatemalan Journalist José Rubén Zamora with John Aubuchon Press Freedom Award

The National Press Club and the NPC Journalism Institute are honoring José Rubén Zamora — founder of Guatemalan investigative outlet el Periódico and one of Central America’s most consequential journalists — with its highest press freedom honor, the John Aubuchon Press Freedom Award, for his extraordinary courage in the face of a years-long campaign of state persecution designed to silence his reporting.

Zamora built el Periódico into one of Guatemala’s most fearless and independent news outlets, leading investigations into corruption at the highest levels of the country’s government. These investigations have resulted in significant state harassment. In 2022, Guatemalan authorities arbitrarily arrested him. In 2023, he was charged and imprisoned on money laundering charges that were internationally condemned as politically motivated. Zamora has repeatedly been moved between jail and house arrest — where he remains today.

The National Press Club will present the 2026 John Aubuchon Press Freedom Awards — alongside the Neil and Susan Sheehan Award for Investigative Journalism — at its annual Fourth Estate Award Gala on November 12 in Washington, D.C. Tickets and sponsorship information for the event can be found here.

The John Aubuchon Press Freedom Award is named for a former National Press Club president who fervently advocated for press freedom. Each year, the Club’s Board of Governors selects both a domestic and an international honoree. The gala dinner is a fundraiser for the National Press Club Journalism Institute, the Club’s nonprofit affiliate, which provides training to equip journalists with the skills and standards to inform the public in ways that inspire civic engagement.

Resources

• NewsMatch 101: Ask us anything (Oct. 21, 2 p.m. ET)
• Resources for covering sexual assault on campus (Education Writers Association)
• Reporter’s Notebook: How to track down people who don’t want to be found (Global Investigative Journalism Network)

This newsletter is written and edited by the National Press Club Journalism Institute staff. Send us your questions and suggestions for topics to cover.

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