The Latest: Local newspapers sue OpenAI; World Cup streaming success; Mother Jones’ 50th anniversary

June 25, 2026

■ FCC’s Carr says ABC is running a ‘campaign of misinformation ’ on probe (Wall Street Journal) / ‘Some 50,000 comments filed at FCC regarding View probe . Many say hands off The View.’ (Joe Flint)

■ How the World Cup became a US streaming success story (The Verge) / TikTok and YouTube are reinventing sports viewership . Broadcasters are taking note (CNBC)

■ The demand for news video is growing (and that’s a good thing for publishers) (Nieman Journalism Lab)

■ The Dianna Russini story isn't over — and neither are the ethics questions (Poynter)

■ Prosecutors delay appeal procedures in former journalist's criminal hacking case (The Desk)

■ Whistleblower Sarah Wynn-Williams sues Meta over attempts to ‘silence’ her (Guardian) / ‘In a rare interview, Mark Zuckerberg sidestepped tough questions from Emily Sundberg’s Feed Me readers, Status has learned, at a moment when Meta faces mounting scrutiny.’ (Status)

■ ‘Stefanie Ilgenfritz is joining The Washington Post from WSJ as editor of our long-term investigations team !’ (Washington Post) / NewsNation adds Cory Smith as DC-based correspondent (Barrett Media) / TechCrunch ups O'Kane to senior reporter for special projects (Talking Biz News) / NBC News Chief Digital Officer Chris Berend exits after 7 years (TheWrap) / Janice Dean steps away from Fox News after 22 years due to MS symptoms (TheWrap)

■ New York Times to bring Wirecutter podcast to public radio (Current)

■ Mother Jones unveils 50th anniversary issue (Editor and Publisher)

■ What 19th-century media can teach us about the future (Columbia Journalism Review)

3 tips to keep audiences engaged with vertical video

“Digital engagement relies heavily on algorithms and the inherent language of vertical spaces, so we built three strict engagement rules directly into our templates to encourage engagement:

The 3–5 second visual change : Mobile audiences have incredibly short attention spans. If nothing changes visually on the screen every 3 seconds — whether it is a quick cut to a new clip or a text graphic popping up — the viewer may get bored and swipe away.

The 'comment below' prompt : Traditional media tells viewers to 'visit our website to read more.' We use the final 10 seconds of the video to ask a direct question to the community. Prompting viewers to debate, share their experiences, or tag another local spot they want us to cover helps the platform’s algorithm to share our journalism out to more local feeds.

The silent viewers rule : Over half of our mobile audience watches video with the sound completely turned off. If we do not include bold, clear, and easy-to-read text graphics on the top half of the screen summarizing what we’re sharing, we lose those viewers instantly.”

-- Muhammad Osama Farooq , 2026 RJI Student Innovation Fellow partnered with Detroit Free Press, excerpt from "How to get your reporters started with vertical video" (Donald W. Reynolds Journalism Institute)

Career Office Hour: Finding opportunities in audience and engagement journalism

The Institute's next virtual Career Office Hour will focus on how journalists can build careers and thrive in audience and engagement teams for newsrooms.

🗓️ Tuesday, July 7 | ⏰ Noon ET | 📍Zoom (free)

Featured speakers include Molly Stier, coordinating editor of audience engagement for MS NOW (formerly MSNBC) and T.J. Ortenzi, deputy managing editor of audience and digital for The Baltimore Banner and previously a senior engagement editor for The Washington Post.

Attendees will learn what types of jobs exist within the broad spectrum of audience and engagement journalism — including social media and newsletter production, subscriber growth, and more. Plus, you’ll discover ways to stay motivated among trends in hiring and which skills are worth gaining or adapting to match real-world opportunities.

JOIN US JULY 7

Whether you’re new to journalism — or an experienced reporter or editor looking to pivot to audience and engagement-focused roles — this office-hour-themed session will help answer your questions and offer practical advice on applying to jobs.

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The National Press Club Journalism Institute promotes First Amendment values by equipping journalists in Washington, D.C., and nationwide with the skills, knowledge, standards, resources and networks to empower and inform the public. 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.