April 21, 2025

■ ‘NPR’s Tom Bowman and Quil Lawrence report that the administration is weighing replacing Pentagon Secretary Pete Hegseth after a run of scandals.’ (David Folkenflik) / White House responds to NPR report on search for Hegseth replacement: ‘FAKE NEWS’ (The Hill) / ‘NPR is mobilizing. In response to White House plan to rescind federal funding, NPR tells member stations it is pushing up its timeline.’ (Ben Mullin) / New York Times hits back after Trump calls bombshell Pete Hegseth report ‘fake news’ (Mediaite) / Read the full report (NPR)

■ The pope and the press (Columbia Journalism Review) / For a Times reporter who covered him, Francis was always a surprise (New York Times) / Here's how news outlets covered the death of Pope Francis (Adweek) 

■ ‘Committee to Protect Journalists just issued a safety advisory for reporters traveling to the US’ (Max Tani) / Bloomberg issues travel warning to staff (Semafor) / ‘The Guardian last week also sent along "an information guide on electronic devices at the US border," advising staff on best practices when coming across the border with phones/laptops.’ (Max Tani)

■ Judge declines AP challenge to new White House press pool policy (Deadline) / Judge in AP case says new White House press policy appears fair (Washington Post) / Donald Trump’s war with The Associated Press rages on (Poynter)

■ ‘The Hill privately convinced the owners of Truth Social to drop it from a defamation lawsuit Trump's company filed against 20 news outlets that reported an erroneous earnings figure. As part of the settlement, the Hill's owner agreed to fire one of its own journalists’ (Max Tani)

■ Sewell Chan fired from Columbia Journalism Review after eight months at helm (Columbia Spectator) / Former Columbia Journalism Review editor defends ‘pointed interactions’ with staff after firing (Hollywood Reporter) 

■ DOGE restructuring of NEH hits documentary and archival projects (Current) / Elon Musk is the face of DOGE. But he hasn’t faced a challenging interview (CNN) 

■ Far-right activist who vowed ‘retribution’ lands role at the FCC (Mother Jones) 

■ National Science Foundation cancels research grants related to misinformation and disinformation (Nieman Journalism Lab) 

■ Canadians confront news void on Facebook and Instagram as election nears (New York Times)

■ Bezos hunts for new Post opinion chief (Semafor) / The Post's quiet boast (Status) 

■ ‘Ryan Lizza has departed POLITICO and is launching his own Substack publication.’ (Oliver Darcy) / The National Trust for Local News taps Buffalo News publisher as its next CEO (Nieman Journalism Lab) / Andrew Freedman joins CNN as a senior reporter (CNN) / Adam Taylor named State Department reporter (Washington Post) / Ingrid Holmquist joins Times Opinion (New York Times) / The Information hires Kruppa to cover AI (Talking Biz News) / Mediaite adds cable news veterans to creator-led YouTube network in major platform expansion (Mediaite) 

■ Cascade PBS Union highlights salary disparities in campaign for higher wages (Current)

Workshop on May 16: Intro to AI for Journalists

There's no questioning it: AI is here to stay in the news business. Newsrooms are integrating AI into their workflows, and journalists and professional communicators have adopted AI as a tool to improve their reporting, writing, editing, and audience outreach.

Join the National Press Club Journalism Institute for a half-day workshop at the National Press Club starting at noon ET on Friday, May 16. Participants will learn how to incorporate AI into your daily work habits.

We'll kick off the afternoon with a conversation with journalists already using AI tools on what's possible, as well as the ethical considerations journalists should make when using this technology. Then, we'll dive into hands-on training sessions to help you develop a functional prompt-engineering strategy, learn the basics of LLM-powered data analysis, and build an AI toolkit as a journalist.

And if that last sentence made you feel dizzy, this workshop is for you. We're breaking things down in practical, bite-sized ways that will help you build confidence in your AI skills.

Tickets on sale: $70 for the public; $60 for NPC members.

Speakers include:

• Vania André, Publisher and Editor in Chief of The Haitian Times
• Paul Cheung, Strategic Advisor for Hacks/Hackers
• Andrew Wallender, Data Editor for Bloomberg Industry Group

Your ticket will include lunch, the workshop, and access to the training videos after the event. The event will also feature opportunities to network and demo AI tools.

Resources

• Resources for editors and reporters covering firearm violence (DART Center) / Watch: Covering Firearm Violence — How journalists can reframe their reporting (NPCJI) 
• Reporting Guide: Covering air transportation (Covering Climate Now) 
• How to use Telegram for online journalism investigations (journalism.co.uk)

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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