April 14, 2022

This newsletter will return on Monday, April 18.

Top stories

■ Tara Palmeri ditches Politico after Playbook shake-up (Daily Beast)  ■ RNC unanimously votes to withdraw from commission that sponsors presidential debates (CNN)  ■ PEN research found that among 1,000+ journalists surveyed, ‘More than 90 percent said disinformation had an impact on their experiences as journalists in recent years; 65 percent had faced hostility from the public, 48 percent reported feeling frustrated or overwhelmed, and 42 percent felt some portion of their audience had lost trust in them.’ (PEN America) ■ Elon Musk launches hostile takeover bid of Twitter (Washington Post) / Elon Musk says he’s ‘not sure’ he’ll be able to buy Twitter after $43 billion bid, teases a plan B (CNBC) / Elon Musk explains why he wants to buy Twitter, says he wants to ‘open source the algorithm’ (Hollywood Reporter) / How 'free speech absolutist' Elon Musk would transform Twitter (The Guardian) / Elon Musk is no longer Twitter’s largest shareholder (WSJ) / 7 burning questions after Elon Musk’s $43 billion offer to buy Twitter (The Wrap) / Now that Elon Musk has offered to buy Twitter, what happens next? (New York Times)  ■ ‘Charlie Rose is... back? He has posted a sit-down with Warren Buffett on his website. "The first I've done in more than 4 years," he says. "It is a step in a journey to engage the most interesting people and explore the most compelling ideas in the world." ‘ (Brian Stelter) / ‘And worth noting that while Rose has spent several years out of the spotlight, numerous women told us they left journalism & newsrooms forever because of what they said Rose did to them. They said it no longer felt like a safe industry.’ (Amy Brittain) ■ Watching Shanghai's covid lockdown from my quarantine hotel as a journalist in China (Washington Post)  ■ Quartz is dropping its paywall – back to where it started with most content free (Poynter)  ■ Ken Doctor: 18 months after launching a local news company (in an Alden market), here’s what I’ve learned (Nieman Lab)  ■ Letizia Battaglia, Italian photographer who shot the Mafia, dies at 87 (Wanted in Rome)  Press Freedom ■ British ISIS militant guilty in kidnapping, torture and killing of 4 American hostages, including journalists James Foley and Steven Sotloff (Washington Post)  ■ ‘Alberto Corzo did not anticipate any problems when he headed out on a reporting assignment earlier this month. But the Cuban journalist quickly found himself tailed by security agents, beaten to the ground and nursing a broken collar bone in a hospital.’ (VOA) ■ Russian authorities arrest journalist for reports on Ukraine (AP via OPB)

“I work alone because of the risk level of my work. The armed attacks I have suffered have forced me to isolate myself so as not to affect colleagues. And, on the other hand, there is censorship and big interests in Mexico’s media, so it’s hard to find places to publish. But I think the best way to reduce the risks of walking on the minefield is to work with a solid team, be it honest news outlets, academic journalistic research centers, or journalists' collectives.” -- Anabel Hernández, journalist and author, via LatAm Journalism Review

Every story competes for attention and must earn its readers by making a clear promise to deliver relevant information. Headlines may hook us, but ledes draw us in, and nut grafs keep us. As journalism changes, this is constant: Readers must know what’s at stake in a story and why it matters to them (or should). This hour-long, hands-on workshop for reporters and editors will demonstrate how to make those stakes clear by: Deconstructing the difference between ledes and nut grafs Identifying common mistakes in crafting nut grafs Offering solutions that help an inclusive community connect your journalism to their lives Registration is open for this program, which will take place from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. ET Friday, April 29, on Zoom. Registration is $25. Tickets for National Press Club members are $20.

Manager's Minute: Is being an extrovert an advantage or disadvantage for leaders? Jill Geisler, Bill Plante Chair in Leadership & Media Integrity at Loyola University Chicago and Freedom Forum Fellow in Women’s Leadership, shares a message for extroverted leaders.

Watch next: What’s your best advice for extroverted leaders? Get more career advice: Read Jill's columns | Watch Manager's Minute videos

National Press Club news NPC Newsmaker: Secretary of the Air Force, Frank Kendall (April 19, 2 p.m. ET)  NPC Luncheon: Fran Drescher, SAG-AFTRA President (April 25, 12:30 p.m. ET)  Conversations with Correspondents: Sally Hayden on Libya's detention centers (April 29, 12 p.m. ET)

Resources Trauma-informed journalism: What it is, why it's important, and tips for practicing it  Tips on covering the American Rescue Plan Act and public safety  Protecting journalists from online abuse: A guide for newsrooms

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. If you value this newsletter, consider supporting The Latest with a tax-deductible, recurring gift to the Institute: Even $5 a month will help fund the technology and time it takes to provide this important service.

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SUPPORT THE INSTITUTE 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.