The Latest: Unpacking NBC’s PR crisis; Marking Evan’s one-year imprisonment; The Atlantic makes a profit; Life magazine’s print revival

March 28, 2024

Top stories

How the Wall Street Journal is keeping Evan Gershkovich in the news (Nieman Journalism Lab) / ‘From the control room at the National Press Club, Danielle Gershkovich and ⁦Paul Beckett connect to broadcasters around the world and across the country in the run-up to the one year mark in a Russian prison for Evan’ (Bill McCarren)

The Atlantic tops 1 million subscriptions and reaches profitability (The Atlantic) / How The Atlantic went from broke to profitable in three years (Wall Street Journal)

Ronna McDaniel and NBC saga: The perks and perils of partisan talk on TV (New York Times) / Unpacking NBC's PR crisis after Ronna McDaniel's aborted hiring (Axios) / TV talkers from Pat McAfee to Rachel Maddow gain new license to blast bosses on air (Variety) / The gift of C-SPAN in an era of partisan media (RealClearPolitics)

Josh Kushner and Karlie Kloss plan to revive Life Magazine (New York Times)

Chevron owns this city's news site . Many stories aren't told (NPR)

Long Beach Media Guild fight recent layoffs (Daily Forty-Niner) / Editorial staffers at Kansas's KCUR begin the process of forming a union (KCUR) / Dow Jones members of the Independent Association of Publishers’ Employees union take collective coffee break (IAPE1096) / ‘The New York Magazine Union is back at the bargaining table today to renegotiate our contract’ (New York Mag Union)

Maine newspaper publisher buys building in Camden, Maine to house its titles (MediaPost)

How radio and TV stations covered the Baltimore bridge collapse (The Desk) / What responsibilities do news organizations have when showing dramatic images of disasters? (Poynter)

AI is quietly revolutionizing the news . Here's how (Quartz) / The role of journalism, law, and trust & safety in an AI dominated world (Columbia Journalism Review) / The Washington Post's first-ever senior editor for AI talks about strategy and innovation (Nieman Journalism Lab)

Bobby Carter named host and series producer for NPR's Tiny Desk (NPR) / Jack Corbett named visual host of 'Planet Money' TikTok (NPR) / James Shield named executive producer for ‘The Headlines’ (New York Times)

The Guardian's owner, Scott Trust, apologizes for founders' links to transatlantic slavery (Guardian)

KFF Health News executive editor Darlin retiring (Talking Biz News) / CBS New York anchor Dana Tyler emotionally signs off in final broadcast after 34 years: 'I'm so honored’ (New York Post)

Can sports journalism survive in the era of the athlete? (Columbia Journalism Review) / Bob Ryan reflects on a lifetime in sports media (WBUR)

Press Freedom

Fear grows among families of Americans , like Alsu Kurmasheva, held in Russia (Wall Street Journal)

A worrisome pace for gag orders on publishers (U.S. Press Freedom Tracker)

Brief says Asheville reporters' convictions threaten press freedom (NC Newsline)

Is your newsroom hosting interns? Share the Lewis Scholarship with your applicants. Free housing + stipend. Deadline for summer interns is April 7, 2024.

Narrative Journalism: How a New York Times reporter breaks up the writing process

"I write from beginning to end, very chronologically. I write in chunks, try to do 500-1000 words a day . Every time I sit down to write, I go through all the preceding text, usually making small changes and trims. By the time I finish with a draft, I know it very well."

-- Ellen Barry, reporter covering mental health at The New York Times, excerpt from Respecting the tortured voice and troubled choices of the mentally ill (Nieman Storyboard)

Should you work with a staffing agency when looking for a job?

“The fact that the staffing agency only gets paid for the candidates it places is both a pro and a con. On the one hand, signing with a staffing agency means that someone will be actively seeking work for you . You may even have access to resume reviews and other job-seeking resources that will make you a more desirable candidate. On the other hand, the agency’s No. 1 priority is placing you so the agency gets paid, which means the agency may overlook red flags about a position . The bottom line is this: You’re the only one whose top priority is you.”

-- Excerpt from The pros and cons of using a staffing agency to find employment (Washington Post Jobs)

Want more career tips? Check out highlights from our Career Day at the National Press Club training sessions.

Resources

This newsletter is written & edited by the National Press Club Journalism Institute staff: Beth Francesco, Bara Vaida, and Holly Butcher Grant. Send us your questions and suggestions for topics to cover.

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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. The Institute's tax ID number is 52-1750908.