The Latest: X axes headlines; Washington’s ‘wild’ media week; Training on campaign finance reporting; New Post FOIA column

Journalists will play a crucial role in informing the public about who and what organizations are funding candidates, ballot measures, and policy debates in Washington, D.C., and state capitals across the country. But campaign finance and lobbying laws are complex and often opaque, posing challenges to journalists assigned with tracking money in politics and the lobbying beat.

To help you with your reporting, the National Press Club Journalism Institute and the nonpartisan research group OpenSecrets are hosting a training on the basics of how to cover campaign finance and lobbying. Join us on Friday, Oct. 20, from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. ET.

The training will be taught by OpenSecrets’ research experts Anna Massoglia, editorial and investigations manager, and Pete Quist, deputy research director.

In this webinar, participants can expect they will:

Learn how to use the OpenSecrets’ national and state databases to identify who and what organizations are contributing to politicians and their campaigns
Understand the ways that money is funneled into politics, including candidate advocacy groups, political action committees, dark money, and direct donations
Develop skills to uncover which individuals, companies, labor unions, trade associations, and other organizations spend on lobbying
Gain story ideas for the national and state politics-in-money angle

4 considerations for your next pitch:

“Voice and tone : Successful pitches tend to lean toward informal and conversational instead of buttoned-up and robotic. The key is to be approachable!

Proper targeting : After you’ve mastered your pitch, make sure you’re sending your pitch to the most relevant journalist at the most relevant publication.

Power of brevity : Pitches are ideally around 150 words.

Standing out : After including the most appropriate building blocks, go above and beyond with a personal connection if you have one or the appropriate assets. Think about anything a journalist needs to tell the story.”

-- Kristen Dunleavy, senior content marketing manager at Muck Rack, “7 blueprints for the most effective types of media pitches”

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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.