The Latest: NYT fires Baghdad bureau chief; NABJ’s new president; Zucker invests; Fighting gag orders; On the heat beat

August 7, 2023

Editor's note: We’re sending today’s newsletter a bit early, as Washington, D.C., is under an uncommon severe storm watch.

Top stories

■ ‘The Baghdad bureau chief for the New York Times was put on leave and subsequently fired after clashing with the paper’s management. ...’ (Max Tani) / New York Times is investigating its Baghdad bureau chief (Semafor) / ‘ “Two people with knowledge of the situation said that among the issues the Times examined was Arraf’s decision to pay non-US journalists over the paper’s $150 a day limit ” ’ (Winthrop Rodgers)

■ Jeff Zucker’s Redbird IMI invests in EverWonder Studio , a non-fiction content studio (Hollywood Reporter)

■ Texas A&M board members sought a journalism program that would churn out conservatives to 'direct our message,' according to text messages (Insider) / ‘Texas A&M will pay $1 million to journalism professor Kathleen McElroy in a settlement after pushback to her hiring led the school to water down its offer. An internal report also showed that the president of the university was deeply involved.’ (Jay Rosen)

■ NYT staffers fume after meeting with AG Sulzberger: 'He murdered the sports desk ' (New York Post)

■ KERA completes acquisition of The Denton Record-Chronicle , converts paper to nonprofit (KERA)

■ Scripps taps Brian Norris as new chief revenue officer (TV News Check) / Ken Lemon elected NABJ’s 23rd president during national convention (NABJ) / Joanna Kail named CEO of WyomingPBS (Current) / Hearst investigative leader Mark Albert leaves (TV News Check)

■ Vice’s David Noriega joins NBC News as correspondent (AdWeek) / Vice Media continues to shed talent post-bankruptcy sale (The Wrap)

■ William H. Dilday Jr., first Black TV station manager in U.S., dies at 85 (New York Times) / Frank Blythe, broadcaster who directed expansion of programming for Native Americans , dies at 82 (Current)

■ The journalist on the heat beat (POLITICO) / Heat camera captures scorching nature of record Phoenix heat wave (Reuters)

■ A technical question: Should journalism be designated STEM ? (Poynter)

■ API launches Civic Discourse and Community Voices Fund to enable local news experiments (American Press Institute)

■ The women’s magazines of 2023 are in a Facebook group and your inbox (New York Times)

Press freedom

■ Las Vegas newspaper battling to shield slain journalist's devices (VOA) / ICYMI: Las Vegas journalist Jeff German, Lizzie Johnson of The Washington Post honored with President’s Award from National Press Club (NPC)

■ Judge issues gag order, seizes notes of News & Record reporter (Greensboro News & Record)

■ New York Times pushes back against Sam Bankman-Fried gag order (Decrypt)

■ Free speech group says Penn State's funding cut to student newspaper suggests lack of support for free expression (TRIB Live via Editor and Publisher)

CRAFT

On the art of revision

Writing comic of the 9 Rs: Reading. (I could do this!) Writing. (I'm doing this!) Regretting. (I did this?) Revising. (I'm redoing this.) Reviling. (I hate to do this...) Reconsidering. (Why am I doing this?) Reflection. (I can do this.) Revelation. (THIS!) Renown. (Can I do this again?)

Illustration by cartoonist Grant Snider from his book "I will judge you by your bookshelf". Shared with permission.

Need a boost on the art of revision? Watch this replay of a master class in copyediting with Benjamin Dreyer, Random House executive managing editor and copy chief and author of the New York Times bestseller "Dreyer’s English."

CAREER

Stage a perfectionism intervention

“To create a culture that encourages learning, trying, and trying again with a new perspective — working through mistakes — we have to show (and reinforce) that no one is perfect and that what we think of as perfection is a roadblock to creative innovation . If everything was already perfect, why would we need to evolve?

First, be vulnerable and honest about your mistakes and the limitations of your skills and knowledge. Nothing puts out the fires of innovation faster than perfectionism. Instead, across your organization, ask each other for regular and ongoing 'perfectionism interventions.' Remind yourself, others, and your teams that striving for the best work is radically different than pursuing unattainable perfection.”

-- Scott Cawood, Quartz at Work contributor, “4 actions to create a culture of innovation”

COMMUNITY

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

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