The Latest: NYT’s 2,300 journalists; New USAGM leadership; Working at B2B publications

March 12, 2026

■ ‘Amid pressure from a federal judge, President Donald Trump nominated Sarah B. Rogers to run U.S. Agency for Global Media , tapped Michael Rigas as Acting CEO, and Kari Lake says she will continue on as Deputy CEO.’ (Scott Nover) / ‘Good moment to reup our interview with Sarah Rogers from late last year in which she talked about her path from anonymous Gawker commenter to key Trump state dept. official ...’ (Max Tani) / DOJ says Voice of America parent has no succession plan after Kari Lake ruling (The Wrap)

■ Jeff Bezos to meet with Washington Post leaders after mass layoffs (The Wrap)

■ ‘A Washington Post appeal for information about the military qualified as prohibited “solicitation,” according to defense officials.’ (New York Times)

■ Satellite companies restrict access to Middle East imagery amid Iran war (Washington Post) / Trump blamed Iran for a school strike. News investigations suggest the U.S. was responsible (Poynter)

■ Press freedom in the Americas saw a 'dramatic deterioration' last year , watchdog says (Associated Press) / Arrest of Nashville journalist by ICE fuels First Amendment concerns (Nashville Tennessean) / Trump DOJ seeks control over search of Washington Post reporter’s devices (MS NOW)

■ Tlaib introduces bill to protect whistleblowers and journalists (Rep. Rashida Tlaib)

■ Could a merger between GBH and WBUR save the public media giants? One of the stations is open to exploring the idea. (The Boston Globe)

■ The CNN–CBS marriage plot (Puck) / White House outraged over new CBS News hire (Axios) / ‘When CBS News announced Gayle King’s renewal last week, it offered few specifics about the deal . Status has since learned some of the key details.’ (Status)

■ Reuters appoints Éric Baradat as global director of photography (Reuters) / The Information hires Dean as San Francisco bureau chief (Talking Biz News) / CNN to debut 'Kara Swisher Wants To Live Forever ' on April 11 (Deadline) / Bryan Curb named president of Hearst Media Production Group (TV News Check) / Incoming Disney CEO Josh D’Amaro picks company vet Paul Roeder to lead corp comms (Deadline)

■ New Mexico governor signs legislation that provides tax credits to local newspapers (America’s Newspapers)

■ The Austin Voice newspaper returns to print , 9 months after founder's death (Block Club Chicago)

■ How UC Berkeley's veteran student newspaper covers the campus in turbulent times (Berkleyside)

■ ‘Last year, The Atlantic gave me $10K to gamble with . What started as a journalistic gimmick turned into something more... unnerving. My cover story on the online betting boom warping sports, culture, politics, and the psyches of millions of young men.’ (McKay Coppins)

Understanding the impact of disappearing federal data

“Federal data underpins almost every policy decision at the national, state, and local levels. No other entity can replicate the scope and quality of federal data when it disappears. … We wanted to pinpoint as many examples as possible of the Trump administration discontinuing, altering or locking down federal government data. We scoured federal government press releases and announcements, and spoke with researchers and state officials who rely on public federal data, as well as the people who collect and analyze federal data. … We quickly learned that it would be impossible to actually quantify the scope of the administration’s data changes . Many of them, like possible changes to how Census data is collected, are yet to unfold.”

-- NOTUS reporter Anna Kramer and Allbritton Journalism Institute fellow Shifra Dayak , excerpt from “NOTUS Spotlight: Federal data is disappearing ”

Career Office Hour: Finding opportunities within business journalism and B2B publications

Join the National Press Club Journalism Institute on April 7 at noon ET for its second virtual Career Office Hour of 2026 — focused on how journalists can build careers and thrive in business and industry-focused newsrooms.

Maya Earls, deputy team lead for the Environment and Energy team at Bloomberg Law, and Thai Phi Le, senior managing editor at Informa TechTarget, overseeing several healthcare publications, will share insights on how their teams operate and what they look for in job applicants and potential colleagues.

The free, virtual panel discussion will be moderated by Paul F. Albergo, a journalism educator at American University and former executive editor at Bloomberg Industry Group.

The panelists will share how media professionals can adapt their skills to break into business journalism, develop subject-matter expertise, and attract opportunities within the B2B space, which is often overlooked. Whether you’re new to journalism or an experienced reporter or editor looking for your next beat, this office-hour-themed session will help answer your burning questions and offer practical advice.

Career Day Session Spotlight: How do I break into PR from journalism?

Join us during Career Day at the National Press Club on March 20 for a panel discussion with seasoned PR and communications leaders — including some who’ve made the jump from journalism themselves — to gain perspective on whether this shift could be the right move for you.

The speakers will focus on the reality of what journalists face when trying to break into PR and marketing careers, and will answer important questions like:

Is the move into communications as seamless as it seems?
Which newsroom skills translate directly?
Where do journalists tend to encounter skill gaps — and what does it take to thrive in a fast-paced communications role?

Speakers:

Stephanie Dukes, communications officer, W.K. Kellogg Foundation
Tomás Harmon, director of communications, Fairfax County Public Schools
Maria Rodriguez, president and CEO, Vanguard Communications

🎟️ Tickets start at $15. This is more than a job fair. It's an interactive learning experience focused on helping attendees compete and thrive in today's market. Click here to see more of the schedule.

GET TICKETS NOW

Resources

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

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The National Press Club Journalism Institute promotes First Amendment values by equipping journalists in Washington, D.C., and nationwide with the skills, knowledge, standards, resources and networks to empower and inform the public. 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.