May 28, 2024

• Melinda French Gates grants multi-million donation to public service media nonprofit The 19th (The Wrap) / ‘The multi-year support will allow us to grow our journalistic ambitions and our audience, while investing in our long-term sustainability’ (The 19th)

• Associated Press expands local content partnerships ahead of 2024 election (Axios) / AP executive editor Julie Pace on engaging audiences amid news fatigue (Associated Press) 

• The Daily Beast’s new bosses plan buyouts to cut losses ... 10 to 15 unionized editorial staff expected to take buyouts (New York Times) 

• BuzzFeed clashes with Vivek Ramaswamy, its new activist investor (New York Times) 

• AI, a weak ad market and new strategies: Media giants swim uncharted waters (Axios) / The media bosses fighting back against AI — and the ones cutting deals (Washington Post) / AI companies freeze out partisan media (Semafor) / Fake news verification tools fail the test during elections in India (Rest of World) 

• In a pre-Dobbs world, the Washington Post deferred to a Supreme Court justice (Semafor) / Seeing the signs: On Alito’s flags and Trump’s ‘unified Reich’ video (Columbia Journalism Review)   

• How Lisa Rubin became MSNBC’s 'eyes and ears' at the Trump trial (Vanity Fair)

• Inside The New York Times' plans to correlate attention levels to other metrics (Digiday) / A shift in New York Times' food coverage (Semafor) / Malachy Browne, the Limerick man who moved to the New York Times, and changed investigative journalism (Irish Times) 

• The Bulwark (a franchise of podcasts and Substack newsletters): How could it be wrong when it feels so center-right? (Washington Post) / The Daily Wire (a news, commentary and entertainment company) made $22 million from commerce in 2023 (Axios)  

• GBH names CNN, NBC veteran to new editor-in-chief position (NBC Boston) / Becky Sullivan joins NPR’s national desk as a sports correspondent (Vermont Public Media) / Hank Butler, formerly NewsNation senior booking producer, is now an editorial producer for 'Laura Coates Live' on CNN (POLITICO)

• 'It helped me embody someone else': How 'Cyberpunk 2077' helped (the Washington Post’s) Gene Park battle cancer (Rolling Stone) / ‘I haven’t talked about this story much because it’s hard to talk about. I cried during the interview, I talk about friends who are gone. This was a lot’ (Gene Park)

• This hedge fund wants to save investigative journalism — by using it to game the market (POLITICO) 

• How do you cover Uvalde without sensationalism? New documentary pays tribute to the power of local journalism (IndieWire) 

• How the Chicago area gets its news: Survey (Local News Initiative)

• A Black newspaper in Washington state gets a second life: ‘We can’t let the Black Lens die’ (The Guardian)

Tips for finding sources for your disability stories

In the U.S., more than 61 million people are living with a disability, yet they remain underrepresented in journalism produced by national newsrooms.

To better serve this audience, the Institute reached out to Katy Neas, chief executive of The Arc, a non-profit organization that promotes disabilities rights, and asked her what kinds of stories would elevate the voices of this underrepresented community. 

Neas’ advice prompted the creation of four tip sheets on the topic of election 2024, journalism, and disabilities. Here is the first of the series, which we will publish here in The Latest.

What are go-to reporting sources to find reliable information and people to quote for stories related to election 2024 and disabilities? 

Neas: At The Arc, our mission is to uplift people with IDD [Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities], so our work is heavily guided by people with IDD and their family members. Nearly all our 575+ chapters nationwide have people with IDD and their loved ones as staff, board members, and leaders. Our National Council of Self-Advocates is invaluable for us in connecting with people directly impacted by the issues we are advocating for and here are other ways to connect with diverse people with disabilities. 

Advice for reporters:

• Put out calls out for disabled sources on online communities, including X/Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram, as well as platforms for journalists and PR pros, like Qwoted and HERO. Use disability-specific hashtags, such as #Disability, that may help your message reach more people.

• Familiarize yourself with local and national organizations who serve and support people with disabilities to connect with subject matter experts and self-advocates willing to share their stories. You can also tap into community hubs like churches and community centers.

• Connect with local parent groups, including social media groups, to find parents of children with disabilities just starting their journey. While our society has made a lot of progress, the first encounters families have with our education and health care systems are eye-opening and highlight modern day, practical issues.

• If you are writing about election law and the rights of voters with disabilities, see this DOJ guidance.

For further guidance and tips, see: Election coverage: 10 ways journalists can better serve voters with disabilities (National Press Club Journalism Institute)

June 21: Crafting sharp & responsible headlines for your political stories

Join the National Press Club Journalism Institute and Resolve Philly's Modifier for a free webinar at 11:30 am ET on Friday, June 21. This session will examine the craft of writing and framing a headline for a political story; the different types of headlines to use depending upon the story; and the pitfalls of using sensationalized or misleading language. Participants will practice writing and rewriting a few headlines to get practical experience in producing responsible headlines for your 2024 election coverage.

Resources

• The next pandemic: Can we avoid repeating history? (June 12, 1 p.m. ET)
• LION Publisher's list of the most current, relevant resources, and opportunities fellow journalism support organizations can provide independent news businesses
• Solutions Journalism study guide created by journalism students (Jay Rosen)

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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