The Latest: Election Night uncertainty; A $500K bribe; CNN team detained

Oct. 23, 2024

Top stories

■ The news desert problem continues to worsen with little relief in sight (Poynter) / Why millions of Americans avoid the news — and what it means for the election (Nieman Journalism Lab)

■ As election looms, disinformation ‘has never been worse’ (New York Times) / ‘This is the second time in the last week or so that The Atlantic has had to refute a false headline circulating on X ...’ (Corbin Bolies) / Journalist who spoke to Gen. John Kelly on the record describes interview (CNN)

■ ‘For the first time, no major Chicago newspaper will endorse a candidate for president. …’ (Mark Jacob) / What happens if the NYT’s tech staff strikes on election night? (Washington Post) / CNN embraces election-night uncertainty : ‘Nobody has any idea how this is going to end’ (Vanity Fair)

■ RFK Jr’s running mate Nicole Shanahan allegedly tried to bribe Washington Post reporters with $500,000 to reveal sources (Mediaite) / ‘...We declined — but kept reporting our profile .’ (Ashley Parker)

■ CNN team detained for 48 hours while reporting in Darfur (Washington Post) / CNN Chief International Correspondent Clarissa Ward describes being held captive by a militia in North Darfur in Sudan (CNN)

■ KSHB 41 reporter injured at Lucas Kunce campaign event (KSHB 41)

■ Yahoo, McAfee team up to verify authenticity of news images (Variety) / Google releases tech to watermark AI-generated text (TechCrunch)

■ Polish radio station replaces journalists with AI 'presenters' (Associated Press)

■ Dow Jones eyes Middle East expansion with new WSJ event (Axios)

■ Fox restructures ad sales, with big hires and some layoffs (Variety)

■ StoryCorps lays off nine employees (Current)

■ Scholarships named for journalist critically injured by Minneapolis police in 2020 (MPR News)

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Building trust with your election coverage

“It’s crucial that journalists understand the potential impact of their reporting on public sentiment and behavior. When headlines or stories sensationalize events or misrepresent facts, they can incite violence or unrest. For example, if a headline reads, ‘Michigan’s second-largest city lost an entire tray of mail ballots,’ it implies that the election clerk was careless when, in reality, the tray was unaccounted for by the United States Postal Service, not the clerk. Such sensationalized reporting can lead to public outrage and erode trust in election officials, making it critical for journalists to be precise in their wording and ensure that all aspects of a story are accurately represented . This means not only getting the facts right but also considering how headlines and stories can influence public perception and behavior.”

-- Tina Barton, senior election expert at The Elections Group, excerpt from “Q&A: Elections expert Tina Barton on how the media can cover voting responsibly ” (Columbia Journalism Review)

Tip to support journalists facing online abuse

“Newsroom leadership should develop clear policies for how reporters and editors will communicate with higher-ups and the legal department in a case of online harassment. For example, some publications have a Slack channel or other group chat specifically devoted to rapidly triaging and responding to incidents of digital harassment. Others plan to use email for notification or some combination of the two. Such a plan should also include a system for determining which colleagues will collaborate on response in the case of a rapidly escalating situation. Media outlets can establish a sort of ‘emergency contact’ system where each editor and reporter identifies a few colleagues they would feel comfortable deputizing to work with them on triage if they begin to experience digital harassment. And newsrooms should similarly have a plan for who will work with the relevant editor in case one of their freelancers or a source is facing online abuse.”

-- Lily Hay Newman, security reporter at WIRED, excerpt from "How publications can support writers and sources experiencing digital harassment" (The Open Notebook)

Resources

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

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