The Latest: News/Media Alliance lawsuit; Job cuts at BuzzFeed, NEPM; Inside auditions for ‘The Daily’ co-host

Feb. 13, 2025

Editor's note: This newsletter will return to your inboxes on Tuesday, Feb 18.

■ It’s open season on the media for Brendan Carr, Trump’s FCC chair (Wall Street Journal) / ‘Pressed by Status over text message, FCC boss Brendan Carr defended his actions —including his decision not to go after Rupert Murdoch's Fox.’ (Oliver Darcy) / FCC case against CBS for ‘news distortion’ may go far beyond precedent , scholars say (TV News Check) / CBS News’ blue period (Puck)

■ ‘AP spokesperson says the outlet's access to White House events was blocked again on Thursday.’ (Erik Wemple) / Trump wants news outlets to get on board with ‘Gulf of America’ — or else. Will they? (Nieman Journalism Lab) / From absurd to disturbing as Trump White House bans AP from important media events (Poynter) / NPC statement on AP reporter blocked from the Oval Office (National Press Club)

■ What does the CNN revamp mean for journalism in the Trump era ? (The Hill) / For Trump and Fox News , new policies are simply ‘common sense’ (New York Times)

■ CBS and several other Paramount channels go dark on YouTube TV (CNN)

■ Inside the Murdochs’ succession drama (New York Times) / 6 takeaways about the fight for Rupert Murdoch’s empire (New York Times)

■ BuzzFeed to cut about 5% of workforce (Wall Street Journal) / New England Public Media lays off seven staff (Current)

■ The Atlantic hires three new staffers (Talking Biz News) / Nexstar names Ric Harris as vice president and general manager of its broadcast and digital operations in Chicago (Nexstar) / Harvard Business Review names Amy Bernstein editor in chief (Harvard Business Review) / Kathy Merritt promoted at CPB , NPR appoints SVP (Current) / Kirsten Danis is The New York Times' new Investigations editor (New York Times) / The New York Times names new correspondent on California politics (New York Times) / Robert Wilonsky is a Dallas Morning News columnist again (Dallas Morning News) / CNN hires Liu to cover China business (Talking Biz News)

■ Who wants to co-host ‘The Daily’? (New York Magazine)

■ Yahoo News signs up influencers with promise of shared advertising sales (Bloomberg)

Taking a trauma-informed journalism approach to your interviews

“Whatever the manifestation, bear in mind the emotional impact of what has happened. Approach people with care, respect and kindness. Take a moment to introduce yourself, make eye contact and explain why you would like to talk to them. Take it slowly and don’t rush — however chaotic the circumstances. Don’t just stuff a microphone in someone’s face and expect an interview.”

-- Excerpt from the Dart Center’s trauma and journalism guide

Leadership Tip: Matching compensation packages to your values

“Setting up a compensation model is one of the biggest culture-defining decisions you make as a newsroom leader. For that reason, it’s important to look back at your organizational values . … At The Appeal, we built a transparent and equitable compensation model that works for everyone. We did this by looking at, and adapting, our values into a compensation philosophy, doing a lot of research into different compensation models, and getting input from experts and our team. In the end, we decided on a fully transparent, four-tier structure, with a flat ‘Thriving Wage’ on each tier.”

-- Excerpt from “How we built equitable and thriving fair salaries ” (The Appeal)

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This newsletter is written & edited by the National Press Club Journalism Institute staff: Beth Francesco, Holly Butcher Grant, Elliot C. Williams, and Mitch Harle. 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. The Institute's tax ID number is 52-1750908.