Feb. 12, 2025

■ ‘For the second day in a row, the AP reporter … was blocked from entering the Oval Office. The reporter was there to cover the swearing-In ceremony for Tulsi Gabbard.’ (Brian Stelter) / White House blocks AP from event for using 'Gulf of Mexico' (NPR) / AP accuses White House of violating First Amendment (New York Times) / White House correspondents protest access denial (Reuters) / Leavitt defends banning AP from Oval Office over ‘Gulf of America’ stance (The Hill) / Statement from the AP (Associated Press) 

■ ‘FCC chairman Brendan Carr sent a letter to Comcast/NBCUniversal saying he’s investigating their DEI practices’ (Jeremy Barr) / There is a DEI dilemma taking place across Corporate America (Business Insider) / Google Calendar removes default references for Pride, Black History Month, others (CBS News)

■ How Elon Musk and the right are trying to recast reporting as ‘doxxing’ (New York Times) / ‘... Richard Grenell accuses a Voice of America reporter of treason for citing criticism of Trump policies.’ (David Enrich) / Pulitzer board faces Trump lawsuit related to prize given for coverage of Russian election interference (Sun Sentinel)

■ Meet the 'new media' press at Trump's White House (The Wrap)  

■ ‘Billionaire Patrick Soon-Shiong is building out a new media venture that has had conversations about partnering with right-wing extremist Candace Owens, Status has learned.’ (Oliver Darcy) / The Los Angeles Times explores a deeper dive into MAGA media (The Wrap) / ‘L.A. Times cuts frequency of left-of-center columnists’ (Richard Prince)

■ Rebecca Kutler will lead MSNBC as president (Variety) / ICYMI: ‘Rebecca Kutler, Jeff Zucker’s onetime heir apparent at CNN, is now the big boss at MSNBC, where she’ll lead the company into the SpinCo wilderness—managing talent, decline, and anxieties along the way’ (Puck)

■ Morning Brew co-founder and CEO steps down as publisher eyes $70 million in revenue (Adweek) / Axel Springer buys remaining stake in Morning Brew (Talking Biz News) 

■ Record number of journalists killed in 2024 (Reuters)

■ Another Mass. judge orders a magazine to turn over its reporting materials (Media Nation) / Gov. Rhoden opens door to better communication, wants reset with state's press (South Dakota Searchlight) / Newspaper legal notices likely to get another reprieve (POLITICO) 

■ Once seen as a savior, the nonprofit owner of the Portland Press Herald is now weighing layoffs (Boston Globe)

■ Reporters Committee names Leslie Briggs Oklahoma Local Legal Initiative attorney (Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press) / NOTUS hires Giorno to cover lobbying and influence (Talking Biz News) / Cleveland.com taps Walsh as a biz reporter (Talking Biz News) / iHeartMedia St. Louis names Libby Nolan to top market role (Radio Ink) / Scripps promotes sports sales executive to lead local media sales (Scripps)

■ Graham Media Group & Nielsen renew local TV measurement agreement (TV News Check)

■ BBC News finds that AI tools ‘distort’ its journalism into ‘a confused cocktail’ with many errors (BBC & Nieman Journalism Lab) / Beyond the AI hysteria: What journalists are actually using it for (Editor and Publisher)

Covering Trump 2.0: Find your focus

“It’s a cliché at this point, but I do think the first Trump administration really showed the importance of newsrooms learning to pick-and-choose their spots to focus in on, and to accept letting go of stories or news events that don’t make sense for your audience or where you lack a true value-add. That’ll be a process for us, as I imagine it will be for everyone — it’s hard to do, but regularly stepping back to question our coverage plans and approach will be vital.”

-- Matt Berman, managing editor at NOTUS. Read more tips from Berman on covering Trump 2.0.

Resources

• The growing threats to press freedom in the USA (Feb. 17, 6 pm ET)
• Trust Tips: Use our audience survey to make national news more relevant (Trusting News) 
• Less is more, and discounts work: A new study looks at the minutiae of paywall strategy (Nieman Journalism Lab)

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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