The Latest: Star-Ledger to stop print edition; Covering political violence; Grammys move to Disney

Oct. 30, 2024

Top stories

■ Who will be the next president? News outlets are running out of ways to communicate the uncertainty (CNN) / Will TV viewers trust network election calls ? Chris Stirewalt hopes so. (Washington Post) / With its $250 election-night event , The New York Times is offering some of its readers a new kind of fix (Nieman Journalism Lab)

■ Newspaper non-endorsements at Washington Post, L.A. Times fit a trend, but their readers aren't happy (Associated Press) / The Washington Post’s non-endorsement led to record-breaking weeks at other news orgs (Nieman Journalism Lab) / Puerto Rico’s biggest newspaper endorses Harris (POLITICO) / What is the history of newspaper endorsements and can they swing elections? (Al Jazeera)

■ CNN reporter spent 24 hours consuming MAGA media . See the important trend he found (CNN) / Why are liberals infuriated with the media ? (Columbia Journalism Review)

■ New Jersey's largest daily newspaper ending print editions, but will continue online (Associated Press) / Star-Ledger ending print edition and closing production facility in 2025 (nj.com)

■ Consumer Reports gets $5 million from Newmark Philanthropies (Talking Biz News)

■ Photographers who covered Maui wildfires among latest round of newspaper layoffs (Hawaii News Now)

■ Publicis Media lets go of 100+ U.S. staff over RTO compliance (MediaPost)

■ POLITICO names Zach Warmbrodt first executive producer for Congress (POLITICO) / Jonathan Lemire to be named a ‘Morning Joe’ co-host (Axios) / Baltimore Biz Journal taps Jessica Iannetta as editor in chief (Talking Biz News) / ‘I'm headed to Reuters to cover intel/national security at the end of November’ (Erin Banco) / Morning Brew hires Tricia Crimmins to cover climate tech (Talking Biz News)

■ Disney snares Grammys from CBS in first change for music awards in 50 years (Variety) / Inside Disney’s race to replace Bob Iger (Hollywood Reporter)

Press freedom

■ Tech exec sues journalist for $25M for publishing his sealed arrest report (San Francisco Chronicle)

■ Inside the battle over reporters’ access to NFL locker rooms (Washington Post) / NFL reporter says the Athletic censored his column on 49ers' Nick Bosa (SFGATE)

■ Journalist shot dead in Mexico amid wave of cartel violence (CBS News)

Language matters when covering extremism

“Go easy on words that evoke violence , particularly in headlines and social media text. Dehumanizing language such as ‘enemies,’ ‘mobs’ and ‘war’ can be dangerous. This rhetoric, when used by pundits, political leaders and influential people, can encourage acts of violence and drive deeply inaccurate perceptions.”

-- Kelly McBride and Gabriel Rodriguez, excerpt from “How to cover political violence and threats without making it worse ” (Poynter)

Evergreen advice for emerging journalists

“Work-life balance is very important, but a true journalist ENJOYS being informed. There is no substitute for knowledge. Read and watch all you can, even perspectives that may be vastly different than yours . As a journalist, you will be calling or interviewing or covering politicians, lawyers, business owners, public figures — people from all walks. It’s important that you have a reservoir of knowledge to draw from when having conversations with them. And realize, every person you meet is a potential contact, a possible future source for a news story. You should always be developing story ideas.”

-- Jerry Goodman, news director at WALB-TV, advice shared via LinkedIn

The National Press Club presents 2024 Fourth Estate Award honorees Mike Allen and Jim VandeHei, co-founders of Axios. Tickets on sale now for the dinner and gala, taking place at the National Press Club at 6 p.m. ET on Nov. 21, 2024.

2024 Fourth Estate Award Gala honoring Jim VandeHei and Mike Allen of Axios

Tickets are available for the 2024 Fourth Estate Award Gala on Nov. 21, when we will celebrate excellence in journalism while raising funds to support the Institute’s important mission.

Mike Allen and Jim VandeHei , co-founders of two digital news outlets that have revolutionized how audiences consume their news, will receive the National Press Club’s Fourth Estate Award, which recognizes journalists who have made significant contributions to the field. Allen and VandeHei co-founded Axios, among the most celebrated digital media success stories of the past decade, in 2017. Prior to Axios, Allen and VandeHei co-founded POLITICO in 2007.

The evening also will honor:

John Aubuchon Press Freedom Award : Mississippi Today , a nonprofit, non-partisan newsroom that is currently involved in a legal case to protect privileged documents used in producing a Pulitzer Prize-winning investigation and named in an ensuing defamation case brought by the state’s former governor.

Neil and Susan Sheehan Award for Investigative Journalism : Yvette Cabrera , senior reporter at the Center for Public Integrity and a dedicated environmental justice journalist.

The 2024 Fourth Estate Award Gala and dinner — a fundraiser for the Institute — will take place at the National Press Club on Nov. 21. Tickets for the gala are $200 for National Press Club members, and $350 for members of the public.

GET TICKETS NOW

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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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.