November 30, 2020

Top stories ■ 2020 U.S. media layoffs on track to reach record high (Variety) ■ WTNH chief political correspondent retires after 50 years in journalism (Hartford Courant) / Longtime Seattle arts reporter is retiring after 35 years at KUOW (Seattle Times) / Times loses 100+ years of journalism talent in retirements (Timesonline.com) / Gannett's staff reductions, asset sales take toll on Boston-area newspapers (Boston Business Journal) ■ How Politico is preparing to cover the Biden admin (CNN) / 'Appoint a Special Presidential Envoy for Press Freedom' and 5 other recommendations for Biden (CPJ) / 'Game Change' co-author John Heilemann has book on 2020 race (AP) ■ The king of Trump TV thinks you’re dumb enough to buy it (New York Times) / Newsmax rises on wave of resentment toward media — especially Fox News (NPR) / Fox News needs to reinvent itself for the post-Trump era. Here’s one radical idea. (Washington Post) / The cost of Trump’s assault on the press and the truth (New Yorker) / Ajit Pai announces departure from FCC after four-year deregulatory blitz (Ars Technica)  ■ ‘Our coverage of Māori issues over the past 160 years ranged from racist to blinkered. Seldom was it fair or balanced’ (Stuff) ■ Bon Appétit needs to change. Its new editor in chief is ready for the challenge (CNN) ■ Coronavirus cancels media holiday party extravagances (Digiday) ■ How I sent a tweet that unintentionally raised $50,000 for charity (Salt Lake Tribune) ■ Blind photographer captures images using sound (CNN) / These are the images that won Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2020 (World Economic Forum) ■ How Zoom pulled off the scaling event of a lifetime (Protocol) ■ ICYMI: When a news anchor does the government’s job (The Atlantic) / Online attacks on women journalists leading to ‘real world’ violence, new research shows (International Center for Journalists) / As a food writer with COVID, I worried I’d lose my sense of taste. It turned out to be much worse. (The Washington Post) / Reporter shares COVID-19 experience to counter deniers (CNN) / My brother has daily seizures, writes USA Today reporter, and COVID-19 restrictions are making him sicker. (USA Today) ■ At least 489 journalists have died from COVID in 56 countries, according to Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) ■ Remembering: ‘Brilliant’ former Star-Telegram editor dies after positive COVID test (Fort Worth Star-Telegram) / Nevada journalist dies of coronavirus (U.S. News) / COVID-19 claims life of Chicago newsman, a Nazi foe and Auschwitz survivor (NBC News) / Ex-AP international sports editor dies at 64 (AP) / ’I am very sorry to report the death of @bydebprice, a tremendous journalist, a Nieman Fellow (Class of 2011), and a real trailblazer for LGBTQ people in newsrooms and around the country.’ (Joshua Benton) / Veteran Gazette journalist remembered for her honesty and wit (Texarkana Gazette) / Editor who guided Pulitzer-winning journalism at Herald-Leader dies (Lexington Herald-Leader)

Are you an exploder, excuser, or explorer? Mistakes are inevitable. Leaders model a productive response when they make a mistake, and they’re intentional about how they respond when others make mistakes. Do people avoid telling you about mistakes? They may think you’re an exploder. Does your team repeat the same mistakes? You may be excusing behavior without understanding how to improve it. After a mistake, be sure to explore what happened, surface solutions, and develop backup systems to help the team feel more confident about each other and their work.  Advice from Jill Geisler, Bill Plante Chair in Leadership & Media Integrity, Loyola University Chicago, Freedom Forum Fellow in Women’s Leadership Click here to read Jill’s previous posts.

Self-care: Support journalism this #GivingTuesday Tomorrow is #GivingTuesday, a worldwide celebration of kindness and generosity.  Research indicates that helping others is good for you. Charitable donations can spark the release of the “Happiness Trifecta” — dopamine, serotonin and oxytocin. It can also help reduce stress and lower blood pressure. Here are six journalism-inspired ways to feel the “helper’s high” on #GivingTuesday and beyond.  Subscribe to a local newspaper or magazine.  Find a news organization to support via NewsMatch. The next time you hit a paywall, pay for the content or daylong access to a site.  Join a journalism organization that supports your interests, or renew your membership dues.   Share your time and skills with a journalism student. Contact us to find out how.  If you have learned from this newsletter or Institute programs, support our work with a donation today.  Read on for more self-care tips, or share how you are taking care of yourself right now.

Resources Applications for two women’s leadership programs are due at midnight: Poynter Leadership Academy for Women in Media and ONA’s Women’s Leadership Accelerator IWMF Courage in Journalism Awards (Dec. 1, 5:30 p.m. EST) What to expect after the unexpected: 2021 journalism predictions from Knight & Nieman (Dec. 10, 1 p.m. EST)

This newsletter is written & edited by the National Press Club Journalism Institute staff: Beth Francesco, Holly Butcher Grant, and Julie Moos. Send us your questions and suggestions for topics to cover. Get this from a friend? Subscribe, and view the archives.

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