Sept. 23, 2026

■ ‘The Reporters Committee, the White House Correspondents' Association, and 49 news organizations — including The Washington Post — file an amicus brief in support of the banned outlets' request for a temporary restraining order.’ (Scott Nover) / Judge to hear arguments from news outlets and White House over ban (New York Times) / DOJ defends White House media ban, urges court to reject lawsuit (NPR) / Trump cites national security, midterms coverage to defend press ban (POLITICO) / Fox News finds itself at odds with Trump on press ban (New York Times)

■ CNN staffers panic over Paramount merger as layoffs loom in months ahead: ‘Bloodbath coming’ (New York Post) / ‘At a town hall, CNN CEO Mark Thompson told staff not to “jump to conclusions that we become one with CBS News” and there are “arguments for and against” merging.’ (Ben Mullin) / CNN chief says he’s ‘enthusiastic’ about staying under Paramount, but not sure he can (Variety) / Merged Paramount-Warner Bros. will be a ‘streaming powerhouse,’ Wall Street analysts say — but saddled with more than $77 billion in debt (Variety) / Paramount weighs tapping Elon Musk for equity investment (Semafor) 

■ ‘Axel Springer is set to honor Trump ally Peter Thiel this week — and we have learned that staffers are pushing back, accusing the company of undermining its own commitment to press freedom.’ (Status) / Business Insider, POLITICO staffers protest over Peter Thiel award (The Wrap) 

■ Florida fund sues New York Times over alleged anti-Israel bias, demands records (Reuters) 

■ Ohio stations ignore Max Miller’s legal threat, run Democratic challenger’s ad (POLITICO)

■ FOX 26 Houston anchor setup sparks backlash from TV journalists (Chron)

■ Spectrum News NECN debuts across New England (TV News Check) 

■ BBC expected to announce TV & radio network closures next week (Deadline)

■ 1440 expands editorial leadership as it builds the next generation of its knowledge platform (1440) / CNN promotes Leigh Waldman to correspondent, moves her to Los Angeles (NewscastStudio) / Inc. hires Mok to cover artificial intelligence (Talking Biz News) / Endpoints hires Fick from Reuters to cover pharma (Talking Biz News) / Reporter Ethan Varian joins the Chronicle to cover homelessness (SF Chronicle) / Meet Michael McCleary, N&O North Carolina sports reporter (Raleigh News & Observer) 

■ ‘The choice was prison or exile’: Journalists who fled Russia publish grim portrait of Putin (The Guardian) 

■ Deported to the Prison City: A journalist expelled to Mexico’s southern border (Forbidden Stories)

Public Health Journalism: Data and sourcing in public health reporting

As federal data becomes harder to access — whether through resource constraints, shifting priorities, or outright disappearance — the challenge for journalists isn’t just analysis, it’s access.

Join the Institute for practical advice for reporters to navigate a rapidly changing data landscape, where the reliability, availability, and transparency of public health information can no longer be taken for granted.

🗓️ Tuesday, Oct. 20 | ⏱️ 11 a.m. ET | 📍Virtual via Zoom | 🎟️ Free

Featuring public health experts, this session will surface trusted pathways to data at the local, regional, and state levels while offering practical guidance on how to validate and use it responsibly.

We’ll explore how to identify credible data sources beyond federal agencies, verify what you find, and responsibly incorporate emerging tools — including AI-assisted analysis — without compromising rigor. The focus is practical: how to keep your reporting grounded in evidence, even when the evidence is harder to find.

Participants will learn:

• How to identify credible public health data sources beyond federal agencies, with guidance from field experts
• Tips to vet datasets, spot gaps or bias, and fact-check findings with confidence
• How public health organizations are collaborating to keep data sources updated and accessible in spite of challenges

This program is part of the NPCJI’s monthly webinar series produced as part of the Public Health Reporting Fellowship. In partnership with the Common Health Coalition, the fellowship offers training and financial support for mid-career journalists to complete reporting projects focused on the intersection of public health policy and health care delivery.

Resources

• SciLine Webinar: Understanding the housing affordability crisis (Sept. 28, 1 p.m. ET)
• Editing Forensics: A 5-week virtual course (The Open Notebook) 
• Beat Academy: Covering the rising risk of flooding (Poynter)

This newsletter is written and edited by the National Press Club Journalism Institute staff. Send us your questions and suggestions for topics to cover.

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