The Latest: Covering T Swift’s endorsement; Charter + WBD carriage deal; AI ethics guidelines for documentary

Sept. 12, 2024

Top stories

News photographers slam Harris for reduced access (Axios)

‘Trump says there won't be a third debate .’ (Kaitlan Collins) / ‘... this statement sounds more final than usual and also completely undercuts all his aides directly and publicly calling for another debate.’ (Benjy Sarlin)

Linsey Davis held Trump's feet to the fire. How she became ABC News' rising star (Los Angeles Times) / Who is David Muir? Before moderating debate, he was a Boston reporter (The Patriot Ledger)

How media on the left and right covered Taylor Swift's Harris endorsement (New York Times) / How Taylor Swift's Harris endorsement is impacting the 2024 election (Axios)

Charter Spectrum, Warner Bros. Discovery agree to carriage deal with free Max (Los Angeles Times) / ‘Both Warner Discovery and Charter stocks are up today on news of their new distribution deal.’ (Joe Flint)

‘DirecTV CMO Vince Torres says distributor has lost some subscribers in standoff with Disney but is confident company will claw those back when it reaches new deal with Disney. He is speaking at Goldman Sachs conference’ (Joe Flint) / ‘Satellite TV is in trouble . DirecTV’s dispute with Disney shows why.’ (New York Times)

CBS' 60 Minutes plans podcast and primetime special in expansion (Hollywood Reporter)

The New York Times establishes Vietnam bureau (New York Times) / Morgantown's Dominion Post is bought by West Virginia-based Ogden Newspapers (WV MetroNews) / Jeffersonian Democrat office to close but newspaper will continue to be published (The Courier Express)

Anchorage Daily News staff aim to form state’s first unionized newsroom (The Alaska Current)

Baltimore Sun fires reporter for raising questions internally about news coverage under David Smith’s ownership (Baltimore Brew) / ‘A full statement from the Baltimore Sun Guild regarding the firing of a member this week.’ (Baltimore Sun Guild)

Bloomberg hires Melissa Shin as Toronto bureau chief (Talking Biz News) / Tegna SVP of News Ellen Crooke to retire (Adweek) / After ‘S-Town’ lawsuit, Brian Reed investigates the state of journalism in new show (Hollywood Reporter)

Documentary filmmakers publish new AI ethics guidelines . Are news broadcasters next? (Nieman Journalism Lab) / When it comes to using AI in journalism, put audience and ethics first (Poynter) / Historic newspaper uses AI newscasters instead of human journalists (404 Media)

Free bilingual newspaper launches in Denver Harbor (Texas) to civically engage Latino community (Houston Landing)

Press freedom

DOJ charges two brothers in Jan. 6 assault on a New York Times photographer (NBC News)

Israel to revoke press cards of Al Jazeera journalists after banning network earlier this year (Times of Israel) / No strangers to obstacles, foreign war correspondents say Israel's ban on entry to Gaza is a game changer (Haaretz) / IDF investigates claim Jewish Chronicle published stories based on ‘fabricated intelligence ’ (The Guardian)

Russia puts six foreign journalists on wanted list for illegally crossing border (Reuters)

Covering Politicians: Advice to avoid ‘sanewashing’

“Journalists have an impulse to make things easier for news consumers. That’s fine when translating the economic jargon from the chair of the Federal Reserve because it’s truly helpful. But it’s a mistake to try and make sense where there is none . … To avoid inappropriately sanewashing a statement from any politician, journalists must be deliberate and intentional as they craft their stories, select their quotes and identify what value the story brings to the audience.”

-- Kelly McBride, senior vice president and chair of Craig Newmark Center for Ethics and Leadership, Poynter, excerpt from "How to avoid sanewashing Trump " (and other politicians) (Poynter)

Setting realistic goals as a freelancer (or remote staffer)

“Just because you’re freelance, it doesn’t mean you should have a limitless working day. I’ve found it much better for my mental wellbeing to focus on one client or project during the day, so there’s less attention switching . I also try to limit myself to a maximum of two interviews/meetings a day; any more and I lose too much time/energy. Also, if you’ve completed what you had assigned yourself that day, then it’s okay to down tools.”

-- Laura Oliver, freelancer, excerpt from "Hybrid working in journalism" (Headlines Network)

Editor's note : We’re hiring a Training Coordinator to organize and execute NPCJI’s professional development offerings for working journalists. This role will be at the center of planning and executing impactful learning that powers journalism in the public interest. The Institute’s current training portfolio includes virtual and in-person programming at our Washington, D.C., headquarters. Learn more .

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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.