Covering Coronavirus: New programs with Terry Gross, Michael Barbaro, Nikole Hannah-Jones; Are you easy to manage?; Interviewing the Candy Bomber; Managing your student debt

News and information to help journalists serve the public and stay safe.

July 13, 2020

TOP STORIES

· COVID-19 pandemic hits Chicago media hard (Chicago Tribune)

· Meet the team behind the COVID-19 map that is the pandemic's most-visited site (CNN)

· How one woman turned her father's COVID-19 obituary into a powerful message (Today)

· Asbury Park Press reporter sues over arrest while covering Black Lives Matter protest (APP)

· 9 Black journalists on what it’s been like to cover—and cope with—the news (Self)

· ESPN employees say racism endures behind the camera / ESPN suspends NBA reporter for vulgar reply to senator (New York Times)

· People are calling for diversity at Vogue after Annie Leibovitz’s shoot of Simone Biles (Insider)

· CNN launches 'new and expanded' team to cover race (The Wrap)

· Tucker Carlson faces fresh scrutiny as top writer quits over racist, sexist, homophobic statements (NPR)

· It’s the duty of the White House press secretary to hold briefings. But not like this, says WHCA president (Washington Post)

· McClatchy auction ends not with a bang, but only more whimpers (Nieman Lab)

Institute announces programs with Terry Gross, Abby Phillip, Sewell Chan, Nikole Hannah-Jones, Michael Barbaro and more

The National Press Club Journalism Institute is offering new upcoming programs as part of its ongoing series of community conversations:

The art & craft of the interview: How to deeply listen (July 17, 4 pm to 4:45 pm EDT). Do you listen, or do you wait to ask? Join two of the best interviewers in journalism — Terry Gross and Michael Barbaro — for a program on the challenges and opportunities of interviewing right now. Marketplace correspondent Kimberly Adams will moderate. Click here to register.
Being heard: How to use your voice so people listen (July 29, 11:30 am - 12:15 pm EDT). Everyone has an opinion, but not everyone expresses their views with power and impact. In this program, L.A. Times editorial page editor Sewell Chan, L.A. Times columnist Erika Smith, Pulitzer Prize-winning New York Times reporter Nikole Hannah-Jones, and New York Times Magazine editor-in-chief Jake Silverstein will discuss how to make yourself heard; how to work with an editor or writer to hone a point of view; and how to pitch (& catch) a column or opinion piece. Click here to register.
Keeping public records public: Strategies for getting access during the pandemic (August 5, 11:30 am - 12:15 pm). Government records belong to the public, but journalists often face delays and redactions that make it difficult to get information to the public. During the pandemic, it’s more important than ever for journalists to be strategic when seeking government records. Miranda Spivack, journalism fellow at the Brechner Center for Freedom of Information at the University of Florida, and Mark Walker, FOIA coordinator in The New York Times’ Washington Bureau, will share strategies and approaches to requesting and obtaining public records using the Freedom of Information Act and state open records laws. Click here to register.
Journalists in peril: Creating a safer, equitable future together (September 16, 11:30 am-12:15 pm). Safety for journalists has taken on a renewed sense of importance as newsrooms grapple with the convergence of hostility toward those in the field and systemic racism that pervades even the most revered journalistic institutions. This program will be moderated by Jill Geisler, who will join Alex Marquardt , Sarah Matthews, Abby Phillip, and Michael Santiago. Click here to register.

Coming this summer:

How to recruit, develop and advance a diverse investigative journalism team, in partnership with News Leaders Association
Covering Justice: Reimagining the cops, crime, courts beats, in partnership with News Leaders Association
Equity & community in local news: Lessons learned in 2020, in partnership with PEN America
What would antiracist journalism look like?
Write what you know, ‘Fix What You Can,’ and Love Hard
How to be a sensitivity reader, whatever your job
Design Hacks: Creating charts and timelines when it’s not usually your job
Design Hacks: Creating maps when it’s not usually your job
Career connection: Defining your digital footprint

The National Press Club Journalism Institute has added weekly programming, this daily newsletter, a daily writing group, and other support for journalists since March, and has waived fees for everything due to the COVID-19 pandemic. If you value what you’ve been learning from the Institute during this time, please consider a donation of $5, $10, or whatever you can contribute at this time.

Leaders, are you easy to manage?

Advice from Jill Geisler ,

Bill Plante Chair in Leadership & Media Integrity, Loyola University Chicago

Freedom Forum Fellow in Women’s Leadership

“Managing the boss” is a session I often teach in leadership workshops. Knowing how to interact with your manager to get the best results for your ideas, projects, and career is an essential skill.

Some bosses are easier to manage than others. They tend to be more open about their decision-making process, their goals, and their standards.

They tell people how they prefer to get and give information.
They explain their work habits (night owl, not-lucid-before-coffee, advance planner) and what that means - or shouldn’t mean - to them.
They operate with a degree of consistency that makes them comfortably predictable.
They tell people what they stand for and what, to them, is non-negotiable (like diversity, deadlines, honesty, civility).
They’re clear about things that aren’t their expertise and why, how and when they rely on others who have those skills.
They provide at least a general understanding of the demands and pressures they’re dealing with, without overburdening the staff, to help people see business realities.
They let people know when a decision will be delegated, done by consensus, or has to be the sole responsibility of the leader.
They’re clear about their desire to hear about problems, especially those that people have tried without success to resolve on their own.

Managers who share this kind of information make it easier for staff members to get things done. Staff interactions with supervisors are easier because they don’t have to guess or gossip to find out what makes them tick.

Teams have a handy user’s guide to getting what they need from a manager who understands the importance of helping them succeed.

Introducing the Class of 2020: Kortni (Wells) Gardner

The National Press Club Journalism Institute is spotlighting the next generation of journalists , students who graduated from college or Master’s programs this spring into a challenging job market . We hope they’ll meet future bosses and colleagues here, who will reach out and support them in building journalism’s future together.

Name : Kortni (Wells) Gardner

School : Utah State University

Location : Logan, Utah

Student media : The Utah Statesman

Best journalism moment : Meeting Col. Gail Halvorsen

What's been your best moment in journalism?

Gardner : I can think of several "best moments" for me in journalism, but I think one of the top moments for me had to be meeting Col. Gail Halvorsen , who is known as the Candy Bomber from the " Meet the Mormons ." I love the connections I've been able to make and the people I've been able to meet, that I otherwise would not be privileged enough to meet. Those moments happened most of the time because I was willing to branch out and take the plunge to ask for the interviews.

What do you want potential employers to know about you?

Gardner : I want potential employers to know that I am driven and a well-rounded individual with a passion for writing and agriculture. As a small-town girl, I want to share my knowledge and passions with the world and make connections with people willing to tell their stories. I want to share those stories and be an advocate for the agriculture industry in whatever way I can.

Read on: “ Student media gave me a family and a place where I felt comfortable and safe .”

To support journalism students, contribute here to scholarships .

Self-Care: Got student debt? Here’s some good news.

Student debt is the friend who’s hung around your house since college, long after the party is over. As journalists grapple with the multifaceted (and stressful) economic effects of the coronavirus pandemic, a common thread is managing some form of student debt.

The CARES Act suspended payments and interest on federally-held student loans through Sept. 30, 2020. While the break in payments is a welcome reprieve for borrowers coping with the COVID-19 pandemic, it also provides some opportunity to pay down debt faster.

Here’s how:

Any payments between now and Sept. 30 will go directly toward the loan’s principal, meaning faster debt payoff with less interest.
If you expect a tax refund (reminder, federal taxes are due July 15), consider applying a portion of it to your loan’s principal.

If you hold private loans as part of your student debt, the CARES Act doesn’t defer payments — so keep making them. If your financial situation is uncertain, consider refinancing to take advantage of lower interest rates or ask your lender about disaster or emergency forbearance .

For up-to-date information on student debt during the COVID-19 pandemic, bookmark this page .

Read on for more self-care tips, or share your own .

RESOURCES

This newsletter is written & edited by the National Press Club Journalism Institute staff: Beth Francesco, Holly Butcher Grant, Jim Kuhnhenn, and Julie Moos. 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 civic engagement. NPCJI is the nonprofit affiliate of the National Press Club . Support our important work with a tax-deductible contribution today .