The Latest: Trump’s WSJ suit dropped; TMZDC launches; Gulf media crackdown; Breaking into B2B journalism

April 13, 2026

■ Trump media company drops lawsuit against the Guardian (Guardian)

■ How governments have tried to hide information about the Iran war online (NPR) / Gulf media crackdown sanitizes images of the war (Semafor) / Trump says CNN may have committed a crime . The First Amendment says otherwise (Poynter)

■ Pentagon asks court to keep its restrictions on journalists (New York Times) / ‘This line from Pentagon press secretary Kingsley Wilson's sworn statement lays out pretty clearly what the goal of their revised access policy is ’ (Jeremy Barr)

■ FBI investigating alleged assault of conservative journalist during anti-ICE protest in Minneapolis (CBS Minnesota)

■ ‘The New York Times-owned sports vertical is facing internal blowback after rushing to defend reporter Dianna Russini, only for it to later be revealed the paper had quietly launched an investigation into her conduct .’ (Status)

■ Sam Altman responds to ‘incendiary' New Yorker article , Molotov cocktail attack (The Wrap) / ICYMI: The New Yorker looks at allegations against OpenAI CEO Sam Altman (MS NOW)

■ Paramount responds to letter from Hollywood figures, says WBD merger will ensure creatives have ‘more avenues for their work, not fewer’ (Deadline) / Hollywood heavyweights sign letter opposing Paramount’s deal for Warner Bros. (New York Times) / Inside Saudi Arabia’s billion dollar bet on Hollywood (Hollywood Reporter)

■ TMZ officially launches its Washington, DC operations , dubbed TMZDC, with a three-person production team (TMZ)

■ The Economist is putting names (and faces) to its magazine (New York Times)

■ Can Puck reinvent the news business for the influencer age? (The Verge)

■ Iowa newspapers get second chance after publisher closure (KCCI)

■ CNN hires New York Times chief data scientist Chris Wiggins to head AI team (Variety) / CNN promotes Alex MacCallum to chief operating officer (The Wrap) / The New York Times announces new hires on Video (New York Times) / Wired hires O’Keeffe as creative web developer (Talking Biz News) / Leanne Graham returns to WRNN Morning Show (Radio Online)

■ Who’s been impersonating this ProPublica reporter ? (ProPublica)

■ ‘I’m playing the long game’: Journalists are striking out alone and discovering the business is toughest beat of all (Digiday)

■ Student journalists may produce a quarter million bylines a year . Here’s what that looks like (Poynter)

OCCRP insights on investigative journalism and state capture

“Reporting on state capture [systemic political corruption] requires a fundamental shift in how we think about investigations. Because capture is more systemic than transactional, journalists must track the multi-year erosion of the institutions meant to protect the public interest . Recommendations for newsrooms include more cross-border collaboration to untangle the global capture networks and investments in local political expertise.

State capture’s deep-rooted nature makes it exceptionally harmful and difficult to reverse... Investigative journalists have succeeded in producing powerful evidence of efforts at state capture. And, by documenting these behaviors, they have empowered others to take action. Expanding this dynamic with more reporting and stronger responses represents a vital strategy for confronting state capture in the future.”

-- Excerpt from “Exposing the invisible infrastructure of corruption — lessons from reporting on state capture ” (Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project)

Career Office Hour: Finding opportunities within business journalism and B2B publications

Business journalism offers a wide range of career paths for ambitious journalists, especially in the growing field of B2B and industry publications. These outlets are often the source of deeply reported coverage in the energy, healthcare, law, and technology sectors, among others.

Join the Institute for our second virtual Career Office Hour of 2026 — focused on how journalists can build careers and thrive in business and industry-focused newsrooms.

🗓 Tuesday, May 5 | 🕛 noon ET | 📍Zoom

Maya Earls, deputy team lead for the Environment and Energy team at Bloomberg Law, and Thai Phi Le, senior managing editor at Informa TechTarget, overseeing several healthcare publications, will share insights on how their teams operate and what they look for in job applicants and potential colleagues.

The virtual panel discussion will be moderated by Paul F. Albergo, a journalism educator at American University, former executive editor at Bloomberg Industry Group, and board member of the American Society of Business Publication Editors.

The panelists will share how media professionals can adapt their skills to break into business journalism, develop subject-matter expertise, and attract opportunities within the B2B space, which is often overlooked.

Whether you’re new to journalism or an experienced reporter or editor looking for your next beat, this office-hour-themed session will help answer your burning questions and offer practical advice.

The Institute welcomes two new hires: Kris Seavers and Devin Windelspecht

The National Press Club Journalism Institute is thrilled to welcome Kris Seavers and Devin Windelspecht to the team!

"I’m a fervent believer in the power of education to uplift journalists in their work and protect press freedom at a time that’s more critical than ever."

-- Kris Seavers , NPCJI Training Program Coordinator

"Press freedom is an issue that is global in scope – and U.S. journalists have much to learn from our colleagues who have faced similar struggles overseas."

-- Devin Windelspecht , NPCJI Press Freedom Program Coordinator

Resources

This newsletter is written and edited by the National Press Club Journalism Institute staff: Beth Francesco, Holly Butcher Grant, and Elliot C. Williams. Send us your questions and suggestions for topics to cover.

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The National Press Club Journalism Institute promotes First Amendment values by equipping journalists in Washington, D.C., and nationwide with the skills, knowledge, standards, resources and networks to empower and inform the public. 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.