The Latest: President Biden’s next interview; NYT adds 300,000 digital subscribers; Concert for journalist Austin Tice

Aug. 7, 2024

Top stories

‘Fun Midwestern dad’ or ‘radical’? How partisan media is covering Walz (New York Times) / Right-wing media figures launch flurry of attacks on Tim Walz in race to define VP candidate (CNN) / ‘The front pages in Minneapolis and St. Paul today.’ (Brian Stelter) / ‘After my team and I were cuffed and detained in 2020, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz personally apologized , adding, "we've made other mistakes on this as far as making sure you have access." …’ (Omar Jimenez)

CBS News' Robert Costa lands Joe Biden's first sit down interview since dropping out of presidential race (Deadline)

New York Times reports 13.6% jump in profit (New York Times) / ‘The New York Times added another 300,000 subscribers last quarter, bringing the total to nearly 10.9 million.’ (Peter Baker) / Nearly half The New York Times’ digital subscribers pay for more than one Times product (Nieman Journalism Lab)

Axios has its first-ever layoffs , citing ‘shifting reader attention and behavior’ and AI (Nieman Journalism Lab)

Fox News shows helped spread false claims about gender of boxers (Washington Post)

Disney hikes price for Disney+, Hulu and ESPN+ subscription services (CNN) / Disney's streaming business turns a profit . But parks show signs of trouble (Los Angeles Times)

Reddit to test AI-powered search result pages (TechCrunch) / Instagram is making views the primary metric for content (The Verge)

COVID Special: What the media got wrong & right , with Dr. Anthony Fauci (Semafor)

NBC’s Olympics broadcast isn’t just addictive. It’s a new era of streaming (WIRED) / With ‘Sprint’ and ‘Simone Biles: Rising,’ Netflix fills Olympic content gap (New York Times)

Press Freedom

Ex-county official ready to stand trial in killing of Las Vegas journalist (KOMO News)

‘The NewsGuild's president Jon Schleuss has called for an investigation and apology from the NYPD following NYPD Deputy Commissioner Kaz Daughtry's intimidation of a New York Daily News reporter. The incident of intimidation was highlighted by the Daily News Union, which prompted a lengthy NYPD response.’ (NewsGuild of New York)

Journalists’ union calls for action over increased violence against news gatherers (The Guardian) / UK's internet regulator warns social media platforms over risks of content inciting violence (TechCrunch)

Lessons from the Olympic boxing controversy

“Fairness matters in sports. But it doesn’t exist in a vacuum, and journalistic coverage shouldn’t unquestioningly accept how it’s defined, regulated, and understood . Like any policies, decisions about how to regulate ‘fairness’ are social and political, vary across sports and regulatory bodies, and are rarely objective. The questions we ask — and the stories we tell — as an industry should reflect that.”

-- Trans Journalists Association, excerpt from “What's fair? What journalists can learn from the Olympic boxing controversy”

Hiring: How to find the right fit for your newsroom

“Our application form is designed not only to detect talent, but also to detect empathy. I think it is important to differentiate between only capturing talent and trying to identify people who are willing to collaborate . It makes no sense to think about collaborative journalism If we do not create a friendly environment. Some questions have worked well for us, for example: What type of journalism do you want to do? What journalists or media outlets do you admire and why?”

-- Jordy Meléndez, director of Distintas Latitudes, excerpt from Global Investigative Journalism Network Q&A, “Young and inexperienced, talented and empathetic: How to train new reporters for collaborative investigations”

Concert for Austin to mark 12 years of detention in Syria for journalist Austin Tice

Join the National Press Club in marking 12 years since Austin Tice's abduction in Syria. Rising country music star Scotty Hasting, an Army veteran who served in Afghanistan, will perform two sets.

Between sets, speakers will discuss Austin's case and the progress that was made this year — and challenges that remain to bring him home.

Tickets include a drink ticket and light fare.

GET TICKETS

Tice, a writer and photographer, veteran Marine Corps captain, and Georgetown Law student, was detained three days after his 31st birthday on Aug. 14, 2012. As President Joe Biden has said “we know with certainty Austin is being held by the government of Syria.” To learn more about his case, click here.

Resources

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.