The Latest: ‘NPR was the pinnacle’; Baltimore’s new newsroom adds journalists; Covering Jan. 6 then and now

January 5, 2022

■ 'We have to be there ': AP photographer recalls Capitol siege (AP) / Black photographer reflects a year later on capturing the Jan. 6 attack (NBC News) / The ‘gaslighting’ of Jan. 6 : TV news grapples with Capitol riot a year later (Hollywood Reporter) / 'Pivoting to this story hard': Inside Snopes' newsroom during Jan. 6 Capitol attack (Snopes) / Twitter creates monitoring team to prepare for Capitol riot anniversary (Reuters) / Ex-White House press secretary to meet with 1/6 committee (CNN) / Trump cancels Jan. 6 news conference at Mar-a-Lago, blames news media and House committee investigating attack on Capitol (Washington Post)

■ 'If you’ve read a critical piece about Vice President Kamala Harris any time in the past few years, you’ve almost certainly seen a quote from Gil Duran .' (POLITICO)

■ ‘It used to be that hosting a newsmagazine at NPR was the pinnacle ’; ‘NPR employees raised questions about the exodus of women of color during an all-staff meeting last month headed by [NPR CEO John] Lansing’ (Washington Post) / 'I'm proud & happy that WOC journalists are finally getting terrific offers & choices that used to be reserved for white men. I'm also excited about the young people coming up the ranks: passionate about audio & our mission. We need to work on retention & growth paths for them.' (NPR CCO Isabel Lara)

■ Baltimore Banner builds newsroom , hiring away from Baltimore Sun with diverse, veteran journalists (Cision)

■ I'm not mad about Ben Smith; I'm mad at all of this (Poynter) / Read the Project Coda memo Justin Smith sent confidantes about his new venture with Ben Smith (Justin B. Smith) / Ben Smith had one of the coolest jobs in journalism . Now he wants to do something else. (Vox)

■ After turning journalists into TV stars and millionaires, Richard Leibner signs off (L.A. Times)

■ 'The Journalist ' debuts Jan. 13 on Netflix (Rafu Shimpo) / When you want to film in Washington , Peggy Pridemore makes it happen (The Washington Post)

■ More snow may be on its way — it's not too late to panic , DC! (Washingtonian)

Press freedom

■ Law enforcement told a local journalist they never searched his equipment . An internal memo suggests otherwise (San Francisco Chronicle)

■ Increasing numbers of physical attacks on European journalists as they report on COVID and other stories (The Conversation)

■ UNESCO condemns killing of journalist in Myanmar (United Nations)

"Even if you are delivering bad news, you and [the] subject of the investigation may have at least one thing in common : the facts should be correct if they are to be published. Even if the people involved in your investigation decline to give you an interview, when you contact them it’s a good opportunity to let them respond to the facts."

-- via Global Investigative Journalism Network's "A Guide to Fact-Checking Investigative Stories"

Leaders: Don't forget the 'here's why'

Today’s leadership lesson is a quick read with a quick communication tip. To ensure that your messages have the impact you’d like, make certain to apply the power of “here’s why.”

Because you have power, your words carry great weight. So do the gaps in your communication, which people can fill with their worst fears. Your team members benefit from specificity in your feedback and clarity about your intentions. You’ll get credit for being a good communicator.

-- Jill Geisler, Bill Plante Chair in Leadership & Media Integrity at Loyola University Chicago and Freedom Forum Fellow in Women’s Leadership

Get more career advice: Read Jill's columns | Watch Manager's Minute videos

Resources

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

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