January 24, 2024

• The news about the news business is getting grimmer (New York Times) 

• Time Magazine layoffs hit editorial, tech, and sales employees in 'necessary step' toward profitability (The Wrap) / ‘...Myself & other young journalists losing their jobs today just want a chance to put down roots. We have SO many ideas to share with those who invest in us.’ (Haley Weiss)

• As layoffs batter L.A. Times, California lawmaker renews push to force Google, Facebook to pay for news (San Francisco Chronicle)

• Journalists of color hit hard in seismic L.A. Times layoffs (NBC News) / The Los Angeles Times' layoffs have hit the outlet's Latino-focused vertical De Los, which was launched in 2023, and the DC bureau (Nieman Journalism Lab)

• ‘So sad to see the hollowing out of National Geographic continue with the closure of the Wildlife Watch desk. There's really no where else in media for the kinds of deeply reported, nuanced stories that WW did on illegal trade and poaching. (Rachel Nuwer)’

• Texas Tribune staff unionize, five months after first-ever layoffs (Poynter) / Texas Tribune Guild statement (Texas Tribune Guild)

• At Condé Nast, a red-carpet picket line for a one-day strike (Washington Post) 

• G/O Media hangs ‘for sale’ sign across its portfolio (AdWeek) / …’It has put a particular focus on selling The Onion, whose union contract expires this month’ (Mark Stenberg)

• NPR names tech executive Katherine Maher to lead in turbulent era (NPR) / How NPR is thinking about podcasts in 2024 (The Verge) 

• Brad Stone named editor of Bloomberg Businessweek (New York Times) / Bloomberg News named Silvia Killingsworth news director for the Americas (Talking Biz News) / MSNBC hires Beckwith as newsletter editor (Talking Biz News)

• How world media is viewing Trump’s decisive New Hampshire win (Semafor) / CNN, MSNBC fact check error-riddle Trump victory speech (Daily Beast) / The great tune-out of 2024 (Vanity Fair) 

• Most top news sites block AI bots. right-wing media welcomes them (WIRED) 

• City Cast, a local news podcast network, is still expanding three years in (Nieman Journalism Lab) 

Press Freedom 

• Kansas lawmakers want a report on last year's police raid of a newspaper (Associated Press)

• Texas citizen journalist loses appeal in wrongful arrest lawsuit (Associated Press via Fox News) 

• Prosecutor's killing adds to safety fears [for journalists] in Ecuador (Voice of America)

Reduce Stress and Boost Wellness: In-person moving meditation class

Join the National Press Club Journalism Institute’s Bara Vaida for a gentle movement and breathing class aimed at reducing tension in the body, relaxing the mind, and encouraging connection with fellow hard-working journalists. Vaida is a 500-hour, Yoga Alliance-certified yoga instructor, with specialized training in meditation, stress-reduction, and therapeutics.

This one-hour, monthly gathering will take place in person at the National Press Club, beginning Wednesday, Jan. 31, at 5:30 p.m. ET. Registration is open, with fees set at $5 for National Press Club members and $15 for nonmembers.

Newsletter tip for better communications

“Use the email address of a real person at your org. … When your reply email is noreply@, you’re telling your subscribers you don’t want to hear from them — the exact opposite of how you want them to feel. If they want to reply, you’re saying ‘don’t bother.’ The fix: Use the email address of a real person at your organization. Make your email a direct communication between a staff member and the individual subscriber. Encourage engagement and feedback.”

-- Ephraim Gopin, fundraising and marketing expert, excerpt from “10 common mistakes non-profits make in their newsletters” (Inbox Collective)

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

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