The Latest: Condé Nast accused of ‘illegal firings’; WBD’s next move; PMJA’s Editor Corps funding

Nov. 6, 2025

Top stories

■ Condé Nast accused of ‘illegal firings’ of union employees who ‘demanded answers’ about layoffs, Teen Vogue shutdown; company says staffers engaged in ‘extreme misconduct’ (Variety) / ‘...Employees who were fired included journalists from the New Yorker, Wired, and Bon Appétit .’ (Max Tani) / ‘NewsGuild responds to Condé Nast leadership firing 4 staffers over conduct violations and filing a charge against the union with the NLRB’ (Natalie Korach)

■ Tuesday’s blue wave had the media asking what it means for Trump’s influence (Poynter) / Hell Gate took on the New York City mayoral election with a livestream and watch parties (Nieman Journalism Lab) / Right-wing media warns of socialism and chaos after Mamdani victory (New York Times)

■ Warner Discovery moving fast on split or sale , CEO says (Wall Street Journal) / Warner Bros. Discovery swings to $148 million loss in Q3 as it prepares for split or sale (The Wrap)

■ Sinclair CEO slams Disney and Google over YouTube TV blackout as company reports Q3 revenue decline of 16% and swings to net loss (Variety) / Disney's ESPN, Penn Entertainment to wind down sports betting partnership , ESPN Bet (CNBC) / Disney signs DraftKings as ESPN’s new sports-betting partner (Bloomberg)

■ Nexstar quarterly revenue, income falls on lower political ad sales (Hollywood Reporter)

■ As MS NOW Studios take shape, network stars welcome a post-NBC future (The Wrap)

■ ‘Axel Springer staffers confronted chief Mathias Döpfner over the publishing giant’s rapid embrace of AI , which many fear could cost them their jobs, according to a video of the meeting leaked to Status’ (Status) / X is using AI fact-checkers (Columbia Journalism Review) / The UK’s fact-checkers are sending their AI to help Americans cover elections (Poynter)

■ Washington Post says it is among victims of cyber breach tied to Oracle software (Reuters)

■ CPB awards $750,000 grant for PMJA’s Editor Corps (Current)

■ Medill’s newest faculty member looks to explore rural media ecosystems (Medill School of Journalism, Media, Integrated Marketing) / Welcoming Karyne Levy as VentureBeat’s new managing editor (VentureBeat) / Drew Brees making broadcasting comeback as FOX Sports NFL game analyst , per report (USA TODAY)

■ University of New Hampshire announces launch of ‘reimagined’ journalism major (Boston Globe)

■ ‘More than three-quarters of teens surveyed have negative views of the press , a new study finds.’ (Columbia Journalism Review)

■ When your local reporter needs the same protection as a war correspondent (Poynter)

■ How Philly became ground zero for rethinking gun violence reporting (Billy Penn at WHYY)

Language matters: How to avoid misleading words in your reporting

“Use language that accurately conveys the strength of the evidence that a research study or group of studies provides. For example, it’s almost always wrong to report that a new study ‘proves’ something . And it’s inaccurate to report that a study ‘establishes’ certain facts if it simply ‘suggests’ or ‘offers clues’ about some aspect of a subject. It’s also important to avoid words that exaggerate the importance of a new study — words like ‘revolutionary,’ ‘breakthrough,’ ‘game-changing,’ ‘landmark,’ or ‘Holy Grail.’ News outlets often overuse words like these, especially in headlines, and that can give audiences false hope about the promise of a study’s findings.”

-- Carmen Nobel , program director and editor-in-chief, The Journalist's Resource, excerpt from “Covering scientific studies and research ” (Covering Climate Now)

4 considerations before your next big project or initiative

“Anticipating change can make any project run more smoothly, even if nothing goes wrong. Here are a few ideas to keep in mind when planning your next project.

Do the pre-work . Steps like documentation and planning to mitigate risk can be onerous but helpful to remind you of where your project started, especially when you’re evaluating where it needs to go.

Build in constant communication . ... What’s the best cadence for communicating at different phases of your project?

Look for the lesson in the unexpected . When something throws your team off course, pause and take stock of what you can learn and how you can adjust. Turn happenstance into opportunity.

Keep experiments limited. ... Limiting risk means a limited impact if something doesn’t work as expected.”

-- P. Kim Bui , journalist and editor, excerpt from “Experiments don't always go according to plan. Here's how to keep projects on track.” (Better News)

2025 Fourth Estate Award Gala honoring ROBERT COSTA of CBS News December 9 at 6 pm ET at the National Press Club

Join the National Press Club in honoring Robert Costa of CBS News and "CBS Sunday Morning" at the 2025 Fourth Estate Award Gala on Dec. 9. This year’s event will begin with a reception at 6 p.m. ET followed by dinner and the awards program starting at 7 p.m. at the National Press Club. The evening also will honor the recipients of the John Aubuchon Press Freedom Awards and the Sheehan Award for Investigative Journalism .

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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 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.