The Latest: JD Vance dossier; Smartmatic & Newsmax settle; Public health webinar, tomorrow

Sept. 26, 2024

■ Newsmax and Smartmatic settle 2020 election defamation case on eve of trial (CNN) / ‘Statement from Smartmatic on their settlement with Newsmax.’ (Jeremy Barr) / ‘Remember, Smartmatic settled a similar lawsuit with One America News earlier this year, and we were never given the details of the settlement.’ (Justin Baragona)

■ 5 takeaways from Harris's MSNBC interview with Stephanie Ruhle (The Hill) / Melania Trump’s Interview on Fox News: 3 takeaways (New York Times)

■ Disney lays off several hundred corporate-level employees (Variety) / ‘Impacted divisions include legal, HR, finance, and communications , with more reductions expected in the coming days’ (The Wrap) / Zach Lowe, star NBA journalist, laid off by ESPN (Washington Post)

■ ‘Hoda Kotb to exit 'Today' at year end, opening two critical anchor slots for NBC News morning franchise’ (Brian Steinberg) / ‘Savannah Guthrie and Jenna Bush Hager talk about Hoda Kotb leaving TODAY Show early next year.’ (TODAY)

■ WSJ names Tess Jeffers director of newsroom data and AI (Talking Biz News) / Louise Matsakis is returning to WIRED as a senior editor of the business desk (WIRED via Editor & Publisher) / Inc. hires Jada Gomez as executive managing editor (Talking Biz News) / StateImpact Oklahoma welcomes Chloe Bennett as environment and science reporter (KGOU)

■ Coming Up Next on CNN: A paywall (New York Times) / ‘... The plan is to launch a metered paywall at a low price point and see how readers react .’ (Ben Mullin)

■ How Business Insider's AI-based paywall strategy increased conversions by 75% (Digiday)

■ The National Trust for Local News keeps buying local newspapers . Here’s what they’ve learned. (Nieman Journalism Lab)

■ A plan to fund high school newspapers seeks to revive student journalism (New York Times)

■ Murdoch family holds its breath as future of media empire hangs in the balance (CNN)

■ Before He Was Diddy: Covering Sean Combs’s first scandal (Columbia Journalism Review)

■ News & Doc Emmy Winners : CNN, ABC, Nat Geo, 'It's Bisan from Gaza' (Variety) / Palestinian journalist Bisan Owda wins News Emmy after campaign to get nomination rescinded (The Wrap)

Press freedom

■ An Oregon paper was repeatedly denied public records . Its fight for transparency ended in a major victory. (Poynter)

■ Hong Kong editors sentenced in landmark press freedom case (New York Times) / For the first time, Hong Kong imprisons a journalist for sedition (Washington Post)

The use of ‘ballot selfies’ in your election coverage

“Ballot selfies are a social media staple and may be used by journalists to demonstrate current political trends or to inform the public of potential issues with the election process. The publication of ballot selfies or marked ballot photos should be permitted if they are obtained lawfully. Before taking ballot selfies or photos of voters at the polls, journalists and members of the public should ensure that their actions are permitted by state law. (Notably, there is no federal law disallowing ballot selfies.)”

-- Excerpt from “Legal guide for journalists covering the election ” (RCFP)

Building Bridges: Success stories in closing the gap in public health and care systems. Policy & care delivery experts share insights to guide future initiatives & narratives on public health. Join us Sept. 27 at 1 pm ET.

Tomorrow: Join us for a public-health focused webinar with leading experts

Knocking down the silos to collaborative health systems that drive improved outcomes is vital to addressing our most pressing public health issues. Join us Friday, Sept. 27, at 1 p.m. ET to learn from experts whose solutions-oriented approaches on critical public health issues have shown how innovation and disruption, particularly in times of crisis, can radically shift how communities can access care.

Jointly produced by the Common Health Coalition and the National Press Club Journalism Institute, the 90-minute conversation will highlight research on high-impact public health and care delivery system partnerships while addressing the core components of their success. Expect a robust discussion on practical aspects of these important collaborations. Click here to see the full list of speakers.

Time Management: Are you working too many hours?

“Employees exempt from overtime pay are expected to work the number of hours it takes to get it done. This means individual employees must figure out for themselves how many hours they are willing to give. Keep in mind: If you are an exempt employee, you will not receive more pay for working extra hours. Depending on company policy and culture, you may not even receive flexibility in work time when you aren’t busy. When you do more work than is expected, you run the risk of that becoming the expectation — both from your employer and from yourself. And you might end up resenting that expectation.”

-- Kate Johanns, freelance writer, excerpt from Washington Post Jobs, “The Case for Doing Less: Why overworking is overrated ”

Environmental justice journalist Yvette Cabrera honored with the Institute’s Sheehan award for investigative journalism

Yvette Cabrera, senior reporter at the Center for Public Integrity and a dedicated environmental justice journalist, will receive the National Press Club Journalism Institute’s 2024 Neil and Susan Sheehan Award for Investigative Journalism.

Throughout her career, Cabrera has reported at the intersection of justice and equity, examining the impact of systemic disparities, such as environmental pollution and contamination, on marginalized communities throughout the U.S.

“Yvette’s work exemplifies the commitment of the Sheehan family to promote the practice of investigative journalism exemplifying compassion, courage, and integrity,” said Gil Klein, president of the National Press Club Journalism Institute.

Read the full release

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.