Struggle, chaos, no regrets? Journalists love the work they do, despite industry challenges
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Tuesday, June 14, 2022
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Struggle, chaos, no regrets? Journalists love the work they do, despite industry challengesOver 70% said they were proud of their work and would pursue a journalism career again. By Hanaa' Tameez. |
What We’re Reading
Nieman Reports / ISSAC J. BAILEY
With Felicia Sonmez’s firing, The Washington Post sent a message: Be nice when a man displays a bit of sexism. Or be quiet. →
“But insubordination is a tool of necessity, used by every trailblazing journalist or activist working to change an unjust system.”
Reynolds Journalism Institute / Caroline Bauman and Kat Duncan
Chalkbeat and RJI are launching a free tool for journalists to track source diversity →
“Journalists will be able to log in to the tool, and enter the name and email address of a source. The source will get an automated email to fill out the survey, and after they complete it, journalists will be able to view and export the data.”
Mother Jones / Jacob Rosenberg
Variety / Jem Aswad
Level, a former Medium publication for Black men, goes solo →
"Level built an ecosystem for Black men," says CEO and founder Jermaine Hall. "We delivered a space where this audience with tremendous disposable income and cultural currency can be seen. The response from our audience required us to expand our offerings and build a larger universe for them to come together, let their guards down, and share ideas."
The Hollywood Reporter / Katie Kilkenny
Vox Media Union reaches a tentative deal and avoids a strike →
“The tentative deal was reached after about six months of negotiations, during which time bargaining unit members said that they were advocating for raises and benefits that take inflation into account, diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives and contract language that retains union benefits in the event of a sale or merger, among other points. “
The Daily Beast / Lachlan Cartwright
How the New York Post's top gossip columnist was quietly removed from her post →
“Five current and former Post staffers who spoke with us accused Emily Smith, who succeeded the legendary Richard Johnson atop the column in 2009, of having become ‘unglued,’ going ‘missing for days’ and being ‘abusive’ to colleagues. All members of the tabloid's crack team of gossip-mongers were interviewed by HR as well as staff from other parts of the paper, including its copy desk, two people with knowledge of the investigation told Confider.”
The Guardian / Graham Readfearn
Sky News Australia is a global hub for climate misinformation, report says →
“The analysis, published by UK thinktank the Institute for Strategic Dialogue, said the Rupert Murdoch-owned Sky News Australia consistently ranked highly for traction, pushing the partisan views of its hosts and guests to a global audience through social media networks.”
Reuters / Dawn Chmielewski
Spotify launches a Safety Advisory Council to deal with harmful content →
“The 18 experts, which include representatives from Washington, D.C. civil rights group the Center for Democracy & Technology, the University of Gothenburg in Sweden and the Institute for Technology and Society in Brazil, will advise Spotify as it develops products and policies and thinks about emerging issues.”
Baltimore Fishbowl / Marcus Dieterle
Baltimore Banner officially launches with 42 journalists and plans to expand the newsroom to 70 staffers by the end of the year →
"While today is the culmination of a two-year journey to bring a news organization to Baltimore that tells the varied stories of its different communities, it also marks the first day in a long journey towards sustainability," Imtiaz Patel, chief executive officer of the Venetoulis Institute, said in a statement.
Nieman Reports / Celeste Katz Marston
American democracy is under threat — and newsrooms are mobilizing to cover it →
“We know from political science [that if] you don't connect the dots for people, they don't really know how to hold public officials accountable.”
Brown University
First Draft is becoming the Information Futures Lab at Brown University →
Information Futures Lab will be run by Claire Wardle, founder of First Draft, and Stefanie Friedhoff, a journalist and 2001 Nieman Fellow.
Medill Local News Initiative / Greg Burns
“It's like the gym membership you have that you never go to” →
“We have a scary percentage of people who have a digital subscription but don't log in … The surprise for me is the amount of people who are at risk but who stay at risk for a long time. It's like the gym membership you have that you never go to. People who subscribe to the paper believe it's important to them and the community. It's a 'good for me' thing, but it also has to fit into their lives.”
Axios / Sara Fischer
New York Times CEO outlines plans to reach 15 million subscribers by 2027 →
“The Times plans to add the Athletic to its [All Access] subscription bundle at no extra charge, while also allowing nonsubscribers to sample some free content before they decide to pay.”
The Marshall Project
The Marshall Project names its first local news team in Cleveland →
“The Marshall Project – Cleveland aims to expose abuses in Cuyahoga County's criminal justice system, through investigative, data and community engagement journalism supported by The Marshall Project's national newsroom. The Cleveland news operation will serve local audiences, including people directly affected by the criminal justice system, who are often neglected or mischaracterized in media coverage. The newsroom plans to distribute its work inside prisons and jails in Ohio, too.”
Rest of World / Nilesh Christopher
Meet the fact-checkers battling government propaganda in Sri Lanka →
Watchdog, a research collective based in Colombo, uses fact-checking and open source intelligence (OSINT) methods to investigate Sri Lanka's ongoing crisis. Their protest tracker, for example, has emerged as the most comprehensive online archive of the historic events unfolding in Sri Lanka. Its data set, which comprises 597 different protests and 49 conflicts, has been used by global news organizations to demonstrate the extent of public pushback.
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