Does your publication’s audience trust your journalism? If they don’t, how can you earn their trust?launched in 2016 with support from the Reynolds Journalism Institute and American Press Institute. The project works with newsrooms and conducts research on what helps journalists actively prove their credibility and earn their audience’s trust. (I attended a Trusting News training last spring at Poynter and have partnered with them for nearly a year now in my role at The Seattle Times.)The Trusting News website is full of resources and . Assistant Director Lynn Walsh discussed how student...…Does your publication’s audience trust your journalism? If they don’t, how can you earn their trust?launched in 2016 with support from the Reynolds Journalism Institute and American Press Institute. The project works with newsrooms and conducts research on what helps journalists actively prove their credibility and earn their audience’s trust. (I attended a Trusting News training last spring at Poynter and have partnered with them for nearly a year now in my role at The Seattle Times.)The Trusting News website is full of resources and . Assistant Director Lynn Walsh discussed how student...WW…

The increasing acts of violence against journalists are causing many newsrooms to rethink some ethical best practices. These evolving standards go beyond the recommendations for .Here’s a run-down of ways to balance the need to document the first draft of history with the need to keep journalists safe.Support high-integrity, independent journalism that serves democracy. Make a gift to Poynter today. The Poynter Institute is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization, and your gift helps us make good journalism better.Tags:First gentleman is ‘not an official title, always lowercase.’Consistency,...…The increasing acts of violence against journalists are causing many newsrooms to rethink some ethical best practices. These evolving standards go beyond the recommendations for .Here’s a run-down of ways to balance the need to document the first draft of history with the need to keep journalists safe.Support high-integrity, independent journalism that serves democracy. Make a gift to Poynter today. The Poynter Institute is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization, and your gift helps us make good journalism better.Tags:First gentleman is ‘not an official title, always lowercase.’Consistency,...WW…

The day after President Donald Trump was impeached for the second time, front pages around the country mostly led with the same headline: “Impeached again.” Here’s a small collection via : Support high-integrity, independent journalism that serves democracy. Make a gift to Poynter today. The Poynter Institute is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization, and your gift helps us make good journalism better.Tags: ,The media needs to be discerning about the vaccination-related events it reports, and how it does so, and avoid sensationalizing such incidents.Headlines include 'two-time loser' and...…The day after President Donald Trump was impeached for the second time, front pages around the country mostly led with the same headline: “Impeached again.” Here’s a small collection via : Support high-integrity, independent journalism that serves democracy. Make a gift to Poynter today. The Poynter Institute is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization, and your gift helps us make good journalism better.Tags: ,The media needs to be discerning about the vaccination-related events it reports, and how it does so, and avoid sensationalizing such incidents.Headlines include 'two-time loser' and...WW…

One of my favorite songs by the great Aaron Neville is “Tell It Like It Is.” That could be the anthem of the moment for journalists, along with the lyrics, “Don’t be afraid, let your conscience be your guide.”The song played in my head as I read a written by John Woodrow Cox, based on the work of a team of reporters. I have known Cox’s work from his days at the Tampa Bay Times.In a tweet, Cox shared a four-paragraph lead about what some have called an “attempted coup.” He characterized that lead as “the most astonishing four paragraphs I’ve ever written.”Here they are:As President Trump...…One of my favorite songs by the great Aaron Neville is “Tell It Like It Is.” That could be the anthem of the moment for journalists, along with the lyrics, “Don’t be afraid, let your conscience be your guide.”The song played in my head as I read a written by John Woodrow Cox, based on the work of a team of reporters. I have known Cox’s work from his days at the Tampa Bay Times.In a tweet, Cox shared a four-paragraph lead about what some have called an “attempted coup.” He characterized that lead as “the most astonishing four paragraphs I’ve ever written.”Here they are:As President Trump...WW…

— including photojournalists, social media posts and police — to identify the rioters in the pictures and is urging members of the public to contact the news organization to help. USA Today is asking readers to contact the news organization and, in an updated post, explained why:USA TODAY is working to identify those who stormed into the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday. If you were there or if you know someone who was there, please help us.We are using this information to piece together stories about how the event unfolded, who the participants were and what their motivations were. Some people...…— including photojournalists, social media posts and police — to identify the rioters in the pictures and is urging members of the public to contact the news organization to help. USA Today is asking readers to contact the news organization and, in an updated post, explained why:USA TODAY is working to identify those who stormed into the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday. If you were there or if you know someone who was there, please help us.We are using this information to piece together stories about how the event unfolded, who the participants were and what their motivations were. Some people...WW…

“Murder the media” — those were the words into a door in the Capitol building during the attack Wednesday.Inside, reporters in legislative offices as President Donald Trump’s supporters ransacked the building. They press signs for fear of what would happen if they were found. Some to document the riot and were .Meanwhile their colleagues outside the building were left exposed. With little police presence around, journalists came face-to-face with people calling for the destruction of the very institutions they worked for. The rioters spat at reporters and hurled slurs. They chased...…“Murder the media” — those were the words into a door in the Capitol building during the attack Wednesday.Inside, reporters in legislative offices as President Donald Trump’s supporters ransacked the building. They press signs for fear of what would happen if they were found. Some to document the riot and were .Meanwhile their colleagues outside the building were left exposed. With little police presence around, journalists came face-to-face with people calling for the destruction of the very institutions they worked for. The rioters spat at reporters and hurled slurs. They chased...WW…

Jake Angeli stood bare-chested, wearing his trademark buffalo cap and holding an American flag, among a group of other men who stormed the U.S. Capitol building Wednesday afternoon. The well-known QAnon evangelist’s presence in such a moment was considered by some fact-checkers and researchers as the culmination of the impact of mis- and disinformation on American politics.Angeli has mostly been active in Arizona. In 2019, he was seen outside the state Capitol building shouting dozens of conspiracy theories. According to , he carried a sign that read “Q sent me” and kept repeating that “Q...…Jake Angeli stood bare-chested, wearing his trademark buffalo cap and holding an American flag, among a group of other men who stormed the U.S. Capitol building Wednesday afternoon. The well-known QAnon evangelist’s presence in such a moment was considered by some fact-checkers and researchers as the culmination of the impact of mis- and disinformation on American politics.Angeli has mostly been active in Arizona. In 2019, he was seen outside the state Capitol building shouting dozens of conspiracy theories. According to , he carried a sign that read “Q sent me” and kept repeating that “Q...WW…

It’s already becoming a theme everywhere I look: 2020 was an extremely difficult year, and 2021 will be too. This is true for the events of everyday life but also on your social media feeds.No one could have predicted the chaos that unfolded on the internet in 2020 (and is still unfolding), fueled by disinformation campaigns and the rampant sharing of misinformation. But given my role leading , Poynter’s digital media literacy and fact-checking initiative, I have three key predictions for the year ahead. And, I’m sorry to say, it’s not a pretty picture.I always prefer to break bad news...…It’s already becoming a theme everywhere I look: 2020 was an extremely difficult year, and 2021 will be too. This is true for the events of everyday life but also on your social media feeds.No one could have predicted the chaos that unfolded on the internet in 2020 (and is still unfolding), fueled by disinformation campaigns and the rampant sharing of misinformation. But given my role leading , Poynter’s digital media literacy and fact-checking initiative, I have three key predictions for the year ahead. And, I’m sorry to say, it’s not a pretty picture.I always prefer to break bad news...WW…

You might have heard — unless you’ve been trying to avoid the news over the past two weeks, which would be understandable — about this big about Hunter Biden’s laptop allegedly containing emails pointing to shady dealings between his dad, Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden, and Ukraine.Some are calling the story this election season’s “” — it’s gone viral on many social platforms and been banned on others, received cheers on a few cable TV networks and been criticized heavily on others.Should you believe this story? That’s up to you, but there are a number of tools and questions you...…You might have heard — unless you’ve been trying to avoid the news over the past two weeks, which would be understandable — about this big about Hunter Biden’s laptop allegedly containing emails pointing to shady dealings between his dad, Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden, and Ukraine.Some are calling the story this election season’s “” — it’s gone viral on many social platforms and been banned on others, received cheers on a few cable TV networks and been criticized heavily on others.Should you believe this story? That’s up to you, but there are a number of tools and questions you...WW…

I had this idea back in the spring to collect the names of the few journalists who died from the coronavirus and have them inscribed on a brick in Poynter’s courtyard.It’s a quiet spot, with the statue of a man reading a newspaper that visitors often pose with. There are tall palm trees, scurrying lizards and strings of lights. The ground is covered with memorial bricks in honor of journalists and their work.After 10 months , I’m certain that the courtyard couldn’t begin to hold all their names., a press freedom nonprofit, has gathered news of their deaths and been a key source in Poynter’s...…I had this idea back in the spring to collect the names of the few journalists who died from the coronavirus and have them inscribed on a brick in Poynter’s courtyard.It’s a quiet spot, with the statue of a man reading a newspaper that visitors often pose with. There are tall palm trees, scurrying lizards and strings of lights. The ground is covered with memorial bricks in honor of journalists and their work.After 10 months , I’m certain that the courtyard couldn’t begin to hold all their names., a press freedom nonprofit, has gathered news of their deaths and been a key source in Poynter’s...WW…

is a daily Poynter briefing of story ideas about the coronavirus and other timely topics for journalists, written by senior faculty Al Tompkins. Sign up to have it delivered to your inbox every weekday morning.Every year my colleagues at that stirs anger and angst. I truly cannot imagine how one could pick among the truckload of lies that have come at us like mortar fire in 2020. But one lie stands above them all for PolitiFact, and this year, that lie was the many claims “that deny, downplay or disinform about COVID-19.”PolitiFact says President Donald Trump “was the conductor, if not the...…is a daily Poynter briefing of story ideas about the coronavirus and other timely topics for journalists, written by senior faculty Al Tompkins. Sign up to have it delivered to your inbox every weekday morning.Every year my colleagues at that stirs anger and angst. I truly cannot imagine how one could pick among the truckload of lies that have come at us like mortar fire in 2020. But one lie stands above them all for PolitiFact, and this year, that lie was the many claims “that deny, downplay or disinform about COVID-19.”PolitiFact says President Donald Trump “was the conductor, if not the...WW…

Journalists at McClatchy’s four Washington state newspapers announced Wednesday that they are unionizing, a move that has received support from more than 90% of their union-eligible staff.The union representing the papers — The Bellingham Herald, The Olympian, The News Tribune and the Tri-City Herald — is seeking voluntary recognition from McClatchy, which has received the request but not yet made a decision. If recognized, the will be part of The Pacific Northwest Newspaper Guild of The NewsGuild-CWA.The announcement marks the latest in a string of recent unionization efforts at other...…Journalists at McClatchy’s four Washington state newspapers announced Wednesday that they are unionizing, a move that has received support from more than 90% of their union-eligible staff.The union representing the papers — The Bellingham Herald, The Olympian, The News Tribune and the Tri-City Herald — is seeking voluntary recognition from McClatchy, which has received the request but not yet made a decision. If recognized, the will be part of The Pacific Northwest Newspaper Guild of The NewsGuild-CWA.The announcement marks the latest in a string of recent unionization efforts at other...WW…

Category:is a daily Poynter briefing of story ideas about the coronavirus and other timely topics for journalists, written by senior faculty Al Tompkins. Sign up to have it delivered to your inbox every weekday morning.From the beginning of this column, we have said we would help you with the coverage of the pandemic and would also include some help for how you cover other difficult and sensitive stories.Today is such a day.Protests overnight demanded the officers be criminally charged in Breonna Taylor’s death. Some want it to be easier to charge and sue officers who use undue force.  It...…Category:is a daily Poynter briefing of story ideas about the coronavirus and other timely topics for journalists, written by senior faculty Al Tompkins. Sign up to have it delivered to your inbox every weekday morning.From the beginning of this column, we have said we would help you with the coverage of the pandemic and would also include some help for how you cover other difficult and sensitive stories.Today is such a day.Protests overnight demanded the officers be criminally charged in Breonna Taylor’s death. Some want it to be easier to charge and sue officers who use undue force.  It...WW…

By Daniel Funke and Daniela FlaminiBRUSSELS — In mid-March 2018, a European Commission high-level group published  on misinformation, drawing upon the input of experts from around the world who gathered over several weeks to help the European Union figure out what to do about misinformation.The report created by the high-level group —  in November 2017 to help the EU craft policies to address  about misinformation in Europe — contains an  to addressing misinformation around the world (Disclosure: Poynter attended the meetings as one of the experts).The report, while imperfect, explicitly...…By Daniel Funke and Daniela FlaminiBRUSSELS — In mid-March 2018, a European Commission high-level group published  on misinformation, drawing upon the input of experts from around the world who gathered over several weeks to help the European Union figure out what to do about misinformation.The report created by the high-level group —  in November 2017 to help the EU craft policies to address  about misinformation in Europe — contains an  to addressing misinformation around the world (Disclosure: Poynter attended the meetings as one of the experts).The report, while imperfect, explicitly...WW…

Category:On the morning after the 2016 presidential election, many opinion pollsters and pundits picked at their scrambled eggs with egg on their faces. Somehow, Donald Trump had upset Hillary Clinton, the favored candidate in their polls. Journalists who provided misleading reporting to the public should have been eating humble pie.Before this year’s Nov. 3 elections, we’ll be inundated again with polls and punditry. With national and state polls proliferating, we risk drowning in bad data, said Tom Rosenstiel, executive director of the American Press Institute.Journalists shouldn’t make...…Category:On the morning after the 2016 presidential election, many opinion pollsters and pundits picked at their scrambled eggs with egg on their faces. Somehow, Donald Trump had upset Hillary Clinton, the favored candidate in their polls. Journalists who provided misleading reporting to the public should have been eating humble pie.Before this year’s Nov. 3 elections, we’ll be inundated again with polls and punditry. With national and state polls proliferating, we risk drowning in bad data, said Tom Rosenstiel, executive director of the American Press Institute.Journalists shouldn’t make...WW…

The demand for fact-checks about the new coronavirus on WhatsApp already exceeds — by far — what was registered during electoral campaigns in Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Spain, India and Turkey. Last week, the popular messaging app, owned by Facebook, reached out to the International Fact-Checking Network to explore ways to support fact-checkers. With more than 1,000 requests for COVID-19 fact-checks per day, some of the organizations that are in the CoronaVirusFacts / DatosCoronaVirus alliance spent the last week analyzing ways to meet the gigantic demand for reliable information while...…The demand for fact-checks about the new coronavirus on WhatsApp already exceeds — by far — what was registered during electoral campaigns in Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Spain, India and Turkey. Last week, the popular messaging app, owned by Facebook, reached out to the International Fact-Checking Network to explore ways to support fact-checkers. With more than 1,000 requests for COVID-19 fact-checks per day, some of the organizations that are in the CoronaVirusFacts / DatosCoronaVirus alliance spent the last week analyzing ways to meet the gigantic demand for reliable information while...WW…

Category:.ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (Sept. 18, 2020) — Led by the International Fact-Checking Network (IFCN) at the Poynter Institute, is the first collaborative project to unite 10 U.S. fact-checking organizations with two major Spanish-language news broadcasters to fight mis/disinformation during a presidential campaign. This bilingual alliance will expose the record 32 million Latino voters in the U.S. to accurate election-related information from Sept. 15, 2020 through Inauguration Day in 2021. This effort is supported by WhatsApp.The 10 English-language fact-checking organizations...…Category:.ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (Sept. 18, 2020) — Led by the International Fact-Checking Network (IFCN) at the Poynter Institute, is the first collaborative project to unite 10 U.S. fact-checking organizations with two major Spanish-language news broadcasters to fight mis/disinformation during a presidential campaign. This bilingual alliance will expose the record 32 million Latino voters in the U.S. to accurate election-related information from Sept. 15, 2020 through Inauguration Day in 2021. This effort is supported by WhatsApp.The 10 English-language fact-checking organizations...WW…

Category:This piece originally appeared in The Poynter Report, our daily newsletter for everyone who cares about the media. Subscribe to The Poynter Report .President Donald Trump abruptly ended a news conference Saturday when after Trump, as he has done more than 150 times, bragged about passing the Veterans Choice health program when, in fact, Barack Obama signed it into law in 2014.Reid asked Trump, “Why do you keep saying that you passed Veterans Choice?”Trump tried calling on another reporter, but Reid continued to challenge the president by saying, “You said that you passed Veterans...…Category:This piece originally appeared in The Poynter Report, our daily newsletter for everyone who cares about the media. Subscribe to The Poynter Report .President Donald Trump abruptly ended a news conference Saturday when after Trump, as he has done more than 150 times, bragged about passing the Veterans Choice health program when, in fact, Barack Obama signed it into law in 2014.Reid asked Trump, “Why do you keep saying that you passed Veterans Choice?”Trump tried calling on another reporter, but Reid continued to challenge the president by saying, “You said that you passed Veterans...WW…

In late June, The New York Times published an article by Noam Scheiber detailing discomfort staffers at The Ringer feel about managers’ commitment to racial diversity and inclusion. K. Austin Collins, a former Ringer employee, was one of four Black journalists to detail his frustrations for the article, and the only one quoted. Scheiber’s piece on the sports and culture media company surfaced amid a broader transformation currently taking place within the media industry, in which Black journalists and other journalists of color are sharing long-held frustrations around their experiences...…In late June, The New York Times published an article by Noam Scheiber detailing discomfort staffers at The Ringer feel about managers’ commitment to racial diversity and inclusion. K. Austin Collins, a former Ringer employee, was one of four Black journalists to detail his frustrations for the article, and the only one quoted. Scheiber’s piece on the sports and culture media company surfaced amid a broader transformation currently taking place within the media industry, in which Black journalists and other journalists of color are sharing long-held frustrations around their experiences...WW…

Category:As Gannett plans for continued COVID-related revenue pressure for the balance of the year, permanent expense reductions are in the works — but no newsroom layoffs.In fact, some staffing increases are coming at both USA Today and the company’s network of 260 regional dailies, Mike Reed, Gannett’s CEO, told me in an interview Thursday.Reed said that the company wants to build on traffic and paid digital subscription momentum over the last few months as its journalists have provided high volume and high-quality coverage of the pandemic and social justice protests.“We need to get even...…Category:As Gannett plans for continued COVID-related revenue pressure for the balance of the year, permanent expense reductions are in the works — but no newsroom layoffs.In fact, some staffing increases are coming at both USA Today and the company’s network of 260 regional dailies, Mike Reed, Gannett’s CEO, told me in an interview Thursday.Reed said that the company wants to build on traffic and paid digital subscription momentum over the last few months as its journalists have provided high volume and high-quality coverage of the pandemic and social justice protests.“We need to get even...WW…

Category:The Poynter Report is our daily media newsletter. To have it delivered to your inbox Monday-Friday, click .Late last week, Fox News teased by running a brief clip — a testy exchange between the president and Wallace.In the clip, Trump said that his Democratic opponent, Joe Biden, wants to defund the police. Wallace interrupted, “Sir, he does not.”Trump pointed to the unity platform that Biden signed with Sen. Bernie Sanders. Wallace quickly — and correctly — pointed out that it “says nothing about defunding the police.”Then Trump halted the interview after saying, “Oh really? It...…Category:The Poynter Report is our daily media newsletter. To have it delivered to your inbox Monday-Friday, click .Late last week, Fox News teased by running a brief clip — a testy exchange between the president and Wallace.In the clip, Trump said that his Democratic opponent, Joe Biden, wants to defund the police. Wallace interrupted, “Sir, he does not.”Trump pointed to the unity platform that Biden signed with Sen. Bernie Sanders. Wallace quickly — and correctly — pointed out that it “says nothing about defunding the police.”Then Trump halted the interview after saying, “Oh really? It...WW…

Category:This story was last updated on July 13In many places, it started with . . . Just to get through the crisis, newsroom leaders told readers.In some places, none of it was enough.Now, small newsrooms around the country, often more than 100 years old, often the only news source in those places, are closing under the weight of the coronavirus. Some report they’re merging with nearby publications. But that “merger” means the end of news dedicated to those communities, the evaporation of institutional knowledge and the loss of local jobs.At least 14 of the newsrooms now gone are owned by...…Category:This story was last updated on July 13In many places, it started with . . . Just to get through the crisis, newsroom leaders told readers.In some places, none of it was enough.Now, small newsrooms around the country, often more than 100 years old, often the only news source in those places, are closing under the weight of the coronavirus. Some report they’re merging with nearby publications. But that “merger” means the end of news dedicated to those communities, the evaporation of institutional knowledge and the loss of local jobs.At least 14 of the newsrooms now gone are owned by...WW…

Category:As hedge funds tighten their ownership grip on newspaper chains, the alternative of local ownership, perhaps including a pivot to nonprofit status, is often talked up as a hot option.Proceed with caution. Revisiting a dozen such sales over the last decade reinforced my sense that chains are reluctant to part with any paper they own. A formidable set of new challenges awaits any local buyer who does pry a property loose.Two Baltimore foundations are openly pursuing buying The Baltimore Sun from Tribune Publishing. Several Chicago Tribune reporters and editors have been searching for...…Category:As hedge funds tighten their ownership grip on newspaper chains, the alternative of local ownership, perhaps including a pivot to nonprofit status, is often talked up as a hot option.Proceed with caution. Revisiting a dozen such sales over the last decade reinforced my sense that chains are reluctant to part with any paper they own. A formidable set of new challenges awaits any local buyer who does pry a property loose.Two Baltimore foundations are openly pursuing buying The Baltimore Sun from Tribune Publishing. Several Chicago Tribune reporters and editors have been searching for...WW…

The coronavirus is a story unlike any in a generation. It’s a global issue playing out differently in every community on the planet. No single place or person can bear the responsibility of documenting it, nor is any organization immune from its .The rapid pace of information — and disinformation — calls for a clearinghouse of smart journalism and creative solutions. Poynter, with its industry standing, its underpinning as an independent broker and its commitment to craft and ethical decision-making, has become a hub for newsrooms and nonprofits to share their energy, their power, their...…The coronavirus is a story unlike any in a generation. It’s a global issue playing out differently in every community on the planet. No single place or person can bear the responsibility of documenting it, nor is any organization immune from its .The rapid pace of information — and disinformation — calls for a clearinghouse of smart journalism and creative solutions. Poynter, with its industry standing, its underpinning as an independent broker and its commitment to craft and ethical decision-making, has become a hub for newsrooms and nonprofits to share their energy, their power, their...WW…