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…

The Poynter Report is our daily media newsletter. To have it delivered to your inbox Monday-Friday, click .Ahmaud Arbery was killed on Feb. 23, shot while jogging through a neighborhood outside of Brunswick, Georgia. Two men — a 64-year-old man and his 34-year-old son — were arrested just last week after a video of the shooting surfaced.Even during this time of overwhelming coronavirus coverage, this story has gripped the nation — a black man minding his own business chased and gunned down in the street in broad daylight by two white men who assumed he was a criminal.But the story has only...…The Poynter Report is our daily media newsletter. To have it delivered to your inbox Monday-Friday, click .Ahmaud Arbery was killed on Feb. 23, shot while jogging through a neighborhood outside of Brunswick, Georgia. Two men — a 64-year-old man and his 34-year-old son — were arrested just last week after a video of the shooting surfaced.Even during this time of overwhelming coronavirus coverage, this story has gripped the nation — a black man minding his own business chased and gunned down in the street in broad daylight by two white men who assumed he was a criminal.But the story has only...WW…

Did Advance Local, owners of The (Cleveland) Plain Dealer and Cleveland.com, set out to bust the union?If so, the plan worked. on Tuesday, the Plain Dealer News Guild wrote, “After more than 80 years of union membership, Plain Dealer journalists will no longer be represented by Local 1. The unit will be dissolved effective May 17. The PD newsroom will no longer exist.”The union said that The Plain Dealer will lay off the four remaining reporters on May 15 and then offer them jobs at Cleveland.com.Thus comes the sad, but not unexpected end of an era as Advance shifts all of its coverage from...…Did Advance Local, owners of The (Cleveland) Plain Dealer and Cleveland.com, set out to bust the union?If so, the plan worked. on Tuesday, the Plain Dealer News Guild wrote, “After more than 80 years of union membership, Plain Dealer journalists will no longer be represented by Local 1. The unit will be dissolved effective May 17. The PD newsroom will no longer exist.”The union said that The Plain Dealer will lay off the four remaining reporters on May 15 and then offer them jobs at Cleveland.com.Thus comes the sad, but not unexpected end of an era as Advance shifts all of its coverage from...WW…

Reporters covering President Donald Trump’s visit to a Honeywell plant in Arizona on Tuesday faced nasty words from a small group of his supporters., Arizona Republic reporter BrieAnna J. Frank reported and posted videos of people mocking reporters for wearing masks and saying such things as, “You’re on the wrong side of history. … You’re on the wrong side of patriotism — you’re like communists.”In an email interview, Frank told me, “It was disturbing to see so many people be so visibly angered by my (and others’) personal decision to wear a mask. Clearly, wearing a mask is interpreted in...…Reporters covering President Donald Trump’s visit to a Honeywell plant in Arizona on Tuesday faced nasty words from a small group of his supporters., Arizona Republic reporter BrieAnna J. Frank reported and posted videos of people mocking reporters for wearing masks and saying such things as, “You’re on the wrong side of history. … You’re on the wrong side of patriotism — you’re like communists.”In an email interview, Frank told me, “It was disturbing to see so many people be so visibly angered by my (and others’) personal decision to wear a mask. Clearly, wearing a mask is interpreted in...WW…

From the Poynter Institute:You need fact-based information during this crisis. This article is an example of how Poynter is supporting the journalism industry and those who rely on it to make informed decisions about the health and wellbeing of their families and community. in honor of #GivingTuesdayNow — or as we like to call it, Giving Newsday — and contribute to this essential work. The first 100 donations of $100 on Tuesday will be matched 100% by a generous Poynter Foundation Board member. Thank you for reading and supporting Poynter.Usually, the annual Pulitzer Prizes announcements...…From the Poynter Institute:You need fact-based information during this crisis. This article is an example of how Poynter is supporting the journalism industry and those who rely on it to make informed decisions about the health and wellbeing of their families and community. in honor of #GivingTuesdayNow — or as we like to call it, Giving Newsday — and contribute to this essential work. The first 100 donations of $100 on Tuesday will be matched 100% by a generous Poynter Foundation Board member. Thank you for reading and supporting Poynter.Usually, the annual Pulitzer Prizes announcements...WW…

The winners and finalists of the Pulitzer Prizes show the impact of major breaking news, including , and ; the work that leads to change, including , the and ; and the topics that drive policy and politics, including and .This year, coverage of climate change fell into each of those buckets. It looks like the first time in at least the last 10 years (which is as far back as we checked), that climate change itself has been a topic of the work of winners and finalists.Staff of The Washington Post for “or a groundbreaking series that showed with scientific clarity the dire effects of extreme...…The winners and finalists of the Pulitzer Prizes show the impact of major breaking news, including , and ; the work that leads to change, including , the and ; and the topics that drive policy and politics, including and .This year, coverage of climate change fell into each of those buckets. It looks like the first time in at least the last 10 years (which is as far back as we checked), that climate change itself has been a topic of the work of winners and finalists.Staff of The Washington Post for “or a groundbreaking series that showed with scientific clarity the dire effects of extreme...WW…

I was getting ready for a Zoom writing workshop when my wife asked me “Uh, are you going to wear that T-shirt?” It is my favorite shirt, dark green with the brand name Converse across the chest. I had worn it the day before, worn it to bed, and was still wearing it after breakfast.I stepped into our closet and picked out a stylish aqua golf shirt, one I could wear almost anywhere in Florida under a sports coat. “How’s this?” I asked. “What about down there?” She stared down at my gray gym shorts. “It won’t matter. They can’t see it.”Hey, it’s a pandemic.We are living in a Zoom world, a...…I was getting ready for a Zoom writing workshop when my wife asked me “Uh, are you going to wear that T-shirt?” It is my favorite shirt, dark green with the brand name Converse across the chest. I had worn it the day before, worn it to bed, and was still wearing it after breakfast.I stepped into our closet and picked out a stylish aqua golf shirt, one I could wear almost anywhere in Florida under a sports coat. “How’s this?” I asked. “What about down there?” She stared down at my gray gym shorts. “It won’t matter. They can’t see it.”Hey, it’s a pandemic.We are living in a Zoom world, a...WW…

Editor’s note: This story has been updated to include more publicly announced layoffs. We’ll continue updating as we see them. It was last updated April 29. Three days after first reporting around the country, we still don’t yet have a clear picture of how many people and positions were affected.Without official word from Gannett or the newspapers impacted about numbers, we’re including each layoff that’s been reported by affected journalists on social media or otherwise reported elsewhere.Gannett in late 2019 to become the largest newspaper chain in the U.S. withAs we reported Friday, it’s...…Editor’s note: This story has been updated to include more publicly announced layoffs. We’ll continue updating as we see them. It was last updated April 29. Three days after first reporting around the country, we still don’t yet have a clear picture of how many people and positions were affected.Without official word from Gannett or the newspapers impacted about numbers, we’re including each layoff that’s been reported by affected journalists on social media or otherwise reported elsewhere.Gannett in late 2019 to become the largest newspaper chain in the U.S. withAs we reported Friday, it’s...WW…

This piece was co-published with the  Last year, I watched as Elisabeth Bumiller stood at a lectern in a hotel conference room in Washington, D.C., and described to a young audience of college newspaper editors her career path to one of the most influential positions in journalism: Washington bureau chief for The New York Times.With a hint of nostalgia, she drew a line all the way back beyond her college years, to a starting point decades in the past, when she was a teenage high school journalist at The Walnut Hills Chatterbox in Cincinnati, Ohio.Other American journalists of note also...…This piece was co-published with the  Last year, I watched as Elisabeth Bumiller stood at a lectern in a hotel conference room in Washington, D.C., and described to a young audience of college newspaper editors her career path to one of the most influential positions in journalism: Washington bureau chief for The New York Times.With a hint of nostalgia, she drew a line all the way back beyond her college years, to a starting point decades in the past, when she was a teenage high school journalist at The Walnut Hills Chatterbox in Cincinnati, Ohio.Other American journalists of note also...WW…

Advance Local followed Wednesday in announcing a series of pay cuts and furloughs to bring expenses down and ride out the deep advertising recession.The changes include pay cuts on a sliding scale from 2% to 20%, with higher salaried staff taking higher percentage reductions, effective May through the end of the year.Most employees will be expected to take two weeks of furloughs in that period, though those plans are fluid.And the company will suspend matching 401(k) contributions.Caroline Harrison, who became Advance Local’s CEO earlier this year, wrote that the cost savings were...…Advance Local followed Wednesday in announcing a series of pay cuts and furloughs to bring expenses down and ride out the deep advertising recession.The changes include pay cuts on a sliding scale from 2% to 20%, with higher salaried staff taking higher percentage reductions, effective May through the end of the year.Most employees will be expected to take two weeks of furloughs in that period, though those plans are fluid.And the company will suspend matching 401(k) contributions.Caroline Harrison, who became Advance Local’s CEO earlier this year, wrote that the cost savings were...WW…

While is low around much of the world, trust in the that have emerged in recent years is. This level of confidence is, however, nowhere near as high as fact-checkers want it to be. This is why the International Fact-Checking Network (IFCN) carried out a six-month review of our for fact-checkers completed this earlier this year.Our code — to help the public distinguish between non-partisan fact-checkers and the sort of initiatives launched by politicians and their allies worldwide — is followed today by operating in 48 countries.Code signatories range from big beasts of traditional media...…While is low around much of the world, trust in the that have emerged in recent years is. This level of confidence is, however, nowhere near as high as fact-checkers want it to be. This is why the International Fact-Checking Network (IFCN) carried out a six-month review of our for fact-checkers completed this earlier this year.Our code — to help the public distinguish between non-partisan fact-checkers and the sort of initiatives launched by politicians and their allies worldwide — is followed today by operating in 48 countries.Code signatories range from big beasts of traditional media...WW…

The Poynter Report is our daily media newsletter. To have it delivered to your inbox Monday-Friday, click .Throughout this coronavirus pandemic, terrific work is being done by news organizations, big and small, throughout the country. To single out just one wouldn’t be fair.But I will anyway.The New York Times, again and again, has produced impactful journalism that sets it apart from most, if not all, news outlets during this time. When I asked Times executive editor Dean Baquet a week ago what the key was, , “I think the best thinking we have tried to convey is to remind people of the...…The Poynter Report is our daily media newsletter. To have it delivered to your inbox Monday-Friday, click .Throughout this coronavirus pandemic, terrific work is being done by news organizations, big and small, throughout the country. To single out just one wouldn’t be fair.But I will anyway.The New York Times, again and again, has produced impactful journalism that sets it apart from most, if not all, news outlets during this time. When I asked Times executive editor Dean Baquet a week ago what the key was, , “I think the best thinking we have tried to convey is to remind people of the...WW…

Gannett advised in a memo to staff this morning that it will be instituting furloughs and other cost reductions in response to big advertising declines.The note from operating CEO Paul Bascobert said details would follow as regional executives determine their plans.A separate memo from Maribel Wadsworth, president news at Gannett and publisher of USA Today, said that reporters and editors who earn more than $38,000 annually will be scheduled to take an unpaid week off on a rotating basis.Gannett has used the same pattern in the past. It allows those affected to arrange a gig to earn some...…Gannett advised in a memo to staff this morning that it will be instituting furloughs and other cost reductions in response to big advertising declines.The note from operating CEO Paul Bascobert said details would follow as regional executives determine their plans.A separate memo from Maribel Wadsworth, president news at Gannett and publisher of USA Today, said that reporters and editors who earn more than $38,000 annually will be scheduled to take an unpaid week off on a rotating basis.Gannett has used the same pattern in the past. It allows those affected to arrange a gig to earn some...WW…

For two years now many news sites have turned to digital subscriptions as a financial lifeline. With a global pandemic upon us, editors and publishers have been asking if now is the time to reverse course and make their news free again, at least temporarily?Poynter’s business analyst Rick Edmonds discussed this dilemma with Kelly McBride, the chair of the Craig Newmark Center for Ethics and Leadership.Edmonds: Two reporters have called me last week for comment about papers (the Los Angeles Times and The Boston Globe) that have kept their paywall up for much of their coronavirus coverage....…For two years now many news sites have turned to digital subscriptions as a financial lifeline. With a global pandemic upon us, editors and publishers have been asking if now is the time to reverse course and make their news free again, at least temporarily?Poynter’s business analyst Rick Edmonds discussed this dilemma with Kelly McBride, the chair of the Craig Newmark Center for Ethics and Leadership.Edmonds: Two reporters have called me last week for comment about papers (the Los Angeles Times and The Boston Globe) that have kept their paywall up for much of their coronavirus coverage....WW…

Lee Enterprises joined the list of news organizations hit hard by the coronavirus on Tuesday. In a memo to staff that Poynter obtained, Lee President and CEO Kevin Mowbray thanked employees “for being there when it counts most.” The news of pay cuts and furloughs came nine paragraphs later.Unfortunately, even our best efforts cannot overshadow the fact that our advertising revenue has been dramatically impacted now and for the near future. To ensure our own sustainability, it’s important that we manage the economic impact to our company. The sacrifices we make now will minimize the...…Lee Enterprises joined the list of news organizations hit hard by the coronavirus on Tuesday. In a memo to staff that Poynter obtained, Lee President and CEO Kevin Mowbray thanked employees “for being there when it counts most.” The news of pay cuts and furloughs came nine paragraphs later.Unfortunately, even our best efforts cannot overshadow the fact that our advertising revenue has been dramatically impacted now and for the near future. To ensure our own sustainability, it’s important that we manage the economic impact to our company. The sacrifices we make now will minimize the...WW…

Local newsrooms are so pressed for cash that historic taboos on asking for government assistance seem to have melted away.As the applications for federal coronavirus relief loans open, many newsroom leaders and industry lobbyists have suggested they’ll seek a piece of the action, and possibly seek permanent help down the line. Hard times or no, this would be an unprecedented step into new ethics territory for most of American journalism.Poynter’s business analyst Rick Edmonds and Kelly McBride, the chair of the Craig Newmark Center for Ethics and Leadership, discuss the pros and...…Local newsrooms are so pressed for cash that historic taboos on asking for government assistance seem to have melted away.As the applications for federal coronavirus relief loans open, many newsroom leaders and industry lobbyists have suggested they’ll seek a piece of the action, and possibly seek permanent help down the line. Hard times or no, this would be an unprecedented step into new ethics territory for most of American journalism.Poynter’s business analyst Rick Edmonds and Kelly McBride, the chair of the Craig Newmark Center for Ethics and Leadership, discuss the pros and...WW…

Everything is strange now.Your living room may be your office. Your dining room may be your child’s classroom.Photos of you and your friends gathered for a birthday party or after-work social now look like they’re from another dimension — though it was still your reality just a month ago.You have more family time than ever with your young ones at home or no contact at all with your senior relatives in a care center.You may no longer have a job at the restaurant that just a few weeks ago was prepping for March Madness.You may be scared to go to your job, deemed essential by the authorities,...…Everything is strange now.Your living room may be your office. Your dining room may be your child’s classroom.Photos of you and your friends gathered for a birthday party or after-work social now look like they’re from another dimension — though it was still your reality just a month ago.You have more family time than ever with your young ones at home or no contact at all with your senior relatives in a care center.You may no longer have a job at the restaurant that just a few weeks ago was prepping for March Madness.You may be scared to go to your job, deemed essential by the authorities,...WW…

The Poynter Institute is pleased to announce that it is dropping tuition for all News University webinars and self-directed courses.As a service to the journalism education community in this challenging period, Poynter is offering its online catalog free for a limited time to help educators and students affected by COVID-19 (coronavirus).Schools rely on Poynter and News University for online instruction in journalism, advertising, public relations and other communications classes because of the high-quality, easy-to-use and engaging format.Below are a few of News University’s most popular...…The Poynter Institute is pleased to announce that it is dropping tuition for all News University webinars and self-directed courses.As a service to the journalism education community in this challenging period, Poynter is offering its online catalog free for a limited time to help educators and students affected by COVID-19 (coronavirus).Schools rely on Poynter and News University for online instruction in journalism, advertising, public relations and other communications classes because of the high-quality, easy-to-use and engaging format.Below are a few of News University’s most popular...WW…

This post has been updated to include information about a new matching offer from Apollo Global Management.A Reuters report Friday morning quoted “sources” saying Gray Television has .Late Friday night, The Wall Street Journal reported Apollo Global Management said it would . Apollo said its offer would be in all cash.The initial report sent Tegna stock soaring even while the broader stock markets tanked for a second straight day.The Reuters story comes a week after Gray and Tegna announced a deal in which Gray bought minority ownership in Tegna’s over-the-top television advertising unit, ....…This post has been updated to include information about a new matching offer from Apollo Global Management.A Reuters report Friday morning quoted “sources” saying Gray Television has .Late Friday night, The Wall Street Journal reported Apollo Global Management said it would . Apollo said its offer would be in all cash.The initial report sent Tegna stock soaring even while the broader stock markets tanked for a second straight day.The Reuters story comes a week after Gray and Tegna announced a deal in which Gray bought minority ownership in Tegna’s over-the-top television advertising unit, ....WW…

What if your boss told you that you weren’t allowed to vote?If you’re a journalist, it’s not unheard of for your manager to rule out this basic civic right. A core journalistic value is objectivity, and voting in a primary that involves publicly declaring yourself a D or an R compromises the public perception of a journalist’s neutrality.Every four years the journalism profession has this argument. As primary season barrels toward us, these disagreements are heating up among journalists who advocate for participating, even if there is a public record of affiliation, and those who believe we...…What if your boss told you that you weren’t allowed to vote?If you’re a journalist, it’s not unheard of for your manager to rule out this basic civic right. A core journalistic value is objectivity, and voting in a primary that involves publicly declaring yourself a D or an R compromises the public perception of a journalist’s neutrality.Every four years the journalism profession has this argument. As primary season barrels toward us, these disagreements are heating up among journalists who advocate for participating, even if there is a public record of affiliation, and those who believe we...WW…

Let’s see if you can guess where this passage comes from:I don’t know of any journalist who sets out to scare people, but reporters may unintentionally alarm their audiences with shoddy coverage of a virus that’s entered a frenzied news cycle that may lead to panic and ineffective overreaction.It’s time we start thinking carefully about the headlines and images we use to cover this story. Context is critical, and there are important local stories to be told that don’t emphasize the virus’ doom and gloom.. And here we are again.Let’s be clear: There is no law that says every time journalists...…Let’s see if you can guess where this passage comes from:I don’t know of any journalist who sets out to scare people, but reporters may unintentionally alarm their audiences with shoddy coverage of a virus that’s entered a frenzied news cycle that may lead to panic and ineffective overreaction.It’s time we start thinking carefully about the headlines and images we use to cover this story. Context is critical, and there are important local stories to be told that don’t emphasize the virus’ doom and gloom.. And here we are again.Let’s be clear: There is no law that says every time journalists...WW…

Your Friday Poynter ReportThe Poynter Report is our daily media newsletter. To have it delivered to your inbox Monday-Friday, click . Remarkable that we’ve come across a bigger story than the presidential election, even as we approach a pivotal primary this weekend and Super Tuesday next week.Yet the lead story on each of the network evening news broadcasts on Thursday — as well as the websites of The Washington Post, The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal — was the coronavirus.So where is the best place to get coronavirus news?Let’s start with this: It’s a science story, not a...…Your Friday Poynter ReportThe Poynter Report is our daily media newsletter. To have it delivered to your inbox Monday-Friday, click . Remarkable that we’ve come across a bigger story than the presidential election, even as we approach a pivotal primary this weekend and Super Tuesday next week.Yet the lead story on each of the network evening news broadcasts on Thursday — as well as the websites of The Washington Post, The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal — was the coronavirus.So where is the best place to get coronavirus news?Let’s start with this: It’s a science story, not a...WW…

Your Wednesday Poynter ReportThe Poynter Report is our daily media newsletter. To have it delivered to your inbox Monday-Friday, click .Moderating a debate is not easy. We know that because we’ve seen more examples of it done poorly than done well.While it’s a difficult job, unfortunately the CBS moderators in Tuesday’s Democratic debate had a lousy night.Chaos was the theme. There was yelling, there were insults, talking over one another and constant interruptions. In short, it was a mess. The candidates, certainly, played a big role in the disorder, but the moderators did little to stop...…Your Wednesday Poynter ReportThe Poynter Report is our daily media newsletter. To have it delivered to your inbox Monday-Friday, click .Moderating a debate is not easy. We know that because we’ve seen more examples of it done poorly than done well.While it’s a difficult job, unfortunately the CBS moderators in Tuesday’s Democratic debate had a lousy night.Chaos was the theme. There was yelling, there were insults, talking over one another and constant interruptions. In short, it was a mess. The candidates, certainly, played a big role in the disorder, but the moderators did little to stop...WW…

Layoffs continued Thursday at Gannett newspapers, which recently merged with GateHouse to form the nation’s largest newspaper chain.At publication time, a tracking the layoffs listed 17 newspapers affected, with 29 total newsroom personnel laid off. Forty additional people were eliminated from pressroom positions at the Springfield (Missouri) News-Leader, which it was shutting down its press operations and printing instead in Columbia, Missouri.The action had been forecast by several, including .In an earnings call Thursday morning, the company posted a large loss for the fourth quarter,...…Layoffs continued Thursday at Gannett newspapers, which recently merged with GateHouse to form the nation’s largest newspaper chain.At publication time, a tracking the layoffs listed 17 newspapers affected, with 29 total newsroom personnel laid off. Forty additional people were eliminated from pressroom positions at the Springfield (Missouri) News-Leader, which it was shutting down its press operations and printing instead in Columbia, Missouri.The action had been forecast by several, including .In an earnings call Thursday morning, the company posted a large loss for the fourth quarter,...WW…