In Case You Missed It

Gawker Tom Scocca

Gawker was murdered

"If you want to write stories that might anger a billionaire, you need to work for another billionaire yourself, or for a billion-dollar corporation. The law will not protect you. There is no freedom in this world but power and money."

Sports Illustrated RICHARD DEITSCH

How the Ryan Lochte news broke

A chance meeting with the Olympic swimmer's mom put a global story into motion.

Gawker Choire Sicha

What Gawker accomplished

The former Gawker editor weighs in on the publication's last day. " The moment will come soon enough when you need a Gawker, and you’ll be furious that you no longer have one."

The Next Web Bryan Clark

Facebook Live will soon allow two-person broadcasts

"We are now starting to roll out this new capability, starting with a small number of public figures and Pages."

Digiday Max Willens

Facebook suspends analytics tool for publishers

"On the last day of June, Facebook dammed up a stream of audience data that publishers once used to see how their content performed inside Facebook. Late last week, it acknowledged that it may not turn the tap back on, either."

Ad Age Jeremy Barr

Huffington Post CEO Jared Grusd discusses the path forward

When will a new editor in chief be picked? "The most important piece is that we find the perfect person who celebrates our identity and our values and our mission. And I don't have a timeframe for when that will be picked or announced. "

Politico Joe Pompeo

Time Inc. to cut "a few dozen" reporters

"Sources said the cuts are roughly evenly distributed across Time Inc’s two-dozen or so U.S. titles, which include Time, Fortune, Sports Illustrated, People, Entertainment Weekly and InStyle."

BuzzFeed Ema O'Connor

BuzzFeed debunks those #HillarysHealth reports

"The top hit for 'Hillary Clinton illness' is a selfie-video filmed by a man in his car, entitled 'Hillary Clinton Parkinson’s Disease EXPOSED.' The video cites a fainting spell Clinton suffered in 2012 caused by a stomach virus, as supposed evidence of her having Parkinson’s."

The New York Times Richard Sandomir

Ryan Lochte’s evolving story faced little resistance from NBC

"'He lied,' Roker, usually the cheerful weatherman, said insistently. "He lied to you. He lied to Matt Lauer. He lied to his mom. He left his teammates hanging while he skedaddled.'"

Annenberg Public Policy Center Staff

A guide to covering Zika

This guide offers guidance for journalists working in print, video and the web.

CNN Money Jackie Wattles

George Curry, a champion of black press, dies at 69

"For decades, Curry had written columns that appeared in papers across the country. He was also the founding editor of the award-winning Emerge magazine."

The New Yorker John Cassidy

What are Donald Trump, Roger Ailes and Steve Bannon really up to?

"As part of his lucrative severance package from Rupert Murdoch’s 21st Century Fox, Ailes almost certainly signed a noncompete agreement. But how long does it last? And does it preclude him from providing some informal advice to an old friend?"

CNN Brian Stelter

When campaign aides spin, interviewers must un-wind them

"This week it was really obvious and painful to watch on the Trump side."

The New York Times Jim Rutenberg

Sean Hannity turns adviser in service of Donald Trump

"Several people I’ve spoken with over the last couple of weeks said Mr. Hannity had for months peppered Mr. Trump, his family members and advisers with suggestions on strategy and messaging."

Digiday Lucia Moses

How Bustle gets people to average 6 minutes on its app

"It’s hard to train people to use a new mobile app, but the lifestyle site found a way to connect with its core fans by capitalizing on its young female audience’s interest in popular TV shows."

In case you missed it

Gawker Tom Scocca

Gawker was murdered

"If you want to write stories that might anger a billionaire, you need to work for another billionaire yourself, or for a billion-dollar corporation. The law will not protect you. There is no freedom in this world but power and money."

Sports Illustrated RICHARD DEITSCH

How the Ryan Lochte news broke

A chance meeting with the Olympic swimmer's mom put a global story into motion.

Gawker Choire Sicha

What Gawker accomplished

The former Gawker editor weighs in on the publication's last day. " The moment will come soon enough when you need a Gawker, and you’ll be furious that you no longer have one."

ADVERTISEMENTS

Training

Seminars and classes about journalism

Coffee Break Course

A two-minute course from News University

How to plan your audio options before you start your story

Producing an effective audio narrative starts with extensive planning well before picking up a mic.

When you’re considering audio treatment for a story, make a list of all possible sound sources at the primary physical location. Public events, for instance, are usually a great opportunity to get sound: There are plenty of voices (and interview opportunities), and there might be music, speeches, cheering and other “crowd” noises. These important sound elements would help set the scene.

Make similar lists for secondary locations, especially if the main scene appears “sound sterile.” For instance, reporting on court cases or business takeovers can require thinking creatively about ways to set the scene outside the primary physical location of the story. Sometimes that requires a visit to a background location: A reporter might tape the freeway traffic that rushes by a community that’s part of a class-action lawsuit, or capture audio of employees chatting in the cafeteria of a company that’s about to go on the stock market in an IPO.

Also consider familiar sounds to create a sense of place — factory noises, the crack of a bat, crashing waves, church bells.

Taken from Telling Stories with Sound, a self-directed course by Andrew DeVigal and Casey Frechette at Poynter NewsU.

Take the full course

Have you missed a Coffee Break Course? Here's our complete lineup. Or follow along at #coffeebreakcourse.

Poynter's News University

Poynter's News University is the world's most innovative journalism and media e-learning program. From mobile tools and social media strategies to writing and reporting techniques, we've got more than 400 free and low-cost courses to build your career. Whether it’s an interactive program or on-demand video teaching, our online training lets you learn on your own schedule, anytime, anywhere. Put the power of NewsU training to work in your newsroom, your classroom and your organization.

On Campus & Around the World

Join Poynter faculty and the industry’s brightest minds and most accomplished journalists and educators for several days of intensive learning on our campus in St. Petersburg , Florida or at locations around the world. Our seminars are designed to sharpen your skills, elevate your career and ignite your imagination.

Upcoming Seminars & Events

Private Programs and Training Partnerships

Poynter faculty teach in newsrooms, classrooms and conference rooms all around the world. Since 2014, we have forged training partnerships with more than 20 major media and educational organizations including Gannett, McClatchy, Google, AP, National Geographic and Univision. From training programs for your entire organization to individual coaching, we can create programs to focus on your specific training needs.

Learn more

Get Poynter Prepared

Get a personalized training experience with our Poynter Prepared Membership Program. With each membership level, you will have access to instant perks, services and benefits that will help you on your way to career success. Available benefits include exclusive invitations, free courses, discounts on all Poynter training and private coaching by Poynter faculty. We will help you be a better journalist. And you'll help Poynter advance journalism and support democracy on a global scale.

Become a member

About Poynter

A global leader in journalism. Strengthening democracy.

The Poynter Story

Since its founding in 1975, The Poynter Institute has had one goal: to elevate journalism. More than 40 years later, our role in strengthening democracy has never been more important.

Each year, Poynter reaches thousands of journalists around the world through a combination of seminars in St. Petersburg and around the globe, e-learning courses through News University, our news and information site on Poynter.org, and much much more. Last year alone, we trained journalists from 126 countries and have forged training partnerships with more than 20 major media organizations, including Gannett, Google, National Geographic and Univision.

Learn more

Our Communities

For 40 years, The Poynter Institute has had one goal: to make journalism better. Whether you’re a journalist working in a newsroom, an entrepreneur looking to scale your startup, an educator looking for resources to help you and your students, or a media organization seeking a training partner, Poynter can help.

Let Poynter connect you with the community to meet your unique training needs.

Looking for other ways to connect with Poynter? Visit Poynter's Facebook page and join our Linked-In group.

Learn More

Events

Poynter offers a variety of events that help members of the community better understand issues surrounding journalism and the people who produce it. Speakers have ranged from political contributor and strategist Ana Navarro, to satirist and author Andy Borowitz, MSNBC’s Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski, and a number of Pulitzer Prize winners including David Barstow of The New York Times, Tim Nickens and Dan Ruth of the Tampa Bay Times, and David Maraniss of The Washington Post.

See our lineup

Thought Leadership

Poynter regularly brings together media executives, journalists, technologists and academics to share ideas and expertise focused on the future of news. From audience engagement and mobile newsgathering to issues of sustainable news models, you’ll hear robust discussion around the intersection of journalism, technology and the public interest.

Support Poynter

The Institute’s role in strengthening democracy has never been more important. Your support makes a difference in the lives of journalists and the citizens they serve. Please consider making a gift to the Institute to advance journalism and democracy during this age of profound change.

Support Poynter