The Latest Media News Topography of a news ecosystem: A first-of-its-kind study diagnoses the local news crisis in a single stateMedia scholars at the University of Maryland documented the spread of local news dead spots — and unexpected vibrant areas — in that state. $12 million Global Fact Check Fund opens applications for second year of grantsA partnership between Poynter’s International Fact-Checking Network and Google and YouTube continues to support fact-checking initiatives worldwide A columnist made a controversial introduction to Caitlin ClarkIndyStar sports columnist Gregg Doyel has been crushed online and accused of being creepy, sexist and worse. He’s since apologized multiple times ‘Satanic rituals’ at Taylor Swift shows? That’s false. And experts say the attack isn’t new.Experts say musicians have been accused of performing satanic rituals for decades How a longtime film critic’s death represents the great dissolve of local film criticismBryan VanCampen of The Ithaca Times was an institution in the central New York college town of 32,000. He might have been the last of his kind. An NPR editor is now a former NPR editor after his resignationUri Berliner, an NPR business editor who wrote a scathing essay about his organization in another publication, no longer works at NPR. No, Stormy Daniels didn’t ‘exonerate’ Donald TrumpThe adult film actor denied she had an affair with Trump in a 2018 statement. She has since recanted that statement. NPR suspends an editor for his essay blasting … NPRThe firestorm caused by Uri Berliner’s critical essay in The Free Press continues to rage Taylor Swift has not endorsed Joe Biden for presidentAs of mid-April 2024, Swift has not issued a public endorsement for the 2024 presidential election, despite social posts claiming otherwise Reaching its limits: CNN’s Gayle King-Charles Barkley show endsA once-a-week show on Wednesday at 10 p.m. Eastern? Who thought this was a good idea? Two new books are essential reading for anyone considering a news startupOne tells the stories of entrepreneurs taking the plunge. The other focuses on the tools, techniques and trends across an evolving media landscape ‘I’m seeing on a very personal level how challenging it is to be a younger reporter these days.’The Dallas Morning News’ Tom Huang on why he’s championing this Poynter training for early-career journalists A New Jersey doctor’s office notice not proof of COVID-19 vaccines’ danger to young athletesScientific studies have found no link between COVID-19 vaccines and sudden cardiac deaths in youth athletes. What is the best sports documentary of all time?The five-part, 467-minute ‘O.J.: Made in America’ doc is a masterpiece. I urge you to watch it. Fact-checking Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago press conference with Mike JohnsonIn a televised press conference after Trump’s and Johnson’s remarks April 12, Trump made several false or misleading comments. O.J. Simpson, whose murder trial reshaped the media, dies at 76Simpson’s trial lured a nation to its TVs, launched a network, created enduring ethics case studies and led to numerous career breakouts. A fact-checker’s guide to Trump’s first criminal trial: business records, hush money and a gag orderTrump faces 34 counts of falsifying business records to cover up a payment to adult film actor Stormy Daniels. Grant applications now open to support reporting on transgender issuesThe Gill Foundation has partnered with Poynter’s Beat Academy to train local journalists to serve as accurate, authoritative voices Republican lawmaker crushes Tucker Carlson with surprisingly legitimate commentaryTexas Congressman Dan Crenshaw blasted the former Fox News host for being a ‘click-chaser’ in a capable rant on X. Donald Trump said all legal scholars, ‘on both sides,’ wanted federal abortion law overturned. That’s wrong.Roe v. Wade inspired legions of supporters and opponents. Before the 2022 ruling, numerous legal scholars urged the Supreme Court to uphold it. TV networks want Biden and Trump to debate. What’s the point?Debates offer Americans a chance to see candidates answer tough questions, with journalistically sound pushback, about topics crucial to the country AI is already reshaping newsrooms, AP study findsDespite ethical concerns, nearly 70% of newsroom staffers recruited for an Associated Press survey say they’re using generative AI to create content The International Fact-Checking Network’s statement on proposed legislation before the Georgian parliamentThe IFCN supports press freedom for all fact-checkers, including FactCheck Georgia and Myth Detector Newsrooms should treat the electorate like the hiring committee it actually isAt its core, the electorate is a hiring committee for public servants. Yet very few of the best practices for hiring are followed in the process. Donald Trump is wrong on Democrats’ abortion stance. They don’t support the ‘execution’ of babiesWillfully terminating a newborn’s life is illegal in every state and situations resulting in a fetal death in the third trimester are exceedingly rare Where did the sun go? A look back at a special day and the media coverage around itNews networks went all-in on coverage of what was just the second total solar eclipse visible from the US during the 21st century. At nonprofit newsrooms, is good journalism but sparse audiences a recipe for irrelevance?Nonprofits offer hope in a dire media world. But, at too many startups, disappointingly few readers actually see the work. RFK Jr. said that Jan. 6 ‘protestors carried no weapons.’ Evidence shows that’s not true129 defendants charged in the attack were charged with ‘using a deadly or dangerous weapon or causing serious bodily injury to an officer’ Here’s your chance to train with a journalist so dedicated, he’ll walk to work in a blizzardKerwin Speight is leading the Poynter Producer Project, a workshop designed to enhance the skills of TV and video producers Women’s basketball takes the spotlight with sensational performances … on and off the courtThis weekend’s games shattered ESPN’s viewership numbers for all basketball games — men and women, college and professional. Gannett journalists in the solar eclipse’s path go on strikeUnionized workers at the Austin American-Statesman and the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle are striking over stalled contract negotiations Is CERN activating the world’s most powerful particle accelerator for the April 8 eclipse? NoCERN restarted its Large Hadron Collider after a regular winter stop for maintenance. It is unrelated to the eclipse. Associated Press Stylebook makes Merriam-Webster its official dictionaryIf a term isn’t listed in the stylebook, its entry in Merriam-Webster will be considered AP style. What’s going on with the NFL Network?The NFL appears to be sabotaging ‘Good Morning Football,’ one of the best sports studio shows on TV. Why? Are you an early-career reporter looking to level up? We’re here to help.Pulitzer Prize winner Kat McGrory is one of the instructors in Poynter's upcoming Reporter's Toolkit training program No, crime has not ‘skyrocketed’ under Joe Biden, as Rep. Nancy Mace claimedOverall violent crime and homicides are down during Biden’s presidency. Some property crimes are also down, though motor vehicle theft notably rose What’s next for Disney and CEO Bob Iger after a record-breakingly expensive corporate proxy fight?Iger’s current contract runs through 2026. Then what? Why health fact-checking is still importantIt’s not just COVID — it’s measles, HPV, fake cures and more We need spin-checking in addition to fact-checkingFact-checkers can also deconstruct political narratives to help the public AI can help fact-checking. We’ve already seen itIn India, fact-checkers are using AI and high-quality datasets to surface the best evidence in countering misinformation. How Elon Musk has amplified falsehoods about immigration and votingIn the last three months, Musk has flooded X with dozens of posts that speak to a conspiracy theory about Democrats using immigrants to grab power Fact-checking grows but concerns remain over funding, harassment, report findsThe 2023 State of the Fact-Checkers report surveyed 137 fact-checking organizations across at least 69 countries Elon Musk hired safety chiefs for X. Will it actually get safer?Based on Musk’s history as the owner of the social network, you can see why the news has been met with skepticism. Who should fact-check the fact-checkers? EveryoneTransparency of sources is the key to evaluating the work of any fact-checker Fact-checking’s impact on elections: A case study from PortugalElections are the ultimate expression of democracy and the prime metric for assessing the influence of fact-checking within democratic societies Why the federal government is paying upfront to fix the Baltimore bridgeThe federal government stepping in to pay to rebuild the bridge doesn’t necessarily mean taxpayers will cover the entire bill Kim Mulkey, a tough coach, overreacts to a critical profileWashington Post reporter Kent Babb’s hotly anticipated profile was full of standard, thorough reporting — hardly the ‘hit piece’ Mulkey had described Let’s say it plainly: Fact-checking is not censorshipFact-checking adds to the public debate; it doesn’t suppress it WATCH: What they don’t teach in J-schoolPoynter convened a panel discussion with industry experts on the skills reporters learn on the job Journalism schools must move beyond reporting to prepare graduates for modern media rolesAs journalism rapidly evolves, J-schools must think critically about curriculums and equip graduates with skills for emerging roles across media. Related Training WebinarNewsroom Readiness CertificateGet ready for your first newsroom job by covering the basics of newsgathering, interviewing, media law, ethics and diversityStart anytimeBarbara Allen$29.95 NewsU WebinarHow to Surface Stories in a Saturated Social Media Environment with DataminrGet an inside look at how more than 400 newsrooms use Dataminr, a tool that identifies breaking news and pre-viral stories. Replay on demandBarbara GrayFreeThis webinar is free thanks to the generous support of our sponsor, Dataminr.
