IFCN director previews global summit as fact-checkers regroup in Rio de Janeiro
Q&A with Angie Drobnic Holan outlines GlobalFact 12 plans as 350 fact-checkers gather amid rising harassment, funding cuts and other challenges
News
Opinion | ‘Extraordinary and unprecedented’: The media reaction to Trump’s Iran attack
Trump’s order to bomb Iran drew sharp media scrutiny over its timing, global risks and potential to drag the US into war
Trump’s strike on Iran revives decades-old fight over war powers and presidential authority
The strike bypassed congressional approval, deepening a bipartisan debate over how much power the president should have to launch attacks
The Democratic Party’s latest messaging strategy? A daily YouTube news show
The Daily Blueprint joins the DNC’s growing collection of media tactics to counteract Trump and the GOP
Fact-checkers persevere as politicians, platforms turn up heat
The number of fact-checking projects has remained roughly consistent in recent years, with a slight decrease so far in 2025, Duke Reporters Lab finds
‘One Big Beautiful Bill’ could block AI regulations for 10 years, leaving its harms unchecked
A Trump-backed provision in Congress’s sweeping bill would block states from regulating AI for a decade unless they give up broadband funds
Opinion | Should journalism embrace AI? Or run from it?
In the latest episode of ‘The Poynter Report Podcast,’ Alex Mahadevan explores what AI means for journalism and why reporters may not need to panic
Business & Work
Americans turn to social media and video for news more than any other source
A new Reuters Institute report also found that 7% of Americans use AI chatbots to access news
Inside the 5-year strategy to create a paid CNN
A familiar New York Times playbook — verticals, bundles and slow iteration — is taking shape at CNN as the network looks beyond cable
Facing severe budget cuts, a local television station leaned on its community — and succeeded
Prince George’s Community Television in Maryland saw an impending 75% budget slash. Instead of capitulating, the station made its value known
AI is giving local news a second chance. Will it be ready this time?
Journalism professor Tom Rosenstiel urges newsrooms to avoid the mistakes of the internet era and build smarter, more useful AI tools
Commentary
Why the rise of social media has given us a less happy, more polarized and dangerous world
In his most recent book, ‘Superbloom,’ Nicholas Carr picks up where ‘The Shallows’ left off
Opinion | 10 years of Trump, 10 years of media attacks
Donald Trump has turned phrases like ‘fake news’ and ‘enemy of the people’ into rallying cries to undermine the free press
Opinion | A new twist in the case of missing American journalist Austin Tice, but no clear answers
A former Assad insider points to a 2013 execution order. His credibility — and motives — are far from certain.
Opinion | The U.S. government is one step closer to defunding NPR, PBS
On Thursday, the House voted to cut $1.1 billion in funding for public media, which, if passed by the Senate, will hurt local stations most.
Educators & Students
The detention of a Tufts University student might force changes in student media policies
Student journalists are weighing new editorial risks after ICE detained a Tufts student who co-wrote a column criticizing university policy
ASU is launching a $14.5 million center to speed up journalism’s transformation
The Knight Center for the Future of News aims to help strengthen local and regional journalism by bringing educators, research and newsrooms together
America’s top journalism schools may lose a generation of international talent
The Trump administration is pausing visa interviews for students and fellows while it drafts new vetting rules
Student journalists are doing the work many newsrooms can’t afford
A growing movement has students covering towns their local papers can no longer reach
Ethics & Trust
Opinion | ‘We are the times’: What Pope Leo XIV and St. Augustine can teach journalists about leadership
As trust erodes and challenges mount, Pope Leo XIV and St. Augustine offer a guide for leading with integrity
Opinion | Why ‘nonlethal’ isn’t the right word for the weapons used on journalists
Rubber bullets and tear gas can maim or kill. Media outlets should call them what they are: less-lethal weapons
Opinion | ‘Nosotros somos los tiempos’: Lo que el Papa León XIV y San Agustín enseñan a líderes periodistas
El Papa León XIV y San Agustín ofrecen una guía para liderar con integridad
Journalists are using AI. They should be talking to their audience about it.
A new toolkit from Poynter’s MediaWise, in collaboration with AP, aims to make that easier, reduce consumer anxiety through AI literacy
Fact-Checking
Mike Lee baselessly blamed ‘Marxists’ after the Minnesota lawmaker shooting
The suspect supported Trump and opposed abortion, according to those who knew him
10 years after Trump’s first speech, we’re still fact-checking the same false claims
From immigration to trade to job numbers, the Trump Tower campaign launch set the tone for a presidency built on misinformation
The International Fact-Checking Network’s statement on proposed legislation in Hungary
The IFCN supports press freedom for all fact-checkers, including Lakmusz
How conservative X accounts promoted a wild theory implicating Gov. Tim Walz in a lawmaker’s killing
The baseless theory hinges on a routine board appointment and distorted details about the victims
From the Institute
Poynter creates Roy Peter Clark Chair for Writing and Editing in honor of writing coach
$500,000 fundraising campaign begins to expand writing programs
Poynter and the DC Public Library host events on misinformation and understanding the news
Activities include interactive exhibit, media literacy workshops and a press freedom discussion featuring veteran television anchor Chris Wallace
‘I want to give early-career reporters the best shot at launching their careers.’
A Q&A with Poynter adjunct faculty Tom Huang about the course that unlocks the secrets reporters used to pick up in the newsroom
Poynter launches new era of leadership development, names 25 journalists to reimagined academy
These experienced managers and leaders join an updated flagship leadership program tailored to today's evolving newsroom demands
ICYMI
South Korea’s fact-checking future is uncertain as a key donor retreats
The withdrawal of funding from ‘the Google of South Korea’ has left SNU FactCheck scrambling to find a new sponsor. A shutdown looms.
Mongolia moves to seize power to shut down internet, control social media
In an expedited process, 77% of parliament members voted in favor of legislation that sharply limits government criticism.
IFCN
As threats grow, fact-checkers double down on standards, IFCN report finds
IFCN reviewed 226 applications in 2024 and certified 116 organizations, bringing the total number of verified fact-checkers to 182 across 57 countries
Meet the 2025 recipients of IFCN’s grants
BUILD grants provide operational support to fact-checkers working to provide accurate, trustworthy information in their communities
Brazilian jurists Alexandre de Moraes, Cármen Lúcia join experts on fact-checking and democracy as speakers at GlobalFact 12
Other speakers at the fact-checking summit include Jorge Messias, Patricia Campos Mello, Laura Zommer and Jaime Abello.
The International Fact-Checking Network’s statement on threats against Tempo in Indonesia
Leading news outlet received both off-line and online harassment amid growing pressure on independent media
Locally
In Northern California, one news outlet commits to representing an entire community with fairness and curiosity
Shasta Scout founder Annelise Pierce says curiosity and a want to understand drives her approach to local news
In a nation of news deserts, are there news rainforests, too? If so, where?
Even idealistic digital startups tend to head where the money is.
A university steps in with a new model for preserving local news
The nonprofit NEWSWELL, a project of Arizona State University, offers an innovative approach for giving newsrooms the support they need
‘Meet people, spot talent, give them the chance’
How nonprofit startup the Mississippi Free Press built an inclusive newsroom to connect with a statewide audience
News Releases
25 public media stations to begin training in Advanced Digital Transformation Program
CPB-funded Poynter Institute Advanced Track training fosters greater digital innovation and growth across public media
Newsletters
Opinion | Despite what your feed shows, Los Angeles isn’t a war zone
Protests are unpredictable, but misinformation, old footage and political spin are distorting what’s really happening amid the immigration protests
Opinion | Terry Moran is out at ABC News. His tweet did what critics of the media wanted.
ABC’s decision ends a decadeslong career and plays directly into the right-wing narrative about media bias
Opinion | Journalists were injured — and maybe even targeted — while covering immigration protests in Los Angeles
An Australian reporter was shot during a live report — part of a troubling pattern of police injuring journalists covering protests in LA
Opinion | ABC News suspended Terry Moran for a Trump post the right is using to claim media bias
The veteran correspondent called Trump and Stephen Miller ‘world-class haters.’ ABC says that crossed a line, but critics call it caving to pressure.
PBS Curriculum
Poynter’s MediaWise and PBS launch AI literacy video series for teens
The new series called AI Unlocked includes five lessons to help students better understand the world of generative artificial intelligence
Trick or truth: Are drug dealers really targeting kids on Halloween?
For teachers: This MediaWise Teen Fact-Checking Network video has an accompanying lesson plan free for any…
Reporting & Editing
25 guidelines for journalists to safely cover unrest
Your goal should be to get close enough to observe the scene without endangering yourself or others, or interfering with security or rescue operations
Democrats consult a variety of news outlets. Republicans largely turn to Fox.
More than half of Republican respondents in a new Pew Research Center study said they get their news from Fox, compared to 19% of Democrats
Q&A: Sara Kehaulani Goo’s family land was nearly lost. She wrote a book about the fight to save it.
Part memoir, part reportage, ‘Kuleana’ examines a family’s land battle and a history of Hawaii that’s long been overlooked or erased
Opinion | In the age of AI, human emotion is journalism’s superpower
Emotional connection isn’t just good storytelling. It’s journalism’s best defense in the AI era.
Tech & Tools
Serial’s runaway success launched podcasts into the mainstream
The true crime podcast rewrote the playbook on what successful audio storytelling sounded like and who could produce it
What news audiences can teach journalists about artificial intelligence
Generative AI is changing journalism. Audiences have clear expectations for how it’s used.
Meta is failing to stop dangerous disinformation in the world’s most spoken languages
Internal docs and fact-checkers show Meta often misses harmful posts in Swahili, Amharic, Oromo and more — putting real communities at risk
Audiences are still skeptical about generative AI in the news
Wide-ranging research from Poynter and the University of Minnesota sheds light on how people feel about AI in journalism. It’s not pretty.
TFCN
Watch out for claims about ‘crisis actors’ in Gaza
This photo posted on Facebook in early November got a lot of attention. It shows…
Would young people really choose TikTok over their right to vote?
GOP presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy, a political outsider who has taken many by surprise with…
Is This Legit: A media literacy skills recap
Have you ever encountered something suspicious online and wondered: “Is this legit?” Welcome to our…
Echo chambers: how they’re created and how to avoid them
Recently, I tried a little experiment on social media. I set up two fake Twitter…