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Wednesday, May 27, 2020
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Indiegraf aims to reimagine the newspaper chain for digital news outletsThe Canada-based network aims to take the best of newspaper chains for local digital publications — and leave the rest. By Sarah Scire. |
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The Information is launching a free “news summer school” on Zoom“This is about helping young people navigate what has always been a tricky industry to break into and that now faces unprecedented new challenges.” By Laura Hazard Owen. |
What We’re Reading
Substack/The Media Nut / Josh Sternberg
The ongoing battle between PR and journalism →
“I get frustrated with the modern ‘according to INSERT TECH COMPANY spokesperson’ language. Comms people, who get paid significantly more than the journalist they're speaking with, get that high salary to speak on behalf of the company. Their names should be attached to what they say. I once raised my hand to an editor to ask if we could start using spokespeople's names, with the logic that since they are paid to speak for the company, they shouldn't be granted anonymity. I was told ‘no.'”
Insider / Rachel Askinasi
The New York Times says Alison Roman’s column will return as the food writer announces she is starting her own newsletter →
“Despite reports from Page Six and The Hill that said Roman was out at The Times, a representative for the publication told Insider via email on Tuesday that ‘it was always the plan for Alison’s leave to be temporary,’ and that ‘her column will return.'”
The Atlantic / Mark Bowden
The demise of local news means small towns won’t know they’re infected until it’s too late →
“I have been keeping an eye on the numbers for Kennett Square because these are the most important ones for me and my family. It indicates our immediate risk level. It's the kind of thing a local reporter would write about, if there were any local reporters.”
Columbia Journalism Review / Andrew McCormick
One America News was desperate for Trump’s approval. Here’s how it got it. →
“I spoke with more than a dozen former and current employees of OAN, some on the condition of anonymity because they feared reprisal. A few had kind words for the network and for their coworkers, but collectively they described a circus, where ethics are absent, turnover is high, and dissent is met with rage. At the helm, they say, is Robert Herring, a wealthy businessman and kind of mini-Trump, whose near-singular focus seems to be supporting the president and his policies.”
The Guardian / Amanda Meade
News Corp Australia to cut hundreds of jobs in move toward digital-only publishing →
“News Corp is expected to stop printing as many as 100 titles — which reached six million people in print — after talks to offload the papers failed.”
Associated Press
The new AP Stylebook includes 100 technology terms, guidance on gender-neutral language, and a chapter on digital security →
“Among the other changes in the new spiral-bound Stylebook: An expanded entry on sexual abuse, sexual assault, sexual harassment, sexual misconduct; A revised entry on climate change, global warming, climate crisis; Revised guidance on preheat, semi-automatic rifle, the + symbol and midnight; New entries on coronaviruses and education-related terms.”
The Star / Josh Rubin
Torstar, the Canadian company that publishes the Toronto Star and other newspapers, will be taken private in $52 million deal →
New owners Jordan Bitove and Paul Rivett said taking the company private will allow it to focus on long-term goals, rather than quarterly results. "The harsh realities of the news media business are ill-suited to the quarter-bound short-term focus of shareholders.”
The Washington Post / Elizabeth Dwoskin
Twitter labels Trump’s tweets with a fact-check for the first time →
“The move, which escalates tensions between Washington and Silicon Valley in an election year, was made in response to two Trump tweets over the past 24 hours. The tweets falsely claimed that mail-in ballots are fraudulent. Twitter's label says, ‘Get the facts about mail-in ballots,’ and redirects users to news articles about Trump's unsubstantiated claim.”