Telling journalists’ stories
Humanizing journalists — and their journalism
Reporters have traditionally been advised to keep themselves out of the story. At the same time, though, news organizations are increasingly embracing the notion that audiences need — and want — to know more about who’s behind the byline.
At Gannett, whose “Meet our Team” project was profiled in Editor & Publisher this week, Michael Anastasi, senior vice president for local news at the USA Today Network, said its extended reporter bios help demystify the editorial process. Here is a recent example from The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
“This isn’t just about telling our stories; it’s about showing that we’re part of the community,” Anastasi told Diane Sylvester. “We shop at the same stores, attend the same events and face the same challenges.”
This is an approach trust and transparency experts like those at Trusting News have long advocated. (See its “Who are the journalists?” page for examples of “about us” pages and reporter bios.)
Speaking of journalists’ backstories, Ryan Teague Beckwith’s “Your First Byline” newsletter also humanizes the work of people in media with simple Q & As about their career paths. He also does “how to” primers based on interviews with journalists on topics related to their work, like “how to respond to a tough edit.”
News In Focus
Headlines, resources and events aligned with API’s four areas of focus.
Civic Discourse & Democracy
>> Judge orders Mississippi newspaper to remove editorial, alarming press advocates (The New York Times)
The Clarksdale Press Register in Mississippi removed an editorial from its website after a judge issued a temporary order against it. The newspaper said it would challenge the judge’s order, which alarmed press advocates. “I’ve been in this business for five decades and I’ve never seen anything quite like this,” Wyatt Emmerich, the president of the company that owns the paper, told Michael Levenson.
>> Noem directs polygraph use to target Homeland Security leaks (Bloomberg Government)
The Department of Homeland Security will use polygraph tests to determine if people have had “unauthorized communications” with media and nonprofit organizations, according to a directive issued by DHS Secretary Kristi Noem. Noem cited “deleterious effects” of leaks involving border enforcement, reported Ellen M. Gilmer.
Culture & Inclusion
>> Fostering a culture of newsroom independence (CJR)
A “culture of journalistic independence” is the most effective weapon in guarding against attempts by people in power to squelch critical reporting, writes longtime newsroom leader Stephen J. Adler. Some of the institutions most under pressure need to preserve that culture, which has for so long helped them thrive. When newsroom leaders lead by example, he writes, “independent journalism has a fighting chance to survive and to serve.”
- Related: Media coalition to White House: Restore AP access to press pool (Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press)
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Community Engagement & Trust
>> Fact-checkers are among the top sources for X’s Community Notes, study reveals (Poynter)
Meta last month ended the use of fact-checkers to limit the spread of misinformation and instead is relying on “community notes” like those used on X. But a study by the Spanish fact-checking site Maldita found that professional fact-checkers were among the three most-cited sources on X’s Community Notes. The others were other posts on X and Wikipedia.
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Revenue & Resilience
>> State Dept. orders cancellation of news subscriptions around the world (The Washington Post)
The Trump administration’s crackdown on media companies includes ordering diplomats around the world to cancel news subscriptions deemed “non-mission critical,” write Jeremy Barr and John Hudson. An official told The Washington Post that the mandate is a global one, and that embassies and consulates should prioritize the termination of The Economist, The New York Times, Politico, Bloomberg News, the Associated Press and Reuters.
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What else you need to know
🔍 AP creates local investigative reporting program (Associated Press)
👀 Politico’s owner praises JD Vance for ‘inspiring message’ (Financial Times)
🤠 Hearst to purchase Austin American-Statesman from Gannett, expanding footprint in Texas (Austin American Statesman)
🎦 Publishers’ event videos gain traction on LinkedIn (Digiday)
🤝A new report suggests journalism support orgs, funders, and local newsrooms unite around four goals (Nieman Lab)
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Weekend reads
+ Mike Danson, the Wigan warrior with a plan to challenge Bloomberg (The Times of London)
+ Trump’s executive orders seek to erase scientific truth (Undark)
+ Military juntas target critics and media, exiling democratic forces (The Washington Post)
+ George Clooney is making his Broadway debut with ‘Good Night, and Good Luck’ (The New York Times)
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