Editorial Content

Picture or Imagine That?

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Article in Poynter by Mark E. Johnson

Headline:   “Article about free images ‘contradicts everything I hold true about journalism’ “

“. . .With one post, two people who I have worked closely with attempted to raze everything I have done over the last quarter century.

“Their story, titled, ‘These tools will help you find the right images for your stories,’ contradicts everything I hold true about journalism — textual and visual:

“Journalism is specific, journalism is not generic.
Journalism is precise, journalism is not vague.
Journalism illuminates, journalism does not decorate.

“To believe otherwise is to demean visual journalists, to believe they are lesser, to establish a class system. . .”

Read the full article at:

https://www.poynter.org/ethics-trust/2018/article-about-free-images-contradicts-everything-i-hold-true-about-journalism/

Vanishing Ghostly Newsrooms

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Article in AP by David Bauder, 4/30/26

Headline:  “Disappearing before our eyes: One photographer’s passion project of capturing local newsrooms”

“NEW YORK (AP) — If you think the life of a journalist is glamorous, take a look at Ann Hermes’ photograph of Tom Haley from a winter day in Rutland, Vermont. . .”

“Hermes is fascinated by things that evoke a time gone by or are about to pass into history. She has photographed the last Morse code station operating in North America and department store photo booths. Lately, she’s spent a lot of time in newsrooms like Haley’s Rutland Herald. . .”

Read the full article at:

https://apnews.com/article/newspapers-newsrooms-photographing-media-f0d0939e04bb66f8d340f6f43df5bf5e

Press Confidence Low

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Article in Poynter by Angela Fu, 5/1/26

Headline:  “Opinion | U.S. falls to its lowest ever World Press Freedom Index ranking”

Subhead:  “The declines in press freedom in the U.S. are part of a broader global trend, Reporters Without Borders found.”

“Last weekend, the White House Correspondents Association dinner — already a topic of awkward conversations because of various ethical concerns — was scrapped because a gunman tried to enter the event.

“Then on Monday, President Donald Trump and first lady Melania both called for ABC late-night host Jimmy Kimmel to be fired because they didn’t like a joke he told. And now the Federal Communications Commission, seemingly spurred on by the Trumps’ social media complaints, is reviewing ABC’s licenses.

“Thursday produced even more depressing news about press freedoms in the U.S. . .”

Read the full article at:

https://www.poynter.org/commentary/2026/us-lowest-press-freedome-ranking-ever/

MAGA Media & DOJ

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Article in Media Matters by Matt Gertz, 4/30/26

Headline:  “DOJ indictments are converging with MAGA media narratives”

“Recent Justice Department indictments whose validity have been questioned by legal experts demonstrate an increasing alignment of the Trump DOJ’s activities with the narratives of the MAGA media echo chamber.

“President Donald Trump has long sought to use federal law enforcement to punish his enemies. . .”

“But since Trump’s former personal lawyer Todd Blanche became acting attorney general last month, the president’s federal retaliation machine has seemed to sync up more closely with long-running talking points of his propaganda arm rather than simply focusing on the same targets. . .”

Read the full article at:

https://www.mediamatters.org/fox-news/doj-indictments-are-converging-maga-media-narratives

News Gamble

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Article in The New Republic by Grace Segers, 4/29/26

Headline:  “The Media’s Embrace of Prediction Markets Could Be a Devil’s Bargain”

Subhead:  “New relationships between media organizations and Kalshi and Polymarket could raise serious questions about institutional trustworthiness.”

“As prediction markets rise in popularity and notoriety, several news outlets have recently engaged in partnerships with the most prominent of these companies, raising questions about how and why media organizations would want to become entangled with an industry essentially predicated on gambling. . .”

Read the full article at:

https://newrepublic.com/article/209602/media-ethics-prediction-markets-kalshi-polymarket

Journalist Awards

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Article in Poynter by Jennifer Orsi, 4/27/26

Headline: “Here are the winners of the 2026 Poynter Journalism Prizes”

Subhead: “Poynter contest honors journalism excellence across 12 categories, from local accountability to climate change to First Amendment issues”

“The Poynter Institute announced the winners and finalists for the 2026 Poynter Journalism Prizes Monday, honoring journalists and news organizations across platforms for exceptional work in 12 categories for writing, reporting, innovation and leadership. . .”

Read the full article at:

https://www.poynter.org/reporting-editing/2026/here-are-the-winners-of-the-2026-poynter-journalism-prizes/

Criticize Israel in the Media?

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Article in The Guardian by Jason Stanley, 4/27/26

Headline:  “Why is the US media silent about Israel’s role in Trump’s decision to go to war?”

Subhead:  “I suspect the main reason they avoid criticizing Israel is that they believe that would be antisemitic. But this is both dangerous and wrong”

“. . .The western media has been admirably clear that Putin has a closer relationship with Trump than any previous US president (and admirably critical of this relationship). But there has been no similar level of transparency in the media about Israel’s influence on US policy. . .”

“Crucially, propaganda does not just take the form of lies. Omitting mention in the news media of crucial facts is also paradigmatic of state propaganda. . .”

Read the full article at:

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2026/apr/27/trump-israel-trump-war

Thinking About AI Media

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Article in Poynter by Alex Mahadevan, 4/24/26

Headline:  “Opinion | Why can’t newsroom leaders just be normal about AI?”

Subhead:  “A series of tumultuous generative artificial intelligence rollouts make clear that leaders need to listen before leaping”

“I’m more optimistic about generative artificial intelligence in journalism than most of my peers. So it pains me to see AI rollouts that are short-sighted — or even offensive — threaten the fragile truce between reporters and the technology. . .”

“Simply creating more content for the hell of it is like putting a new steering wheel on a Geo Metro. If your AI experiment doesn’t start with a clear problem that your audience or your newsroom actually has, no amount of technology will save it. . .”

Read the full article at:

https://www.poynter.org/commentary/2026/why-cant-newsroom-leaders-just-be-normal-about-ai/

Food Fight at Correspondents’ Dinner?

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Article in Poynter by Amaris Castillo, Angela Fu, and Ren LaForme, 4/22/26

Headline:  “Opinion | The White House Correspondents’ Dinner guest list keeps raising eyebrows”

Subhead: “Brendan Carr’s planned appearance and Trump’s return complicate an event already fraught with press tensions”

“Federal Communications Chair Brendan Carr plans to attend this weekend’s White House Correspondents’ Dinner, Oliver Darcy reports in his Status newsletter, adding another controversial name to a guest list that already includes Pete Hegseth, Stephen Miller and Donald Trump. Carr confirmed his attendance in a text message to Status, though it’s unclear what table he’ll join. His presence raises eyebrows because he has used his role to target major broadcasters and float potential actions against journalists. . .”

Read the full article at:

https://www.poynter.org/commentary/2026/brendan-carr-fcc-chair-attending-whca-dinner/

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Article in Daily Beast by David Gardner, 4/22/26

Headline:  “Trump’s Plans for ‘Mic-Drop’ Media Confrontation Are Leaked”

Subhead:  “AFTER-DINNER SCREECH – The president is planning a rage-fueled moment at the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner.”

“Donald Trump will launch a ‘revenge’ attack on the White House media when he confronts them in person at a Washington dinner on Saturday night—then flee before there can be revenge.

“He is expected to target publications that he has accused of writing negatively about his administration and his war with Iran, in particular, according to sources.

“The Daily Beast is among the outlets the president and his aides have accused of ‘Trump Derangement Syndrome.’. . .”

Read the full article at:

https://www.thedailybeast.com/trumps-plans-for-mic-drop-media-confrontation-at-white-house-correspondents-association-dinner-are-leaked/

Mega Media Money Melting?

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Headline:  “Trump Library Saga Takes Dark Turn: Where Did Millions in Funding Go?”

Subhead:  “Four huge media conglomerates forked over $63 million in ‘settlements’ earmarked for Trump’s presidential library. Democrats are trying to track that money—and the latest developments don’t inspire confidence.”

“Last year, four huge companies pledged tens of millions of dollars to help fund the creation of Donald Trump’s presidential library, a planned monstrosity in Miami that—in a perfect Trumpian twist—may also double as a hotel. The companies—ABC; Paramount; Meta; and X, formerly Twitter—entered into the agreements with Trump to settle legal cases he’d brought against them which experts had dismissed as dubious.

“After the companies agreed to these shakedowns—sorry, settlements—the fund created to receive donations was dissolved last September. Since then, Senate Democrats have been asking: What happened to the money?. . .”

Read the full article at:

https://newrepublic.com/article/209254/trump-library-funding-millions-media-companies