An Unlikely Ally Warns the FCC Is Going Too Far in the Jimmy Kimmel Fight
The FCC announced a review of all ABC broadcast licenses after Jimmy Kimmel’s on‑air joke about First Lady Melania Trump, a move spurred by the Trump family’s public calls for his firing. Republican Sen. Ted Cruz publicly rebuked the agency, warning it against acting as a speech‑policing body. The dispute lands on the desk of Disney’s new CEO, Josh D’Amaro, who could face a protracted legal battle despite the high legal bar for license denial. Unlike last year’s backlash, major affiliates and advertisers have remained largely quiet.
More Immigration Data Is Available than Ever. Journalists Should Proceed with Caution.
Immigration reporting now has a flood of new data tools, from the long‑standing TRAC database to private dashboards like Relevant Research’s Immigration Enforcement Dashboard, the Deportation Data Project, ICE Flight Monitor, and 287(g) agreement maps. Many of these sites pull...
A FOX59 Reporter Raised Money for a Nonprofit, Then Did a Story. Should He Have Disclosed His Role Hosting the...
Local FOX59 reporter Rafael Sánchez emceed a breakfast fundraiser for the addiction‑recovery nonprofit Overdose Lifeline and later anchored a televised segment on a Johnson County drug raid the same day. The story blended footage of the raid with interviews from...
As Threats to the Press Grow, Student Journalists Are Rewriting the Rules
Student journalists across U.S. campuses are overhauling long‑standing newsroom practices as immigration enforcement and federal protests threaten reporters, especially international students. The Student Press Law Center’s April 2025 warning prompted schools to reconsider anonymity, takedown requests, and digital‑privacy safeguards. Editors like...
Why a Correspondents’ Dinner at a White House Ballroom Could Endanger Press Freedom
After a shooting disrupted the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner, President Donald Trump announced plans for a privately financed, $400 million, 90,000‑square‑foot ballroom on the East Wing. He argues the new "Militarily Top Secret" space would prevent future security breaches and...
Why Can’t Newsroom Leaders Just Be Normal About AI?
Recent AI experiments at major U.S. newsrooms have backfired, from the Cleveland Plain Dealer’s poorly received AI‑generated videos to McClatchy’s “content scaling agent” that threatens reporter bylines. A startup, Nota News, collapsed after publishing AI‑plagiarized local stories, highlighting the risks...
Talking Buildings and Pixar-Like Avatars: Cleveland Plain Dealer AI Videos Draw Criticism
The Cleveland Plain Dealer’s digital site, Cleveland.com, has expanded its use of generative AI by publishing AI‑generated videos featuring a cartoon mascot and animated avatars of its editors, without any disclosure that the content was created by AI. This follows...
Judge Dismisses Kash Patel’s Defamation Lawsuit Against MS NOW Analyst’s ‘Nightclubs’ Comment
A federal judge in Houston dismissed FBI Director Kash Patel’s $250 million defamation lawsuit against former FBI official and MS NOW analyst Frank Figliuzzi, ruling that Figliuzzi’s comment that Patel was “visible at nightclubs” was rhetorical hyperbole, not actionable defamation. The dismissal...
Can Journalists Really Make a Living on Substack?
Journalists are increasingly turning to Substack and other newsletter platforms to replace newsroom jobs, but only a minority achieve sustainable six‑figure incomes. While a few, like Marisa Kabas and Isaac Saul, generate $300,000‑$4 million in revenue by combining subscriptions, sponsorships and...
Frost-Nixon Showed Journalism Could Hold Power to Account Even when the Justice System Failed
In 1977 British broadcaster David Frost paid millions to secure a 30‑hour televised interview with former President Richard Nixon. Over four broadcasts, Frost pressed Nixon on Watergate, eliciting a quasi‑confession that the president’s actions were not illegal and acknowledging abuse...
Indiana’s Got a Voting Problem. News Outlets Can only Do so Much to Fix It
Indiana consistently ranks among the lowest‑turnout states, with only 59% of registered voters casting ballots in the 2024 presidential election, compared with 70% in Washington. While registration rates exceed 90%, the state lacks a coordinated government voter‑education program, leaving news...
Poynter Relaunches Most Popular Editing Certificate for Communicators and Journalists
The Poynter Institute has relaunched its Introductory Certificate in Editing, updating the curriculum to reflect modern editing practices across social‑media and digital platforms. Priced at $150, the certificate comprises six self‑paced online courses and a final assessment that can be...
As Statehouse Coverage Shrinks, Student Journalists Are Stepping in to Fill the Void
With newsroom budgets tightening, student journalists are stepping into statehouse reporting roles across the U.S. Programs like Franklin College’s The Statehouse File and the New Jersey State House News Service provide hands‑on legislative coverage, filling gaps left by shrinking local...
Pete Hegseth Uses the Bible to Demonize the Press
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth used a biblical analogy at a Pentagon briefing to denounce the press as modern‑day Pharisees, accusing journalists of unpatriotic bias. His remarks came as the Pentagon enforces a new policy restricting media access to unclassified defense...
News Organizations Reconsider Ties to AI Company Nota After Plagiarism Findings
AI startup Nota AI faced a plagiarism scandal after Poynter uncovered that its experimental Nota News sites published dozens of articles copied from 53 journalists across 29 outlets. The company shut down the sites, fired the two contractors responsible, and...