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Preparing for and reporting on wildfires

For the past 37 years, Kent Porter has been a staff photographer for The Press Democrat in Santa Rosa, California. Photographing fires wasn’t meant to be his beat, but he is now an expert. He recounted to E&P how he’s seen whipping winds, leaping flames, falling branches from burning trees, and the horrors of communities charred and disintegrated.

News outlets are constantly challenged to counter purposeful disinformation with journalistic integrity and verified facts. In response to the increasing falsehoods about the 2020 election results, NPR created a small team in early 2021 to report on the epidemic of disinformation. When their stories received positive feedback, management made the group permanent as the NPR Disinformation Team.

In early June, Houston Landing formally launched under the direction of CEO Peter Bhatia. A former editor, Bhatia is now at the helm of the business model — nonprofit, purely digital and expressly focused on Houston’s underserved communities. They solicit donations and members, but the journalism is free.
A journalist’s job can be exciting: uncovering a critical lead for a new story or elbowing aside a gaggle of other media pros to question a government official. Many journalists must also attend city council, school board or other local meetings — often for hours, waiting for a newsworthy decision or statement. Reading the minutes can require even more precious time to find the kernel of the story or determine who best to interview. Making that process easier is the goal of Agenda Watch
The circus is coming to town — to every city in America. And only the donkeys and elephants will be performing in the center ring. It’s America’s quintessential, quadrennial big show — the 2024 presidential, congressional, state and local elections. Despite how little attention and money print media and newspapers receive from many political campaigns, there are still opportunities to generate additional revenues — especially suburban and small-market newspapers with hyper-local reporting.
The "NewsMedia Revenue Summit" is programmed to be an information packed, fast-paced event designed to deliver actionable, take-to-market ideas and strategies that will grow "top line" revenue, now! Plus attendees will be able to submit their biggest revenue challenges in advance, so E&P can assess the latest research and industry knowledge available to present customized solutions, during a special session hosted by Mike Blinder.
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A person of interest has been identified in the murder of Josh Kruger, the Philly journalist and activist who was shot and killed in his Point Breeze home, Philadelphia police said on Tuesday. 
New touch point will direct traffic to URL Partners and connect them to new consumers and advertisers without cannibalizing community media.
“The Business Guide to AI” is a new program gathering the world’s foremost business and AI leaders to discuss the evolving landscape of AI as it relates to marketing.
Each winner received at least $1,300 to further boost their independent news business.
The concern, raised in a letter, signals that cable and satellite providers may push back against streaming services full of shows they’re already paying for.
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In this episode of E&P Reports, we check in with Chicago Public Media, owners of PBS affiliate WBEZ, to find out how their 2022 acquisition of the 149-year-old Chicago Sun-Times is going. Appearing on the program are Jennifer Kho, executive editor for the newspaper and Tracy Brown, chief content officer for the parent company, who discuss their new initiatives, collaborative efforts and how the blending of these two major market brands is working to expand their audience.

In this episode of E&P Reports, we go beyond reporting on news publishers by focusing on the impact on a population when they learn they may lose their newspaper of record. Appearing in this interview and speaking about the value of local journalism as it affects the people and public policy of their community are Bedford County, Tennessee’s Chris White, director of planning, Greg Vick, county commissioner for District 2 and Curt Cobb, county clerk & master.
In this episode of “E&P Reports,” we go one-on-one with award-winning journalist and founder of the Global Press Institute (GPI) Cristi Hegranes, whose new book: “Byline” makes a case that the global news publishing industry can become more sustainable by rethinking how it provides global news coverage by focusing on local news sourcing — as opposed to: “The flawed discipline of parachute journalism.”
In this episode of "E&P Reports," we explore the groundbreaking move by two organizations that considered themselves competitive for decades. Arizona Newspapers Association and Arizona Broadcasters Association merge into Arizona Media Association. We chat about the "whys and hows" of the union with Lisa Simpson, the former executive director of Arizona Newspapers Association, and Chris Kline, the former president/ CEO of Arizona Broadcasters Association. We also learn their future plans for advancing the industry and serving their combined membership.
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Too often, the media focuses on the demise of newspapers and the expanding news deserts nationwide. It is certainly a transition of note, but another transition that deserves more coverage is the effort to recruit and train the next generation of journalists. How news is delivered is changing, but the journalist's role will remain critical to gathering, writing and providing editorial commentary about the news.
One of the dilemmas newsrooms face in the age of AI is whether and how to use generative AI technologies, and then how to create some structure and define ethics and policy around their use. The other dilemma is how to protect news publishers' interests through regulatory and fair-compensation advocacy.
In the wake of the Revolutionary War and the birth of the United States, founding fathers like Thomas Jefferson and James Madison agreed that securing and growing a free press was essential to the country’s future. So in 1792, then-President George Washington signed into law a sweeping act that created the postal service and subsidized the delivery of newspapers. This lesson of government support of the news industry is extremely relevant today, as communities across the country continue to lose local news sources at an alarming rate.
You may have noticed the #AAJAFamily hashtag trending on social media this summer. That's how members of the Asian American Journalists Association (AAJA) describe the organization and its annual conference to E&P, “like a family.” E&P reached out to AAJA officers and members to hear about their experiences at AAJA23 and what this organization has meant to them professionally and personally.
The ReNews Project seeks to revive campus newspapers, especially at Historically Black Colleges or Universities (HBCUs). Many have had funding cuts or have experienced censorship threats. Before the coordinators arrive on campus, they meet with the students and advisers virtually to understand the newsroom and the training and resources needed.
In each of the last two years, E&P has announced our “15 Over 50” salute. However, again this year, the nominees have been so deserving that we expanded the group to include “20 Over 50.” We were excited about our robust response and the stellar individuals we salute. They range in age from 51 to 75. Some have spent most of their career in news with one organization, and others have progressed through several positions across organizations.
We are seeking your assistance in recognizing a leader with business acumen, technical savvy and a deep understanding of what needs to be done to stay successful — along with the fortitude and tenacity to implement change. “Publisher of the Year” recognition is open to all news media publishers worldwide.
September 15 is International Democracy Day, but in the month leading up to the holiday, democracy itself seemed under attack — acutely in the small town of Marion, Kansas. On Friday, Aug. 11, the full arm of the law came down on the local newspaper, The Marion County Record, and its family owners. Publisher Eric Meyer had the support, ears and eyes of news outlets worldwide.
Patrick Merlihan, who runs digital strategy for the Woolwich Observer in Elmira, Ontario, thought he was about to tackle a monumental task in a quest to make the website fully accessible for the 15,000-circulation newspaper in September 2021. “I thought I was going to have a lot of challenges to make our site accessible, and then it was, like, 10 minutes,” he said.
The people and communities of southwest Colorado and northwest New Mexico embrace the spirit and history of the Old West while proactively developing the social, cultural and economic diversity of their part of the New West. Having recently celebrated its 70th year, Ballantine Communications has been a leading partner in that development as a primary news and information outlet and a multimedia resource to support local business growth.
A year into his role as NPR's audience editor, Latino audiences, Pablo Valdivia reflects about his job and what he’s discovered about NPR’s Latino listeners. He notes that he consults with the newsroom, introducing them to stories of interest to Latino listeners and steering them away from stories that speak about Latinos without hearing from Latinos.
The buzz was electric as over 200 media executives packed into the Gleacher Center in downtown Chicago on Aug. 2, eager to hear insights on the future of local news from industry leaders at the opening keynote of LMA Fest. Moderator Tracy Brown of WBEZ/Chicago Public Media welcomed a star-studded panel featuring Catherine Badalamente, CEO of Graham Media Group, Mike Reed, CEO of Gannett, and Evan Smith, senior advisor at Emerson Collective and former CEO of The Texas Tribune.
E&P spoke with engagement editors this summer to hear firsthand about their career paths, how closely they work with newsrooms today and their thoughts on how the quality of the content is vital to engagement. Learn from the engagement editors at The Star Tribune in Minneapolis, The Marshall Project and the Chattanooga Times Free Press.
The International Center for Journalists empowers journalists to follow the money behind disinformation in the Americas. ICFJ President Sharon Moshavi says it is critical to expose the sources of disinformation and find who is funding the intentional dissemination of false information.
Despite widespread attacks on those principles and fundamental changes to the news industry, 77% of U.S. journalists responding to a 2022 Pew Research Center survey said they “would pursue a career in journalism again,” 75% “are extremely or very proud of their work” and 70% ”are very or somewhat satisfied with their job.” Conversely, the surveyed journalists were not blind to the turmoil in their industry.
Typically, a university newspaper is the learning laboratory for the institution’s journalism school. Harvard University doesn’t have a school of journalism, but it does have The Harvard Crimson, one of the oldest and most-respected student newspapers. It operates both financially and editorially independent from the university and has a long tradition of serving the university family as well as Cambridge and Boston, Massachusetts.
Every year, the small town of Keene, New Hampshire, transforms its downtown into an event space for the Radically Rural Summit, an annual event for community-minded people to share how they solve problems in their towns. This year’s theme is Reimagining Rural and will include events focused on communication, connection and philanthropy.
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The Routt County Planning Department plays a vital role in ensuring that land usage in the county is lawful, efficient, and sustainable. The department issues various permits for different land uses, each requiring a public notice component.
The 2023 class of “E&P’s Creative Visionaries,” salutes the creative directors, graphic artists and multimedia designers of our industry. Help us salute these essential colleagues who bring storytelling to life, curating captivating images, informative graphics, copy, and increasingly, video and audio.
As more newspapers add a digital platform to distribute news and other content, they’ve discovered they need a comprehensive and flexible subscription management system. Such a system generates …
Positive trends abound during the continued transformation of the news industry: from local entrepreneurs launching new publications to the benefits of alternative revenue streams.
The journey into selling digital advertising has presented challenges and opportunities for publishers and print salespeople. We’ll dive into the experiences of one publisher who found their footing in the digital landscape and effectively doubled (even tripled) its digital revenue thanks to a partnership with AdCellerant.
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Downloads for The Wall Street Journal’s podcasts were up 14% over the past year. Downloads for its flagship podcast, The Journal, increased 20% over the same time period.
The police chief who led an August raid on a small weekly newspaper in central Kansas resigned Monday, just days after he was suspended from his post and following the release of body camera video of the raid showing an officer searching the desk of a reporter investigating the chief’s past.
The Society of Professional Journalists honors Bill Ketter with the Wells Memorial Key. This award is the highest honor for an SPJ member. Ketter has been a member of SPJ for 62 years and is an outstanding leader in the Society.
Challenges include access to capital, lack of business experience and low capacity.
In 17 pages at the end of "Collision of Power," Baron explains why news organizations may need a new standard of "truth."
Whether new or legacy, independent or not, every news publisher needs solid, practical strategies to remain sustainable in this continuously changing global media landscape. Here’s why Doug Smith believes targeted content is the ultimate starting block to transform your operations.
At the IMEDD International Journalism Forum in Athens, Greece, Sophia Smith Galer was one of three TikTok-focused journalists who spoke about how journalists are experimenting on the platform. 
Meta’s social networks consider charging €13 a month on mobile and €17 on desktop, say sources.
The boundaries of when people can record, and when recording can be limited, are regularly pushed and tested by journalists, government officials, regular people with cameras ― and First Amendment audits.
Richard J. Tofel issues a call for more transparency in Maine.
Satya Nadella, the chief executive of Microsoft, is the government’s biggest-name witness in its landmark antitrust case against Google.
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Independent visual content provider, EPA Images, has announced a five-year partnership with Canon Europe to renew and update its photography and videography equipment to confront the challenges in a changing world.
After careful consideration, Column has decided to end its service of providing free public notice websites for press associations, effective for all partners no later than May 31, 2024.
Mather has acquired Sophi Inc. Mather and Sophi together accelerate the scale and speed at which we collectively create customer value with transformative products and services.
AdPerfect, which re-launched its industry-leading obituary platform last September, will provide the hosting technology for the legendary metro daily The Toronto Star, as well as Metroland Media’s 54 local media titles.
BlueLena is receiving a critical investment to expand affordable access to its solutions for independent media as part of the LION Publishers’ newly announced Maintaining Affordable News Ecosystem (MANE) initiative.
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As National’s deputy editor, Amy Fiscus will oversee the teams covering politics, democracy, America, national security, justice and immigration, health and science and visual enterprise, as well as the 202 newsletters.
Scott Vance will oversee the newsroom’s International, Business and Sports Departments.
The Washington Post’s Book World has announced several distinguished contributing writers whose work will appear in its pages. This group of contributors will continue the ongoing revitalization of the section, writing reviews and essays about current events and politics, history, literature, the arts, pop culture and more.
This upcoming year marks the 40th anniversary of the launch of the Los Angeles Times’ in-house program to diversify journalism, Metpro, now known as the Los Angeles Times Fellowship.
Alan Blinder, David Chen, Juliet Macur, Shawna Richer, Kurt Streeter and Billy Witz are joining the desk from Sports to enhance The New York Times' U.S. coverage.
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A psychologist, he started the alternative weekly with Dan Wolf and Norman Mailer in 1955. “We were crazy enough to think it would succeed,” he said.
Foxboro’s Jack Authelet, whose passion for local history and civic boosterism was exceeded only by his commitment to community journalism, died Sept. 18 at Life Care Center in Attleboro, eight days shy of his 91st birthday.
Braxton “B.I.” Moody III, a longtime business and community leader in Crowley, Acadia Parish and Acadiana — and the namesake of the University of Louisiana at Lafayette’s college of business — died Sept. 13 at the age of 97.
The Tampa Bay Times’ longtime Tallahassee bureau chief investigated corruption in Tampa Bay and beyond.
Lisa Walsh was a pillar in the Sarasota-Manatee community; a devoted wife, mother, grandmother, sister and daughter; and the backbone of one of the most successful media companies in Florida.