How can white people, which the publisher of this very publication will tell you dominate the traditional media industry channels and gatherings, do more than unwind generations of racism and exploitative coverage — instead, actively contribute to restoring justice and equity? John Heaston says he doesn’t have the answers, but hopes the points in today's column can help. more

Frank Blethen, publisher of The Seattle Times, says: "Our democracy and its cornerstone — the trusted local independent newspaper — are in crisis. There is no question that the revival of local, independent newspaper stewardship is critical to shoring up the wobbly legs of our democracy." Here is his list of priorities for saving local, independent newspapers and democracy. more

Fresh out of Drake University with a news-editorial journalism degree, I returned home to Chicago in May 1984, unsure of what kind of career I could have as an open lesbian. My stepfather worked at the Chicago Tribune, and my mom was at the Chicago Defender. They both knew gay journalists, but none were openly so. more

One of my favorite things about being a revenue leader is perfecting the overall sales strategy. I love harmonizing the beat of all sales and marketing efforts to help others and grow revenue. Growth in any industry is a skill set rooted in a genuine passion for helping others. Sales is the business of people, and having a passion for helping people is a must if you’re going to grow. more

If you’re in charge, your team or organization will inevitably look to you for direction to help lead them down the correct path. And depending on the talent on your team and the type of organization, that might not take much. For example, when you have a lot of strength above and below you, it’s often much easier to make good choices and set a course you feel confident about. Other times, the next steps just aren't as straightforward. more

We’re well into the new year, and by now, you certainly have some sense of what you want to accomplish in 2023. I know because it seems like everyone has been forced to identify some goal, direction or thought for the year. But setting up a goal, or “strategic objective,”  is not the same thing as executing one. more

Headlines from “Will AI Save Journalism — or Kill it?” to “The owner of Insider and Politico tells journalists: AI is coming for your jobs” can make anyone in our industry fearful for their jobs and jump to conclusions. This month’s cover story, “AI has arrived,” answers many questions — and will possibly create a few — about AI in our industry. more

Working remotely in the COVID era has led to a host of unexpected benefits for journalists. But one of the major downsides has been spending less time with colleagues talking shop. Here are a handful of fun apps and tools that Rob Tornoe uses in his reporting. He hopes you find them useful, possibly even making an assignment or two that much easier. more

Like our industry, overseeing a winning sports franchise requires a grand design of systems, trust and relationships — making it an easy place to draw inspiration. If you haven’t checked on the interpersonal dynamic between your sales team members and sales leadership, now is a good time to do so. These relationships propel your strategies to meet objectives. more

There were 25 organized troll campaigns targeting women reporters in the first half of 2020, according to Ms. Magazine. Additionally, the magazine cited 267 attacks and threats, with many mentioning women’s appearance and sexuality, including death and rape warnings. Here are three steps supervisors should be taking to better protect women journalists. more

The Washington Post team members featured in our cover story, “Journalism on TikTok,” have much to teach us about what we need to do to appeal to the next generation of news consumers. They are using the platform to engender trust and create a following that views their newspaper as a reliable information source. more

Teddy bears on the moon. A cat wearing VR headsets. Homer Simpson in “The Blair Witch Project.” It’s time for journalists to have a serious discussion about how good artificial intelligence has become at creating an image for just about any idea imaginable. more

Are you afraid of the perception of others or have some irrational fear of ineptness? Perhaps you’re intimidated or worried that you won’t be able to relate to or have honest conversations with someone who doesn’t look, sound or think as you do. If so, please know that it's simply an illusion. Competency, ambition, hard work, instinct and ability aren’t tethered to gender, ethnicity, age or cultural background. more

Wednesday, May 3rd, will mark the 30th anniversary of World Press Freedom Day, which was first proclaimed by the United Nations General Assembly in 1993. The theme of this year’s celebration is “Shaping a Future of Rights: Freedom of expression as a driver for all other human rights.” We must do all we can to further the efforts toward worldwide press freedom. more

Lately, workplace angst has been getting much attention. Our jobs put us in contact with heart-wrenching stories, real lives and difficult situations. Several of our stories this month highlight the need for checking on ourselves and checking on each other in the workplace. more

Since The Diversity Pledge Institute launched in 2021, it has placed dozens of journalists in newsrooms across the globe — and none of them have quit their jobs yet. According to the Society for Human Resource Management, it can cost a company up to nine months of an employee's salary to replace an employee who quits. However, the business case for diversity extends beyond the costs of recruiting and training. more

For more than two-thirds of journalists in the U.S., Twitter is their go-to social media site for work. According to a recent Pew Research Center survey, journalists use Twitter more often than Facebook, and they use it more than Instagram, LinkedIn and YouTube combined. Thanks to Elon Musk’s chaotic takeover of the popular social media site, that relationship is suddenly in jeopardy. more

I’ll give you some business advice you probably don’t get a lot: Stop. Stop already! Your business is trying to do too much at once; you’re trying to do too much. Stopping is often viewed as a failure or, at the very least, a lack of success. But “not winning right this second” and “losing” are very different things. But how do you tell what’s worth your time? more

Like it or not, unexpected situations are going to keep happening. Whether it’s a hurricane, a snowstorm, a tornado, a power outage or a new pandemic, the “unexpected” seems to be coming at an increasing rate. So, with that cheery thought buzzing around in your brain, what can we do about the big, scary unknown? As often happens in these columns, Doug Phares makes one simple suggestion: Be prepared. more

Leonard Woolsey, president of Southern Newspapers, Inc., and publisher of The Daily News in Galveston, Texas, says he is "sick and tired of apologizing for being in the newspaper business, and I suspect you feel the same way. If you will allow me some rope, I’d say we are a business with tremendous opportunities ahead. But first, we need to get our swagger back." more