With the 2026 midterms fast approaching, newsrooms are preparing for an election shaped by national politics, questions about election security and voters hungry for trustworthy information. For E&P’s October cover story, Editor-in-Chief Gretchen A. Peck spoke with reporters and editors at Votebeat, The Associated Press, The Daily Beast and The Salt Lake Tribune about how they’re planning coverage before, during and after Election Day.

What can a self-driving car teach news publishers about AI? Quite a lot, according to Guy Tasaka. In his September E&P “Tasaka’s Tech Talk” op-ed, he argues that publishers should stop framing AI primarily as a way to cut costs and instead demonstrate how it delivers measurable benefits to readers and advertisers. Drawing lessons from Waymo’s safety record, Tasaka offers a roadmap for making AI not just more useful, but more worthy of audience trust.

Change may be inevitable, but constant disruption doesn’t necessarily make an organization better. In his September “The Corner Office” op-ed column, Doug Phares contends that effective leaders know when change is necessary and when stability is the better strategy. He explores how leaders can guide their teams through uncertainty, minimize needless disruption and provide a steady hand when change arrives without warning.

A federal judge has allowed core antitrust claims by Gannett, Daily Mail and a class of digital publishers to proceed against Google over its advertising technology practices. The Sept. 30 ruling preserves their pursuit of damages for alleged lost advertising revenue and excessive fees. Although Google prevailed on some claims, the decision clears a significant hurdle for publishers seeking compensation.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed the Community NEWS Act into law Sept. 30, creating journalism employment tax credits projected to deliver more than $200 million to local newsrooms over five years. E&P Editor-in-Chief Gretchen A. Peck reports on the industry’s response, the law’s potential as a national model and Newsom’s call for changes to prevent it from subsidizing hedge funds.

California’s new Community NEWS Act could become a national model for strengthening local journalism, argues Steven Waldman of Rebuild Local News. Beyond helping newsrooms retain and hire journalists, he says the law could encourage investment while protecting editorial independence. Waldman, whose organization served as the legislation’s lead external sponsor, explains why he believes its design matters for publishers of all sizes.