The term “objectivity” is itself subjective. If you were to poll the public about their desire and demand for “objective” journalism, many might opine that reporters should stick to the “who, what, when, where and why” model — sans the “why” part. But the “why” is, after all, the essential context of the story, and without it, the public is less informed and not as inclined to read the bare-bones carcass of the story that remains. Of course, contemporary conversations about objectivity and fairness in reporting are much more nuanced and complex. more

In the early days of the internet, a few early adopters were starting careers in the news industry and seeing opportunities in digital that their bosses did not fully understand. Today, digital pioneers have become the bosses. Those ahead of the digital movement — like Conan Gallaty, Lisa DeSisto, Grant Moise and Robert Granfeldt — saw their careers take shape in ways they never expected. more

Louie Mullen owns over 30 weekly newspapers in small towns across seven states. “Every newspaper is run as an individual. It is a representation of that community. It’s more of an old-school style of running newspapers,” said Mullen, who is buying community newspapers across the country. And, his ownership style is hands-off. more

Gaps in news coverage are spreading across the country. But even with this challenge, newsrooms are finding resources and innovative ways to save or even revive their storytelling capabilities. One example is partnerships between universities and media companies. This trend is especially prevalent in local newspapers, which are facing increasing newsroom layoffs as they struggle to survive. more

Ryan Sorrell and his team at The Kansas City Defender rely on two methods to reach young people. First, they know that each social media platform has a different ethos, so they personalize content for each brand. Second, they have a broad content mix, blending hard news and culture stories with headlines such as “10 Best Black-Owned Restaurants.” more

Over the decades since, there have been dozens of cases of news people who turned to a life of politics. Richard Warner Carlson — known as Dick and father to one Tucker Carlson — famously quit TV news to pursue his political aspirations. Malcolm Stevenson (Steve) Forbes Jr. straddled the world of news and politics, including two bids for the Republican presidential nomination. Sarah Palin remarkably went from TV sports reporter to Alaska’s governor to vice presidential candidate. This year, she campaigned for Alaska’s House seat but lost to her Democrat opponent in the special election. The list goes on and on. more

Jennifer Bertetto inherited a deadline the day she became the leader of Trib Total Media. She had two years to save the company. Bertetto was named Editor & Publisher’s 2022 Publisher of the Year at the #NewsMedia Business Summit in Harrisburg on Oct. 13, in part, for rescuing the southwestern Pennsylvania newspaper company from its swift plunge toward bankruptcy. In the process, she retained her commitment to her employees, community and journalism. more

For the better part of 10 years, journalists have been told that paywalls are the future to funding a sustainable newsroom. Free is out, the funnel is in and pageviews matter a lot less than subscription conversions. What if there is another way? Well, journalists in Chicago are putting that to the test. more

It has been a tumultuous 2022 for Gannett — especially for the employees laid off this year — replete with high highs and troubling lows. Certainly, one of the highlights for the company came when its flagship, USA TODAY, celebrated its 40th anniversary. E&P asked Gannett CEO Mike Reed to reflect on the title’s 40th anniversary — and other questions about the company. more

The Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) and public records requests are tools reporters use in their information gathering and fact-checking processes. However, there are many threats to these freedoms, including a lack of understanding about how the process works, censorship and delayed response times, and the government’s ability to suppress information and investigations through legal means. Andrea Gallo knows these FOIA frustrations firsthand. more

A joint project of The Associated Press, USA Today and Northeastern University has put together one of the most comprehensive databases tracking mass killings in the U.S. The database contains information about mass killings since 2006, including the number of victims, location and weapon type. The project also includes an interactive timeline allowing users to browse through all the data. more

For early climate journalists, covering such a serious issue was a burden. Not many publications wanted to take on the task at hand; those who did narrowly covered a small amount of ground. Today, Dr. Edward Maibach, the director of Mason’s Center for Climate Change Communication at George Mason University, encourages this simple formula for success: “Clear messages repeated often by a variety of trusted and caring voices, including familiar TV weathercasters or local columnists.” more

The Watchdog Writers Group Fellowship, which launched three years ago, provides its fellows with a $50,000/year stipend for two years while they work on an investigative nonfiction title. The fellows also are paired with two student journalists (for a one-year stint each) in a mentorship and supportive role, working directly with the authors as they research and write. When they apply for the fellowship, applicants are asked two questions: What’s your book? And how can this fellowship help you complete it? more

In the inaugural class of “E&P’s Creative Visionaries,” we salute our industry’s creative directors, graphic artists and multimedia designers. Whether designing a grocery ad, creating a layout for a multi-page publication or developing interactive graphics, our creative colleagues bring storytelling to life — curating captivating images, informative graphics, copy and, increasingly, video and audio. Their talents for communicating the news in visually intriguing ways helps our readers better understand and fully experience our stories. They don’t often receive the byline or recognition, but today we celebrate these often-unsung colleagues who support us daily. more

If Dr. Jelani Cobb could gather everyone into his Columbia University lecture hall, he would speak on journalism’s role in democracy during political turbulence and how journalism came to function in tandem with democracy. “I think that’s a question that has renewed salience,” he said. more

Many local reporters across the country have been forced to deal with an increasingly alarming trend in our media ecosystem — the nationalization of news led by outlets like Fox News, which often grab local stories, strip them of their context, and use them to push political agendas or conspiracy theories aimed at keeping their viewers angry. That anger trickles back down into communities, infects local politics and forces reporters at small news outlets already stretched thin to grapple with larger issues of misinformation and polarization. more

In every community, there are believers who understand the importance of local media, especially the newspaper, which has been the traditional and vital source of information. These believers want to support its journalism and enhance its value. The mission of the Report for America's Community News Funds program is to help communities, their local philanthropic resources and news media identify these believers and increase their ranks to create permanent funding to sustain good journalism. more

Should I tell my daughter why we’re getting a divorce? Is it bad that my wife doesn’t want to spend time with my mother? Should I remain friends with my ex-boyfriend if I still love him? When Washington Post readers have questions, they turn to Carolyn Hax. She has written the newspaper’s daily advice column for 25 years and is syndicated to over 100 newspapers nationwide. more

Newspapers need to better understand their readers’ lives and consumer behavior so they can get creative, custom and aggressive in delivering the resources readers need. Leading this charge is no easy feat. However, leveraging a strategy of resource and reliability provides a potential future for more advertiser-safe content. more

The Harvey World Herald is a neighborhood newspaper covering the community of Harvey, Illinois, south of Chicago. The publication was started in October 2021 by Amethyst J. Davis, a Harvey native. Right now, it's just her. She’s wearing all the hats and advertising has been a hard sell. But, she's determined to expand the publication and bring on more people. more