In an era where information flows faster than ever before, newsrooms face the constant challenge of staying ahead of the curve, delivering accurate and timely news to an increasingly discerning audience. Artificial Intelligence (AI) has emerged as a powerful tool in the realm of journalism, potentially revolutionizing the way stories are discovered, developed, and delivered.
As news organizations navigate the digital landscape, the integration of AI resources has and will become more of a necessity than a luxury. This post will provide links to resources and guidelines that news organizations like the Associate Press and the News/Media Alliance have developed to use these cutting-edge AI tools and resources that are reshaping the future of news reporting, providing newsrooms with the means to not only keep up with the relentless pace of information but also to excel in an evolving media ecosystem.
Whether you’re a journalist, editor, or newsroom manager, these resources will give you a starting point to evaluate and implement AI-powered solutions that can enhance your work and help you adapt to the ever-changing world of news reporting.
Now in its 13th year, the Institute provides support and training for New England journalists and gives them the tools they need to become more accomplished investigative reporters, well-versed in the freedom of information laws that govern today’s difficult reporting landscape.
The Institute — provided at no cost to those who attend — is Oct. 29-31 at Northeastern University in Boston and features many of the country’s elite reporters, editors, and media attorneys. About 300 journalists have attended the Institute since it began in 2011.
Keynote speakers this year are Eric Meyer, publisher and editor of the Marion County Record, the weekly newspaper in Kansas that recently made national headlines when local sheriffs raided its newsroom; Sisi Wei, Editor-in-Chief of The Markup, a nonprofit, investigative newsroom that challenges technology to serve the public good; and Brian Rosenthal, Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative reporter at The New York Times and the president of Investigative Reporters and Editors.
In 2023, the 83rd National Newspaper Week will be celebrated. Since 1940, the Newspaper Association Managers has sponsored and supported the week-long promotion of the newspaper industry in the United States and Canada.
This year’s event, from October 1-7, has the theme “In Print. Online. For You.” All promotional materials are based on data from Coda Ventures’ nationwide study, which focuses on the evolution of newspapers and the fact that readers come from all generations, are community leaders, and voters.
You can download promotional ads for print, social media, web, guest columns, and editorial cartoons for your daily and non-daily newspapers in North America. The hashtag #NewspapersYourWay is used for referring to the event on social media.
Participate in National Newspaper Week by downloading these materials and dedicating as much space as possible to emphasize the importance of your newspaper to your community. Share the message on your social media platforms throughout the week.
Make it a local celebration by editorializing about your newspaper’s unique relevance. Discuss your role as a government watchdog, coverage of community events, publication of timely public notices, and more.
Please send an email to info@nenpa.com to let us know if you run any of these ads.
We are happy to announce that the insightful presentation by Phillip Martin “Reporting in a Polarized Society” on September 14th is now available on our YouTube channel.
Phillip Martin is a Senior Investigative Reporter for The GBH News Center for Investigative Reporting. He is a multi-award-winning journalist. In 2022, he was selected as a Shorenstein Fellow at Harvard University’s Shorenstein Center at the Kennedy School of Government. Other honors include a 2022 National Edward R. Murrow Award for Excellence in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion for the multi-part GBH News series Unseen. He also received National Edward R. Murrow awards in 2019 and 2014 for investigative reporting on human trafficking.
It was fantastic! He shared his expertise and personal experiences that have strengthened his journalism and enabled him to connect with diverse populations.
Our YouTube channel has a rich archive of previously recorded webinars that offer invaluable resources for your publication’s success. We invite you to like and subscribe to our channel to access them.
The inaugural NAHJ New England Journalism Awards, recognizing Hispanic/Latinx journalists across the region will be held virtually on Thursday, Oct. 12, from 6:30-7:30 p.m., during Hispanic Heritage Month.
The event is free and open to all. The program will be announcing the winners of several journalism categories for professional and student journalists chosen by 14 volunteer judges from outside of New England.
The New England board will bestow the NAHJ New England Impact Award to a journalist in New England who has demonstrated leadership in promoting fair coverage of Latinos and the advancement of Latino/a/x journalists in the news industry.
The organization is excited to launch these new awards to elevate the accomplishments of Latinx journalists and showcase exemplary coverage of Latino issues in our region.
NAHJ New England is looking for sponsors to help fund the inaugural event and other key initiatives the organization provides in the region to Hispanic/Latinx journalists. Click here for sponsorship rates and benefits.
The deadline to become a sponsor of the NAHJ New England Journalism Awards or place an advertisement in the program ceremony e-booklet is 5 PM EDT, Monday, Oct. 2, 2023.
More than 50 journalists from around the country have already registered to speak at or attend Radically Rural, the two-day national summit featuring community journalism sessions. It takes place Sept. 27-28 in Keene, NH.
With a theme of “How did they do that?” two of the journalism sessions focus on news organizations that have built sustainability through various means, including philanthropic support, custom publishing, digital readership, and membership, while a third looks at some of the best journalism being produced at rural news organizations in the country, including Emmy- and Pulitzer prize-winning work.
Tickets are still available and for the first time, journalists can select from several price points, based on their ability to afford to attend, for as little as no charge up to the full summit price of $175. There are a limited number of free tickets.
“We want to make this as affordable as possible for journalists to attend, particularly those stressed by the challenging revenue markets facing their organizations and the cost of travel,” said organizer Terrence L. Williams, senior advisor for audience and community development for The Keene Sentinel. The Sentinel partners with the Hannah Grimes Center for Entrepreneurship each year to stage Radically Rural, which features solutions-based sessions for small communities on seven tracks – community journalism, land use, downtowns, healthcare, entrepreneurship, arts and culture, and clean energy.
This year’s event is in-person, Williams said. To register to attend or learn more about the programming, including track sessions for arts and culture, downtowns, clean energy, entrepreneurship, land use, and healthcare, go to www.radicallyrural.org.
Here’s this year’s community journalism program:
Sept. 27 I 11:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. How’d they do that? Building sustainability: The demise of local journalism in rural America has received national attention, but in more places than you think, small news organizations are thriving. Our panel discussion will give you insights into how three news organizations have evolved their operations to secure a bright future. Moderator – Williams Panelists – Lindsey Young, co-owner, Kansas Publishing Ventures, publisher of Harvey County Now, The Clarion and The Hillsboro Free Press;Chris Baker, publisher, Taos News, Taos, N.M.; and Tristan Scott, managing editor, The Flathead Beacon, Kalispell, MT.
Sept. 27 I The Fourth Estate – 12:30 – 1:30 p.m. Jeremiah Ariaz, professor of art at Louisiana State University, spent months in Kansas documenting in photography the state of more than 100 rural newspapers. In a moving, nostalgic presentation, he presents the fears and hopes for democracy in communities left without a newspaper or those clinging to what they have. Lunch provided. Attendance limited. Please register separately.
Sept. 27 I 2:00 p.m. – 3:30 p.m. How’d they do that? Generating audience revenue: Successful rural news organizations are building revenue through fundraising, membership and paid readership. Our panel discussion unveils best practices among for-profit organizations and non-profits alike. Moderator – Shay Totten, newsroom success manager, American Press Institute Panelists – Arik Ligeti, director of audience, The Narwhal, non-profit online publication, Victoria, B.C., Canada; Christiaan Mader, founder/editor, The Current, Lafayette, La.; Carolina Guerrero, co-founder Radio Ambulante
Sept. 28 I 11 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. How’d they do that? Groundbreaking journalism: A deep dive into how three organizations — from Mississippi to North Carolina to Maine — reported powerful stories that have deeply impacted the rural communities they cover. Moderator – Jack Rooney, managing editor, audience development, The Keene Sentinel Panelists:Victoria Bouloubasis, journalist, Emmy-award winning filmmaker, Durham, N.C.; Adam Ganucheau, editor-in-chief at the Pulitzer-prize winning Mississippi Today; Samantha Hogan, investigative reporter, The Maine Monitor, Augusta, ME.
Join the New England Equity Reporting Community of Practice for Reporting in a Polarized Society, an upcoming free webinar on September 14 from 12:00 – 1:30 p.m.
Learn from Phillip Martin, Senior Investigative Reporter, GBH News Center for Investigative Reporting, how journalists can unpack and name the divisive forces hiding just below the surface, as well as the ones in plain sight.
How can journalists detect signs of polarization in the communities they cover and in the newsrooms where they work? Dividing forces are nothing new in American society, although recent years have seen an intensifying inflammatory narrative. Assumptions about both working-class populations and communities of color can be damaging.
Phillip Martin is Senior Investigative Reporter for The GBH News Center for Investigative Reporting. He is a multi-award-winning journalist. In 2022, he was selected as a Shorenstein Fellow at Harvard University’s Shorenstein Center at the Kennedy School of Government. Other honors include a 2022 National Edward R. Murrow Award for Excellence in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion for the multi-part GBH News series Unseen. He also received National Edward R. Murrow awards in 2019 and 2014 for investigative reporting on human trafficking.
Join us for an unparalleled experience, where ideas flourish, planning becomes action, strategic insights abound, and successes are celebrated!
The NENPA Fall Newspaper Conference is an annual gathering that brings together executives from New England’s leading news organizations. It is a dynamic platform for fostering collaboration, exchanging innovative ideas, and addressing pertinent challenges within the evolving media landscape.
Stay tuned for more details to come in September!
Are you interested in sponsoring the 2023 New England Newspaper Conference on October 19?
The newspaper industry is evolving and news publishers of all sizes and types are seeking new programs, solutions, and technologies to help grow their business.
Our sponsorships packages connect you with senior-level attendees during the virtual event, but also give you months of premium exposure to NENPA members through website banners, emails, social media, logo placements, and our online member community.
To reserve your sponsorship today, contact Tara Cleary, NENPA Social Media Marketing Manager at t.cleary@nenpa.com or call (617) 520-4585.
Jim Pumarlo is a former editor of the Red Wing (Minn.) Republican Eagle. He writes, speaks, and provides training on community newsroom success strategies. He is the author of “Journalism Primer: A Guide to Community News Coverage,” “Votes and Quotes: A Guide to Outstanding Election Coverage” and “Bad News and Good Judgment: A Guide to Reporting on Sensitive Issues in Small-Town Newspapers.” He can be reached at www.pumarlo.com and welcomes comments and questions at jim@pumarlo.com.
We’re more than halfway into 2023, and many local governments are well involved in exploring 2024 budgets. Are your newsrooms aware of the process? Are you keeping readers abreast of the dynamics?
It’s not too early to brainstorm ideas for timely and meaningful coverage. Shaping and adopting budgets often takes months encompassing hours of meetings and hundreds of pages of documents. Yet most newsrooms likely observe and report only a snapshot of the process.
Taking steps now will help prevent the pitfalls when reporters first view the budget days in advance – or maybe even at the meeting itself – of its adoption. Those circumstances are a recipe for disaster from the perspective of the governing body, the newspaper, and the readers.
Reporters naturally seize on the statistics in budgets, but numbers will make minimal sense without benchmarks and interpretation.
Step one, get inside the numbers.
Prepare a calendar– Familiarize yourself with the steps of formulating budgets and share appropriate dates with readers. Some benchmarks are “internal” such as workshops, public hearings, and preliminary and final adoption of budgets. Some dates are “external” such as state certification of local levies. Even if you do not report on all meetings, consider attending specific ones for background.
Dissect the puzzle – It’s misleading and incomplete to simply treat the budget as a single dollar figure assessed against – funded by – taxpayers. Be aware of the pieces. For example, examine differences among the general fund, enterprise funds, and capital funds. Budgets also include projects funded by grants. All these expenses may show up on the bottom line, but it’s important to note whether they are ongoing or one-time expenses along with accompanying funding sources.
Identify variables – Budgets are best guesses. Note that projected expenses and revenues are moving targets. For example, contracts with healthcare providers may not be finalized until year-end. Also, government bodies may negotiate contracts with several units of union and nonunion employees. Contracts likely vary by length and date of ratification.
Step two, provide meaningful interpretation. Readers and local government bodies alike benefit from providing the broadest picture, which also can promote thoughtful community discussion.
What is the overall tax picture? – Budgets of cities, counties and schools, plus other local taxing authorities, all contribute to tax statements sent to individuals and businesses. Reference the tax impact of other local government units when one body adopts its budget. When all budgets are final, write a story presenting the cumulative impact.
Where does local cost-of-government rank? – How does my city, school district, or county budget rank with its counterparts across the state? Providing the answers in advance of hearings can lay the foundation for great dialogue. It’s most instructive to focus on expenditures per capita versus tax levy per capita to reflect the varied sources of funds. For example, a government unit in a similar-sized community may have a relatively low tax levy because it receives a significantly larger amount of state aid.
Give numbers context – The best interpretation of budgets uses a combination of reporting dollar and percentage increases and decreases.
Revisit budgets – Track budgets a couple of times throughout the year to see how the performance aligns with the stated objectives. Even if there’s no story, the review can help prepare for when work starts on the next budget.
Finally, don’t be afraid to ask the question. Your goal is to ensure a thoughtful and educated discussion. There is a good chance that the elected officials themselves don’t have a full grasp of all the numbers. Furthermore, if you don’t understand the statistics, the resulting story will be confusing to readers.
The strongest coverage of all public affairs reporting, and especially reporting on budgets, is two-pronged: solid advances to lay the groundwork for an informed discussion, and follow-up reports that provide meaningful interpretation of actions.
Review these two stories as you consider your approaches to reporting budgets.
Here’s a great report from the Rochester (Minn.) Post-Bulletin that appeared in mid-April: “Rochester council discussing budget impacts Monday.” The story previewed a study session that outlined economic factors affecting future spending as the council considered priorities. The follow-up report outlined seven things to know about the impacts on the next two-year city budget.
Contrast that account with what is an unfortunate practice at too many newspapers.
Here is the lead from a budget hearing last December in another newspaper: “During the city’s truth-in-taxation meeting the City Council held a public hearing and approved 2023 budgets.” The story explained the hearings are intended to improve accountability by focusing taxpayers on the relationship between budget decisions and property taxes, yet there was no advance to the hearing. One paragraph summarized dollar changes in the general and capital improvement funds with no detail or context. The proposed tax levy was zero percent, but residents still commented on the city’s history of higher property taxes.
Developing relationships is at the foundation of delivering solid budget stories, and it requires efforts from both sides.
Here’s a starter. Imagine the reaction if you invite the city administrator to explore how city hall and the newspaper can cooperate to enhance the understanding of city budgets. You might be surprised at where the conversation leads, and – most important – your readers stand to be the ultimate beneficiary.
In an era where information flows faster than ever before, newsrooms face the constant challenge of staying ahead of the curve, delivering accurate and timely news to an increasingly discerning audience. Artificial Intelligence (AI) has emerged as a powerful tool in the realm of journalism, potentially revolutionizing the way stories are discovered, developed, and delivered.
In 2023, the 83rd National Newspaper Week will be celebrated. Since 1940, the 
Phillip Martin is Senior Investigative Reporter for The GBH News Center for Investigative Reporting. He is a multi-award-winning journalist. In 2022, he was selected as a Shorenstein Fellow at Harvard University’s Shorenstein Center at the Kennedy School of Government. Other honors include a 2022 National Edward R. Murrow Award for Excellence in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion for the multi-part GBH News series Unseen. He also received National Edward R. Murrow awards in 2019 and 2014 for investigative reporting on human trafficking.
NEFAC Announces 2023 New England First Amendment Institute Journalism Fellows
The New England First Amendment Coalition is pleased to announce the incoming class of fellows for its 2023 New England First Amendment Institute.
Now in its 13th year, the Institute provides support and training for New England journalists and gives them the tools they need to become more accomplished investigative reporters, well-versed in the freedom of information laws that govern today’s difficult reporting landscape.
The Institute — provided at no cost to those who attend — is Oct. 29-31 at Northeastern University in Boston and features many of the country’s elite reporters, editors, and media attorneys. About 300 journalists have attended the Institute since it began in 2011.
Keynote speakers this year are Eric Meyer, publisher and editor of the Marion County Record, the weekly newspaper in Kansas that recently made national headlines when local sheriffs raided its newsroom; Sisi Wei, Editor-in-Chief of The Markup, a nonprofit, investigative newsroom that challenges technology to serve the public good; and Brian Rosenthal, Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative reporter at The New York Times and the president of Investigative Reporters and Editors.
Read more and meet the Fellows at nefac.org