Courting, then assailing, raid coverage 

The Trump administration has sought to draw attention to its immigration crackdown, using tactics that create a spectacle, as Daniel Gonzalez of the Arizona Republic put it.

But it is also blaming local reporting when these raids don’t go as planned, writes Josh Hersh for CJR. “What we’re seeing is an agency trying to silence unembedded reporting,” Azmat Khan, a Columbia journalism professor, told Hersh.

In a recent example, the administration’s “border czar” Tom Homan blamed leaks to the media for hindering a raid in Aurora, Colo., though the Sentinel in Colorado said in a fact check that there was no proof of media leakers.

Meanwhile, the Federal Communications Commission has launched an investigation into KCBS Radio in San Francisco for its reporting on a raid in San Jose, reports Juan Carlos Lara for KQED. David Loy, legal director for the First Amendment Coalition, told Lara he sees it as a case of the FCC “potentially being weaponized to crack down on reporting that the administration simply just doesn’t like.”

The crackdown has the effect of “blurring the lines between reality, rumor and performance,” writes Jamiles Lartey of The Marshall Project.

News In Focus
Headlines, resources and events aligned with API’s four areas of focus.

Civic Discourse & Democracy

>> Trump’s declaration allows Musk’s efficiency team to skirt open records laws (The New York Times)

Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency has been insulated from public records requests until five years after President Trump leaves office, reports Minho Kim. That is because a reorganization has made the office subject to a law that makes its communications and documents subject to presidential records.

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Culture & Inclusion

>> How a Black-led journalism project uses technology to address systemic inequalities in California (Hacks/Hackers) 

Mapping Black California, a project of Black Voice News, has built a dashboard that informs a series of articles that examine the impact of racism. Alex Reed, a project manager for Mapping Black California, told Nevin Thompson that the goal is to “provide a more holistic view of overlooked and hard-to-reach populations” in the state.

>> Disney makes changes to DEI programs and rebrands employee groups (Axios)

Sara Fischer reports that Disney is changing its diversity, equity and inclusion programs to “focus more closely on business outcomes.” A note sent to employees said the company will implement a new “talent strategy” factor focused on business success and will also change up the branding of its programs internally and externally, Fischer writes.

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Community Engagement & Trust

>> AI chatbots unable to accurately summarize news, BBC finds (BBC)

A study by the BBC showed that four major chatbots — ChatGPT, Copilot, Gemini and Perplexity — produced “significant inaccuracies” and distortions when asked questions about the news. “We live in troubled times, and how long will it be before an AI-distorted headline causes significant real world harm?” the CEO of BBC News, Deborah Turness, wrote in an accompanying blog post.

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Revenue & Resilience

>> New from API: The Digital Transformation Guide from the American Press Institute

Today we are publishing a comprehensive guide of tactics and frameworks that have helped local news organizations across the country find success in digital publishing. The guide, featuring strategies from local news organizations that participated in the Table Stakes Local News Transformation Program, covers five critical areas of digital publishing: Adopting a product-thinking mindset; diversifying revenue; practicing engaged journalism; collaborating internally and externally; and managing people through change.

>> Cyberattack disrupts publication of Lee Newspapers across the U.S. (The New York Times)

A cyberattack last week disrupted publication of print and online news at Lee Enterprises newspapers across the country. The company said it had notified law enforcement authorities and that it was making an effort to determine what happened and what information was affected by the attack. Lee did not say who was behind the attack, reported Amanda Holpuch.

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What else you need to know

📻In a ‘bold move,’ KCUR and Classical KC begin the process of transitioning from UMKC (KCUR)

🗞️ UT-Dallas students launch alternative newspaper after clash with administration (Texas Tribune)

🤨The ‘Wild West’ of cancer misinformation online (Harvard Magazine)

🏅Freelance journalists Latria Graham and Zaydee Sanchez awarded 2025 American Mosaic Journalism Prize (Heising-Simons Foundation)