Editor’s note: This will be our last newsletter of 2024; our next newsletter will go out on Monday, January 6, 2025.  

Looking back and forward at the journalism industry

2024 has been an eventful year for journalism. As the Reuters Institute reflects on the past year, it notes the complexities of integrating AI into newsrooms, the increase in negative perceptions of the media and the increasing fragmentation of the news landscape. 

In his Substack Second Rough Draft, Richard J. Tofel reflected on the failures of the media in the last year, particularly around coverage of President Biden’s advancing age and how increasing wealth inequality is impacting politics. He also noted that wealthy benefactors and government legislation have not been the boon for the industry that some hoped. But he sees promise in the wave of innovative news leaders who are continuing to work to improve the industry. 

And in Nieman Lab’s Predictions for Journalism 2025, media experts offer a range of ideas about what the next year will bring. Predictors are particularly interested in the continuing evolution of AI, new approaches to community engagement and more thoughtful uses of technology. 

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

Civic Discourse & Democracy

>> Can billionaire media moguls be trusted in Trump’s America? (The Guardian)

Emily Bell argues that wealthy media owners like Jeff Bezos and Patrick Soon-Shiong are weaponing the idea of “low trust in media” to push business-friendly narratives by claiming to be tackling “bias.” 

>> Inside Disney’s decision to settle a Trump defamation suit (The New York Times) 

Disney executives were worried that President-elect Trump’s defamation lawsuit would have negative implications for both the Disney brand and the press in general. Some lawyers worried that the suit could make it to the Supreme Court, which could then overturn the landmark libel decision New York Times v. Sullivan. 

+ Dig Deeper: Disney’s decision to settle Trump defamation suit prompts backlash at ABC News (The Wall Street Journal) 

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Culture & Inclusion

>> The 2024 gift guide for journalists (Nieman Lab)

The Nieman Lab staff has put together a gift guide for journalists. It includes games, apps, pens, jewelry, and lots of books. 

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Community Engagement & Trust

>> How one local newsroom celebrates Festivus (Poynter)

Each December, the Tampa Bay Times invites readers to submit their Festivus gripes, and receives hundreds of grievances every year. Reporter Christopher Spata said readers enjoy the opportunity to vent about both broad and very specific issues. 

>> News publishers have a chance to reclaim their space at the center of the town square (Poynter) 

Josh Awtry of Newsweek writes that as social media has become less interactive, news outlets have the opportunity to bring people into their fold and facilitate real dialogue via comments and other engagement strategies.  

>> New from API: A community of collaboration: How journalists and non-news experts can work together better 

This year, API embarked on an effort to better understand how non-news experts and news leaders can best inform one another’s work. Our new report looks at how news leaders and researchers interact; explores insights from our API Local News Summits; considers how journalists and researchers think about depolarization and bridging; and offers recommendations for the future of these collaborations.  

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Revenue & Resilience

>> ‘Paywalls safest way to guarantee journalistic jobs’ says Bloomberg editor in chief (Press Gazette)

In a speech about the future of journalism, John Micklethwait said that paywalls push news outlets to focus on bringing value to their subscribers, rather than facing ethical decisions about partners and advertisers. 

>> Publishers battle for the C-suite (The New York Times) 

In January, Semafor is launching an invitation-only newsletter for chief executives who lead companies with more than $500 million annual revenue. It’s the latest publication to battle for the limited attention of C-suite executives. 

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What else you need to know

📺 Neil Cavuto leaving Fox News (Mediaite) 

🤖 Apple urged to axe AI feature after false headline (BBC) 

🫱🏽‍🫲🏿 Forbes is cutting ties with freelance writers, citing Google spam policies (The Verge) 

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Holiday reads

+ How much abuse can a local newspaper reporter take? (The Washington Post) 

+ Haunted by ghost papers: Can Massachusetts hyperlocal startups reconnect communities to the news–and each other? (Medill Local News Initiative) 

+ Platforms need the news — but they’re killing it (The Verge) 

+ Why ‘Shattered Glass’ endures (Poynter)