Coverage of the Trump assassination attempt show the media’s limits
The assassination attempt on former President Trump showcased just how strapped local news outlets are, writes Sara Fischer in Axios. Home pages across the country posted the same pictures, wire or parent company copy, and updates at the same time. Some eventually featured local takes on the national story.
Charlie Wenzel writes that in the immediate wake of the shooting, it was actually quite simple to distinguish fact from fiction online — but very soon after, conspiracies started to emerge. “The basic facts held attention for only so long before being supplanted by wild speculation,” he writes.
And insiders at MSNBC tell The Wrap that the decision to pull Morning Joe from the air on Monday is a troubling sign that executives are “currying favor with the Trump camp” in case the former president is re-elected.
News In Focus
Headlines, resources and events aligned with API’s four areas of focus.
Civic Discourse & Democracy
>> The Shade Room built a massive Black audience. Candidates want in. (The Washington Post)
Angie Nwandu started The Shade Room in 2014 with a focus on celebrity gossip, but it’s now seen as a major media player by political campaigns. The Instagram-first outlet has more than 29 million followers, and has featured both President Biden and Vice President Harris.
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Culture & Inclusion
>> Could social media support healthy online conversations? New_ Public is working on it (Nieman Lab)
Grassroots groups on social platforms are a primary source of news for many people, and nonprofit New_ Public is seeking to support these groups to help grow a healthier online ecosystem.
>> New from API: 3 tips for using retrospectives to improve future news projects (Better News)
Here’s an idea to steal and adapt: Reset your team’s approach to giving feedback on shared work, news coverage and projects.
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Community Engagement & Trust
>> Trust is high in New Jersey local news organizations, new poll shows (New Jersey Civic Information Consortium)
A recent survey found that 79% of New Jerseyans have at least a “moderate” amount of trust in their local news — but two-thirds say local media doesn’t have much influence in their community.
>> Social is down, newsletters are up: How audiences are finding LIONs in 2024 (LION Publishers)
Data from the LION Sustainability Audits program has found that news outlets are focusing on growing their newsletters and events. And more news outlets are being found via direct search than in 2022.
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Revenue & Resilience
>> Most Britons want online journalism ad-funded, but don’t like the ads they see (Press Gazette)
Research into British news consumers found that most expected to find news content online for free, but that they were often dissatisfied with the advertising they encountered on free websites. 87% said they would rather exchange some personal data to view content rather than pay for it.
>> Join us: Diversifying Revenue Series: Finding alignment with potential funders
Table Stakes alumni, join a conversation with Michael Grant of Get Current Studio to discuss aligning revenue goals with capacity and mission. Register for next week’s webinar here.
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What else you need to know
🖥️ Mashable, PC Mag, and Lifehacker win unprecedented AI protections in new union contract (Nieman Lab)
🪖HR professionals, hiring managers and newsroom leaders involved in hiring journalists can take this paid survey to share the experiences of veterans in journalism. (Military Veterans in Journalism)
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Weekend reads
+ Wait, does America really still employ a ton of news reporters? (The Washington Post)
+ One-man Telemundo on TikTok: Carlos Espina is among a new kind of social media personalities (The New York Times)
+ The right to know: A case for a federal public trust for media (Knight First Amendment Institute)
