Lessons from a leak
Atlantic editor-in-chief Jeffrey Goldberg’s revelation that he was included on a Signal chat group discussing U.S. war plans in Yemen was a media story as well as a national security one. The national security reverberations will continue for a long time. But for the media there are already some key takeaways.
First, while the Goldberg episode was “jaw-dropping,” it’s not unheard of for journalists on occasion to hear or see things not meant for them, writes Poynter’s Kelly McBride in a piece about how to respond ethically in such situations. In this case, the ultra-sensitive nature of the discussion made it seem unreal. And McBride’s first piece of advice was just that: confirm authenticity. “If attempts to verify details turn up inconsistency or doubt, that should be considered a big red flag,” she writes.
Another take was that Goldberg handled the whole thing with professionalism. He deserves credit for showing discretion, Ian Bremmer, head of political risk and consulting firm Eurasia Group, said in a video for GZERO Media. “I know that Elon [Musk] in particular likes to say a lot that the public is now the media, but it turns out that well-trained journalists have standards and those standards are important.”
Finally, if you’re going to use Signal, be aware of ways to minimize risk. Shira Ovide in her Washington Post newsletter Tech Friend provides tips for anyone using the app, not specifically reporters. But they are applicable to journalists. One of them: “You’re only as safe as the people with whom you communicate.”
Or, as Goldberg himself told Jen Psaki on MSNBC: “We all like to think that we’re good at digital hygiene, but most of us are not good at digital hygiene.”
- Related: 10 questions Washington reporters need to ask right now (Dick Tofel’s Second Rough Draft)
News In Focus
Headlines, resources and events aligned with API’s four areas of focus.
Civic Discourse & Democracy
How Charlottesville Tomorrow is reporting on changes in the federal government (Charlottesville Tomorrow)
Angilee Shah, editor-in-chief and CEO of Charlottesville Tomorrow, says her publication is putting resources “toward the tangible impacts of new federal policies in Central Virginia.” She calls on people in the community to tell the publication how changes out of Washington are affecting them and provides a form to help.
- The Trump White House shut out the AP. They keep showing up anyway. (The Washington Post)
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Culture & Inclusion
>> Inquirer closes community news desk, sparking outcry over diversity and equity goals (Poynter)
The Philadelphia Inquirer initiated buyouts and shut down its community and engagement desk, which was established three years ago to better reach traditionally underserved communities. The move, writes Poynter’s Rick Edmonds, prompted a number of angry responses. One question Edmonds raised was whether separating the nascent operation from the main newsroom was a good idea.
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Community Engagement & Trust
>> API in the news: ‘We need to enable more experimentation in this space’ (CollegeJournalism.org)
College campuses provide a great setting for influencers to learn to be trusted messengers and to experiment with authentic storytelling, API’s Samantha Ragland told Barbara Allen for her new website and newsletter CollegeJournalism.org. Student journalists should be taught foundational reporting skills and ethics, but they also need multimedia and social media skills as part of their lessons, Ragland told Allen.
>> New from API: Applications open for API Influencers Learning Cohort
API is looking for up to 12 dynamic and curious news organizations who want to join our next cohort for experimenting on influencer collaborations. Participants in the program will receive $3,000 and join learning calls, exchange ideas, solve problems with peers and provide insights to API for developing additional programming for 2025. The cohort runs through July 31. Learn more and apply by March 31.
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Revenue & Resilience
>> Bluesky makes it easier for publishers to track referrals (TechCrunch)
The social network Bluesky is now making it easier for publishers to track when people coming to their site have done so via a link shared on the network. Sarah Perez writes that a number of newsrooms are seeing increases in traffic from Bluesky, citing numbers from The Boston Globe and Guardian Australia as examples.
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What else you need to know
🥊 PBS and NPR prepare for a showdown with Congress (The New York Times)
😒 ‘Who are you with?’: Trump’s latest way to pick at the media (The Washington Post)
🤥 Hijacking news: Fake media sites sow Ukraine disinformation (Agence France Presse)
🏦 The lessons of crypto media (CJR)
