How student journalists are stepping up 

As protests over the war in Gaza consumed Columbia University recently, student journalists have been at the fore of coverage. In her Substack, The Present Age, Parker Molloy wrote that the school’s student newspaper, the Columbia Daily Spectator, is producing “some of the absolute most indispensable journalism” about the protests.  

Elsewhere in New York City, a new initiative is pushing for more newspapers in high schools; 73% of public high schools don’t have a student publication, according to The Nutgraf.  

The journalists at Indiana University’s student media outlets are staging a walkout to protest budget cuts from the university, reports the Indiana Daily Student.

At community colleges across the country, noncredit certificates are helping students learn the tools of journalism to help better serve their communities, Journalism + Design reports. 

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

Civic Discourse & Democracy

>> New group joins the political fight over disinformation online (The New York Times) 

Nina Jankowicz and Carlos Álvarez-Aranyos have launched the American Sunlight Project, a nonprofit focused on fighting those who oppose research into sources of disinformation. 

>> In criminal probe of reporter, advocates see attack on Peru’s democracy (The Washington Post) 

Peruvian journalist Gustavo Gorriti has been covering corruption since the 1980s, but now he is under criminal investigation for “trading media support” with government lawyers on one of his most high-profile stories. Press advocates say the government is distorting the work of journalism for political means. 

>> Sign up for journalist safety training in Mich., NC, NV (IWMF)

Applications for the IWMF Newsroom Safety Across America initiative in North Carolina, Michigan, and Nevada are open now. This critical training will prepare local reporters ahead of the 2024 elections.

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Culture & Inclusion

>> Black women leaders in journalism: Breaking barriers, forging the future (Editor & Publisher) 

Ashanti Blaize-Hopkins of SPJ, LaSharah Bunting of ONA, and Karen Rundlet of INN are all the first Black women to hold the top-level leadership role at their organizations. They are all working to prop up more women of color, make conferences and resources more accessible and affordable, and serve their communities and democracy. 

» Join us: Trauma-informed leadership for post-pandemic news leaders

At its core, trauma-informed leadership recognizes and respects human experiences. Post-pandemic news organizations require us to re-order our skillset, moving “soft” skills to the top. While the soft skills of leadership are difficult, API believes these skills will help retain critical perspectives and pivotal voices. In this workshop — led by Sam Ragland, API’s vice president of journalism programs — we’ll invite caring, coaching and connecting to the table. Join us Wednesday, May 1 for this free session.

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Community Engagement & Trust

>> How The Jersey Bee uses journalism to improve public health (The Jersey Bee)

In The Jersey Bee’s newsletter, The Daily Buzz, approximately one in six pieces is related to ways for people to access aid or resources, while another third are related to upcoming events. The outlet also offers a textline to provide food and resource help. 

>> The state of collaborative journalism in the U.S. in 2024 (Medium, Center for Cooperative Media) 

Over the last few years, collaboration within journalism has become commonplace for news outlets, particularly nonprofits, on both the editorial and the business side. But there is still no easy way to distribute collaborative journalism. 

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Revenue & Resilience

>> The Lever gets reader backing to expose corporate corruption and grows editorial team (Press Gazette) 

The investigative news outlet The Lever launched as a newsletter by former Bernie Sanders adviser David Sirota in 2020, and has since grown to 19 journalists. They aim to produce one piece of original reporting a day about the impact of corporate power on the country; they current have more than 112,000 free and paid subscribers. 

>> What it takes to run a metro newspaper in the digital era (Nieman Lab)

The San Francisco Chronicle is working on building direct relationships with audiences as AI threatens search, while The Dallas Morning News has narrowed its focus and prioritized quality over quantity in its work. The Toronto Star is committed to keeping readers informed about politics — both by chasing down big scoops and providing consistent, informative content during slower news cycles.

>> New from API: How the Henrico Citizen grew its email list and reader revenue (Better News)

In 2020, the Henrico Citizen put its efforts into growing its online audience to generate new revenue — and added 9,000 email subscribers and generated $34,000 in reader revenue in just one year. Owner and publisher Tom Lappas discusses that with host Michael O’Connell on this week’s Better News podcast.

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What else you need to know

💸 Gateway Pundit to file for bankruptcy amid election conspiracy lawsuits (The Washington Post) 

🎓 Henry Chu named deputy curator of the Nieman Foundation for Journalism at Harvard (Harvard) 

🗣️ Lenfest Institute names democracy forum presenters (The Lenfest Institute) 

📰 NABJ issues statement on Westword’s egregious march cover (NABJ) 

🚨 SPJ condemns arrest of Fox 7 News photojournalists, calls for law enforcement to allow journalists to report without interference (SPJ) 

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Weekend reads