Pacific Standard Shutters:
Citing the end of a funding agreement with Sage Publications, Pacific Standard Editor-in-Chief Nicholas Jackson announced the digital magazine's closure Wednesday. Based in Santa Barbara, Calif., the publication specialized in issues of social and environmental justice.
Breitbart Traffic Plunges:
Lindsey Ellefson of The Wrap has reported that "monthly traffic on Breitbart has plummeted nearly 72%, from 17.3 million in January 2017 [...] to 4.9 million in June 2019." "Fox News programming during this time of Trump mirrors what Breitbart homepages looked like pre-Trump," said Kurt Bardella, a former spokesperson for the site who has since joined the Democratic Party. "Fox has gone full-tilt Breitbart and in the process made Breitbart irrelevant."
Post Publishes Lengthy Correction:
The Washington Post has appended a 579-word correction to a July 23 story by freelancer Korsha Wilson about black families trying to hold onto their ancestors' farmland. "We are embarrassed by the widespread errors in this freelance article," said Executive Editor Marty Baron. "We have published a detailed correction of each error and updated the story based on re-reporting by Post staff."
Gannett Offices Evacuated:
The McLean, Va. offices of Gannett and flagship publication USA Today were evacuated Wednesday after authorities received an unsubstantiated report of a person with a weapon. "This is a non-event," Fairfax County Police Chief Edwin Roessler Jr. confirmed. "Everyone is safe, and I do not have any evidence that a crime was committed."
'Bad Headline':
New York Times Executive Editor Dean Baquet apologized for a headline about President Trump's rhetoric on race and recent mass shootings,, which Baquet said, "didn’t have enough skepticism of what the president said.” Readers expressed outrage online over the headline, which read "Trump Urges Unity vs. Racism," after Nate Silver tweeted an image of the paper's front page.
Angwin, Colleagues Return to The Markup:
Following an April leadership battle that resulted in their resignations, Editor-in-Chief Julia Angwin and six editorial staffers have rejoined tech news site The Markup, President Nabiha Syed announced Tuesday. "Honestly, we need to prove we're back and get people comfortable with us," said Angwin, a 2003 Explanatory Reporting contributor and 2017 Explanatory Reporting finalist. The news organization will begin publishing by the end of the year.
The Decline of Vice:
Vanity Fair's William D. Cohan has reported that Vice CEO Nancy Dubuc is attempting to "shop" the struggling private company "to what may soon be a merged CBS-Viacom." However, Viacom CEO Bob Bakish, who is expected to serve as chief executive of the combined company, rebuffed investment solicitations when the youth-oriented media company enjoyed a significantly higher valuation in 2016 and remains opposed to any potential deal.
Palin Defamation Suit Is Revived:
A 2017 defamation suit brought by 2008 Republican vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin against The New York Times was reinstated by the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit Tuesday. According to The Times, a three-judge panel has determined that "it was not for a judge to determine" whether Editorial Page Editor James Bennet "had acted out of actual malice" in crafting a piece that linked a map circulated by Palin's political action committee to the 2011 shooting of former Rep. Gabrielle Giffords. The case will now be re-tried at the district court level.
NPR Restructures:
NPR announced Tuesday that it is eliminating "fewer than 10" jobs as part of a restructuring effort that will also add new positions. Senior Vice President and Editorial Director Nancy Barnes, a member of the Pulitzer Prize Board, characterized the decision as a way to bolster investigative and beat coverage in an internal note.
NAHJ Issues Mass Shooting Standards Guide:
The National Association of Hispanic Journalists has released a standards guide for covering mass shootings. "It is a heart-wrenching reality to consider that mass shootings and hate crimes have become so prevalent in America that journalists must be reminded not only how to fairly and accurately report such tragedies; but also to be culturally sensitive and sensible in the portrayal of communities under attack," said Hugo Balta, the organization's president.
