Couric, Pearlstine Receive Poynter Awards:
The Poynter Institute will honor former CBS Evening News anchor Katie Couric and Los Angeles Times Executive Editor Norman Pearlstine at its annual Bowtie Ball on Nov. 2. Couric will receive the 2019 Medal for Lifetime Achievement in Journalism, while Pearlstine will receive 2019 Distinguished Service to Journalism Award.
Southern District Cites Journalism:
U.S. Attorney Geoffrey Berman said that his office was assisted by Miami Herald reporter Julie K. Brown's "excellent investigative journalism" in its indictment of former hedge fund manager Jeffrey Epstein on sex trafficking charges. "Julie tackled this project because she thought there were questions about whether justice was done, and it’s really had an impact," said Rick Hirsch, the newspaper's managing editor.
Facebook, Twitter Excluded From Social Summit:
According to CNN's Oliver Darcy, representatives from Facebook and Twitter have not been invited to Thursday's White House social media summit. The Washington Post reported last week that the Trump administration has invited several individuals who have alleged that the platforms "harbor bias against conservatives and censor their speech."
Byer Reflects:
2007 Feature Photography winner Renée Byer commented on the power of photojournalism in a conversation with Rio Salado College's KJZZ. "It gives you that time to stop, to think, and to feel the emotions of despair," said Byer.
Ramshaw on Nonprofit News:
In an interview with Peter Kafka of Recode, Pulitzer Prize Board member and Texas Tribune Editor-in-Chief Emily Ramshaw discussed the local news crisis and the emergence of nonprofit newsrooms. "[A]s dire as these situations are getting, there are some folks who are stepping in to try to bail out these news organizations and really treat them as philanthropic endeavors," Ramshaw said.
Russian State Media Banned:
Citing "their active role in spreading disinformation," the British Foreign Office has denied press credentials for the Global Conference on Media Freedom (jointly organized by the British and Canadian governments in conjunction with Amal Clooney) to Russian state media affiliates RT and Sputnik News. Although the decision was condemned by Russia's British embassy as "politically motivated discrimination," the Foreign Office confirmed that other Russian journalists have been accredited for the event.
Mad Phases Out:
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Mad magazine "will effectively cease publication some time later this year after 67 years," switching to a predominantly archival format with limited distribution. The satirical publication, which was founded by Harvey Kurtzman and William Gaines at EC Comics in 1952, will continue to feature new content in its year-end specials.
Defender Goes Digital:
The Chicago Defender will cease print operations and become a digital newsroom on July 10. Founded in 1905 by Robert S. Abbott for African-American readers, the weekly newspaper covered the injustices of the Jim Crow era and played a decisive role in facilitating the Great Migration. "It was an essential force in American history for the whole of the 20th century," said Ethan Michaeli, a former Defender staffer and author of a 2016 book on the newspaper.
Pitts Subjected to 911 Hoax:
2004 Commentary winner and Miami Herald columnist Leonard Pitts Jr. was handcuffed by police at his home in Bowie, Md. Sunday after a hoax 911 caller alleged that someone had been murdered in his house. "It was an interesting way to start the morning," Pitts said. "It felt surreal, like I was in a movie." Miami Herald Editorial Page Editor Nancy Ancrum, who oversees Pitts's column, condemned the incident as "jarring, disturbing and alarming."
Advocate and Times-Picayune Merge:
Following its recent acquisition by The Advocate of Baton Rouge, The Times-Picayune of New Orleans was absorbed into the news organization Monday. The combined organization will carry the imprimatur of The Times-Picayune | The New Orleans Advocate.
