For the Record

"Their Freedom To Be Liberated":

Speaking to representatives of 17 member delegations and various media professionals at a panel organized by the International Press Institute for the United Nations in Geneva Tuesday, Associated Press Vice President for Standards and Pulitzer Prize Board member John Daniszewski discussed the panoply of worldwide threats to press freedom. "Many attacks on journalists have been against those who dare to stand against this tide. Those who report factually about special interests, or the treatment of minorities, or the poor state of democracy, or the mistreatment of the environment," he said. "In this atmosphere, we journalists must unite with institutions and governments who are willing to defend the role of journalism and the importance and validity of factual reporting."

Boom And Bust:

According to freelance writer Jake Pitre, BuzzFeed's mass layoffs, Grindr's closure of its INTO platform and editorial turmoil at Them have effectively ended the queer media boom that commenced following the federal legalization of same-sex marriage in 2015. However, independent outlets such as Autostraddle (a news organization for queer woman and nonbinary individuals) have managed to remain solvent with a mixture of subscriptions, merchandising, events and advertising. "It takes all of those revenue streams functioning at full capacity for us to stay in business," said Heather Hogan, the organization's managing editor. "It’s the same thing as being on a tight budget in your life, you're really asking yourself if each little thing is something you can afford."

"Quality Publications":

Digital publishing platform Medium announced on Monday its plans to fund and distribute new publications in collaboration with third-party publishers. The platform previously fulfilled contracts with ThinkProgress and The Ringer before electing not to renew them. Salty, a Medium-based publication founded by former New York Times food writer Mark Bittman, launched Tuesday.

Desert Song:

According to The Wall Street Journal, a trove of Facebook data released Monday indicates that "one-third of Americans live in a place where Facebook can’t find enough local news being shared on its service to justify building a localized aggregator for that area." "We've been clear from the beginning that we think the first step to solving this problem is measuring it," said Anthea Watson Strong, product manager for Today In, the platform's local news aggregator. 

Can't Find My Way Home:

An immigration judge in Texas has rejected the latest asylum application of Mexican journalist Emilio Gutiérrez Soto, prompting bipartisan intervention from Michigan Reps. Debbie Dingell (D) and Fred Upton (R). "Given this set of facts, along with the legitimate documented concerns surrounding Mr. Gutiérrez Soto’s safety, we strongly support his request for asylum," the officials said in a statement. Soto, who is currently a Knight-Wallace Fellow at the University of Michigan, fled his home country in 2008 after receiving death threats stemming from his coverage of drug cartels.

Curtailed:

As Apple prepares to unveil its subscription service for news outlets, The New York Times recently cut the number of stories syndicated to the technology company's news app. "We try to be intelligent in the way we think about our partnerships with these platforms," said New York Times Chief Executive Officer Mark Thompson.

Expanding Horizons:

Solutions Journalism Network has announced a partnership between six local newsrooms and institutions in Charlotte, N.C., including The Charlotte Observer, Spanish language newspaper La Noticia and the the James L. Knight School of Communication at Queens University of Charlotte. The partnership, funded by the Knight Foundation's $300 million grant to local news organizations, will begin publishing in the spring. "Trust starts at the local level," said Karen Rundlet, Knight Foundation director for journalism. "That’s why creating a strong future for local news organizations is so important to fostering the kind of communities where people are able to shape-decision making, connect and find common ground."

Stepping Down:

People Deputy Editor Dan Wakeford will replace Jess Cagle as the magazine's editor-in-chief, parent company Meredith Corporation announced Thursday. Although Meredith has sold various properties previously owned by Time Inc. following its 2017 acquisition, the magazine and its siblings (including Entertainment Weekly and InStyle) have become an integral part of Meredith's portfolio alongside Better Homes and Gardens and Family Circle.

The Forever War:

Columbia Journalism School Dean and ex officio Pulitzer Prize Board member Steve Coll received the 2018 National Book Critics Circle Award in Nonfiction for "Directorate S: The C.I.A. and America’s Secret Wars in Afghanistan," the organization announced Thursday. According to juror Mary Ann Gwinn, "Told with empathy for all sides, his account is sad, frightening, and moving in its depiction of the human toll of the conflict." A two-time Pulitzer winner, Coll is ineligible for the award for the duration of his Pulitzer Board service.

Standing Up:

Forbes, the Associated Press and other news organizations announced the formation of the One Free Press Coalition Friday. According to their website, the advocacy group will compile a monthly list of "10 Most Urgent" press freedom cases across the world. Forbes Chief Content Officer Randall Lane devised the concept at a meeting of the International Media Council in Davos earlier this year.