For the Record

"Equal Opportunity Agitator":

The Daily Guide of Waynesville, Mo. closed in September 2018, leaving the city without a local newspaper for the first time since 1971. According to an Associated Press analysis, more than "1,400 other cities and towns across the U.S." have lost a local newspaper over the past 15 years. Former staffer Darrell Todd Maurina has attempted to fill the void with the Pulaski County Daily News, a blog that includes live coverage of city council meetings and traffic reports. "I really believe that as large newspaper chains cut staff of small newspapers, and small newspapers wither and die, that’s going to cause major problems in communities," he said.

"It Was Work, But It Was Fun":

Dan Jenkins died from complications of heart and renal failure in his hometown of Fort Worth on March 7. He was 90. Closely associated with such Texas-based "literary outlaws" as Bud Shrake and Gary Cartwright, Jenkins introduced New Journalism techniques to sports reportage in pieces for Sports Illustrated and Playboy, effectively pioneering contemporary sports journalism.

"Ever-Vigilant":

Newsrooms, officials and nongovernmental organizations across the country are celebrating Sunshine Week, a government transparency initiative spearheaded by the the American Society of News Editors and the Reporters Committee with support from the Knight Foundation. The celebration will culminate in Freedom of Information Day on March 16.

Changes:

White House Communications Director Bill Shine "has resigned and will move to the re-election campaign," the White House announced Friday. A former Fox News executive, Shine also held the title of deputy chief of staff.

"Thrilling, Frustrating, Beautiful Ride":

Fourteen senior staffers at the St. Louis Post-Dispatch have accepted buyouts from the publication, including Political/National Editor Christopher Ave and Projects/Investigative Editor Jean Buchanan. Parent company Lee Enterprises, which acquired the newspaper from the Pulitzer family in 2005, announced last month that "copyediting and design duties" would be outsourced to "workers in Munster, Indiana."

"Wholly Inappropriate":

The Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press has condemned a federal list "created to track" journalists, activists, attorneys and others "covering immigration at the U.S.-Mexico border." Some individuals placed on the list "have reported having alerts placed on their passports for secondary screening, being detained and questioned about their work by border agents when trying to cross the border and not being allowed to enter Mexico." "If our First Amendment means anything, it’s that the government cannot retaliate against journalists based on the content of their reporting," said Gabe Rottman, director of the Reporters Committee’s Technology and Press Freedom Project.

"Bittersweet":

Spirited Media is selling its three local online newsrooms (including Billy Penn in Philadelphia, The Incline in Pittsburgh and Denverite in Denver). Denverite has been sold to Colorado Public Radio, while sales to "local buyers" in Philadelphia and Pittsburgh are pending. According to Vice President for Strategy Chris Krewson, "There is more money out there for companies like ours to earn helping others do what we do via consulting than continuing to raise money to expand into new markets."

"A Man With A Heart":

PEN International Vice President Moris Farhi died at his home in Hove, Britain on March 5 at the age of 84. A versatile Turkish-British writer and actor who worked in several media (including fiction, poetry and television), Fari was best known for "campaigning for over 25 years for writers persecuted or imprisoned by repressive regimes."

"New Opportunities":

Advance Publications has acquired AI-based plagiarism checker Turnitin for $1.75 billion. "My understanding is that Advance Publications has been considering transforming themselves from a traditional media company into an education technology company for the past few years," said Jason Palmer, a general partner at New Markets Venture Partners.

"Hands-On Class":

Several months after its unsuccessful initial coin offering, blockchain-based journalism startup Civil initiated a "revamped" coin offering Wednesday. The current offering has no fixed deadline and includes caveats about the potential loss of value for the cryptocurrency. Although "most" of the new 33-step process "happens on the Civil website, with less time bouncing from site to site," a purchase may take as long as two hours. Tokens purchased directly from Civil will "support the Civil Foundation, which supports several newsrooms in the Civil orbit."