Anne D'Innocenzio

The Wall Street Journal editor Paul Beckett’s account in the Columbia Journalism Review of how the Journal mobilized to free Evan Gershkovich after 16th months as a prisoner in Russia is a tour de force and “a free press triumph” and well worth the read. Some excerpts: A phone call to a senior government official who knows this terrain provided the answer: “There are times to be quiet and there are times to be loud—and this is a time to be loud.” “Yet on days like August 1 (when he was freed), the values that underpin democracy and are the foundation of a free press triumph.” “Few countries that are not democracies could point to such care for their ordinary citizens abroad, let alone noncitizens imprisoned for their political beliefs.” “news organizations must continue to assess and calibrate the risks their reporters face when operating in dangerous terrain. Perhaps they need to make more hard-nosed choices on whether it is necessary to deploy in person to countries that target journalists or whether that terrain can effectively be covered from outside, given advances in technology and communications.” “And they could ensure that press freedom around the world—an issue so fundamental to their existence that it is often taken for granted—is a subject they cover as if their livelihoods and their liberty depended on it.” https://lnkd.in/etZTVCeB

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE SWIFT IMPACT: POP SUPERSTAR'S ENDORSEMENT MAY BACKFIRE, SAYS LEADING U.S. MEDIA EXPERT Michael Levine Cites Poll Showing Taylor Swift's Support for Harris-Walz Ticket Turning More Voters Away Than It Attracts According to leading U.S. media expert and best-selling author Michael Levine, Taylor Swift's recent endorsement of Vice President Kamala Harris and Minnesota Governor Tim Walz might not be the vote-swaying move some expected. It could be driving more voters away than pulling them in. A new YouGov post-debate poll released on Saturday reveals that while 8% of voters said Swift's endorsement makes them "somewhat" or "much more likely" to vote for Harris and Walz, a staggering 20% said they are "somewhat" or "much less likely" to vote for the Democratic ticket now that Swift has thrown her weight behind it. A majority of 66% reported that Swift's endorsement will not influence their vote in November. Swift, a Grammy-winning artist with a massive social media following of 283 million, clarified her position shortly after the recent debate, stating, "I've done my research, and I've made my choice," in an Instagram post. Levine, renowned for his media and public influence expertise, suggests this polling data reflects a growing backlash against celebrity involvement in politics. "It's a fascinating example of how public figures may be miscalculating the influence they wield," Levine said. "While Swift's voice carries weight in popular culture, political endorsements may be an entirely different beast—one that could alienate more voters than it engages." As the 2024 election intensifies, this celebrity endorsement raises fresh questions about the power of star influence on American politics. https://lnkd.in/gM38yqZD #taylorswift #2024election #careeradvice #selfgrowth #motivationalcoach #businesscoach #personalcoach #michaellevineconsulting #michaellevine #whatisyourwhy #losangeles #wisdom

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For crisis communications and media professionals: How do you navigate advising clients or upper management when they opt for crisis spin messaging over addressing the actual root cause of the crisis? 🤔 We've witnessed various scenarios where organizations either successfully managed this approach or faced challenges. From President Biden's health concerns to NYC Mayor Adam's scandals, and companies like Boeing, Meta, Nike, Tesla, Samsung, and the Secret Service-the importance of handling crises transparently cannot be overstated, especially if you want to maintain your credibility, brand, customers, clients and stakeholders.📰💼 #CrisisCommunications #MediaPros #PublicRelations #Transparency #CrisisManagement

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These commentary on Robert Longo is my latest post on Cultural Capital-Art, Politics, and Everything Else https://lnkd.in/ezKYP5Nb

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Seeing great posts from friends, colleagues and media safety & freedom orgs today marking #WorldPressFreedomDay. Important time to appreciate the critical work and severe challenges - often risking life and freedom - that journalists face today. There is no more important part of my team's mission than enabling the exceptional work of all the Dow Jones-publications across conflict areas, covering crucial economic and business stories securely, telling the stories of climate and disaster, and working within increasingly hostile autocracies. Risky work that gives us all purpose - at the The New York Times, The Washington Post and beyond. "In a world increasingly characterized by geopolitical tensions and sweeping government restrictions, the role of journalists has never been more crucial—or more challenging. As they navigate the complexities of reporting from countries with significant security concerns, they face a myriad of risks that threaten both their safety and the integrity of the press. From the criminalization of independent journalism in Russia, to the surveillance-heavy landscape of China, and even the operational difficulties in Africa, our journalists encounter daily challenges just to bring us honest, reliable news." - Dow Jones

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My weekly segment with Neil Oliver, where we discuss the reemergence of nationalism and patriotism in Europe and the US, highlighting the cultural aspects, societal impacts, and challenges faced by contemporary elites regarding these sentiments. https://lnkd.in/dh-_8eKV

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Media trust in the USA hit another historic low 📉 A new Gallup survey shows that trust in mass media has been decreasing and has fallen to a record low ➡️ The news media is the least trusted group among 10 US civic and political institutions involved in the democratic process. 👀 Another recent survey published by Business Insider says that Elon’s X (ex-Twitter) is the least trusted Big Tech company. It seems like trust is the main currency of these days. Also, it’s another reminder for PR & comms practitioners to use the whole variety of comms channels in the PESO model, not just traditional media. https://lnkd.in/dSVzhECa

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For this podcast, the Confident Retirement, there's a twist: I was the one interviewed, not the one asking the questions. (I like it better the other way - but that was fun - thanks for inviting me on, Kristopher Flammang CRPC®AIF®BFA®) Oh - and I'm not retiring :) Some of the things we talked about: * My early journalism career change to being a juvenile probation office for three years; • Why and how the Business Observer has made a transtions to #digitalfirst — and why we keep the focus on that; and • The lessons I've learned from interviewing hundreds of entrepreneurs ands business owners Take a listen!

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The Debrief podcast by The Business of Fashion is back. Take a listen to the first episode with Brian Baskin, Sarah Kent, and yours truly 🎙️

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The future of local journalism might be grant funding and newsletters. For Creator Spotlight this week I spoke to Ambreen Ali, creator of Central Desi, which has won $181k over the last two years from the New Jersey Civic Information Consortium. New Jersey has a South Asian population of roughly 500,000, but the under-staffed and under-funded local news organizations in the state have, historically, not produced enough coverage of, for, or by that population. Central Desi is filling that gap. It's also educating the next generation of journalists, teaching them to carry the torch for integrous, well-researched local news, through a fellowship program funded by those grants. "That's kind of what's different about this version of local journalism from the newspaper version. We can be small and nimble and we can use digital tools to our advantage." Read it here: https://lnkd.in/ej5D3txY

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The topic of corrections comes up a lot in comms. There’s some new research on this that is kind of interesting. Here is an excerpt from an article summarizing the findings: “…people generally trust journalists when they confirm claims to be true but are more distrusting when journalists correct false claims. Some linguistics and social science theories suggest that people intuitively understand social expectations not to be negative. Being disagreeable, like when pointing out someone else’s lie or error, carries with it a risk of backlash. We reasoned that it follows that corrections are held to a different, more critical standard than confirmations. Attempts to debunk can trigger doubts about journalists’ honesty and motives. In other words, if you’re providing a correction, you’re being a bit of a spoilsport, and that could negatively affect how you are viewed.” #mediarelations #psychology #sociology #PR

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Language in the Press Forward "Closing Local Coverage Gaps" program FAQ warms my heart: Using LION: Local Independent Online News Publishers' definition of sustainability as a framework, we will prioritize outlets that are intentional about their editorial impact, operational resilience, and/or financial health. We will support organizations that have a clear plan for how they will use this investment as a foundational step toward developing and maintaining a long-term business model. https://lnkd.in/eGKFYhGz #impact #localnews #sustainability

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Worth reading from NiemanLab: Readers prefer to click on a clear, simple headline — like this one By David Markowitz, Hillary Shulman and Todd Rogers In an era when people trust news less than ever, how can journalists break through and attract the attention of average people to provide information about their communities, the nation and the world? By not complicating things. Our research, published in Science Advances, shows that simple headlines significantly increase article engagement and clicks compared with headlines that use complex language. In our research, typical news readers preferred simple headlines over complex ones. But importantly, we found that those who actually write headlines — journalists themselves — did not. We first used data from The Washington Post and Upworthy to see how language features, such as word length and how common a word is, changed how many people clicked on an article’s headline. These datasets included over 31,000 randomized experiments — also known as A/B tests — that compared two or more headline versions of the same underlying article to determine which one generated the most clicks. Headlines with more common words — simple words like “job” instead of “occupation” — shorter headlines, and those communicated in a narrative style, with more pronouns compared with prepositions, received more clicks. For example, The Washington Post headline, “Meghan and Harry are talking to Oprah. Here’s why they shouldn’t say too much” outperformed the alternative headline, “Are Meghan and Harry spilling royal tea to Oprah? Don’t bet on it.” This example illustrates how sometimes a more straightforward headline can generate more interest. In follow-up laboratory experiments, we found that typical news readers focused more on simple rather than complex headlines because the writing was easier to understand. When journalists participated in the same experiments, they didn’t show any preference for simple headlines over complex ones. Put differently: Those who write the news appear to be less responsive to simple writing than regular audiences. Generations of communication consultants have advised that communicators follow the rather crass acronym KISS: Keep it Simple, Stupid. We suggest a modified version applied for journalists. Since KISJ isn’t all that simple, we propose: Keep It Simple, Staffers. Simplicity increases the number of people who click on a news story headline and improves reader recall of the material in the article. Most importantly, simplicity boosts reader engagement, such as how much attention they pay to the information.

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With all the talking points about threats to our democracy, the demonization of journalism is one of democracy’s biggest threats. A healthy democracy is a well-informed citizenry. The vast sea of mis- and disinformation is impacting polarization and clouding the ability to discern fact from falsehood. An aversion to truth has taken hold while many only seek out sources of news and information that reinforce personal beliefs and choose to dispute clearly presented facts because they threaten a political or social bias. The responsibility to seek out the truth falls on each of us to be an informed participant in democracy. Where do you get your news? How do you know you can trust the accuracy of what you hear, read or watch? I am proud of the work we do at WLRN, the communities we serve and the many hardworking reporters who dedicate themselves to the highest standards of journalism to counter falsehood with fact. WLRN is an oasis amid all the noise and fiction. Digging for truth is our resistance. We resist by providing stories that help us see ourselves and help us understand and connect to others. We resist by building bridges, and by holding people to account. We do all this thanks to the many generous donors who support WLRN and believe in our mission - the mission of public media. Thank you to all those who stand with us, and to all those who stand for truth. https://www.wlrn.org   During this election season, check out WLRN's partnership with PolitiFact, a non profit under the Poynter Institute, which reports on the statements of politicians and rates them for accuracy.

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While not as clear-cut as roads, clean water, and air, the democratic value to society of public interest journalism is, in my book and many others, a public good, writes Daily Maverick's Styli C.. "The recent tsunami of bad news about the news has raised an interesting question. Are we seeing the effects of a market failure playing out, or are we seeing the death of an industry that failed to innovate and keep up with the times?" #journalism #publicinterest #news #publishing

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You're probably already taking in a lot of information on how to cover this year's elections. These guides are aimed at helping you talk through that information with your news organization, and strategize or decide on how you'll navigate different scenarios long before they arise and leave you thinking, "I wish we'd talked about how we'd actually handle this." Our first two guides help you consider your coverage of misinformation and polling, and we've got more in the works! Let us know if there are other topics you'd like to see addressed.

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The Role of Trusted #Journalism Has Never Been More Critical – With the craziness of upcoming elections and recent revelations about culture in parts of media, it’s clear our industry isn’t always painting itself in glory, sometimes it feels far from it. From concerns about transparency to questions of integrity, bias, agenda, misrepresentation, or just straight-up garbage... the media landscape faces immense scrutiny and criticism. However, this isn’t a fight for journalists or those working in the #media industry. It’s a fight for all of us - for an informed, engaged and empowered public that can think critically, not be fooled and make well-rounded decisions. All of our industry must do better and rise above. Our society must demand better, as being informed is essential. I argue that there has never been a more crucial time to understand what is happening around us. I read some recent industry studies highlighting a major shift in news habits among younger audiences, with social media becoming a primary news source. In the UK, 71% of 16- to 24-year-olds rely on social media for news, with 47% of adults doing the same. Instagram (44%) and TikTok (29%) lead the pack. Think about that for a second... What a scary thought: without editorial checks, anyone can say anything and algorithms create echo chambers that reinforce beliefs. It’s no wonder divides are growing and real debate is taking a backseat. We’re making people dumber by prioritising clicks over truth. And many major media companies have been forced to follow suit in the name of staying "competitive"... adopting tabloid styles, click-baiting and chasing cheap eyeballs. As a result, getting to the trustworthy, in-depth reporting from their great journalists (of which they have many) has become challenging (almost impossible) amid all the noise and distraction. This dangerous cycle must be broken. #News should inform, enlighten and elevate conversation, not dumb it down or exploit impulses for clicks. We need to reclaim news’ essence, where facts matter and well-researched stories are valued. Now, more than ever, we must advocate, fund and support high-quality journalism. This means supporting (subscribing to) outlets committed to fact-checking, balanced reporting and genuinely informing their subscribers and readers. Decent #journalists should refuse to put up with demands to "dumb it down", stand up and be seen, be loud and proud. When news falls into click-driven traps, we should call it out and demand better. It’s up to all of us – for an informed, engaged and critically thinking society. I want my kids to grow up to be part of a WA that is well informed, values truth, critical thinking and meaningful conversation. I demand that from myself every day, I demand it from our team at Business News (and I'm so proud of how they take it so seriously) now I demand it from our industry - for all of us and for the generations to come. Would love to know what you all think...?

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Recent article by Shota Kincha is a great description of the troubling trend of abusive private lawsuits (SLAPPs) in Georgia. These lawsuits aim to silence critical voices, crack down on journalist investigations and restrict free speech. I’m thankful for the opportunity to contribute to this article to highlight the importance of defending press freedoms, especially amidst democratic backslide and risinf Russian influence in Georgia. For a deeper look into this issue and its implications, check out the full article: #PressFreedom #HumanRights #Georgia

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