As a Poynter supporter, you’re receiving this newsletter each Friday so we can keep you well informed about the lifesaving work we’re doing to fight against misinformation around the world and help journalists deliver news you trust. With the unparalleled strain on journalists due to the coronavirus pandemic - whether from newsroom layoffs or loss of lives - our work is more critical than ever.

Helping you mind your “peas” and “queues”

Remember when a trip to your local grocery store was an easy jaunt, where your greatest dilemma was deciding which egg carton to choose? Now our “new normal” of empty grocery shelves is challenging us to think more about where our food comes from. From meat shortages to Americans growing their own vegetables to long lines at food banks, Poynter senior faculty member Al Tompkins highlights ways the coronavirus is affecting our food supply. 

Are you planting your own Victory Garden? Please send me pictures. I want to see how you’re getting creative. 


Mel Grau, Poynter's senior product specialist, and her partner Kevin Lonzo, built a planter box for their "Victory Garden." They plan to use their home's compost to grow tomatoes.

Illuminating the facts

A health care worker is shown at CVS Health's drive-thru coronavirus testing site in Lowell, Massachusetts, on April 7, 2020. (AP/Amendola)

Poynter’s PolitiFact team is busier than ever combatting the pervasive myths and falsehoods surrounding the coronavirus. The White House administration announced last month that it would help major retailers set up drive-thru coronavirus testing sites at their locations.

PolitiFact gives you the facts on their status. And if you’ve heard that sunshine and lemons cure the coronavirus, I’m sorry to tell you that Florida’s spring weather and citrus trees won’t save you. PolitiFact is keeping you safe by debunking the numerous false COVID-19 treatment and prevention methods on social media.

To watch or not to watch? Helping you weigh the options

President Donald Trump speaks about the coronavirus in the Rose Garden of the White House, Tuesday, April 14, 2020, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

During a national pandemic, you turn to your country’s leaders for information and guidance. But after viewing the coronavirus briefings from the White House, you may question their value. Poynter senior media writer Tom Jones gives you his take on the debate among journalists and citizens on how we fix the White House press conferences.

Sharing a song and a smile

Please consider making a contribution towards our mission today so we can continue to keep you informed tomorrow. If you recently made a donation to Poynter ... thank you!

Josh Herrington
Development Director
[email protected]

Poynter Foundation Board Members: 

Brian Tierney, CEO, Brian Communications
Michael Dreyer, President, Tampa Bay Trust Company
Frank “Sandy” Rief III, Attorney, Allen Dell, Attorneys at Law
Liz Sembler, Board Member, Corporation for Public Broadcasting