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** OPINION
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** Introducing The Poynter 50, a yearlong look at consequential people and events that shaped 50 years of media
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(AP Images)

Today’s newsletter is a little different. I want to tell you about a special project we’re launching today that is part of our celebration of Poynter’s 50th anniversary. And we want your help.

The project is called The Poynter 50 ([link removed]) — a series looking back at 50 moments and people that shaped journalism over the past 50 years and had a lasting impact on its future.

You’re going to enjoy this list. At times, it will be fun and light. At other times, it will be somber and serious. It will always be thought-provoking. It will bring up moments you will never forget, but also catch you up on things you never knew.

It’s not just a stroll down memory lane — although you certainly will remember many of the episodes in our series — but a glance into the future, too.

Let me tell you more. Let’s start at the beginning. How did this all come about?

For the past couple of years, everyone at the Poynter Institute has been brainstorming ideas to commemorate our golden anniversary. I started thinking about what other news outlets did to recognize their anniversaries. Being a sports guy, ESPN popped into my head.

When it was coming up on its 30th anniversary in 2009, ESPN, thanks in large part to Bill Simmons and Connor Schell, came up with a clever idea: a film series called “30 for 30.” It would get 30 filmmakers to make 30 documentary-style films about 30 notable sports moments during the 30-year history of the network.

But here’s what made “30 for 30” so smart, interesting and entertaining: It wasn’t just a list of 30 of the most famous athletes or games or moments. They were 30 things/people/moments that were a big deal at the time, but that maybe we had forgotten. Or maybe it was that we didn’t realize their importance at the time. But, in the end, they all had a profound impact, not just then, but moving forward.

Using that as inspiration, we began noodling the idea of a Poynter list. Everyone loves lists. And we thought, what if we could come up with a list that focused on the media and journalism over Poynter’s 50 years?

That means we would go back to when Poynter opened its doors in 1975. There was no internet, no social media. Those with televisions got like five stations. Cable TV didn’t exist. If you wanted news, you had to get a newspaper or a magazine, listen to the radio or sit in front of your TV at exactly 6 and 11 p.m.

Imagine all that has happened since 1975, all the influential people who have come along, all the pivotal moments that have taken place and, most of all, how drastically the journalism and media industry has changed.

With each item on our list, we try to capture where we were, what happened and where we went from there. Throughout the rest of 2025, we will periodically unveil our 50 choices.

The list is by no means exhaustive. It is not in chronological or consequential order. The list continues to evolve because so does the media, and our world. Some will be presented in traditional story forms. Others will be in the form of a video. Others might be just a photo with a caption. It might include Q&As and graphics. It can be almost anything.

Now, let me tell you what this list is not. It is not just a list of famous news events or blaring headlines or major figures over the past 50 years. Just because it was a big story doesn’t mean it changed journalism forever.

I’m reminded of something I once saw on “Saturday Night Live,” which, by the way, is also celebrating its 50th anniversary this year.

One of my favorite “SNL” sketches of all time came when the late Chris Farley played a caricature of himself. He was hosting a talk show ([link removed]) and his guest was Paul McCartney, who happened to be the musical guest on “SNL” that week.

An overly nervous Farley asked, “Do you remember when you were with The Beatles?”

McCartney said, “Sure … sure.”

And then Farley said, “That was awesome.”

That was it. That was the question.

The point? Just because something is famous doesn’t mean it will make our list. It had to have left its mark on journalism. And that doesn’t mean the impact had to be positive. We aren’t just handing out trophies here.

Some of the people, some of the events changed our media world for the worse. Think of phrases like “fake news” or the O.J. Simpson trial.

Some did a little of both. Take social media, for instance. Has social media made our world better or worse? You could argue both. And we will.

OK, I bet you want some examples. We’re not giving you the whole list, but we’ll give you a sneak peek at some, starting with today’s story, the first of the 50 ([link removed]) :

CNN’s coverage of the Gulf War in 1991. It was a moment that cemented CNN as a global news powerhouse, bringing 24-hour live war coverage into homes worldwide. For the first time, audiences witnessed real-time bombings, battlefield briefings and frontline perspectives, reshaping expectations for crisis journalism. It helped create the template for cable TV news.

In the coming weeks, we will roll out a wide variety of topics from our list: The San Jose Mercury News giving news away for free online in 1994; the launch of The Drudge Report in 1995; Darnella Frazier’s 2020 cellphone video that captured the murder of George Floyd by a Minneapolis police officer, which showed that anyone with a cellphone could practice powerful citizen journalism.

And, at some point soon, you will read the very first item I thought of when we considered this project.

As I said, we’re not just talking about famous news events. But it does help to think about major breaking news stories when putting together a list like ours. Watergate is one of the most famous news stories in American history. But it won’t be on our list..

Why?

Because the actual Watergate scandal and most of its reporting happened before 1975, so it’s not within the Poynter timeline.

But what is? The release of the 1976 movie about reporting of Watergate: “All the President’s Men.” Not only did it show the noble and often tedious work of a journalist, but it also inspired generations of young people to go into journalism.

Can you see where we’re going with The Poynter 50?

Good, because we want your help. We would love your feedback throughout the year. Send us your reactions, offer your suggestions ([link removed]) .

In the meantime, enjoy our series starting today — The Poynter 50 ([link removed]) .


** More resources for journalists
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Have feedback or a tip? Email Poynter senior media writer Tom Jones at [email protected] (mailto:[email protected]) .

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