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THIS WEEK'S TL;DR:
Learn award-winning ([link removed]) investigation strategies; tackle today's ([link removed]) media challenges; secure your spot ([link removed]) in our transformational editing course; book limited-time ([link removed]) AI literacy & ethics training before it sells out; scroll for a special meme just for you
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When she's not managing ProPublica's reporters or editing Pulitzer Prize-winning stories, Alexandra Zayas ([link removed]) trains the next wave of investigative journalists through her hands-on Poynter seminar.
Now in its 12th iteration, Will Work for Impact ([link removed]) follows 11 consecutive sell-outs. Reporters and editors learn from real-world scenarios and glean strategies they can use to help their stories make a difference.
Interested in joining hundreds of journalists who got an edge in their work? Enroll by Sept. 30 ([link removed]) to take part in the last session of our best-selling investigative seminar this year.
Want insights from someone who shapes our industry? Here’s what Alexandra shared with Poynter readers:
🙋♀️ How do you define an effective investigative reporter?
An effective investigative reporter questions conventional wisdom and is humble enough to accept that they don’t know what they don’t know. They can spot a story, ask the right questions and pursue the answers with rigor. They are curious, courageous and dogged, willing to push through discomfort and rejection. They come to comprehend the tiny universe they are exploring so well, they wind up schooling the experts on it. They convey their findings with authority -- boldly, carefully, precisely. They’re fair, open to the full truth at all times. Their pursuit of impact doesn’t start after publication; it starts from the very beginning of their reporting process.
🙋♀️ Part of the program’s outcomes is learning how to ask the right questions. How did you develop this skill?
Investigative reporting is a well-worn path, and though the specifics change with each story, the elements are largely the same: There is a problem. It’s leading to preventable harm. Someone or something is to blame. You ask questions to understand the mechanics of the problem and what needs to happen to remedy it. I first learned how to navigate this process by leaning on editors and colleagues who had gone through it before me. I read a lot of great work, reported investigations of my own and then began to lead them as an editor. Every investigation is a chance to learn something new, like a better way to find information or secure access to a source. I’ve been a journalist for 20 years and am learning as much today as I did on day one.
🙋♀️ Which part of the curriculum has the biggest impact on participants?
In the first session, I teach a simple, but extremely effective way to spot investigative opportunities ([link removed]) . Once you learn it, you start to see potential investigations all around you. We’ll practice this in the first homework assignment so I can make sure everyone has it nailed down.
🙋♀️ Can you give our readers your three short, actionable tips to enrich their work?
* Don’t wait too long to engage with the so-called target of your reporting. The fear that they will successfully sabotage your investigation is often overblown. The risk of missing out on their valuable perspective is far more dangerous.
* Treat source-building like an investment portfolio. Assemble a diverse assortment of folks, especially those who have eyes and ears in places where you don’t. And hold onto them for the long term. A source you make today could give you a blockbuster two years or two decades into the future. I’ll share the stories that prove that.
* Public records are essential, but just a start. Strive to get private records and land interviews far beyond those most willing to talk with you. I’ll help you learn how.
UPCOMING DEADLINES
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Diversity Leadership Academy ([link removed])
In-person workshop
Nov. 3 - 7, 2025
$1350
Join Poynter’s annual Diversity Leadership Academy, where journalists of color develop management skills through “liberating ([link removed]) ” peer conversations and “life-changing ([link removed]) ” training. This weeklong workshop gives diverse leaders the tools to navigate complexity and drive meaningful change in their newsrooms.
Deadline: Aug. 29.
APPLY TODAY ([link removed])
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Edit to Elevate: Essentials for Early-Career Editors ([link removed])
Online workshop
Sept. 8 - 29, 2025
$̶6̶5̶0̶ $499
Transform your edit from transactional to transformational with program lead Tom Huang and industry veterans Maria Carrillo and Kathleen McGrory. Get tools to line-edit under pressure, learn to coach inexperienced reporters remotely and guide reporters to develop quick enterprise stories that elevate their beat coverage.
Deadline: Aug. 29.
ENROLL TODAY ([link removed])
CUSTOM RESOURCES
📍 Poynter AI Ethics Consulting ([link removed])
Tailored training at your preferred time
$̶4̶,̶5̶0̶0̶ $1,750
Book a 90-minute custom session with Poynter's Alex Mahadevan ([link removed]) to get:
* Research-backed audience insights on AI in journalism
* Proven strategies for AI transparency and trust-building
* A hands-on workshop to craft or update your AI ethics policy
* Customizable templates, toolkits and staff engagement resources
IN-PERSON PROGRAMS
📍 Power of Diverse Voices: Writing Workshop for Journalists of Color ([link removed])
Nov. 11 - 14, 2025
Free
Develop confidence and skills to share your unique perspective, build professional networks and address the underrepresentation of diverse voices in opinion journalism. Apply by Sept. 12.
📍 Essential Skills for New Managers (December 2025) ([link removed])
Dec. 1 - 5, 2025
$1,550
This dynamic five-day workshop provides the critical skills new managers need to help forge successful paths to leadership in journalism, media and technology. Apply by Oct. 3.
ONLINE COURSES
📍 Mining for Memoir ([link removed])
Oct. 6 - 27, 2025
$499
Master essential memoir writing skills from genre selection and scene creation to research techniques and book proposal development. Join our first-ever cohort on Mondays in October and learn to craft the story only you can tell. Enroll by Sept. 19.
📍 Covering Mental Health Equity: A Mental Health Reporting Project Webinar ([link removed])
Sept. 9, 1 p.m. Eastern
Free
Enrich your reporting and get strategies for finding diverse sources, understanding systemic barriers and advancing health equity in your area through an expert-led, one-hour webinar with replay access.
📍 Poynter ACES Certificates in Editing ([link removed])
Self-directed online courses
Get essential editing skills with Poynter's ACES Certificate program. Choose from three progressive levels of self-directed online courses, with member discounts up to $150. Enroll today ([link removed]) to build editing expertise that sets you apart.
SUPPORT POYNTER
• Your donation advances our mission to provide ethical journalism that helps you navigate your world. 📰
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Your donation makes a difference.
Make a gift today!
GIVE NOW ([link removed])
CAREERS
• Social Media Manager ([link removed]) , U.S. Military Publishing, LLC, Remote
• Writer/Asst. Editor ([link removed]) , Community Living Campaign, Remote
• Journalist ([link removed]) , Global Newspaper Solutions, New York, NY
SEARCH FOR JOBS ([link removed])
FROM OUR NEWSROOM
• Young journalists are told to ‘build your brand.’ What does that even mean today? ([link removed]) , by Sophie Endrud
• 12 tips to amp your housing coverage ([link removed]) , by Jon Greenberg
• Opinion | Trump called DC dangerous. Journalists cited data showing crime is down. ([link removed]) , by Tom Jones
MEME OF THE WEEK
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