THIS WEEK’S TL;DR:

Applications open for Poynter’s full management suite; last chance to join our March 2026 cohort; preserve your community’s stories before they’re lost; amp up your editing skills; promote trust and improve your AI literacy

Limited spots: Career development media professionals trust

Whether you’re the colleague who aspires for more, the newly promoted manager still finding your footing, or the seasoned leader who feels like you’ve hit a wall — effective leadership is a skill you develop through deliberate training and practice. And sometimes, what you need most is a room full of peers facing the same challenges, people who get it and can help you think outside the box.

Poynter’s industry-leading programs meet you right where you are, today.

• 🆕 Informal leaders: You don't manage anyone, but lead major projects. Learn to leverage that influence, navigate workplace dynamics and advance your career with Lead with Influence (virtual, 6 weeks starting March 3). Apply by Feb. 16.

• Newly-promoted managers: Just became someone's boss? Master the transition, build team trust and lead with credibility from day one with Essential Skills (St. Petersburg, May 18-22). Apply by Jan. 30.

• Women and non-binary professionals with 3-7 years of formal leadership experience: Amplify your impact, strategize culture change and join a powerful global network of 650+ alumni through Leadership Academy for Women (St. Petersburg, March 23-27). Apply by Dec. 15.

• Seasoned leaders with 5+ years of experience: Strengthen decision-making, navigate generational dynamics and lead with purpose through the Poynter Leadership Academy (St. Petersburg, April 20-24). Apply by Jan 23.

Trade guesswork for guidance. Don't miss this chance to build the skills that will strengthen your career in journalism, media and technology.

Upcoming enterprise piece? Approach it like a project manager.

What is the drop-dead deadline for ALL assets? Not just the final-final product like a video file or 1000 words in the CMS, but the little things, too. What will the photo caption say? Is it “Courtesy of Smith family” or “handout photo”? How are you promoting this on Instagram, and what will that caption say? (If there aren’t yet deadlines for the bits and bobs, make them up and communicate them out to all relevant parties.)

Use whatever system works best for you and your team to visualize, organize and reiterate how important having all these assets lined up and ready to go. Your publish day can feel like a victory lap, not an adrenaline crash.

💡 On Instagram: Follow Poynter for resources, news and memes. Follow PolitiFact for Truth-O-Meter fact-checks. And PolitiFact just hit a milestone — 100K followers!

WORTH YOUR TIME

Interested in funding news? Get the skills and frameworks to assess news organizations, understand journalism ethics and practices, and identify funding models that have real impact while respecting journalistic independence. Free initiative supported by the Knight Foundation, in partnership with Press Forward.

Want to secure your work? Apply by Jan. 9, 2026, to join 300 newsrooms receiving free digital preservation training and Internet Archive services through this Press Forward-funded collaboration between Poynter, IRE, and Internet Archive. Get professional archiving tools, expert training and peer networking to protect your community’s stories before they’re lost.

FROM OUR FEED

🤩 Meet our Power of Diverse Voices Class of 2025 🎉

📹: YuKwon Toney, @ayeitskwon

LEARN FROM ANYWHERE

💻 The Mental Health Reporting Project - free self-paced course

Get specialized tools to cover sensitive topics ethically across all beats.

💻 alt+Ignite: AI Literacy for All — Develop Personal Guidelines, Educate & Empower Others - free self-paced course

Learn foundational concepts and understand ethical principles of AI usage.

💻 Poynter ACES Certificates in Editing - self-paced programs

Earn a certificate to add to your resume, amp up your editing skills and advance your career.

OPEN JOBS

FROM OUR NEWSROOM

REP POYNTER

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