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THIS WEEK’S TL;DR:

Poynter’s competitive contest now open ([link removed]) for entries; imminent deadline ([link removed]) for women in leadership; last chance ([link removed]) for free digital preservation training; get tools to cover ([link removed]) isolation and loneliness; media leaders ([link removed]) — strategize negotiations and culture change


** Start your year strong.
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** Submit your best 2025 work to the Poynter Journalism Prizes.
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Did you produce great journalism in 2025? The 2026 Poynter Journalism Prizes ([link removed]) are now open for entries across 12 award categories, including two brand new prizes recognizing reporting on climate change and poverty.

The competition now honors the Poynter Journalism Prize for Excellence in Climate Change Reporting — with the contest's largest cash prize ever at $10,000, sponsored by the Hennecke Family Foundation — and the Poynter Journalism Prize for Distinguished Reporting on Poverty, which offers a $2,500 award. Other categories honor writing excellence, accountability reporting, justice reporting, diversity leadership, editorial and opinion work, commentary and innovation in journalism. See the full list of categories here ([link removed]) .

All U.S. news organizations are eligible to enter, regardless of size or platform.The entry fee is $75 through Jan. 31, then increases to $85. The deadline for entries is 6 p.m. Eastern on Friday, Feb. 13. Read the full press release here ([link removed]) .

Visit the contest site ([link removed]) to review full steps and rules, see all the categories ([link removed]) and submit ([link removed]) your work.


** TIP OF THE WEEK
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By Enock Nyariki ([link removed]) , Communications Manager, IFCN
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If you’re still looking for extra fingers or melting faces to spot AI-generated images, you’re working from an outdated playbook. Experts used to flag synthetic images by checking whether they obeyed basic physics: shadows fell the wrong way, reflections didn’t match, bodies bent strangely. Those tells still show up sometimes, but you can’t rely on them.

I hear this often from accredited fact-checkers ([link removed]) around the world confronting AI-driven falsehoods every day. In 2025, AI advanced enough that even experts often struggled to tell, at first glance, whether a viral image or video was authentic or created with AI. The tools keep improving, from image generators such as Google’s Nano Banana to video models like OpenAI’s Sora, and the same is now true for audio: voice clones can fool people who know the speaker.

The practical implication is simple: you can’t treat realistic-looking content as evidence it’s authentic.

If you mistakenly share something false, the damage is not limited to that one post or that one story. It can undercut credibility you’ve built over years, and the correction rarely travels as far or as fast as the mistake.

Three tips to avoid being misled online:
1. Don’t mistake polish for proof. A clean image, a natural voice, and a plausible video no longer earn trust by default. When a post creates urgency, anger, or shock, pause and ask two questions: Where did this come from, and what evidence would confirm it?
2. Check the source, not the shortcut. AI detectors can be wrong in both directions, missing synthetic content and flagging authentic material. Use them, if at all, as a minor input, not a conclusion. Put your weight on accountability instead: who posted it first, what is their record for accuracy, and who is willing to answer questions on the record?
3. Confirm off-platform, on trusted channels. Posts, clips, and screenshots are leads, not evidence, and the account sharing them may not be the source. Look for confirmation beyond the platform through official statements, records, and direct outreach using contact information you already trust.

AI has lowered the cost of making convincing fakes. For those of us who depend on audience trust, it has raised the cost of getting it wrong. When in doubt, slow down, trace the origin, and confirm independently.

💡 See IFCN’s latest articles ([link removed]) on developments in fact-checking. Subscribe to Factually ([link removed]) , IFCN’s newsletter about navigating misinformation and getting at the truth.


** DEADLINE ALERT
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[link removed]

Leadership Academy for Women ([link removed])

March 23-27, 2026, in St. Petersburg, FL; $1,350

This competitive program teaches women and nonbinary media managers to advocate, negotiate, delegate and lead with purpose and authenticity.

Deadline to apply: Wednesday, Jan. 7, 2026. ([link removed])
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Today’s News for Tomorrow ([link removed])

Cohorts will begin in March, May, and September 2026 and January, April, and September 2027; Free.

Secure professional archiving tools, expert training and peer networking to protect your community’s stories before they’re lost.

Deadline to apply: Friday, Jan. 9, 2026. ([link removed])


** WORTH YOUR WHILE
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Need a language and style primer? Check out these pieces from Poynter.
* Here are all the journalism terms you need to know, defined ([link removed])
* 6 things you think are AP style rules that aren’t actually AP style rules ([link removed])



** LEARN FROM ANYWHERE
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💻 Lead with Influence (March 2026) ([link removed]) - $599; March 3 – April 7, 2026

Through interactive weekly sessions, you’ll learn to navigate workplace dynamics, pitch ideas confidently and level up your leadership.

💻 Covering the Loneliness Epidemic: A Mental Health Reporting Project Webinar ([link removed]) - Free; 1 p.m. Eastern, Tuesday, Feb. 10

Explore the drivers of America’s loneliness epidemic and how to cover its impact on people and communities.


** OPEN JOBS
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* Fall 2026 T. Anthony Pollner Distinguished Professorship ([link removed]) , University of Montana, Missoula, MT

* Senior Reporter ([link removed]) , Aspen Daily News, Aspen, CO

* Managing Editor ([link removed]) , State Affairs, Indianapolis, IN

BROWSE CAREERS ([link removed])


** FROM OUR NEWSROOM
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* What Trump and Rubio said about Venezuela — and what the facts show ([link removed]) , by Louis Jacobson and Maria Ramirez Uribe
* Opinion | On the Sunday shows, the White House called it law enforcement. Democrats called it war. ([link removed]) , by Tom Jones



** MEME OF THE WEEK
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Go to poynter.org/give to support Poynter’s mission.


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