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As a citizen who values journalism, set aside this Friday, June 11, at 1 p.m. EST. That’s when journalists will be glued to their screens as the 2021 Pulitzer Prizes announce the winners and finalists for work that appeared in 2020. In his Pulitzer preview, Poynter contributor and former Wall Street Journal reporter Roy J. Harris, Jr. predicts the awards will be presented to journalists who broke news on three stories that dominated the last year’s news cycle: the pandemic, the presidency and policing abuses.

As we reflect on the past year, join us as we applaud the journalists who put their lives on the line. They stood alongside healthcare workers administering COVID-19 treatment, challenged elected officials to tell the truth and risked their safety to cover protests. Your support helps them do that vital work. So we thank you, just as we thank those journalists for protecting our democracy through their craft.

As the Biden administration addresses emigration from Central America, PolitiFact’s Miriam Valverde cuts through the noise of misinformation to find the center of the crisis in this compelling piece. She takes a closer look at the prevailing conditions in the region that are driving its people to make a desperate exit such as wars, displacement, scarcity, corporate colonialism and more. 

College journalism educators across the country attend Poynter’s Teachapalooza for two fast-paced days of guidance, friendship and inspiration, three critical needs for professors in 2021 after one of the toughest academic years in recent history.

This year’s interactive virtual gathering was co-led by longtime Teachapalooza Senior Faculty Al Tompkins and Poynter Director of College Programming Barbara Allen on June 4-5. Master instructors and national experts helped educators navigate challenges, tap into a network of peers and refuel with ideas for the next school year.

“I feel like I have been to a revival! Thanks, Poynter, for an amazing Teachapalooza,” said David Marshall, professor and chair of strategic communication at Morgan State University in Baltimore, Md. “I have new skills to empower my students in the fall.”

Last month, 30 dynamic women received comprehensive leadership training to totally transform their careers in news media and tech through the virtually-interactive Poynter Leadership Academy for Women in Media. Offered three times a year, this competitive program is designed for female-identifying professionals who directly manage people and are within their first five years of formal leadership experience.

For six days in May, Samantha Ragland, Poynter’s newest faculty member, immersed the spring class in what is often described as a sisterhood. Through candid conversations, thought-provoking discussions and exploratory activities, participants learned to manage teams more effectively, hone and communicate their strategic vision and steer their organizations toward success. By the end of the week, the participants joined a network of more than 400 graduates who experienced significant personal and professional growth through this prestigious training.

The next two Poynter academies dedicated to women leaders will take place in the fall. Participants are selected and will be announced later this year.