Plus, opportunities for journalists interested in public media leadership and the deadline for an LA program is extended.
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Being a police reporter can feel like being in an exciting, secret club — listening to the police scanner deep into the night, racing out of the newsroom when there’s a homicide, breathlessly calling in a story minutes before deadline.
But it turns out that club might be doing more harm than good.
“I was a police reporter for almost a decade in four different markets. And I loved the thrill of the hunt, reporting and writing news articles that took readers deep into crime stories,” said Poynter’s Kelly McBride. “But when I look back on that now, I realize that I was kidding myself about what I was doing. I wasn't giving readers information to keep themselves safer and to understand crime. I was telling juicy stories.”
That’s why McBride, Poynter senior vice president and chair of the Craig Newmark Center for Ethics and Leadership, and Cheryl Thompson-Morton, Black Media Initiative director for the Center for Community Media at the Newmark J-School, are co-leading Transforming Crime Reporting Into Public Safety Journalism, a Poynter course that quite literally lives up to its name.
Teams of three to six journalists will participate in 24-plus hours of online learning, peer groups and coaching to initiate structural and cultural change within newsrooms. Applications close April 21, but don’t delay — spots are limited and teams are accepted on a rolling basis.
“By not reporting on public safety, I was feeding stereotypes and often failing to hold law enforcement agencies accountable,” McBride said. “Maybe my stories revealed something about human nature, but I wasn't helping the communities I should have been serving. If my colleagues and I could have been more honest with ourselves about why we were doing what we were doing, I believe we would have made different choices.”
Read a Q&A with McBride or scroll down for more.
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Transforming Crime Coverage Into Public Safety Journalism (2023) |
Online seminar, May-November 2023
In this 24-week online seminar, you and a team from within your newsroom will transform your outlet's reporting on crime and criminal justice. Let Poynter guide you through a process to reimagine your work and its impact, and help you craft a strategy that elevates your public safety reporting and better serves your audience.
Your team should consist of three to six people, including a frontline reporter or producer currently responsible for telling stories about law enforcement and crime, and an editor or manager with the authority to implement editorial policies.
Cost: $1,000 per newsroom team. Apply by April 21. |
Telling Stories of Faith and the Faithful |
In person, Tuesday, April 18, Los Angeles, 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m.
Registration deadline extended to April 3!
This program is designed for working journalists — not just religion reporters, but writers, editors, photographers, videographers, producers and others who want a deeper understanding of how faith is among the most important forces shaping our communities.
During a daylong series of speakers, panels and peer work, participants will learn where and how to find faith communities in their coverage area; find connections within those communities to their leaders and citizens; learn how to build source lists and create relationships before news breaks; think through how people of faith (whether religious leaders or believers) can be incorporated into everyday stories; and more.
Cost: Free. Breakfast, lunch and parking provided. Register by April 3. |
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Webinar series, now through Oct. 19
Our last session on private equity convenes this Thursday, but it's not too late to catch up on recorded webinars — plus your attendance means you can qualify for a reporting grant up to $20,000 to cover a private equity issue in your community.
Beat Academy is a series of 90-minute, expert-led webinars in which you’ll get tips, sources, inspiration and ideas to cover emerging newsroom beats including:
🤑 The growing reach of private equity (March 2, 16, 30)
🌊 Preparing for climate change (April 6, 13, 27)
💸 Tracking ARPA funds near you (May 4, 18)
🌎 New immigration patterns and challenges (June 8, 15)
🦺 Bringing a community focus to crime reporting (July 13, 20)
✏️ Roy Peter Clark's writing tips for beat reporters (July 27, Aug. 3)
🩺 Health care trends in non-metro areas (Sept. 7, 21)
✅ Misinformation (Oct. 5, 19)
Attend all 18 sessions over eight months or pick the ones you need the most. Sessions are for individual journalists or entire newsrooms and focus on impacting the stories you tell. Recordings are available so even if you miss a session, it’s easy to catch up.
Cost: $75 for individuals. Group discounts available. |
Editorial Integrity and Leadership Initiative |
In person and online, September 2023 through April 2024
Funded by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, this fellowship for public media journalists is designed to strengthen news leadership skills and the ability to make ethical decisions. Over nine months, participants will receive individual coaching, learn from industry experts, collaborate in small peer groups, and work on a personal project that will benefit their newsroom and their own leadership. Fellows will also participate in online workshops twice a month, and meet with peer groups and coaches.
The fellowship kicks off with a one-week conference at Poynter HQ in St. Petersburg, Florida, this September.
Cost: Free. Apply by May 15. |
Level Up: Critical Skills for Local Reporters
Online program, October TBD
We launched this master-class level program for reporters in 2022, and we’re excited to host it again in October 2023. Poynter’s Kristen Hare will lead the program. Registration will open soon. See the 2022 program here.
Power of Diverse Voices: Writing Workshop for Journalists of Color
In-person program, Nov. 15-18, St. Petersburg, Florida
One of our hallmark programs, this writing workshop will return in 2023. Tom Huang will lead the program. Applications will open soon. Review the 2022 program page here.
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SABEW23: Navigating Beyond the Pandemic
In person in St. Petersburg, Florida, April 20-22
This year’s SABEW conference, themed “Navigating beyond the pandemic,” will bring newsmakers, economists and top business journalists together at Poynter to discuss the future of business journalism in a post-pandemic world. Register now.
The Bowtie Ball
In person in Tampa, Florida, Nov. 18
The Bowtie Ball is Poynter’s largest annual celebration of journalistic excellence that recognizes the contributions of the brightest and liveliest minds in the industry to democracies worldwide. Get tickets.
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