Looking for a great way to end the week and stay up to date? TBN content correspond Mariam Ahmed brings you the best of media news and moves with a weekly Friday roundup that recaps what you may have missed, with updates and fresh insights.
This week we have a loaded ticker fitting for a post-Thanksgiving feast…
Strike one …have Journalists at the Fort Worth Star-Telegram went on strike this week in response to what the newsroom’s union alleges is unfair labor practices by the paper’s parent company McClatchy. Kaley Johnson, VP of the Fort Worth NewsGuild said, “What we and other McClatchy unionized papers have seen repeatedly is that McClatchy comes to the table and does not move at all. So we’ll submit a proposal and they’ll send us back their initial proposal, which sometimes is existing company policy, and then they’ll do that again and again and again.” Read the full story here.
Strike two … Journalists at the New Zealand-based news website Stuff have rejected a contract offer from the publication’s parent company and voted to take industrial action. “The union has been seeking minimum pay of $55,000 a year, a switch to a system that would normally see journalists automatically progress to a higher level on a pay scale each year, and a minimum 7.25% pay rise to match inflation except on any sum earnt over $100,000 a year,” as per reports. Meanwhile, Stuff is working to build a local news model, expected to be in place by Dec. 5, that includes a group regional editor, news directors, reporters and visual journalists.
And they’re out … BBC plans to layoff approximately 40 jobs as part of its cost-saving strategy. BBC Northern Ireland interim director Adam Smyth said, “We have to find monies to maintain and develop our local presence on BBC iPlayer and to absorb cost pressures across different aspects of our work. Our concern in all of this will be to safeguard audience value and benefit and to remain mindful of the impact that this announcement will have on BBC staff in Northern Ireland.”
A near half century, a notable retirement … Tom Hamburger has announced his retirement after 48 years in journalism. An excerpt from The Washington Post’s national editor Matea Gold, deputy national editor Philip Rucker, senior national investigations editor Peter Wallsten and democracy editor Griff Witte reads, “A Rochester, N.Y., native and Oberlin College graduate, Tom began his reporting as a Yankee in exile in Arkansas for Pine Bluff Commercial and later the Arkansas Gazette, with subsequent stops at the Minneapolis Star Tribune and the Washington bureaus of the Wall Street Journal and the Los Angeles Times. It’s hard to imagine the newsroom without him. Please join us in congratulating him on his remarkable career and thanking him for his friendship along the way.”
Howard University’s new academic center … Howard University has launched the Center for Journalism & Democracy, founded by award-winning journalist and Project 1619 author Nikole Hannah-Jones. “The Center aims to be a key resource and national player for investigative journalism,” Hannah-Jones said. “We are an open learning community with a mission to prod the profession to rise to the urgency of the moment.” The center will be a hub for journalism in higher education for students, faculty and professionals with the activities directed towards promoting investigative journalism, focused on strengthening democratic ideals.
Industry Dive takes a leap of faith … Industry Dive has launched its 29th business news publication, Manufacturing Dive, which will be helmed by Kate Magill, with content from reporter Sara Samora and associate editor Megan Ruggles. “Our expansion into manufacturing is an important step in our ambitions to lead coverage of the business world,” said Edwin Lopez, managing editor for Manufacturing Dive, Supply Chain Dive and Transport Dive. “It presents an opportunity to dig deep into the supply and demand trends that affect global production, and the various ways manufacturing executives are shaping our economy’s future.” Industry Dive will also launch three new newsletters in the fashion, hotel and packaging industries in March 2023.
DealBook’s dealings with international perception … Russell Sherman of Press Profiles interviewed Michael de la Merced, a reporter for Dealbook at the New York Times. De la Merced talks about how Dealbook is perceived by a European audience. He said that multinational organizations in England want to talk to the Times as they know the content reaches the American audience. The full details can be found here.
A Points Guy casualty … Ethan Klapper, a senior aviation reporter, is among the layoffs at The Points Guy. Previously, Klapper was a senior audience development editor at Yahoo News and a social media editor at HuffPost. A graduate of American University, he also worked at the National Journal. He also holds a master’s degree from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University.
A Signal of hope for Cleveland journalism … A new nonprofit newsroom Signal Cleveland has launched to fill the gap left by the gutting of the city’s hometown paper, the Cleveland Plain Dealer, the nonprofit’s editor in chief Lila Mills told Axios. The newsroom launched with $7.5 million in funding from a group of local philanthropies and journalism nonprofits, including the American Journalism Project with the goal to provide free journalism via its website, email newsletters, text messages, radio and TV partnerships with local stations.
Sacramento rising … The Los Angeles Times has promoted Laurel Rosenhall to Sacramento bureau chief, and Phil Willon to the post of assistant editor. Rosenhall joined the Times editorial board in 2021 and before that, was a founding reporter at CalMatters. Among her many achievements, she has been included in the Washington Post’s list of outstanding state politics reporters. Willon served as interim Sacramento bureau chief/California politics editor for the past six months. A graduate of UC San Diego, he also wrote for the Tampa Tribune.
Editorial promotions at “Marketplace”… Donna Tam has been named executive editor and Amir Bibawy has been appointed managing editor. Tam has managed Marketplace’s on-demand, social media and web platforms in various leadership roles. Now she will “oversee Marketplace’s reporters, editors and show staffs. She also will shepherd new content initiatives within the newsroom,” general manager and VP Neal Scarbrough wrote. Whereas, Bibawy recently served as New York bureau chief and senior editor. Previously, he worked at The Associated Press.
A fine, fit Financial Review … The Australian Financial Review recorded a cross platform readership of 3.7 million people, up from earlier this year. It increased its year-on-year readership across total news in the 12 months to September 2022, up from 3.6 million with its print readership Monday through Friday increased 22 percent. “Many news titles and subscription businesses have started to feel the cost-of-living squeeze from higher inflation,” editor in chief Michael Stutchbury said. “But the Financial Review’s readership and subscription performance is proving more resilient than most because of the strength of our journalism and its focus on our core audience.”
Ottowans to pay for premium…The Ottawa Business Journal has launched a new website focused on a $9 membership for readers to access “premium content.” Although most content will be free, OBJ Insiders will be able to enjoy access to all content and will have the printed quarterly newsmagazine, the Book of Lists and Ottawa Business Growth Survey delivered by mail. Publisher Michael Curran wrote, “At a time when most local media outlets are cutting resources, OBJ stands as a strong and resilient independent media voice. To remain economically sustainable, OBJ needs direct support from readers.”
Fox’s double trouble … An activist investor has put pressure on News Corp. asking it to revisit a proposal to combine the two parts of his media business, News Corp. and Fox, saying it will undervalue the owner of The Wall Street Journal, reports Lauren Hirsch of the New York Times. Hirsch reports, “It’s the second time Irenic has requested a meeting. Last month, Irenic did so as it urged News Corp to explore splitting its online real estate listings unit from its other businesses, including The Wall Street Journal, HarperCollins and The New York Post. It said in its letter on Sunday that it also wants News Corp to consider spinning off its Dow Jones media properties.” Read more here.
NewsHour’s new co-hosts… Amna Nawaz, the chief correspondent of NewsHour, and Geoff Bennett, its chief Washington correspondent are the new co-hosts, scheduled to begin on Jan. 2. Previously, she served as bureau chief for NBC News in Islamabad, Pakistan and as an anchor and correspondent at ABC News. Previously, Bennett was at NBC News, where he covered the White House and served as a substitute anchor on MSNBC. He also worked at ABC News and NPR.
Paper shuffling in Georgia … Times-Journal Inc., the parent company of the bi-weekly Calhoun Times in Gordon County, Georgia, has purchased six metro Atlanta newspapers from Southern Community Newspapers Inc., including the Gwinnett Daily Post, Rockdale Citizen, Newton Citizen, Henry Herald, Clayton News and the Jackson Progress-Argus. The full details can be read here.
Wadington takes buyout, heads for the Hill … USA Today Washington editor for breaking news and planning Katie Wadington has opted for a buyout offer as she takes on a new role at The Hill as deputy managing editor. Wadington tweets, “With 17+ years @Gannett, I took a buyout. It was time. I’ll miss my colleagues dearly: They’re the best people, simply top-notch journalists who believe in truth and facts. Now, onward, to a new adventure.” Previously, she worked at the Asheville Citizen-Times, the Chicago Sun-Times, the Daily Herald and the Wisconsin State Journal. Wadington graduated from Indiana University Bloomington.
More Gannett departures … Gannett’s news division will be hit by another round of layoffs with the affected staff members being informed on Dec. 1 and Dec. 2, as per Henry Faure Walker, the news division’s new interim head. “While we have taken several steps already, we must enter the new year in a stronger economic position, and the reality is that our News cost base is currently too high for the revenues it generates,” Faure Walker said. The full story can be read here.
Velshi’s financial lens … NYFWA president Peter Coy, a New York Times Opinion economic writer, will host award-winning broadcast journalist and longtime New York Financial Writers’ Association member Ali Velshi, who will discuss his experiences covering global and economic issues at 7 p.m. Dec. 7. Velshi is the host of “Velshi” on MSNBC, a business correspondent for NBC News, a columnist for MSNBC and a weekly economics contributor to NPR’s “Here And Now.” Attendees can register here after which they will receive the login link and further information.
Chen’s new beat at STAT News … STAT News has hired Bloomberg’s Elaine Chen to develop a new beat as its first cardiovascular reporter. Chen will cover all aspects of heart and metabolic conditions, including diabetes and obesity. Chen is a graduate of the University of Chicago.
Knight-Bagehot accepting fellowship applications … Applications are open for the Knight-Bagehot fellowship in economics and business journalism at Columbia University. The fellowship is open to full-time editorial employees of newspapers, magazines, wire services, digital media, television and radio news organizations, as well as to freelance journalists, globally. Applicants must have at least four years of business/economics/finance journalism experience and have received a bachelor’s degree (or equivalent) from an accredited university. Each fellow receives free tuition, health insurance and a stipend to offset living expenses in New York City. The deadline for applications is Jan. 31, 2023.
Reviewing Roush’s book … American Banker reporter Claire Williams reviews “The Future of Business Journalism: Why it Matters for Wall Street and Main Street,” written by her former professor Chris Roush. “But what sets Roush’s new book (and his classes) apart is his insistence that good journalism and profitable journalism are one and the same. I did not, thankfully, go to law school after taking Roush’s class. Instead I went to work at one of those local newspapers everyone liked to talk about. They were one of the lucky ones that largely had a business desk still intact, but the empty chairs in the newsroom echoed the story that Roush told in his book. Still, local business leaders clamored for our coverage, and complained there wasn’t enough of it. That, Roush suggests, isn’t just a civic misstep, but a missed business opportunity,” Williams wrote.
A CoinDesk takeover? … Online crypto news site CoinDesk has attracted takeover interest. Bradley Saacks and Liz Hoffman of Semafor report, “CoinDesk does not need to be sold for any reason related to its business. The FTX reporting from the outlet — which was linked to in publications such as The New York Times and Wall Street Journal — has brought new eyes to the site and its reporters, opening it to new audiences.” The full story can be read here.
Sloan’s expert mind … Seven-time Gerald Loeb Award winner Allan Sloan became successful because he writes complicated business topics in an easy to understand way for the average person. “I can figure stuff out, and I work well with others despite my Brooklyn characteristics,” said Sloan. “I just love figuring stuff out and explaining it.” Sloan worked for the Charlotte Observer, the Detroit Free Press, Newsweek, the Washington Post, Fortune and Forbes.
CNBC takes a hike … CNBC plans to test a price increase for one of its subscriptions in 2023. Sara Guaglione of Digiday reports, “CNBC will likely begin its subscription price testing in the first quarter of 2023, after the first renewal period for the Investing Club, said Margaret de Luna, GM and SVP of CNBC’s direct-to-consumer business. Existing subscribers will be grandfathered in at their current prices, but new subscribers to CNBC Pro could see a yet-to-be-determined price hike.” More details can be found here.
Ready for Hollywood … The Hollywood Reporter has hired Mesfin Fekadu as a senior music editor to oversee coverage for the brand’s website and magazine. Fekadu, who is set to begin on Dec. 5, recently worked at Netflix and spent 13 years at The Associated Press. Among his many achievements, he was honored with three Los Angeles Press Club Awards and landed eight nominations at the 2022 National Entertainment & Arts Journalism Awards.
Goldberg takes the helm … GBH (which produces digital and broadcast programming through WGBH-FM 89.7 in Boston) has named Susan Goldberg its president and CEO. This makes Goldberg the first woman to hold these posts since GBH was founded in 1951. She has worked at National Geographic, where under her leadership, it was the finalist for the Pulitzer Prize three times among other achievements. “I have spent my life telling stories that make a difference,” Goldberg said. “As a journalist who is committed to helping and reflecting the communities we serve, I’m honored to be a part of GBH’s next chapter.”
Covering the White House… Priscilla Alvarez has joined CNN’s White House team as a reporter. Alvarez joined the network in 2019 and previously worked at The Atlantic. She reported on congressional hearings, White House briefings, and breaking news for the National Journal’s digital news team as a fellow. A graduate of Virginia Tech, Alvarez also interned at the Washingtonian Magazine.
Hurray for Bloomberg…An excerpt from Bloomberg CEO M. Scott Havens announcement reads, “Although a bit delayed, I am happy to report that through the end of the third quarter in 2022, Bloomberg Media increased its year-to-date total revenue by 20% year over year, highlighted by a 25% increase in total advertising revenue – our ninth consecutive quarter of growth in this critical area. This success should not only increase confidence in our business strategy and operational execution, but further embolden us to make bigger long-term decisions that will drive future growth.” Read the full details here.
Mariam Ahmed is Talking Biz News’ content correspondent. For tips on the Friday TBN Ticker, email her at mariam@talkingbiznews.com or connect with her on LinkedIn.
