Hayley Cuccinello

New from me: The House Judiciary Committee has been intensifying an antitrust probe into the Global Alliance of Responsible Media and its members, which includes major advertisers, agencies, and platforms. The Committee alleges GARM's members have been colluding to defund conservative media. While the ad industry insiders I spoke to felt the allegations were without merit, they are concerned about the chilling effect the probe -- and its numerous document and interview requests -- could have on GARM's work around brand safety and online misinformation. Read more over at Business Insider #garm #brandsafety #advertising #gop https://lnkd.in/ePpYBcRa

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This essay is several years old, but I think it applies to a lot of industries. How do you make sure your writing is free of jargon and Insider Baseball phrases and draws even the busiest reader? I have some ideas. https://lnkd.in/ebHYZ_E8

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Dan Levine, a veteran investigative reporter for Reuters, earns the trust of sensitive sources by making sure they really understand how the editorial process works and know what they should expect to happen if they agree to participate. "Current and former government workers, corporate employees and victims of violence often take significant legal or physical risks to reveal harm or wrongdoing," Dan writes. "To earn sources’ trust, minimize their exposure and protect their safety, I always try to be as transparent as possible. This goes beyond conversations about on-the-record versus background. It involves a discussion about how the entire editorial process works. The back and forth not only benefits the source; it helps us maintain our own independence and credibility, and serves readers." You can learn more about how Dan approaches his relationships with sensitive sources in his guest column for the Ethics & Journalism Initiative (https://lnkd.in/dCMQ2NVB).

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Since X seems to be prioritizing engagement only those who pay for verified accounts and is an otherwise hellhole of right-wing bigotry, and since Meta is de-prioritizing political content, I'm trying something new tonight by writing in a live chat on my Substack newsletter, American Doom. We have a small but, I think, loyal following, so it will be interesting to see who shows up. You can subscribe to Doom below and join in.

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As I approach my third month at The Baltimore Banner, I have been thinking a lot about defining success. A mentor offered the following thoughts: For reporters, it is much easier to define success. Editors often need help seeing that their goals should be quite different than their reporters'. They need to see each of their reporters as individuals with different strengths and weaknesses. So editors need to meet each reporter at a different place and help them improve, and hopefully, thrive. Sometimes that means focusing on reporting or writing skills, sometimes it is helping a reporter figure out how to cover a beat, or how to distinguish their work from the competition. Editors of course are key to guiding coverage, whether it's breaking news or a more conceptual beat, when the goal has to be finding the front edge of the topic (for an education reporter, that might be new trends in teaching and for the city hall reporter it might be who are the emerging power brokers.) When it comes to editing copy, editors have to avoid rewriting stories, which can completely demoralize reporters, but they also can't send along stories that are confusing or take too long to get to the point. It takes awhile for editors to figure out that sweet spot between improving copy but not just rewriting it the way they would have written it. The hardest part of editing is probably dealing with difficult reporters and there is no easy answer for that. The only part of running a newsroom that I could advise on is running the coverage and for me, that was always driven by focusing on the big news of the day. You have to make sure that editors have put enough staffers on the big stories and are looking across the news cycle, e.g. what will we have to publish first thing tomorrow, and make sure some people are trained on the bigger, deeper questions that take a few days to report. If you are clear on your top priorities each day and the newsroom aligns behind those, then the smaller stories will take care of themselves. You will be judged by how the Banner did on the big things, not the small things.

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Time for part 2️⃣ of my book chapter on investigative journalism and AI: this looks at the challenges — from accuracy and bias to resources and explainability. There's some practical stuff here on competing ideas of fairness, overfittings vs underfitting and feature engineering. #ddj #AI

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It's the 40th anniversary of one of my favorite #StarTrek films, and the strongest argument against the old "only the even-numbered ones are good" theory. In this article, I look back at how #Spock actor Leonard Nimoy got to direct #TheSearchForSpock

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I'm publishing two extracts from a draft forthcoming book chapter on investigative journalism and AI. The first part, mapping the various branches of #AI and how they've been used in investigations, is now live...

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When is hiring a start-up’s co-founders, licensing its technology and absorbing its intellectual property not an acquisition? When Big Tech is trying to avoid regulators. Read more Verdict #AI #skills #technology #BigTech #regulation #FTC https://lnkd.in/e6QD7DbV

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Digital News Report, the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism flagship annual study, is out this week. Big-picture findings won’t come as a surprise, but it’s still a must-read. For The Fix Media, I picked a subjective list of three interesting insights from the report: 📍Video-first platforms are rising, and traditional media are struggling to compete with individual news creators. YouTube is a key platform for news, and TikTok has overtaken Twitter in news consumption for the first time this year. Unlike on Facebook & Twitter, traditional journalists are lagging behind individual news creators. Interesting examples from the report – Hugo Décrypte in France (who, across all platforms, gets more mentions than Le Monde or BFMTV) and TLDR News in the UK. 📍Paying for news isn’t becoming more widespread – and even existing numbers are skewed by heavy discounts. Last year 17% of people across 20 richer countries paid for online news. This year it’s still exactly 17%. One interesting addition in the 2024 report is the look at how heavy discounting might distort the numbers. “[W]ell over half of those in the US who are paying for digital news report paying less than the median cost of a main subscription ($16), often much less”. In Poland, over three quarters of respondents pay less than full price for their subscription. 📍Elections have had little effect on interest in news so far, but we’ll see full effect in 2025 Interest in news has fallen across much of Europe and other countries. It increased in the US but only slightly. But the surveys for this report were conducted at the beginning of the year. It will be interesting to watch the impact of elections throughout 2024, especially in the United States.

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Indeed’s definition of a Journalist:   ‘A Journalist, or Reporter, is responsible for researching and writing informational news articles and stories about real events using a fair and unbiased perspective. Their duties include interviewing experts, gathering first-hand accounts of events and organizing an outline into a cohesive, interesting story.’ In 2004, ExpertSources was founded by an ex-journalist himself, Mr Bob Mills who spearheaded this ingenious online platform as a lead in its field for regional, national and international media professionals to quickly and easily find experts in any and every sector imaginable. Journalists, Reporters, Media Professionals, join here FOR FREE https://lnkd.in/gWTuBX5 in less than 20 seconds and start searching with keywords for an expert relevant to your topic at hand. Take advantage of our 20% discount, ending today, we would be thrilled to have you join us as an esteemed and sort after expert member. https://lnkd.in/dbnVv_m www.expertsources.co.uk ‘WHERE JOURNALISTS FIND PEOPLE WITH EXPERTISE.’ #Publicity #Media #MediaProfessionals #Journalist #Journalists #MediaExposure #Revenue #PR #PublicRelations #Expert #Experts #Charity #University #Business #Journalism #Editorial #Podcast #Vlog #Magazines #TV #Radio #SocialMedia #ROI #Business #StartUp #Entrepreneur #Success #BusinessSuccess #Revenue #YourDream #Reputation #Journalism Photo by Etienne Girardet on Unsplash

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>>> You are Jonathan Gerhardson, a freelance journalist in Massachusetts. Write ... a compelling Linked-In post that provides obvious advice about how to succe ... ed in one's career. The tone should be positive and a little patronizing. Sure, here's a LinkedIn post aimed at offering some friendly and uplifting advice to aspiring professionals: "Greetings, ambitious folks! Jonathan Gerhardson here with some straight-talking guidance on career success. Let me share a secret: Success leaves clues. And today, I've got three time-tested tips to steer your journey skyward. 1. Network, network, network! You've likely heard this before, but it bears repeating. The relationships you forge are invaluable. Attend industry events, join relevant groups, and reach out to mentors. Networking opens doors and presents opportunities that can propel your career. Imagine it as a intricate web of connections, where each new link could lead to something amazing. 2. Always upskill. The world is hungry for lifelong learners. Dedicate time weekly to learning new skills, keeping pace with industry trends. It's an investment in yourself, boosting your value and confidence. Attend webinars, enroll in courses, soak up knowledge like a sponge! 3. Be the solution, not the problem. When challenges arise (they will), don't just whine about them. Step up as the person who offers solutions. It's a simple yet powerful mindset shift that sets you apart. Being proactive demonstrates your value and earns you recognition. Remember, success is a journey, not a destination. Keep learning, keep adapting, and keep pushing forward. Your dream job awaits!" This advice might seem straightforward, but sometimes the simplest tips are the most effective. A little reminder can go a long way in keeping people motivated! And hey, if you've got your own tried-and-true strategies, share them below! Let's inspire each other's journeys.

We talk about the evolution of #AI @CadeMetz, technology correspondent at @the-new-york-times on the latest episode of "Night Owls."  https://lnkd.in/eJc-VWW4  Cade wrote a great book on the subject, called "Genius Makers." https://lnkd.in/eUZPtrbe It is well worth reading and very readable.

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Public perceptions of crime don't always match reality, a problem fueled by dodgy campaign rhetoric and (drum roll, please) ... old and incomplete crime data. Unlike readily available data on inflation and unemployment trends, national crime data lag by many months. The consequences? Here's what our Crime Trends Working Group says in its new report outlining a roadmap for progress: “Even small discrepancies can have big consequences in the policy and political environment. The potential fallout can be huge — in terms of crime tactics and strategies, whether the police chief stays on the job or gets fired, even whether the mayor or prosecutor is re-elected or driven from office. At stake are billions in government spending on public safety and criminal justice, the viability of businesses and urban centers, and the extent to which Americans are safe, and feel safe, in their homes and communities.” Tom Jackman of The Washington Post wrote a thoughtful summary of the problem and our group's recommendations this week. https://lnkd.in/gj4yXqje And please see the post below before turning on the TV tonight:

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Baltimore-area readers: SAVE THE DATE! July 6, 2024, from 6:30-8 pm, at Snug Books in Baltimore, author John Maly will read from his debut novel, JURIS EX MACHINA. Audience discussion about the implications of AI will follow. Register today for free tickets at www.snugbooks.com Here's a teaser: With a click, the bread fell into the toaster. One circuit fired the heating coils. Others monitored bread temperature and color. Yet another circuit was quite unlike all the rest- as exotic as it was sinister; when it activated, 368 people would die. In the 22nd century, the justice system is airtight in the domed city of Arcadia. Human error has been removed. Yet somehow, a well-intentioned young kleptomaniac named Rainville falls through the cracks and is wrongfully convicted of mass murder. He is exiled to Wychwood Prison, a crumbling necropolis beyond the dome where the dead outnumber the living, where the inmates are also the guards. News of the crime follows him, and he becomes a marked man. Rainville's only hope for survival is becoming the first inmate in history to escape Wychwood. Can he do it? The fate of Arcadia depends on it. Can't make the event? You can grab your copy today at https://lnkd.in/ewRP8SP4, which also benefits Snug Books, an independent, woman-owned bookstore. #whattoread #ai #artificialintelligence #scifinovel #cyberpunk

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FEATURE: Crypto startups are carving out room in funding rounds for droves of influencers in so-called KOL deals. The influencers often get better terms, including lower valuations and shorter vesting schedules. Sometimes they’re required to promote projects, sometimes projects simply hope a “whisper network” emerges among them. But legal experts think KOL deals may draw scrutiny from the SEC. Read more on Bloomberg News 👇 https://lnkd.in/dYQTNahw

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