Molly Boigon

You're probably already taking in a lot of information on how to cover this year's elections. These guides are aimed at helping you talk through that information with your news organization, and strategize or decide on how you'll navigate different scenarios long before they arise and leave you thinking, "I wish we'd talked about how we'd actually handle this." Our first two guides help you consider your coverage of misinformation and polling, and we've got more in the works! Let us know if there are other topics you'd like to see addressed.

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I am still mulling over the impressive AP/Frontline investigative film, “Documenting Police Use of Force,”and interesting panel discussion at the National Press Club about the surprisingly high number of deaths that occur from prone restraint and other “less-lethal force” police tactics. I encourage you to watch the film, read the story and explore the database. (I’ll put the links in the comments below.)

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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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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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When the American Journalism Project launched five years ago, our mandate was to create the conditions for community-led nonprofit news organizations to sustainably provide the journalism our democracy requires. Today, I’m pleased to share our 2024 Impact Report, a look at the progress we’ve made since our inception. In the five years since our launch, we’ve raised $175 million from national and local philanthropy, and built a portfolio of 44 nonprofit local news organizations —  diverse in size, scope, reach and leadership. Some highlights from the report: -In the last year alone, our portfolio of 44 grantee organizations generated $86 million in revenue — a 36% increase over their 2022 revenue. -Year over year, the organizations in our portfolio are seeing a 58% median growth. -And this growth is leading to more journalism – last year, our portfolio of grantees employed 568 editorial and newsroom staff – an 18% increase over 2022. Organizations are growing, diversifying their revenue, adding journalists, and strengthening their communities. I’m proud of the progress the portfolio has made, and remain clear-eyed about the future. This report sheds light on how far we’ve come and sets the stage for what’s ahead. I hope you'll take a moment to read it. https://lnkd.in/eipwwhxN

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💥 This email will self-destruct in 48 hours. 💥 There’s nothing wrong with telling a journalist that they need to respond by a certain deadline if they’re interested in your story. We spend so much of our time trying to accommodate journalists, but you need to be respectful of your own time, too. If you don’t set a clear deadline for when a response is needed, you could sit around forever waiting for a reply that will never come. If the journalist doesn’t reply in time, move on to the next person on your list. Don’t let a lack of response from someone cause you to miss out on telling your story.

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Axios: "The Sixth" aims to bring about a sense of catharsis, especially for locals.” For my fellow DC friends who don't want to relive that day... I can tell you that this documentary was done so well. And in the end, gives hope and rededication to why we all do what we do here in the nation's capital. I strongly encourage you to watch. https://lnkd.in/ga3YAiHT #THESIXTHmovie

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We lead today’s Connecting with the viewpoint of Columbia Journalism Review on the plans announced by the AP to create a new sister organization to fundraise for and support state and local journalism.   Governed by an independent board of directors, the 501(c)3 charitable organization will help AP sustain, augment and grow journalism and services for the industry, as well as help fund other entities that share a commitment to state and local news.   We also deliver more of your stories of working in your first AP bureau – continuing an ongoing theme that’s proven highly popular.   Our colleague Norm Abelson observes: “Of all the compelling, humorous, moving and enlightening pieces I have read on Connecting, the recent stories on first AP assignments rank near the top.   “Often they're as interesting as a novel, as educating as a J-school grad course, as personal as a memoir. The stories are told with honesty and openness, recalling both the successes as well as the miscues and bumps along the way.   “Both for those who opted for a career with the news service, as well as those of us who moved on to other interests, I'd argue there is no better foundation for a meaningful and fulfilling career than time spent at The AP.”   Here’s to a great day – be safe, stay healthy, live it to your fullest. https://conta.cc/4ciWKsA

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"To comment or not to comment, that is the question." Thoughtful piece by former Washington Post reporter Paul Farhi in the Columbia Journalism Review: "When they won’t even say ‘no comment.’" (https://lnkd.in/ey-yAMHy) He finds that there has been a significant increase in recent years of reporters writing that a subject “did not respond to a request for comment.” So back to the question at the top - should you always feel compelled to provide a comment in response to a media inquiry? "Always?" - no. Every inquiry is different. The main reason to comment is because you can share your perspective, try to shape the article, and advocate for yourself and your organization. Nobody can tell your story better than you. That said, there are times when it doesn't make sense to comment or where doing so would be counterproductive. At a minimum, as a communications professional you should take the lead in analyzing each request and presenting leadership with the pros and cons of responding - and a recommendation for what to say. I'm curious for others, um, comments on this topic. #MediaRelations #PR #Communications #PublicRelations

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You might see some promotional publicity in the media for a new book purportedly about public relations from what its publisher claims is a 'top operative.' Consistent with the historic tension between hacks vs. flacks, some journos will jump at the chance to platform someone especially if it provides an opportunity to position lying and manipulation as the essence of PR. Bad boys and 'high stakes' take-the-money firms might steal a few sensational headlines, but they are actually at the fringes and on the bottom of an industry where most practitioners around the world counsel candor and transparency in the public domain for clients with worthy points of view. #publicrelations #PR #ethics #propaganda https://a.co/d/0dP8eAG8 https://lnkd.in/eucAfEDU https://lnkd.in/ek2wk3Pg

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Corporate and Startups keep a close eye on the elections, government affairs and public notices. Why??? Because it impacts their businesses. Politicians are Policy Makers. Policies they make have a direct and indirect impact on the business operations. Corporate Communications professionals need to be an expert in Public Policy tracking and Public Affairs too apart from Public Relations. Government and Politicians are a key external stakeholders and influencers for businesses. Lobbying by entrepreneurs across the globe since a century is a common phenomenon. Industry Bodies of varying ministries gives an option to varying entrepreneurs and organisations to share their feedback to the Ministry, elect their representative for that body, suggest changes in policies, propose policy plans and participate in the engagement for nation building. Public Affairs is a serious business and needs to align with the PR planning. #hemamalini #superstar #loksabha #memberofparliament #parliament #delhi #mathura #legacy #legend #publicpolicy #publicaffairs #corporateaffairs #artist #influencer #keyinfluencer #messaging #governmentaffairs #publicrelations #pr #corporatecommunications #internalcommunication #stakeholdermanagement #stakeholderengagement #brandengagement #thoughtleader #thoughtleadership

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Corporate and Startups keep a close eye on the elections, government affairs and public notices. Why??? Because it impacts their businesses. Politicians are Policy Makers. Policies they make have a direct and indirect impact on the business operations. Corporate Communications professionals need to be an expert in Public Policy tracking and Public Affairs too apart from Public Relations. Government and Politicians are a key external stakeholders and influencers for businesses. Lobbying by entrepreneurs across the globe since a century is a common phenomenon. Industry Bodies of varying ministries gives an option to varying entrepreneurs and organisations to share their feedback to the Ministry, elect their representative for that body, suggest changes in policies, propose policy plans and participate in the engagement for nation building. Public Affairs is a serious business and needs to align with the PR planning. #shatrugansinha #superstar #loksabha #memberofparliament #parliament #delhi #mathura #legacy #legend #publicpolicy #publicaffairs #corporateaffairs #artist #influencer #keyinfluencer #messaging #governmentaffairs #publicrelations #pr #corporatecommunications #internalcommunication #stakeholdermanagement #stakeholderengagement #brandengagement #thoughtleader #thoughtleadership

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Corporate and Startups keep a close eye on the elections, government affairs and public notices. Why??? Because it impacts their businesses. Politicians are Policy Makers. Policies they make have a direct and indirect impact on the business operations. Corporate Communications professionals need to be an expert in Public Policy tracking and Public Affairs too apart from Public Relations. Government and Politicians are a key external stakeholders and influencers for businesses. Lobbying by entrepreneurs across the globe since a century is a common phenomenon. Industry Bodies of varying ministries gives an option to varying entrepreneurs and organisations to share their feedback to the Ministry, elect their representative for that body, suggest changes in policies, propose policy plans and participate in the engagement for nation building. Public Affairs is a serious business and needs to align with the PR planning. #shashitharoor #loksabha #memberofparliament #parliament #delhi #mathura #legacy #legend #publicpolicy #publicaffairs #corporateaffairs #artist #influencer #keyinfluencer #messaging #governmentaffairs #publicrelations #pr #corporatecommunications #internalcommunication #stakeholdermanagement #stakeholderengagement #brandengagement #thoughtleader #thoughtleadership

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I spent some time this weekend experimenting with Anthropic's newly released Claude 3.5 sonnet, and I have to say I was pretty impressed. To be honest, I've been considering giving up my Claude subscription in recent weeks, and I'm glad I didn't. Here are a few things I liked: ☑ EXCELLENT writing skills, probably the best out there for an LLM, based on my experience ☑ Finally, Claude has 'vision' capabilities (it can see and transcribe text even from low-quality images) ☑ Exceptional reasoning, skills, and what seems to be a very solid knowledge base ☑ It is lightning-fast, and its responses seem to show an excellent grasp of language nuances, along with a bit of personality and a sense of humour! ☑VERY good at processing complex multi-step prompts 'Mid' but with potential: Anthropic also introduced Artifacts, which lets you see what's being generated in a window beside your prompt. Unfortunately, it's still limited for a few things I was trying out, but I love the concept of a collaborative work environment, and it will get better and more user-friendly soon. Highly encourage you to give this latest version a try - the best way to learn how to use AI tools and what they are good at is to spend some time! https://lnkd.in/gvuVZPPK #Anthropic #AI #Claude #Sonnet

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This warrants further discussion regarding #crisiscommunications. More governments and corporations are “turtling” when facing controversy that leads to media attention. While some would argue that today’s underresourced media outlets and the public’s short attention span make media statements less relevant, I strongly agree with Michelle Garrett on this issue. Not responding to a request for comment leaves your organization vulnerable to speculation and rumours and will most likely lead to more negative publicity. Don’t let your opponents/critics define you - tackle misinformation head on whenever you encounter it. #publicrelations #pr #communications

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How people consume information (and where they find it) continues to be a fragmented and splintered landscape. Understanding and tracking these changes and audiences is important for every industry, not just elections. https://lnkd.in/gsHHENXm

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I wrote a piece for Politico on major trends buffeting the media including artificial intelligence, deepfakes, and fighting disinformation in an age of dwindling resources. The conclusion is that founders, CEOs, politicians and others in the public eye now face an exponentially increasing threat of reputational damage. In today’s media landscape, a single negative review can quickly go viral, a poorly phrased statement can trigger a global backlash and an ill-judged joke can wreck careers. While the media world’s pace of change is dizzying, the words written by businessman Warren Buffett almost a decade ago have never been more relevant: “It takes 20 years to build a reputation and five minutes to ruin it.” Article here: https://lnkd.in/dtTNY4PU

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Here is one chart that underscores the importance of journalism. My key takeaway: Most people want a president who will solve national problems on their behalf and make their lives better, but low-information voters aren't getting the facts they need to distinguish between the candidate who is actively trying to do that (whether successfully or not is a matter of debate) and the candidate who is bulldozing over democratic norms to satiate his set of grievances and those of a small core of ideological extremists. There are a lot of well-known reasons why there has been a decline in readership and support for traditional news media outlets, and we should address them all—including the reasons some people feel they can't trust that the version of the world they are seeing through the lens of "mainstream" news outlets is not real, or is at best incomplete. But democracy depends on an informed electorate, and the fact that people who say they oppose legally and morally corrupt politicians are supporting a politician who is objectively legally and morally corrupt shows that too little of our electorate is informed. A footnote: I spent last weekend in Philadephia, home of the legendary but struggling Philadelphia Inquirer and Daily News. While there, I looked for a copy of the paper because when I am visiting a city I like to get a taste of what's happening through the local news. Sadly, I could not find a copy of the paper—not even at the train station on the return trip to DC. It was both disorienting and sad to see that you could walk through the downtown streets of a city without even seeing the front-page headlines of a newspaper, which would give you at least an inkling of what was happening in the world around you. It is no wonder that so many people feel disconnected from what is happening around them, and are making decisions—or deciding not to decide—without the awareness, connectedness and shared empathy that are the hallmarks of a healthy democracy.

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