50 States, 50 Fixes: How local climate solutions are resonating across America — my conversation with The New York Times’ Climate Editor Lyndsey Layton.
#NYTimes #climate #localnews
Category: News & Publishing
The rock-n-roll beat
“Any journalist will tell you. Sometimes you hear something so quotable that you can see the words in print in real time, right before your eyes. The room changes when deep truths are being spoken, when raw honesty is in the air.”—Cameron Crowe, “The Uncool: A Memoir”
If you’re a journalist who likes to see other journalists’ approach to the craft, I recommend Cameron Crowe’s autobiographical “The Uncool: A Memoir.” Crowe is a fascinating person. There is his undeniable storytelling talent, proven by his many decades as an accomplished music journalist, screenwriter and director.
There’s his encyclopedic knowledge of music from the 1960s-1980s — and perhaps beyond. There’s his almost Forrest Gump-like fortunes and happenstances, where he casually meets and vibes with so many important figures of those decades, from the worlds of music, industry, Hollywood. It’s a collage of pop culture.
The reader gets a sense of Crowe’s perspective on journalism, and the lessons he learned from mentors along the way. He wrestles with editorial dilemmas and relationships with sources. You sense the pressures he felt answering to editors, rock stars, publicists and readers — especially remarkable when he was a teenage reporter. That kid (then) had precisely what it takes to make a name, to build a byline and a brand: courage, resilience, introspection, fortitude, a great vocabulary, an inquisitive nature, and a little dash of naïveté.
The author says this is a story about family. Crowe’s family takes center stage throughout the book. Their connections are complicated, and he doesn’t sanitize them. He peels back the curtain on their shared tragedies and idiosyncrasies. It’s all relatable.
Naturally, in the memoir there’s the running theme of Crowe’s early life, which he so astutely, delicately captured in the semi-autobiographical film, “Almost Famous.” That is, his absolutely passionate love for music and reverence for the people who make it. You feel it. It’s almost tactile, vibrating off the printed page.
Introducing the Publisher of the Year
Chris Reen is Editor & Publisher (E&P) Magazine‘s Publisher of the Year.
Chris Reen is honored for his approachable optimism, reverence for journalism and a record of innovation, resilience and service to community.
Nextdoor doubles down on local news
Fourteen years ago, Nextdoor debuted on the digital networking scene. It carved out a niche as a website and app that facilitated connections between neighbors. It’s a digital space where they can share information, ask questions and seek recommendations relative to their geographic neighborhood.
This summer, Nextdoor unveiled a new design, returned to its original branding and logo, embraced local news — notably, at a time when other networking platforms devalue it — and incorporated Artificial Intelligence (AI) into the platform.
Read on at EditorAndPublisher.com:
When a whistleblower calls
QUICK READ: How top journalists protect sources and turn secrets into stories
Read at the link or in the September 2025 Editor & Publisher print edition:
What’s next for DEI in newsrooms? Legal risks, political pressure and resilience
“This is an area where more boards of directors than ever are looking for continued updates, not just on the state of the law and the state of enforcement policy, but what it all means in terms of their own companies’ practices. … This is complicated stuff.” — Camille Olson, partner, Seyfarth Shaw LLP
E&P’s August 2025 Cover Story: Experts weigh in on how DEI can survive and evolve in today’s volatile media and legal landscape
https://www.editorandpublisher.com/stories/whats-next-for-dei-in-newsrooms,257042
Local voices, lasting change: How a Reader Advisory Board transformed the Richmond Times-Dispatch’s connection to the community
Hearst invests in investigative journalism
Quick Read: The Houston Chronicle investigative team—double the size it was just a year ago—digs deep into the questions that matter most to Houstonians
On impact and advocacy
E&P started a series a couple of years ago, which we call “J-school profiles.” To create a bridge between the next-generation of aspiring journalists and E&P’s readers — many of whom hail from C-suite offices at news organizations small to massive — we began to write about journalism schools across the country. We wanted to know how curricula is changing as technology and journalism itself evolve, and how young people coming into the profession see their future roles.
Often, during those conversations with faculty and students, the topic of journalism’s “impact” came up. Many of those young people spoke about being compelled to pursue journalism because they wanted to do work that is meaningful, that inspires change, that has real, measurable value. In speaking with deans and professors, they often echoed hearing this from their students — the desire to be impactful. And yet, some of those educators also spoke from a place of concern, noting the important distinction between pursuing stories that may ultimately have impact and being an advocate for a particular community or cause.
It left me wondering: At what point does creating impactful journalism cross over into the realm of advocacy? And what are the ethical implications? The answer, it would seem, isn’t clear-cut, but I’d argue it’s still a discussion worth having. So, I asked three experts about their takes on advocacy versus journalism. Here’s what they had to say:
Team spirit
Looking back over four decades I’ve spent in publishing, I have found that the most successful newsrooms I’ve worked in or consulted for have had a cooperative organizational culture. It’s typical for editors to lead daily or weekly newsroom staff meetings to discuss reporting projects in the works, accomplishments and obstacles to work around. But what I’ve observed is the benefit of broader team cooperation, too.
In one newsroom where I served as the editor, I regularly brought together not only the newsroom team, but also periodically welcomed the publisher and members of the staff representing production, marketing, IT, audience, data and art/creative to join us. While traditionally these roles are distinguished and separate, it became apparent to me early in my career that they are each a critical gear in the publishing machine. They literally have to work in tandem to make the engine run. Routine interaction allowed for every member of the team to have a voice and an opportunity to express their observations, challenges and ideas. They felt valued and empowered.
That’s not just a feel-good byproduct, it had practical benefits, too. Together, we created great things—compelling brand messaging, newsletter and special supplements, interactive storytelling, fresh design for our covers and pages, powerful impact reports, and live events, including three conferences that brought together thousands of attendees. It strengthened our magazine’s brand and galvanized our team.
If you are operating as silos, you’re missing opportunities for innovation—and, in this climate, growth and the potential for long-term sustainability.
Gretchen A. Peck 