ISSUE

Fall 2017

The News Industry Has a Sexual Harassment Problem. #NowWhat?

In the wake of the Harvey Weinstein allegations, as women in all industries have come forward with their own stories of sexual harassment, a cascade of men in leadership positions at prominent news outlets have fallen—making evident that the news industry has a serious sexual harassment problem. So how can the media industry fix the newsroom culture that has allowed harassment to go unaddressed for so long? In order to initiate change, newsrooms must create a more supportive work culture for women—including hiring more women in leadership positions and making systematic changes such as establishing pay equity—and acknowledging an undeniable truth: that the issue facing journalism is not simply about preventing sexual harassment, but also about recognizing that this behavior is often part of a sexist and unequal work environment.

Articles

When Women Stand Up Against Harassers in the Newsroom

When Women Stand Up Against Harassers in the Newsroom

I was a kid, really—24 or 25—walking up Chicago’s Michigan Avenue on my way to the bus when a man twice my age blocked my path. He was dressed in the…
Reporting the Untold Stories of Rural India

Reporting the Untold Stories of Rural India

Saud Ur Rehman had been standing in line at the bank for eight hours before he called his wife and cousin, complaining of chest pains. It was the third consecutive…
A PARI mentor finds an opportunity to teach—and to learn

A PARI mentor finds an opportunity to teach—and to learn

Storytelling is a two-way street at PARI, with professional journalists mentoring locals with no background in reporting. This summer I mentored a PARI fellow, Stanzin Saldon, a Buddhist woman of…
The News Industry Has a Sexual Harassment Problem. #NowWhat?

The News Industry Has a Sexual Harassment Problem. #NowWhat?

A good place to start telling the unfolding story of sexual harassment in newsrooms is July 6th, 2016. That’s the day former Fox News host Gretchen Carlson sued Roger Ailes,…
Finding a Good Hook: Hurricane Irma moves Joan Martelli, NF ’08, to finish her book about a storied wreck  

Finding a Good Hook: Hurricane Irma moves Joan Martelli, NF ’08, to finish her book about a storied wreck  

After working for more than 20 years in television as a newsmagazine producer, I am diving into uncharted waters and publishing my first book.“The Law of Storms:  The true story…

The Story Behind a StoryCorps Success: Dean Haddock, a 2015 Visiting Fellow, on the long, winding road to an oral history app

In 2015 Dave Isay, StoryCorps’ founder, received the $1 million TED Prize. The money funded the development of an app for preserving and sharing meaningful conversations with the world. Those…
Elle Reeve: "Now that the whole world knows that these guys exist, you can't just do the straight-on coverage of their events. You can't ignore it either.”

Elle Reeve: “Now that the whole world knows that these guys exist, you can’t just do the straight-on coverage of their events. You can’t ignore it either.”

Elle Reeve, a technology correspondent for “Vice News Tonight,” shows little emotion as she interviews white nationalists spewing hate in the chilling documentary “Charlottesville: Race and Terror.” That was by…
The Power of Personalization

The Power of Personalization

News personalization could help publishers attract and retain audiences—in the process making political polarization even worse
Dead Bodies, Nationality, and the “Newsworthy” Image

Dead Bodies, Nationality, and the “Newsworthy” Image

In “Death Makes the News: How the Media Censor and Display the Dead,” being published November 21 by NYU Press, social scientist Jessica M. Fishman probes a double standard in…
“A podcast every day for three weeks straight”:  After covering the Tour de France, Tim de Gier, NF ’16, launches a podcasting network in the Netherlands

“A podcast every day for three weeks straight”: After covering the Tour de France, Tim de Gier, NF ’16, launches a podcasting network in the Netherlands

The work of a print journalist can be very unrewarding. When I worked for a magazine, writing a piece could take several weeks. The potential audience was 100,000. Often, this…
Covering Climate Change, with Urgency and Creativity

Covering Climate Change, with Urgency and Creativity

The assignment was simple: find out what energy companies knew about climate change, and when they knew it. InsideClimate News (ICN) reporter Neela Banerjee was initially skeptical they’d find any…
"Presenting a More Balanced and Nuanced View of Black Life"

“Presenting a More Balanced and Nuanced View of Black Life”

The very first time I viewed a William H. Johnson painting, the work moved me so deeply, I immediately declared him my favorite artist.I was barely a teenager. I didn’t…
"A mass shooting, only in slow motion"

“A mass shooting, only in slow motion”

Terrence McCoy was rummaging through clips when he came across the story of Kimi Reylander.Reylander, 9, was shot and killed while visiting her great-grandfather’s home in Irondale, Alabama, a small…