ISSUE

Summer 2017

Where Are the Mothers?

In the conversation about how to create more diversity and gender balance in newsrooms, one group has been routinely ignored: mothers. So what are newsrooms doing to retain women who have or plan to have children, to make sure more women stay in the talent pipeline? Not enough, considering the family leave and flexible schedule policies of many news organizations leave much to be desired. If news organizations want to attract and retain millennial journalists, it’s essential that they work to better meet the needs of parents and create better work-life balance for all employees. If they don’t, they risk losing talented, diverse groups of journalists—including young mothers—that are vital to the industry.

Articles

Tim O'Reilly on ways to put the brakes on "fake news" and rebuild trust on the internet

Tim O’Reilly on ways to put the brakes on “fake news” and rebuild trust on the internet

Inc. magazine dubbed web guru Tim O’Reilly “The Oracle of Silicon Valley.” Wired magazine called the founder and CEO of the O’Reilly Media publishing and conference business “The Trend Spotter.” …
One of a Kind: In creating a one night-only live magazine, Florence Martin-Kessler, NF ’11, finds a storytelling innovation that sparks excitement  

One of a Kind: In creating a one night-only live magazine, Florence Martin-Kessler, NF ’11, finds a storytelling innovation that sparks excitement  

On a sunny Saturday afternoon in October 2013, I entered a conference hall at the Charles Hotel in Cambridge to attend a roundtable that was part of the Nieman Foundation’s…
What Anthony Shadid Teaches Us Still: Rami G. Khouri, NF ’02, is studying the craftsmanship of the late Pulitzer-winning foreign correspondent to share it with a new generation

What Anthony Shadid Teaches Us Still: Rami G. Khouri, NF ’02, is studying the craftsmanship of the late Pulitzer-winning foreign correspondent to share it with a new generation

In life and death alike, Anthony Shadid was repeatedly recognized by his peers as among the finest foreign correspondents of his generation. To examine his legacy and share it with…
Violence at Home and Abroad

Violence at Home and Abroad

On a sunny Friday in May, a sweetly solemn ceremony unfolded on the grounds of Harvard’s Lippmann House as Nieman Fellows gathered for a class reunion. Missing was Anja Niedringhaus,…
What It’s Like To Be a Breastfeeding Journalist

What It’s Like To Be a Breastfeeding Journalist

A survey for Poynter on the family-friendliness of newsrooms found that nearly a third of respondents said their workplace was unsupportive of breastfeeding, which indicates the industry has work to…
Where Are the Mothers?

Where Are the Mothers?

If news organizations want to attract and retain millennial journalists, newsrooms must better meet the needs of parents with young children—and create better work-life balance for everyone

Want Better Family Leave and Flexibility at Your Company?

If you are interested in approaching your organization about improving family leave and/or flexible schedule policies, here are five steps that will help you make an effective case.1. Collect Data…
The Ethics of Leaks

The Ethics of Leaks

The increasing use of anonymous sources and leaks has intensified the debate over how to vet information and sources
An Investigative Toolkit for the Post-Snowden Era

An Investigative Toolkit for the Post-Snowden Era

For over six months, an investigative team at the Spanish daily El Mundo has been waiting to hear whether they will face criminal prosecution for disobeying a legal injunction to…

Djinns in the Newsroom

My grandmother was well known for telling extraordinary tales. One in particular has stuck with me since the summer I was dispatched alone to her in Delhi. At the time…
Covering Controversial Issues on Campus

Covering Controversial Issues on Campus

University newspapers generally come alive at night, and on a recent gloomy weekday afternoon the office of The Cornell Daily Sun is dimly lit and nearly empty. Housed in a…

“A Roller Coaster of Emotions”: James E. Causey, NF ’08, tells a tale of Milwaukee’s decline through the lives of his third-grade classmates

When I set out to find out what happened to everyone in my third-grade class at Milwaukee’s Samuel Clemens Elementary School in 1978, I had no idea how mentally draining…
Telling Indigenous Stories

Telling Indigenous Stories

Cree woman Connie Oakes said she was innocent of the murder of Casey Armstrong.She said it when the police failed to produce fingerprints. She said it when they failed to…
How Venezuela’s Independent Digital News Outlets Are Covering the Turmoil in Their Country

How Venezuela’s Independent Digital News Outlets Are Covering the Turmoil in Their Country

Leer en españolVenezuelan pop singer Miguel Ignacio Mendoza was part of a crowd of thousands of people on the streets of Caracas on April 10. He wasn’t giving a concert,…
Charlie Sykes: “Everything that’s happening that is bad is about to get worse”

Charlie Sykes: “Everything that’s happening that is bad is about to get worse”

A longtime political commentator, Charlie Sykes has become a leading conservative voice, locally and nationally. Best known as the host of the “Midday with Charlie Sykes” talk show, broadcast on WTMJ…