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THIS WEEK’S TL;DR:

Reshape your newsroom’s take on crime ([link removed]) ; join our best-selling investigative seminar ([link removed]) ; amplify your strengths in St. Petersburg ([link removed]) ; new manager? Establish your credibility ([link removed]) ; turn workplace challenges into opportunities ([link removed]) ; boost your midterm coverage with the right data ([link removed])


** Produce crime coverage that serves your community,
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** not the system.
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There's a disconnect between why newsrooms say they cover crime and how they actually cover it, says Kelly McBride, Poynter’s Senior VP and creator of Poynter's Transforming Crime Coverage ([link removed]) .

“As journalists, we are disingenuous about why we cover crime,” said McBride. “We tell ourselves that we cover it so that the public can keep itself safe. And yet the information that we give them doesn’t help anybody keep themselves safe.”

These problems are universal, but their solutions are rarely one-size-fits-all. Poynter helps participating newsrooms do more meaningful work with fewer resources via our program ([link removed]) cited by the AP Stylebook ([link removed]) as a major influence on how journalists should cover crime.

Award-winning reporters and Poynter faculty Fernanda Camarena and Kerwin Speight lead six interactive sessions ([link removed]) that shift your focus from reactive “if it bleeds, it leads” coverage to the journalism news consumers are asking for: crime trends, personal security insights and system accountability.

Dedicated coaches give your newsroom the guidance it needs to define and implement policy changes unique to the community you serve. You'll learn to rethink who counts as an expert, untether your newsroom from law enforcement as a default source and produce coverage that rebuilds your community’s trust.

Ready to rise above the noise? Learn more and apply now ([link removed]) .


** TIP OF THE WEEK
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By Alexandra Zayas, deputy managing editor, ProPublica
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Rejected by a source? There’s still hope!

One of the first lessons a new reporter learns is how to face repeated, brutal rejection. Day after day as a local newspaper intern, I was thrown at murders and gruesome car accidents, with orders to knock on the doors of victims’ or suspects’ families on the absolute worst day of their lives. Some would lash out in anger and call me a vulture. Others would hide in their homes as reporters’ business cards piled up at their doorstep.

Some reporters learn unhelpful lessons from these moments. They come to see gaining access to sensitive subjects as such longshots that they put them off or stop trying altogether.

I learned a different lesson, one that has been affirmed time and again in my 20-plus years as a journalist. Access is all about timing, persistence and emotional intelligence.

Months after the horrific events, I would see those same families sitting on courthouse benches for hearings so routine, no other reporters bothered to show up. Given the lack of competition and deadline pressure, I was able to think through my next move.

Certainly, I could approach the subjects respectfully and try to talk to them right there. I could also try to broker access through someone who could vouch for me – a prosecutor, victim advocate or defense attorney. My single best strategy involved writing a letter.

In it, I introduced myself and my intentions. I attached examples of similar stories I’d written to give them an idea of what my work looked like. At the end, I would include my contact information and tell them to reach out so that we could talk more about talking.

I would walk up to the families, say absolutely nothing, hand it to them and walk away. I did this in courtrooms, but also on doorsteps, in the raw aftermath of tragedies.

The letter got me exclusive interviews time and again. It shifted the power dynamic, giving people information and space to decide what to do with my request — in essence, restoring a measure of control to people who had lost it in the most terrible ways. It also gave me an opening to return later without blindsiding them or pretending I hadn’t already asked.

Some of the most impactful stories I’ve overseen ([link removed]) at ProPublica benefited from the same emotionally intelligent strategies.

I teach these — and many others — in an upcoming five-week online group seminar called Will Work For Impact: Fundamentals of Investigative Journalism ([link removed]) .

💡 Reporters and editors with ambition to do investigative journalism: Don’t miss your chance to get guidance from Alex — enroll in our hands-on workshop ([link removed]) before it sells out.


** JUST PUBLISHED
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Edit to Elevate: ([link removed])

Essentials for New Editors ([link removed])

Join us on Mondays this spring for a five-week course designed for new editors. Get tools to line edit under pressure, learn to coach inexperienced reporters remotely and guide reporters to develop quick enterprise stories that elevate their beat coverage. Sessions run April 13 – May 11, from noon to 1:30 p.m. Eastern.


** DEADLINE ALERT
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⏰ Ambitious media professionals: Time is running out to apply for leadership training for every level in the media hierarchy.
* Lead with Influence ([link removed]) empowers informal but influential leaders without direct reports to take the next step in their career. Apply by Feb. 16.
* Essential Skills for New Managers ([link removed]) serves new managers — and those about to be promoted to leadership roles — in helping build a strong foundation that sets their teams up for success. Apply by Feb. 13.
* Poynter’s Leadership Academy ([link removed]) is for experienced media managers to enhance their skills in leading people and setting smarter strategy for themselves and their organizations. Apply by Feb. 13.



** FIRST LOOK HERE
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🆕 Invest in yourself and contribute to the long-term sustainability of journalism by becoming a founding member of the Poynter Membership ([link removed]) program. Stay tuned for a benefit breakdown and exclusive perks.


** WORTH YOUR WHILE
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🏆 Entries are open for The 2026 Poynter Journalism Prizes ([link removed]) honoring the best in U.S. journalism from the last calendar year. See all the prize categories here ([link removed]) . Deadline for entries: 6 p.m. Eastern on Feb. 13.


** OPEN JOBS
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* Membership Development Manager ([link removed]) , HighCountryNews, Paonia, CO

* City Reporter ([link removed]) , Ashland.news, Ashland, OR

* Editor ([link removed]) , Jewish Alliance of Greater Rhode Island, Providence, RI

BROWSE CAREERS ([link removed])


** FROM OUR NEWSROOM
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* Opinion | This is what it looks like when a government tries to intimidate reporters ([link removed]) , by Tom Jones
* Opinion | The real threat of AI is the collapse of trust ([link removed]) , by Adam Rose
* Journalists should prepare to defend their right to report the news ([link removed]) , by Poynter Staff



** MEME OF THE WEEK
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