For the Record

Meredith Unveils New Podcasts:

Meredith Corp. announced Wednesday that it will introduce a "new slate of digital audio programming," including a Monday-to-Friday podcast under the auspices of People magazine and an Entertainment Weekly-branded weekly podcast covering the final season of "Schitt's Creek," a popular Canadian sitcom. "When it comes to connecting with busy consumers on the go, audio from brands they trust and love is a very compelling format," said Rachel Reed, Meredith's senior innovation manager.

Morning in Appalachia:

Following a tulmultuous period that included an ownership transition and the layoff of former executive editor Rob Byers (who oversaw Eric Eyre's 2017 Investigative Reporting Prize-winning coverage of the opioid epidemic), the Charleston (W.Va.) Gazette-Mail has stabilized as a result of a a surge in digital subscriptions and national partnerships with ProPublica and Report for America. "It shows when you invest in something, when an owner is willing to take a chance and put some money down, it comes out so much better," said environmental reporter Kate Mishkin.

L.A. Times Union Attains Tentative Agreement:

Following 15 months of negotiations, the Los Angeles Times Guild has reached a tentative agreement with management Wednesday. If ratified, the contract will be the first collective bargaining agreement at the newspaper since it was founded in 1881. According to a press release from the Guild, the contract will ensure "significant increases in pay, wage minimums across job categories, diversity provisions and strong protections against outsourcing and subcontracting." The Guild is a unit of the Media Guild of the West, a new Los Angeles-based NewsGuild-CWA local.

Miami Herald Forms Investigative Lab:

The Miami Herald has announced its intention to launch its Investigative Lab, a three-year, $1.5 million initiative that would "nearly double the size of our investigative unit, adding two full-time reporters, a data visualization specialist, a videographer and an editor" to existing resources, according to a Tuesday news release. The lab will solicit foundation support and officially launch after a third of the intended funding is obtained.

ProPublica and Texas Tribune Introduce Investigative Reporting Unit:

ProPublica and the Texas Tribune announced Wednesday that they will launch a jointly operated, 11-person investigative reporting unit serving Texas in early 2020. The full staff, which will consist of a senior editor, five reporters, a research reporter and a producer on the staff of ProPublica and a data visuals reporter, engagement reporter and development associate on the staff of the Tribune, primarily will be based out of the Tribune's Austin offices. "Teaming up with ProPublica, the very best investigative journalism org in the country, expands the limits of what's possible and will serve the public interest in ways that make our state better," said Tribune CEO Evan Smith. "This is a big win for all Texans."

Poynter Announces Post-MeToo Training Program:

Poynter and Press Forward, a "post-MeToo, female-founded start-up dedicated to creating healthy newsroom environments," have announced #UsToo: Building Trust in Newsrooms, a new training program. "After the first wave of #MeToo stories dominated the news cycle, dozens of newsrooms approached Poynter seeking training on sexual harassment," said Kelly McBride, Poynter senior vice president and ethics chair. "Working in collaboration with our partners at Press Forward, we set out to learn why the existing training doesn’t work. Then we built training that will transform newsrooms and help journalists do better journalism and recognize how power works." 

Booker Prize Deliberations Lead to Surprise Joint Award:

The jury of the Booker Prize "explicitly flouted" the program's rules Monday by offering a joint award to Bernardine Evaristo's "Girl, Woman, Other" and Margaret Atwood's "The Testaments." Evaristo is the first black woman to receive the Prize, while Atwood is its oldest recipient. “We spent a good hour and a half agonizing over how to resolve the issue to the jurors' satisfaction, and the eventual decision that was taken was a moment of joy for all of us," said Peter Florence, the chair of judges. "We were trying to accommodate the rules that were given to us. How do you equably and fairly resolve something that seems irresolvable? You find a way of changing the game."

Layoffs and Diversity Concerns at Bustle:

According to Benjamin Goggin of Business Insider, "at least 17 employees have been let go" from Bustle Media Group over the past month in a round of "stealth staff cuts." Staffers have expressed concerns about diversity following the departure of longtime Nylon Editor in Chief Gabrielle Korn (who is openly gay) and the cultivation of an alleged "all-white leadership team" by Emma Rosenblum, the company's new editor-in-chief for lifestyle publications.

Axios Pivots to HBO:

Axios no longer is producing discrete videos for distribution on its website or major platforms, CEO and former Pulitzer Board member Jim VandeHei told DigiDay Monday. Instead, the news organization is utilizing clips from its eponymous HBO show, which received a two-season renewal on October 8 and has featured high-profile interviews with such figures as Jared Kushner and Tim Cook. "[We are] not going for the masses," said VandeHei. "If we were going for the masses, then maybe we would do something for Facebook Watch."

Georgia Southern University: Book Burning of Latinx Author's Work by White Students Protected Under First Amendment; No Disciplinary Action Planned:

Following a discussion on white privilege at an October 9 lecture by University of Nebraska creative writing professor Jennine Capó Crucet at Georgia Southern University, a group of white students publicly burned her books on campus. After video of the incident went viral, the burning immediately was condemned by PEN America Executive Director Jonathan Friedman, who characterized it as "deeply disturbing." Although the university, which will hold an "open forum" on the incident this week, has stated that book burning does not "encourage the civil discourse and debate of ideas," President Kyle Marrero said the behavior was "within the students' First Amendment rights" with the caveat that "[it] does not align with Georgia Southern's values." Friedman said that the school "should go further in condemning this act for the intolerance it represents." As of October 14, no disciplinary action will be taken against the students.