For the Record

COVID-19 and Weather Coverage:

The COVID-19 pandemic "has forever changed the way" weather news companies cover their beat, according to Sara Fischer of Axios. Weather Channel Chief Content Officer Nora Zimmett revealed that the network is increasingly reliant on drones "to do more on-the-ground storytelling at a social distance," while AccuWeather has "launched a product that gives users an understanding of how humid indoor climates might be and what actions to take based on certain humidity levels." 

Sports News Organizations Abandon 'Stick to Sports' Mantra:

Following this summer's social justice protests, sports news organizations have increasingly focused on the nexus between sports and culture despite past disavowals of the beat, according to Kerry Flynn of CNN. "Jackie Robinson was the face of desegregation. That was political. Billie Jean King fought for equal pay and equal rights for women. That's political. The NFL got money from the service branches to have their representatives at games. That's political," said Nancy Armour, a sports columnist for USA Today.

Facebook Threatens to Block News in Australia:

Facebook "is threatening to make it impossible for users in Australia to share local and international news content on both Facebook and Instagram if the government passes regulations to alter the financial arrangement between publishers and online platforms," Dylan Byers of NBC News reported Monday. The regulations, which would "force Facebook and Google to give news outlets a bigger cut of digital advertising revenue" and have been endorsed by the Rupert Murdoch-owned News Corp Australia, were characterized in a Facebook blog post late Monday as "a system that lets publishers charge us for as much content as they want at a price with no clear limits." The Australian legislation goes beyond previous European regulatory attempts in establishing "a panel of arbitrators who would determine the price that Facebook and Google must pay publishers."

Scientific American's Helmuth on Magazine's Future:

Poynter's Rick Edmonds spoke to Scientific American Editor-in-Chief Laura Helmuth about the future of the magazine, which celebrated its 175th anniversary last week. "I love this magazine," said Helmuth, who holds a Ph.D. in cognitive neuroscience from the University of California, Berkeley, "and I want to make it even more influential." Helmuth's "immediate editorial priorities" include "moving beyond first-order pandemic coverage to considering problems in public health more generally" and tackling "misinformation and the science of misinformation."

WGBH Rebrands:

Boston-based public broadcaster WGBH "announced Monday that it is dropping the 'W' and rebranding simply as 'GBH,'" according to Nik DeCosta-Klipa of Boston.com. In a statement, Chief Marketing Officer Tina Cassidy said that the "reflects their commitment to 'digital-first content' of streaming, apps, podcasts, social media, educational curricula and virtual events," while nearly half of its audience impressions are derived from digital platforms.

New York Times Ends Television Listings in New York Print Edition:

The New York Times has stopped printing television listings in its New York print edition, marking the end of the feature after 81 years, Sarah Bahr reported Friday. Culture Editor Gilbert Cruz cited the emergence of "digital, on-demand options" as a catalyst for the decision: "We are firmly in the streaming age, and the TV grid no longer reflects the way people consume television." The decision "enables The Times to print a single version of its Arts section for both city and national subscribers, helping ensure that the paper reaches readers on time." 

Belarus Revokes Press Accreditations:

Nineteen Belarusian journalists "have had their accreditation to work for the BBC and other foreign media outlets removed by the authorities on the same day that two Associated Press reporters were deported from the country," Rory Sullivan, Isabel Tejera and Anastasia Graham-Yooll of CNN reported Sunday. The press freedom restrictions come "almost three weeks after Alexander Lukashenko was re-elected in a controversial presidential election, leading to mass protests from those who contest the results." In a statement, BBC Head of Communications Charlotte Morgan said that the organization "[calls] upon the Belarusian authorities to revoke this decision and allow our journalists to continue doing their jobs."

Supply Issues Disrupt Fall Book Season:

Books "that were bumped from spring and early summer are landing all at once" due to the COVID-19 pandemic, "colliding with long-planned fall releases" and resulting in printing delays amid a resurgence of print books, according to Alexandra Alter of The New York Times. "The infinite printer capacity hasn’t been there for a while, now enter Covid and a huge surge in demand, and you have an even more complex situation,” said Sue Malone-Barber, senior vice president and director of publishing operations for Penguin Random House.

Report: Facebook Ignored Kenosha Militia Complaints:

A "self-proclaimed militia group" which "issued a 'call to arms'" in advance of a protest that culminated in a double murder in Kenosha, Wis. Tuesday faced little scrutiny from Facebook despite reports for inciting violence on their page, according to Russell Brandom of The Verge. In at least two instances, the Kenosha Guard "and its counter-protest event were examined by Facebook moderators and found not to be in violation of the platform’s policies." Facebook removed the Kenosha Guard's page early Wednesday.

Report Shows 'Gaps' in Spanish-Language Media:

A research report released Tuesday by the Center for Community Media at the CUNY Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism "shows surprising gaps and biases in news coverage by the Spanish-language media in the United States," with several topics (including the economy, healthcare, immigration and race) comprising "a remarkably small and declining share of Spanish-language news coverage during the three years studied." Additionally, "overall coverage of the major political parties remains less than 10%."