2026 has been a busy and sad news year just 9 days in.

In this week’s issue: Two new stories from us, one about how journalism funders are changing their approach to funding diverse newsrooms in the wake of the administration’s attacks on diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives, and another on the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette’s impending closure.

Plus, New York news outlets band together, McClatchy’s next big expansion into generative AI, major news outlets skipped reporting on Trump’s raid in Venezuela, and the Corporation of Public Broadcasting set to close.

Also, a note: No newsletter in your inbox next week as I’ll be off — we’ll be back on January 23.

—James Salanga

The ebb and flow of the philanthropic sector — especially around stories of marginalized people — has been an issue even before Trump’s targeting of DEI. But new shifts have disproportionately affected organizations led by people of color.Founder and executive director Tracie Powell told The Objective that while The Pivot Fund has changed some of its public-facing language, the organization isn’t changing the work they support. 

“I had to come around to have to change our language,” Powell said, citing her lawyers’ concerns about the fund becoming a potential legal target. “We didn’t water [the language] down. I think a better framing would be, [we are] more explicit about what it is we serve and why, so we name it. We name intersectional communities.” 

Read the full story.

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After a historic three-year strike, staffers at the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette returned to work in late November. Now, the 239-year-old paper is shuttering. 

“We’re going to pursue all options to make sure that Pittsburgh continues to have the caliber of journalism it deserves,” Post-Gazette education reporter and Newspaper Guild of Pittsburgh president Andrew Goldstein said in a statement. 

Read the full story.

🗽 As a new round of Immigrations & Customs Enforcement agents are deployed across major metro U.S. areas, New York publications are banding together to discuss press freedom during on-the-ground coverage.

⚙️ Status reports news conglomerate McClatchy is poised to become one of the most “aggressive adopters” of generative artificial intelligence, news that comes after it laid off several regional staff members late last year. 

🗞️ The New York Times and Washington Post held off on reporting Trump’s raid on Venezuela over the holiday weekend, raising broader questions about potential news cooperation with the military.

📻 Due to a lack of resources, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting is set to dissolve after 58 years; its archives from 1967 to present be preserved in partnership with the University of Maryland and made accessible to the public.

Have a story you think we should include in this section of next week’s newsletter? Let us know here or by responding to this email.

This issue is by James Salanga. Thanks for reading. We’ll have more for you soon.

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