Among the trials and tribulations of being a marginalized journalist are the inane, laughable things that come out of newsroom discussions, where higher-ups — or even coworkers — make off-hand comments that are micro- (or macro-) aggressive. 

The Objective knows that inequity in journalism is systemic — and individuals create systems. We’d like to think part of examining that inequity means sharing the out-of-pocket things we hear — not just so we can sigh and laugh at them, but so newsroom leaders can be more thoughtful about what they say. 

We’ll post them to Instagram and possibly share them in this newsletter in the format of anonymous, unattributed submissions.

Send us what you've heard here.

You can submit quotes and share any questions about the project, including about verification, in the above survey. We know it can be risky to share any potentially identifying information about a newsroom, so let us know how we can verify safely and thoughtfully.

—James Salanga

NABJ’s Trump panel diminished, disrespected the legacy and audience of the Black press: As the dust from the panel settles, Rutgers professor, journalist and long-time media organizer Carla Murphy reflects on the Black journalists’ association failure to support Black press — and Black communities — even as NABJ’s 2024 convention was held in Chicago, a long-time vanguard of the tradition. Read the story in The Objective.

Felicia Somnez’s dismissal by the Washington Post to go before NLRB: The Post's union filed an unfair labor practice charge after Somnez was fired after criticizing then-coworker Dave Weigel for retweeting a sexist joke. She had previously sued the paper, arguing it had discriminated against her for banning her from reporting on the #MeToo movement after telling higher-ups she had survived sexual assault. The suit, separate from the union’s charge, is on appeal. The National Labor Relations Board's general counsel will hear the complaint in December. Read the story in the Washingtonian. 

Gannett shutters Reviewed, site accused of publishing AI-generated reviews: The publication will cease posting work on November 1st, according to a Gannett memo sent Monday. Reviewed’s use of third-party marketing company AdVon had raised scrutiny with unionized employees, as AdVon reviews used stilted copy and were largely unattributable to people. Washington Post media reporter Jeremy Barr reports over 70 people are impacted with Reviewed’s closure, though the company hasn’t clarified whether they’ll be reassigned to other Gannett jobs or laid off. Read the story in The Verge and Barr’s post on X. 

California journalists continue to speak out against backdoor deal with Google: The Los Angeles chapter of the Asian American Journalists Association released a statement decrying the deal, noting that it leaves behind many key groups who should be involved — including local California AAJA chapters. The chapter asks lawmakers to “involve a diverse range of voices, including AANHPI journalists, in any final policy or program that is approved.” Read the statement on X and context about the deal in The Hill.

Tracking impact of digital news is harder this election cycle: Two weeks ago, Meta shuttered CrowdTangle, which it acquired in 2016. It allowed users to measure engagement of posts and accounts across social media, but journalists and researchers highlighted Meta’s favoring of hyper-political content. Other social networks, including X and Reddit, have limited access to back-end data. This all points to platforms aiming to make their algorithms more opaque, limiting scrutiny around how they work. Google Trends, however, remains a relatively reliable source of data. Read the story in Axios. 

Looking for a job? Here are a few places to look: INN | ONA | JournalismJobs.com | 10 Jobs and a Dog | NABJ | AAJA | NAHJ | NLGJA | Trans Journalists Association | West Coast Media Jobs | @WritersofColor | MEO Jobs | Freelance Journalist Rates | Source Jobs | Opportunities of the Week ($)

How about a style guide? Trans Journalists Association | Diversity Style Guide | Tribal Nations Media Guide | NABJ Style Guide | Disability Language Style Guide | AAJA Style Guide | NAHJ Cultural Competence Handbook | SPJ Race & Gender Hotline | AMEJA Media Resource Guide | The Press in Prison | The Conscious Style Guide | Reporting on Addiction | Religion and Spirituality (Language, Please)

Thanks for reading our newsletter. We appreciate you being here, and we’ll have more for you soon.

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