Little Acts
/The little unremembered acts of kindness and love are the best parts of a person's life. - William Wordsworth
The little unremembered acts of kindness and love are the best parts of a person's life. - William Wordsworth
8 Webinars about Reporting, College Journalism, AI Tools, Election Coverage & More
What: Whether covering crime and courts or leading months-long investigations, journalists must constantly overcome roadblocks to their reporting, and that includes student journalists publishing critical, in-depth stories from campus and beyond. The panelists share their experiences and advice for student journalists battling access issues and wanting to take their reporting to the next level.
Who: Katelyn Polantz, CNN's senior reporter on crime and justice; Majlie de Puy Kamp, CNN investigative reporter; and Betul Tuncer, editor-in-chief of The Pitt News at the University of Pittsburgh.
When: 5 pm, Central
Where: Zoom
Cost: Free
Sponsor: Student Press Law Center
What: Coordinators from the CDC’s Environmental Justice Index and Social Vulnerability Index will show you how to access and use data found in these portals.
Who: Paul Gordon of the AHCJ; Ben McKenzie, a geospatial epidemiologist at the CDC; Elizabeth Pembleton, leads the Social Vulnerability Index.
When: 12 noon, Eastern
Where: Zoom
Cost: Free
Sponsor: Assoc. of Health Care Journalists
What: How to use public records to tell important stories. The one-hour session will feature (1) examples of real-world reporting you can replicate at your school (2) a tutorial on how to successfully write and submit your first records request, and (3) an introduction to open-government resources available to you. This webinar is designed for high school and college student journalists and their allies, with a specific focus on the California Public Records Act.
Who: Delilah Brumer, the 2023 California High School Journalist of the Year. As print editor-in-chief of The Pearl Post at Daniel Pearl Magnet High School in Southern California, she published stories based on successful public records requests. Hear from current and former newspaper staff members along with adviser Eleni Economides Gastis. Also the First Amendment Coalition staff will provide a tutorial on how to get started with your own records requests and give an overview of free resources available to you.
When: 12 pm, Pacific
Where: Zoom
Cost: Free
Sponsor: The First Amendment Coalition
Who: WBFO disability reporter Emyle Watkins, Able News editor Emily Ladau and Newsday transportation reporter Alfonso Castillo.
When: 7 pm, Eastern
Where: Zoom
Cost: Free
Sponsor: The Press Club of Long Island
What: From campus hostility to financial and structural hurdles, it’s a challenging time for college journalism. But efforts are underway to transform and even restart programs, and powerful reporting continues to show the essential role of student-led media.
Who: Nicole Markus, The Daily Northwestern; Wesley Wright, The ReNews Project; Jessica Sparks, Brechner Project for Freedom of Information; and Jackie Alexander, College Media Association.
When: 12 noon, Central
Where: Zoom
Cost: Free
Sponsor: Student Press Law Center
What: In this session, experts will walk nonprofits through how to develop AI prompts to get just the right results to create impactful content and communications such as emails, meeting and event descriptions, data reporting, and content narratives. Our experts can guide you to optimize communication efforts, ensuring that content and messages are clear, purposeful, and actionable.
Who: Joshua Peskay and Kim Snyder of RoundTable Technology
When: 1 pm, Eastern
Where: Zoom
Cost: Free
Sponsor: TechSoup
What: We’ll approach AI with “cautious curiosity” and learn how to harness the tools to save you time and work. We’ll work with MidJourney and Adobe Firefly to create photo illustrations; basic editing tools; writing prompts and updates to tools such as Google Gemini, ChatGPT, Claude and others. We’ll also explore some pitfalls of AI tools and the legal/ethical issues surrounding them.
Who: Mike Reilley, Senior Lecturer, University of Illinois-Chicago
When: 2 pm, Eastern
Where: Zoom
Cost: $25 or free to members
Sponsor: Online News Association
What: Hear the first-hand accounts of journalists and civil society organisations from Africa to the Americas. The webinar will provide a platform for cross-regional exchanges on the threats journalists face during election cycles, along with strategies for ameliorating them. We hope to increase awareness of journalist safety during elections and emphasise how media workers are at the forefront of the struggle for democracy.
When: 8:30 am, Eastern
Where: Zoom
Cost: Free
Sponsor: Media Defence and the International Women's Media Foundation.
We lie, of course, not only to others but also to ourselves. Of the myriad lies people often tell themselves, two of the most common, potent and destructive are “We really love our children” and “Our parents really loved us.” If may be that our parents did love us and we do love our children, but when it is not the case, people often go to extraordinary lengths to avoid the realization.
I frequently refer to psychotherapy as the “truth game” or the “honest game” because its business is among other things to help patients confront such lies. One of the roots of mental illness is invariably an interlocking system of lies we have been told and lies we have told ourselves. These roots can be uncovered and excised only in an atmosphere of utter honesty.
M Scott Peck, The Road Less Traveled
Every flow activity, whether it involved competition, chance, or any other dimension of experience, had this in common: It provided a sense of discovery, a creative feeling of transporting the person into a new reality. It pushed the person to higher levels of performance, and led to previously undreamed-of states of consciousness. In short, it transformed the self by making it more complex. In this growth of the self lies the key to flow activities.
It is this dynamic feature that explains why flow activities lead to growth and discovery. One cannot enjoy doing the same thing at the same level for long. We grow either bored or frustrated; and then the desire to enjoy ourselves again pushes us to stretch our skills or to discover new opportunities for using them.
Mihály Csíkszentmihályi, Flow
Many people are tired simply because they are not interested in anything. Nothing ever moves them deeply. To some people it makes no difference what’s going on or how things go. Their personal concerns are superior even to all the crises of human history.
Nothing makes any real difference to them except their own little worries, their desires, and their hates. They wear themselves out stewing around about a lot of inconsequential things that amount to nothing. So they become tired. They even become sick. The surest way not to become tired is to lose yourself in something in which you have a profound conviction.
A famous statesman who made seven speeches in one day was still boundless in energy.
"Why are you not tired after making seven speeches?" I asked.
"Because," he said, "I believe absolutely in everything I said in those speeches. I am enthusiastic about my convictions."
That's the secret. He was on fire for something. He was pouring himself out, and you never lose energy and vitality in so doing. You only lose energy when life becomes dull in your mind. Your mind gets bored and therefore tired doing nothing. You don't have to be tired. Get interested in something. Get absolutely enthralled in something. Throw yourself into it with abandon. Get out of yourself. Be somebody.
Do something. Don't sit around moaning about things, reading the papers, and saying, "Why don't they do something?" The man who is out doing something isn't tired. If you're not getting into good causes, no wonder you're tired. You're disintegrating. You're deteriorating. You're dying on the vine. The more you lose yourself in something bigger than yourself, the more energy you will have. You won't have time to think about yourself and get bogged down in your emotional difficulties.
Norman Vincent Peale, The Power of Positive Thinking
When I think of my favorite restaurants, the ones I have visited many times, it is striking how few of the menu items I have tried. And when I think of all the lunch places near my workplace, I realize that I keep going to the same places again and again.
Habits are powerful. We persist with many of them because we tend to give undue emphasis to the present. Trying something new can be painful: I might not like what I get and must forgo something I already enjoy. That cost is immediate, while any benefits — even if they are large — will be enjoyed in a future that feels abstract and distant. Yes, I want to know what else my favorite restaurant does well, but today I just want my favorite dish.
Overconfidence also holds us back. I am unduly certain in my guesses of what the alternatives will be like, even though I haven’t tried them.
Many so-called choices are not really choices at all. Walking down the supermarket aisle. I act without thinking.
Experimentation is an act of humility, an acknowledgment that there is simply no way of knowing without trying something different.
Understanding that truth is a first step, but it is important to act on it.
Sendhil Mullainathan writing in the New York Times
Pain humbles the proud. It softens the stubborn. It melts the hard. Silently and relentlessly, it wins battles deep within the lonely soul. The heart alone knows its own sorrow, and not another person can fully share in it. Pain operates alone; it needs no assistance. It communicates its own message whether to statesman or servant, preacher or prodigal, mother or child. By staying, it refuses to be ignored. By hurting, it reduces its victim to profound depths of anguish. And it is at that anguishing point that the sufferer either submits and learns, developing maturity and character; or resists and becomes embittered, swamped by self-pity, smothered by self-will. I have tried and cannot find, either in Scripture or history, a strong-willed individual whom God used greatly until He allowed them to be hurt deeply.
Charles Swindoll, Killing Giants, Pulling Thorns
The Big Questions About AI in 2024 – The Atlantic
AI and Trust - Bruce Schneier Blog
‘Where does the bot end and human begin?’: what the legendary @Horse_ebooks can teach us about AI – The Guardian
AI’s Present Matters More Than Its Imagined Future – The Atlantic
Are we entering a new age of AI-powered narcissism? – Dazed Digital
The one job AI should actually replace: CEOs – Business Insider
A strong placebo effect works to shape what people think of a particular AI tool – Axios
Why ChatGPT isn’t conscious – but future AI systems might be – The Conversation
AI girlfriends are ruining an entire generation of men – The Hill
People are behind everything that ChatGPT or AI "does" - Axios
AI is closer than ever to passing the Turing test for ‘intelligence’. What happens when it does? – The Conversation
Getting Beyond the AI Existential Crisis - Medium
No, AI Machines Can’t Think – Wall Street Journal
What Kind of Mind Does ChatGPT Have? – The New Yorker
The Cult of AI – Rolling Stone
Enjoy the little things in life, for one day you’ll look back and realize they were the big things. -Kurt Vonnegut
A decade long study published in Harvard Business Review set out to identify the specific attributes that differentiate high-performing CEOs:
Our analysis shows that CEOs who excel at adapting are 6.7 times more likely to succeed. CEOs themselves told us over and over that this skill was critical. The adaptable CEOs spent significantly more of their time—as much as 50%—thinking about the long term. Adaptable CEOs also recognize that setbacks are an integral part of changing course and treat their mistakes as opportunities to learn and grow. In our sample, CEOs who considered setbacks to be failures had 50% less chance of thriving. Successful CEOs, on the other hand, would offer unabashedly matter-of-fact accounts of where and why they had come up short and give specific examples of how they tweaked their approach to do better next time. Similarly, aspiring CEOs who demonstrated this kind of attitude (what Stanford’s Carol Dweck calls a “growth mindset”) were more likely to make it to the top of the pyramid: Nearly 90% of the strong CEO candidates we reviewed scored high on dealing with setbacks.
Read more about the CEO Genome Project in the Harvard Business Review
The collaboration between foreign tech companies and the Ukrainian armed forces, who say they have a software engineer deployed with each battalion, is driving a new kind of experimentation in military AI. The software processes raw intelligence from sources including drones, satellites, and Ukrainians on the ground, as well as radar that can see through clouds and thermal images that can detect troop movements and artillery fire. AI-enabled models can then present military officials with the most effective options to target and enemy positions.
Read more from TIME
Our greatest weakness lies in giving up. The most certain way to succeed is always to try just one more time. -Thomas Edison (born: Feb. 11, 1847)
How to Train ChatGPT to Write Like You - MakeUseOf
Can AI Really Improve Your Writing? - Medium
My A.I. Writing Robot – The New Yorker
Google Adds New Generative AI Elements to Chrome, Including Writing Assistant - Social Media Today
The best AI copywriting tools currently available – Android Authority
How to Use ChatGPT to Write Better Social Media Posts - MakeUseOf
Some authors are using A.I. as a writing and editing assistant that can help them brainstorm, organize material, develop characters or create an outline - New York Times
Why Novelists Should Embrace Artificial Intelligence - 3 Quarks Daily
7 AI Tools That Help You Write Emails - MakeUseOf
How To Train ChatGPT To Write In Your Brand’s Tone of Voice [Infographic] – Social Media Today
Google’s Arts & Culture app lets you generate a poem based on a piece of artwork – The Verge
Google Search now has an AI-powered grammar checker – Engaget
What Students Are Saying About Learning to Write in the Age of A.I. – New York Times
13 Ways Writers Should Embrace Generative AI – Forbes
How Does AI Writing Impact Your SEO? Here's What You Need to Know. - Entrepreneur.
Google Debuting Chrome Feature Where AI Writes Your Posts for You – Futurism
Even with so many AI programs present, being a good writer still matters – Inklings News
AI Writing is Not the Answer – Pitt News
What Humans Lose When AI Writes for Us – Scientific American
Students’ Right to Write – Inside Higher Ed
People often ask me “What are some great books to buy?” My response is usually “The ones you’ll actually read.” Doing a bunch of activities that you think are important will almost always be less impactful than doing the stuff that genuinely fires you up. It’s hard to be great at the stuff that you have to work hard just to tolerate.
Pay attention to the side projects and hobbies that no one needs to pay you for. Pay attention to the stuff that doesn’t have to be mandatory in order for you to be motivated to do it. Pay attention to the stuff that keeps you awake at night not because of fear and obligation, but because you’re always fantasizing about it. That’s where your advantage is.
TK Coleman, 5 Ways to Steal Like An Artist
The pitcher is not your adversary; he is a partner; offering you the opportunity to hit a home run. -The philosophy of baseball star Sadaharu Oh
AI Is Telling Bedtime Stories to Your Kids Now - Wired
Why AI will help IT workers get more sleep - Semafor
New study finds ChatGPT gives better advice than professional columnists – PsyPost
LinkedIn Tests New AI-Based Learning Elements In-Stream – Social Media Today
Can AI Predict What Shoppers Will Buy? – Business of Fashion
AI is speeding up scientific discoveries and helping to spot new ideas - Axios
Google Chrome will summarize entire articles for you with built-in generative AI - The Verge
AI is helping cut the carbon footprint of online shopping returns - Semafor
Elvis Evolution: Presley to be brought to life using AI for new immersive show - BBC
How an AI robot smashed human world record in Labyrinth, a classic marble maze game – Fox News
George Carlin has a new AI-generated comedy special – USA Today
This AI game controller can predict which button you'll press next - BGR
This AI learnt language by seeing the world through a baby’s eyes – Nature
AI program “can train neural networks using just a handful of satellite and drone images - Phys.org
How AI Can Find the Perfect Movies, TV Shows and Books for You – Wall Street Journal
Friendship is unnecessary, like philosophy, like art . . . it has no survival value; rather is one of those things that give value to survival. -C.S. Lewis
TikTok owner ByteDance launches its answer to OpenAI’s GPTs, accelerating a generative AI push - South China Morning Post
OpenAI is working on AI education, safety initiative with Common Sense – CNBC
Data centers in the middle of nowhere - Semafor
America Already has an AI Underclass – The Atlantic
AI is entering an era of corporate control - The Verge
OpenAI delays launch of custom GPT store until early 2024- Axios
An Artist in Residence on A.I.’s Territory – New York Times
There Was Never Such a Thing as ‘Open’ AI Transparency isn’t enough to democratize the technology - The Atlantic
Why hot AI startup Anthropic wanted a lower valuation - Semafor
Fox Corp. launches blockchain platform to negotiate with AI firms – Axios
Microsoft briefly overtakes Apple as world's most valuable company - Reuters
Google may layoff 30,000 employees as AI improves operational efficiency: Report – Business Today
‘Microsoft is back.’ How AI put the five-decade-old tech giant on top again. – Washington Post
Meta is bucking just about every AI trend, including the ‘boys club’ - Semafor
Genuine humility operates on a rather simple philosophy: Nothing to prove, nothing to lose. -Charles Swindoll
What: This webinar will help those who want an effective alternative to horse-race coverage, which is polarizing and often misleading.
Who: Jaisal Noor, Democracy Initiative manager at The Solutions Journalism Network; Jay Rosen, a journalism professor at New York University; Natalie Van Hoozer, a bilingual journalist at KUNR Public Radio in Nevada; Hugo Balta, an accredited solutions journalism trainer and publisher at Latino News Network; and Elliot Wade, a community reporter at The Current of Louisiana.
When: 12 noon, Eastern
Where: Zoom
Cost: Free
Sponsor: The Knight Center for Journalism, Solutions Journalism Network
What: Learn more the importance of Search Engine Optimization (SEO) and tips and tools for optimizing your website to better communicate with the top search engines: Google, Yahoo, and Bing. The webinar will also provide insight into website content, backlinks, and keywords.
When: 10 am
Where: Zoom
Cost: Free
Sponsor: The University of Pittsburgh’s Small Business Development Center
What: In this panel, leading climate change journalists and experts — who all contributed to the discussion and report — will share perspectives on the top priorities for investigative journalism on climate change, including the fossil fuel industry, government policies, climate change finance, and the interface between climate and socio-economic forces.
Who: The moderator is Sheila Coronel, professor of journalism and director of the Stabile Center for Investigative Journalism at Columbia University’s Graduate School of Journalism in New York; Matthew Green is global investigations editor at DeSmog; Sunita Narain is the director general of the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), a public interest research and advocacy organization based in New Delhi; Amy Westervelt is an award-winning investigative journalist and executive producer of the independent podcast production company Critical Frequency
When: 9 am, Eastern
Where: Zoom
Cost: Free
Sponsor: Global Investigative Journalism Network
What: New breakthroughs in artificial intelligence could lead to one of the largest technological shifts in generations and already have governments around the world racing to develop guardrails.
Who: Rep. Don Beyer (D-Va.), Rep. Marcus Molinaro (R-N.Y.); Anne Neuberger, deputy national security advisor for cyber and emerging technologies; Neal Khosla, CEO and co-founder of Curai; Linda Moore President & CEO, TechNet; Rep. Anna Eshoo (D-Calif.)
When: 9 am, Eastern
Where: Zoom
Cost: Free
Sponsor: TechNet, Washington Post
What: Three newsrooms talk about how they approach election data storytelling at each stage in the cycle, from explainers to prepare voters, to Election Night rigs and dashboards and how to prepare for post-election visual analysis.
When: 2 pm, Eastern
Where: Zoom
Cost: Free to members, $25 for student membership
Sponsor: Investigative Reporters & Editors
Who: Featuring the Student Press Law Center’s Senior Legal Counsel Mike Hiestand.
When: 6 pm, Central
Where: Zoom
Cost: Free
Sponsor: Student Press Law Center
What: There will be a discussion of the foundational standard of ethics and how this framework continues to evolve as the world of journalism changes and practical factors like technology influence visual journalists’ work. This conversation will also focus on the shift in how communities receive and value challenging imagery, and how these changing attitudes influence ethical debates and norms. The discussion will also include how a new generation of storytellers is shaping this debate, and share their thoughts on the future trajectory of photojournalistic ethics.
Who: Fred Ritchin and Andrea Wise; moderator Jenn Poggi with The Kalish Workshop.
When: 7 pm, Central
Where: Zoom
Cost: Free
Sponsor: Santa Fe Workshops
What: The critical role of the media in long-term recovery, including one that is often overlooked: To monitor recovery activities and hold to account the government, funders and others involved so that no community is left behind. The panel will answer questions such as: Why and how should donors invest in nonprofit journalism? What is the unique role of local coverage in disasters? How can funders and media work together? While primarily aimed at funders, the webinar may also be of interest to emergency managers, government staff, academics, journalists, disaster responders and nongovernmental organization staff interested in, or working on, disasters and other crises.
Who: Paul Cheung, CEO of the Center for Public Integrity and CDP board member, will moderate; Glenn Gamboa, Philanthropy Editor, The Associated Press; Pu Ying Huang, Director of Photography, Texas Tribune; Vincent Stehle, Executive Director, Media Impact Funders
When: 1 pm, Eastern
Where: Zoom
Cost: Free
Sponsor: United Philanthropy Forum, Giving Compass
What: The gaps, go-to resources, and facts and myths about firearms and firearm ownership. Participants will also learn: The differences among firearm violence, such as what is a mass casualty event versus a mass shooting Where to find new research on firearm violence How news coverage of firearm violence impacts victims and frontline health workers How to move thinking of firearm violence as “the crime beat” to more nuanced coverage across beat
Who: Dr. Jessica Beard, director of research at The Philadelphia Center for Gun Violence Reporting; Abené Clayton, reporter on The Guardian’s Guns and Lies in America project; Jennifer Mascia, senior news writer and founding staffer at The Trace; Moderator: Kaitlin Washburn, health beat leader for firearm violence and trauma at the Association of Health Care Journalists and reporter for the Chicago Sun-Times.
When: 11:30 am, Eastern
Where: Zoom
Cost: Free
Sponsor: National Press Club
What: Student journalists, it’s time to take your op-ed writing and pitching skills to the next level. Learn everything you need to know to publish an op-ed that advocates for press freedom in your community.
Who: Featuring seasoned journalist Steve Holmes, formerly of the New York Times, Washington Post and CNN.
When: 8 pm, Eastern
Where: Zoom
Cost: Free
Sponsor: Student Press Law Center
What: Delve into the world of digital branding and discover its profound impact on business success. By the end of this seminar, you will be equipped with the essential tools and insights to either give your existing brand a digital makeover or start building a new brand with a solid foundation in the digital world. Our experts will guide you through the intricacies of branding in the digital age, offering practical advice and innovative strategies to revamp or create your brand effectively.
Who: Carolyn Kerkowski, the PA Desk Assistant Program Coordinator and Lead Brand Specialist; Alexa Fink, a skilled Digital Strategy and Photo Specialist, bring a wealth of knowledge and experience to the table.
When: 5 pm, Eastern
Where: Zoom
Cost: Free
Sponsor: Small Business Development Center at the University of Pennsylvania
What: Student journalists are increasingly contending with the threat of online harassment, which attempts to intimidate them into silence. Learn from those who know first-hand the tools available to protect and support yourself (or your students).
Who: Featuring Taylor Lorenz, technology columnist at The Washington Post; Sarah Swetlik, The Greenville News; and Pratika Katiyar, SPLC student board member.
When: 7 pm, Eastern
Where: Zoom
Cost: Free
Sponsor: Student Press Law Center
What: This workshop will focus on the tools you need to craft compelling narratives while unveiling or building on investigations.
Who: Houston Chronicle reporter Andrea Ball
When: 1 pm, Eastern
Where: Zoom
Cost: Free
Sponsor: Investigative Reporters & Editors
What: We will delve into the intricate world of cyber threats. Witness firsthand sophisticated AI tactics used by malicious actors to exploit small business owners. In this session, you will: Explore real-life instances showcasing the fusion of AI and cybercrime. Discover emerging dangers that could impact your business. Learn effective strategies to safeguard your company against AI-fueled scams.
Who: Dr. Teresa Piliouras, CEO and Founder, Technical Consulting & Research, Inc., is an IT consultant, educator, inventor, and author. Pui Lam (Raymond) Yu, Executive Vice President Engineering at Technical Consulting & Research, Inc., has over 20 years of industry experience in Cybersecurity, Software Engineering, and Systems Engineering.
When: 12 noon, Eastern
Where: Zoom
Cost: Free
Sponsor: Small Business Development Center at the University of Pennsylvania
What: This class, taught by a lifelong journalist, will teach you ten ways to conduct memorable, useful interviews that will have people buzzing long after they read, see, or hear them. Mastering the art of the interview will also help you get better sound bites for everything from a simple blog post to a complex documentary film.
Who: Elaine Appleton Grant, a Loeb School instructor in podcasting and communications curricula.
When: 12 noon
Where: Zoom
Cost: Free
Sponsor: Nackey S Loeb School of Communications
What: A live walk-through and Q&A session. We will cover the new features, differences in metrics compared to Universal Analytics, and demonstrate common questions such as how to find traffic for a story and top referrers. This webinar is designed for beginners and will focus on building a basic understanding of how Google Analytics works, as well as different ways to use analytics to inform editorial decisions.
Who: Sophie Ho, Senior Newsroom Growth Expert, News Revenue Hub
When: 12 noon, Eastern
Where: Zoom
Cost: Free
Sponsor: News Revenue Hub
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