15 excellent journalism & media newsletters for being in-the-know

Newsletters can be one of the best ways to stay up to date on the latest media industry news, and there are a ton of great options to choose from.

These are a few standouts.

Whether you’re looking for the latest in journalism job openings, podcasting, digital media, or tools for journalists, hopefully you can find at least one newsletter on this list that meets your needs.

Atlantic 57

• Frequency: weekly (Friday afternoons)
• From a team of editors, strategists, researchers, and engineers at The Atlantic, this newsletter focuses on the latest trends in digital media. As the site explains, “Our work is rooted in a deep understanding of audience habits, motivations, and passions.” The email is broken down into five sections/quick takes. They include If You Read One Thing; Powerstat; Trend Watch; News You Can Use; and Perspectives.

Axios Media Trends

• Frequency: weekly (Tuesday mornings)
• Axios media reporter Sara Fischer sends this weekly roundup of digital media news from the “Smart Brevity” publisher and it’s one of my personal favorites. A handy word count and estimated reading time are always included, so you can set aside time to read it in full, which I highly recommend doing. The newsletter has great visuals to complement the easy-to-read stories broken down into sections like “Why it matters,” “The big picture,” and “The bottom line.”

Columbia Journalism Review (CJR) – The Media Today

• Frequency: daily (M-F), plus the option for a bonus “Top Stories” email on Thursdays
• The daily newsletter contains one long-form analysis tied to the day’s biggest news story (the election, COVID-19, or Brexit, for example), in addition to links to several other major media industry headlines.

Deez Links

• Frequency: “dailyish”
• Deez Links is written by Delia Cai, growth and trends editor at BuzzFeed. The newsletter gives readers a few links to something “cool/gossip-worthy/all of the above happening in the media industry” each morning. Fridays are reserved for Q&As with journalists, editors, designers, and other pros in the business. The newsletter recently added a “Signal Boost” section that includes about 10 writers, marketers, podcasters, and more currently looking for work after being laid off, furloughed, etc.

Digiday

• Frequency: daily (M-F)
• Digiday “takes a global view of the media and marketing industries and confronts the truths in technology’s disruption of these industries.” The daily newsletter includes Digiday’s top stories of the day, covering topics like subscription models, podcasts, digital video, and more.

Hot Pod

• Frequency: weekly (Tuesday mornings)
• As the podcast industry continues to grow and more media companies try their hand at podcasting, it can be tough to keep up with everything. The Hot Pod newsletter, written by Nick Quah and his team of writers, is the leading trade newsletter about the podcast industry. Stories cover the latest podcasting trends, projects, investments, and more. Paid subscribers also receive the Hot Pod Insider newsletter twice a week.

Journalist’s Resource

• Frequency: weekly (Tuesdays)
• Created by the Shorenstein Center on Media, Politics and Public Policy at the Harvard Kennedy School, Journalist’s Resource works to help reporters effectively and accurately use research in their stories and “bridge the gap between academia and journalism.” This newsletter will “keep you posted about our latest research roundups, journalism tip sheets and other helpful resources to help inform the news cycle.”

The Lead

• Frequency: weekly (Tuesdays)
• This newsletter for college and high school student journalists is written by Taylor Blatchford. Blatchford is a former student journalist for Mountain Vista High School in Denver and the University of Missouri. She now writes for The Seattle Times. The Lead covers issues unique to student journalists, highlights their work, and includes resources like internships, scholarships, and reading recommendations.

The Lenfest Institute for Journalism | Solution Set

• Frequency: biweekly (every other Thursday)
• Written by Joseph Lichterman, Lenfest’s manager of editorial and digital strategy, this biweekly newsletter is a deep dive into a local news innovation. If you’re pressed for time, check out the handy TLDR section. But I highly recommend reading the full email, which covers the featured project in detail, including the initial challenge, strategy, lessons learned, and what to expect in the future.

Mandy Hofmockel | Journalism Jobs and a Photo of My Dog

• Frequency: weekly (Monday mornings)
• Hofmockel is currently the Managing Editor, Audience, for Hearst Connecticut Media Group and has held previous positions with Newsday, MassLive, and California Watch. If you’re looking for job openings in journalism, this the newsletter to sign up for. The email is organized by location (NYC, L.A., and D.C. jobs, for example) and includes interesting industry reads, remote job listings, internships, and freelance opportunities. Plus, there are photos of Hofmockel’s adorable pup, Maggie.

Nieman Journalism Lab – The Digest

• Frequency: daily (M-F)
• The Nieman Journalism Lab at Harvard is trying to “help figure out where the news is headed in the internet age.” The daily newsletter provides links to Nieman’s latest content. It covers media innovations, including podcasts, apps, CMSs, fact-checking, and more.

Pew Research Center – Journalism & Media

• Frequency: daily (M-F)
• If you’re interested in data, survey results, etc., I’d definitely recommend subscribing to this roundup newsletter. Pew Research Center, a nonpartisan fact tank, always has interesting data to report, and the journalism and media section is no different. Topics cover media in relation to politics, social media, consumption habits, and more. The newsletter also will include links to other top stories for the day.

The Poynter Report

• Frequency: daily (M-F)
• Senior media writer Tom Jones has 30+ years’ experience in the media industry, previously working for the Tampa Bay Times, the Minneapolis Star-Tribune, and other outlets. The newsletter has thoughtful analysis of the day’s biggest stories. I also love the “Hot Type” section, which highlights some extraordinary reporting done around the country from both local and national outlets. Jones is a veteran sports writer, so expect some great coverage of sports media.

Tools for Reporters

• Frequency: biweekly (every other week)
• Who wouldn’t like finding a new tool that makes their job easier? Samantha Sunne, a freelance reporter and instructor, publishes this newsletter. It’s a quick read, which I love. Each edition highlights one unique tool that can help improve a reporter’s workflow. Recent newsletters highlighted tools that help with scheduling, image creation, and web research.

A Bonus One for Fun

Quartz | Daily Obsession

• Frequency: daily (M-F)
• Sometimes you just need a break from work, and the Obsession newsletter from Quartz is a great option. Each edition features an interactive deep dive into a different topic and showcases some great research by the reporter behind it. Recent topics include sweatpants, hand sanitizer, “The Bachelor,” leap years, and narwhals.

Conclusion

Are you thinking about starting your own newsletter? Here are a few tips for boosting engagement and reader loyalty.

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Rocky Parker works in Audience Relations at PR Newswire. Check out her previous posts for Beyond Bylines and connect on LinkedIn. When she’s not working, Rocky typically can be found cooking, binge watching a new show, or playing with her puppy, Hudson.