I sorted all of my 2019 stories into categories… these are the ones that stood out:
Columns and commentaries:
The hardest Trump story for the press to cover: His fitness for the job
Trump’s lies are getting bolder and the press is stuck in the middle
Why Trump’s constant attacks on an independent press are so dangerous
In the Trump era, news cycles are out and shock cycles are in
How the Trump era has sorted us into ‘pro,’ ‘anti’ and ‘never’ categories
Stelter: Trump is still being graded on a curve too often
Taxpayers are funding the Trump White House’s misinformation campaign
Stelter: Mueller report shows why the media must stand up for morality and decency
Murrow’s words from 1954 apply to the Trump age: ‘We must not confuse dissent with disloyalty’
Stelter: A pathetic, but persuasive, strain of political disinformation about Pelosi
Is it time for journalists to sign off Twitter?
How does Twitter chatter warp our thinking about what’s popular and important?
The war on truth:
Echoes of George Orwell: Trump denies saying something he said on tape
This is the Infowars presidency in action
Border wall funding fight is also a fight about basic facts
Trump’s border address sparks extraordinary debate inside and outside TV networks
Washington Post says Trump has topped 10,000 false or misleading statements
‘Watchman for truth:’ Why this Supreme Court Justice’s warning from 1945 is still relevant today
How Trump’s false claims about Hurricane Dorian became an 11-day story
Alabama is the newest front in Trump’s war on truth
Where is Trump getting his bogus info about Dorian and Alabama?
Trump claimed Dorian could hit Alabama — even after weather service refuted it
The Fox News distortions behind Trump’s attack on Baltimore and its congressman
Debunking Roger Stone’s anti-CNN conspiracy theory
Bill Moyers: ‘Do facts matter anymore? I think they do’
Marc Benioff bought Time Magazine to help address a ‘crisis of trust’
The power of journalism:
Jeffrey Epstein’s arrest shows the power of one newspaper’s investigation
The Washington Post’s Afghanistan Papers probe started with a single tip
How a local newspaper reporter helped expose Rep. Duncan Hunter’s corruption
The Steve King rebuke is proof that solid reporting still matters
These journalists exposed the corruption that led to Puerto Rico’s mass protests
Australian newspapers black out front pages as media unites to defend press freedom
‘She Said:’ New book recounts the reporting that revealed Harvey Weinstein’s abuses
How six Florida newsrooms are working together to strengthen climate change coverage
For these journalists, the earthquakes that rocked Ridgecrest were personal
Journalism highs and lows:
Journalists at ground zero on 9/11 have been getting sick. But there is help
Seven takeaways from this year’s Pulitzer Prize presentation
Journalism school dean’s message to activists: ‘We must allow journalists to do their jobs’
How an anti-Semitic cartoon ended up in The New York Times
San Francisco journalist heads to court after widely condemned police raid
Why the Jussie Smollett case warranted skepticism from the very start
“We’re on deadline”: The Newseum is closing down after 12 years in Washington
Journalists in danger now have a growing coalition of support
Thirty media and tech companies join new ‘Protect Press Freedom’ campaign
One year since shooting: How the Capital Gazette is remembering their fallen
Foundation seeks to build memorial for journalists who died doing their jobs
Univision journalists freed after being detained at Venezuelan presidential palace
Some of the year’s biggest stories:
During the government shutdown: Voice of America’s journalists aren’t getting paid. But they’re still reporting the news
How a single poll question illustrates America’s divide over Trump and Russia
Notre Dame was burning and all the world could do was watch together
Here’s how reporters are covering the aftermath of an anti-Latino hate crime
Anchors and opinion writers call El Paso attack ‘terror in America’
Heart-breaking photo of dead migrants comes amid ‘blackout on press access’
Justice for Jamal Khashoggi: Press freedom advocates call on Trump to stand up to Saudi Arabia
Jeff Bezos applauded for going public about Enquirer ‘extortion’ attempt
The Fox effect:
Shepard Smith makes shocking announcement that he is leaving Fox News
Why Shep Smith finally walked out of Fox News for good
Fox News staffers worry Shepard Smith’s departure will further push out facts
Shepard Smith slams vilification of the press in first remarks since leaving Fox News
Fox News departure: Catherine Herridge joins CBS News, saying ‘facts matter’
‘Fox & Friends’ gives its most powerful viewer some post-impeachment affirmation
Fox News brass to network hosts and personalities: Do not identify the whistleblower
Fox’s Laura Ingraham pressures Mitch McConnell to defend Trump
Seven days and seven examples of the alliance between Trump and Murdoch
Fox News apologizes for ’3 Mexican countries’ headline
House Democrats aim — and train — for more air time on Fox News
Former White House spokesman Raj Shah is now a senior VP at Fox
How Fox News fuels Trump’s fixation with AOC and Ilhan Omar
One day, one president, two very different opinions of Fox
Trump’s relationship with Fox News is unprecedented. Sunday’s tweets prove it
Trump tells Fox to ‘bring back’ Jeanine Pirro; source says she was suspended for Islamophobic remarks
Fox News prepares to court advertisers as network grapples with multiple scandals
Fox’s Shepard Smith: Journalists ‘must never knowingly deceive’
Former News Corp exec explains how he was affected by Fox’s ‘anti-immigrant rhetoric’
The cable network that is Foxier than Fox — and that Trump is promoting
The Trump era:
From A to Z: How the Trump era has upended the art of the interview
Sarah Sanders’ legacy: The death of the White House press briefing
Sarah Sanders admitted she lied to the White House press. Does she have any credibility left?
Mueller’s findings are fresh fuel for the never-ending information wars
A single weekend showcases the Trump presidency’s highs and lows
On day 1,000 of Trump’s presidency, Pelosi says ‘we have to pray for his health’
CNN and White House reporters say Trump should denounce vile anti-media video
Press advocacy groups condemn attack on BBC cameraman at Trump rally
The New York Times couldn’t count on the Trump administration to get a reporter to safety. So Ireland stepped in
Trump, Omar and democracy: ‘This is a struggle about the identity of the United States’
How news outlets are dealing with the ‘moral dimension’ of covering Trump and his racist tweets
Online trolls have hijacked the national conversation. Here’s what newsrooms should do about it
Playboy columnist sues Trump White House over press pass suspension
Trump threatened Time journalist with prison over Kim Jong Un letter
White House ordered Trump administration officials to boycott WHCA Dinner
Finnish journalist speaks out after Trump administration cancels ‘Courage’ award
How often does Trump misspell words on Twitter? These researchers have an answer
Right-wing media split over Trump’s shutdown decision: Did he cave or was it a master stroke?
NY Times publisher writes op-ed in Wall Street Journal to defend the free press
Trump calls out Fox for booking Democrats, showing his disregard for journalism
Impeachment and the media:
The right-wing media roots of impeachment
Fingerprints from right-wing media figures are all over the Trump impeachment depositions
Twitter, Fox News and the other ways in which this impeachment is different
Trump attacks whistleblower in tweetstorm full of rants and conspiracies
Trump hijacks news cycle with ‘unhinged’ letter on impeachment eve
Republican leaders are avoiding TV interviews as impeachment looms
Jimmy Finkelstein, the owner of The Hill, has flown under the radar. But he’s played a key role in the Ukraine scandal
Ratings for first impeachment hearing show healthy interest and a serious partisan divide
Fox’s prime time stars are telling Trump that the impeachment hearings are a ‘disaster’ for Democrats
Trump dodged one of the key questions about Ukraine — so this reporter kept asking
May: Networks and newspapers are covering growing pressure for impeachment inquiry
September: Congressional reporters say the impeachment terrain is shifting
October: Looking back, and looking forward, one month into the Trump impeachment probe
Newsrooms are gearing up for the Trump impeachment inquiry with new hires, podcasts and newsletters
Scoops, stories and a ‘blizzard of disinformation’ as scandal engulfs DC
Trump’s right-wing media diet is a factor in the impeachment inquiry
Carl Bernstein hears echoes of Watergate in new scandal involving Trump and Ukraine
This third grader’s question from the Clinton impeachment still applies today
2020 race:
‘Everybody’s nightmare come true’: Bloomberg reporters grapple with covering Bloomberg campaign
Welcome to the Stephen Colbert primary
Why 2020 hopefuls like to announce their plans at the crack of dawn
Biden says Americans have to choose ‘truth over lies’ while Trump insults him
Anatomy of a smear: How far-right websites spread a fake story about Pete Buttigieg
18 million watched Harris, Biden face-off in highest-rated Democratic primary debate ever
Democratic debates set to bring historic diversity to the stages
Elizabeth Warren is rejecting Fox News, but most of her rivals aren’t
Amid criticism, O’Rourke campaign says it won’t ban Breitbart from future events
Pete Buttigieg’s interview on country radio was silenced
Famed photographer Annie Leibovitz takes portraits of five women running for president
Perilous times for the publishing biz:
Americans take pride in local news, but most are unwilling to pay for it, study finds
In Youngstown, Ohio, the local paper celebrated its 150th year in business. Now it’s closing
Why this week is a ‘major turning point’ for America’s daily newspapers
Report for America aims to replenish news deserts hard hit by journalism’s ‘economic crisis’
Facebook News launches in testing phase as local newsrooms fear being left behind
BuzzFeed to cut 15% of staff in new round of layoffs
Turmoil inside the L.A. Times as weak digital subscription numbers spark all-staff meeting
Gannett journalists anxious amid report that Digital First Media is circling the company
Buzzfeed CEO Jonah Peretti aims company toward sustainability amid digital media industry struggles
A little bit beyond my usual beat…
Gwyneth Paltrow says her feelings about Harvey Weinstein are complicated
Sean Spicer eliminated from ABC’s ‘Dancing with the Stars’
Sean Spicer on ‘Dancing with the Stars?’ ABC staffers say ‘it’s a slap in the face’
China could help push ‘Avengers: Endgame’ to a billion dollar weekend
Television world unites in support of Alex Trebek after he shares cancer diagnosis
Streaming takes the stage at this year’s TV upfront week
‘Rowing with the current:’ Hulu CEO Randy Freer on the future of streaming TV services
Apollo 11 astronaut Michael Collins mocks Trump’s knowledge of Mars
The news about TV news:
One week after ABC’s Syria video screw-up, the network still hasn’t explained how it happened
NBC staffers harbor doubts about network’s leadership over handling of Weinstein, Lauer cases
Ronan Farrow alleges Harvey Weinstein threatened NBC with Matt Lauer’s secrets
Former NBC staffer accuses Matt Lauer of rape in Ronan Farrow’s new book
CNN’s hiring of ex-Sessions spokeswoman stirs controversy
Sarah Isgur’s CNN role changes from politics editor to commentator
CBS News shakes up morning and evening lineups
Staffers hold their breath as ‘epic’ changes come to CBS News
Susan Zirinsky named president of CBS News, succeeding David Rhodes
Kathie Lee Gifford says she is ‘evolving,’ not retiring, as she exits the ‘Today’ show
Women are now running all three network morning shows for the first time ever
Weatherman who defied ‘Code Red’ alerts is out of a job
MSNBC and New York Times at odds over reporter appearances on Maddow
Media moves:
Media at a flashpoint: 2019 year in review
Viacom and CBS are now the same company. What’s next?
Vice Media closing in on Refinery29 acquisition
AT&T stock rises and company shrugs after Trump suggests a boycott of the company
With HBO Max, AT&T is launching a streaming service that ‘a lot of people said couldn’t be done’
AT&T makes WarnerMedia boss John Stankey the presumptive successor to its CEO
WarnerMedia banks on HBO’s brand name for new streaming service
Ann Sarnoff named chair and CEO of Warner Bros. She is the first woman to run the studio
Disney says its Fox takeover will take effect on March 20
Intersection of tech and media:
Father of slain TV journalist says Big Tech needs to police ‘murder videos’
Can newspapers be saved from Big Tech? This proposal aims to try
Facebook, fighting off skeptics, plans to invest $300 million in journalism programs
Big Tech wants to exorcise America of ‘ghost newspapers.’ But can it?
Facebook’s real test: Are you still logging in every day?
Why Washington regulators and lawmakers are turning their attention to YouTube
Apple is staffing up as it expands the News app and launches a subscription service
This is what Spotify and The New York Times have in common
Why Spotify is making a $500 million bet on podcasting
Spotify strikes deal with Barack and Michelle Obama to produce exclusive podcasts
Big names and big doubts as Luminary launches subscription podcast app
One media reporter’s takeaways from the CES 2019 show floor
Deals and dilemmas as the media industry begins 2019