In the news: A recent Poynter.org piece discusses whether or not journalists will likely be among the first to receive the Covid-19 vaccine.

When we talk about first-line responders, we typically think about doctors, nurses, and other emergency personnel leading the charge against the Covid-19 pandemic. But there are also provisions in place for journalists, as demonstrated by a formal request filed this week. Al Tompkins of Poynter.org reports that the National Press Photographers Association (NPPA) has asked the CDC to include journalists who interact with the public regularly among the wave of first responders who get the vaccine first.

Per Tompkins, “NPPA says the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency set a precedent for putting people working in “telecommunications” high on the list of those who would get COVID-19 immunizations when it recognized front-line news reporters as critical infrastructure workers.” What’s more, “DHS and CISA refined the vague, broad language to recognize journalists as essential workers.” Read more here.

Also Notable

Health Check: How Are Magazines Faring in the Pandemic?

Earlier this month, Kali Hays of Women’s Wear Daily assessed how the magazine industry, both digital and print, are faring these days. As one might expect, some magazines are doing better than others. Summing up the state of things, Hays writes: “Nearly 40 percent of magazines that publish on at least a quarterly basis have seen their audiences decline so far this year, according to updated data from the Alliance for Audited Media.... That’s on top of a major pullback in advertising this year due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic and the related contraction of the global economy.” Read more here.

Special Report: A Changing Newsroom Landscape

In the Winter 2020 edition of the Columbia Journalism Review, Kyle Pope examines how the dawning Biden administration and ongoing pandemic may deal some harsh blows to an already ailing news industry. Newsrooms that were still struggling despite Trump-era subscription boosts were hit hard by the Covid pandemic. “Some editors took pay cuts, others were laid off, and a few outlets shuttered,” Pope says. “Reporters were cast out by the dozen. Now the winter is upon us, and the pandemic is worsening. The human costs will be severe, as will the stakes for news advertising revenue and subscriptions. Many small newsrooms received federal bailout money, but the prospect of another tranche is grim.” Pope also notes that news sources that thrived on unpredictable news cycles in the Trump era will likely see revenue declines: “Once January arrives and Trump leaves the White House, it’s likely that the subscription surges and record viewership enjoyed by the biggest newsrooms during his tenure will begin to recede.” Read more here.

A Push to Classify Social Media as Publishers

In a recent Editor & Publisher piece, TAPInto.net CEO/publisher Michael Shapiro makes a case for reclassifying social media sites as publishers under Section 230 of the 1996 Communications Decency Act. Currently, social media sites are shielded from liability for user-generated content, but Shapiro argues that it’s time for this to change. Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle agree; Shapiro notes that “Democrats believe that platforms aren’t doing enough to moderate disinformation and hate speech, while Republicans are arguing that platforms are censoring conservative perspectives.” So while the current arrangement is beneficial to the social media companies themselves, allowing them to proliferate unchecked as new sources, that arrangement is a threat to democracy, says Shapiro. “Without a framework for more effective moderation,” he says, “Americans are getting an increasingly steady diet of disinformation and misinformation that is given credibility by its spread on social media. This is having a deleterious effect on American civic life and is leading to increased polarization.” Read more here.

The Year’s Best Magazine Covers

In a year full of earth-shattering headlines, which magazine covers made their mark? Which best captured the essence of what was, for many, a rough year? Caysey Welton of Foliomag.com rounds up some of 2020’s best cover designs. Included are the New Yorker’s June 22 Black Lives Matter cover, with art by Kadir Nelson, and New York Times Magazine’s May 24 “What We’ve Learned in Quarantine” cover, with art by Brian Rea. To see all the featured covers, click here.

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