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PEOPLE & ARTS Tuesday 3 december 2019
Organization announces Dictionary.com chooses

funding for 250 `existential’ as word of the year

local journalists By LEANNE ITALIE

AP Entertainment Writer
By DAVID BAUDER tion in society and less par- NEW YORK (AP) — Cli-
AP Media Writer ticipation in government, mate change, gun vio-
NEW YORK (AP) — An or- he said. These journalists lence, the very nature of
ganization that is trying to include the 14 new report- democracy and an ang-
bolster the struggling local ers covering statehouses sty little movie star called
news industry said Monday across the country for The Forky helped propel "ex-
that it will help fund the hir- Associated Press, which istential" to Dictionary.
ing of 250 journalists across were announced last com's word of the year.
the country next year. week. Sixty-nine daily news- The choice reflects
That's a sharp increase papers, 39 digital-only sites, months of high-stakes
from the 61 journalists put in 39 public radio stations, 12 threats and crises, real
the field this year by Report local TV stations and five and pondered, across
for America, an initiative of non-daily newspapers will the news, the world and
the GroundTruth Project. Its add reporters. Among the throughout 2019. This Sunday, Dec. 1, 2019, photo shows the word "existential"
first class of local reporters participants are the Miami "In our data, it speaks to in a dictionary in the Brooklyn borough of New York.
in 2018 numbered 13. Herald, WRAL-TV in Ra- this sense of grappling Associated Press
With the help of foundation leigh, North Carolina, Iowa with our survival, both lit-
funding, Report for Amer- Public Radio, the Brooklyn erally and figuratively, we are, about our pur- ing for the Democratic
ica pays half the salary Eagle and Radio Bilingue in that defined so much of pose," Kelly told The Asso- presidential nod, painted
of these reporters for two California. Reporters will be the discourse," said John ciated Press. President Donald Trump
years. Local news organiza- placed in 46 states. Kelly, senior research edi- Oxford Dictionaries as an "existential threat"
tions kick in 25% and agree Almost half of the new jobs tor for the site, ahead of picked "climate emer- to decency.
to raise the remainder from are being added in non- Monday's announce- gency" as its word of the The word dates to 1685,
donations by local sources. profit newsrooms, accord- ment. year, noting usage evi- deriving from Late Latin's
The growing support illus- ing to Report for America. The word earned top of dence that reflects the "existentialis." Dictionary.
trates how people outside They're specifically being mind awareness in sus- "ethos, mood, or preoc- com defines existential
of the news industry are asked to cover a variety tained searches at Dic- cupations of the passing as "of or relating to exis-
recognizing what is lost in of "news deserts," including tionary.com in the after- year," the company said tence" and "of, relating
communities when news overlooked rural and urban math of wildfires and Hur- in a statement. to, or characteristic of
organizations struggle. The communities, veterans' is- ricane Dorian, and mass Dictionary.com crunches philosophical existen-
University of North Carolina sues, health care, the envi- shootings in Christchurch, lookup and other data tialism; concerned with
estimates that between ronment, health care and New Zealand, and El to decide which word to the nature of human ex-
26,000 and 32,000 news- housing. Paso, Texas. It also reared anoint each year. The site istence as determined
room jobs have been lost Report for America is com- itself in presidential politics has been picking a word by the individual's freely
across the country since mitting $5 million to pay and pop culture, includ- of the year since 2010. made choices."
2004. "These communities these reporters and is ask- ing Forky the white plastic Among search spikes for Climate, guns and the
need to be heard from ing for others to help with spork who was the break- "existential" were those impeachment crisis for
and we're really glad to be training. A variety of funders out star of "Toy Story 4." that occurred after both Donald Trump were just a
part of a process ... that is are participating, including The soiled utensil is con- Democratic presidential few areas that seemed to
trying to confront the crisis the Facebook Journalism vinced his destiny is in the contender Bernie Sanders frame debate in existen-
in local news and restore Project, the Google News trash, until he embraces and 16-year-old climate tial terms.
journalism from the ground Initiative, Craig Newmark his purpose as a treasured activist Greta Thunberg So did the Hong Kong
up," said Charles Sennott, Philanthropies and the Ford toy of kindergartener Bon- characterized climate protests, the Notre Dame
co-founder of Report for Foundation. The linchpin nie. change as an "existential" fire, tensions between
America. is the Knight Foundation, "Forky underscores how crisis, Kelly said. the United States and
Studies show the collapse which has provided $5 this sense of grappling Another spike occurred China, and Big Tech's
of local news coverage million in funding over five can also inspire us to ask when former Vice Presi- privacy and fake news
has contributed to polariza- years. q big questions about who dent Joe Biden, also vy- problems.q

CBS moves 'Evening News' to Washington

By DAVID BAUDER Andrew Tyndall. The move Evening News" since July.
AP Media Writer is designed in part to take The timing of the move
NEW YORK (AP) — Anchor advantage of O'Donnell's would seem to be perfect,
Norah O'Donnell's move strengths as a reporter with the House Judiciary
from New York to Wash- with a long background in Committee beginning its
ington gives the "CBS Eve- Washington, said Jay Shay- impeachment hearings for
ning News" a unique call- lor, the broadcast's new President Donald Trump
ing card among the three executive producer, who this week, and the 2020
network newscasts starting joined CBS News from CNN. presidential primary season
Monday. Although nightly CBS News built a new stu- about to begin.
newscasts have split home dio for the newscast. Although CBS hopes to
bases in the past, this will be O'Donnell has covered the take advantage of the This image released by CBS shows Norah O'Donnell, host
the first time either the ABC, White House, Capitol Hill new location, that doesn't of the new "CBS Evening News with Norah O'Donnell." CBS
CBS or NBC broadcast will and the Pentagon in her mean the broadcast will will broadcast their evening news show from a new studio in
call Washington home full career as a reporter. She's become Washington-cen- Washington, beginning Monday, Dec. 2.
time, said news consultant been anchor of the "CBS tric, Shaylor said.q Associated Press