It's a new twist on the now-familiar exercise: trying to find solid, hopeful initiatives when so many in and outside of journalism are pessimistic about the profession.

The Medill Local News Initiative at Northwestern University has interviewed 50 news leaders, "seeking markers of success" in the ongoing search for new business models for local news.

The strategic plan developed by the SNPA Board of Directors encourages the creation of a publisher development program based on what members have identified as a training void in our industry.

Publishers attending the News Industry Summit in Nashville, Oct. 10-12, will get a taste of this new initiative.

Tom Silvestri, president and publisher of the Richmond (Va.) Times-Dispatch and chairman of SNPA's Executive Development Committee, said the committee "has outlined an approach and invited The Poynter Institute to help create such a program for SNPA members." Any program created would require SNPA Board approval.

He said an expanded segment at the fall SNPA conference in Nashville will "provide a sample of what such a development program could be."

He added, "This live demonstration will focus on helping current publishers and publishers-to-be lead through the chaos and uncertainty to constantly anticipate what's next and have the wherewithal to turn possibilities into positive results. You won't get a certificate for completing the Poynter-led overview, but you'll help SNPA further refine a development program that we hope will be career-changing for our publisher members."

Neil Brown, president of The Poynter Institute, will lead the segment at the News Industry Summit.

The murder of five employees of an Annapolis, Md., newspaper by a reader nursing a years-long grudge over a story on his criminal conviction for harassing a woman was a horrifying, extreme example of a harsh reality editors everywhere face every day: Some people get really, really angry about the news and it's a daily slog to defuse that rage and educate the public on the vital role of the press in a free society.

After the horrific attack at the Capital Gazette, it's more important than ever that we take every opportunity – in our stories, on our "about" tabs on homepages, and in encounters with the public – to explain our mission: Who we are, what we do, why it matters.

Read more at Poynter.org

Mistakes are not necessarily an indicator of skill – or lack thereof. Certainly, a journalist who consistently makes factual errors is in need of training and guidance. But any of us can make a mistake at any time.

Here's a list of useful tips and tricks for identifying and preventing mistakes in your work.

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Neil Brown has been named president of the Poynter Institute for Media Studies.

"I am honored to join Poynter, where imagination and integrity have been hallmarks in helping journalists get better at what they do and stay relevant in how they do it," Brown said.

When Pinehurst, N.C., hosted its third U.S. Open and fourth U.S. Women's Open Championships, The Pilot set out to become "the paper of record for the U.S. Open.” Publisher David Woronoff said, “We wanted to own it in a way that no other medium could, save NBC." Here's how they did it.