NBC Nightly News anchor Lester Holt caught up with Poynter about his reporting from Iran. Holt and a 13-person team are the ground in Tehran and have gained rare access that’s rare for an American news organization. They were able to film inside the Foreign Ministry, in popular marketplaces and coffee shops in Tehran, as well as inside the home of an Iranian couple: “I found many people hesitant to talk on camera for fear of stumbling over a political trip-wire and causing trouble for themselves with authorities,” Holt said. “What I noticed was how curious they are about how average Americans view the tensions between our countries. A few seemed genuinely disappointed when I explained to them that the average American probably isn’t talking about or focusing on the situation in Iran on a daily basis. They are puzzled by our government’s positions but wanted me to know they like Americans.”
NBC News White House correspondent Peter Alexander talked to People about his contentious back-and-forth with the President on Wednesday: “The president’s regular attacks on me and my journalist colleagues are intended to undermine the work we do and to throw us off our game,” he says. “I’ve been brushed off, ignored or attacked more times than I can count. But that’s doing your job. Being a journalist doesn’t mean being popular; it means asking tough questions no matter who’s in power.”