Jacob Laznik sits at the very heart of breaking news in Israel as he combats endless narratives, difficult-to-verify information, and the very real “fog of war” that clouds the fast-paced news environment of the Middle East. It’s all part of his job as senior desk manager on The Jerusalem Post’s Breaking News Desk.
Simply put, it’s chaos. But for Laznik, it’s also exciting.
Sorting through it all is a challenge. Managing a team is an even bigger challenge. But Laznik is up to the task. Thanks to him, that constant flood of information is distilled into the easy-to-digest news pieces posted on JPost.com every day.
It’s a tough job, but an important one. And as one of our desk managers, Laznik is among our best.
In Jerusalem sat down with him to discuss what steered him into this line of work and how his career has been so far.
What brought you to Israel?
My father, when he was single, made aliyah from Peru. He then went to the US and started a family. I grew up in Boca Raton, Florida, and always wanted to see Israel for myself one day. I did the first semester of my senior year of high school at the Alexander Muss High School in Israel and immediately fell in love with the country.
Afterward, I did a gap year in Israel with Young Judaea, where I volunteered with Magen David Adom. It was a life-changing experience and solidified my decision to make aliyah.
How did you get into journalism?
Growing up, journalism wasn’t really a passion of mine. As I got older and started paying more attention to the news and social media platforms, I realized that many news sources, whether it be due to bias or ulterior motives, constantly struggled or failed to recount events the way they happened.
I struggled with this for a while, until I decided to put myself into a field where I could combat these influences and educate/inform readers without pushing a narrative.
There’s a famous quote [believed to originally be credited to Texas Spectator journalist Hubert Mewhinney from the 1940s]: “If someone says it’s raining and another person says it’s dry, it’s not your job to quote them both. It’s your job to look out the window and find out which is true.” That really resonates with me, and I try to hold myself to that standard every day.
What brought you to ‘The Jerusalem Post’?
Initially, I saw the Post as a good opportunity to insert myself into a position where I could do honest reporting. But after speaking with friends and acquaintances who have worked here previously, I was immediately intrigued by what was described as the ‘magic behind the Post’ – a vibrant work environment with incredible individuals, and the satisfaction of seeing your efforts reach millions of people.
What is it like managing a team of Breaking News Desk editors?
It’s like welcomed chaos. News happens faster than anyone can keep up with, and it’s up to me to decide what gets covered and how – all in a matter of moments before the next thing happens. It feels like you’re in a room that’s filling up with water, and you’re dumping buckets out as fast as you can.
But it’s exhilarating.
We have such an incredible and unique team on the desk. Every story that happens is like a puzzle that we get to work on in real time, to discover the truth behind it.
Before you know it, my team and I have solved over 100 of these puzzles before the day’s end. The adrenaline rush of breaking news turns into interest, enjoyment, and deep conversations. It’s hectic, but in the best way.
What’s something about the job that people wouldn’t expect?
I think the most surprising part of my job is how often it presents you with challenges that you haven’t been prepared for; therefore, you see how capable you really are.
We all receive training and take things one day at a time, but when you have days when [US president Joe] Biden drops out of the race or [Hamas leader Yahya] Sinwar is killed, an average day turns into the most hectic day of your life. Everyone’s looking to you for answers.
At first, it feels like too much to handle, but as you get more chances – and believe me, during the [current] war, most days are absolutely insane – you see yourself embracing the chaos and going through it without any self-doubt.
What advice do you have for aspiring journalists?
The most important thing is to believe in your work. If you’re writing an article, or a blog post, or whatever, it should be because you truly believe that you have information that others need to hear. Otherwise, your readers won’t really be informed about anything.
After that, if you believe a story is truly worth telling, then don’t be afraid to tell the whole story.
We all have biases and moments where the whole truth is hard to process or maybe not what we view as ideal. True journalism, however, is getting to the truth and presenting it to readers so that they can process it on their own and come to their own conclusions.