Journalism

Hugh MacLeod Ages Like Fine South African Wine

It's funny what people reveal about themselves online. Read my blog for any length of time and you can probably figure out my uneasy Michael Corleone-like relationship with journalism, the field I majored in and subsequently escaped. I can't decide what to think about my long absence from the profession or the fact that I don't seem to be missed. Read online marketing guru Hugh MacLeod, the guy who plies bloggers with a South African wine in the expectation they'll sing its praises, and you ... (read more)

2007/12/06

CNN's Self-Importance is Beyond Debate

At last night's Democratic presidential debate in Las Vegas, CNN moderator Wolf Blitzer spoke for more time than five of the seven candidates, repeatedly getting in the way of substantive discussion by reducing issues to yes/no options. But it wasn't until the audience got its chance to ask questions that the CNN team demonstrated how inflated in self-importance our leading broadcast journalists have become during presidential campaigns. After a commercial break, undecided voter LaShannon ... (read more)

2007/11/16

Exclusive: Techbloggers Have Sold Their Souls

On WebProNews, Robert Scoble demonstrates why the leading techblogs are becoming less critical and more susceptible to hype -- they're bargaining with PR flacks for exclusives: I've noticed that PR types are getting very astute with dealing with bloggers lately and getting their wares discussed on TechMeme. First they'll call Mike Arrington of TechCrunch. Make sure he's briefed first (Mike doesn't like to talk about news that someone else broke first, so they'll make sure he is always in the ... (read more)

2007/10/18

Matt Drudge Vants to Be Left Alone

Portfolio magazine blogger Jeff Bercovici thinks a recent magazine article drove Matt Drudge off the radio: Matt Drudge is quitting his radio show, and, while he won't say why, I have a guess. Could it be that the secretive internet news czar feels overexposed after his recent profile by Philip Weiss in New York magazine? Although the piece was a write-around, Weiss was able to create the feel of an interview by quoting extensively from Drudge's on-air musings. I emailed Drudge for comment but, ... (read more)

2007/09/11

Dear Media: Child Sex Abuse is Not a 'Sexual Affair'

A St. Petersburg, Fl., city councilman resigned today amid reports that the police are investigating him for allegedly molesting three of his children. The media outlet that broke the story, Tampa Bay's FOX TV affiliate, described it in this manner: City Councilman John Bryan abruptly resigned his post Friday amid accusations he had a sexual relationships with three of his adopted children. The media has a bad habit of using the terms "sexual relationship" or "affair" in cases like this, as if ... (read more)

2007/09/07

Remembering Journalist Bill Muller

Bill Muller, one of my long-ago colleagues from the student newspaper at UT-Arlington, died yesterday at age 42 after a year-long battle with cancer. The Arizona Republic, where he worked the past seven years as the film critic, does a good job of covering his many accomplishments in journalism. Muller was an investigative reporter before he became a critic, and his paper editorializes today about why he was so good at it: But above all else, Bill Muller was a great journalist because he was ... (read more)

2007/09/07

Journalist Laments 'Declining Trust in the Media'

For Los Angeles Times columnist Dana Parsons, the new film Resurrecting the Champ is an opportunity to feel sorry for how journalists are being treated these days: I suppose I could just buck up and be a man about the new movie and forgive the filmmakers for their liberties with the truth. That'd be a lot easier if we weren't living in a time of declining trust in the media and when some of our fellow citizens seem determined to convince the American public that the mainstream press is biased ... (read more)

2007/08/30

New York Magazine Digs into Matt Drudge's Past

In a story for New York Magazine, Philip Weiss digs deep into the childhood of Matt Drudge: The divorce and child-support papers in the Maryland State Archives offer a heartrending picture. About the time Drudge failed bar mitzvah, his mother left her job as a staff attorney for Ted Kennedy, where she had worked on health issues, "because of sickness" and remained unemployed for at least two years. The Washington Post's Howard Kurtz has reported that she was hospitalized for schizophrenia. ... ... (read more)

2007/08/28

Utah Mine Owner Makes Google News Comment

The owner of the Utah coal mine where six miners are missing has used the new Google News comment feature to respond to news coverage. Robert E. Murray posted the following comment to at least nine stories: Comment from Robert E. Murray regarding trapped miners - 18 hours ago August 22, 2007 - We are totally focused on the recovery of these miners and in administering to the welfare of their families. The trauma from this natural disaster has been great for many, but we will not be deterred, ... (read more)

2007/08/23

Computer Solves Rubik's Cube in 26 Moves

This morning, Guardian reporter Alexandra Topping covers a record-breaking computer solution to Rubik's Cube: It is the holy grail for puzzle-lovers around the world. A task that has thwarted the greatest minds for generations. But the ultimate solution to the Rubik's cube may be within grasp. A supercomputer has been working without pause to provide conclusive evidence that the cube can be returned to its original state in no more than 26 moves. The computer took 63 hours to provide the proof, ... (read more)

2007/08/17

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