Journalism

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

Journalist Defends Misquoting Her Sources

I'm running this quote from syndicated newspaper columnist Penelope Trunk to make my wife -- and every other journalist I know -- cringe: As a journalist I hear all the time from people in business that they are misquoted. And you know what? People need to get over that, and I'm going to tell you why. ... If you do an interview with a journalist, don't expect the journalist to be there to tell your story. The journalist gets paid to tell her own stories which you might or might not be a part ... (read more)

2007/07/23

My Guess: Opie and Anthony are Screwed

The media's covering a tasteless sexual rant by a guest on Opie and Anthony's radio show Wednesday that was targeted at Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice and First Lady Laura Bush, but no one's explaining what the guy said. I put the transcript and audio up on Watching the Watchers, so people can judge for themselves. I don't listen to the show, so I can't judge the comments in the context of what they do every day. I have trouble imagining a context in which the sentiments aren't ugly as ... (read more)

2007/05/11

Councilman: Stop Apologizing to American Indians

I filed my first story today for Watching the Watchers -- a Republican city councilman in Texas thinks its time to stop apologizing to American Indians: A Houston city council member said on his radio talk show that the U.S. should "stop the continuous apology for what was done to the American Indians" and drop federal programs and treaties that provide casino rights, educational support and welfare. Michael Berry, a Republican councilman in his third term and mayor pro tempore who hosts a ... (read more)

2007/04/02

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