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31 Mar 2011 21:57

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World: Kidnapped reporters speak out on Libyan captors

  • These are real thugs. They’re really people who shoot first and ask questions later…there was so little organization and absolutely no command structure going on.
  • Tyler Hicks, one of the reporters kidnapped by the Libyan military • Reflecting on the nature of his captors. Hicks and three others were held for six days by Gaddafi’s forces before being released. source
Posted by Seth Millstein • 0 Comments • Permalink

29 Mar 2011 13:43

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World: Sure, why not? Hugo Chavez wins Argentine journalism award

  • A true fighter for press freedom? He’s received the Rodolfo Walsh Prize from the Argentinian University of La Plata, so awarded for “unquestionable and authentic commitment to support the freedom of peoples.” Chavez has, as the university points out, created a broad public news outlet, but he’s also tightly muzzled and repressed independent and private media, making this award pretty controversial. Venezuelan newspaper El Nacional gives a dire take: “That a South American university doesn’t know about this grave situation and dares to honor this military leader with the Rodolfo Walsh Prize says much about the destruction of values that the Kirchners have imposed on the Argentine nation. Walsh was a victim of military repression and his example is now stained absurdly.” (photo via nicogenin on Flickr) source
Posted by Chris Tognotti • 0 Comments • Permalink

22 Mar 2011 11:23

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Politics: New York Times writes puff piece about their paywall model

  • Some of them even send us checks unsolicited. I have this woman in Canada who’s sent me two $50 checks because she doesn’t understand why she can get our journalism for free. Each time I have to tell her I can’t accept the check.
  • New York Times Corp. Chief Advertising Officer Denise Warren • Discussing the NYT’s paywall plan, which hits around the end of the month. Hey, Denise, if you guys won’t take the money, we’ll put it straight in our pockets! In all seriousness, though, read the piece — it does a great job explaining the mindset of the NYT as they decided to try the paywall model once again. Key thing? Ad money in print is falling, and online isn’t keeping up. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

08 Mar 2011 21:32

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Politics: New York Times’ Bill Keller rips on Fox News unobjectively

  • I think if you’re a regular viewer of Fox News, you’re among the most cynical people on planet Earth. I cannot think of a more cynical slogan than ‘Fair and Balanced.’
  • New York Times Executive Editor Bill Keller • Assessing Fox News while speaking at the City University of New York graduate journalism school late last week. As you might guess, the comments weren’t taken particularly well, partly because he’s the executive editor of the New York Times and the NYT regularly breaks news about Fox News. Including, uh, like two days ago. Now, considering how hard-up they are about their objectivity (this piece on Nate Silver is a pretty great example), it’s a reasonable criticism – and one that sticks a little harder than the one about Anderson Cooper using the word “liar.” Because, unlike this, he landed a direct blow on a competitor that compromises his paper’s objectivity. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

06 Mar 2011 23:11

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Politics: Tina Brown, on relaunching Newsweek with The Daily Beast

  • Ironically, it was living in The Daily Beast’s fast and furious news cycle for the past two years that revealed to me what a newsmagazine can bring to the table when it’s no longer chasing yesterday’s story. It’s about filling the gaps left when a story has seemingly passed, or resetting the agenda, or coming up with an insight or synthesis that connects the crackling, confusing digital dots.
  • Tina Brown • Explaining in her redesign-launching letter what Newsweek’s relaunch means. She’s absolutely right, really – her time with The Daily Beast makes her pretty much the perfect person to play the role of editor of a newsmagazine in 2011. She can take the lessons from the Beast and build a shared vision between two entities which are designed to handle different parts of the media pie. We wish her the best. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

26 Feb 2011 23:33

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Tech: What happens when a student resume goes viral? Well, this.

  • We apparently need to try harder: This guy‘s resume got posted on the Huffington Post and went viral. It was even worthy of a follow-up. Which is a cool way to get attention for your job prospects. That said, though, we think that an approach like this is only useful if it has a corresponding traditional element. Conversely, though, gimmicks are how you stand out. A lot of people have noted that it’s been done, but who cares? It caught people’s attention and encourages people to look who otherwise wouldn’t have. (Though, a criticism – that box on the bottom with the circles is totally subjective and as a result doesn’t really say anything that can be quantified.) source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

25 Feb 2011 14:25

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Politics: More on Rachel Maddow, PolitiFact and other fun stuff

  • In case you didn’t see our comment on Rachel Maddow’s war of words with PolitiFact, we’d like to point it out again for your kids. We think that there is a lot of context worthy of your time. Above is Maddow’s clip from last night, which, while accurate in pointing out that PolitiFact isn’t always right, does the same kind of cherry-picking that PolitiFact did. From the report, they only quoted a two-second part of a clip that has much more direct context at play. Tommy Christopher at Mediaite took a swing at this whole issue, too, and you know what? He noticed the same thing we did about her surplus/deficit quote. “That passage can be read both ways, but in at least the semantic sense, Politifact is wrong. Their reading of this passage is a matter of interpretation.” In other words, while the exact quote Rachel Maddow pulled proves PolitiFact’s headline is in fact “False,” the problem is that the larger context, which claims that Walker turned a surplus into a deficit (the point of the article), is closer to the truth than Maddow’s people will like. Sorry, Rachel. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink
 

25 Feb 2011 00:33

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World: Shoe-throwing journalist arrested in Iraq

Muntazer Alzaidi
Remember the guy who threw his shoe at G.W. Bush? He was arrested today in for encouraging protestors in Baghdad. Frankly, we’re surprised he’s not in a detainment cell somewhere. source
Posted by Seth Millstein • 0 Comments • Permalink

23 Feb 2011 16:51

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Biz: She’s dead, Jim: Local news site TBD.com lays off most of its staff

  • before While Allbritton announced that they would be de-emphasizing the TBD brand, which was considered a future journalism model, they made it seem like there wouldn’t be any layoffs – just refocusing.
  • now TBD, a DC-based local news site, will now lose its sports and news coverage and become an entertainment site. Oh yeah, 12 people are getting laid off. So, yes, the TV guys did win. source
  • » A message to TBD’s staff: We hear you’ll be able to work on your publication for the next few weeks as its model changes – a temporary respite from unemployment. As someone who’s been in that position before, I can tell you it’s a bit of a dead-man-walking situation. Sigh. These things are never fun. Make the best of them.
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

14 Feb 2011 14:23

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Politics: FoxNation.com thinks they may have video proof of apocalypse

  • journalism? “The Fox Nation is committed to the core principles of tolerance, open debate, civil discourse, and fair and balanced coverage of the news,” says the mission statement at FoxNation.com, an online arm of the Fox News Channel.
  • nope! “Is this the Fourth Horseman of the Apocalypse?” So asks Clayton Morris, a Fox News weekend anchor, whose ludicrous claim of end-times evidence was then reblogged by FoxNation.com. (big hat tip to Mediaite on this). source
Posted by Chris Tognotti • 0 Comments • Permalink
 
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