Time Magazine's Person of the Year

It really is Mark Zuckerberg's year. Facebook has reached half a billion users, a blockbuster movie with lots of Oscar buzz came out-much to the dismay of Zuckerberg and now the very news publication thats writing about him has named the young billionaire as their Person of the Year. Past winners have included presidents, world leaders, media moguls, national heroes, and Hitler. With 1 in 10 people now using the social media application, Facebook and its founder has gotten a lot of attention. The Social Network came out and brought up a lot of questions of integrity and motives behind starting the website. This article is newsworthy just by the sheer importance and power behind each person selected. This will definitely not be the last news coverage of Zuckerberg. As Facebook grows, his private life will become more and more of public interest and knowledge.

http://www.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,2036683_2037183_2037185-2,00.html

And now for something completely different

Enjoy this alternative means of communicating a Christmas tradition. And by all means, laugh out loud.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZCFCeJTEzNU

AP Stylebook help

If you are on Twitter, you might want to follow APStylebook and note the following:

APStylebook AP Stylebook
Don't forget: Our next #APStyle Twitter chat is tomorrow Thursday/12/16) at 2 p.m. EST. Send your questions using the hashtag #APStyleChat.

WikiLeaks...

WikiLeaks has, until a few days ago, remained as a foreign topic to me. Suddenly, everyone here in Malaysia is talking about it when a leaked cable revealed that a sodomy charge (against a former deputy Prime Minister) was discussed between the Australian and Singaporean intelligence agencies. The Singaporean officials told their Australian counterparts that the ex-PM had indeed been guilty based on their "technical intelligence". Not only that, the senior officials at the Singapore Ministry of Foreign Affairs were also found to have bad-mouthed Malaysia. For instance, they had said:

• there was a "distinct possibility of racial conflict" which might cause ethnic Chinese to "flee" and "overwhelm Singapore"
• the current PM is in a "tight spot"
• Malaysia was in a "confused and dangerous" state due to "its incompetent politicians"

The news has made politicians from both sides jumped. Many demanded explanation from our neighbour, and the Foreign Minister has sent a protest note to its counterpart, who clarified that the leaks did not tally with their records. "One purported meeting did not even take place," he said.

The incident has caught both Malaysia and Singapore in an embarrassed situation as it would affect the bilateral ties between the two neighbours. One of the officials who was reported to have made the scathing remarks was expected to lead a delegation to Malaysia next week. I guess people are waiting to see what will he say when he arrives.

I do not understand why a local daily used a lot of anonymous sources when reporting on the issue. It quoted "Malaysian officials" who wanted explanation from Singapore. There were also a couple who said that the government should not have sent the protest note as the information was based on leakages and not the act of a government. The quotes were good, but I couldn't help doubting the stories' credibility.

Compared to these news stories, I would rather read one that quoted the politicians on security concerns. At least I know that real people are behind the quotes.

A story of survival with fun at the same time!

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/15/nyregion/15kitchen.html?hpw

This is a story of a bunch of people from different work-fields getting together in a rented kitchen in New York who are food-entrepreneurs now after being laid-off.

The piece provided relevant details like the rent and entrepreneurs backgrounds and their view about their new profession. It served as an amazing advertisement for these businesses as well. Loved the use of the verb cratered as in "economy cratered."

I understand the article is about this new form of making money through rented kitchen for these laid-off people. But I would have liked to hear from a customer who expressed whether or not they knew if what they were ordering was made in a facility where Indian, Mexican, middle-eastern etc is all made in one space or do customers only come across the website interface.

Also, the writer hinted at the dynamics between different chefs as to how they ordered common supplies to avail of discounts and how they acted as taste-testers for each others. I would have liked an elaboration on the cultural aspect of it: how these chefs from different cultures are experiencing different food cultures and otherwise being in the same space.

Moreover, I wanted to know if these people want to stick with this system of using rented kitchen for long for whatever reasons or do they want to establish their own space in the near future because of any inconveniences etc.

Nevertheless, a well-done story of human survival in face of adversity..sounds cliche?..add a never-ending demand commodity--food-- and cultural element to it. interesting!

How to lose a reader in one paragraph

It can be easy! Just start with a run-on sentence.

Here's Elisabeth Bumiller's into to her New York Times article about a report on the Afghanistan war.

"As President Obama prepares to release a review of American strategy in Afghanistan that will claim progress in the nine-year-old war there, two new classified intelligence reports offer a more negative assessment and say there is a limited chance of success unless Pakistan hunts down insurgents operating from havens on its Afghan border."

I understand her desire to cram as much information as possible, but I lost my train of thought about halfway through. Worse yet, she backloads the intro, saving the article's point for the end of the run-on.

I think it would have been more effective had Bumiller kicked off the intro by diving right into the report. She could still have juxtaposed it with President Obama's review and it would have been more organized and readable.

Just for laughs: "I want to work for the New York Times!"

This is quite funny despite the mundane voices. The student aspired to be a journalist but didn't plan to start from the bottom. He dreamed of joining the New York Times right after graduation and no matter how the journalist tried to tell him it's not going to be as rosy as he had imagined, he just refused to listen! The best quote from him was, "You are very bitter. Journalism needs people who are fired up about the important work of communicating the news of the day with the people. I want to be in the newsroom bantering with my colleagues about the important things we are writing about."

Consistent coverage as opposed to good coverage

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/the_big_picture/2010/12/ronni-chasen-a-victim-of-lurid-hollywood-conspiracy-theories.html

OK, here's my final post on the Ronni Chasen murder, and it's from the LA Times. The link above is to an opinion piece that puts the Chasen murder in the realm of the deaths of John F. Kennedy, Marilyn Monroe and Sal Mineo. Sorry to say this, but only in LA.

Is this supposed to be a suitable substitute for news? Interpretative reporting is to be lauded, and pattern recognition often requires higher thought, but this story doesn't fit into either category.

Neutral Reporting?

Below is a link to the most racist thing I have seen on TV for a while. It's about the debate on the Dream Act.

http://video.foxnews.com/v/4454859/dream-act-lives-on/

The Link is to clip from Fox. You will see that in the clip the reporter and the House Representative are talking in neutral terms. But then about half way in they bring in images of illegal immigrants jumping over the border.

Now, this would almost be OK if you're talking about immigration in general or border security. However, it has no relevance to the Dream Act. The Dream Act refers to immigrants who came here as minors.

Notice also that they only interview a Republican representative. Then the reporter asks a few relevant questions with counter points of view, but she almost asks those questions with a note of disgust.

I think the left wing media is just as guilty of this sort of reporting as the right. What is scary about it is how it just sneaks past you sometimes. You may be watching the news over a bowl of cereal and these images reach the mind in an almost subliminal manner.

Interesting Twist on Healthcare Issue

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/12/nyregion/12medicaid.html?pagewanted=1&ref=nyregion&src=me

The story is about the practice of spousal refusal, a way for people to escape health care costs of their sick spouses. The interesting aspect of the story is that the journalist didn't introduce the concept the way someone would ordinarily expect. She introduced a person, attaching a human face to the idea of "spousal refusal". A hard-working immigrant couple is the face of spousal refusal. What would originally seem like a story reporting how people are abusing and scamming the government, the piece is a little more complex. Turns out that rich people don't use spousal refusal to cheat the system as much as regular hard-working people. Now caught in having to pay back the state, many people are in a predicament.

The paradox created by the journalist is most striking in transitioning from the title of the article to the first sentence of the story. From the title, its seems as though the story is going to be about awful and unethical people scamming the government and usurping taxpayer dollars. But the first sentence starts with a completely different story...

Full Wallets, but using Health Option for Poor

AFTER immigrating to New York City from China in the 1970s, Z. Y. Tung and his wife worked hard — he as a bank manager, she as a public school secretary — lived frugally and saved every penny they could for the next generation.

unlikely, absurd and effective

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/12/technology/12birds.html?src=me&ref=general

Angry Birds, Flocking to Cellphones Everywhere

Even the title is pretty absurd! The story is about a cellphone game that has gotten really popular. The quotes in combination with the random collection of anecdotes about crazy and ridiculous things people are doing on behalf of the game, make the story incredibly entertaining.

Lead:

It sounds like a tough sell: a game that involves catapulting birds at elaborate fortresses constructed by evil pigs.

It's an effective delayed lead. The journalist went right for the kill by capturing the most ridiculous aspect of the whole story in the first sentence.

Parenthesis Use in an Effective Way:

Rovio says people around the world rack up 200 million minutes of game play each day. (Put another way, that is 16 human-years of bird-throwing every hour.)

The inclusion of this aside makes the previous sentence all the more interesting. Translation of facts in the terms what a reader can swallow is an effective way to use parenthesis. The journalist could have just said the figure in the parenthesis and dropped the previous line completely, but this setup is more effective in catching the reader off guard.

Larger Theme:

“There’s no more formula,” said James L. McQuivey, an analyst at Forrester Research who studies digital entertainment. “It doesn’t matter where it starts: a ringtone, a video game, book. It has a shot at the big time.”

The story seems to have a general underlying message and its actually pretty inspiring. The journalist draws attention to the fact that this ridiculous cell phone game means that anyone can be successful --- YOU and ME can make it big too, if Angry Birds can.

Humor:

My favorite anecdote was the one where a woman spent 80 hours crafting a two tiered Angry Birds cake for her son's birthday, which he won't let anyone cut. Pictures of the cake circulated on social media.

I also really enjoyed the ending quote of the article where a professor postulates that Rovio's success is because they made the birds angry, rather than happy. The ending subtely frames the story by pointing to the original sentence of the whole article, which is that there is no real explanation for why Angry Birds got so popular.

One more on Upper Crust...

Is all fair in love and war...and business?

Jordan Tobins: shrewd businessman or despicable human being? Perhaps the two are not mutually exclusive.

http://www.boston.com/business/articles/2010/12/05/a_driven_young_man_and_the_chain_he_made/?page=1

Upper Crust Empire in Jeopardy

I'm becoming obsessed with this story about Jordan Tobins and the Upper Crust lawsuit. I find the coverage interesting, in both content and form. I have found the follow-up articles more palatable than the longer one I posted from last week, but still slightly skewed.

http://www.boston.com/business/articles/2010/12/10/attorney_general_reportedly_to_probe_pizza_chain/?camp=obinsite

A high-impact story, but structure?

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/11/world/europe/11nobel.html?hp

A hard-to-believe story in this age about how a country can be so opposed to democracy.

I saw a differently structured story in the afternoon which did not contain Liu speaking about his wife. Understandable in digital media. But in terms of structure, this story could have been better organized. Although the lede is a typical hard-news opening, I was jarred by Liu speaking about getting strength in prison from his wife interrupted by Obama's take on the incarceration back to the fact that Ullmann (a Norwegian actress) read Liu's sentence appeal -- a hint of which was given higher in the story--As if to get in Obama's important views somewhere in the story and to force-fit an end to the story with a quote from Liu:

"He tells how he is sustained by his wife’s love — “the sunlight that leaps over high walls and penetrates the iron bars of my prison window, stroking every inch of my skin, warming every cell of my body, allowing me to keep peace, openness and brightness in my heart.” He went on to say,“Even if I were crushed into powder, I would still use my ashes to embrace you.”

President Obama, who won the peace prize last year, issued a statement saying Mr. Liu was “far more deserving of this award than I was,” and calling for his release “as soon as possible.”

In city hall, the audience was moved by Ms. Ullmann’s solemn reading of Mr. Liu’s words.

“Freedom of expression is the foundation of human rights, the source of humanity, and the mother of truth,” Mr. Liu’s statement said. As for “China’s endless literary inquisitions,” he said: “I hope I will be the last victim.”

Another story befitting festive times!

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/11/nyregion/11bigcity.html?hp

This is a story about gift-wrapping and decoration with an immigration angle to it (we were discussing in last class).

What strikes me is development of characters (Theresa and Mariangela) and their relationship that comes out very clearly. Mariangela comes across as this hungry-for- respect woman who is very wary of how her image is being portrayed to outsiders. Angry that her elder sister asks her to get coffee but still sticking to work in her sibling's business.

Talking about confirming from other sources, this story is about the two sisters with quotes from only two of them! Yet entertaining if not educating.

When what we don't know figures prominently in the story

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/10/nyregion/10canada.html?nl=nyregion&emc=ura1

In the ying and yang of journalism and public relations, there is a lot of compelling information that never reaches the reporter. And wise reporters never get it in their heads that they have the whole story, because it is very likely they don't.

Such is the case in the story above concerning Mayor Bloomberg's choice of Cathleen Black as chancellor. The mayor was repeatedly assailed because he chose someone with no professional education background and someone who was not a minority candidate. Turns out, Black wasn't Bloomberg's first choice.

In the public-relations world, "back"-story information such as this is usually shielded for a lot of reasons. Interestingly, though, after a vote, this type of information deliberately is brought into the conversation, usually through a planned "leak."

Food review

This is a food review of a French restaurant I came across in a local daily today. It didn't talk much on the food, but focus on the restaurant background and its owners. The names of the dishes were only mentioned in the very last paragraph. Even so, I enjoyed the story and felt like visiting the restaurant to meet the duo! I like how the writer described the interview she had with the owners:

Chatting over glasses of wine about all things edible, from the progression of cheesecakes at Frangipani to the best Italian restaurant in Luxembourg, where Bauer was born and raised, they were all about creating good food and enjoying it.

The story's here.

Better editing needed?

http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2010/12/09/as_youth_homelessness_rises_group_seeks_to_give_shelter/?page=1

This story, on today's Globe front page, is about the growing population of homeless young adults, 18 to 24 years of age, who have placed out of foster care due to their age. I think it is badly written, and I would like to know what others think. Is it a problem with my ability to focus, or is this reporter all over the place?

The article of perhaps 1,000 words flits between vignettes of three individuals, three nonprofit organizations that serve this population, and statistics from local, state and federal sources. It might not feel like "flitting" if every sentence did not start a new paragraph. (I am exaggerating, but only slightly.)

The subject of growth in homelessness these young people is a serious one. I wish this article had been written in a more coherent and compelling way, and not as if it were trying to model Attention Deficit Disorder. If I were to try to remember the three critical facts an hour from now (or even five minutes ago) I could not.

The Untimely Death of Elizabeth Edwards

Elizabeth Edwards's battle with cancer has been no secret and her unfortunate and untimely death made headlines on practically every news outlet. I think her story is a captivating tale and will be written about as an ongoing narrative because her life had so many public highs and lows. She was a key campaign figure when her husband John Edwards ran for Vice President in 2004 and was always very respected by her peers. She was a lawyer, teacher, Gay Rights Supporter, Health Care Reform Advocate and mother. She endured tragedy and humiliation with the death of her son and her husband's very public affair with his videographer Rielle Hunter and subsequent love child and long term battle with cancer but as she writes in her book remained "resilliant". This article talks about those moments that marked her life and introduced us to her private life in a very revealing public manner.

The article really focuses on her life, talent, and enduring strenght. In future stories I expect there will be a lot of talk about her public life and how much she sacraficed and endured from her husband who turned out to be nothing like she or the public thought he was like.

 

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/08/us/08edwards.html?_r=1&ref=us

 

 

Upper Crust Under Fire

This story is from Sunday's front page of the Boston Globe. It's a longer, much more in-depth exposé of the story I had envisioned writing for my final project.

I don't disagree with the perspective, but it does seem a wee bit unbalanced. I want to hear more from the owners, who may be remaining mum (and wisely so?) in the midst of a lawsuit.

Overall, I liked the story, but some of the information seems taken for granted to underscore the writer's pro-worker angle.

For example, I find this passage questionable:

"Meanwhile, in dusty Marilac, some fear a reliable source of income used to build farms and businesses and houses will vanish. Others say the village will be better off without the pizza money and the sacrifices it requires."

Who says that? Where is Abelson getting this information? It is a bold, yet vaguely attributed, claim. I think a direct quote would give it much more credibility.

LA Times where are you?

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/05/us/05publicist.html?partner=rss&emc=rss

Yeah, I am back on the Ronni Chasen murder.

Above is a comprehensive story from the New York Times that is revealing not so much in the investigation, but in the makeup of Ms. Chasen.

In addition, The Hollywood Reporter has been doing excellent day-to-day coverage.

In my opinion, this should be the LA Times' story, but its coverage has been pretty beige, often relying on AP reporting. I'm sure if I knew the back story in the newsroom, this would all make sense. But as a regular reader, I just don't understand.

similar storyline to mine!

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/01/world/europe/01iht-letter.html

Co-incidentally my final paper for the class hinges on how ambitions and personality-types of women create obstacles for them to engage in a relationship. Although my story is based in Harvard Business School, it reflects the same attitude of "men like girly girls and not alpha females"

Julian Assange, the man behind WikiLeaks

I watched this video on Ted.com months ago and thought at that time, "hmmmm, this is going to be big once it hits the mainstream media." Little did I know. In the midst of the recent WikiLeaks news coverage, I thought I would revisit the Ted interview. The two provide an interesting juxtaposition; at the same time, though, he appeared somewhat misanthropic to me in his Ted talk.

Another story about a tree!

Although this time about a fake Christmas tree!
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/01/us/01wreaths.html?_r=1&hpw

It's interesting to read about the history of petty child-like scuffles between the two competitors amidst stories of terror, murder, politics all over the newspaper. Some stories like these are per se interesting, limiting the role of a hooking lede and earth-shattering quotes. This one provides good context although I found the kicker to be inconsistent. Suddenly the writer talks about smell of the product when the entire story about patent is over its looks. Also I would have liked a quote from a customer as after all it all boils down to business.

A terrific -- but hardly typical -- holiday story

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/30/nyregion/30trees.html?pagewanted=1&_r=1&nl=nyregion&emc=ura3

In today's New York Times, there was an unusual holiday story. It was about a couple who donated one of their trees to Rockefeller Center.

Actually, I was relieved to read this story. I thought I was the only person who had an emotional attachment to a tree -- only mine was a birch, not an evergreen.

Will the real Lizzie Borden please stand up?

http://www.boston.com/ae/books/articles/2010/11/28/the_real_lizzie_borden/

Fall River, Mass. museum curators have written their own definitive work on who was the real Lizzie Borden. Like the piece John wrote for Halloween, Lizzie Borden, dead now for 83 years, still haunts the legends of her home town. Martin and his writing partner make a valiant effort to rehabilitate Borden's tarnished image, but perhaps all secrets ultimately get buried with the dead.

"Casino" in police college

It's interesting to see how different newspapers write about the same press conference. Today, a police story caught my eyes - it is quite amusing, in contrast to the usual serious and straightforward crime stories. It talked about police setting up a mock casino in the police school, to arm the policemen with knowledge on gambling games so that they could tackle illegal gambling more effectively.

I read the same story in three local English dailies. Two played up the mini casino angle while one focused on a "guide on violent crime probe" instead.

(Background: Muslims are forbidden to gamble in their religion so people would be very curious to know why is there a "casino" to teach the policemen, who are mostly Malays and therefore Muslims, to "gamble".)

The three leads are:

(The Star)

There is a mini casino in the Cheras police college but don't bet on catching policemen gambling for real.

The mock casino is actually a training ground for policemen to wise up the ways of gamblers and cheats.

(Malay Mail)

Illegal gamblers beware as "gambling experts" will be watching you.

However, these "experts" actually comprise several trained police officers under the newly formed Gambling Prevention Training Laboratory.

The formation of the was (sic) set up to combat illegal gambling activities.

(NST)

The nation's top cop yesterday unveiled the new manual for investigating violent crime such as rape, murder and armed robbery.

... and somewhere in the middle of the story...

Besides the manual, Ismail also launched a mock casino designed to train police officers involved in cracking down on illegal gambling.

***

In terms of grabbing the readers' attention, I would say The Star has done the trick. Everyone - gambler or not - would would want to know why there is a casino in police college, while Malay Mail's story is somewhat directed at "illegal gamblers" only. And NST? Just another police story.

I'd pick The Star as the best story for it is most detailed. It brought in the guide on violent crime probe later while Malay Mail didn't mention it at all. The Star also quoted Inspector-General of Police on his confidence in his men (that they would not abuse their knowledge in gambling):

"Insya Allah (God willing), they will know their responsibilities and will not go against their badge," he said.

Speaking of quotes, I also noticed that both The Star and NST have similar quotes with slightly different wording.

(The Star)

"To catch a thief, we need to think like a thief," said Inspector-General of Police.

(Malay Mail)

"There is a proverb: 'To catch a thief, you need to be a thief'. This concept also applies here. Every year, the Royal Malaysian Police organises courses to train 'gambling experts' among selected police officers."

My guess is that the reporters translated and paraphrased the quotes, which is a common practice here.

unusual article on thanksgiving time

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/21/nyregion/21citycritic.html?hpw

The story is about the reporter who goes to a factory farm to slaughter her own turkey and how disgusted she feels about the process. I commend the writer's guts to have written a profound piece like that in this 'festive' time, although thanksgiving is traditionally a celebration of harvest.

Sadly, a movieland pot-boiler

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/17/us/17publicist.html?scp=2&sq=ronni%20chasen&st=cse



http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2010/11/ronni-chasen-slaying.html



http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/source-chasen-killing-planned-camera-47151


The murder of Los Angeles-based publicist Ronni Chasen reads like a mystery script; sadly, though, it is the tragic story of a real person.
The coverage is fascinating. The New York Times gives the story a sort of business-angle edge; the LA Times paints it as uber-cop-shop.
This should be the LA Times' story, but it seems like the movie-industry publications are really doing the digging. (Links above)

Similar Viewpoints by Different Sources in the Guantanamo Acquital story

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/18/nyregion/18ghailani.html?ref=us

Though the news article reports the acquittal of someone accused of a terrorist conspiracy and even expounds upon the intricacies of the case, an underlying theme/viewpoint is established via the commonality in the subject of quotes. This kind of thing establishes coherency and better flow in the story. I personally find it very interesting when I am interviewing two completely different people and they draw almost identical conclusions.

---------------------------------------------

1.) “This verdict is a reaffirmation that this nation’s judicial system is the greatest ever devised,” Mr. Quijano said outside the courthouse. “It is truly a system of laws and not men, where, in the shadow of the World Trade Center, this jury acquitted Ahmed Khalfan Ghailani of 284 out of 285 counts.”

2.) Judge Kaplan told the jurors they had demonstrated that “American justice can be rendered calmly, deliberately and fairly by ordinary people, people who are not beholden to any government, not even ours.”

“It can be rendered with fidelity to the Constitution,” he added. “You have a right to be proud of your service in this case.”

Descriptive Writing

When our guest speaker Constance Hale was reading out the passage (that many of us didn't quite like), I thought of a book I read a few years ago. It's by Merlinda Bobis from the Philippines. I remember struggling with the book because it was TOO descriptive. I like descriptive writing in general but felt hers was over the top.

I am going to share a passage here, from her book "Banana Heart Summer":

Once upon a time, the bittermelon was sweet and not frowning. It was a shiny, smooth green of the palest hue, with no creases at all. It was a fruit, not a vegetable. It was served for dessert. It was sweeter than mangoes but less fleshy, and it was lean with character; it did not give in too easily to the teeth. People ate it as they would eat corn, gnawing around and around the elongated green flesh, crunchy and sugary sweet, till it was naked, white and vulnerable-looking; a collection of teeth marks. Thus exposed, it became ashamed of itself. Time and again, it worried that its underbelly, with such a savage imprint, would be seen by human eyes and judged. So it began to flinch each time it came in contact with teeth, any stripping teeth for that matter. And each time it flinched, its smooth skin tightened, creased a bit, like a worried forehead. Then each time it worried, its sweetness diminished and an acrid taste crept in its place. With this shifting flavor came a change in color: it slowly darkened. By the time it turned a deep frowning jade, it was struck out of the dessert list. It had become a bitter vegetable, fallen out of favor with most palates, pushed to the culinary fringe.

It's well crafted, no doubt. But I felt it's not for light reading; I had to really focus on the words and process them to fully understand the story.

ny times writes about its own story!

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/15/technology/15pulse.html

This story is very close to my heart because it involves my brother-in-law, Akshay Kothari. He co-built an app for ipad which became top selling app and was featured by Steve Jobs in his conference. New York Times had got into a controversy with the app builders with the argument that Pulse (name of the app)-a news reader- featured it among other news sources without its permission which apparently drove traffic away from its website. As the app is an RSS reader it is totally valid to feature anything in public domain including nytimes. Pulse's supporters voiced against nytimes and ultimately Pulse was back on Apple products.

I was surprised to find hints of this story within the linked story which reaffirms a positive win of journalism- to exclude its management from editorial side!

Immigration stories by state

Since my final story is about illegal immigration, particularly in Boston, I have been much more aware of this issue and its coverage in the media. It seems to be a perennial issue, but one with no consensus or resolution. Perhaps it is one that needs neither and has simply become fodder for sensational news stories?

The coverage ranges from Arizona to Massachusetts...and just about everything in between.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/17/opinion/17friedman.html?hp

Thomas Friedman's column in today's New York Times, "Too good to check," is pertinent to last week's discussion in class about the role of journalists, and the importance of checking facts and sources. The rumor that Obama's Asia trip would cost $200 million a day travelled far before being checked and debunked by Anderson Cooper/CNN, after Minnesota Republican Michele Bachman stated as fact the projected expense on his show. But the rumor had already spread through the web.

Friedman nails the significant damage this kind of "journalism" can do:

"When widely followed public figures feel free to say anything, without any fact-checking, we have a problem. It becomes impossible for a democracy to think intelligently about big issues — deficit reduction, health care, taxes, energy/climate — let alone act on them. Facts, opinions and fabrications just blend together. But the carnival barkers that so dominate our public debate today are not going away — and neither is the Internet."

But I am skeptical that his concluding hope (below) will come to pass.

"All you can hope is that more people will do what Cooper did — so when the next crazy lie races around the world, people’s first instinct will be to doubt it, not repeat it."

I think it is significant, considering our discussion last week, that Friedman does not expect readers to check facts. Readers are unlikely to have the information or contacts to be able to do an accurate fact check.

Maybe I'm missing something here

http://www.mediabistro.com/galleycat/sarah-palin-refudiate_b16867

‘Refudiate’ Named Word of the Year
By Jason Boog on November 15, 2010 4:20 PM

New Oxford American Dictionary has picked ‘Refudiate’ as the 2010 Word of the Year. Other words on the shortlist included crowdsourcing , gleek, retweet, and Tea Party.

This is the opening of the story that is linked to above.

It's great to see this publication believes English is a living language that evolves.

But I found it ironic that no definition was given for the Word of the Year.

LA Times versus Boston Globe - Rangel Story

The tension and drama of the situation is heightened through the quotations in the LA Times story reporting the same thing as the Boston Globe. Both stories seem effective; however, the LA times story has a larger emphasis on quotes.

I pasted the end of both stories and the link. It is easy to see the difference in the tone of both just from the last two paragraphs of each story. The LA Times version of this same story is significantly more loaded than the Boston Globe one.

http://www.boston.com/news/nation/washington/articles/2010/11/16/rangel_walks_out_as_house_ethics_trial_begins/

“I see no evidence of corruption,’’ Chisam said in response to questions from Democratic lawmakers. Noting that sloppiness is not an excuse for breaking the rules, he described Rangel as “overzealous in many of the things he did.’’

After Rangel’s walkout, his office issued a statement saying he will not resign and will move forward with his legislative work.

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-rangel-trial-20101116,0,5314269.story

"I see no evidence of corruption," Chisam responded, adding: "Do I believe, based on this record, that Congressman Rangel took steps to enrich himself based on his position in Congress? I do not. I believe that the congressman, quite frankly, was overzealous in many of the things that he did, and at least sloppy in his personal finances."

"So you're saying, then, sir, that sloppiness is a defense?" asked Rep. K. Michael Conaway (R- Texas) several minutes later.

"I don't believe it's a defense at all," the chief counsel responded. "In fact, I believe that it's a violation of the rules."

Canned quotes are pure mush

In this article on the Concord Patch,

http://concord.patch.com/articles/verrill-farm-harvest-festival-raises-12000-for-emerson-hospital-pediatrics

The topic of this article is in the headline, and the article is clearly a press release. The single quote is hollow and ineffective. I have written many a press release myself, having worked for small nonprofits for the last twenty years, and boy is my face red. Wish I had taken this course a long time ago. The (yawn) quote is below.

"How can we possibly express our gratitude to Steve and Joan Verrill for what they have done for pediatric patients at Emerson," said Kay Liebmann, nurse manager of Emerson Hospital's pediatric intervention team. "Any words we might say seem inadequate."

"How do we thank two people for giving so much of themselves to benefit the emotional well-being of the children of our community? On behalf of all the children who come to Emerson and the staff who care for them, we offer our appreciation and sincere gratitude."

Quotes Frame Story

Quote directly following lede:

"It was very clear that Kendrick Morris was as guilty as hell," jury foreman Robin Richter told the St. Petersburg Times.

End of Story:

Richter says she's an animal advocate who prefers to focus on furry creatures than human ones.

"The more that I learn about people, the more I'm disappointed in humans," she said

http://www.tampabay.com/news/courts/criminal/jury-foreman-calls-kendrick-morris-guilty-as-hell/1126456

---------------------------------

The journalist has used the words of this juror (Robin Richter) to frame her entire story. Richter's spoken words reveal critical plot info ---- the fact that Morris is guilty, but his insertion of "guilty as hell" is very powerful. Also, his words placed in the last line are a very apt ending to a story reporting someone's guilt of a heinous rape. The story almost ends with a formulated conclusion. It ends with a the judgement passed about humans as a whole (Richter's words). But this is done without the journalist actually generating a conclusion herself. Conclusion: Quotes can be incredibly powerful!

NH Murder Case Sentencing-Steven Spader

http://www.boston.com/news/local/breaking_news/2010/11/spader_jury_is.html?p1=News_links

This article used very descriptive revealing quotes to really carry the story. The writer really found some pointed quotes that described the atmosphere in the courtroom, the night of the horrific crime and the psychotic behavior of the convicted murder Steven Spader.

Spader was sentenced to life in prison for the murder and attempted murder of a Kimberly Cates and her 11-year-old daughter, Jaimie in their New Hampshire home. Spader and his accomplices broke into the home in the middle of the night. Spader woke the mother and daughter up by stabbing them repeatedly with a machete.

Quotes from article really bring together the feelings of the court: "The judge told Spader she wanted "to make sure you stay in that cage for the rest of your pointless life.''"

"I could go on for days and days about the depths of your depravity,'' Abramson said from the bench. "It's sufficient to say you belong in a cage.''

"She has had to witness more evil in this world than any human being,'' her father said. He said she has undergone numerous surgeries, some of which has left her body with scarring. "The emotional scarring she has felt is immeasurable at this point.''

Some Quotes

1. One of LeVine's pictures, later presented in court, showed Morrison with his hand near the crotch of his pants. ''Never saw him expose himself, though,'' LeVine said.

http://www.miamiherald.com/2010/11/09/1917262/fla-clemency-board-considers-pardon.html#ixzz14tGMRmRv

This quote just works because it plays off of the picture and it illustrates that there is doubt as to the nature of the incident in question. It’s also short and funny which is important in piece that is light in nature.

2. “I was up at 3:30 in the morning working on this," says Siffin, who has cropped gray hair, intense gray eyes, and wears a striped green shirt with a tightly knotted tie. "It's been driving me nuts."

http://www.miaminewtimes.com/2010-11-04/news/mark-siffin-times-square-in-miami/

This quote is just great. It doesn’t provide the reader with any substantive information. It’s there to give a sense of character and place. I also like quotes that work in two parts. Here you have an initial quote, a description, and then a finishing quote.

3. Even Mr. Sanford concedes he was “very, very close” to resigning. “I wanted to curl up,” he said. “I wanted to go down to my farm in Beaufort County and never see another TV for the rest of my life.”

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/10/us/politics/10sanford.html?_r=1&hp

This quote look good in the article, but now that I look at it in the abstract it looks even better. The quote gives a vivid description of the subject’s feelings. The execution is great as well. I like how it separated “I wanted to curl up,” and then went on to another quote. It would seem that the quotes may have been close in time, but that may not be case.

Credit and a Look at the Editing Process

http://www.mediabistro.com/fishbowldc/wapo-rips-off-two-stories-media-writer-says-it-doesnt-matter_b24792?sms_ss=gmail&at_xt=4cda824298cc8011,0

Above is a link to a story that details how credit was left out of a Washington Post story. This is the kind of story that sets reporters' teeth on edge -- because when things go wrong in the editing process, the reporter's name is still on the piece.

Effective quotes...for different reasons

1) “This is a verdict for justice,” Dr. Petit said afterward. “The defendant faces far more serious punishment from the Lord than he can ever face from mankind.”

From:
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/09/nyregion/09cheshire.html?ref=todayspaper

2) “The Department of Homeland Security has done a horrible job of, one, explaining the policy; two, explaining the implementation process; and three, explaining the local jurisdictional role,” said Chung-Wha Hong, executive director of the New York Immigration Coalition, who has urged the state not to join the program. “It doesn’t inspire confidence.”

From:
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/10/nyregion/10secure.html?ref=nyregion

These are bold, direct, evocative words and paraphrasing them would weaken the article.

3) Bush seemed eager to explain himself on the use of waterboarding, which simulates drowning, as a method of interrogation. He said he personally approved use of the tactic on Khalid Sheik Mohammed, a plotter of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, adding that when he was told that it and other harsh interrogation techniques were legal, he ordered: "Use 'em."

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/11/08/AR2010110807347.html

The brevity of this last quote is effective and set up by the journalist's explanation and paraphrasing. The choice of direct quotes is powerful, if for no other reason than because they utilize Bush's exact words and, in doing so, illustrate the picture of an over-simplified, even ignorant, approach to a complex issue.

Quotable Quotes!

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/10/science/space/10galaxy.html?_r=1&hp

What stood out to me in the quotes in this article from scientists is their light nature. While some were like one/few word quotes: "They're big" and "Wow;" the ones that I like most are: “This shows again that the universe is full of surprises,” and “I have failed to find dark matter, but I got a very pleasant consolation prize!” The quote about surprises shows that some unexpected/unfathomable phenomenon has occurred in the universe. The quote about consolation prize in the humorous vein struck me because of the analogy and the fact that it is coming from a space scientist!

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/10/world/asia/10prexy.html?hpw

I feel this article could have been split into Obama's Indonesia visit considering he spent his childhood there and international relations. I like the closing quote wherein Obama hints on "disadvantage" of being a celebrity! “Now,” Mr. Obama said, “as president I can’t even see all the traffic because they block all the streets.”

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http://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/10/us/10gibbs.html?hp

This is an example of lack of quotes in a sensitive story. I was surprised there was only one quote in this 650-word article. When we are told that quotes add life to a story, the only quote in this one is from army investigator justifying why Army had not interviewed Afghan villagers after killings: “strategic consequences that puts people at risk.” The quote is a typical diplomatic one which doesn't say much either.

The Boston Phoenix on the rally to restore sanity

Oh, Phoenix, you had me at "pre-flight spliff the size of a tampon..."

Cholera Outbreak in Haiti

The different approaches to this story are somewhat wide-ranging and interesting.

The BBC story struck me as the most effective. It is informative, pithy and straight forward, with a video of first hand coverage to supplement the written article. I didn't wade through any convoluted descriptions or explanations. The format was appropriate for this kind of story.

The AHN version is shorter, but more long-winded, in some ways, and doesn't offer as much in the way of information. A map of Port-au-Prince is offered, but there is no video.

I had difficulty getting through the entire Haiti Libre take on the story. It is wordy and I lost interest halfway through the lede. Although it offers much of the same factual evidence, I wasn't as interested in finishing the story and I couldn't retain what I had read when I finally did.

As a writer who tends to use flowery language and verbiage, I'm appreciating the simpler and more straightforward nature of well-written news articles. I still have a lot to learn in this area.

Who Cares About 58 People Being Shot in a Church

Below is New York Times article about the church Mascre in Iraq.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/02/world/middleeast/02iraq.html?pagewanted=all

The piece starts with a punch, but it lost momentum as I read on. Even though the story was interesting I just stopped reading. I think the sentence structure is too contrived and unnatural and thus makes it hard to read. Also, the structure and layout of the article is a bit annoying. I feel the piece is just throwing information at me.

On the other hand, a Boston Globe article on the same mascre just flows better and is easier to read. The link is below.

http://www.boston.com/news/world/middleeast/articles/2010/11/01/baghdad_church_siege_ends_with_52_dead/

This article just draws you in with its intial description. It just flows and provides information and quotes without loosing the reader. Furthermore, the layout is much better and one is not distracted by pictures.

That being said, what really got to me is the lack of coverage of the matter altogether. I think 58 people killed in a catholic church is a big deal. It is an affront to all western civilization. However, media coverage is minimal.

This is a story that should have been covered in all its brutal detail. People need to see what this kind of violence is about. The media should show the death and destruction in all its horror. It seems to me that the media is just staying away from this story.

If you really want to get their attention all you have to do is burn a few Korans in your back yard. After all, another 58 people killed in Iraq is no big deal.

Elegant craft

http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2010/11/07/bruised_but_emboldened_patrick_maps_road_ahead/?p1=News_links

Describing Governor Patrick's attitude going into his next term, Globe writers Frank Philips and Michael Levenson use quotes gracefully and cogently to illustrate and cap each point in the article.

(Interestingly, the nut graf is in the headline: "Bruised but emboldened, Patrick maps road ahead." Surely these seasoned reports worked closely with the headline writer in this one.)

The article begins by reminding readers about Patrick's plan in 2007, at the dawn of his first term, to use the grassworks network he had built so effectively during his campaign. Legislators did not like the way Patrick's supporters leaned on them, however, and Patrick backed off. Not this time. Here is the quote:

"I'm not going to listen to that. That's democracy," Patrick said. "And if that's a problem for people, get over it."

Later in the article, Philips and Levenson cover fallout from the campaign. After describing the past relationship between Baker and Patrick, including the fact that Patrick had once asked Baker to be his running mate, the current relationship is wrapped up succinctly with the following from Patrick:

“Charlie’s a prominent, engaged business person,’’ he said. “I’m sure our paths will cross.’’

Pressed to elaborate on the tensions that developed during the campaign, he said: “I have the whole range of human feelings. I just don’t need to comment on all of them publicly."

’Patrick's quote on the gambling issue forms most of the paragraph on this issue, because it requires almost no framing or context:

...because “all the air goes out’’ of Beacon Hill when gambling is being considered. “Nothing else happens,’’ he said. "I still think a limited expansion of gaming, in the destination-resort setting, is good for Massachusetts,’’ Patrick said. “But I’ve got some other stuff I want to move on."

In this disappointing season for Democrats, Patrick offered the following advice for Democrats in future campaigns:

“If there’s a role I can play in encouraging other candidates to run like they’re willing to lose, and to lead like they’re willing to lose reelection, then I’m glad to do that,’’ Patrick said. “But, again, consistent with my day job.’’

This article is well worth reading to get a good lesson in effective use of quotes. It helps, of course, to interview a person who speaks as eloquently as Patrick.

Quote of the day: New York Times Style

On Thursday, The New York Times posted the quintissential quote, AP Style: "Now, I'm not recommending for every future president that they take a shellacking like I did last night. You know, I'm sure there are easier ways to learn these lessons." [President Obama discussing Tuesday's election results.] Like a snapshot, these two sentences resonate with sentiment and tell a story. No paraphrasing here, just the facts. You know immediately which way the election went.

But to the Times credit, the daily quotation box is not reserved solely for power brokers or notable names. Take today's quote: "The government says we are bad for the animals, but I was born here and the animals were born here, and we have lived together very well." Gana Taoxaga, a Bushman in Botswana. [A1, 'For Some Bushmen, A Homeland Worth the Fight']. Who knew there was contention with the indigenous peoples of central Botswana? But thanks to the Times, this silent sadness now has front page coverage on a worldwide stage. If it weren't for the pullout quote, I would have missed the story.

Thank you New York Times for bringing us back into the wider world. Yes, there is life beyond the rabid realm of U.S. politics.

In honor of yesterday's elections

Sound bytes are vitally important in today's political spectrum. I thought it would be interesting to examine headlines relating to the election results, and how they might provide evidence of the paper's leanings.

I chose this angle because I noticed some interesting headlines on the New York Times political section. For example:

"In Republican Victories, Tide Turns Starkly"

Stark is a harsh-sounding, very memorable word. It has associations in English with madness and sudden, potentially unwanted change. It's rarely used in a positive light, even if its use here doesn't technically break objectivity.

"Tea Party Comes to Power on an Unclear Mandate"

Again, there's nothing here that can't be defended. However, it's a stark contrast (hah!) from the Tea Party's oft-repeated claims of what they stand for (small government, reduced spending, etc.).

"G.O.P. Leaders Vow to Repeal Health Care Law"

This one is interesting because it's next to a picture of a very glum President Obama. Rather than pin blame on him (like, say, the WSJ headline, "Obama Takes Blame for Losses") the onus on on the GOP. Now, if you opposed Obamacare, that headline might make you ecstatic. But I assume a large part of the New York Times readership (myself included) was not particularly happy with last night's election results.

Quote Abuse

My brother, always one to broaden my political horizons, brought this Michael Gerson column in the Washington Post to my notice because he thinks Gerson correctly identifies Obama's problem: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/10/18/AR2010101803778.html?nav=hcmodule

Gerson quotes Obama, and then unpacks the quote. Here is the quotation and context:

"Part of the reason that our politics seems so tough right now," he recently told a group of Democratic donors in Massachusetts, "and facts and science and argument [do] not seem to be winning the day all the time is because we're hard-wired not to always think clearly when we're scared. And the country is scared."

I took issue with Gerson (and my brother) because Gerson goes on to create an argument entirely based on "us" and "them": Obama is a "neocortical" snob out of touch with everyone else and dismissing the general population as "reptilian." Gerson takes two sentences from Obama's mouth and imbues them with horrendous meaning that Obama could not possibly have intended. This is a classic case of quote abuse.

Rally to Restore Sanity/Fear Article by Wash Po.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/10/30/AR2010103001573.html

Since I myself attended this rally, I was curious how it would be covered in the media. A lot of papers and outlet stayed away from covering it but the Washington Post covered it in a very neutral way. The discussed it from a very logistical, factual stand point and did include quotes that helped give a sense of the mood in the crowd. A lot of what was discussed was the transportation situation and crowds. One of the most visible aspect of the rally was the clever signs and I thought the Post did a good job of covering what was said and written. I think its hard to say if it was biased or not because it was written from the rally-goers perspective. It was an article that definitely captured the tone of the rally and the people that attended it.

Some good quotes:

"I find it incredibly ironic," says Jim Neimeier, who drove to Washington from Wisconsin for the event, "that I had to come to a rally sponsored by a comedian to get at the truth."

"This is the most American thing I've ever done!" a young man screamed into a plastic megaphone, handed out by Comedy Central.

"There's so many people out there who are easily distracted," said the 39-year-old doctor. "And there are people who are yelling and screaming and protesting and they don't even know what they're talking about."

"I do vote," says Teddi Fishman, 46, the director of the Center for Academic Integrity in Clemson, S.C. "But more than entertainment or politics, I just think this is a release for everyone. We've had so much tension."

Timely Halloween and UNICEF Halloween Fundraiser-Good Use of Quotes

Schoolteacher created Halloween UNICEF Fundraiser http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/10/30/AR2010103003751.html?waporef=obinsite

I thought this article was timely because Halloween was last weekend and because the founder, Mary Emma Allison, of the very successful UNICEF Halloween Fundraiser also just died at the age of 93. I think the article uses quotes from her family members effectively and shows the strength of a woman and the culture of kindness and paying it forward she created with her family, community and the country. I like the quotes that show that the widespread success of the program was a huge surprise to Allison. It's clear she was doing this from the heart and encouraging children to use Halloween as a positive day to help others in need.

"We didn't know the idea was catching on until money started coming in to UNICEF," the Allisons' daughter, Mickey, said Saturday. "I was so proud of the money in my container," Mickey Allison said. "We loved the whole idea of trick-or-treating. We dressed like kids from other countries because they were the ones we were collecting money for."

I just felt the article really captured the essence of a woman who really dedicated her life to children and charity and the quotes show how her legacy was created and carried on by her children.

Language and details

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/03/world/middleeast/03iraq.html?hpw

I was amazed at how a news piece like this about terrorist attacks in Baghdad was presented with powerful verbs and details.

The lede itself incorporates actions like "unleash" and "thwart'." Lede: "Insurgents unleashed attacks across Baghdad on Tuesday night, setting off more than a dozen coordinated bombs in a bloody declaration of their ability to thwart the government’s efforts to secure Iraq’s largest and most important city."

Facts follow in the nutgraf succeeded by a succinct quote from a victim, "It was just storm and fire," with details like he was stirring his tea when he was "hurled" into the air.

In addition to putting forth various sides of the story through victim, civilians, government; the article includes descriptions for a grim news story I seldom find. For instance, ""security was teetering," "jockeying" and "sheen of normalcy." To mention that it was a clear and mild evening and that to word it as the explosions "sent people flying" sort of distracted me from the serious development.

So who is 'The Media'?

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/01/business/media/01carr.html?_r=2&partner=rss&emc=rss



http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10306/1099880-153.stm

With Election Day here, it's sort of the calm before the storm, and so it's time to flog or defend "The Media" to fill up some news space until some real news comes along.(Links above.)

My question in all this is, who exactly is this "Media" that everyone seems to expound on so expertly?

Is it the women on The View? Two comedians, an actress, a reporter and person with a line of clothes on QVC?

Is it Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert, both of whom are comedians?

Is it Oprah? (Often forgotten that she actually did start out in TV news.)

When I use the term "media," I'm referring to professional reporters, photographers and editors -- but I'm not sure that's the current popular definition.

Two New York Times stories on faulty Halliburton cement supplies to BP

The New York Times posted two stories covering the "unstable" cement Halliburton supplied to BP for its well. The article, "Panel Says Firms Knew of Cement Flaws Before Spill", by John M. Broder has a more focused lead and body than "Inquiry Puts Halliburton in a Familiar Hot Seat" by Barry Meier and Clifford Kraus. I'm a bit surprised that The New York Times' editors placed both of these stories on the "Front Page" section of their "Today's Paper" page online.

Lead

Broder's lead lets the reader know what the article is about right away, "Halliburton officials knew weeks before the fatal explosion of the BP well in the Gulf of Mexico that the cement mixture they planned to use to seal the bottom of the well was unstable but still went ahead with the job, the presidential commission investigating the accident said on Thursday." However, Meier and Kraus' article doesn't mention the Halliburton cement incident until the second paragraph. Instead, it talks about Halliburton's past issues which gives readers no idea of what the article is about. Meier and Kraus lead with, "Halliburton is back in the spotlight, and once again, in an uncomfortable way. In recent years, the giant energy services company has found itself under scrutiny over allegations that it performed shoddy, overpriced work for the United States military in Iraq, bribed Nigerian officials to win energy contracts and did brisk business with Iran at time when it faced sanctions." When I read that lead, I was a little lost. I had no idea which one of those topics the article was about. Turns out, it was about yet another topic covered in later paragraphs.

Body Paragraphs

Broder's body paragraphs stay focused on the Halliburton's cement controversy. In contrast, Meier and Kraus are all over the board with their Halliburton story. They keep going back and forth between the cement controversy, Halliburton's past controversies, and Halliburton's image damage. It has three separate stories that can be their own articles. It's confusing.

Juan Williams: the facts, please

Anyone interested in the Juan Williams controversy should read the following February 2009 post on NPR.org by the NPR ombudsman. So refreshing to have actual facts reported along with opinion. This post lauds Williams' achievements as a journalist, quotes other well known NPR reporters speaking about Juan Williams in glowing and bewildered terms, and discusses the pitfalls of holding two jobs in two news organizations with such different purposes, principles and goals.

http://www.npr.org/blogs/ombudsman/2009/02/juan_williams_npr_and_fox_news_1.html

Then read the recent ombudsman post on Williams' firing. Once again, facts! The post lays out the ways in which Williams did, in fact, act in contradiction to the code of ethics of one of his employers.

http://www.npr.org/blogs/ombudsman/2010/10/21/130713285/npr-terminates-contract-with-juan-williams

By the way, I can't find a code of ethics for Fox News. Surely one exists?

Michael Moore's Response to Juan Williams

I tend to have mixed feelings about Michael Moore, and The Huffington Post, for that matter. However, I found Moore's letter (in his typical tongue-in-cheek style) interesting and worth a look.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/michael-moore/juan-williams-is-right-po_b_772766.html

ON JUAN WILLIAMS

The whole incident with Juan Williams is exemplary of the problems with media today. The lines are blurring and it’s hard to tell what is commentary and what is news. I agree with Juan Williams right to reveal his thoughts and I agree that it is nothing out of the ordinary to hear such things in the O’reilly Factor.

I don’t know if it is appropriate to for Juan Williams to play different roles on NPR and on FOX NEWS. On NPR , Juan Williams, was more tamed. A measured commentator, but on FOX NEW is he is more daring and edgy.

Juan Williams was playing to opposite spectrums. I don’t think Juan Williams is the problem. The media is the problem. The media is the problem because it has a problem. The problem being that it has to entertain and each outlet has to compete for attention. Unfortunately, it’s not easy to get attention with good stories and reporting. These days in order to get attention one needs a little controversy is needed.

Lede with descriptive verbs

The AP article "Indonesia's volcanic eruption claims 25 lives" posted on indianexpress.com uses descriptive verbs to report the volcanic eruption on Wednesday in Indonesia. The lede is phrased as, "Rescuers scoured the slopes of Indonesia's most volatile volcano on Wednesday after it was rocked by an eruption that spewed clouds of searing ash, killing at least 25 villagers including an old man known as the mountain's spiritual gatekeeper."

The verbs, "scoured", "rocked", and "spewed" gave my mind vivid images as I was reading the lede. The choice of verbs also made me feel the intensity of the volcano. Because the article captured my senses, it automatically made me feel connected to the event although I live on the other side of the world from it. Making a connection made it personal and I wanted to know more about it. For me, it's a good lesson on the power of using descriptive verbs to capture the reader's senses in a Lede.

http://www.indianexpress.com/news/indonesias-volcanic-eruption-claims-25-lives/703207/

Internet Privacy and Harrasment Case Discussed

I always find articles that discuss internet cases interesting because a lot of times these cases are setting precedents to rules regarding internet conduct. In the age of the internet, rules and restrictions will need to catch up with the growing use of the internet in manners that are legal, illegal, appropriate, disparaging and compromising to individual's safety and privacy. It's fascinating to see how our legal system is going to try and catch up with what's happening in the age of the internet and as a journalist how you cover these stories.

http://www.boston.com/business/technology/articles/2010/10/20/court_to_google_tell_nyer_who_posted_about_her/

National Journal is Retooling

http://www.boston.com/ae/media/articles/2010/10/25/national_journal_is_back_in_nimbler_form/

This telling article was tucked deep in the business section of the Globe today. The National Journal, a policy and process heavy journal that is a very expensive must read for DC lobbyists and agencies, has started to see the virtual light. At heart of their journalistic turn to a glossy magazine format and a user-friendly on-line site is the competitive heat they feel from DC news outlets such as Politico. "In a day and age when people demand to have it (news) when they want it and where they want it, the National Journal wasn't delivering that." The National Politico's storyline about their retooling: "we are at war."