The New York Times had an interesting story this week about weather forecasters as heroes. Predicting dangerous weather patterns and warning viewers of impending doom puts the weatherman right in harms way: He shouts from your living room TV to go to the basement. With his jacket off, he tells you about the trouble of whipping winds licking your windows. And, if you listen to him, he may save your life. Continue reading
UPDATE: News Corp.’s problems: Pah. Big deal
(Originally published on July 17; Updated on July 20)
News Corp. and its journalists (maybe even its executives) have been charged with hacking into private phone lines, or computer, or files. Big deal. Who cares? It’s not like journalists don’t do this stuff — or use similar tactics — each day anyway. Continue reading
Why do we cut journalism apart?
“Why do you hate journalism?”
It’s a question I get sometimes from journalists – and students – who read my blog and papers or who listen to my lectures that ask cultural questions about journalism and news. It’s odd, these people say, that a journalist, a journalism instructor, and a researcher would write “bad things” about journalism. Continue reading
Single? A look at sourcing
This won’t surprise anyone who has taken my classes or anyone who has heard my lectures on journalism ethics. Others should try not to fall out of their seat or hit me. Here it is: I really don’t know if I believe journalistic ethics exist. Continue reading
Why we want to kill baby killers
Baby killer acquitted.
This could easily have been the headline to the coverage of a Florida mother accused – and acquitted – of killing her 2-year-old daughter this week. Continue reading