As my own tenure decision loomed, in my darkest moments I consoled myself by noting that, even if I had been denied tenure, I would have spent most of my 20s studying what I love and most of my 30s drawing a steady salary teaching and researching what I loved, along the way managing, by…
The headline made me click the link, and the lead made me blog it. (I confess I didn’t actually read the story, because I doubt anything could live up to that kind of an introduction.) A crackpot Times Square performer who was once busted making anti-Semitic slurs while dressed as Elmo admitted Wednesday he tried…
Powerful, painful essay. Worth revisiting. In the picture, he departs from this earth like an arrow. Although he has not chosen his fate, he appears to have, in his last instants of life, embraced it. If he were not falling, he might very well be flying. He appears relaxed, hurtling through the air. He appears…
On October 2001, this thoughtful article appeared in the journal First Monday. This is a fascinating glimpse of the world before YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, before most people carried around digital cameras, when the home pages of Fox and CNN advised readers to turn on their TV sets for the latest news. Just as the assassination…
Brilliant. The combination of a looks-too-good-to-be-true video, the patina of respectability that comes when a TV talking head introduces the clip, and the internet as a means for spreading links illustrates just how easy it is to fool lots of people — including professionals who should know better. I did show the original video to…
Thanks for the suggestion, Nicole. The 4th Estate Project’s study of 2012 election-year coverage found that major U.S. newspapers and TV news programs featured up to seven times as many quotes from men as women. Men’s voices were dominant even in stories on abortion, birth control, Planned Parenthood, and women’s rights. The 2013 Status of…
“Daddy, I’m sick of your tears.” –my 11yo, after I misted up reading from Church’s 1897 “Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus” editorial. Update, Sep 10: In the past few years, as my kids have become active in the arts, I have developed a habit of tearing up during their performances. I will silently…
“Mr. Frisbie,” I called to him, and he stopped and turned around, taking off his bowler hat and smiling as he shook my hand. I got right to the point. “I’m trying to come up with a column for the dog days of summer,” I told him. “Something quick and fun but smart. But I’m…
Mrs. Miller doesn’t read the entire newspaper. “Some people put in things that don’t interest me, like who is going to host church next time,” she said. She reads letters from former hometowns and from her older sister, 89-year-old Ada Coblentz, who writes for the Budget and recently noted she had a chest cold. Both…
A newsworthy story is recent (rather than stale), rare (rather than common), affects many (rather than few) people, has weighty (rather than trivial) impact, happens nearby (rather than far away), and involves prominent (rather than ordinary) people.
Brutally honest satire, from The Onion. Over the years, CNN.com has become a news website that many people turn to for top-notch reporting. Every day it is visited by millions of people, all of whom rely on “The Worldwide Leader in News”—that’s our slogan—for the most crucial, up-to-date information on current events. So, you may…
The AP Stylebook jumped in price by more than $2 over the summer, to about $15. I assume this has everything to do with the fact that college students are buying textbooks like mad. Price History Chart of 0465082998 The Associated Press Stylebook 2013 (Associated Press Stylebook and Briefing on Media Law). Similar:My J-Term course…
Here is the entry on it from The Times’s “Manual of Style and Usage,” a guidebook used by reporters and editors throughout the newsroom: transgender (adj.) is an overall term for people whose current identity differs from their sex at birth, whether or not they have changed their biological characteristics. Cite a person’s transgender status…
As the recent death toll in Egypt surpasses 500, news of Muslim Brotherhood supporters being slaughtered in Rabaa Al-Adawiya Square has been an especially tragic manifestation of the powder-keg that is “post-revolutionary” Egypt. Just days before, our photographer found himself embroiled in an MB protest near to that now-tragic location. While this story does not…
Because you know you have the chance to tell stories for a living. Which is pretty cool. via 31 Undeniable Truths That Journalism Majors Can All Agree On. Similar:Replacing Disputed Flags with Related ArticlesInstead of flagging links to questionabl…Business100 Careers for English MajorsAnyone with an English degree will tell …AcademiaMusician uses computer algorithm to…
From PR Daily.com: In no particular order, below are some top journalism resources that can help PR pros understand today’s journalist and move toward a more cohesive, beneficial relationship for both sides: • Jim Romenesko (@romenesko and jimromenesko.com): Daily news, commentary, and links about journalism and media. • Sree Sreenivasan (@sree and sree.net): Columbia University’s first chief digital officer and a…
We as journalists can learn a lot from video games. They can help players explore unfamiliar worlds and experience stories, almost literally, through the eyes of another person. Designed well, video games guide players to feel emotion and conflict, as well as learn the intricacies of complex subjects and systems. They engage users in a…
It doesn’t happen often but when filler text is left and actually makes the printed edition, it’s a big, public embarrassment. Guess the rule of thumb is – always, always, always, always, always double check your headlines. They don’t call it dummy text for nothing. —15 Times “Filler Text” Become a Journalist’s Worst Enemy. Similar:After…
As “one big news team,” all 54 student reporters work for TCU360 regardless of their story’s medium. Content is published on the website and social media throughout the day, seven days a week. The Daily Skiff, still published Tuesday through Friday, acts as an aggregator of the week’s best content. The “leadership team” consists of…
Plenty more where those came from. The Lost Art of Proofreading. Similar:College Seniors Confident about Their Work Ethic, Written & Oral Skills; Employers Disagre…According to the NACE 2018 Job Outlook, …AcademiaNo, these "Perspective matters" photographers aren't misrepresenting the size of a fire in…I have shared and liked this image, and …AestheticsAddis, LA: Little Orphan Annie stopped…