Press freedom under pressure

It’s World Press Freedom Day, and my guess is that most Americans don’t have a clue. The day was set aside by the United Nations 15 years ago to raise awareness of the importance of a free press and to honor journalists who take tremendous risks to tell stories their governments don’t want people [...]

Cranky, magnificent bastards

That’s what talk show host Craig Ferguson called us over the weekend, and it was a compliment. The host of the CBS Late Late Show entertained a packed crowd at the annual White House Correspondents Association Dinner in Washington on Saturday night. Mixed in with the jokes about Vice President Cheney already moving [...]

What’s legal online and off

With so many outlets for content these days, broadcast lawyers are busier than ever. Jerry Fritz, legal counsel for the Allbritton stations, says the vetting process for TV news is actually faster and better than it used to be because he can read scripts and watch video online before stories go on the air. [...]

Faked out (again)

The Los Angeles Times has apologized for a recent story that it says was partly based on fake documents. The story quoted records obtained from the FBI as saying that associates of rap producer Sean “Diddy” Combs set up the murder of Tupac Shakur. But the paper’s editor, Russ Stanton, now says [...]

Context counts

The scandal involving New York Gov. Elliot Spitzer brought out a raft of commentators and “expert” analysts, which is to be expected.  But viewers should also expect to be told a little bit about who these experts are and why they’re worth listening to.  Context makes a difference but often it’s not provided.
Last night, for [...]

When blogging is a firing offense

A senior producer for CNN, Chez Pazienza, says he was fired last week for keeping a personal blog, Deus Ex Malcontent. The network won’t discuss the specifics, but a spokeswoman told the New York Times, “CNN has a policy that says employees must first get permission to write for a non-CNN outlet.” Pazienza [...]

Another gaffe, another suspension

MSNBC’s David Shuster has been taken off the air for a comment he made about Chelsea Clinton being “pimped out” in her role on her mother’s campaign.  The network suspended Shuster for an undetermined period of time, calling the remark “irresponsible.”  Shuster apologized to viewers for what he called “inappropriate” language.
I apologize to the Clinton [...]

Suspended for what?

Two high-profile anchors were taken off the air temporarily this month after making offensive comments–one on the air and one off air. Now their employers’ actions in suspending them are drawing criticism, too.
Golf Channel anchor Kelly Tilghman said during a tournament that the only way to beat Tiger Woods was to “lynch him in [...]

Pros and cons of social network reporting

The list of online tools you can use in reporting keeps growing, along with the benefits and pitfalls of relying on social networks for information. Jennifer Woodard Mazerazo, associate editor of PBS MediaShift, says her latest favorite tool is Twitter:
The service acts as what some call a “gate jumper.” Because of the way it’s [...]

Primary colors

Here’s a new wrinkle on an old dilemma. When Michigan voters go to the polls in their state primary today, they can vote in either the Republican or Democratic race. But under the law setting up the primary, voters have to write down which ballot they want and that list will be [...]