The Blogging Journalist

Twitter is a Useful Tool for Bloggers, Journalists

BuzzMachine proprietor Jeff Jarvis pays homage to Twitter in his February 25, 2008, Guardian column. I was surprised to learn how many ways people use Twitter, especially since Twitter opened up its Application Programming Interface (API). See "Why short is tweet for the blogging community."

According to Jarvis, Twitter is being used by journalists on the U.S. presidential campaign trail:

I read feeds of my friends' updates on twitter.com or on my phone via SMS (that is what sets the 140-character limit on messages). I also read feeds of news headlines from the Guardian and individual reporters. Jim Long, a network news photographer, Twitters from White House trips. Ana Marie Cox, the former Wonkette blogger and queen of the snarky political post, has been using Twitter to cover the US primaries for Time.com. I blogged about that, saying she has found the perfect medium for her bon mots and snipes. She responded that Twitter is the perfect medium for covering a campaign. The format gives us a glimpse into what's happening right now, and cuts to the bone. It's a hack's haiku.

Jarvis says, "Because Twitter opened itself up with an API - a programming interface that enables developers to create new services on top of it - all sorts of new inventions are springing up."

Technorati Tags: Twitter,Jeff Jarvis,Ana Marie Cox,The Blogging Journalist

Adam Tinworth: 'Are Journalists as Annoying as Bloggers?'

Adam Tinworth, who reports "on bloggers, journalists and other media reptiles" at One Man and His Blog, published a February 3, 2008, post headlined "Are Journalists as annoying as Bloggers?" You might find it entertaining, even educational.

Technorati Tags: Adam Tinsworth,One Man and His Blog,Journalists,Bloggers,The Blogging Journalist

Utah Court: Journalists Can Refuse to Disclose Sources

"The Utah Supreme Court has adopted one of the strongest rules in the nation allowing reporters to refuse to identify confidential sources," Stephen Hunt of The Salt Lake Tribune in Salt Lake City, Utah reported January 24, 2008.

If you want details, see "State Supreme Court OKs new rule protecting journalists' sources."

Technorati Tags: Utah Supreme Court,Utah Journalists

Hazards Facing Aging Journalists and Writers

Today I read New York Times writer Alan Feuer's fascinating article in the book section of The Times headlined "Jimmy Breslin’s Perpetual Deadline." If you are old enough or a student of newspaper history and journalism, you may or may not know that James "Jimmy" Breslin was once one the most colorful reporters and columnist in New York, a city that has had its share of legendary journalists over the years: Jack Newfield, Murray Kempton, Walter Winchell and Pete Hamil, who writers for The New Yorker, to name four.

Breslin ran with Norman Mailer and was beaten up by mobsters. But today he's a 77-year old writer trying to hang in there as things around him change rapidly.  

I found Feuer's piece on Breslin quite nostalgic. I was a Breslin fan in his heyday. Above all, I was a fan of the legendary Chicago columnist Mike Royko. As far as I'm concerned, he's the greatest of his era. Breslin was second. However, Royko is long gone and Breslin probably is not too far behind. So what's it like for an aging writer such as Breslin? Perhaps Feuer touched on something when he wrote:

But death, of course, is not the only hazard facing aging writers; nostalgia also kills, especially the newspaperman whose business is today. Mr. Breslin’s bona fides as a newspaperman need no introduction: there was the early stint as a copy boy at The Long Island Press; triumphant sojourns at The New York Herald Tribune and The Daily News; the brutal beating at the hands of a Lucchese family gangster who didn’t much care for an article he once wrote; and, of course, the chilling receipt of a loony letter from David Berkowitz, the serial killer known as Son of Sam.

"And with a past like that," Feuer writes, "it would perhaps be excusable if Mr. Breslin simply churned out pieces from the time capsule and sat back on his journalistic laurels. While his last few books were tepidly received and did not attract the typical strong reaction, he remains quite busy — as a crank, a scold, a public nuisance, a curmudgeon of the foulmouthed Irish mold, who has made a cottage industry out of keeping alive the grit, vitality and maverick spirit of New York’s phone-booth-and-fedora days."

I love reading about old journalists and reflecting on how they practiced the craft and what we see today. I can be put in the old class because I started working as a journalist around 1972 or 1973. However, I don't yearn for the good old days. The new days, which gave us the Internet and blogs, are just fine with me.

Technorati Tags: Jimmy Breslin,Alan Feuer,The New York Times

Is There a Gulf Between Bloggers, Professional Journalist?

Back on December 3, 2007, Felix Salmon at Portfolio.com's informative, Market Movers blog posted a commentary headlined "Blogonomics: The Gulf Between Bloggers and Professional Journalists." I recommend it.

Technorati Tags: Blogonomics, Bloggers, Journalists, Felix Salmon, Market Movers

Corante: Some Journalists Resist Covering Breaking News

Online journalist Kevin Anderson, writing in the December 21, 2007, edition of Corante:  As I recently wrote, newspapers can break news again, but some journalists are resisting the shift. Here in the UK, there is a feeling amongst some that this would turn them into little more than 'wire reporters'. Their words not mine. They think that breaking news has to be sensationalist, shoddy and often, wrong. But why?

For the answer, see "'Working at the speed of news, not the speed of the press.'

Technorati Tags: Corante, Kevin Anderson, Breaking News Coverage

Why Roy Greenslade Resigned From National Union of Journalists

CHICAGO, USA -- "I have stood back for too long from the digital debate raging within the National Union of Journalists [link added]," writes Roy Greenslade, professor of Journalism at City University  in London and a media columnist for the Guardian,  in an  October 25, 2007,  post. "But postings by Jeff Jarvis and the Daily Telegraph's Shane Richmond cannot be ignored. They remind me of my tightrope walk as I try to maintain my allegiance to the NUJ, and especially to its Journalism Matters campaign, while I want every media outlet, and therefore every journalist, to embrace the online world."

To read more of Greenslade's post, see "Why I'm saying farewell to the NUJ."  Jarvis comments on Greenslade's stand in an October 25, 2007, post headlined "Leaving the union."

As Jarvis notes, NUJ is not blind to the changes in media. He cites a piece in which Donnacha DeLong noted on June 4, 2007 that:

"Recent technological advances are changing the landscape of the media. This has been predicted for many years, but the past year has seen technological convergence finally take root in all parts of the media in the UK and Ireland. Video on local newspaper websites, broadcasters blogging, press officers with cameras, magazine podcasts."

DeLong, who "represents new media journalists on the union’s National Executive Council," acknowledged that, "These developments present huge challenges for the NUJ. The union is separated into sectors for broadcasting, newspapers and agencies, magazines and books, PR, freelance and new media – divisions that are increasingly uncertain and may soon be obsolete. The union needs to change – but how much, and in what ways?"

Technorati tags: Roy Greenslade, Jeff Jarvis, National Union of Journalist

The Michigan Messenger Debuts

 The Conservative Media (TCM) reported September 10, 2007, that, "A new venture was launched in Michigan [USA] today..."

 According to TCM, "The online newspaper/blog the Michigan Messenger was launched today, and it’s a collaboration of professional bloggers and journalists across Michigan with the goal of breaking news and influencing the conversations about issues that face our state."

To read more, see "New progressive online newspaper and blog launched."

Technorati tags: The Conservative Media, Michigan Messenger

Jeff Emanuel: 'All Combat Zone Journalism is Not Created Equal'

"The recent headline-grabbing announcement that, in an effort to bolster the network’s sagging ratings, CBS Evening News anchor Katie Couric [link added] will be coming to Iraq for 12 days in September has, as it should, caused new attention to be cast on combat zone journalism," contends Jeff Emanuel, "a director of conservative weblog RedState.com,  in an August 30, 2007, post at Red State, that was originally published at National Review Online.

"However," Emanuel declared in his post datelined Baghdad, "amidst all of the hubbub and hoopla about the ‘danger’ of her trip to Iraq, it is important to draw a distinction between what Ms. Couric and the majority of her colleagues in the media are doing, and what others in Iraq are contributing, information-wise, to the debate."

To read more, see "All Combat Zone Journalism is NOT Created Equal."

Technorati tags: Katie Couric, Combat Journalism, Jeff Emanuel, RedState.com

ICJ to Honor Egyptian Blogger, Burmese Reporter November 13

Egyptian blogger Wael Abbas and freelance Burmese investigative reporter May Thingyan Hein will be honored November 13, 2007, at the International Center for Journalists (ICFJ) awards dinner at the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center in Washington, D.C., USA. See "Along with Tom Brokaw, they will be honored at the  International Center for Journalists Awards Dinner on Nov. 13. They are the 2007 Knight International Journalism Award Winners.

Abbas, 32, who blogs at Digital Misr, told Jumana Al Tamimi, Middle East Editor at Gulf News.com:  "I was surprised, but at the same time, don't know how to describe my feelings, (at the time of receiving the news of the award). "I had mixed feelings. I have met with appreciation and honour from strangers and foreigners, which I don't get from my compatriots." See "Egyptian blogger first to win award.

Technorati tags: Wael Abbas, May Thingyan Hein, International Center for Journalists, Knight International Journalism Award, Digital Misr

Dale Dougherty: 'Journalism is Burning Or How Breaking News is Broken'

Dale Dougherty over at O'Reilly Radar says the way Blogger Scott Beale told the story of the early and unexpected burning of Burning Man on his LaughingSquid blog illustrates how effective blogs can be in following a breaking story. See "Journalism is Burning Or How Breaking News is Broken."

"He reported the story by updating the blog over time," Dougherty notes, adding: "The practice is not unusual for bloggers. Revising or appending an update after the main or original story is fairly common.

"However," Dougherty wrote, "as this particular story grew and grew, Scott decided to keep adding more and more updates to the same blog post instead of creating new and separate posts each day. As of late today [August 31, 2007], he had twenty-four updates, each one adding some new piece of information to the story or linking to others and it was playing out elsewhere. The last update I read was a link to a Jimmy Kimmel segment where he's making fun of the story."

I found Dougherty's post worth reading.

Technorati tags: Dale Dougherty, O'Reilly Radar, Scott Beale, LaughingSquid

Yes, Jimmy Justice is a Journalist

BuzzMachine proprietor Jeff Jarvis argues this week in his Guardian column "that what Jimmy Justice does, videotaping errant traffic cops, is vigilante journalism, but journalism nonetheless."

I saw Justice recently on the Today Show and thought he was obnoxious and a clown. Yet, I have to agree with Jarvis. The man is a journalist.  He is out there exposing lawbreaking by New York City cops.

To read more of Jarvis' post, see "Jimmy Journalists."

Technorati tags: BuzzMachine, Jeff Jarvis, Jimmy Justice

Gaza Journalists Protest Harassment by Hamas

On August 28, 2007, "Scores of Palestinian journalists staged... a protest against what they termed the Hamas-linked executive force’s practices against journalists" in Gaza, according to the International Middle East Media Center.

As Wikipedia notes, Gaza "is a coastal strip of land along the Mediterranean, bordering Egypt on the south-west and Israel on the north and east." The online encyclopedia says "the Gaza Strip is not currently recognized internationally as a de jure part of any sovereign country."

If you're interested in reading more about the protest, see "Gaza journalists stage a protest."

Technorati tags: Palestiniian Journalists

The Editors Weblog: 'Journalists are Digitalizing, not Disappearing'

The Editors Weblog reported August 28, 2007, that, "It may seem like traditional media are perishing by the day, with constant news of newsroom layoffs. But according to Mediashift," The Editors Weblog said, "the pessimistic media forget to mention that newsrooms are increasingly hiring journalists for digital positions."

"For example," the publication adds, "while people focus on Tribune Co.’s latest decision to cut staff at the Los Angeles Times, they don’t see that there are 85 interactive job openings at Tribune."

To read more, see "Journalists are digitalizing, not disappearing."

Technorati tags: The Editors Weblog, Journalists Are Digitizing

Fifty Missouri School of Journalism Students to Report On 2008 Olympics

Kansas City.com, the online presence of the U.S.-based Kansas City Times, reported August 27, 2007, that, "Fifty student journalists from the University of Missouri-Columbia will go to China to cover the 2008 Olympics in Beijing."

To read more, see "Student journalists from MU to cover Olympics in China." Also see the Missouri School of Journalism's "University of Missouri-Columbia, Beijing Olympic Organizing Committee, Renmin University of China Sign 'Memorandum of Understanding'."

Technorati tags: University of Missouri-Columbia Journalism Students

The Barrie Examiner to Make Readers Partners in News Coverage

The Barrie Examiner of  Barrie, Ontario, Canada told its readers on August 28, 2007, to mark September 8, 2007, on their calendar "because not only will you be able to see The Barrie Examiner's newly designed website, but you will also be part of it."

To read why, see Revamped Examiner website will belong to you! »

Technorati tags: The Barrie Examiner

IJN to Hold Multimedia Seminar for Latin American Journalist

Journalists "from across Latin America" are expected to meet in Panama September 14 and 15, 2007, to discuss topics such as "the multimedia trend, citizen journalism, blogging, and producing for the Web," the International Journalist Network (IJN) reported August 27, 2007.

IJN noted that "Besides writing scripts, today’s journalists at networks such as CNN or Univisión must record audio and edit video for the transmission room."

To read more on the upcoming gathering, see "Seminar to analyze role of multimedia journalists."

Technorati tags: International Journalist Network, CNN, Univision, Latin American Journalists

Recommended: 'Blogs and Real Journalism'

Highly recommended: Connecting the Dots editor Steve Borsch's August 23, 2007, post "Blogs and 'real' journalism.

"Just make sure you keep your critical thinking cap on as you read a blog, a newspaper or watch TV news," Borsch advises. "Even 'real' journalists are increasingly sitting at their desks, searching blogs and competing news groups to come up with stories they can publish. It's not just we bloggers who are pontificating."

Technorati tags: Steve Borsch, Connecting the Dots, Blogs and Real Journalism

Joe Gandleman's Observations on Tension Between Bloggers, MSM

In an August 23, 2007, post headlined "Mainstream Writers And Journalists Attacks On Bloggers Are Often Inaccurate Reporting," Joe Gandleman over at the beautifully redesigned Moderate Voice offers "a few quick observations on the ongoing tensions between the mainstream media and bloggers."

Gandleman's post is a commentary on Michael Skube's August 19, 2008, post headlined "Blogs: All the noise that fits." As might be expected Skube's screed resulted in a lot of commentary in the blogosphere and so-called mainstream media.

Technorati tags: Mainstream Writers, Journalists, Bloggers, The Moderate Voice, Joe Gandleman, Michael Skube

How UK's Farmer's Weekly Uses Online Forums to Get Information to Farmers

Isabel Davies, Community Editor of Farmers Weekly in the United Kingdom, has a column at Press Gazette.co.uk headlined "My Week: Isabel Davies." It's nothing fancy but I found it informative. I saw immediately the benefit of Farmers Weekly's online forum. For example, Davis wrote on August 23, 2007:

"Online communities helped Farmers Weekly get vital information out to readers on the new foot-and-mouth outbreak… and hear back from those affected."

That means readers got information fast and unfiltered although some of it may have been speculative. At least they were talking to each other.

By the way, Davies tells how she does her job. On August 13, 2007, she wrote: "I spend the morning in our weekly diary meeting dissecting our coverage in last week's magazine as well as online.

"The feeling is that we had addressed all the big issues – not least because of the positive feedback we've been getting through our new online forums, FWiSpace. They are proving invaluable as a way of getting information out to farmers quickly and also for picking up leads from our readers."

These forums are as important to farmers as TechMeme and Megite are to tech bloggers. Maybe even more so.

Technorati tags: Isabel Davies, Farmers Weekly, Press Gazette.co.uk, My Week: Isabel Davies, FWiSpace, TechMeme, Megite

Stephen Wellman: 'Blogging Convention Open Only To Traditional Press'

Stephen Wellman at the Information Week Blog, commenting on BlogWorld & New Media Expo's "first, industry-wide blogging tradeshow set for the Las Vegas Convention Center on November  8 - 9, 2007, made the following observation after he received an invitation to the show: "Chalk this one up to the great moments in unintentional irony department. I just received an invitation to "the industry's first BlogWorld and New Media Expo." What's interesting is that the only people who can get in with a media pass are traditional press. Just what kind of blog and new media show is this?

"Here is the best part," Wellman added :

Press credentials are open only to accredited members of the professional media and will require submission of articles and verification that you intend to write for a publication on the conference.

"Well, what counts as a publication?" Wellman asked, noting: "There are plenty of A-list bloggers out there who, under specific readings of this language, would not qualify as press. These bloggers have large and often influential audiences. But these bloggers are not journalists and do not claim to be. Will the show organizers ignore these people and leave them out? Or would they, too, qualify as press? And if these bloggers qualify as press, just who, or what, becomes the criteria for press?"

Great questions. Feel free to debate it here. To read Wellman's entire post, see "Blogging Convention Open Only To Traditional Press."

Technorati tags: BlogWorld & Media Expo, Stephen Wellman

Shane Richmond on 'Journalism's Essential Blogposts'

Thanks to Howard Owens' August 17, 2007 post Shane’s list of great media blog posts," I came across Telegraph.co.uk Communities Editor Shane Richmond's August 17, 2007, post headlined "Journalism's essential blogposts." The posts are fun to read as well as educational. I'd previously read several of them.

Howard's post "Old Fart Media vs. Distributed Media - a response to Howard Kurtz"  is on the list.

Technorati tags: Howard Owens, Shane Richmond, Telegraph.co.uk, Journalism's essential blogposts

Dan Gillmor Recalls Don Bolles and the Arizona Project

Blogger Dan Gillmor recalls in an August 11, 2007 post at the Center for Citizen Media Blog that, "Thirty-two years ago, Don Bolles [link added], a reporter with the Arizona Republic, was mortally wounded in Phoenix when a bomb destroyed his car. His murder sparked the Arizona Project, an unprecedented gathering of investigative journalists from around America who traveled to Arizona to investigate the corruption that, everyone understood, had led to Bolles’ killing," Gillmor notes.

"The project had its flaws," he adds. "Critics called the entire idea was a mistake. But the “Desert Rats” — the reporters and editors who did the work — and the news organizations that supported and published the long series did, in the end, have an impact both on Arizona’s power structure and the investigative-journalism field."

Gillmor's post comes in the wake of the August 2, 2007 murder of Oakland Post editor Chauncey Bailey, 57. It is believed that Bailey was assassinated by Devaughndre Broussard, 19, who wanted to stop him from investigating Oakland, California, USA-based Your Black Muslim Bakery. See "Suspected gunman booked in fatal shooting of journalist in California." Also see "Oakland: Update: Slain Journalist Was Granted Restraining Order."

I remember the murder of Bolles who was blown up in his car on June 2, 1976. He lived for eleven days. I met Bailey years ago in Chicago when he worked for a nonprofit called Comprand Inc. I also recall his days working as press secretary for former U.S. Representative Augustus Savage, Democrat of Illinois.

To read Gillmor's entire post, please see "Chauncey Bailey and Don Bolles."

Technorati tags: Dan Gillmor, Center for Citizen Media Blog, Don Bolles, Arizona Project, Chauncey Bailey

Wellington, New Zealand's 'Journalism Matters' Conference

There is a  Journalism Matters conference taking place this weekend in Wellington, New Zealand. According to an August 11, 2007, post at the blog No Right Turn, "The conference brings together journalists, academics, journalism educators and corporate representatives, and was organised by the EPMU [Engineering, Printing and Manufacturing Union] to debate the state of New Zealand's news media and what can be done to improve it."

To read more about it, see "Journalism Matters: Saturday Morning."

Technorati tags: Journalism Matters, EPMU, No Right Turn

McJoan's Take on Blogger, Journalist Interaction At YearlyKos 2007

Joan McCarter, a DailyKos contributor who writes under the name mcjoan, describes in an August 7, 2007, post  at the NewWest.Net/Politics group blog called “Diary of a Mad Voter,”how the three moderators of the second annual YearyKos Convention handled  the Presidential Leadership Forum staged in Chicago on August 4, 2007. Seven of eight Democratic presidential candidates showed up at the convention, which ran August 3, 2007 to August 5, 2007

The moderators were "New York Times Magazine’s Matt Bai, Kossack, Frameshop proprietor, and author Jeffrey Feldman, and McCarter. She said they "had hoped that the Presidential Leadership Forum would be more interesting, substantive, and interactive than previous [Democratic and Republican presidential] debates." Adds McCarter:

We tried to go for questions that would speak more to leadership and governing philosophy than hot-button issue reactions. Many of the topics covered in previous debates—as important as they may be—had already been talked out, and we were highly unlikely to learn anything new from them. On the issues previously addressed, we tried to come at them from an angle that would hopefully get us something new.

We wanted to try to force candidates out of their stump speech talking points--to set them a little on edge and try to force an informative conversation out of that discomfort. We were only partly successful—they have a hell of a lot more practice at this than us, and can turn a question on a dime into the one they want to answer. Even so, up there on stage, it felt like we had the most lively, engaged debate yet among these candidates.

McCarter's conclusion about bloggers, so-called mainstream journalist and political news coverage is found in her opening paragraph, which states: "The second annual YearlyKos convention has come and gone, and with it the days when bloggers could be dismissed by traditional media as some kind of fringe element. The coverage of the convention has reflected the reality that the community of bloggers and citizen journalists are highly informed, intelligent, and civically minded."

Technorati tags: Joan McCarter, DailyKos, New West.Net, YearlyKos Convention, Matt Bai, Kossack, Jeffrey Feldman

The Press, Blogosphere Showed Less Wariness at 2007 YearlyKos Convention

PressThink editor Jay Rosen, a journalism professor at New York University and one of the foremost analysts of new and old media, has produced the best analysis  I've read so far on press coverage of the YearlyKos Convention held in Chicago this past weekend. Writes Rosen in an August 5, 2007, post at PressThink headlined "Why Do We Suck? and Other Questions Political Journalists Asked Themselves at YearlyKos":

I've been reviewing the press coverage, blogging and video from the Yearly Kos conference in Chicago, trying to make sense of what happened between the press and the liberal blogosphere at this event. My main conclusion: more respect expressed for the blogosphere, and a little less wariness between the two groups. (But let's not overstate it.)

Can it be said better that? Perhaps. But when I read Jay's post, my conclusion was: Damn! This man is good. By the way, the post was also published in The Huffington Post, where Jay also blogs.

Technorati tags: Jay Rosen, PressThink, The Huffington Post, YearlyKos Convention, Political Journalists, The Liberal Blogosphere

Does Use of the Term Blogger Give Print Journalists an Advantage Over Bloggers?

While reading Syntagma editor John Evans' August 6, 2007, post headlined "Journalism or blogging?", the following paragraph stood out: "By tagging ourselves as bloggers, we hand a monumental advantage to the print journalist. We can be dismissed as clowns and unprofessional bag carriers."

There probably are many "bloggers" that care what professional journalists think of them but I'm not one of them. I was a journalist for many years and have friends who still are. I have no inferiority complex when it comes to them or any other journalist.

Having said that, I recommend "Journalism or blogging?" I'm all for good discourse on the subject. 

Technorati tags: Journalism or Blogging, Syntagma, John Evans

Mindy McAdams Made My Day

I heard from Mindy McAdams today, and felt quite honored. While she may not be a household name, she is one of the foremost proponents of Online journalism. I wrote about her in a January 13, 2007, post headlined "Mindy McAdams: 'Getting (and keeping) A Job In Journalism.'" On February 11, 2007, I wrote about her again in a post headlined "Mindy McAdams' Most Visited Posts For January 2007. " 

"I just discovered your blog, thanks to a mention by Brit j-blogger Adrian Monck," she wrote on August 4, 2007. "This is great! You are covering stuff that the other j-bloggers don't. Thanks!"

Mindy, a "journalist, journalism educator and Web developer" is the author of Flash Journalism: How to Create Multimedia News Packages.

Technorati tags: Mindy McAdams, Adrian Monck, Online Journalism

The Murder of Oakland Post Editor Chauncey Bailey

Richard Prince of Richard Prince's Journal-isms has been closely following the murder of Oakland Post editor Chauncey Bailey, 57. The former Oakland Tribune reporter was murdered August 2, 2007. See Oakland Journalist Gunned Down" and "Cops Say They Have Confession."

According to The Tribune, the "longtime Bay Area journalist ... was ambushed and fatally shot Thursday morning [August 2, 2007]  at 14th and Alice streets in downtown [Oakland, California, USA] as he walked to the Oakland Post, where he recently had been named editor." See "Update: Oakland Post editor slain in ambush."

According to the Associated Press, Devaughndre Broussard, "a 19-year-old California man affiliated with a Black Muslim splinter group, was booked into jail [August 4, 2007] in connection with the brazen daytime murder" of a Bailey "who colleagues said was working on a piece about the group." See "Suspected gunman booked in fatal shooting of journalist in California." Also see "Oakland: Update: Slain Journalist Was Granted Restraining Order."

I met Bailey years ago in Chicago when he worked for a nonprofit called Comprand Inc. I also recall his days working as press secretary for former U.S. Representative Augustus Savage, Democrat of Illinois. I send my condolences to his family.

Technorati tags: Chauncey Bailey, Oakland Journalist Gunned Down, Richard Prince's Journal-isms, Devaughndre Broussard

101 Journalists, Media Staff Killed So Far in 2007

BBC News' Petru Clej reported July 4, 2006, that "The abduction and captivity of the BBC correspondent Alan Johnston in Gaza [Palestine] has highlighted the dangers journalists are facing all over the world." 

Johnson was freed July 4, 2007, after 114 days in captivity at the hands of the so-called Army of Islam, which Haaretz correspondent Avi Issacharoff calls "the "institutional" name taken on by the bandit Doghmush clan." See "Analysis: Lucky for Johnston, Hamas kept its promise." 

The Palestinian organization Hamas, which controls the Gaza Strip, made the clan an offer they couldn't refuse.  

Clej noted that, "2007 is already on course to surpass 2006 as the deadliest year for journalists."

Clej also noted that, "according to the International News Safety Institute (INSI), 101 journalists and media staff lost their lives in the first six months of this year."

"Last year, 168 journalists were killed while on duty," Clej wrote, adding: "Iraq is by far the deadliest country, accounting for 40% of fatalities."

To read more, please see "Journalism: A dangerous profession."

Technorati tags: Alan Johnston, BBC, BBC News, Hamas, Doghmush Clan, International News Safety Institute

Fading to Black Still Covering Changes in the Newspaper Industry

It has been a while since I last visited Fading to Black, a blog that "look(s) at the downward spiral of the newspaper industry in the 21st century." I stopped by today and was glad to see that it is still keeping an eye on the drastic changes that have completely disrupted the journalism establishment. Now that I've gotten potentially debilitating health issues under control, I intend to go back to reading my favorite blogs and looking for new ones.

Technorati tags: Fading to Black, Newspaper Industry

Are Journalists Entitled to Special Consideration?

BuzzMachine's Jeff Jarvis has an article that looks at the sense of entitlement held by some journalist. See his' June 4, 2007, post headlined "Entitlement and reparations."

I also found a June 3, 2007, post headlined "Alas, the interview" enlightening. There is irony in it.

The 2007 Knight News Challenge Program Grants

Congratulations to  Adrian Holovaty, whose leaving his job at washingtonpost.com, New York University's Jay Rosen, who blogs at PressThink and is a force behind NewAssignment.Net,  and other bloggers, journalist and media scholars awarded Knight Foundation grants under the Knight News Challenge program.

Holovaty describes what it's like to win the grant in a May 23, 2007, post headlined "Knight Foundation grant." He'll "be founding a Web startup, EveryBlock, that focuses on making local news and information useful."

As journalism scholar Bob Stepno notes in "Grants awarded to explore online future of journalism," "We're not talking lunch money here... A half dozen of the grants are for more than $500,000. The top one is ten times that."

One could do some serious work with that kind of money.

Technorati tags: Adrian Holovaty, Jay Rosen, Bob Stepno, Knight News Challenge Program, EveryBlock, PressThink, NewAssignment.Net

Is Dave Winer's View Of Journalism Nonsense?

Scripting News editor Dave Winer says in a March 25, 2007, post:" Ian Betteridge thinks my view of journalism is "frankly, nonsense," comparing journalism to carpentry. "This is as silly as saying that carpenters are middlemen for wood merchants," he says. 

To read the rest of Winer's response to Betteridge's critique, please see "If I had a hammer."

Santa Barbara News-Press Editor Jerry Roberts' 'Sally Field Moment'

Former Santa Barbara (California} News-Press Editor "Jerry Roberts  had his “Sally Field moment” on Tuesday night, March 13, [2007] when more than 167 people showed up at the swanky Field Club Lounge at AT&T Park for , an event that raised more than $30,000 for Roberts’ legal defense against the $25 million lawsuit News-Press owner Wendy McCaw has brought against him," Molly Freedenberg of the Santa Barbara Independent reported March 14, 2007.

To read more, please see "Roasting Former News-Press Editor Jerry Roberts."

A Tribute To Fallen Journalist

Jamaican journalist Vernon Daley has an article in the March 13, 2007, edition of the Jamaica Gleaner headlined "In praise of fallen journalists."

Daley said, "People reading, listening and watching the news are often unaware of the dangers journalists face as they go about the business of keeping the public informed."

Mr. Friesen, Your Ignorance Is Showing

David L. Burton at Southwest Region News Service notes in a March 9, 2007, post that"

In the Feb. 27, 2007 issue of the Maneater, an independent student newspaper on the University of Missouri - Columbia campus, columnist (and pre-journalism student) Dan Friesen took a swipe at agriculture (students and families), rural living and weekly or rural newspapers."

"The result was a firestorm of criticism from campus. Friesen heard the complaints loud and clear. He even issued an apology saying he intended the column, entitled “I can service a horse” as satire.

The newspaper itself backed away from supporting Friesen by printing an editorial note saying, “The opinions of Dan Friesen or any other columnist, guest columnist or letter to the editor solely reflect the opinion of their respective authors.

I read Friesen's article and he is one ignorant journalist. He's poking fun--he says it's satire--at the very people responsible for growing some of the nation's food. Not only that, those country weekly's he makes fun of often foster a sense of community in rural counties and small towns, something often lacking in big cities. While he may see the activities of rural folk as inconsequential, they are important to those who take part in them. I see that importance in the small town papers I read weekly online. I love what they represent.

In fact, those papers are no different from neighborhood papers in cities. I read the major dailies in Chicago, but every week I buy the Hyde Park Herald, my neighborhood weekly, which was founded in 1882. It tells me what's going on in my Hyde Park Community. Not only that, it often provides a history lesson and tells me whose speaking at the University of Chicago and what authors are speaking in the community. The benefits are many. </