An excellent interview with Bill Moyers by Rachel Maddow. They discuss the Newscorp scandal and the state of journalism and editorial independence in mainstream media. . A Note on Rachel Maddow What separates Rachel Maddow from many of her colleagues is her willingness to critique her own performance as a journalist. Her interview with Jon… [Read more…]
July 14, 2011
by Journowatch
Rupert Murdoch and Newscorp may be at the vanguard of the “press-as-propagandist” phenomenon but they are hardly its originators, and will be far from its final practitioners. Rupert Murdoch is a lieutenant in a cabal of global business interests that seek to maintain power and control over the world’s economy at any and all costs.… [Read more…]
July 5, 2011
by Journowatch
Casey Anthony never mattered. Casey Anthony does not make laws, is not running for office, does not control any commodities or vital resources, is not at war with anyone, does not pose a terrorist threat of any kind, has not invented a new gadget or solved a long-standing problem. Casey Anthony is a nondescript person… [Read more…]
April 25, 2011
by Journowatch
Beginning at around 32:40, Mr. Lessig’s discussion of Wikileaks is of particular interest. The “spectrum of responses” (34:50) essentially maps out a way to express the range of editorial professionalism in all news outlets. Question six in my subscription news poll is related directly to this issue. It’s obvious that the people want more information… [Read more…]
Kombiz over at AmericaBlog Elections illustrates exactly how fringe misinformation enters our discourse: The easily debunked lies of Matt K Lewis Posted by Kombiz at 4/21/2011 08:44:00 AM Yesterday afternoon Matt Lewis [a reporter/blogger for the right-wing blog, The Daily Caller] printed completely without any verification that the Facebook page of a right-wing group shut… [Read more…]
April 14, 2011
by Journowatch
This commentary was initially buried deep in the large list of videos in my last post on the National Conference for Media Reform. This is better. Lawrence Lessig’s Rootstrikers presentation at the conference is about politics more than journalism but there is a strong connection to the main Journo Watch mission, which is to determine… [Read more…]
April 8, 2011
by Journowatch
The National Conference for Media Reform focused on media reform, media policy and media activism. It was an opportunity to strategize, network, share skills, swap information and inspire one another during three days of workshops, panels, caucuses, keynote speeches, meetings and parties in Boston. This post was as close as I could get to Boston.… [Read more…]
April 6, 2011
by Journowatch
A woman seeks refuge in a Tripoli hotel hosting western journalists. Nothing new in this version. If you’ve seen it anywhere, you’ve seen this. . Journalism has enemies. The most obvious are authoritarian tyrants and the thugs who prop them up. The outrage expressed by the reporters who witnessed that horrific scene in a Tripoli… [Read more…]
March 29, 2011
by Journowatch
The history of traditional media is the story of homogenization. From almost the moment Gutenberg made his first print run of identical, mechanically reproduced Bibles, the world has witnessed a consolidation of ideas, histories, cultural identities, academic and technological progress and just about every concept that can be communicated through language or symbols. We think… [Read more…]
March 24, 2011
by Journowatch
A Super Journalist is a person who gets paid no matter what. A Super Journalist can investigate any corporation on Wall Street, any mom-and-pop shop on Main Street, any government agency, church, union or NGO and never face the prospect of losing a job or a career as a result. Only strong, well-financed and politically… [Read more…]
March 17, 2011
by Journowatch
[Updates below] What can a reporter possibly gain from an interview with a dictator? Do reporters think they’ll get a scoop in the dictator’s palace somewhere? What possesses news crews to parachute into someone else’s war and report on places and people they know little to nothing about? And once you’ve become a part of… [Read more…]
March 12, 2011
by Journowatch
. “Fair and balanced” implies that all news stories have partisan ramifications and that reports that don’t end in political stalemate are inherently “unfair” and “biased,” a fallacy to begin with. But “fair and balanced” takes that ill logic to its illogical extreme by directly implying that all other news outlets are “unfair” and “biased”… [Read more…]
March 10, 2011
by Journowatch
With a total of 70 online responses so far, and a goal of at least 200 before closing the survey down, it seems a good time for a first period report (think hockey). Some very thoughtful and interesting comments, especially related to question six. Yes, the question is clumsy but it’s not an easy question… [Read more…]
March 8, 2011
by Journowatch
Anderson Cooper recently caught some flack from pundits, including the LA Times, who didn’t like his blanket declaration that Hosni Mubarak was “a liar” in his broadcasts from early February. While the question of whether or not Cooper’s presence in Egypt was too risky or even value-added for the audience in any way remains open,… [Read more…]
March 5, 2011
by Journowatch
Fox News “You Decide” promo. “We report, you decide” isn’t merely a cute slogan. It’s mainstreaming corruption. There’s a big difference between “freedom of speech” and “freedom of the press.” We’ve all heard the old adage about shouting fire in a crowded theater. The analysis that is often left out of that example is that… [Read more…]
February 19, 2011
by Journowatch
“Members of the Journalists Syndicate chanting against the regime and calling for his downfall and the fall of the Journalists Syndicate, Makram Mohamed Ahmed at the funeral of their colleague, journalist Shahid Ahmed Mahmoud” Egypt’s journalistic soul has been resurgent in recent weeks, from the resignation of a Nile TV anchor to the denunciation of… [Read more…]
February 17, 2011
by Journowatch
“Knowledge is power.” - Francis Bacon “The pen is mightier than the sword.” - Edward Bulwer-Lytton “The truth shall make you free” - John 8:32 Nowhere are these aphorisms more relevant than in the functioning of a legitimate, healthy democracy. And nowhere has the struggle to control both access to and dissemination of information been… [Read more…]
July 15, 2011
by Journowatch
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