Wednesday, February 25, 2009

This week's story links

New York Post: The original Sean Delonas cartoon (choose February 18 from the menu)

New York Post: "That Cartoon" -- the apology (sort of) plus reader comments

New York Post: "Statement from Rupert Murdoch" (publisher of the Post)

Huffington Post: Good summary of those who criticized the cartoon and the paper

Michelle Malkin: "Going ape over the NYPost" (conservative blogger's reaction plus links and reader comments)

New York Daily News: "Spike Lee wants boycott of New York Post over chimpanzee cartoon"

Washington Post: "Monkey Business: The good news for men: Women love apes"

Washington Post: "Editor's Note" apologizing for Monkey Business column

Washington Post: "Chatalogical Humor" -- transcript of live chat with columnist Gene Weingarten calling the apology a mistake

Washington City Paper: "What's Up with WaPo's Ape Editor's Note?"

Newsweek: Sharon Begley's column "Why Pundits Get Things Wrong"

New York Times: "Libel Suit Against The Times Ends" (check Editor's Note and Statement from Iseman's Lawyers as well)

Politico: "Iseman to Politico: The Times lied"

Columbia Daily Tribune: "Belcher eager for new position"

Columbia Missourian/KBIA-FM: "The Beat: Superintendent candidates take questions at forums"

Midwest Innocence Project blog: "Josh Kezzer freed after more than 16 years" (reprint of AP report by Alan Scher Zagier)

Tuesday, February 17, 2009

Video and the Radio Star

No, we're not killing the radio version of Views! But we are ADDING a new video version starting tomorrow. Watch the blog for a link to streaming video of this week's program. You know you're dying to see what we look like! Beginning with NEXT week's show, we'll also stream it live when we tape it (at 11:30 am on Wednesdays) just in case you can't wait until 6:30 for your Views fix. If all goes well, we'll add more opportunities for you to interact with the Views crew in real time. Keep watching, listening, or both.

Mike

Wednesday, February 11, 2009

Views of the News, Feb. 11, 2009

Columbia's main commercial news-talk station fires the remainder of its news staff ... questions about transparency in the Columbia school superintendent search ... and, the AP threatens to sue an artist over the use of an image. Panelists: Mike McKean, Lee Wilkins, Charles Davis.

Listen to the show.

Subscribe to the podcast.

Links to this week's show topics

Columbia Tribune: "Radio station again trims its news staff." "Trims" is a euphemism for "eliminates."

Columbia Missourian: "Superintendent candidate Deming takes questions at forum."

Columbia Tribune editorial: "Superintendent: An odd search process."

Columbia Missourian: "History offers lessons in selecting superintendent," (George Kennedy column).

New York Times Opinion blog: "Battle Plans for Newspapers."

Time Magazine: "How to Save Your Newspaper."

NPR's Morning Edition: "Artist, AP Disagree Over Photo Credit, Payment."

NPR's All Things Considered: "Fair Use or Infringement? Obama Image in Spat."

Monday, February 9, 2009

Sensational news

Sensationalism is a difficult charge for journalists to refute. Often, it comes down to an "I know it when I see it" response.

But, the recent coverage of the California octuplets certainly qualifies. Not only have news organizations devoted an extraordinary amount of limited air time and newsprint to this story, but much of what has been published and broadcast smacks of voyeurism. And, rather than providing real news coverage, journalists have contented themselves with interviewing the mother and her family--and of asking questions that ask for opinion rather than asking for opinion in response to fact. These are easy stories. They are emotionally appealing (in the sense that they provoke emotion), but they display little critical thinking on the part of journalists.

Here is one set of stories I applaud: interviews with physicians and medical ethicists about the appropriate standard of care. These stories could be localized--in general, they have not been, even though infertility afflicts many in the mid-Missouri region.

Here is the set of stories I would like to see: inquiries into whether the California departments of social services are taking a look at the case and others like it; inquiries into the help the mother's church and community are providing to the family; an inquiry and publication of how much money, if any, various news organizations are paying the mother for her story. All of this can be done without vilifying the mother while asking difficult questions about the role of civil society in events such as this, including the role of the news media.

This news event has been treated in a sensational way. But, it does not have to be.