For those of you who remember little Anna at earlier ACES conferences (and perhaps received one of her peanut butter-stained solicitations to join the group), here she is now. She's heading to New Zealand and Australia Friday for an orchestra tour.
Wednesday, June 27, 2007
Completely Off Topic
For those of you who remember little Anna at earlier ACES conferences (and perhaps received one of her peanut butter-stained solicitations to join the group), here she is now. She's heading to New Zealand and Australia Friday for an orchestra tour.
Sunday, June 24, 2007
Courtroom Ban
Gag Order
A Nebraska judge bans the word rape from his courtroom.
By Dahlia Lithwick
An accuser can be prohibited from using the word rape on the witness stand
Usually we leave it up to the linguists and philosophers to muse on the crazy relationship between words and their meanings. In the law, words—the important ones, at least—are defined narrowly, and judges, lawyers, and jurors are trusted to understand their meanings. It's precisely because language is so powerful in a courtroom that we treat it so reverently.
Yet a Nebraska district judge, Jeffre Cheuvront, suddenly finds himself in a war of words with attorneys on both sides of a sexual assault trial. More worrisome, he appears to be at war with language itself, and his paradoxical answer is to ban it: Last fall, Cheuvront granted a motion by defense attorneys barring the use of the words rape, sexual assault, victim, assailant, and sexual assault kit from the trial of Pamir Safi—accused of raping Tory Bowen in October 2004.
A Nebraska judge bans the word rape from his courtroom.
By Dahlia Lithwick
An accuser can be prohibited from using the word rape on the witness stand
Usually we leave it up to the linguists and philosophers to muse on the crazy relationship between words and their meanings. In the law, words—the important ones, at least—are defined narrowly, and judges, lawyers, and jurors are trusted to understand their meanings. It's precisely because language is so powerful in a courtroom that we treat it so reverently.
Yet a Nebraska district judge, Jeffre Cheuvront, suddenly finds himself in a war of words with attorneys on both sides of a sexual assault trial. More worrisome, he appears to be at war with language itself, and his paradoxical answer is to ban it: Last fall, Cheuvront granted a motion by defense attorneys barring the use of the words rape, sexual assault, victim, assailant, and sexual assault kit from the trial of Pamir Safi—accused of raping Tory Bowen in October 2004.
Saturday, June 23, 2007
Copy Editors and Donations (Part II)
Media Matters looks deeper into the issue of journalists contributing to political campaigns and notes a remarkable number of contributions by copy editors and other non-reporters. (I was surprised to see two people I know on the list.)
It also notes the relative lack of attention to a report about the rightwing domination of talk radio, no surprise to anyone who flips through radio settings.
On the propriety of donations by journalists: there seems to be almost a generational difference here. Many of us came into the business in an age when political donations by newsroom people was completely unacceptable. Many reporters and editors shied completely away from anything that would appear to show political leanings; some didn't even vote, or if they did, were careful to register as unaffiliated voters. But things have changed, obviously. We have former politicos dominating cable TV, not even trying to disguise their political agendas but often calling themselves journalists; we have savage attacks on talk radio creating political firestorms and we have the internet and bloggers.
So if a designer with no journalism background--you know, the designers who come out of art departments where they view the newspaper as just another forum for their art, not as journalism or anything even remotely like a sacred trust--or a sports statistician or a features copy editor whose job is to edit food pages--is giving money, is that a bad thing?
For example:
Or here's another:
D) The Lincoln, Neb., Journal Star, Paul Fell, editorial cartoonist, $450 in 2006 to Maxine Moul, Democratic candidate for the House.
I admit to pangs of discomfort with their actions but don't know. If you think your country is on fire, do you see a contribution as a way of putting the fire out?
And if you work for a media company that has endorsed only members of one party for president, is your measly contribution to someone in the other party really wrong?
As TV, radio and the internet blur the lines between commentary and reporting business interest and journalism, are newspapers getting touchier, demanding more and more purity?
Remember the late Abe Rosenthal's quote (paraphased a bit in this Los Angeles Times story by Tim Rutten:
One thing to know: check those ethics papers they tell you to sign at work. Know what you're agreeing to.
It also notes the relative lack of attention to a report about the rightwing domination of talk radio, no surprise to anyone who flips through radio settings.
On the propriety of donations by journalists: there seems to be almost a generational difference here. Many of us came into the business in an age when political donations by newsroom people was completely unacceptable. Many reporters and editors shied completely away from anything that would appear to show political leanings; some didn't even vote, or if they did, were careful to register as unaffiliated voters. But things have changed, obviously. We have former politicos dominating cable TV, not even trying to disguise their political agendas but often calling themselves journalists; we have savage attacks on talk radio creating political firestorms and we have the internet and bloggers.
So if a designer with no journalism background--you know, the designers who come out of art departments where they view the newspaper as just another forum for their art, not as journalism or anything even remotely like a sacred trust--or a sports statistician or a features copy editor whose job is to edit food pages--is giving money, is that a bad thing?
For example:
(D) Albany, N.Y., Times Union, Greg Montgomery, graphic design editor, $500 to the Democratic National Committee in September 2004; $725 to MoveOn.org, which opposed President Bush, in 2004; $1,600 to John Kerry in 2003-2004; and $250 to Sen. Robert Byrd, D-W.Va., in 2006.
Montgomery said he doesn't think of himself as a journalist — he designs covers for magazines and feature sections and does the occasional news graphic or map. He said the paper has no written policy on political activity. When he gave, he said, "I thought that was a particular point in time when it was time to stand up and be counted." As for any future donations, he said, "It's a moot point, because I'm out of money."
Or here's another:
D) The Lincoln, Neb., Journal Star, Paul Fell, editorial cartoonist, $450 in 2006 to Maxine Moul, Democratic candidate for the House.
"For your information, I did contribute the amounts listed to the Maxine Moul for Congress campaign in 2006," Fell said in an e-mail. "I am a freelance cartoonist, who contracts with the Lincoln Journal Star to draw three editorial cartoons a week.
"They don't pay me enough money to be able to dictate how I conduct myself in political campaigns. I generally do not donate to political candidates, but Maxine Moul is a longtime friend and former newspaper publisher where I got my start as a cartoonist back in 1976.
"Frankly, I don't give a rat's ass what the Lincoln Journal Star or their parent organization, Lee Enterprises, policies are on allowing newsroom staff to give to candidates and parties. I do not believe they did disclose my donations. That's their problem, not mine."
I admit to pangs of discomfort with their actions but don't know. If you think your country is on fire, do you see a contribution as a way of putting the fire out?
And if you work for a media company that has endorsed only members of one party for president, is your measly contribution to someone in the other party really wrong?
As TV, radio and the internet blur the lines between commentary and reporting business interest and journalism, are newspapers getting touchier, demanding more and more purity?
Remember the late Abe Rosenthal's quote (paraphased a bit in this Los Angeles Times story by Tim Rutten:
I don't care whether my colleagues sleep with elephants, so long as they don't cover the circus.
One thing to know: check those ethics papers they tell you to sign at work. Know what you're agreeing to.
Friday, June 22, 2007
hoMing
By ERIC TALMADGE, Associated Press writer
TOKYO - An American team searching for the remains of a Marine combat photographer who filmed the iconic flag-raising on Iwo Jima is honing in on the cave where he was believed to have been killed 62 years ago, officials said Friday.
TOKYO - An American team searching for the remains of a Marine combat photographer who filmed the iconic flag-raising on Iwo Jima is honing in on the cave where he was believed to have been killed 62 years ago, officials said Friday.
Thursday, June 21, 2007
Them Big Words
Language Hat, who always has interesting things to say about language, writes about journalism and vocabulary
Wednesday, June 20, 2007
Loaded Language
It's still early in the presidential campaign (it just feels long already but here's a question:
Does your publication accept "progressive" as some Democrats describe themselves? Is it a "Democrat term," as one editor I know contends, meant to make Democrats look as if they're for progress and Republicans are not? If so, what about "conservative"? Or "rightwing" which used to be verboten but I hear some Republicans and Fox News use proudly? Is "liberal" an acceptable alternative to "progressive"?
Does a group get to describe itself the way it wants? This reminds me of the endless pro-life/anti-abortion/pro-abortion/pro-abortion rights battle.
Does your publication accept "progressive" as some Democrats describe themselves? Is it a "Democrat term," as one editor I know contends, meant to make Democrats look as if they're for progress and Republicans are not? If so, what about "conservative"? Or "rightwing" which used to be verboten but I hear some Republicans and Fox News use proudly? Is "liberal" an acceptable alternative to "progressive"?
Does a group get to describe itself the way it wants? This reminds me of the endless pro-life/anti-abortion/pro-abortion/pro-abortion rights battle.
Sunday, June 17, 2007
What's Happening to Us?
Todd Oppenheimer offers a very thoughtful piece on the state of journalism, through a review of three books.
Thursday, June 14, 2007
All These Corrections Look the Same to Us!
From Regret the Error
ABC News confuses Marion Barry with judge suing over a lost pair of pants
Abc TVNewser spotted this report on NewsBusters:
As anchor Charles Gibson teased a Tuesday World News story, about DC administrative law judge Roy Pearson's $54 million lawsuit against a Korean family's Washington, DC dry cleaning establishment over losing a pair of his pants, viewers saw video of what clearly appeared to be ex-DC Mayor Marion Barry.
ABC has posted a correction (though it's not labeled as one):
Tuesday's 6:30 pm, ET feed of "World News" mistakenly used video in the program's open of DC council member Marion Barry instead of Roy Pearson. We immediately recognized the error and corrected all subsequent feeds of the broadcast. We are deeply sorry for this mistake and apologize to Mr. Barry, Mr. Pearson, and to our viewers for the error.
and
Fox News Apologizes Again for Tape Goof
By DAVID BAUDER
AP Television Writer
NEW YORK — Fox News Channel issued a second on-air apology Wednesday for mistakenly running tape of a different congressman while reporting on the indictment of Rep. William J. Jefferson on bribery charges.
House Judiciary Committee Chairman John Conyers of Michigan, whose picture aired while Fox anchors talked Monday about Jefferson's indictment, had been unhappy with Fox's apology Tuesday. Both congressmen are black.
ABC News confuses Marion Barry with judge suing over a lost pair of pants
Abc TVNewser spotted this report on NewsBusters:
As anchor Charles Gibson teased a Tuesday World News story, about DC administrative law judge Roy Pearson's $54 million lawsuit against a Korean family's Washington, DC dry cleaning establishment over losing a pair of his pants, viewers saw video of what clearly appeared to be ex-DC Mayor Marion Barry.
ABC has posted a correction (though it's not labeled as one):
Tuesday's 6:30 pm, ET feed of "World News" mistakenly used video in the program's open of DC council member Marion Barry instead of Roy Pearson. We immediately recognized the error and corrected all subsequent feeds of the broadcast. We are deeply sorry for this mistake and apologize to Mr. Barry, Mr. Pearson, and to our viewers for the error.
and
Fox News Apologizes Again for Tape Goof
By DAVID BAUDER
AP Television Writer
NEW YORK — Fox News Channel issued a second on-air apology Wednesday for mistakenly running tape of a different congressman while reporting on the indictment of Rep. William J. Jefferson on bribery charges.
House Judiciary Committee Chairman John Conyers of Michigan, whose picture aired while Fox anchors talked Monday about Jefferson's indictment, had been unhappy with Fox's apology Tuesday. Both congressmen are black.
Tuesday, June 12, 2007
Credit Where Credit Is Due
Since I'm complaining about The AP today, it's only fair to cite--not to mention, this memo is legitimate--and welcome-- news of its own.
Don't give equal weight to spin. Just because a public official says it doesn't mean you need to put it in your story or give his claim equal billing to what you know to be true. We have an obligation to write factual and fair stories, but we are not obliged to print attacks, spin or distortion under the cover of "fair comment."
You wouldn't think we'd have to say this, would you? But clearly we do. The influence of talking-head TV shows, who will put anyone, absolutely anyone, on the air and allow them to say anything virtually unchallenged, has, I believe, damaged us in print, too.
Don't give equal weight to spin. Just because a public official says it doesn't mean you need to put it in your story or give his claim equal billing to what you know to be true. We have an obligation to write factual and fair stories, but we are not obliged to print attacks, spin or distortion under the cover of "fair comment."
You wouldn't think we'd have to say this, would you? But clearly we do. The influence of talking-head TV shows, who will put anyone, absolutely anyone, on the air and allow them to say anything virtually unchallenged, has, I believe, damaged us in print, too.
Enough to Make You Blubber
On an otherwise fascinating AP story about a whale killed off the Alaskan coast last month that turned out to be more than 115 years old, these errors:
The whale harkens back to far different era.
It's "hark back," not "harkens back."
And even my bad math skills notices this:
The whale, which was nearly half a football field long.....
Hmm. Half a football field is 150 feet.
The 49-foot male whale died when it was shot with a similar projectile last month...
So maybe it was a third of a football field. {I was joking here. See the comments.}
Nice try, AP, but the errors detract from the facts of the story. Look, I'm not trying to pick on the AP but a lot of papers still just rip and read--if the AP provides it, it goes into the paper virtually untouched. That would, it seems to me, require that the AP and other services, including my own, take extra care. With the AP, it's especially important since even the smallest free papers are using it.
UPDATE: Doug Fisher has a link to an unusual math conversion site.
The whale harkens back to far different era.
It's "hark back," not "harkens back."
And even my bad math skills notices this:
The whale, which was nearly half a football field long.....
Hmm. Half a football field is 150 feet.
The 49-foot male whale died when it was shot with a similar projectile last month...
So maybe it was a third of a football field. {I was joking here. See the comments.}
Nice try, AP, but the errors detract from the facts of the story. Look, I'm not trying to pick on the AP but a lot of papers still just rip and read--if the AP provides it, it goes into the paper virtually untouched. That would, it seems to me, require that the AP and other services, including my own, take extra care. With the AP, it's especially important since even the smallest free papers are using it.
UPDATE: Doug Fisher has a link to an unusual math conversion site.
Monday, June 11, 2007
The AP's New Stylebook
This release of a new stylebook is usually enough to send my colleagues into fits of I-told-you-so's or WTF were they thinking? This should be interesting; I may even buy a copy so I can complain, too.
2007 edition of the AP Stylebook now available
NEW YORK -- The 2007 edition of the AP Stylebook and Briefing on Media Law is now available, in both print and online versions.
Norm Goldstein, editor of the 2007 version, says there's emphasis this year on the great functionality offered by subscription-based online access to The Associated Press standard-setting guidelines. "The online Stylebook provides searchable, instant access, with constant updates as well as notification of changes," Goldstein says. "It also allows the addition of a user's own entries to create a private stylebook."
Here's a sampling of revisions in the 2007 edition:
New entries include: African Union; airstrike; BlackBerry; Boogie; carry-on; Chennai; farmers market; female; GPS; headlines; hip-hop; homebuyer, homeowner; intefadah; Islamic holy days; Katmandu; mentally retarded; merger (Business); Mumbai; Swift boat.
Changes and updates include: Baha’i; datelines (Baghdad); daylight saving time; editor-in-chief; European Union; Fatah; Mexico; planets; plurals (Broadcast); RSVP; telephone numbers; U.S. time zones map; track and field (Sports); volleyball (Sports); headlines (Filing the Wire); Hold for Release slugs (Filing the Wire).
Deletions: husband, widower; Internet Search Tips; Laundromat; pupil, student; Serbia-Montenegro; U.S. Court of Military Appeals; Woman’s Christian Temperance Union.
Cost of the spiral-bound book is $17.95 for general orders, with discounts for members of the news cooperative. Go to http://www.apbookstore.com for details on pricing and ordering.
2007 edition of the AP Stylebook now available
NEW YORK -- The 2007 edition of the AP Stylebook and Briefing on Media Law is now available, in both print and online versions.
Norm Goldstein, editor of the 2007 version, says there's emphasis this year on the great functionality offered by subscription-based online access to The Associated Press standard-setting guidelines. "The online Stylebook provides searchable, instant access, with constant updates as well as notification of changes," Goldstein says. "It also allows the addition of a user's own entries to create a private stylebook."
Here's a sampling of revisions in the 2007 edition:
New entries include: African Union; airstrike; BlackBerry; Boogie; carry-on; Chennai; farmers market; female; GPS; headlines; hip-hop; homebuyer, homeowner; intefadah; Islamic holy days; Katmandu; mentally retarded; merger (Business); Mumbai; Swift boat.
Changes and updates include: Baha’i; datelines (Baghdad); daylight saving time; editor-in-chief; European Union; Fatah; Mexico; planets; plurals (Broadcast); RSVP; telephone numbers; U.S. time zones map; track and field (Sports); volleyball (Sports); headlines (Filing the Wire); Hold for Release slugs (Filing the Wire).
Deletions: husband, widower; Internet Search Tips; Laundromat; pupil, student; Serbia-Montenegro; U.S. Court of Military Appeals; Woman’s Christian Temperance Union.
Cost of the spiral-bound book is $17.95 for general orders, with discounts for members of the news cooperative. Go to http://www.apbookstore.com for details on pricing and ordering.
John Barrett, RIP
John Barrett, a former boss at the Hartford Courant and an editor devoted to journalism as well as his family, died Friday. A really decent human being, who tolerated my shenigans back in the 1970s and remained in touch even after he left the biz.
Sunday, June 10, 2007
Terror Story Play
Clark Hoyt gets off to an early start on new his gig as New York Times ombudsman with a calm and thoughtful look at how the Times played the JFK terror plot story.
Saturday, June 9, 2007
Sink Sank Sunk
From The AP:
None of the 22 other surveyed companies -- a group that included Yahoo Inc., Microsoft Corp. and AOL -- sunk to that level, according to Privacy International.
SANK. It's SANK, dammit! This one drives me insane every single time.
None of the 22 other surveyed companies -- a group that included Yahoo Inc., Microsoft Corp. and AOL -- sunk to that level, according to Privacy International.
SANK. It's SANK, dammit! This one drives me insane every single time.
When Boring Isn't Bad
Especially when boring and wordy language makes things more accurate, as the LA Observer notes:
In rewriting an L.A. Times investigation about Beverly Hills detox doctor David Kipper, the New York Post dropped the careful wording used by the LAT and said flat-out (and inaccurately) that "the state medical board revoked Kipper's license, accusing him of gross negligence..." (The Times had reported, accurately, that the board had "moved to revoke Kipper's license.") Crucial distinction. After Kipper sued, the Post reporter testified that his newspaper's practice was to change the lede "to make it more Post-like...less boring than the Los Angeles Times." Gong! The New York judge ruled for Kipper.
Times editor Jim O'Shea sent out a staff note today, gloating a bit and passing along the comments of the Times' lawyer.
In rewriting an L.A. Times investigation about Beverly Hills detox doctor David Kipper, the New York Post dropped the careful wording used by the LAT and said flat-out (and inaccurately) that "the state medical board revoked Kipper's license, accusing him of gross negligence..." (The Times had reported, accurately, that the board had "moved to revoke Kipper's license.") Crucial distinction. After Kipper sued, the Post reporter testified that his newspaper's practice was to change the lede "to make it more Post-like...less boring than the Los Angeles Times." Gong! The New York judge ruled for Kipper.
Times editor Jim O'Shea sent out a staff note today, gloating a bit and passing along the comments of the Times' lawyer.
Thursday, June 7, 2007
Is This the Future of Copy Editing?
From a story about life at the San Mateo County Times under MediaNews ownership.
San Mateo County Times has seen its presses unbolted and shipped away. The copy editors -- who check stories for errors and style, put headlines on them and position them in the paper -- have been moved out of the newsroom where they could consult easily with reporters and editors about stories. To cut costs, they've been transferred some 30 miles away to Pleasanton, to a central copy-editing desk, and their numbers have been reduced.
"Copy desks are so thinly staffed that they are making an incredible number of errors," says Mr. Bowman. "These errors are in the headlines and [photo] cutlines so they are glaring.
"They are the kind of errors that destroy our credibility," he complains.
He showed the front page of the April 23 Times. The centerpiece story was about an event in Pacifica, but the headline placed it miles south, in Half Moon Bay. On the same front page a story about the salary gap between men and women claimed to continue on page 6, but copy editors forgot to put the rest of the story in the paper. The day before, the local front page contained a story about a San Mateo County Board of Supervisors meeting, but the headline attributed the action to Redwood City.
"These mistakes are not made by reporters and editors," he fumes, "but every member of the public thinks we don't know the difference between Pacifica and Half Moon Bay."
"The copy editors are just as dedicated and serious about doing journalism as I am," Mr. Bowman explains. "They simply don't have the time or resources to do the job."
San Mateo County Times has seen its presses unbolted and shipped away. The copy editors -- who check stories for errors and style, put headlines on them and position them in the paper -- have been moved out of the newsroom where they could consult easily with reporters and editors about stories. To cut costs, they've been transferred some 30 miles away to Pleasanton, to a central copy-editing desk, and their numbers have been reduced.
"Copy desks are so thinly staffed that they are making an incredible number of errors," says Mr. Bowman. "These errors are in the headlines and [photo] cutlines so they are glaring.
"They are the kind of errors that destroy our credibility," he complains.
He showed the front page of the April 23 Times. The centerpiece story was about an event in Pacifica, but the headline placed it miles south, in Half Moon Bay. On the same front page a story about the salary gap between men and women claimed to continue on page 6, but copy editors forgot to put the rest of the story in the paper. The day before, the local front page contained a story about a San Mateo County Board of Supervisors meeting, but the headline attributed the action to Redwood City.
"These mistakes are not made by reporters and editors," he fumes, "but every member of the public thinks we don't know the difference between Pacifica and Half Moon Bay."
"The copy editors are just as dedicated and serious about doing journalism as I am," Mr. Bowman explains. "They simply don't have the time or resources to do the job."
Sunday, June 3, 2007
McClatchy Blog
I stumbled* across this McClatchy site the other day. It's a terrific site lacking only an audience, it appears. If I'm reading the credits correctly, the blog boss seems to be Howard Weaver, the company's vice president for news. (It's a news company! What are the other VPs for? :) . )
Lots of good links, observations on media issues, including a Page One study, ombudsmen and blogs and much more. Put it on your blogroll.
*Found it by complete accident. TCM was showing the last of "Alfred the Great" the other day when I heard what sounded like Patrick Stewart's voice (it wasn't) and decided to look up the cast at IMDB.com. The cast mentioned Julian Glover playing "Shrdlu" and since I occasionally use variations of "Etaoin Shrdlu" online, I Googled the words, and, ta da, found the McClatchy blog.
Lots of good links, observations on media issues, including a Page One study, ombudsmen and blogs and much more. Put it on your blogroll.
*Found it by complete accident. TCM was showing the last of "Alfred the Great" the other day when I heard what sounded like Patrick Stewart's voice (it wasn't) and decided to look up the cast at IMDB.com. The cast mentioned Julian Glover playing "Shrdlu" and since I occasionally use variations of "Etaoin Shrdlu" online, I Googled the words, and, ta da, found the McClatchy blog.
Saturday, June 2, 2007
Steve Gilliard, RIP
Progressive blogger and sharp observer of the media Steve Gilliard died this morning.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)