journalismism

Michael Wolff Finally, Officially, Seriously Done at Adweek

Hamilton Nolan · 10/17/11 01:28PM

In your mandatory Monday media column: Michael Wolff is out for good, Tweet man stops tweeting to write about Twitter, McDonald's launches its own network, a PR man jokes for accuracy, and the NYT's paywall is a success.

The Global Newspaper Industry Declines

Hamilton Nolan · 10/14/11 02:46PM

In your finally Friday media column: newspaper circulation wanes, a brilliant plan to avoid reporters, the News Corp board battle continues, Fox News people are bad liars, and Nancy Franklin's replacement.

How the Bush Administration Got Reporters to Stop Writing So Many 'Bodybag' Stories From Iraq

John Cook · 10/14/11 11:27AM

Public relations is about "relationships." Flacks develop "relationships" with reporters by calling them and yelling at them until the reporters start to realize, before they write something, that an unpleasant conversation might ensue. So they start to be...more careful. We recently came across an internal email written by Daniel Senor, the former spokesman for the Coalition Provisional Authority in Iraq, that summed up the dynamic in crystalline fashion.

Eritrea's a Terrible Place for Journalists, Too

Hamilton Nolan · 10/13/11 02:08PM

In your gloomy Thursday media column: Eritrea is the pits (of journalism), Erin Burnett is unpopular, the WSJ Europe circulation scandal continues, The Guardian U.S. is optimistic, and Michael Miner is an OG (of journalism).

ABC News Chief Tells His Reporters to Turn a Terror Threat Story Into a 'Thriller'

John Cook · 10/13/11 01:58PM

ABC News president Ben Sherwood is a notorious social climber and horrible self-help writer whose detractors call him "the Draco Malfoy of broadcast news." When he took over the news division last year, some at the network worried that he was more of a "Hollywood Guy" than a "News Guy." How Hollywood? Last month he told his staff in a morning conference call to stop reporting news of a potential terror plot timed to the 9/11 anniversary in such a "measured way" and to "turn this into a thriller."

Dirty Tricks at The Wall Street Journal in Europe

Hamilton Nolan · 10/12/11 01:26PM

In your bleary Wednesday media column: the WSJ's European publisher is forced to resign, paywalls come to college papers, Jennifer Granholm gets a TV show, a money back guarantee for advertisers and "Brother" Bill O'Reilly.

News Corp Back to Shrugging Off Public Opinion

Hamilton Nolan · 10/11/11 01:41PM

In your brash Tuesday media column: News Corp gets its balls back, the WSJ gets shorter and shorter, Katie Couric picks up odd jobs, Mary Pilon poached, and blog buys newspaper.

Who Broke the Speaking Rules at the New York Times?

Hamilton Nolan · 10/11/11 08:54AM

New York Times ethics cop Phil Corbett just sent out the following memo to the newsroom, reminding them about the paper's rules for paid speaking engagements. (Thomas Friedman, among others, has had trouble with this in the past.) An NYT source says "they don't send these reminders out unless someone breaks the rules or screws up." So who was it? Email me if you know.

Would Sean Hannity Ever Leave Fox Voluntarily?

Hamilton Nolan · 10/10/11 01:51PM

In your sparkling Monday media column: Sean Hannity mulls the end, NPR's chief hints at post-government funding, Bill Keller's split personality, magazine ad revenue report, and Conde Nast goes Hollywood.

Obsessed Media Track Whereabouts of Amanda Knox's Airplane

Maureen O'Connor · 10/04/11 04:27PM

At 8:35PM GMT, respected British news source The Daily Telegraph broke news in its Amanda Knox liveblog: "Thanks to the wonders of modern technology we can see that Knox's plane is currently over Canada's Auyuittuq National Park on planefinder.net."

The iPhone 5 Failboard: How Everyone Got It Wrong

Ryan Tate · 10/04/11 04:25PM

A great many Apple fans are hot and bothered that no iPhone 5 emerged today to fill the void in their souls. But you know who should really feel dejected? All the tech bloggers who wasted time typing bold proclamations about new features, designs and phones that never came.

How Univision Tried to Blackmail Marco Rubio

John Cook · 10/03/11 03:40PM

When Univision got wind of a story about Marco Rubio's family that the senator didn't want broadcast, the network offered to kill it in exchange for an interview.

HuffPo Adds Four New Insipid Sections

Hamilton Nolan · 10/03/11 01:59PM

In your dreary Monday media column: HuffPo launches four new verticals for the easily amused, a football player threatens a sportswriter, The Awl's empire expands, the creative class is dead, and Yahoo News and ABC learn to share.

Bank of America Accuses NYT Reporter of 'Soliciting Customers'

Lauri Apple · 10/01/11 12:21PM

With falling stock prices, debit-card users flipping out about the company's plan to steal $5 from them every month, and a brand-new lawsuit on their hot little hands, the devil worshipers at Bank of America aren't too thrilled about reporters talking to their customers right now. But journalists must report on the news, and so the Arkansas correspondent for the New York Times stopped by a branch in Fayetteville to get some customer feedback on the bank's latest thieving scheme. B of A did not appreciate that very much.

Anderson Cooper's Daytime Disaster

John Cook · 10/01/11 11:58AM

It's just three weeks into Anderson Cooper's new daytime adventure, and the show has already devolved into the sort of unscrupulous talk-show tactics that Cooper's prime-time newsman personality would turn up his nose at: A teenager is in a coma after one of Anderson's producers encouraged him to record his reckless behavior for a show on the "teenage mind."

Judith Miller Angered by Concept of Responsible Journalism

Hamilton Nolan · 09/30/11 02:05PM

In your mordant Friday media column: Judith Miller critiques someone else's journalism, the Occupy Wall Street Journal is coming, the NYO begs for a raise, Slate redesigns, and Jill Abramson wants questions from you.

Roger Ailes Thinks People Would Like Him If He Were Liberal

Hamilton Nolan · 09/29/11 01:14PM

In your dreamy Thursday media column: Roger Ailes has a skewed self-perception, Henry Blodget encourages you to steal his content, The Week is doing well, female sports columnists have a tough job, and James Rainey complains.