journalismism

What Reporters Really Need to Do Is Stop Snitching

Hamilton Nolan · 07/25/11 02:03PM

In your balmy Monday media column: the ethics of getting journalistically blazed are debated, the WSJ yes-persons defend their hefty salaries, a Sudanese journalist is jailed, AOL's sales chief is out, the NYT chronicled, and no one trusts the media.

The Ne Plus Ultra of Enraging Trend Stories

Hamilton Nolan · 07/25/11 08:12AM

The New York Times really knows what it's doing, when it comes to trend stories. What it's doing is not "Finding and identifying important fact-based trends and bringing them to light, for the public good." What it's doing is "Finding and identifying thoroughly unimportant trends which may or may not be real but which will serve to enrage the average reader enough to make it onto the 'Most Emailed' list."

Brian Stelter No Longer in Media Power Couple

Hamilton Nolan · 07/21/11 01:52PM

In your wilting Thursday media column: the Stelter-Lapin dream couple is no more, WaPo employees get a raise, Vogue's September issue is big, the NYT Co. has glimmers of hope, and the LAT will remake itself, with blogs.

HuffPo Rehires Its Most Scapegoated Employee

Hamilton Nolan · 07/20/11 01:41PM

In your sultry Wednesday media column: HuffPo's scapegoat gets her job back, WSJ reporters mildly defend themselves, Tablet magazine redesigns, a military reporter reflects on death, and Jim Romenesko is the new Yelp.

PR Gadfly Accused of World's Most Boring Phone Hack

Hamilton Nolan · 07/20/11 09:09AM

Jack O'Dwyer is an old reporter who has been covering the PR industry in his own personal publication for about a million years now. He's generally seen as a cranky but tolerable fixture of the PR journalism scene.

Could the LA Times Be Sold?

Hamilton Nolan · 07/19/11 02:19PM

In your Murdoch-free Tuesday media roundup: speculation on the LAT's future, Time magazine gets more paywall-y, everyone wants to work for CJR, Jay Rosen pontificates, and a labor journalism spat.

Little Jimmy O'Keefe Blows the Lid Off Medicaid Fraud

John Cook · 07/18/11 02:41PM

Hey did you know that county-level Medicaid administrators in Ohio aren't vigorously vetting the applicants who seek their services? Thank God for James O'Keefe, the only journalist in the nation with the sheer guts to tell this bone-chilling tale of county bureaucrats failing to diligently do their jobs.

Parasitic Aggregator 'Reader's Digest' Wants a Billion Dollars

Hamilton Nolan · 07/18/11 01:11PM

In your sunny Monday media column: Reader's Digest is for sale (and maybe Wenner Media too?), a theory of typos, a horrific penalty for insulting Fox News, and your Immediately Discarded Rupert Murdoch Theory of the Day.

Rupert Murdoch Offers Up Standard PR Firm-Written Apology

Hamilton Nolan · 07/15/11 02:56PM

In your finally Friday media column: Rupert Murdoch apologizes, Andrew Ross Sorkin gets a TV gig, the AP stylebook is wrong, Google encourages you to read, and Bob Schieffer is still among the living.

Roger Ailes Met With Gov. Haley Barbour Three Weeks Before 2010 Elections

John Cook · 07/15/11 11:24AM

Add Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour to the list of GOP pols that Fox News CEO Roger Ailes schmoozes with. According to records obtained by Gawker under the Mississippi Public Records Act, Barbour met with Ailes at News Corporation's New York headquarters for an hour on October 14, 2010—just three weeks before the midterm elections in which Barbour played a major role.

Barack Obama Is Totally Biased Against Fox News

John Cook · 07/14/11 04:34PM

Remember when Fox News whined that the White House tried to ice them out of an interview with a Treasury Department official that everyone else got to talk to? And the White House denied it? Well, Judicial Watch used the Freedom of Information Act to get emails of White House staffers planning the event, and it turns out they were totally lying! They hate Fox News and think Brett Baier is a "lunatic," which he absolutely is, because he works for Fox News.

The FBI Is Investigating News Corp

Hamilton Nolan · 07/14/11 03:18PM

In your lawless Thursday media column: the FBI's investigating News Corp, the Murdochs agree to talk to the Brits after all, a model journalism apology, a CNN reporter escapes a gunfight, and layoffs at PBS.

NYT Pays Off Its Extortionate Foreign Credit Card

Hamilton Nolan · 07/13/11 02:49PM

In your sweltering Wednesday media column: the NYT repays Carlos Slim, the global advertising market is back, a columnist is canned for plagiarism, a book review feud, and the media's most ineffectual lawyer says goodbye.

Everyone Involved in Phone Hacking Scandal: It Wasn't My Fault

Hamilton Nolan · 07/05/11 02:19PM

In your tropical Tuesday media column: phone hacking was nobody's fault, the NYT is selling the Declaration of Independence, Graydon Carter's expensive diet, a legendary rock critic dies, and The Weather Channel's office will kill you.