Author Archive
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The Kicker
Whose ‘Sexting’ Are We Really Worried About?
December 16, 2009 12:30 PMAccording to a study on “Teens and Sexting” released Tuesday by the Pew Internet & American Life Center, the practice—which involves sending sexually suggestive material by text message—does not break down across gender lines. “Girls and boys are... Continue reading
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Campaign Desk
Nobody ‘Needs’ a Civil War
December 16, 2009 12:24 PMNew York Times columnist Tom Friedman has a well-established record of believing that forceful action (read: violent conflict) is a powerful tool in foreign affairs, because of its utility in resolving ideological disputes and delivering bold, declarative messages. In one... Continue reading
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Campaign Desk
Say it Ain’t So, Joe
December 15, 2009 10:24 AMIt became cliché long ago to note how the online political discourse can take on a life of its own, but still: it was striking, Monday, how little of the fevered, and in some places ubiquitous, discussion regarding Joe Lieberman’s... Continue reading
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The Kicker
Post Examines Unkept Promises in Afghanistan
December 14, 2009 11:20 AMThe Washington Post’s Griff Witte has turned in some strong reporting from the Af-Pak region over the past week, including a story today on the Afghan government’s apparent inability to deliver on promises made to insurgents who are... Continue reading
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The Kicker
Stimulus was not ‘Mostly an Infrastructure Spending Bill’
December 11, 2009 04:26 PMA story in today's Politico seeking to explain why John McCain has been so critical of Barack Obama since the election contains this perplexing passage: Discussing Obama’s first big initiative, the stimulus, Salter said that his old boss... Continue reading
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The Kicker
On Covering the Newspaper Business
December 10, 2009 05:20 PMOne theme touched on in my interview with E&P’s Greg Mitchell today is, with the upcoming closure of that publication, who will cover the newspaper business. Chuck Moozakis, editor in chief of Newspapers & Technology,... Continue reading
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Behind the News
Q & A: Editor & Publisher’s Greg Mitchell
December 10, 2009 01:58 PMThe media industry received an unpleasant bit of news on Thursday: the magazine Editor & Publisher, which has covered the newspaper industry for over a century and won acclaim and awards over the past decade for its critical reporting, will... Continue reading
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The Kicker
LAT Delivers Reporting from Afghanistan
December 10, 2009 10:44 AMA footnote to my piece this morning lamenting the general lack of reporting out of Afghanistan over the last couple days--in the Los Angeles Times, Tony Perry now has an article up reporting that: Several hundred... Continue reading
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Campaign Desk
Generally Speaking
December 10, 2009 10:01 AMTake a quick survey of leading news sites over the last few days, and it’s easy to conclude that President Obama’s new strategy the war in Afghanistan consists largely of strong-jawed men in crisp attire delivering important messages. Some are... Continue reading
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Campaign Desk
Sex Isn’t the Story
December 8, 2009 02:41 PM“The scandal isn’t what’s illegal; it’s what’s legal.” That line, usually attributed to Michael Kinsley, has been repeated so often as to become a truism. But that doesn’t mean it’s not true, as the mild controversy swirling around Montana Sen.... Continue reading
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Behind the News
Is Politico Really ‘New Media’?
December 7, 2009 04:23 PMThe official announcement today that Politico co-founder Jim VandeHei has been elected to the Pulitzer Prize Board went out of its way to cast the move as part of the Pulitzers’ growing (and welcome) acceptance of... Continue reading
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The Kicker
Politico Takes On the ‘Tick-Tocks’
December 7, 2009 12:14 PMMike Allen and Alexander Burns had an interesting piece at Politico yesterday on the art of the “tick-tock”—that staple of political journalism in which reporters purport to narrate the process by which some important event unfolded. Their article... Continue reading
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Campaign Desk
West Point Reaction Roundup
December 2, 2009 10:31 AMA new war strategy consists of more than a speech, of course. But President Obama’s address to cadets at West Point last night was an event that focused the nation’s attention on the conflict in Afghanistan. So how did the... Continue reading
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Campaign Desk
Spock Crock
December 1, 2009 02:03 PMYesterday’s narrative-perpetuating Politico item on stories the president doesn’t want told seems to be, to borrow a phrase, “driving the conversation.” Politico’s John Harris listed as one of his “seven storylines” the idea that Obama’s character includes “too... Continue reading
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The Kicker
An Inside Look at Huckabee and Clemency
December 1, 2009 02:03 PMThe murder of four Seattle-area police officers has, beyond the immediate tragedy, turned in to a major political headache for Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, who once commuted the sentence of the apparent killer, Maurice Clemmons. Fair or not—and some of... Continue reading
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Campaign Desk
Afghanistan Piece Goes Astray
December 1, 2009 10:42 AMWith the world waiting for President Obama to announce his new plan for Afghanistan tonight, the AP offered a dispatch from Kabul Monday relaying the fears of officials in Afghanistan and Pakistan who worry Obama may be looking... Continue reading
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The Kicker
The Story Obama Should Really Be Worried About
November 30, 2009 07:41 PMI’ve had John Harris’s piece in today’s Politico—“7 stories Obama doesn’t want told”—sitting on my desk much of the day, trying to figure out how best to articulate what’s so irritating about it. In the end I don’t... Continue reading
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The Kicker
Meacham’s Piece: Not So Buzzworthy
November 30, 2009 12:50 PMJumping off Megan’s critical comments on Jon Meacham’s piece in the latest Newsweek, here’s another thought: let’s say we don’t give Meacham the benefit of the doubt, and instead treat the column as merely “a painfully... Continue reading
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The Kicker
WaPo to Close NY, LA, Chicago Bureaus
November 24, 2009 06:00 PMErik Wemple and Michael Calderone report that as of the end of this year, The Washington Post will close its bureaus in New York, Chicago, and Los Angeles. Reporters in those bureaus will be offered positions... Continue reading
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Behind the News
Q&A: Bob Dietz
November 24, 2009 04:45 PMA brutal episode in the Philippines has put violence against journalists in headlines across the world. According to press reports, a convoy of supporters for gubernatorial candidate Ismael "Toto" Mangudadatu was abducted Monday while on the way to... Continue reading
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The Audit Business
- Audit Notes: pyramid people, Disney and ABC, no USA Today paywall Roddy Boyd digs into a diet-shake pyramid scheme
- Hot air Rises Above on CNBC An anchor pins a minor dip in stocks on the TV appearance of a minor politician
The Observatory Science
- Dull news from Doha UN climate summit a ho-hum affair for the press
- Highway to the danger zone Following Sandy, HuffPo and NYT dig into the folly of coastal development
Campaign Desk Politics & Policy
- NBC News sets good example for Medicare reporting People perspective leads to clear explanation of impact of proposed changes
- In Pennsylvania, a niche site with wide reach PoliticsPA drives political conversation in Keystone State
Behind the News The Media
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The Kicker last updated: Fri 3:00 PM
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- Must-reads of the week
- Tom Rosenstiel leaving Pew
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News Startups Guide last updated: Thu 10:24 AM
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