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Articles by Jennifer Vanasco | Email the Author
Coverage missteps on DOMA and Prop 8
When the Supreme Court issued two gay marriage-related decisions Wednesday, a rush to coverage meant a loss of precision
By Jennifer Vanasco Jun 27, 2013 at 03:20 PM
The most common errors I saw in the first day of stories about the Supreme Court's same-sex marriage decisions were... More
Gay marriage coverage mostly supportive
Though almost half of Americans oppose same-sex nuptials, coverage covers supporters 5-to-1, says a new Pew study
By Jennifer Vanasco Jun 19, 2013 at 11:00 AM
This likely won't come as a surprise to anyone who has been following the same-sex marriage battle as it rolls... More
On covering same-sex marriage
Here are some takeaways from last week’s panel, moderated by the author
By Jennifer Vanasco Jun 17, 2013 at 06:50 AM
On Wednesday, CJR and the ACLU co-hosted a panel at Washington, DC's Newseum on how journalists can better cover same-sex... More
More than just marriage
A guide to covering other issues that affect the LGBT community
By Jennifer Vanasco May 24, 2013 at 06:50 AM
There's been a diversity of gay news this month covered in the major media, from the rash of NYC hate... More
Social minority issues in perspective
Recent stories that flesh out important topics
By Jennifer Vanasco May 17, 2013 at 06:50 AM
The media covers social minorities regularly in the daily churn of news. A lot of that coverage just skims the... More
When only The Onion tells it like it is
Chris Brown assaulted Rihanna, and most “real” outlets keep overlooking it
By Jennifer Vanasco May 10, 2013 at 06:50 AM
The parody newspaper The Onion isn't a news organization, of course. But once in awhile, it tells a truth that... More
How not to report on a transgender victim
Cemia Acoff identified as a woman in life and should have been in death, too
By Jennifer Vanasco May 3, 2013 at 06:50 AM
Sometime between the end of March and the end of April, an Ohio transgender woman was brutally murdered--she was stabbed... More
Where is the media on ENDA?
An important bill that would protect gay workers from discrimination gets little media coverage
By Jennifer Vanasco Apr 26, 2013 at 06:50 AM
A bill that is crucial to the civil rights of the LGBT community was reintroduced in both houses of Congress... More
In marathon explosion coverage, avoid premature accusations
It’s easy to assume the perpetrator is muslim, but that’s a harmful thing to do
By Jennifer Vanasco Apr 18, 2013 at 06:50 AM
We don't know yet who planted the Boston Marathon bombs. Maybe it was a crazy loner. Maybe it was someone... More
Leave appearance out of it
Because she isn’t currently a candidate, Obama’s remarks didn’t necessarily hurt Kamala Harris. But if she had been running, a new study says that they would have hurt her
By Jennifer Vanasco Apr 12, 2013 at 06:50 AM
I wasn't planning to write about the dust-up after Obama called California's Kamala Harris the country's "best-looking attorney general." After... More
Tidbits in the news
Quick takes on social minorities in the recent news cycle
By Jennifer Vanasco Apr 5, 2013 at 06:50 AM
It seems like every day in the news cycle there is a fascinating tidbit I'd like to cover in Minority... More
Dismal Steubenville coverage
The media can, and must, do better when covering assaults
By Jennifer Vanasco Mar 22, 2013 at 06:50 AM
It isn't just CNN. Over the past few days, there has been a lot of anger directed at the cable... More
More women are needed in investigative journalism
It’s time for the media to counteract institutional barriers to women’s entry in the field
By Jennifer Vanasco Mar 15, 2013 at 06:50 AM
In a recent blog post, Lyra McKee tells a story that took place at a feminist-run charity when she was... More
Writing about powerful women
The media should stop treating Sheryl Sandberg and Marissa Mayer as though they represent their whole gender
By Jennifer Vanasco Mar 8, 2013 at 06:50 AM
Why do we in the media try to make some women standard bearers for all women? That's the problem, really,... More
Is the Washington Post pro-gay?
If they are, it shouldn’t be at the expense of covering anti-gay individuals
By Jennifer Vanasco Feb 28, 2013 at 02:50 PM
Last week, The Washington Post asked itself an interesting question in a headline: "Is The Post Pro-Gay?" Meaning, does it... More
Behind AP’s new ‘husband, wife’ guideline
It’s an attempt to fix a perceived slight to married gay couples
By Jennifer Vanasco Feb 22, 2013 at 06:50 AM
The Associated Press did the right thing on Thursday. After a week in which gay reporters, LGBT blogs, gay advocacy... More
AP’s first usage guidelines on ‘husband, wife’
The new entry comes in response to anger over a memo to avoid the words to describe gay couples
By Jennifer Vanasco Feb 21, 2013 at 01:00 PM
Last week, Jim Romenesko published an internal memo from the Associated Press about how to refer to gay and lesbian... More
A good feting for The Feminine Mystique
But the media should be this evenhanded about feminism all the time
By Jennifer Vanasco Feb 15, 2013 at 06:50 AM
It's long been interesting to me that many writers talk about feminism as having failed, or as no longer mattering,... More
Koch’s closet
Exploring the former mayor’s legacy must include how his sexual orientation perhaps affected his policies
By Jennifer Vanasco Feb 8, 2013 at 11:00 AM
Ed Koch drew a curtain around his sexual orientation during his life, but after his death, gay writers in the... More
Context is crucial covering the Boy Scouts
Mentions of pedophilia fears in stories about potential gay scout leaders should be accompanied by information debunking them
By Jennifer Vanasco Feb 1, 2013 at 11:00 AM
One of the most pernicious stereotypes about gay men is that any one of them might be a pedophile. As... More
Woman’s work - The twisted reality of an Italian freelancer in Syria
Sourcing Trayvon Martin ‘photos’ from stormfront - Not a good idea, Business Insider
Elizabeth Warren, the antidote to CNBC - The senator schools the talking heads on bank regulation
Art Laffer + PR blitz = press failure - The media types up the retail lobby’s propaganda
Reuters’s global warming about-face - A survey shows the newswire ran 50 percent fewer stories on climate change after hiring a “skeptic”
Barack Obama: ‘those old times aren’t coming back’
“It used to be there were local newspapers everywhere. If you wanted to be a journalist, you could really make a good living working for your hometown paper”
The Guardian’s editor opens up on Reddit
Alan Rusbridger, editor of The Guardian, answered questions in an Ask Me Anything
The (almost) lost speech of Justice Anthony Kennedy
How his insightful remarks about the Constitution inadvertently make the case for a Supreme Court “media pool”
Fox News sues TVEyes for copyright infringement
Says subscription service sells access to its content without permission nor compensation
CJR's Guide to Online News Startups
ACEsTooHigh.com – Reporting on the science, education, and policy surrounding childhood trauma
Who Owns What
The Business of Digital Journalism
A report from the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism
Questions and exercises for journalism students.
