Friday, May 24, 2013. Last Update: Fri 11:00 AM EST

Author Archive

Articles by Paul McLeary | Email the Author

Matthew Currier Burden on the Endangered Milblog

With the military increasingly cracking down on military bloggers, one prominent milblogger collects some of the best examples of the form.

In September, Matthew Currier Burden, a former Army officer and author of the popular military blog, Black Five, released a... More

The Pentagon Just Wants to Share

The Department of Defense is rolling out a robust new PR machine. But the question is: will they be upfront about what’s news, and what’s PR?

Every few months, it seems, we hear a story about another plan by the Pentagon to try and "get around"... More

Why Does it Take a Newspaper Two Stories to Report the Facts?

Newspapers usually offer three different views of an important story: straight reporting, analysis, and opinion. One of these often seems the odd man out.

It has become a welcome staple of contemporary American journalism for a newspaper to run an analysis piece, in addition... More

Nothing New, in 3,800 Words

Robert Kagan takes to the pages of The New Republic to spout vain platitudes and engage in some vapid myth-making.

We see it all the time. A well-known columnist and author of Important Books, who has a new tome out... More

Is the Post Taking Woodward’s Table Scraps?

Bob Woodward again uses the valuable real estate of the Washington Post as a place to dump stuff he can’t use in his books.

One of the knocks on Bob Woodward's relationship with the Washington Post -- and really, on Woodward in general --... More

The Devil (Or the Full Story) Is in the Details

On North Korean nukes, who has successfully distilled this complex political story — and who has churned out the Cliffs Notes version?

Complex political stories, saddled with winding, somewhat partisan histories, aren't exactly the friend of tight deadlines. But reporters -- even... More

Is PageGate the Midterm Clincher? Not Exactly

Will the complexities of this midterm Congressional election be reduced to the creepy emails Mark Foley sent to Congressional pages?

It's "Super Tuesday" today at CJR Daily, and we've been looking at the results of a variety of polls published... More

Woodward as Easy Target

In criticizing Bob Woodward’s latest book, some critics fail to take an honest look at the true, and enduring, impact of his work.

"Once more unto the breach, dear friends, once more." Like Henry V bracing his troops for battle, book reviewers, media... More

Dancing With Who Brung Ya …

Dennis Hastert works the partisan angle one time too many, and in doing so reminds us of a strange story from 2004.

The Chicago Tribune this morning had one of the more interesting reads we've seen thus far in the mainstream media... More

“The Ethicist” Snarls His Way to Irrelevance on CNN

Anderson Cooper hands the keys off to John Roberts for the night, and Randy Cohen wrecks the joint.

In a turn of events that is no doubt a relief to "Senator Macacawitz", the revelation that Florida Republican Mark... More

What Trent Lott Might Want to Know About Iraq

While talking heads and politicians debate the meaning of the debate about the war, Iraq continues to burn.

Three and a half years into the war in Iraq, a cursory look at the nightly news shows, opinion magazines... More

The Dow Wastes Journalists’ Time

Business writers spent another day today reporting on things that didn’t happen.

The sports pages, mercifully, spare us from daily headlines such as, "Barry Bonds Has Not Topped Hank Aaron's Home Run... More

Frank Rich Cranks Out the Story — Again

It’s hard to write a review of Frank Rich’s new book — because it’s a hard book to read.

New York Times columnist Frank Rich's new book, The Greatest Story Ever Sold: The Decline and Fall of Truth From... More

Obama’s war on leaks undermines investigative journalism

“[T]he most militant I have seen since the Nixon administration”

‘It was approved at the highest levels— and I mean the highest’

Holder OK’d search warrant for Fox News reporter’s private emails, official says

If cable is dying, why is it still making so much money?

The story behind one of the best business models in the country

What TVGuide.com watchlist data reveals about the season’s new dramas

“What was once genre is now the Zeitgeist”

This is water

David Foster Wallace’s 2005 Kenyon commencement speech as a short film

  • If you like the magazine, get the rest of the year for just $19.95 (6 issues in all).
  • If not, simply write cancel on the bill and return it. You will owe nothing.

Who Owns What

The Business of Digital Journalism

A report from the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism

Study Guides

Questions and exercises for journalism students.