Wednesday, May 22, 2013. Last Update: Tue 2:56 PM EST

Campaign Desk

The Etch-a-Sketch Press

How the media constructed another Romney gaffe—and why it is unlikely to matter

NEW HAMPSHIRE — Yesterday, Etch-a-Sketch became the media’s favorite metaphor for Mitt Romney’s ideological flexibility. But the iconic children’s toy... More

Michigan’s Bad Integrity Report Card

A close look at coverage in the “Trust Us State”

MICHIGAN — It looks bleak: Michigan gets an “F” on a “corruption risk report card” released this week by the... More

Romney, BuzzFeed, and that “Hidden” Op-Ed

Is the press ceding policy-shift reporting to oppo artists?

It was four o’clock on a Friday afternoon when BuzzFeed’s Andrew Kaczynski, a 22-year old student at St. John’s College,... More

Inspecting Local TV’s “Public Inspection Files”

CJR explores the filing cabinets in five states

Regular readers may recall that a few months ago, CJR published a pair of columns by Steven Waldman—the lead author... More

Nine Lives of a Disputed Fact

A Politico op-ed fails the fact-checking test

The other day, Politico published an opinion piece arguing that Americans should be “extremely anxious about the outcome” of the... More

Sun’s Damon Discusses How She Got the Goods on NV Lawmakers

Exposé on spending disclosures all started with a source

NEVADA — Some recent stories by, and about, Las Vegas Sun political reporter Anjeanette Damon point out the veracity of... More

Back to School with Santorum

Journalists take a closer look at claims about his Penn State days

PENNSYLVANIA — A radio interview on the eve of Michigan's primary let Sen. Rick Santorum expand on his widely reported... More

Tracking Campaign Cash in Colorado

An interview with Denver Post reporter Karen Crummy

COLORADO — As the campaign finance landscape shifts, and more cash from more sources flows into politics at every level,... More

Southern Polls: Going Beyond Hillbillies

Even pushback against media meme invokes tired stereotypes

NORTH CAROLINA — It’s still early in this election season, but the tired trope of how ignorant folks are down... More

WFTV’s Sensationalism Soils Solid Obama Sit-Down

Orlando reporter suggests recent Afghanistan killings comparable to My Lai

FLORIDA—Orlando WFTV reporter Greg Warmoth found himself standing in front of President Obama just a day after the world found... More

Univision Report Features Bo—And, Oh, Barack, Too

Interview segment embraces White House’s light-touch frame

NEVADA — While President Obama works to win the minds of Hispanic voters in America, his pet pooch, Bo, may... More

Repaving the Trail

Campaign reporting can be terrible. Here’s how to make it better.

In January, I visited New Hampshire and Florida to report on the media coverage of the GOP presidential primaries there.... More

Is Buying Health Insurance Like Shopping on Amazon?

No sirreeee, says WBUR

On Monday, the AP reported that, as part of its health reform efforts, the federal government would require states to... More

Should Health Journos Use Hospital Safety Data?

An interview with Kaiser Health News’s Jordan Rau

In a highly touted effort to improve the quality of hospital care, the federal government has started disclosing data that... More

Rick Santorum’s Math Problem

The press doesn’t fall for his incorrect Obamacare answer

Now really, Rick—every American will get government help after Obamacare takes effect? Surely you jest! Thankfully my press brethren had... More

A word from our sponsor

Public television’s attempts to placate David Koch

Phone rage

One journalist took matters into his own hands when a fellow audience member wouldn’t stop using her smartphone during a theater performance

Purchasing Tumblr is Yahoo’s flashy bet on a shift in social media

The shift from Facebook to more creative social networks

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.