Covering School Reopening, Chicago Papers Pit Unions Against Parents
Chicago papers are framing a thorny public health problem requiring participation and transparency as a dispute between bad-actor unions and educators, parents and children.
Limiting Trump’s Screen Time Isn’t ‘Censorship,’ It’s Journalism
Choosing to keep cameras trained on the president necessarily means devoting less time to other stories that might actually inform viewers about the course of the pandemic and how to fight it—whether it’s talking to infectious disease experts on what measures are necessary to limit the death toll, or reporting on other nations’ successes and failures.
Chicago Tribune Warns Voters Away From ‘Socialism’ Cliff
Capitalist institutions like giant media conglomerates tend to see an aversion to socialism as normal and healthy.
Weirdly, Trump Is as Blase About Russia Killing Journalists as He Is About US Killing Journalists
It’s easy to get outraged by the crimes of official enemies, and to forget or to justify the crimes of the state you identify with. What really sets Trump apart is that he seems lackadaisical about both types of crimes.
The Point of Limiting Donations Isn’t to Make Elections Cheaper or Less Irritating
The point of contribution limits isn’t to make elections cheaper; it’s to limit the ability of the very wealthy to dominate politics.
AP Ditches ‘Illegal’ Label
The Associated Press announced a change in their style guide: The wire service will no longer refer to “illegal immigrants,” except in direct quotes. The change is a victory for activists who have called for years for journalists to stop using the term.
Objectivity and Its Opposite, ‘Objectivity’
One of the most confusing terms in the media discussion is “objectivity.” In philosophy, it refers to a belief in a reality independent of the conscious mind, generally one that can more or less be known and meaningfully discussed. In journalism, on the other hand, it means “don’t scare away any potential customers.” “Objective” journalism […]
Was Houla Massacre a Manufactured Atrocity?
It’s been widely reported that on May 25, pro-Syrian forces massacred 108 civilians in the Syrian village of Houla, including 34 women and 49 children, many of whose throats were cut. The reported atrocity has sparked the latest round of appeals for intervention in the conflict in Syria. Syrian diplomats have been expelled from several […]
Fox Sports Acknowledges That Lying to Viewers Is ‘Misleading’
Fox Sports, covering a football game between the Chicago Bears and Atlanta Falcons (9/11/11), put up a bunch of headlines about Bears quarterback Jay Cutler’s knee problems: Cutler Leaves With Injury Cutler Lacks Courage Cutler’s No Leader “These are the actual headlines from the local papers in Chicago,” announcer Daryl Johnston declared. Wow, were the […]
‘Ask Amy’ Says Ask Your Rapist If He Raped You
Amanda Hess, a blogger for Washington City Paper, wrote a sharp deconstruction (11/30/09) of Chicago Tribune advice columnist Amy “Ask Amy” Dickinson’s victim-blaming response (11/27/09) to a woman who wanted to know whether she was a victim of rape: Were you a victim? Yes. First, you were a victim of your own awful judgment. Hess […]
