Harry's a Hero But What Are the Journos?

PRINCE HARRY, third in line from the crown of Great Britain, has been fighting the Taliban in Afghanistan.

While the British media have known about this since he reported for duty there in December, no one in Great Britain reported the story. In fact, the British media, in a rare moment of non-competitive solidarity, all agreed to withhold the story until the prince was done serving his duty.

An American blogsite, the Drudge Report, broke the news blackout of the Prince Harry story.

Which raises the question: should the press have agreed not to release the story? Were they trying to protect Prince Harry and his peers, or were they censoring the news?

As a result of the coverage, the Brits pulled Harry out of action.

Even Fabricators Deserve Proper Treatment.

MEMBERS OF THE MEDIA are not perfect. We make mistakes all the time.

There is no acceptable excuse.

Craig Silverman, the blogger behind Regret the Error, reports, "Overall, the research suggests that between 40 and 60 percent of newspaper news stories have some type of error, be it factual or something of a more subjective nature. So that's the frequency. But here's the other part of the equation: Research from Maier published this year found that only 2 percent of factual errors were corrected."

A recent correction posted on his blog comes courtesy of Slate.com:

Dana Stevens originally and incorrectly identified Stephen Glass (pictured above) as a plagiarist. The former journalist fabricated stories; he did not copy the work of others.

How should journalists handle such frequent errors? Do corrections in print, on air or on-line make up for incorrect statements that are previously made public?

Is The NY Times Trying to Sink McCain?

LAST WEEK, the New York Times ran a story about Republican presidential candidate John McCain's connections to lobbying firms.

McCain has spent a great deal of his Senate tenure trying to rally Congress from relying so much on lobby groups and their potential ills.

But the Times story story went one step farther. They hinted the McCain, a married man, had an affair with lobbyist.

"A female lobbyist had been turning up with him at fund-raisers, visiting his offices and accompanying him on a client’s corporate jet," the Times wrote. "Convinced the relationship had become romantic, some of his top advisers intervened to protect the candidate from himself — instructing staff members to block the woman’s access, privately warning her away and repeatedly confronting him."

McCain, his aids and the lobbyist all denied rumors of an affair.

Was it fair for the Times to report the rumor? Does it matter to the public?

Is this good, investigative journalism or a partisan witch hunt?

How Come We Don't Have Guests Every Day?

BY ALL MEANS, please continue commenting on the John Street post.

But here is a quick teaser for our next guest, Larry Mendte, who is scheduled to speak in class on March 4.

Mr. Mendte is an anchor and reporter for CBS3. His wife, Dawn Stensland, is an anchor on FOX29.

Don't Start with a Conclusion, says Street.

WELL? WHAT DID you think of Mayor John Street's presentation?

I will not cloud your judgment with my thoughts. So please click on the comments button below and speak your mind.

Have a voice.

The Mayor and The Media.

DON'T FORGET THAT FORMER MAYOR John Street will be visiting our class next Thursday, February 21 (the same day that your next homework assignment is due!).

This is an amazing opportunity to learn about the impact of journalism from a genuine newsmaker. We will discuss the relationship between government and the press, journalism's impact on community building, and bias and the media, among other topics.

In the meantime, watch the video above where Mayor Street talks about media coverage of crime. Think about questions you might want to ask him next week. And read as much about him as you can.

Be informed. Get involved. Have a voice.

Feel free to invite anyone interested in journalism, politics or Philadelphia: Gladfelter Hall room 13 at 1:10.

Don't Tase Me, Bro!

THE GUY IN THE CENTER is a reporter from Tyler, Texas.

He allowed himself to be pepper-sprayed and tasered for a sweeps story about police tactics.

Is this good journalism or is this blatant sensationalism?

Watch the full video here and decide for yourself.

Do I Make You Randy, Baby?

ARE YOU PEOPLE obsessed with sex or something?

The Temple News editors seem to think you are. In this week's issue, there are at least five stories dedicated to having safe sex, not having sex at all or dating multiple people.

The image of condoms above is actually on the front of the paper, above the fold.

Oh, and they have a sub-headline on one story that reads: A tour of South Street's best sex shops and their whips, lubes and lingerie.

I know it's Valentine's Day and all, but are the editors giving you what you want or are they publishing what they think will get your attention?

Censorship Or Common Decency?

THE SEATTLE TIMES declined to run this advertisement for the Vagina Monologues, the 12-year old play that has been performed around the world - in major theaters, at Catholic universities and even in high school auditoriums.

"The artwork was something we didn't feel was appropriate for our audience," a Times' VP of advertising told the Seattle Weekly.

Sponsors of the show, including the Seattle branch of the National Council of Jewish Women, are baffled. Many other media outlets in Seattle ran the advertisement as it is.

Did the newspaper make the right call in declining the ad? Is it too risque? Does common decency say that ad does not belong in a place where children might see it?

Or did they cross the line? Are they being overly protective, and maybe a little judgmental?

(by the way, be sure to click on the blue link above and read the comments posted to the original story).

LA Times Staff: No Porn Unless Its for a Story.

AFTER A LOS ANGELES TIMES writer opined that owner Sam Zell's use of foul language should be reflected in the newspaper's pages, a memo was sent to the staff.

The memo says the fundamental rules of decorum and decency still apply. And it also adds this odd little line:

Looking at pornography on the job, unless in pursuit of a story, also is not good judgment.

Uh, ok. Are they implying that Zell is a porn surfer as well a man who likes to curse?

Zell, a real estate magnate who bought into journalism last year, has never claimed to be a journalist. His business approach to journalism is a bit disturbing. But he does make for fun stories.

Excuse Me While I Take This Call.

THIS VIDEO IS NOT EXACTLY an ethical issue. But it is funny.

WXII 12 news anchor Margaret Johnson actually took a phone call on air during the noon news in Winston Salem.

If Katie Smiles, Vote Obama.

ARE YOU ALL FIRED UP about Obama? Crazy about Clinton? Ready to run with McCain?

Have any idea why?

The media has influenced you. You get that by now, right?

Well, the media may have more influence on you than you realize: Elisha Babad, a Hebrew University social psychologist, says that even the non-verbal actions of television interviewers may have an effect on your decision making.

Babad will be speaking at the Tech Center, room 111, on Wednesday, February 13, at 1:00.

Go. It's free.

Big Pimpin' On the Campaign Trail?

HILLARY CLINTON HAS employed her daughter, Chelsea, to make campaign calls to celebrities and other donors.

Not surprising, right?

Well, MSNBC anchor David Shuster asked on air, “But doesn’t it seem like Chelsea’s sort of being pimped out in some weird sort of way?”

The Clinton campaign freaked out, writing a letter to the head of NBC News, Steve Capus (a 1986 Temple alum).

"I would urge you to look at the pattern of behavior on your network that seems to repeatedly lead to this sort of degrading language," Clinton wrote.

Shuster has since been suspended.

Is the Clinton campaign over-reacting? Don't we all know that "pimpin'" doesn't really refer to prostitution? Or do journalists need to stick to traditional language so as to not offend some people?

If People Curse, Do you Publish Their #!@!! Curse Words?

WHEN SAM ZELL, the owner of the Tribune newspapers, cursed at an Orlando Sentinel staff photographer last week, the Los Angeles Times (another Tribune paper) wrote that Zell threw a "two-word obscenity" at her.

A "two-word obscenity?" How lame is that?

Now, an LA Times writer is saying that the paper should reflect the ownership.

Contributing editor Arellano wrote:

Hey, Zell: I hear you love to curse. How about making this paper reflect your saltiness, you (same word Zell uses to insult reporters, no doubt appreciated by him, but that can't appear in the Los Angeles Times -- yet)?

Should newspapers and broadcast news outlets start running curse words as people use them? Or do we have a deeper responsibility to the public?

The City Needs Your Help ...

THE NEW MAYOR AND his new police chief say they need your help tracking down people suspected of rape, murder and armed robbery.

So the city released the names, images and last know addresses of 150 criminal suspects.

"We want all Philadelphians to know who these individuals are, the crimes they've committed," Mayor Michael Nutter said at a press conference.

Should the media run these images? Should the media run this information? These people are considered suspects. They have not been convicted of these crimes yet (although a few were convicted of other crimes in the past).

How does this compare to the Temple rape case?

Does your opinion change based upon the severity of the crime?

You Have Duty To Read The Newspaper.

AND NOT JUST BECAUSE there will be current events questions on the first exam.

You need to read the NEWSPAPER (not just the online version) to help ensure the future of the craft. Like Sam Zell says below, the realities are that journalism is a business. And you need to buy into the system.

How do you convince people that they need to pay for journalism when journalism is free online?

Well, how about this for an argument: if media companies can't afford journalists, then you wind up with crappy products with useless content. Here is an example: "Olympics safe from foreign prostitutes, Day says."

Read the story. It is essentially a rehashed press statement from a government official. There is no digging for the truth, no original reporting, no deep questioning of the source.

If journalists don't do their jobs well, the public suffers.

Then again, I may be biased since I'm actually a journalist.

Journalistic Arrogance or Journalistic Responsibility?

SAM ZELL, THE OWNER of the Tribune newspapers, met with the staff of the Orland Sentinel recently. He fielded questions about his journalistic philosophy.

Zell answered one question by saying that the journalists must provide the information people want, not the information journalists think the public needs. Then he said to the person asking the question, "F**k you."

Watch the video. Who is right in this situation? Was the journalist obnoxious? Or is Zell out of place talking about business to journalists?

Blatant Self-Promotion: Your Teacher Is A Journalist

HERE'S ANOTHER plug for you guys to check out a story I wrote. It's a fun one - about a new brewing company that was created after the break-up of the Yard's Brewing company ownership group.

But the story is about more than just beer. It's about a company that cares about the community it exists in.

How Much Information Do You Publish?

A TEMPLE UNIVERSITY STUDENT now stands accused of raping two female students over the weekend of January 27.

Police arrested and formally charged the 21-year old suspect. Temple University has since suspended him.

As a journalist, do you have an obligation to the community to publish the name and image of the suspect?

Or do you have an obligation to the suspect, to not further damage his life unless he is proven guilty in a court of law?

Just Between You and Me ... Not!

PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES travel with the media in tow, even on airplanes. And the candidates frequently walk to the back of the plane to chat with the journos.

When Illinois Senator Barack Obama walked to the back of the plane recently, he noticed the reporters had their voice recorders on and they were taking notes. Obama wasn't happy. He asked that the conversations remain off the record.

Can he, or any other presidential candidate, make such a request?

Can candidates have private moments with journalists that are not on the record? Or is everything the candidate does or says a matter of potential public interest?

A Blue Sky Would Have Been Much Prettier.

AN ADVISOR at the University of Denver's student newspaper, The Clarion, suggested that the photo above would have been better with a bluer sky. And the advisor suggested that the photojournalist who created the image - at an MLK rally - digitally manipulate the sky to make it prettier.

How many of the principles of journalism would that violate?

Or, is it an acceptable thing to do? After all, magazines manipulate images frequently and nearly every glossy mag's cover has been heavily airbrushed.