Should Journalists Report What Bloggers Write?

AN OBSCURE BLOG recently ran a story about one of the Flyers sleeping with the wife of a teammate, thus explaining the tensions in the locker room and the poor start to the season the team suffered.

The rumor was picked up by other websites and message boards despite none of the websites ever speaking to the players or the team.

After ten days of floating in cyberspace, the Philadelphia Inquirer followed up on the story. The Inquirer spoke to the players and team representatives, all of whom denied the rumor. The reporter also tracked down the blogger, a Temple University student.

Should the Inquirer have even bothered with the rumor? By publishing a follow-up to the blog post, aren't they only perpetuating a tale that everyone involved has denied? Isn't the Inquirer only legitimizing the blog and it's rumor?

Life Outside the Box Is Still Grand.

SURE, THE JOURNALISM JOB MARKET isn't looking all that hot these days. Newspapers are cutting staffs, television stations are combining services, magazines are folding and basically, the world is coming to an end.

Or is is it? Personally, I don't think so. And neither does David Carr, media critic at the New York Times and the author of the memoir pictured on the left.

Carr points out that local and niche websites are popping up around the country, breaking news that mainstream media miss. People are spending more time on their smartphones, using them to surf for information (as well as create content and communicate differently). And David Eggers' one-off newspaper sold out a few weeks ago, despite the $16 sales tag.

Basically, he's saying that legacy media may be in trouble but the desire for information is probably growing. And that is good news for students of journalism.

Then he wrote about judging entrepreneurial journalism projects at a university in New York:

"There were some clunkers, as there always are, but there were also some scary good, real-world proposals from students who don’t have to think out of the box because they were never in one to begin with."

Journalism is changing. You can forge your own path.

Welcome to Philly (Where We Don't Take No For An Answer).

CY YOUNG WINNER ROY HALLADAY was in town and before his deal with the Phillies was made official, 6ABC tracked down Halladay in Center City.

Watch the video. Was the reporter simply doing his job or was he being rude?

1,293 Ways To Get Rock Hard Abs And Woo Women (And 1 Way to Sell a Lot of Magazines).

IT TURNS OUT THAT the cover on the latest issue of Men's Health (left) mimics a cover from 2007 (right).

"It was not inadvertent, and it was part of overall branding strategies," the magazine's editor told the New York Post.

Is there anything wrong with that? Clearly, the magazine has found a formula that works for them and they continue to apply it.

Are they simply giving their readers what they want or are they ripping off their audience?

Is Journalism The Path To Politics?

FORMER FOX29 ANCHOR Dawn Stensland is reportedly considering a run for Congress in Delaware County. Former Inquirer reporter and editorial board member Douglas Pike is running for Congress in Montgomery County.

Diane Allen, a former KYW reporter/ anchor, is currently on the New Jersey Senate. Former Action News reporter Karen Friedman campaigned to become a Pennsylvania State Representative but lost.

And of course, there is Sarah Palin, the former sports anchor turned governor of Alaska and vice presidential candidate.

Is journalism just a stepping stone to political fame?

Would You Read A Daily Sports-Only Newspaper?

THIS IS LONG BUT watch the beginning, at least. Do you think there is a market for a daily newspaper that covers only sports?

Print is Alive! It Just Costs $16! Ouch.

DAVID EGGERS, THE AUTHOR and editor of McSweeney's literary magazine, is pushing print. He helped launch a massive newspaper in San Francisco last weekend. It features in-depth reporting, mag-style writing, double-truck graphic spreads, cartoons by famous artists, a separate magazine, and a 96 page book review pullout.

It's a one-time deal. For now. And it costs $16.

Would you pay more for a supposed higher quality product? If it only came out once per week, or once per month, would you pay $16?

Is It OK to Dance at a Concert You're Reviewing?

ROLLING STONE MAGAZINE is getting into the restaurant business with an eatery set to open in Hollywood next summer. They say they won't have memorabilia like the Hard Rock Cafe, and they won't be a music venue.

If they were to have a music venue, would it be a conflict of interest? Could they write critically about the performers they promote at their club?

And how about this: can music journalists dance at concerts they are reviewing or does that reveal their bias?

Temple Town: How Are You Living?

IF YOU HAVEN'T SEEN THIS YET, watch it. You want to know about life on campus? You think that the Temple News is too conventional? Click here and see their three part series about students living in North Philly, experiencing college life.

Does this appeal to you? Do quick shots, hip hop music and tales of sex draw you in? Is there news value here? Can a news product be slick and informative at once?

Peter Tobia: "It's About Being A Part of History."

WHAT DID YOU THINK of today's guest, photojournalist Peter Tobia?

Here are a few things that stood out for me:

- He wanted to be a writer. He took a photo course in college and everything clicked (ha!).
- Traveling around the world for stories allowed him to grow personally as well as professionally. By traveling, he learned about the world.
- He says that to be successful, you need to know your craft, be aware of the news of the world, and be tenacious.
- "If you want to be good at something," he says, "you have to put the time in."
- He covered events where upwards of 40,000 people were screaming, "Death to Americans."
- When he saw a woman suffering, he shuttled her to a hospital. Some of his journalism colleagues thought that was not ethical, that journalists should not get involved in stories.
- As a newspaper photojournalist, he has traveled to Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Somalia, India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iraq and Suriname, among other places.
- He photographed the Taliban.
- He says that understanding the local culture is important for journalists.
- Now that he has a four-year old son, he's not sure he would travel to such dangerous places for work again.
- He tries to capture the humanity in war - like the family living on the former military base, where unexploded bombs rest along roadsides.
- He felt an obligation as a journalist to cover the conflicts abroad. It's history, he says, and he wants people to understand.
- What he has seen and experienced has impacted him mentally at times.
- "Those who suffer most are the least involved," he says of citizens living in war-torn areas.

Should Journalists Speculate About Tiger?

GOLF SUPERSTAR TIGER WOODS crashed his Escalade into a fire hydrant and then a tree near his Florida home early Friday morning. Woods has said little to the police and nothing to the media about the incident.

Now, the media are digging for the story and some are speculating about events - there are reports that Woods and his wife were fighting, and he left his home in a rage.

Should the media speculate about the incident? Is it news? Is Woods allowed to have a private life?

Do You Need Your Reality Augmented?

THE NEW ISSUE OF ESQUIRE magazine features Robert Downey Jr. on the cover, sitting on a QR code. Putting the QR code in front of your computer camera sends the computer whirring with stuff.

What does this bring to the table as far as journalism goes? Does this enhance the experience and make people appreciate the information more?

Or is this a gimmick?

Are there practical applications for this technology for journalism?

What Are The Limits of Censorship?

AN ISSUE OF AN ILLINOIS high school newspaper was spiked this week when administrators learned that the issue contained stories about drinking and smoking by honor students, teen pregnancy, and shoplifting.

Because the students are working on a school-sponsored (and school-funded) project, the school has the right to review and approve content before publication.

The director of the Student Press Law Center reviewed the articles and deemed them balanced. They did not advocate misbehavior. They simply presented reality.

In February, all the copies of one edition from the same high school newspaper mysteriously disappeared (administrators allegedly claimed the copies were snapped up so quickly, students couldn't find them). That issue contained stories about the hook-up culture at the school.

What would you do as the student journalists? Do you accept the administrations' authority and quietly back away? Or do you scream censorship and hope to bring change? Do the students have an argument here?

Who decides what subjects are taboo and should be censored?

Issue Facing Journalism: News or Distraction?

PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA BOWED when greeting the emperor of Japan recently, and that set off a media firestorm. Some in the media are saying that the president of the United States should not defer to anyone, anywhere.

Is this situation a distraction from what really happened on Obama's Asian tour? Have we lost site of the news that came out of the visits to Japan, China, Singapore and Korea?

Or is the fact that an American president genuflected before a foreign monarch actually news?

(Photo via the Associated Press)

Is It Wrong to Recycle Images?

FORMER VICE PRESIDENTIAL candidate Sarah Palin is upset with Newsweek magazine for using an image of her in shorts on the cover of their magazine. It seems the image was originally taken for Runner's World magazine.

The editor of Newsweek responded to criticism by saying, "We chose the most interesting image available to us to illustrate the theme of the cover, which is what we always try to do. We apply the same test to photographs of any public figure, male or female: does the image convey what we are saying? That is a gender-neutral standard."

Did Newsweek disrespect the former governor of Alaska? Or is Palin overreacting?

Are Reporters Newsworthy?

FORMER FOX29 ANCHOR Dawn Stensland was profiled in today's Daily News.

Over the past two years, her husband lost his bigtime anchor job after allegedly breaking into a co-worker's email account, he announced it was because he was having an affair with his-co-anchor, Stensland suffered a miscarriage, she was fired, her dog died and her mother has been confined to wheelchair, suffering from Lou Gehrig's disease.

Do we need to know all of this about our television reporters (or former reporters)? Are their personal lives newsworthy? Do you care about them?

Or should we treat them simply like vehicles for providing news?

(Photo from Philly.com)

Bad Journalism, Straight From a Bad Journalist?

JAYSON BLAIR, THE DISGRACED former journalist, was recently invited to speak at Washington & Lee University about journalism ethics.

Blair is probably the most infamous plagiarizer and fabricator of journalism in recent memory (if not ever). He happens to live near the university, and currently serves as a life coach.

Is there any benefit in bringing Blair to a journalism forum to talk about ethics?

Robinson: "If You Know You Can Do It, Do It."

WHAT DID YOU THINK OF TODAY'S GUEST, Dorothy Robinson, Deputy Features Editor at the Metro US newspapers?

Here's what stood out for me:

- She is the fourth generation newspaper person in her family.
- She wanted to be a writer, so after college, she took a job as an editorial assistant at a book publishing house.
- She said that being an editorial assistant is a great way to launch a career.
- She now writes about celebrities a lot.
- The Metro US distributes 1 million copies in Philly, Boston and NYC.
- She said that celebrities are trained by public relations people and they rarely stray off-topic (i.e. they won't tell you about cheating on their spouses or anything).
- Publicists control everything you read about celebrities.
- She doesn't get nervous when talking to celebs, unless they're really good-looking.
- She considers herself a cheerleader of sorts. She tries to write about young people doing cool stuff.
- She said that dating was like a job interview for sex. Then she wrote a book about it.
- She hates the pink cover. Too girlie.
- She takes junkets ("I'm writing 300 words for the Metro," she said. "It doesn't influence anything I write.").
- She said you'd be surprised who else accepts the junkets.
- She thinks celebrity sex tapes are PR stunts.
- She said it wasn't easy becoming an editor. She worked a ton, lived in a dangerous neighborhood, had no money and then got lucky.
- She survived because she was confident she could do reach her goals.

What stood out for you?

Should Sources Be Allowed To Tidy-Up Stories?

SUPREME COURT JUSTICE ANTHONY Kennedy spoke to an elite Manhattan high school last week. When the school newspaper wanted to do a story about the visit, Kennedy (or his staff) demanded that the justice have the right to see the story before it goes to press.

Quotations were “tidied up” to better reflect the meaning the justice had intended to convey, a spokesperson for the justice told the New York Times.

Would you allow a source to see your story before you went to press (or went on air)?

The executive director of the Student Press Law Center told the Times, “Obviously, in the professional world, it would be a nonstarter if a source demanded prior approval of coverage of a speech.”

Are the rules different when the source is a Supreme Court Justice, or when the publication is a high school newspaper?

Is the demand a violation of the freedom of the press as stated in the First Amendment?

Can You Trust Anonymous Sources?

THE WASHINGTON POST has done amazing investigative work over the years, often citing anonymous sources. Their work breaking the Watergate Scandal inspired a generation of muckraking journalists, and spawned a Hollywood hit, All the President's Men.

But do they rely upon anonymous sources too much?

A reader wrote an email to the paper's ombudsman recently, saying, "While it is sometimes needed, I believe it is not appropriate to hide the names of sources to the extent that The Post does."

The Post justifies their action by saying that, to gain trust from sources, they must keep them anonymous. It's the only way to get some information, to continue being watchdogs of power.

But do you, as a consumer of information, trust information that is labeled as being from unnamed sources? Are you skeptical that the information is fake?

Before He Was The DA, He Was Here.

SETH WILLIAMS, WHO VISITED class a few weeks ago, won the election to become Philadelphia's next district attorney.

How Far Do You Go To Get A Story?

THE FBI ACCUSED a Detroit broadcast journalist of lying to a source in order to gain entry into a building, according to a story in the Detroit Free Press.

Authorities say that the reporter acted as though she was given permission to enter a veterinary clinic where an FBI dog was being treated for a gunshot wound. The clinic staff escorted the reporter back to the emergency room before realizing she didn't belong there.

The reporter said, “I've never knowingly lied to anyone in my life. The vet management knew I was a reporter and saw the giant NBC flag on my handheld mike before I ever went in.”

Her station alleges that the newspaper story was inaccurate.

Regardless, the situation raises an interesting question: how far would you go to get a story? Should you lie to gain entry into places? Should you schmooze people in order to get information from them?

And The Big Story Tonight: Full Frontal Nudity.

A WASHINGTON DC television station did a story showing women how to perform breast cancer self-exams. And they did so by videotaping a woman performing an exam - with her shirt open, breasts exposed.

They claimed they were potentially saving lives by showing women how to examine themselves properly.

They also sent out a press release prior to the news that evening, hyping the "unique television event."

By the way, the package ran on day one of the sweeps ratings period, when the eyeballs watching programs are counted.

Was it good, public service journalism? Or was the full-frontal treatment a ratings stunt?

Should The News Focus On The World Series?

THE PHILLIES ARE IN THE World Series and nothing else matters in the world, according to the local news media, that is. Newspapers have been packed with baseball news. The top half of every newscast is dedicated to game related stuff.

Is that a problem? It's not like there is an election for a new district attorney coming up, or potential troop escalation in Afghanistan, or a public health care debate, right?

World Series info draws readers and viewers, and people do care. But do the media need to play to the emotions of their audience?

The image above is from 6ABC on the evening that the New York Post ran a cover shot featuring Shane Victorino in a cheerleader's skirt (right). 6ABC retaliated by putting Derek Jeter in a Hawaiian-style skirt.

Is this just good fun or is it a waste of journalistic resources?

Marc Zumoff: Get an Internship. Then Do The Stupid Stuff With A Smile On Your Face.

MARC ZUMOFF, A TEMPLE GRAD who is now the voice of the Sixers, spoke to the class about finding work in communications. Did you take notes? He walked you through the process.

Here's what I wrote down:

- You need passion. Without passion, you'll be bored and not do a good job.
- When he was at Temple, he was chunky, insecure and didn't understand the media landscape.
- Now he has his dream job where they treat him like a king - five-star hotels, fancy meals, first-class flights, front row seats, etc.
- You need to network. And you can start by interning somewhere.
- Present yourself appropriately when meeting people in the business.
- When you get that internship, suck up your pride and do the little crap they make interns do. And do that stuff with a smile on your face.
- You need to bust your ass all the time.
- Take initiative. Work hard, all the time.
- Stay in touch after your internship. Internships lead to jobs.
- When you write to prospective employers or anyone else in the business, keep it brief. Explain what you want. Mention mutual connections. Use proper punctuation.
- Don't be afraid of rejection.
- As a student, you should have no life. You should be immersed in your school work, internships, jobs, student activities, and other fun journalism related stuff.

Regarding his job, he said a few things that got my attention:

- He's not a journalist. He essentially works for the team.
- He is not objective. He is a die-hard Sixers fan. It's not his role to be critical.
- He does three or four hours of prep for every game. Then he goes live on television for about 2.5 hours during games.

And here is one thing that Marc did not say: there are only 30 teams in the NBA, which means there are only 30 people doing jobs like his. People would kill to have his job. And he knows it. So he works his ass off.

What did you think?

Phil Jasner: It's a Crazy Lifestyle and It's Not For Everybody. But He Loves It.

WHAT DID YOU THINK of today's guest, Phil Jasner, a 1964 Temple alum who has been covering the Sixers for the Philadelphia Daily News since 1981?

Here are a few things that stood out for me:

- He never works 9 to 5 hours. He covers his beat 24 hours per day, 365 days per year, including holidays.
- Despite that, he's been devoted to his family and never missed an important event.
- And he loves his job.
- While a hometown guy (Overbrook High), he never roots for teams, especially while working.
- He doesn't become friends with players or coaches (until they retire). It could cloud his objectivity.
- If a player invited him to dinner and tried to pick up the check, he wouldn't let them.
- He follows every lead everyone gives him, no matter how hare-brained it might sound.
- He doesn't care about athletes' off-the-court behavior unless it affects their game.
- His life is essentially this: travel, watch game, write stories, travel, watch game, write stories. Repeat constantly.
- He blogs, follows twitter, talks on the Daily News Live TV show, and writes stories.
- He says there will always be newspapers.
- He's grateful that he has a job he loves.

Seth Williams: The Media Are Not Following The DA's Race At All.

WHAT DID YOU THINK of Seth Williams, the Democratic candidate for District Attorney of Philadelphia?

Here are a few things that stood out for me:

- As a child, he wanted to be an architect like Mike Brady, the father on The Brady Bunch.
- If elected, he'll be the first African-American district attorney in the state.
- The majority of violent crimes are committed by people who know their victims.
- 59 percent of felony cases get thrown out of court because the DA's office is not ready.
- Attorneys will get information to the media in order for them to raise the issue in the public.
- He expects journalists to be critical but fair. He says that the media are a check on government.
- If he feels slighted by a journalist, he won't necessarily be accommodating with that journalist the next time around.
- The media aren't following the race for the DA's office. Williams guesses that the media either assume the race is a done deal, or they don't care.
- Journalists have the ability to inform people about why the district attorney matters.
- He uses facebook, Twitter and YouTube to get his messages out.
- He's not going to let all the black people out of prison.

What stood out for you?

There's a Boy Floating Away! Call the News!

THE BOY IN THE BALLOON situation from Colorado last week is sounding more and more like a hoax. Law enforcement in that area are investigating the whole event.

The father's first call when he discovered his helium-filled balloon was aloft and his 6 year-old son was nowhere to be found was to a television station. Dad, after all, had been featured in an episode of Wife Swap. He's TV savvy.

After the kid was found, the family started appearing on newscasts across the country. The kid dropped the dime on his father on live television in an interview with Wolf Blitzer. Oops.

The media, especially the 24-hour cable news stations, went crazy with the original story when the boy was believed to be helplessly floating in air.

My question is: would you have been able to resist covering the story, even though it smelled fishy from the start?

Next Tuesday (10/20): District Attorney Candidate Seth Williams

SETH WILLIAMS, THE Democratic candidate for District Attorney, will visit the class next week. So learn as much as you can about what he believes in, what he has done, and what the media have been saying about him. You can hear Williams speak here.

He'll likely talk about anything, but we'll focus on journalism issues. Should the media photograph and display images of suspects? Should the government and media work together to reduce crime?

Take Control of Your Life: Start Your Own Media Outlet.

JOBS IN JOURNALISM ARE difficult to come by these days. But the demand for information is probably higher now than ever. That means there are opportunities for aggressive people who recognize under-served niches.

On November 7, we're holding an entrepreneurial journalism conference where we'll talk about how you can be your own publisher, and get paid. There will be speakers from Al Dia, Philebrity, two.one.five magazine, Radio One, Berks Community TV, Motivos, Philly Beer Scene magazine, and numerous other places. Plus we'll have business profs, tech people, venture capital investors, and web gurus.

You can earn 20 extra credit points by attending and writing about what you learn. To get consideration, you have to speak with two entrepreneurial people (or other non-student attendees) and write a two page, double-spaced paper about what you experienced. Be sure to include their name and contact info on the submission.

John Stewart: Don't Just Leave It There!

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart	Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c
CNN Leaves It There
www.thedailyshow.com
Daily Show Full Episodes Political Humor Ron Paul Interview

CNN FACT-CHECKED a Saturday Night Live skit regarding President Obama's health care package. That had media folk wondering, "Why is CNN fact-checking a sketch comedy show?"

John Stewart asked about what CNN isn't fact-checking.

If Facebook Wasn't Free, Would You Waste So Much Time There?

IF FACEBOOK BECAME a subscription based product, how much would you pay? Would you pony up $25 for a year of the greatest time-suck since the invention of television? How about $100 per year?

Or should everything online continue to be free?

Is there a lesson for journalism here? People love facebook. Why don't they love traditional journalism outlets? What do traditional journalists need to do to get some love?

The Scoop On The Poop: Is It News?

THE WHITE HOUSE is denying that first dog Bo pooped on Air Force One.

The Wall Street Journal reports that an anonymous source said, "You can imagine the horror on board when they discovered what it had done."

Read the story. Is it news?

(Photo by the Associated Press)

Let's Talk About Sex, Baby. Or Not.

THE STUDENT NEWSPAPER AT Towson University recently ran column called "The Bed Post" which encouraged people to enjoy "mutual masturbation."

Some readers were offended by such material in the student newspaper, especially when there were more important things to write about. The editor of the paper resigned, telling a local newscast, "I personally made some poor editorial decision regarding the Bed Post."

The newspaper, however, stood by the column to some extent. Their follow up editorial said, "We do not apologize for the sexual content of the column. We wish it had been written less provocatively, and we realize that many readers were offended or simply felt it was inappropriate content for these pages."

Did the author of the story go too far? Or are the readers just prudes?

Do sex columns belong on campus newspapers?

Would You Turn Away Money For An Ad You Feared Might Cause Controversy?

THE UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN- OSHKOSH student newspaper, the Advance-Titan, recently refused to run an advertisement from a pro-life organization, Human Life Alliance.

The newspapers' staff feared that the advertisement, a 12-page pamphlet, would cause controversy and possibly make the newspaper appear to support the pro-life cause.

Would you have run the ad? Would it appear to make the paper seem biased? Does not running the ad reveal the newspaper staff's opinions?

And The Number One Most Awkward TV Moment ...

DAVID LETTERMAN ANNOUNCED on his show that he was being extorted by someone threatening to to go public with details of Letterman's sex life. The event caused quite a stir, and has become fodder for journalists of every medium.

Is it news? Is he controlling the message? Are the journalists asking the right questions, or are they missing something?

Did You Hear? Phillies Win! Phillies Win!

PEOPLE LOVE SPORTS, especially when their teams win. So be prepared to see the Phillies dominating the local news scene for the next week or so.

People have said that there is no need for sportswriters in newspapers anymore because it's so easy to get sports scores and information from television and online. Anyone who wants that info, they say, will get the information well before the newspaper hits the street the day after the game.

And now, ESPN.com is entering local markets. Will that hasten the demise of newspapers?

To combat TV and the web, should newspapers run even more sports coverage? Or would that only be pandering to their audience?

Do we need newspaper sportswriters anymore?

Media = People = Democracy

IN AN ATTEMPT TO QUELL protesters, the reigning junta in the Honduras clamped down on the media. Television and radio stations were shut down by the military.

They were trying to eliminate the voice of the opposition, the New York Times reported.

Once word spread to the international community, the leaders in the Honduras backed down. The stations will resume at the end of the week, they said.

There is no question here. Just recognize that freedom of speech is a right that not everyone has. While we may be divided by politics in America, we have the right to gather and speak and debate.

(The photo is by the Associated Press via the New York Times).

WashPo: No "Jackass" Moments, Please.

THE WASHINGTON POST, among the most respected newspapers in the world, recently issued guidelines to their staffers saying they had to be careful about posting opinions on their facebook and twitter feeds.

Here is a snippet:

"Post journalists must refrain from writing, tweeting or posting anything – including photographs or video – that could be perceived as reflecting political racial, sexist, religious or other bias or favoritism that could be used to tarnish our journalistic credibility."

In an era of branding journalists and journalists providing behind the scenes looks at the news, is it a smart thing to water down the attitude? Is this old school thinking? Could it lose audience for the Post?

Or are the Post bigshots right in keeping opinions away from the public, even in the form of informal social media?

Are you over facebook and twitter?

Are First Daughters Fair Game?

THE SPANISH MEDIA are legally barred from running images of their prime minister's teenage daughters. The rationale is that the daughters are not public figures and, therefore, they have a right to privacy.

Well, the Spanish delegation came to the United Nations, kids in tow, and they met President Obama. Then they had their picture taken with Obama by a State Department photographer. The images were put on the State Department's flickr site. The Spanish media found the images and ran the above, distorted version in some newspapers.

Should the Spanish media have withheld the images (which are the first ever public images of the two girls)? Are the children of sitting United States presidents fair game for the media? Or should the media refrain from running or airing images of politicians' children?

Is No Comment Worse Than One Repeated Comment?

THE HOMETOWN OF Glenn Beck, the Fox News host, is honoring Beck on Saturday. The native of Mt. Vernon, Washington will receive a key to the city and the day will officially be proclaimed as "Glenn Beck Day."

The celebration has caused a controversy as Beck called President Obama a racist over the summer.

So, when the officials in Mt. Vernon announced that the press were not welcome to cover "Glenn Beck Day," the press went into a huff.

My question is this: Is keeping the media away from Beck any different from Obama spinning his message to the network news last week? Aren't they both, in effect, controlling the message?

Or is the Beck case different? As a news person, is he expected to speak to the media?

Cogito Ergo Sum: I Think, Therefore I Sam.

Doctoral candidate and J1111 teaching assistant Sam Srauy spoke to the class today about epistemology, entological judgment, economic theory and other big ideas, ultimately leading up to the HUGE question: Does media ownership matter?

What do you think?

Are you surprised to learn that the six largest media producers are all either Western European or North American? Is that a problem?

And what about Sam's other questions:

- How do you know what is the truth?
- Is knowledge a right or a commodity?
- How do you know who to trust?

Can you have an original thought? Or have you been previously influenced by the world around you?

If the President Speaks, Is It News?

PRESIDENT OBAMA SPOKE to five national networks on Friday, apparently talking about the same thing each time - his health care initiative. He did not talk about the ACORN scandal, and he did not allow Fox News, whose employees were recently busted inciting a partisan crowd, to participate in the series of one-on-one interviews.

Do you give the president air time to speak when he is so overtly controlling the message (and the media)? As always, this is not about politics - we are journalists, and we're skeptical of anyone in charge, regardless of political persuasion.

Just because the president speaks, is it news?

(The photo above is a composite created by the New York Times, cobbled together from images supplied by the White House)

Of Noisy Journos and Chicken Love ...

HOW WOULD YOU have handled this situation if you were the reporter?

Listen closely to the video below. Should the anchor be punished for what he said?

Jim McKairnes: "Content Is King."

WHAT DID YOU THINK of today's guest, Jim McKairnes of CBS Studios?

Here are a few things that stood out for me:

- You need talent and ability, but you also need to be in the right place at the right time.
- He recognized his passions while he was still a student at Temple, and then found a way to incorporate his passions into his work.
- Even when he had a job, he was thinking about his next step.
- He used his journalism writing gigs as excuses to meet powerful people.
- When he first moved to Los Angeles, he knew few people, and he made little money.
- He lived at home with his folks, using his old bunk bed, until he was 22.
- He believes that the media have a social responsibility, and he's concerned about the portrayal of women on television.
- His concerns about women dying in sexual ways on prime time shows were dismissed by executives.
- If you open the hatch of your car in Los Angeles, day laborers will jump in.
- Networks are becoming more and more irrelevant as TiVo, DVR, Hulu, Fancast and other non-traditional programming options become available.
- There is still a demand for content producers.

Please share your thoughts by adding comments below.

Inquirer: Old White Guys Are Dying!

ACCORDING TO TODAY'S Philadelphia Inquirer, the major recent local deaths have all been old white dudes. Of the five obituaries they ran, all are white men, and none was younger than 78.

Is there anything wrong with that?

The Daily News today has three obits - a white woman (77), a white man (59) and an African-American man (72).

Should the obituaries reflect the readership? Should diversity be enforced?

A little perspective: the New York Times began running gay wedding announcements in 2002. Some other publications followed suit. Some didn't. To this day, the practice remains controversial to some readers.

How should media outlets decide who gets covered in the news?

Yo Kanye! What Were You Thinking?

KANYE WEST JUMPED ON stage during the MTV Video Awards and interrupted Taylor Swift's acceptance speech for best female artist video. West believed the award should have gone to Beyonce.

Barack Obama commented on the event. But is it news?

UPDATE: More info about Obama's calling Kanye a jackass - it was tweeted by an ABC News reporter who was in front of the president while the president was being miked for an interview.

(The image comes from Reuters via USA Today)

Are You a Mirror or a Puppet?

FIRST OFF, LET me say that this post is not about politics. As journalists, we neither support nor attack politicians and/ or their policies. We simply report what we learn.

My question to you is this: is it responsible to publish the image on the right? It was taken by the Associated Press and run in various outlets, including the Philadelphia Inquirer.

The image was created at an Obama health care plan protest in Washington, DC on Saturday. The event was sponsored by the conservative Tea Party Patriots and hyped by conservative talk show hosts like Glenn Beck.

Should journalists refrain from showing disrespectful protest signs? Should the media report what people say, even if their comments are incorrect and inflammatory? For instance, Bloomberg News reported this:

Jeremy Batterson, 40, from Baltimore passed out pamphlets with a picture of Obama sprouting a Hitler-like mustache. He said Obama was trying to insert a provision into the health-care bill to perform euthanasia on the terminally ill and senior citizens.

“He’s insisting we do the same thing here to reduce health-care costs and we have to stop him,” Batterson said.

It's what the man said, but what the man said has been denied repeatedly by the president. So, do you run it? Do you balance it by repeating the president's denials?

Can you separate your politics from your reporting in a story like this?

The Eternal Question: Is Oprah a Journalist?

OPRAH WINFREY CELEBRATED THE start of the 24th season of her show by shutting down Michigan Avenue and throwing a party for the city of Chicago. An estimated 20,000 people showed up.

The question I have for you is this: Is Oprah, a celebrated host of a program where she interviews people, an actual, real-live journalist? (Go ahead and factor in her magazine).

Or is Oprah, who frequently interviews movie stars around the time they have new films out, simply an entertainer?

Can she be both, an entertainer and a journalist?

(BTW, the image above is from the Chicago Tribune. If you're interested, they have 77 other pictures online, plus video).

Dude, That's My Ass in The Newspaper!

AS A JOURNALIST, HOW DO you handle an event like the Philly Naked Bike Ride?

Can you shoot video of them and run it on air? Can you run their pictures in the newspaper? Should the media show full-frontal if that is actually what was happening? Do the naked people have the right to be upset if their goodies are shown on television or published in print (or run on the Internet for the whole world to see)?

(The photo above is by David Maialetti, a TU grad, adjunct TU professor and photojournalist with the Philadelphia Daily News).

Death in The Afternoon (But Not in Print).

AN AMERICAN SOLDIER killed in Afghanistan was photographed by an Associated Press photographer in the moments after grenades bombarded American troops.

The Associated Press distributed the image around the world, accompanied by a story about the incident.

Few media outlets chose to publish the image, however. The argument: some outlets said that it was disrespectful to the military, and to that particular soldier's family specifically.

Would you have run the image?

(By the way, the image above is by Robert Capa. It is of a Republican soldier killed during the Spanish Civil War in 1936. Capa, considered among the greatest war photographers, once said, "If your pictures aren't good enough, then you're not close enough.")

I'll Take the Phillies to Win for $1,000.

A PENN STATE UNIVERSITY study found that forty percent of the 285 sports reporters they interviewed gambled on sports. Five percent gambled on sports they covered.

Is there anything wrong with sports reporters gambling on sports? Does that sacrifice their credibility? Does that make you question the information they put in their stories?

More than $380 billion gets wagered on illegal sports betting every year, so it's not like these sports reporters are the only ones placing bets.

Should they be held to different standards?

Blatant Self-Promotion: Your Teacher Is A Journalist.

LIKE I SAID, you should investigate all of your professors. Learn about them so you can mine them for information. That's why you're here.

In the journalism department, many of the faculty have had long careers in the business. And some of us continue to produce journalistic work on a regular basis. For instance, your Journalism & Society professor wrote the cover story of the new Philadelphia Weekly. Check it out.