Can Journalists Accept Endorsement Money?

ESPN SIDELINE REPORTER Erin Andrews recently signed a deal to be a spokesperson for Reebok. Is there anything wrong with that?"Journalists can review products," media ethicist Kelly McBride of the Poynter Institute told The Oregonian. "But they can't take money from a company to endorse them. That totally ruins their credibility."ESPN responded by saying that if Andrews reports on sneakers, she'll reveal her connection to the brand.Does disclosure...

LIVE TEAM COVERAGE: Snow!

IT SNOWED - A LOT - but does that make it news?Most of the local newscasts have lead their broadcasts with weather stories for the past few days. Is the snow the biggest story in the region?Or, is weather the greatest common denominator and thus likely to draw in the largest audience?Do you actually want weather information (beyond forecasts) or do newscasts provide that information because weather is an emotional subje...

Do TV Journalists Have to be Attractive?

A MINNESOTA NEWS anchor received complaints about an outfit she wore while on air one evening. Does it matter what the news people look like? Shouldn't viewers be focused on what the journalists say?AOL reported on a new study that says "male viewers snap to attention at the sight of a female anchor they find attractive, but are distracted by her looks and therefore less likely to remember what she had to say."Does being attractive help or hurt you...

What Makes a Newspaper Good?

THE NEW YORK TIMES today reports that the Los Angeles Times is dropping in circulation faster than any other big city daily paper. And this comes as the LA Times is a leading candidate for a Pulitzer Prize, the highest honor in print journalism.The LA Times also maintains 13 international bureaus and regional offices across the United States. They devote large chunks of the paper to long-form journalism. By journalistic standards, the paper is doing...

Do We Need Magazines Anymore?

DO MAGAZINES STILL have a place in the world?The number of magazine retailers has decreased by more than 11 percent since 2007, according to Advertising Age. They also reported: "Single-copy sales have been experiencing a long swoon, falling 5.6% in the first half of 2010 from the first half a year earlier, 9.1% in the second half of 2009, 12.4% in the previous six months and 11.1% and 6.3% in the halves before that, according to the Audit Bureau...

How Should Journalists Handle Tragedies?

AS NEWS OF the shooting in Tuscon unfolded last week, journalists scrambled to get information to the public. Early reports said that newly-elected Congresswoman Gabby Giffords was killed in the attack in which six people were murdered. Giffords, who was shot at close-range in the head, survived and continues to recover.Many pundits and news outlets latched onto the idea that the shooting was politically motivated, specifically citing the political...

Can the iPad Save Journalism?

COMING SOON TO an iPad near you: The Daily, a new journalism outlet designed for use only on iPads.Will it work? Do people want to read news on mobile devices like this? Do people care enough about news to actually pay for ...

Should Food Critics Remain Anonymous?

A LOS ANGELES TIMES food critic walked into a new LA restaurant and was recognized by the restaurant's staff.Then, the owner of the eatery snapped a photo of the critic (at right), kicked her out the restaurant and then posted her picture on the Internet for all to see."Our purpose for posting this is so that all restaurants can have a picture of her and make a decision as to whether or not they would like to serve her," the owner posted with the...