journalismism

Journalism Professor Will Go to War for Free Speech, as Long as It Doesn’t Mock Him

J.K. Trotter · 04/29/16 12:00PM

You may have heard about the latest dustup between Jeff Jarvis, a media futurist and journalism professor, and his satirical online alter-ego, @ProfJeffJarvis, who was created several years ago by a software developer named Rurik Bradbury to mock the jargon-laden prognostications for which Jarvis and his ilk are known. The two Jarvises have butted heads in the past, but the most recent incident—in which the real Jarvis, after airing legal threats on Twitter, successfully forced Esquire to delete a satirical essay carrying @ProfJeffJarvis’s byline—shows that, for all of his bluster about the power of free speech, Jeff Jarvis is a cringing hypocrite when it comes to the offensive but entirely legal speech of others.

Las Vegas Review-Journal Columnist Resigns After Paper Banned Him From Writing About Owner Sheldon Adelson

J.K. Trotter · 04/26/16 04:05PM

Nevada journalist and talk show host Jon Ralston is reporting that John L. Smith, a columnist at the Las Vegas Review-Journal, has resigned from the paper after his editor, the newly installed Keith Moyer, banned him from writing about their employer’s new owner, the Nevada billionaire and GOP power broker Sheldon Adelson, as well as fellow billionaire Steve Wynn, who owns a number of hotels in Las Vegas. In a memo Smith printed out and distributed in the Review-Journal’s newsroom, and later published by Capital, the columnist wrote:

Give Meaning to Your Feelings With the Prince Thinkpiece Generator

Adam Pash and Tom Scocca · 04/22/16 02:05PM

Prince Rogers Nelson, in his long and brilliant career, meant many, many things to many, many people. How can you choose what he meant to you? Find your own angle on everyone’s loss with the Prince Thinkpiece Generator. Hit the button to explore the possibilities.

Does the New York Times Have an Outing Policy Anymore?

J.K. Trotter · 04/22/16 12:05PM

When it comes to reporting on the sexual preferences of public figures, the New York Times has a long history of dancing around the subject, often to the point of absurdity. While the paper has no written policy against outing gay public figures who would prefer to keep their sexual identities private, it has taken a very conservative approach to the subject over the years, and has in fact loudly denounced outlets, like Gawker, that have followed a different set of rules. Which is why a recent report in the Times about corporate goings-on at Disney caught my eye: It blithely, and without further context, published a claim that IAC chairman Barry Diller is “a homosexual.”

New York Daily News Editor Fired For Making It Seem Like Shaun King Was a Plagiarist 

Jordan Sargent · 04/19/16 07:56PM

It seemed as though today would be the day that disgraced Black Lives Matter activist-turned-provocateur columnist Shaun King would be caught in exactly the kind of lie for which, after a series of highly public controversies, the internet still seemed eager to nail him. Justin Miller, an editor at The Daily Beast, tweeted at 2:34 p.m. that King had plagiarized his Tuesday broadside from a story written by The Daily Beast’s Kate Briquelet.

Rap Genius Is an Oddly Appropriate Venue For This Story About Rap Lyrics Being Used Against Rappers in Court

Jordan Sargent · 04/15/16 02:05PM

Today on the internet, there is an interview with Erik Nielson, a professor of literature and hip-hop at the University of Richmond, on the subject of rap lyrics being used against young men of color in criminal trials across the country. Nielson has written about the phenomenon and has served as an expert witness for defense attorneys hoping to convince juries that their clients are not violent criminals based on lyrics they may or may not have rapped.

The New York Times Finally Sniffs Out a Hoax

Jordan Sargent · 04/14/16 11:07AM

Last week, a letter showed up at the offices of the New York Times. It was addressed to editor Dean Baquet and signed by Petro Poroshenko, the president of Ukraine.

This Is NOT What Locker Room Talk Is Like

Hamilton Nolan · 04/14/16 10:26AM

Public Service Announcement: millions of men who have spent time in locker rooms wish to make it clear that the following is not an accurate account of male “locker-room talk.”

The New Republic Made a Good Tweet and Then Deleted It

Alex Pareene · 04/05/16 02:50PM

The New Republic, a 102-year-old American magazine of current events reporting and commentary, today wrote “fuck me daddy” to Donald J. Trump, the businessman and current front-runner for the Republican presidential nomination, on the social networking platform Twitter. Then they deleted it.

The National Enquirer Has Been Right Before

Sam Biddle · 03/25/16 03:50PM

It’s easy to dismiss today’s National Enquirer story about the alleged secret, highly active extramarital sex life of Ted Cruz, because, hey, it’s just some crappy tabloid that makes up all of its stories, right? And it’s true: They’ve printed a lot of fantasy and nonsense. But on some stories—including some huge ones—the Enquirer has been very right.