journalismism

The More Bill Keller Says, the Worse He Gets

Hamilton Nolan · 04/01/11 03:24PM

Bill Keller, the editor of America's greatest newspaper, continues to systematically dismantle his professional reputation by writing an unnecessary, vainglorious, and ill-advised column in the New York Times Magazine, in which he demonstrates, week by depressing week, that he's not as great as you would have imagined. This week, he comes right out and calls for more government secrecy and less journalism. "For those charged with keeping secrets, WikiLeaks is a wake-up call," he writes. "So what should the government do to make the leaker's task - and my job as a nosy journalist - harder?

Survey Says: Nobody Much Likes The Daily

Hamilton Nolan · 03/31/11 02:00PM

In your nor'easterly Thursday media column: The Daily's grim prospects, gritty Twitty New York City, newspapers will die, more awards news than is called for, and Arianna Huffington's latest outrage.

Murdoch Family Members Are Remarkably Successful at News Corp

Hamilton Nolan · 03/30/11 02:00PM

In your coincidental Wednesday media column: James Murdoch gets a promotion, digital media is a strange business, NBC News misplaced its GE story, Starbucks and Morning Joe will never separate, and the NYO is photogenic.

Shocking Photo Alerts College Students to the Existence of Oral Sex

Hamilton Nolan · 03/29/11 12:47PM

In your saddening Tuesday media column: college newspaper sex scandal of the day, cable news borrows liberally from a blogger, Computer Weekly folds in print, unpaid HuffPo writers prepare to speak, and a Reuters journalist is killed in Iraq.

What Poor Soul Will Replace Katie Couric?

Hamilton Nolan · 03/28/11 01:54PM

In your suspicious Monday media column: Katie Couric's future mulled, a racist theater review mocked, the WaPo's redesign criticized, the NYT paywall arrives, and Maer Roshan has a new hobby.

At Least One Washington Post Employee Is Making Millions

Hamilton Nolan · 03/24/11 02:00PM

In your persnickety Thursday media column: Katharine Weymouth has a sweet gig, NPR fights back on "liberal bias," dark predictions for HuffPo, Steven Brill sells out, and Jay-Z mysteriously controls The Atlantic, apparently.

Female Media Executives Are a Rare Species

Hamilton Nolan · 03/22/11 01:50PM

In your unequal Tuesday media column: women aren't the boss very much, a look at Rupert Murdoch's underling, Glenn Beck's murky future, a self-publishing superstar, and NYT paywall hacks are beside the point.

Fancy Law Students Play With Dog, Reports Important Paper

Hamilton Nolan · 03/22/11 08:42AM

The many perils of law school—how we love to cover them! As does the Lamestream Media. In fact, competition for stories about law school is now so strict among media outlets that the New York Times—once considered a "prestigious" news outlet dedicated to matters of public import—has written and published an entire story about how law students can borrow a dog to play with for 30 minutes at a time.

Why Maureen Dowd Is Not a Good Columnist

Hamilton Nolan · 03/21/11 10:28AM

Earlier this month, former Senator Chris Dodd became the new CEO of the Motion Picture Association of America, making him, in essence, Hollywood's chief lobbyist. This was notable, since Dodd—a onetime favorite of populists—had repeatedly promised not to become a lobbyist when he left the Senate. Glenn Greenwald reflected on the depressing statement that Dodd's hypocrisy made about the entire American political system:

HuffPo to Unpaid Writers: We Dare You to Boycott Us

Hamilton Nolan · 03/18/11 02:28PM

In your lovely Friday media column: HuffPo dares its unpaid writers to do something, James O'Keefe is a hypocrite, a magazine investor has some magazines you can invest in, Bill O'Reilly is mad, and free NYTimes.com access, for you.

Here's a Washington Post Story With All the Editor's Notes In It

Hamilton Nolan · 03/15/11 09:02AM

If you spend more than five minutes talking to an editor, you're sure to hear about how some story or other was a total piece of shit before said editor got his hands on it. Now you can judge for yourself! The Washington Post mistakenly posted this health story by Laura Ungar online with ALL OF THE EDITOR'S ALL-CAPS NOTES INCLUDED. [The final version of the story hasn't been published yet.] We've pasted it below in case it gets pulled. Editors make typos, too! Kill them!

Report: This Internet Thing Is Really Catching On

Hamilton Nolan · 03/14/11 01:14PM

In your transitional Monday media column: the State of the Media is okay, James O'Keefe may not be a totally trustworthy journalist, hiring at HuffPo, Lou Dobbs is back, Larry King may join The Daily Show, and Mental Floss has a mental owner.

The College Journalist's Dilemma: Hated by the Cool Kids

Hamilton Nolan · 03/03/11 10:34AM

When you're a kid, spreading the details of the misdeeds of others far and wide gets you branded a snitch and ruins your social life. But when you grow up, doing the same thing gets you branded a "journalist," and gets you invited to boring parties! So you can see the dilemma faced by the "college journalist:" old enough to be a reporter, young enough to still be hated by everyone, for snitching.