FCC report finds media failing watchdog duties

Downsized newsrooms, fewer reporters and less reporting can be harmful to democracy, according to a just released FCC report on the “Information Needs of Communities.” (Read the full report below.) “A shortage of reporting manifests itself in invisible ways: stories not written, scandals not exposed, government waste not discovered, health dangers not identified in time, [...]

Wall Street Journal reporter handcuffed at courthouse

A Wall Street Journal reporter was handcuffed and carted away today after repeatedly ignoring a U.S. marshal’s request to leave Sam Adam Sr. alone as the veteran attorney tried to exit the federal courthouse. Chicago Breaking News Center July 21, 2010 By Stacie St. Clair Doug Belkin was outside the boundaries dedicated for media interviews [...]

At Yahoo, Using Searches to Steer News Coverage

With the rise of Search Engine Optimization (SEO) protocols to drive traffic to news websites,  journalist are now becoming curators of information. A new model has emerged: the public decides what is “newsworthy,” and editors feed that back to the public. How does this model impact investigative reporting projects in the long-run? -SMD New York [...]

Obama’s press secretary asks media to stop using anonymous administration sources

Press Secretary Robert Gibbs has offered a deal to the White House press corps: the administration would only give on-the-record interviews if reporters agreed not to cite anonymous sources. -db The Hill April 18, 2010 By Tony Romm Press Secretary Robert Gibbs approached White House reporters earlier this year in an attempt to end the [...]

Olympic athletes in winter games confused by rules restricting social media

Olympic social media rules bar athletes from acting as reporters since they lack accreditation, but they can twitter in the first person and send reports from the sidelines. -db Wired February 5, 2010 By Mark McClusky American skier Lindsey Vonn, one of the potential stars of the 2010 Winter Olympics, told her nearly 35,000 Twitter [...]