Thanks to technology, and social media in particular, the world has shrunk, making it possible to keep tabs on conflicts happening all over the globe. Even in remote places where high speed Internet is not yet ubiquitous, newsmakers can report from the frontlines of riots, protests, and uprisings using text messages sent to Twitter over… Continue reading Social conflict: reporting from the frontlines
Tag: journalism
The rise and role of reactive journalism
Some would say that there have always been opinions laced throughout the media. Even when simply reporting the news, a nuance or a tone in one’s voice could plug the reporter’s perception into the “unbiased” relaying of information to the public. It has been and always will be an unavoidable part of being a professional… Continue reading The rise and role of reactive journalism
Facebook has more female users but much more male journalists covering it
It was probably just a statistical anomaly. There’s not chance that a social network that is comprised 3:2 women over men would intentionally invite a shockingly high percentage of male journalists to their biggest press event in a while, right? They sent out invites to the publications and by strange coincidence, the ratio of male… Continue reading Facebook has more female users but much more male journalists covering it
Everyone at CNET who has a spine should resign within a week
Censorship is arguably the most irreversible path a publication can travel. We are a semi-forgiving society that understands journalists will get the story wrong from time to time. We know that there are ethical boundaries that must occasionally be crossed. We are forgiving when a publication gets too controversial or stands behind the side of… Continue reading Everyone at CNET who has a spine should resign within a week
All of this Instagram hate is just silly
Those who follow my writing know that I’m a skeptical, cynical conspiracy theorist who thinks that governments, companies, and entities we don’t even know about are all out to get us. I promote privacy, transparency, security, and an open internet free of nearly all forms of censorship. I believe that most online companies, particularly those… Continue reading All of this Instagram hate is just silly
The amazing manipulating power of the “accidental” leak
Every professional field has a set of hot buttons that allows those in it to be manipulated. For politicians, it’s money, power, and votes. In Hollywood, it’s exposure, inclusion, and awards. Everyone has hot buttons, even the allegedly-unfaltering news media. For them, there are really only three things that can manipulate them: exclusives, scoops, and… Continue reading The amazing manipulating power of the “accidental” leak
Are smartphones killing digital cameras (and photojournalists)?
It was once an essential component of the media that helped millions to be able to visualize the world from a distance in news reports and features. Often the photos that were brought to us by photojournalists with expensive cameras were more important than the words that accompanied them. Today, it is becoming as much… Continue reading Are smartphones killing digital cameras (and photojournalists)?
The (rapid) decline of the media industry
Those of us who have been classically trained in journalism (from back in the days when journalism was more than blogging and posting videos to Twitter), it’s hard to see the decline of the world in which we once thrived. Writing for a local newspaper in the 80s showed me two things that I can… Continue reading The (rapid) decline of the media industry
In defense of Business Insider…
It’s like clockwork. When anyone gets a payday, there are those who will express dissatisfaction with one thing or another that they’re doing to cheat the system, hurt the little guy, or kill innocent animals. Clockwork. Disclosure: I am an unpaid and (very) occasional contributor for Business Insider. Even if I were not, I would… Continue reading In defense of Business Insider…
iPhone 4, Gizmodo, Apple: Bloggers Are Journalists
The big story continues to be Gizmodo’s iPhone 4 revelations, and a police raid in which editor, Jason Chen’s computers were seized and his house searched. At issue here could be the rights of journalists to report the story they have in their hands, as corporate America continues its attempt to define bloggers as not… Continue reading iPhone 4, Gizmodo, Apple: Bloggers Are Journalists