News Bites
Friday, February 5, 2010
Media, News Bites Blown Coverage
Posted by Michael Miner on Fri, Feb 5, 2010 at 2:14 PM
John Kass sounded seriously apologetic on the radio Friday over the terrible job the media did in vetting Scott Lee Cohen, the Democratic nominee for lieutenant governor with the flamboyant history.
Thursday, February 4, 2010
Media, News Bites The Perils of Sylvia: More Cuts on the Tribune's Comics Page
Posted by Michael Miner on Thu, Feb 4, 2010 at 2:34 PM
Nicole Hollander received some news from her syndicate a few days before readers of her comic strip, Sylvia, got the same news in a February 1 announcement in the Tribune:
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
Media, News Bites Waiting for the Miracle to Come
Posted by Michael Miner on Wed, Feb 3, 2010 at 7:26 PM
Is it just me, or did Apple's new iPad make everyone in the journalism biz a little crazy? And I don't just mean crazy as in, making way too much of yet another story that could stand some restraint. Crazy as in, how you feel when the doctor who gave you six months five months ago calls and says, "There's this very interesting new drug you need to know about."
Friday, January 29, 2010
Media, Politics, News Bites Obama v. Alito
Posted by Michael Miner on Fri, Jan 29, 2010 at 7:00 AM
The High Noon moment of President Obama's State of the Union address came toward the end of it, when he addressed the Supreme Court, sitting directly below him.
Thursday, January 28, 2010
News Bites Bonuses Yes, Raises No
Posted by Michael Miner on Thu, Jan 28, 2010 at 5:00 PM
A bankruptcy judge has given the Tribune Company the OK to award bonuses totaling more than $45 million to 720 executives and top managers. This development was reported in a business brief in Thursday's Tribune and, curiously, in a considerably longer story in Thursday's New York Times. Both papers noted that the bonuses had been opposed as excessive by the bankruptcy trustee and by the chapter of the Newspaper Guild representing editorial employees of the Baltimore Sun, a Tribune paper.
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
Media, News Bites Tribune Bloggers — Is There a Place at Chicago Now?
Posted by Michael Miner on Wed, Jan 27, 2010 at 5:07 PM
It's sad, sports columnist Bernie Lincicome turning out to be a reluctant blogger. As I wrote the other day, he tried blogging in Denver and concluded it was mere "calisthenics," an exercise in the delusion that someone notices and cares.
Media, News Bites Reinvent Journalism and Drink Beer Along Hinkson Creek
Posted by Michael Miner on Wed, Jan 27, 2010 at 11:02 AM
Ignore the second half of the above headline. Don't know what got into me. What's important here is the opportunity to spend an academic year at the Donald W. Reynolds Journalism Institute at the University of Missouri School of Journalism saving the business.
Monday, January 25, 2010
Media, News Bites Did the Son of a Times Correspondent Just Join the Israeli Army?
Posted by Michael Miner on Mon, Jan 25, 2010 at 8:21 PM
The Electronic Intifada, a Web site run by Hyde Park's Ali Abunimah, put up an intriguing story Monday. It began:
"The New York Times has all but confirmed to The Electronic Intifada (EI) that the son of its Jerusalem bureau chief Ethan Bronner was recently inducted into the Israeli army."
Friday, January 22, 2010
Media, News Bites Bernie Lincicome Seeks a Role
Posted by Michael Miner on Fri, Jan 22, 2010 at 11:28 AM
Bernie Lincicome is back in town, hoping to write something for somebody. I suggest he write for his generation. One voice is missing from new media — the voice of the old sage who thinks new media is ridiculous.
Thursday, January 21, 2010
Media, News Bites The CTA Is Reducing What, When?
Posted by Michael Miner on Thu, Jan 21, 2010 at 4:39 PM
The CTA has posted warning notices. "Service Changes Effective February 7," they announce. Below this headline is a list of express bus routes to be canceled, followed by a list of local routes that will see less frequent service. Some of these routes are asterisked.
The asterisk is explained in a footnote. It says, "These routes only have frequency reductions during periods when the eliminated express routes they parallel are not running."
So when the eliminated express routes are running, it's business as usual.
