(The End of) Journalism Thread

[Steve of phpBB]

[degenerasian]

Are Tucker and Lemon going to switch places?

[Johnnie]

So, what's the knock on Don Lemon? The only time I ever really watched him was in the few days after the 2020 election, and he seemed fine. He said some pretty moving things when Biden's win was finally announced that Saturday.

He's been an asshole on air for a couple things. Most notably this recently (sorry for the Fox News link):



And this article came out a few weeks ago:

Don Lemon’s Misogyny at CNN, Exposed: Malicious Texts, Mocking Female Co-Workers and ‘Diva-Like Behavior’

[Steve of phpBB]

Yeah I guess that’ll do it.

[Johnnie]

I used to think the White House Correspondents' Dinner was awesome. The jokes by the professional comedian they get for the night are certainly great.

But as I get older and more disillusioned, I see it as nothing more than a self congratulatory circle jerk. Some of the journalists in that room are totally fine undermining their profession to the cost of everyone else.

[DaveInSeattle]

I used to think the White House Correspondents' Dinner was awesome. The jokes by the professional comedian they get for the night are certainly great.

But as I get older and more disillusioned, I see it as nothing more than a self congratulatory circle jerk. Some of the journalists in that room are totally fine undermining their profession to the cost of everyone else.

That said...Roy Wood Jr is a great comic. Very funny guy....

[DaveInSeattle]

I used to think the White House Correspondents' Dinner was awesome. The jokes by the professional comedian they get for the night are certainly great.

But as I get older and more disillusioned, I see it as nothing more than a self congratulatory circle jerk. Some of the journalists in that room are totally fine undermining their profession to the cost of everyone else.

That said...Roy Wood Jr is a great comic. Very funny guy....

Nice write-up about Roy Wood Jr's prep work for the gig...

How Roy Wood Jr. crushed the toughest room in comedy

The event is also among the most challenging gigs a comedian can book. It’s held in a stuffy Hilton ballroom where your jokes must compete with clanging silverware, the sounds of room-temperature salmon being chewed, and the occasional clatter of a dropped cocktail glass. You’ve been hired by the media establishment to entertain the media establishment by telling the media establishment that the media establishment is wearing no clothes.

I remember years back he used to call in regularly to the Steve Czaban radio show.

[DaveInSeattle]

The convicted fraudster gets the soft-focus tongue bath...

Liz Holmes Wants You to Forget About Elizabeth

Elizabeth Holmes blends in with the other moms here, in a bucket hat and sunglasses, her newborn strapped to her chest and swathed in a Baby Yoda nursing blanket. We walk past a family of caged orangutans and talk about how Ms. Holmes is preparing to go to prison for one of the most notorious cases of corporate fraud in recent history.

In case you’re wondering, Ms. Holmes speaks in a soft, slightly low, but totally unremarkable voice, no hint of the throaty contralto she used while running her defunct blood-testing start-up Theranos.

“I made so many mistakes and there was so much I didn’t know and understand, and I feel like when you do it wrong, it’s like you really internalize it in a deep way,” Ms. Holmes said as we stopped to look at a hissing anaconda.

[DaveInSeattle]

The convicted fraudster gets the soft-focus tongue bath...

Liz Holmes Wants You to Forget About Elizabeth

Elizabeth Holmes blends in with the other moms here, in a bucket hat and sunglasses, her newborn strapped to her chest and swathed in a Baby Yoda nursing blanket. We walk past a family of caged orangutans and talk about how Ms. Holmes is preparing to go to prison for one of the most notorious cases of corporate fraud in recent history.

In case you’re wondering, Ms. Holmes speaks in a soft, slightly low, but totally unremarkable voice, no hint of the throaty contralto she used while running her defunct blood-testing start-up Theranos.

“I made so many mistakes and there was so much I didn’t know and understand, and I feel like when you do it wrong, it’s like you really internalize it in a deep way,” Ms. Holmes said as we stopped to look at a hissing anaconda.

The NYTimes Pitchbot gets it right (again)...

[Johnnie]

I used to think the White House Correspondents' Dinner was awesome. The jokes by the professional comedian they get for the night are certainly great.

But as I get older and more disillusioned, I see it as nothing more than a self congratulatory circle jerk. Some of the journalists in that room are totally fine undermining their profession to the cost of everyone else.

That said...Roy Wood Jr is a great comic. Very funny guy....

Nice write-up about Roy Wood Jr's prep work for the gig...

How Roy Wood Jr. crushed the toughest room in comedy

The event is also among the most challenging gigs a comedian can book. It’s held in a stuffy Hilton ballroom where your jokes must compete with clanging silverware, the sounds of room-temperature salmon being chewed, and the occasional clatter of a dropped cocktail glass. You’ve been hired by the media establishment to entertain the media establishment by telling the media establishment that the media establishment is wearing no clothes.

I remember years back he used to call in regularly to the Steve Czaban radio show.

This video was fun. The full podcast is an hour and forty-two minutes, if you're so inclined.

[DaveInSeattle]

Ready to explode with rage? How about a loving tribute from a son to a father...just in time for Memorial Day!

My father, Henry Kissinger, is turning 100. This is his guide to longevity.

On Saturday, my father, Henry Kissinger, celebrates his 100th birthday. This might have an air of inevitability for anyone familiar with his force of character and love of historical symbolism. Not only has he outlived most of his peers, eminent detractors and students, but he has also remained indefatigably active throughout his 90s.

The comments, as one would expect, are full of vitriol.

[sancarlos]

Inside the meltdown at CNN

[Johnnie]

[Nonlinear FC]

https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions ... c-profile/

Pretty interesting summary of "centrists" complaining that "partisans" don't understand objective journalism. Meanwhile, those folks all live in DC, NYC and SF and aren't in constant fear of state legislatures adopting fuckwad bills that take away basic human rights.

Pretty validating for many on this board, frankly, who have correctly pointed out the issue with many prominent Democrats who don't seem to understand the peril many Americans are facing. The time of civility and bipartisan flew out the window once the GOP started down the culture war path.

[Johnnie]

Decorum and civility are the most important things in the minds of establishment Democrats.

They are the shitty boss that says things like "don't rock the boat" and "choose your battles" because doing either of those things makes them uncomfortable and challenge their character on things like "leadership" and "integrity."

The greatest travesty that rich people can ever face is inconvenience. Far more convenient to have Republicans running things than to let those rowdy whippersnappers have a seat at the table.

[Steve of phpBB]

Pretty validating for many on this board, frankly, who have correctly pointed out the issue with many prominent Democrats who don't seem to understand the peril many Americans are facing.

I think the key word in your sentence is "seem". There's no way that Pelosi, Biden, Clyburn, etc., don't know how insane the Republicans are. But they are trying to win national elections in a country where only 25 percent of the people identify as liberal while three times as many identify as conservative or moderate. It's great for us to rant all day about how terrible the Republicans are. But if national Dem figures did that, they (and we) would be fucked.

Think of Hillary Clinton's "basket of deplorables" comment. She clearly knew how terrible half of Trump's supporters were. But she couldn't say anything like that in public, because she had to appeal to moderates who were concerned that she was too liberal and divisive.

[mister d]

Still don’t buy that. 1/3 of potential voters don’t vote and I refuse to believe there’s more than a dozen trump or conservative diehards in that group. They’re uninvolved specifically because one side ignores them and one side pays them lip service while campaigning and abandons them when in power.

[DaveInSeattle]

The same Ann Coulter who in 2002 said that her “only regret with Timothy McVeigh is he did not go to the New York Times building”; she later expressed regret, saying she “should have added, ‘after everyone had left the building except the editors and reporters.’”

[sancarlos]

New owners...

[DaveInSeattle]

The WaPost...scrapping the bottom of the OpEd barrel...

First there's this:
Who can beat The Donald? The Rock.

Johnson for President! Many people I’ve tried this on think I am joking, because Dwayne Johnson is a movie star, among other things — and movie stars can’t be elected. Except by perhaps the largest electoral college margin since George Washington. (Looking at you, Ronald Reagan, who in 1984 won all the states but one.)

And then this:

At last, the GOP has a debate recipe that works

Potential voters saw in Miami a substantive debate focused on Israel’s war of self-defense and survival, the Ukraine war that splits the GOP electorate and the threat posed by the Chinese Communist Party, as well as the issues raised by immigration, inflation and entitlements.

What makes this one particularly egregious? Look who wrote it...one Hugh Hewitt...who just happened to be one of the moderators of said debate.

Having moderated five Republican presidential primary debates over two cycles, including last week’s in Miami, as well as GOP Senate and gubernatorial primary debates, and even a memorable gaggle of Los Angeles mayoral candidates in 1993, I have settled on a recipe for successful debates. It isn’t exotic. It’s common sense.

[mister d]

Does that Univision thing not fall under equal time laws or is it just part of the whole “LOL laws don’t matter” trend?

[Steve of phpBB]

Does that Univision thing not fall under equal time laws or is it just part of the whole “LOL laws don’t matter” trend?

Does Univision have broadcast stations? Because I think those equal time rules don’t apply to cable broadcasters.

[P.D.X.]

Univision is an over the air channel.

[DSafetyGuy]

The Fairness Doctrine has been gone for over 35 years.

The equal time rule still exists today, but the Fairness Doctrine does not.

The Federal Communications Commission abolished The Fairness Doctrine in 1987. The regulation stretched back to the Radio Act of 1927 that mandated broadcast license holder “serve the public interest.”

---

In 1987, the FCC repealed most of the Fairness Doctrine. In 2011, all of the doctrine’s provisions died.

[The Sybian]

The Fairness Doctrine has been gone for over 35 years.

The equal time rule still exists today, but the Fairness Doctrine does not.

The Federal Communications Commission abolished The Fairness Doctrine in 1987. The regulation stretched back to the Radio Act of 1927 that mandated broadcast license holder “serve the public interest.”

---

In 1987, the FCC repealed most of the Fairness Doctrine. In 2011, all of the doctrine’s provisions died.

Yep, and this is one of the most damaging actions for our democracy. Under this doctrine, all networks had to air a certain amount of news, and they weren't allowed to charge for advertising during the news. Repealing the law allowed for proliferation of for-profit 24-hour news channels, and allowed them to exhibit clear bias and prioritize generating revenue over journalism or even reporting the truth. I think there are still laws governing campaign ad time on networks.

[sancarlos]

But this would be covered by the equal time rule, not the fairness doctrine, right?

[Steve of phpBB]

Repealing the law allowed for proliferation of for-profit 24-hour news channels, and allowed them to exhibit clear bias and prioritize generating revenue over journalism or even reporting the truth. I think there are still laws governing campaign ad time on networks.

I'm not sure this is totally right. I think the end of the Fairness Doctrine probably gave rise to right wing talk radio, but not right wing cable news. The Fairness Doctrine only applied to over-the-air broadcasts. Generally governments can't regulat private speech, but the Fairness Doctrine was constitutionally justified on the ground that since broadcasters were using the public airwaves, and there were only a limited range of broadcast frequencies available, the government had a right to impose some public interest requirements.

But because cable news does not use the public airwaves, these justifications don't apply. So applying the Fairness Doctrine or Equal Time Doctrine applied to cable would probably violate the First Amendment.

Univision is an over the air channel.

If Univision is applying that policy to material it broadcasts over the air, I'd expect to see it challenged in court.

[Steve of phpBB]

So maybe Univision isn’t rejecting all Biden ads. They refused to run Biden ads while they aired a Trump interview.

From the sound of it, the softball Trump interview is the bigger problem.

[DaveInSeattle]

Sports Illustrated Published Articles by Fake, AI-Generated Writers

There was nothing in Drew Ortiz's author biography at Sports Illustrated to suggest that he was anything other than human.

"Drew has spent much of his life outdoors, and is excited to guide you through his never-ending list of the best products to keep you from falling to the perils of nature," it read. "Nowadays, there is rarely a weekend that goes by where Drew isn't out camping, hiking, or just back on his parents' farm."

The only problem? Outside of Sports Illustrated, Drew Ortiz doesn't seem to exist. He has no social media presence and no publishing history. And even more strangely, his profile photo on Sports Illustrated is for sale on a website that sells AI-generated headshots, where he's described as "neutral white young-adult male with short brown hair and blue eyes."

[govmentchedda]

Sports Illustrated Published Articles by Fake, AI-Generated Writers

There was nothing in Drew Ortiz's author biography at Sports Illustrated to suggest that he was anything other than human.

"Drew has spent much of his life outdoors, and is excited to guide you through his never-ending list of the best products to keep you from falling to the perils of nature," it read. "Nowadays, there is rarely a weekend that goes by where Drew isn't out camping, hiking, or just back on his parents' farm."

The only problem? Outside of Sports Illustrated, Drew Ortiz doesn't seem to exist. He has no social media presence and no publishing history. And even more strangely, his profile photo on Sports Illustrated is for sale on a website that sells AI-generated headshots, where he's described as "neutral white young-adult male with short brown hair and blue eyes."

SI also "publishes" shit from team sites, (see a link from NLFC from early in Stalionsgate) that should not have the authority that goes with that masthead.

[Shirley]

Man, that's depressing. Sports Illustrated is one of those brands that always elicits a warm fuzzy in me even if I haven't actually subscribed in probably 20 years or more.

[GoodKarma]

I've noticed over the past six months or so my Google news feed is getting populated with SI "articles" that read more like clickbait/content farm items. I went to the Nuggets-Spurs game last night and this morning I had two separate articles that were lame stories about Jokic and Wembenyama making history last night.

[Shirley]

I actually had to Google to see if they still put out a print magazine. They do, but it's monthly now. I remember when they laid off most of their writers a few years ago. I wonder who's left to write for the mag. Anyone here still subscribe?

[A_B]

I don't even remember last time I saw one in a waiting room. However, that might just be there are less places that lay the germ transferring devices out like they used to do.

[govmentchedda]

I don't subscribe, and I think there are a few writers there who are still good. Richard Johnson, also of Split Zone Duo, is one.

[Shirley]

The only time I see them are the commemorative championship editions I see at the grocery store. Actually, I guess I have one from UVA's hoops title in 2019. Looking at it now!

[The Sybian]

I actually had to Google to see if they still put out a print magazine. They do, but it's monthly now. I remember when they laid off most of their writers a few years ago. I wonder who's left to write for the mag. Anyone here still subscribe?

I cancelled around 1993, switched to The Sporting News. Haven't read it since. Although as someone mentioned, I've recently clicked on some links from Apple News, and yeah, it was all garbage clickbait.

[wlu_lax6]

I miss the old quality SI. Good writing, fun incentives to subscribe (football phone), good photography. But they never figured out how to go from a magazine to the internet and make money. ESPN went the other way TV->Magazine/Internet.

Products and Brands come and go, but man you wish they went out in a more dignified manner (can't decided about Mad Magazine's current offering being a dignified death)

Shame such great writers have their legacy related to the current product.
Deford
Blount Jr
Gammons
Jenkins
Mandel
Reilly
Wahl
Wulf
Wolff
Zimmerman
Reilly
Moore

Amazed that Pat Forde and Steve Rushin (Mr. Rebecca Lobo) are still with SI

[sancarlos]

My father has been a subscriber my entire life and still is one now. In fact, he was a charter subscriber and I have almost every issue for the first year of SI.

[DSafetyGuy]

They also do a fair amount to "local" sports coverage where they have someone who covers a team or teams in a smaller market. There is one for Syracuse and the main guy (he farms out stuff to a lot of grad students who want the work to build their resume) used to be a recruiting writer.