A Pandemic of Bad News

The Swine Flu is big news… and for good reason.  This potentially deadly strain – a mix of pig, bird, and human viruses – is spreading across the globe.  More cases are being reported every hour it seems.  Health experts don’t seem to have much to offer in terms of definite information.  Fear and uncertainty […]

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Reporter shot in 2008, laid off in 2009

Last year Todd Smith was shot while covering a city council meeting for a newspaper in suburban St. Louis, Mo. Of the six people who were shot, he was the only one to survive. Last week, the newspaper laid him off. “My family is obviously really not happy that I took a bullet for a […]

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MediaStorm: Story, art, passion, purpose

A few months back we asked each of our 2009 Game Changers Awards finalists to write about their projects, what they have learned along the way and what’s next. (Here’s the rest of the series). Somehow, amidst the flurry of conference preparations, this one slipped through our crack(ed) editorial process. But it’s important, so here […]

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Hello From SeeClickFix

WeMedia has been kind enough to offer us a place on their blog to keep their community updated about the progress of SeeClickFix.Com. We’ll be checking in here frequently, but here’s an update on new features, new relationships, and ways you can help spread the clicking. ___New Features____*Mobile Web VersionUse SeeClickFix from your smart phone […]

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Blogger dies in Iranian prison

A Facebook campaign has been launched to hold Iran responsible for the death of Omid Reza Mir Sayafi, a 29-year old Iranian blogger who died March 18 in an Iranian prison. In December, he was sentenced to two and half years in prison for insulting religious leaders and engaging in propaganda. More from Global Voices […]

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Kristoff and the Sea of Stories

Just when I think The New York Times is beginning to understand the concept of story in a connected society, Nicholas Kristoff invokes the old “Daily Me” cliche in an op-ed column. God save us from ourselves, so says Nick. God save us from Kristoff. He ought to know better than to conjure up a […]

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Legends of the fall

Two recent metaphors, both good, from the long, sad conversation about newspapers. From South By Southwest, author Stephen Berlin Johnson’s ecosystem metaphor (pick it up at the second chapter) with chart. Or full video. And the map from latest The New York Times story that tells it all. Dale PeskinDale is co-founder emeritus of We […]

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How fart noises and silly faces exposed CNBC

Back in 2005, the host of a “phony news” show on Comedy Central was named the most trusted TV anchor. Comedian Jon Stewart responded by invoking the Groucho Marx line that he’d never belong to any club that would have him as a member. Stewart’s stature has rankled TV’s shouting heads, money honeys, and Ken-and-Barbies […]

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A URL can depend on your perspective

I like to play with word mashups that impart new meaning and metaphors, but sometimes you’ve got to be careful when you apply them to a URL. Like: www.newstools.org New stools? A furniture-maker’s site? Horticulturalist’s? Bishop’s? African chieftan’s? Informant’s? Or gastroenterologist’s? Creative capitalization helps: NewsTools. The site highlights the work of the Journalism That Matters […]

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Why The Daily Show is better than the news. Again.

Mad Money’s Jim Cramer makes nice with John Stewart tonight on The Daily Show. Here’s the video of the cat fight from Cramer’s colleagues at CNBC. In case you missed it, the original hurts-so-hysterically takedown is here. Viacom, which owns Comedy Central, took down the original takedown on You Tube. Dale PeskinDale is co-founder emeritus […]

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