TWO EXPERIENCED WOMEN JOIN PULITZER BOARD

The Pulitzer Prize Board quietly added two new members earlier this month, both veteran women of news experience.

From the Pulitzer website:

Investigative journalist and columnist join Pulitzer Board

Katherine Boo, a Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative journalist, and Gail Collins, an Op-Ed columnist for The New York Times, have been elected to the Pulitzer Prize Board.
Boo, a staff writer for The New Yorker magazine, was a reporter at The Washington Post when her series on mistreatment of mentally challenged people in Washington, D.C., resulted in the 2000 Pulitzer Prize for Public Service for The Post.
Collins joined the editorial board of The New York Times in 1995 and six years later became the first woman editor of The Times’ editorial page. -- 11/07/2013

But that means that just seven of the 19 board members are women.

BAT KID IS THE S.F. STORY

If you have not heard about Bat Kid, the latest unique San Francisco story, you may have been hiding somewhere.

The City by the Bay, where I toiled in joy for nine years, took this brave Make-A-Wish kid in for the day Friday, allowing him to make his dream come true as a junior crime fighter.

See the video below from Gotham City News (aka KPIX TV):


Of course, local media, as you can see, played a part, especially the San Francisco Chronicle, which put out a special Gotham City Chronicle edition Friday and gave up part of today's actual paper to the young crime fighter.

 

150 YEARS LATER, AN ANTI-GETTYSBURG ADDRESS RETRACTION

It took a while, but a Pennsylvania newspaper finally retracted an editorial that dismissed what turned out to be a pretty important speech by the president of the United States.

No, not Barack Obama, but Abraham Lincoln.

And yes, the speech in question was the 1863 Gettysburg Address.

At issue was the editorial in the now defunct Patriot & Union of Harrisburg, which called the address "silly remarks" and said a "veil of oblivion" needed to be dropped over them.

It would seem timely as this year marks the 150th anniversary of the famous address.

The Patriot-News of Harrisburg, Pa., published the retraction Thursday, according to Reuters, which reported it states:

Our predecessors, perhaps under the influence of partisanship, or of strong drink, as was common in the profession at the time, called President Lincoln's words 'silly remarks,' deserving 'a veil of oblivion'

The Patriot -News regrets the error.

 

60 MINUTES BENGHAZI MESS HIGHLIGHTS LACK OF BOOK FACT-CHECKING

In all of our coverage of the Benghazi mess at 60 Minutes, which is still not coming completely clean about its October 27 report based on the lies of a former security employee, it became more and more apparent that the book he wrote was likely just as flawed.

Such was the case last week when Threshold, the publisher of The Embassy House by Dylan Davies, retracted the book.

But unlike 60 Minutes, it has not provided any more information on how it got into print or what, if any, reviews were done to check its accuracy.

With that in mind, I spoke to veterans of the book publishing world who pretty much agreed that most publishers do not fact-check and that leaves a big potential problem for many books by non-authors like Davies, and other media outlets who base stories on them.

See my full story HERE.

60 MINUTES "REVIEW" RAISES EVEN MORE QUESTIONS

Just when you thought 60 Minutes' responses to its troubled Benghazi report last month couldn't get any stranger, now comes word that the network is conducting a "journalistic review." But what does that mean?

A 60 Minutes spokesperson offered just this line to me and others when we inquired:

The moment we confirmed there was an issue in our story we began a journalistic review that is ongoing.

But nothing else about who is doing the review, when it began or when it will end. 

Stay tuned, I sure will.

CAN 60 MINUTES LEARN FROM THE PASTS OF OTHERS?

Lots of nice attention on my column today at Media Matters about how CBS News needs to tell us more about why their 60 Minutes Benghazi story allowed its main source witness to appear given his conflicting stories.

I pointed out how several past news outlets had not only gotten through ethical problems, but bounced back from them when they opened up their shops and explained exactly what went wrong, even firing people in many cases

You can read it HERE.

So far nice notice from Jim Romenesko and New York Times Public Editor Margaret Sullivan.

60 MINUTES FALLOUT NOT STOPPED BY LAME APOLOGY

The fallout from the 60 Minutes Benghazi story, and the terrible "correction" Lara Logan tried to make Sunday night, has been greater than even I expected.

When word started to come out that the source witness for the October 27 story about the attack that killed four Americans on Sept. 11, 2012, had lied, the news magazine was slow to respond.

But after overwhelming evidence showed the witness, Dylan Davies, had lied, 60 Minutes had to admit defeat.

Too bad that has only included a short "we're sorry," by Logan.

Media Matters has chronicled the piles of reaction to this inept mea culpa, with likely more to come.

NATIONAL MEDIA NEEDS TO KNOW NEW JERSEY BETTER

It was a bit annoying to see all of the political pundits last night on most national television coverage of Gov. Chris Christie's big win in my home state of New Jersey try to analyze why he won as some kind of comment on national GOP politics.

Yes, he won by a wide margin and is now a clear GOP presidential contender. But most who vote for him here liked his approach to the budget and his independent style, not necessarily agreeing with his views on a lot of social issues like abortion and gay marriage.

They also seemed to wonder why he could win so big, but have the state legislature remain solidly Democratic and two ballot measures on the minimum wage and games of chance, which he opposed, could pass pretty handily.

This ignores the fact that New Jersye is a very swing state with a very mixed vote and a lot of ticket-splitting. People here have elected three Republican governors to two-term tenures since 1981, but always had a Democratic legislature for the most part, while regularly voting Democratic in the presidential race since 1992.

If some of these pundits at the national channels had talked to some local state reporters, they might know this.

In addition, people in this state, and likely many others, vote for governors, mayors and often president because they like the candidate, not necessarily the party. To say Bill de Blasio's big win in New York City for mayor somehow is a comment on the previous 20 years of hard-line conservative mayors does not take into account that he had a very weak opponent, as did Christie. 

"RATHERGATE" INVESTIGATOR WEIGHS IN ON 60 MINUTES LESSONS IN LIGHT OF BENGHAZI REPORT

Former Associated Press CEO Lou Boccardi, who was involved in the review of the so-called "Rathegrate" controversy at 60 Minutes II in 2004, spoke about the lessons learned then in an interview with me on Monday.

He was discussing the issue in light of the recent controversy over a new 60 Minutes report, its Benghazi story from October 27 in which a supposed "witness" of the 2012 attack that killed four Americans claims there were problems with U.S. support.

But now it seems that witness's credibility is in question.

See what Boccardi said HERE.

WFAN'S FRANCESA GOES OVERBOARD

I brought up the issue recently that New York sports radio has gone downhill, noting for specific disgust WFAN host Mike Francesca.

Francesca, who has been on the air for 25 years, has consistently become grouchy, mean and obnoxious, while also belittling fans and defending some star athletes like Alex Rodriguez rather than challenging them with tough questions.

He brought that to the highest level on Friday when he had New York Daily News reporter Michael O'Keefe on the air and insulted and abused him, while also making wrong claims about the news gather process.

It was a real embarrassing bully session that is beneath the top radio market in the country.

Meanwhile, Francesca defends his softball approach to A-Rod saying he would not ask him tough questions because he won't answer. Not journalism.

The interview/brawl is HERE.

WFAN weekend host Richard Neer the following day took Francesca on, noting he made a mistake.

MURDOCH BIOGRAPHER DISCUSSES GOING UP AGAINST THE NEWS CORP. EMPIRE

Had a good long interview with NPR reporter David Folkenflik after reading his new Rupert Murdoch biography, Murdoch's World: The Last of the Old Media Empires.

Folkenflik went beyond his reporting for the book as he described to me the Fox News PR attacks he and others have endured and how some at News Corp. tried to discourage people from talking to him for the book.

See what he says HERE and check out the book HERE.

THE LATE JOHN GREGORIO AND ME

I have to note the passing of John T. Gregorio, former mayor of Linden. N.J. and a one-time Democratic power broker in the state as a State Senator, at 87.

He rose to power in the 1970's and early 1980's before being driven from office in 1983 after a conviction involving hidden interests in a local go-go bar. But he made a comeback in 1990 when he was pardoned by former GOP Gov. Tom Kean on Kean's last day in office. At the time, Kean told me he was asked by incoming Gov. Jim Florio, a Democrat, to grant the pardon. Florio's office told me at the time that was untrue.

Later, State Sen. Ray Lesniak, another Democrat, stated he had approached Kean on Gregorio's behalf and requested the pardon.

During that 1990 election, I wrote a lot about Gregorio for The Daily Journal of Elizabeth, N.J., including claims he had threatened a fireman's union boss and gotten into a shouting match with another driver after an accident. When Gregorio won the primary handily, effectively winning the election in mostly-Democratic Linden, I went to his victory party to interview him and was almost assaulted by his son, John Gregorio, Jr. 

That same son was later arrested for kidnapping two teen boys who he alleged were harassing his daughter and driving them around Staten Island. His father at the time defended the son.

Years later, in 2008, Gregorio agreed to sit down with me for a story that ran in New Jersey Monthly, still defending his son. He lost his last election for mayor that same year.

Loved or hated, he was a New Jersey character.

FORMER STAR-LEDGER COLUMNIST RIPS ENDORSEMENT

Give former Star-Ledger scribe Bob Braun credit. The former columnist who left the paper earlier this year took issue with the Ledger's endorsement this week of Gov. Chris Christie.

Not a complete surprise the paper would endorse Christie given his overwhelming lead in the polls. But, as Braun notes, the paper has also been one to criticize him in the past.

Writes Braun:

The worst of this editorial is the smarmy line about “our duty is to the readers, and our goal is to help them decide which button to push.’’
No thanks, Mr. Editorial Writer. The ethical, the moral, thing to have done, given the arguments you yourself used, was to say we endorse no one. Otherwise what you are doing is urging  a vote for someone you have proven beyond doubt is, in your words, a fraud and a catastrophe–and unworthy of high office.
Never, in 50 years of newspaper work, have I seen such contorted logic and such  breathtaking cynicism. Shame on you.

Read more HERE.

I got to know Braun on several occasions covering the Ledger for E&P, but most interestingly when I did a story on famous parent/child reporting duos in 2004. His daughter, Jenifer, was a fashion writer at the paper at the time and is now features editor.

AFTER MOVING GOAL POSTS, CNN NOW FUMBLING THE ETHICS BALL

When we first found out that CNN was shielding new Crossfire co-host Newt Gingrich from scrutiny by not requiring him to disclose financial contributions he and his PAC had given to GOP candidates he discusses or interviews on the air, the news outlet declared to me that was not a problem since he is giving the money.

Well, now comes word that Gingrich Productions, an entity overseen by Gingrich's wife, has accepted some $9,500 from the Republican Party.

So should that be disclosed.? Official word from CNN: no comment.

Where does this end?

MURDOCH BOOK HIGHLIGHTS FOX NEWS PR SCAM

Reading David Folkenflik's new book, Murdoch's World, I came across a few surprises, but one that I had not been surprised about because it highlight's Fox News' notorious public relations department, and one Irena Briganti.

As Media Matters notes so well HERE, the book details how some Fox staffers created dummy email accounts to post comments on its own website's items.

This is about the height of bad judgment and unethical behavior.

As for Fox PR, they are known for doing as little as possible to help reporters or others seeking to cover the news channel, and as much as possible to help push a one-sided and often retaliatory viewpoint.

VIRGINIA'S BIGGEST PAPER WILL NOT ENDORSE FOR GOVENROR

I was interested to see the Richmond Times-Dispatch offered a curt "no endorsement" in that state's tough gubernatorial race.

The editorial stated, among other things:
 
The major-party candidates have earned the citizenry’s derision. The third-party alternative has run a more exemplary race yet does not qualify as a suitable option. We cannot in good conscience endorse a candidate for governor.

This does not gladden us. Circumstance has brought us to this pass. This marks, we believe, the first time in modern Virginia that The Times-Dispatch has not endorsed a gubernatorial nominee.

Read the whole thing HERE.

Will see what impact if any this has.

AUTHOR JIMENEZ LIES ABOUT MY REPORTING ON HIS DEBUNKED CLAIM

So thanks to Media Matters, I was able to post a story this past week that essentially debunked a claim by author Stephen Jimenez that The New York Times Magazine spiked a story he wrote in 2004 on the murder of Matthew Shepard because the piece was too "politically sensitive."

The truth was the piece was not good enough to be published.

But that didn't stop Jimenez from lying about my story on a far-right radio show.

Paul Tough, a former editor at the Times Magazine, told me he was interested in Jimenez's claim that Shepard, the gay University of Wyoming student, was not killed in an anti-gay hate crime, but instead as the result of a drug-fueled killing.

But, as Tough said, the truth is Jimenez's article fell short.

Tough told me, among other things, "My recollection was that he and I went through a few edits and drafts together but I don't remember what the final sticking point was. He certainly wrote a draft and my recollection is more than one draft, but in the editing process things are never done until they're done. For whatever reason I feel like for us it didn't get to the level of being a complete and publishable story."

In the same story, when I sought comment from Jimenez about Tough's recollection, he did not offer a defense, instead bragging about a story he did on the subject for 20/20 and awards he received.

He also lied about my story on conservative Janet Mefferd's show, claiming I did not include his response in the story, which is untrue. Hear the false statement HERE at about 36:00.

MORE NEWS VENTURES CANNOT IGNORE THE BASICS OF NEWS

A couple of new media ventures have me thinking more and more about the need for news outlets to remain focused on the bedrock needs of journalism: accuracy, fact-checking, fairness, measured reason and -- often the most important -- patience to make sure coverage is both balanced and complete.

News of late includes the creation of a new venture with Glenn Greenwald, formerly of the Guardian and Edward Snowden fame, and the creator of Ebay. There is also the Truth Revolt, the conservative venture casting itself as a right-wing Media Matters for America.

I will withhold comment on that comparison both because I work at Media Matters and because it would take too long to explain why it is a ridiculous comparison.

Still, with more and more new outlets joining the Internet fray, and many others such as The Washington Post changing owners or approaches, the basics of what still should count for journalism cannot be forgotten or dropped.

While the Internet has for nearly 20 years provided both journalists and news consumers with a vast opportunity to find and check facts and learn news from various sources and viewpoints, it has also created a growing danger of abuse.

I have often said much of what is wrong with news today is not perceived bias on the right or left, but greed among those profiting off news and laziness among many who practice our craft.

It is two easy to fall into the trap of opinion, poor fact-checking and a rush to report facts. Some of this is going to occur given the speed in which news is diseminated today, along with the vast cutbacks in many newsrooms of staff to report, edit and write.

Still, if we and others in the growing and changing world of news do not hold our own feet to the fire and make sure the ethics and basic tools of reporting are followed and nurtured, we do a disservice. In the end, credibility will lose out to profit and speed and the viewer/reader/listener will suffer.

NEW YORK SPORTS RADIO: AAARRGGHHH!

I have grown increasingly annoyed with most New York area sports radio.

At WFAN, Boomer and Carton in the morning are obnoxious, especially Carton, who loves to make terrible calls and then act as though he did not.

Mike Francesca, WFAN's key afternoon man, has grown tiresome. He is obnoxious, grouchy and loves to get into shouting matches with callers just because they do not agree with him. He also dismisses fantasy football, noting he has no concept of today's fan.

Then there is ESPN Radio in New York, where Mike and Mike in the Morning are good, but limited as national voices in our local market. Elsewhere on that station, Stephen A. Smith is a blowhard and Mike Lupica, the columnist from the New York Daily News, has a whiney annoying voice and loves to jump on the bandwagon.

Of course, Michael Kay, a lousy TV baseball announcer, is like fingernails on a blackboard on afternoon drive time radio.

The Yankee announcers, on both televison and radio, are either inept or obnoxious. Especially John Sterling and Suzyn Waldman. They either have horrible voices or error-filled comments.

SUNDAY NEW YORK TIMES: STILL A GREAT READ

Reading the Sunday New York Times is still one of the most informative things I do each week, today's shows why.

Great pieces on the ridiculous nature of our pharmaceutical costs, the health care website, and the GOP Senate losing its chances. They even throw in an interesting look at sports memorabilia sales.

Read HERE.

See below

FRONTLINE PREMIERES NFL INVESTIGATION ESPN DROPPED

The controversial Frontline episode on NFL concussions and other injuries, which ESPN pulled out of, premiered last night on PBS.

If you missed it, check it out HERE.

It also includes great work from Steve Fainaru and Mark Fainaru-Wada, top brother reporters whom I profiled years ago.

COX OFFERS GOOD TAKE ON FOX

Wonkette founder and current Guardian columnist Ana Marie Cox pens a great take on the absurdity that is Fox News budget and debt coverage. 

Says Cox: 

Here's a piece of absurdism you can appreciate right now: the image of a janus-faced conservative media talking head, with one mouth defiantly denouncing the impact of the government shutdown, and the other wailing at the costs of keeping government going. Sean Hannity, no great advocate of consistency anyway, has sputtered these two thoughts within minutes of each other. "The government is not totally shut down! Seventeen percent is it!" he told listeners Monday, before confiding that he believes the GOP will prevail, since "the public will side with the group that's willing to talk".

 Read it all HERE.

MORE CON MEDIA MOVES

So the two most recent signs of conservative voices going to new conservative news outlets were announced today: Dr. Ben Carson heading to Fox News and Dana Loesch now at The Blaze.

MARIMOW FIRING NOT GOOD

Word that The Philadelphia Inquirer has fired Bill Marimow, its respected and experienced editor, should say a lot about the future of that newspaper.

It is more their loss than his.

NBC SPORTS PULLS OUT OF GUN SHOW

Media Matters posted an interesting story today by me and Matt Gertz noting that NBC Sports had pulled out of sponsoring the country's largest gun show for 2014, saying it was bad business.

The story was also picked up by Variety and The Birmingham News, whose readership likely includes some gun owners.

FOX NEWS ACCUSING OBAMA OF ALLEGED "PANIC" EFFORT

Fox News' Chris Wallace on Sunday does a poor job of accusing President Obama of trying to "panic the markets" over the federal debt battle.

See HERE.

SNL DOES A NUMBER ON GOP HOUSE AND THE SHUTDOWN

Got to hand it to Saturday Night Live, which gave a great hit on the Republican House majority and the government shutdown with some Miley Cyrus flavor.

See below

MEDIA MATTERS RADIO TODAY

Sirius XM Radio is replaying the Media Matters Radio show from last week at Channel 127. 

Great discussions until 1 p.m. It also includes a replay of my conversation on the air about our great CNN Newt Gingrich coverage. Tune in to that at about 12:25 p.m.

GLENN BECK AND SABEW

I spent much of Friday at the Society of American Business Editors and Writers conference in New York, which included a sit down with Glenn Beck.

During the conversation, Beck declared that talk radio would be "over in five years" and that cable advertising was dead. He also oddly compared his approach to on-air advertising to a masseuse.

See clip below:

STUART VARNEY ADDS TO HIS PAST UNCARING VIEWS

Stuart Varney of Fox Business gives a big smack to federal employees and apparently is glad they are being furloughed.




Read more on it at Media Matters HERE.

REID MISQUOTE A POOR EXAMPLE OF A GROWING TREND

Media Matters gives a great take on how news outlets can misinform viewers/readers with partial comments.

Take Sen. Harry Reid and the quote going around in which he was asked if he would fund cancer research for children during the government shutdown. The answer being reported is, "Why would I do that?"

But Reid's answer was in repsonse to Sen. Chuck Schumer who was himself responding to a question about the shutdown from CNN's Dana Bash.


Reid had said he did not believe Congress should pick and choose what to fund, prompting Bash to ask, "If you can help one child who has cancer, why wouldn't you do it?"

Sen. Charles Schumer responded to her question by asking, "Why pit one against the other?" and Reid added in, "why would we want to do that? I have 1,100 people at Nellis Air Force base that are sitting home. They have a few problems of their own."

For CBS News and others to report it in the way that they did is misinforming and bad journalism.

NEW BOOK CHRONICLES 1910 L.A. TIMES BOMBING

Kudos to Lew Irwin, longtime Los Angeles area newsman and author of Deadly Times, a new book on the 1910 bombing of the Los Angeles Times by some hardline labor union leaders of the day.

A great insight into the struggles of the times and the defense work of one Clarence Darrow, who represented the accused and was himself accused of bribing a juror.

Great take on a very unknown incident in newspaper history.

GEORGE WILL TO FOX: WHO HELPS WHO?

Should we be surprised that George Will goes to Fox News? But does it benefit him or the network more?

With his syndicated column and ABC News spots, that network's credibility aided him more than Fox News might. Perhaps just money or some internal battle at ABC?

'DAILY NEWS' PROVES PAGE ONE MATTERS

This New York Daily News front page from Tuesday is getting a lot of attention, even today.

Shows newspapers still have relevance and they ability to grab attention better than any news outlet.

 

PATCH EDITOR FACES JAIL TIME FOR REFUSING SOURCE REVELATION

Interesting case out of Illinois brewing with a local PATCH editor facing jail time for refusing to reveal a source in a grisly murder case.

Joe Hosey of the local PATCH that covers Joliet, Ill., is getting some powerful support from the likes of the Illinois News Broadcasters Association and National Press Club in his fight.

PATCH reports:

Two more journalism organizations have joined the swell of criticism to a Will County judge’s decision to hold Patch editor Joe Hosey in contempt of court for not revealing a confidential source.
The Illinois News Broadcasters Association, Radio Television and Digital News Association and National Press Club each released statements criticizing Judge Gerald Kinney for not acknowledging the Illinois shield law, which has been in effect since 1982.
“If Kinney prevails, then there are no guarantees,” said Bob Roberts, WBBM News broadcaster and Freedom of Information Chair of the Illinois News Broadcasters Association. “The shield law becomes an empty shell. States replicate each other, so if you gut the shield law here it will start happening in other states soon.”
On Sept. 20, Kinney ordered that Hosey be held in “minor direct criminal contempt” for not giving up the source of investigative reports that detailed the grisly Hickory Street murders in Joliet. Hosey's prescribed punishment for maintaining confidentiality was $1,000 fine, $300 in fines for every day he does not divulge the source from Aug. 29 on up to 180 days and then incarceration.

Read more HERE.

FOX NEWS ANTI-OBAMACARE SLANT HITS NEW HIGH

Watching Fox News try to cover the first day of online registration for Obamacare finds some of that channel's worst slanted attacks.

Claiming some online glitches are a preview of widespread failure is beyond even their track record of poor reporting.

Eric Wemple gives a good account of it HERE:

As uninsured Americans find themselves on the eve of getting brand-new options to secure health care, desperation at Fox News is surfacing. It has been fighting this law from the start, highlighting any bad news related to the Affordable Care Act and suppressing the good news. The tone has been uniform; the skepticism has spread across most time slots; and the inspiration comes from on high, as Fox News chief Roger Ailes has made public his disregard for Obamacare. Let the record show that Fox News, in its assault against Obamacare, has moved from attacking legislation to attacking Q and As.

Read more HERE.

INTERESTING MTV BOOK BY THE FIRST ON-AIR TALENT

Yes, I am reading the recent book by the original MTV VJ's, titled, of course: VJ: The Unplugged Adventures of MTV's First Wave. (Simon and Schuster)


A fun and interesting read for those of us who were in high school when that video channel, which no long plays videos, first popped up.

 

WILL CNN ADDRESS GINGRICH POLICY CHANGE TODAY

Curious to see what Reliable Sources on CNN does with the story we broke this week about CNN changing its policy to assuage Newt Gingrich after he failed to disclose his financial ties to Ted Cruz and Rand Paul after having them either on the show or discussed as topics.

Tune in to CNN at 11 a.m.

BEING A JOURNALIST IS FOCUSING ON NEWS, NOT IDEOLOGY

I have said it before but it bears repeating.

Those who call themselves conservative journalists admit their bias and assume others have the same, usually as liberal or whatever label they want to give.

But most journalists, if they are worth anything, go into news out of an inate drive to find out what is going on. I personally became a news junkie in about the 8th grade.

I always say I am a reporter because I am nosy and love getting the truth out there.

If you call yourself a journailst, you should have a similar approach.

Be concerned about so-called conservative journalists who worry more about being conservative than about being journalists.

NEWT AND KATIE GET IT WRONG

Two good examples of right-wing media misinformation.

First, Media Matters revealed that Newt Gingrich has violated the rules set by CNN when he was hired for the new Crossfire.

See HERE how he has failed to disclose ties to political subjects on his show.

Then there is Katie Pavlich, the Townhall.com editor who is all of three years out of college and thinks she can judge safety, and journalism for that matter.

Her latest: making ridiculous claims of safety at the Navy Yard shooting.

MEDIA DAY

So the big story was Barack Obama addressing the U.N. and perhaps meeting with the Iranian president . Let's see how the media on all sides handles this one. 

Please stick to facts and not speculation or overly-biased analysis.