How to explain the indispensable role of the news media in lubricating the unfathomable rise of Donald Trump? It can’t be favoritism. I venture to say that a survey of U.S. journalists, taken at the start of the primary season, would have found but infinitesimal support for the idea that Trump was a plausible, let … Continue reading »
journalism
Using explanatory journalism to fight polarization and dysfunction
In the present-day world of media and politics, we live (as the saying goes) in the best of times and the worst of times. A motivated consumer of information on politics and policy — the ideal citizen in a representative democracy — has access to an unprecedented number of sources of excellent journalism in a … Continue reading »
Should environmental news coverage be in the science section?
A while back I wrote about how the New York Times’ environmental coverage had been in decline. The public editor at the Times has a new article stating that environmental coverage has recently increased substantially. I think that is a great thing. But I want to focus on another element of the public editor’s article. … Continue reading »
The murder of journalists puts news media in a quandary
The murders of the U.S. journalists James Foley and Steven Sotloff by their Islamist captors were trivial horrors in the spiraling calamity that has engulfed Syria and Iraq. Still, to me they were uniquely painful for reasons unrelated to the region’s incomparably greater misfortunes: They were the needless deaths of brave and committed professionals, they pointed … Continue reading »
Environmental journalism in decline at the NY Times
Last March, The New York Times killed its Green blog and disassembled its environment desk, distributing the staff into other units. Jayni Hein noted the possible concern that this change might result in diminished resources for environmental coverage at the Times; she also noted the positive spin that some Times people put on the change, that it would “mainstream” … Continue reading »
Write your own news story
Just fill in the blanks, and you can save yourself the trouble of reading newspaper accounts about any new EPA action: New EPA Regulations Spark Controversy The Environmental Protection Agency today announced tough new regulations on [name of industry]. According to the agency, the regulations will save thousands of lives by reducing dangerous levels of … Continue reading »