Media

News Media Protest Military Decision

Submitted by Sheldon Rampton on

News organizations protested a U.S. military decision to prevent journalists inside Afghanistan from witnessing the transfer of American soldiers wounded by an errant B-52 bomb. The restrictions on the journalists, the only media so far allowed to accompany and cover U.S. forces based in Afghanistan, are a troubling example of the "lack of direct contact with American forces who've actually participated in the war," said Leonard Downie Jr., executive editor of The Washington Post.

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Main Source: 
Associated Press, December 6, 2001
Topics: 
Journalism
War / Peace

World In Crisis, Media In Conflict

Submitted by Laura Miller on

The Media Channel, a nonprofit, public-interest Website dedicated to media issues, features ongoing and up-dated coverage of the global "War on Terrorism" and how it continues to threaten both journalism and journalists. The web digest looks at how media worldwide are coping with danger, trauma, censorship and bias.

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Main Source: 
http://www.mediachannel.org/
Topics: 
Left Wing
Media

What Recession?

Submitted by Sheldon Rampton on

"The American economy has officially entered what promises to be the worst recession since the early 1980s and, conceivably, the worst since World War II," writes economist Robert J. Samuelson. "But you'd hardly know from the media, which have treated the economic story as a sideshow. ... Editors have subconsciously delegated their jobs to Wall Street," which refuses to stop hyping over-valued stocks. "Editors would no doubt resent being cast as Wall Street's lackeys. But that is the effect."

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Main Source: 
Washington Post, December 5, 2001
Topics: 
Corporations
Media

Advertising Downturn Bites the Media

Submitted by Sheldon Rampton on

The terror attacks have made what was already a severe advertising downturn even worse for cash-strapped publications. Advertisers are taking advantage of the downturn by nibbling away at editorial independence, asking for more marketing freebies, better placement and bigger discounts. Wall Street Journal reporter Matthew Rose describes how the Ford Motor Company pressured Rolling Stone publisher Rob Gregory to offer free publicity for a music tour promoting the Ford Focus.

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Main Source: 
Wall Street Journal, December 4, 2001
Topics: 
Advertising
Media

Firing Photographers: Media Using More PR Photos

Submitted by John Stauber on

The PR distribution firm PR Newswire is happy to report on its member's only Media Insider website that "mainstream media organizations are making more frequent use of PR-generated photos. ... Some 4,000 photos in PR Newswire's archive are now downloaded every month by media organizations. ... (C)ost-cutting news outlets are looking for ways to stretch their photo budgets, and will rely on free corporate photography whenever they can."

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Main Source: 
PR Newswire
Topics: 
Journalism
Public Relations

Another Casualty of September 11?

Submitted by Sheldon Rampton on

Many San Francisco listeners were outraged when media conglomerate Clear Channel Communications fired San Francisco radio personality David Cook (AKA "Davey D"). Cook was fired after leading a heated anti-war debate on his program. Was he the latest casualty of growing intolerance to independent views?

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Main Source: 
TomPaine.com, December 3, 2001
Topics: 
Media
War / Peace

Downsizing the News

Submitted by Sheldon Rampton on

Corporate decisions to slash the budget of news organizations have created a media environment that invites public relations manipulations. Now Jon Snow, one of Britain's most respected journalists, has launched a furious attack on his own TV network for "reducing its commitment" to news and current affairs. Ten years ago, ITV spent

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Main Source: 
The Guardian (UK), December 2, 2001
Topics: 
Journalism
Corporations

Taliban Puts Price on Heads of Journalists

Submitted by Sheldon Rampton on

Taliban chief Mullah Mohammed Omar has reportedly announced a bounty of $50,000 to any Afghan gunmen who shoot a western journalist. With the roads of Afghanistan becoming ever more perilous, some journalists have made a "hasy retreat" from dangerous areas, partly to register protest with victorious Northern Alliance commanders who have failed to guarantee security.

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Main Source: 
The Guardian (UK), November 30, 2001
Topics: 
Journalism
Human Rights

TV Journalists Tell Flacks How to Pitch Their PR Stories

Submitted by John Stauber on

The Publicity Club of Chicago's November luncheon featured TV journalists including Jay Foot of WLS, Pam Oliver of NBC 5-TV and Chaz Parker of WBBM. They were the featured speakers, there to tell the assembled PR flacks the best ways and times to pitch them and to get their PR aired as news. Such meetings are typical nation-wide and help explain how so much PR becomes "news."

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Main Source: 
Media Insider, November 30, 2001
Topics: 
Journalism
Public Relations

High-tech PR a "Ghost Town"

Submitted by Sheldon Rampton on

Business has been bad all year for PR firms that represent high-tech products and internet services, and the terror attacks of September 11 made things worse. O'Dwyer's reports layoffs at PR firms including Citigate Communications, Alexander Ogilvy, Brodeur Worldwide, Cohn & Wolfe,Niehaus Ryan Wong, TSI Communications, GCI, Edelman and Ketchum.

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Main Source: 
O'Dwyer's PR Services Report, November 2001
Topics: 
Internet
Public Relations

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