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Journalism

I enjoy to think critically about journalism. I support good journalism and I do think that journalism can be an important contributor to a healthy democracy. But it’s not clear to me that journalism always has been, or is currently. Maybe it is. But how would we know?

Reality testing: measuring the long term impact of journalism

Reality testing: measuring the long term impact of journalism

When Margaret Wente was getting busted repeatedly for plagiarizing, her publisher, The Globe and Mail, more or less defended her. Critical commentators’ noted that no one spins harder or better than a newspaper team defending one of their key assets. The thing is, journalists are trained story tellers. They’re fast. They’re persuasive. They’re wordsmithy. They…

The state of hyperlinking in journalism, a case study

The state of hyperlinking in journalism, a case study

From time to time I like to check in on how news orgs are doing with their online publishing practices. In particular, I like to review how they handle reports and science articles. So when Oxfam published their inequality report this year, I was keen to see how journalists and their editors are doing. Hyperlinking,…

Headlines, cognitive processing, and problematic information

Headlines, cognitive processing, and problematic information

Headlines matter. Publishers know it. Good headlines help with the understanding, reach, and impact of a story. Headlines frame articles, shaping the information in the article that follows, and alter reader comprehension. Headlines can induce positive priming effects in readers.1 Headlines are efficient at doing this. They play a significant role in readers’ memories, inferential…

Journalism is the business of influence

Journalism is the business of influence

Good journalists do what they do because they care. They have interests. The organizations that employ journalists also are guided by interests. They have purpose. The Washington Post wears their mission on their sleeve. Their tagline is “Democracy dies in darkness.” This stated vision is shared by many in journalism. If true, journalism has a…

Journalism’s allergy to substantive regulation

Journalism’s allergy to substantive regulation

Misinformation is a big deal. Hate online is a big deal. And as the public catches up to their reach and impact, we’ll see more and more talk about regulation of media. Interestingly, news organizations love talking about regulating Facebook. But journalists, and their overlords, are allergic to talking about regulating news. So allergic are…

Paul Wells, conservatism, satire, and Maclean’s footprint

Paul Wells, conservatism, satire, and Maclean’s footprint

I like Maclean’s about as much as I like the National Post. They’re rightwing, partisan, and legacy. On my view they have courted hate and burned trust, undermining journalism along several dimensions.1 Also. I will admit it. I often don’t get sarcasm.2 When I saw the “the resistance” cover by Maclean’s, I thought it was…

Ads versus articles in the Saturday BC Edition of the Globe and Mail, A Section

Ads versus articles in the Saturday BC Edition of the Globe and Mail, A Section

Here’s the A Section of the Globe and Mail. It’s the BC edition for June 2nd, 2018. There are 19 reports and 5 opinion pieces. I counted the weather section on page 22 as a report, and also the Donkey Kong “Moment” on page 2, but nothing on the cover. The cover is arguably editorial…