Whoever said news about important subjects doesn't sell? CBS News chairman Jeff Fager is happy to contradict them. The ratings for 60 Minutes, he says, make it clear that Americans are hungry for that kind of reporting. His goal now is to make the rest …
It's obvious that much has changed in the ten years since 9/11. Ask Americans what they think is the most important problem facing the United States and terrorism doesn't even make the list. The number of Americans willing to have the government violate their "basic …
For many journalists, covering crime is their least favorite part of being on general assignment. The late shift at many stations is a steady diet of crime scenes and victims. Lots of newsrooms send their greenest reporters out on crime stories, perhaps figuring they're easy …
If you've been feeling despondent about the current state of local TV news, just take a look at the latest issue of Quill, the SPJ magazine. Here's all you need to know about the section that cheered me up: Despite the cutbacks in TV newsrooms, …
Congratulations to KCTV in Kansas City and chief investigative reporter Dana Wright, who just won a 2011 Casey Medal for distinguished coverage of children and families, particularly the disadvantaged. The winning entry was a five-part series, "Big problem, low priority," that looked at the plight …
The recent FCC report on the future of the news media pinned some of the blame for the lack of depth in TV news on the decline of beat reporting at local stations. On average, local news has become thinner, not deeper. The amount of coverage dedicated …
There's only so much you can do to prepare for the unexpected. When the G20 met in Toronto last summer, news organizations knew there would be protests and planned their coverage accordingly. But they couldn't anticipate that riot-equipped police would quickly be overwhelmed when they …
Sometimes the best advice is the simplest. At a conference of public radio news directors last week, NPR investigative reporter Daniel Zwerdling put it simply. "Read the whole report," he said, quoting the legendary journalist I. F. (Izzy) Stone. The executive summary doesn't cut it. Reading …
What turns one appalling case into an investigation that can change state law and reform an industry? Determined, methodical digging and accurate analysis of public records--that's how the Seattle Times told the full story of Seniors for Sale, a year-long series on elderly abuse in "adult …
Taking notes used to be a simple matter. You pulled out a pen and a pad of paper and you wrote things down. Over time, if you developed your own shorthand, you could take notes faster and more accurately. If you could read your own …
For decades, foundations have poured money into journalism training around the world in the belief that strong, independent news media are a vital component of democracy. And for just as long, those funders have wondered if the investment was worth it. Trainers who spent weeks …
The mayor of Seattle is telling local TV stations to back off. In Georgia, the governor's office went so far as to ban an Atlanta station from a public event. What's going on here? Elected officials often don't like the way they're covered but they usually …
