Category: Journalism

  • Double standards in propaganda, journalism and life

    Reading Propaganda by Edward Bernays. Although Bernays is popularly portrayed as an anti-democratic elitist, he was – by the standards of his time – liberal and progressive. He ends the book with a typical progressive sentiment – that more education, and better information will make public debate more reasoned and more enlightened: If the public…

  • Forensic reporting

    I first became aware of Danie Krugel through a review by Anton Harber of an edition of South African current affairs show Carte Blanche. It was an investigation into the whereabouts of missing victims of a paedophile murderer. Harber said: “I am not sure what Carte Blanche was doing in this story, but it is…

  • Networked Journalism

    I’m trading City University, London for City University, New York to attend Jeff Jarvis and Dave Cohn’s heroically organised Networked Journalism Summit. I’ll be talking about our modest efforts and looking forward to hanging out with people who understand the concept rather better than me. Jay Rosen has already posted some of his thoughts: Division…

  • Roger Ailes, the Jackie Mason of news

    I can’t help myself. I have great admiration for Roger Ailes. Take a look at these clips that didn’t make the cut from a Wall Street Journal interview transcript: WSJ: Your best friend and longtime colleague, Chet Collier, died recently. What are some of the things you learned from Chet – either about the television…