Sarah Palin Rumors

I complain about the media a lot, especially about journalism, but I try to keep an eye out for things that I think are done well. Here's an example of that.

I'm not a fan of Sarah Palin, but it's nice to see a new organization try to set the record straight on some rumors. Most of the rumors CBS News chose to examine were false.

It's nice to see a journalist doing her job

Even if it cost CNN's Larry King an interview with John McCain. From the New York Times:

"... Ms. (Campbell) Brown had sharply questioned Tucker Bounds, a campaign spokesman, after he said that the role of Mr. McCain’s running mate, Gov. Sarah Palin, as commander in chief of the Alaska National Guard was an example of executive experience that Senator Barack Obama of Illinois did not have.

"Can you tell me one decision that she made as commander in chief of the Alaska National Guard, just one?” Ms. Brown asked.

Mr. Bounds responded, “Any decision she has made as the commander of the National Guard that’s deployed overseas is more of a decision Barack Obama’s been making as he’s been running for president for the last two years.”

Ms. Brown pressed again, saying: “So tell me. Tell me. Give me an example of one of those decisions.” To which Mr. Bounds said, “Campbell, certainly you don’t mean to belittle every experience, every judgment she makes as commander.” The argument devolved from there, with no real resolution."

I know the Right will say that she was hounding him, but all Bounds had to do was answer the question. He couldn't or wouldn't, so he tried to spin it that Brown was somehow "belittling" Palin. It was a legitimate question and voters deserved an answer -- and answer that could have possibly strengthened Bounds' argument. If he really had an argument.

I'm usually the last to hold television journalists in high regard, but Brown did well. I wish there were more like her.

Broken Bats

I read this story on how maple bats suck and are dangerous. Then I caught the last few innings of the Yankees game on the tube and saw a bat break in the seventh, eighth and ninth. Hmmm.

I think the story needs a stronger nut graf, and the lede is a little sensational (even if it's true), but it raises an interesting issue.

Other People's Stuff

Mark May 15 on your calendar.

Interesting post from my buddy Matt Duffy on a study of "The Daily Show"

Bedbugs on the subway?

As if you could date New Yorkers

Someone please please please please please get me a reservation

And here's a little something extra. R.I.P. Freddy Soto:

Journalism Requiem: Headlines

(Found this here)

Copy editors love to say that more headlines get read on a daily basis that stories. And that's true. People flick through the paper and scan almost every headline but read far fewer stories. The same is true online.

Readers might think they are walking away with the essence of the story if they only read the headline and perhaps the lead paragraph. At least that should be the case.

But take this headline: Too Much, Too Little Sleep Leads to Big Belly

This would be fine, except that it's not true. Poor sleep is "linked" to being obese. It's not a causal relationship and the story even says as much. This type of mistake is common. And much worse mistakes are made all the time.

As news sources, especially newspapers, slash staffs and move away from copy editing, as if it's a luxury rather than a necessity to protect credibility -- which is the very the lifeblood of news -- more mistakes will be made, and they'll be made on much more important stories.

Journalism Requiem: Sean Bell verdict

When the Sean Bell verdict was announced, the homepage editor of a major television news Web site (the station has three letters and a B in the middle) was overheard saying, “Why aren’t they rioting?”

I recounted this story to a friend of mine, who is black. She laughed and said she was surprised they weren’t rioting, too.

But this same homepage editor went on to say that he didn’t know how big a story the verdict was unless “they” riot.

So, three cops being acquitted of murdering an unarmed man on his wedding day -- he was shot 50 times -- isn’t big news without this. Good to know.

Norman Mailer on Journalists

"If a person is not talented enough to be a novelist, not smart enough to be a lawyer, and his hands are too shaky to perform operations, he becomes a journalist."

~Norman Mailer