news

Fox News' Digital Divide

Stevie Converse — Mon, 09 Aug 2010 12:32:04 -0400

Full article: Mediaweek
Mike Shields
On the tube, Fox's ratings are so dominant that CNN is turning to prostitution-tarred former New York Governor Eliot Spitzer to revive its prime-time lineup. So why does Fox continually get its digital clock cleaned -- by CNN?

Public Policy and Funding the News

Moira Vahey — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 15:12:39 -0500

A new report, Public Policy and Funding the News, examines the history of the U.S. government's role in subsidizing the gathering and distribution of news and information. The report by David Westphal and Geoffrey Cowan was published by the University of Southern California's Center on Communication Leadership and Policy.

MSNBC.com Taking over @BreakingNews Twitter Feed

Stevie Converse — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 06:52:37 -0500

Full article: Broadcasting & Cable
Alex Weprin
MSNBC.com will take over one of Twitter's most popular feeds for news, @BreakingNews, as part of a deal with the feed's creator, BNO News. MSNBC is the second major cable news channel to take over a Twitter feed developed by someone else. In April 2009, CNN acquired @CNNBrk, a Twitter feed that linked to the top stories on CNN.com.

Bing Tries to Buy the News

Stevie Converse — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 08:26:58 -0500

Full article: TechCrunch
Erick Schonfeld
Microsoft is in discussions with News Corp. and other publishers about the possibility of paying them to remove their sites from Google's search index. At an earlier meeting in Europe, Bing dangled the prospect of premium spots in search results to publishers and outright money for search R&D.

Google Starts Including Wikipedia on Its News Site

Lindsy Embree — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 09:42:10 -0400

Full article: New York Times
Noam Cohen
Recognizing that the online encyclopedia Wikipedia is increasingly used by the public as a news source, Google News began this month to include Wikipedia among the stable of publications it trawls to create the site.

Newspaper Revitalization Act

Holiday Shapiro — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 13:42:07 -0400

The Newspaper Revitalization Act, introduced by Sen. Benjamin Cardin (D-Md.), would allow newspapers to operate as nonprofit 501(c)(3) organizations, making them tax exempt. Free Press is monitoring this bill.

A Fierce Outbreak of Swine Flu Coverage

Lindsy Embree — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 09:08:17 -0400

Full article: Washington Post
Howard Kurtz
The story spread rapidly in the news vacuum, when federal officials declared a health emergency, within hours the coverage of a swine flu outbreak had reached fever pitch. With front-page headlines, constant cable-news updates and top-story status on the evening newscasts -- the sheer volume of media attention suggested a full-blown crisis. But are they going overboard?

Free Press Calls for National Journalism Strategy at House Hearing

Jen Howard — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 09:43:36 -0400

WASHINGTON -- Free Press Policy Director Ben Scott will call for a national journalism strategy to address the problems in the newspaper industry and promote a vibrant news marketplace at a hearing before the House Subcommittee on Courts and Competition Policy.

Journalists Give the First Lady Full Marks at G-20

Lindsy Embree — Fri, 03 Apr 2009 10:44:58 -0400

Full article: Washington Post
Howard Kurtz
President Barack Obama may be grappling with a global economic crisis and Russian arms control, but his wife has clearly stolen the show. The Michelle gush-a-thon is growing louder by the day. The first lady has generated endless media chatter about everything from her sleeveless dresses to her vegetable garden.

The Struggle for Journalism and Self-Government

Steve Anderson — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 17:45:35 -0400

Media critic, and historian Robert McChesney talks about the essential role of journalism for meaningful democracy, and puts forward a radical proposal to address the challenges faced by news media in the current economic crisis, and into the future.