Archive
16 Sep

Municipal water district in California hires PR firm to write stories, post to fake news site

<p>Back in 2010 the Central Basin Municipal Water District of California's hired PR company, the Coghlan Consulting Group, was faced with a problem. "All of us know that getting positive news coverage about the Agency is a very difficult challenge," <a href="http://documents.latimes.com/water-board-news-deal/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">wrote company head Ed Coghlan in a letter to the Water Distric</a>t, "With news staffs reduced (and often inexperienced) it is difficult to create stories that speak to the accomplishments of Central Basin."</p>

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15 Sep

The media and polls: Are we doing a bad job?

<p>This week, Ipsos Reid executives Darrell Bricker, CEO, and John Wright, senior VP, <a href="http://www.ipsos-na.com/news-polls/pressrelease.aspx?id=5336">penned an open letter to journalists</a> demanding they do a better job reporting polls during election time.</p>

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12 Sep

Is TV news in Canada worth a damn? Two former journos discuss on The Mark

<p>As Tim Knight puts it on <em>The Mark</em>, he and Kai Nagata have some differences: "We're separated by 50 years and 2,000 miles." But also similarities: Both are former TV journalists who believe the industry is mortally ailing -- and both have recently penned widely read missives on why; <a href="http://kainagata.com/2011/07/08/why-i-quit-my-job/">Nagata on his blog</a>, <a href="http://j-source.ca/article/day-i-finally-lost-all-respect-national">Knight on <em>J-Source</em></a>. One believes the industry can be saved; the other does not.

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9 Sep

CP photogs share memories of 9/11 coverage

<p>Scores of media travelled to Manhattan once news of the 9/11 attacks hit, but many Canadian media were denied access into the city. CP photojournalists Ryan Remiorz and Paul Chiasson made it through -- after a police officer at the first checkpoint unthinkingly laid a press credential on Chiasson's larger, French "MEDIAS" press card, covering the IA and causing them to later be mistaken as medics. Together they recount their experiences in a short clip posted on <em>The Globe and Mail</em>.

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7 Sep

The Angelo Persichilli debate

<p>When Stephen Harper appointed <em>Toronto Star</em> columnist and <em>Corriere Canadese</em> editor Angelo Persichilli as his new director of communications last week, many politicians, journalists, and regular joes and janes were surprised.

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1 Sep

It’s not you, it’s me: Cali j-student on the future of newspapers

<p>Journalists should stop looking at outside industry pressures when talking about the death of newspapers, and start looking at themselves, <a href="http://www.dailycal.org/2011/08/31/its-not-you-its-me/">writes j-student Mihir Zaveri in independent student press paper <em>The Daily Californian</em></a>.<br />

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1 Sep

Conrad Black on Metro Morning

<p>When Conrad Black's new book,<em> A Matter of Principle</em>, is released Sept. 15, the former media magnate will already be back in prison. But that doesn't mean he'll keep mum: Black recently spoke to <em>Metro Morning</em>'s Matt Galloway about the book, his time in prison, his innocence, and the state of newspapers today. The interview runs 45-minutes long, but is fascinating and worth listening to -- whether you love Black or hate him.<br />

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31 Aug

Lloyd Robertson’s last day

<p>"I can scarce believe it's finally happening," writes Lloyd Robertson in an <a _cke_saved_href="http://www.ctv.ca/lloyd/" href="http://www.ctv.ca/lloyd/">open letter posted to CTV's website</a>.

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31 Aug

The end of silly season

<p><em>While most of us lament the end of summer, writes <strong>Lisa Taylor</strong>, there is one thing to cheer: the end of silly season in news. An examination of how endless sunny days + slow news + journalist = lapse in critical thinking.</em></p>

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30 Aug

WikiLeaks calls NYT drooling, senile and evil

<p>WikiLeaks and <em>The New York Times</em> are perhaps offically no longer BFFs.<br /><br />In the past week, WikiLeaks has released more than 125,000 leaked diplomatic cables. Unlike earlier releases, however, WikiLeaks did not partner with any traditional media this time around.<br />

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