MetaFilter posts tagged with reporting

More of the Best

dances_with_sneetches — Sat, 17 Oct 2009 10:39:46 -0800

Having previously put together a post with links to stories from the 2009 edition of Best of American Crime Reporting, I decided to go to earlier editions to gather together what is available on the web. Starting in 2007 with The Tainted Kidney: Charles Graeber, New York. A serial killer who chooses to donate his kidney has his motives questioned. Continuing in 2007 with The Inside Job: Neil Swidey, Boston Globe A trusted employee pilfers millions. Double Blind: Matthew Teague, The Atlantic An undercover agent helps take down the IRA. A Kiss Before Dying: Pamela Colloff, Texas Monthly A legendary haunting inspires a reporter to dust off a 45 year old killing. The Devil in David Berkowitz: Steve Fishman, New York Born again, David Berkowitz now has Christian advocates. The Man Who Loves Books Too Much: Allison Hoover Bartlett, San Francisco A book collector doesn't want to pay. Dirty Old Women: Ariel Levy, New York Teachers who seduce their students. Who Killed Ellen Andros? / Dan P. Lee, Philadelphia The prosecution of a police officer plays out between competing Medical Examiners. Fatal Connection: David Bernstein, Chicago Magazine The murder of a high class prostitute. Last Seen September 10th: Mark Fass, New York A doctor disappears the day the towers fall. Previously discussed. My Roommate, The Diamond Thief: Brian Boucher. New York Magazine. An aspiring writer lucks out by stumbling into a good story. The Monster of Florence: Douglas Preston, The Atlantic A journalist and a crime novelist investigate a series of murders near Florence, Italy and become part of the story. Also, previously discussed. The Loved Ones: Tom Junod, Esquire. A riveting account of a New Orleans couple scapegoated for the sins of those who did not adequately respond to Katrina. Also previously linked. The School: C.J. Chivers, Esquire Over a thousand students, parents and teachers are taken hostage in a Russian school. A couple more in the collection were not available online. The Talented Dr. Krist: Steve Fennessy, Atlanta Magazine The perpetrator of a notorious kidnapping appears to be trying to go straight after prison. not available. The Case of the Killer Priest: Sean Flynn, GQ Magazine After a quarter century, a priest is brought to trial for the murder of a nun. Not available. 2008 The Story of a Snitch: Jeremy Kahn, The Atlantic. A police witness gets careless. A Season in Hell: Dean LaTourrette, Men's Journal A surfer in Nicaragua is accused of murder. I'm with the Steelers: Justin Heckert, ESPN Magazine A con man convinces local women he's a pro football player. The Caged Life: Alan Prendergast, New West A white supremacist spends decades in solitary confinement. Badges of Dishonor: Pamela Colloff, Texas Monthly Two border patrol agents shoot an illegal alien and become heroes to some. The Ploy: Mark Bowden, The Atlantic Mark Bowden revisits the subject of interrogation and how it was used to find Al-Zarqawi. Day of the Dead: D.T. Max, New Yorker The life and death of Malcolm Lowery. Just a Random Female: Nick Schou, Orange County Weekly A student's murder appears to be the first of a serial killer. The Serial Killer's Disciple: James Renner, The Cleveland Free Times A man is executed for three murders. But was he the one? Mercenary: Tom Junod, Esquire A self-proclaimed government assassin is hired as head of security at a nuclear plant. Murder at 19,000 Feet: Jonathan Green, Men's Journal (pdf file) Mountain climbers witness an execution and face a moral dilemma. Dangerous Minds: Malcolm Gladwell, New Yorker A deconstruction of criminal profilers. (previously discussed) And again a couple in the anthology that are not available online. The House Across the Way: Calvin Trillin, New Yorker In an isolated town in Northern Canada, townsfolk go to war with an alleged drug dealer. Dean of Death Row: Tad Friend, New Yorker CO Vernell Crittendon becomes the public face of California's death row.

John McPhee

Joe Beese — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 10:37:02 -0800

John McPhee writes about basketball, headmasters, oranges, tennis, hybrid airships, nuclear weapons, bark canoes, Alaska, the Swiss Army, the merchant marines, dissident Soviet artists, shad, long-distance trucking, and - Pulitzer Prize-winningly - geology (282kb PDF). He discusses his work here. Previously in the blue: his writings on the Army Corps of Engineers' history of attempts to control the Mississippi River and the aftermath of Los Angeles area wildfires.

Jonathan S. Landay reporting from Afghanistan

Joe Beese — Sat, 12 Sep 2009 14:14:07 -0800

We walked into a trap, a killing zone of relentless gunfire and rocket barrages from Afghan insurgents hidden in the mountainsides and in a fortress-like village where women and children were replenishing their ammunition.

Long form journalism on the Web is "not working."

thisisdrew — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 12:17:20 -0800

Long form journalism on the Web is "not working." - TIME.com Managing Editor Josh Tyrangiel ..Among the detractors of this statement is David Sleight, Deputy Creative Director of BusinessWeek.com: "Really? It’s 2009 and we’re still having this conversation?" Scattered industry advice on this topic varies from moderate to extreme, and while web analytics paint a convincing picture of web readers, some wonder if long form journalism has EVER worked. Of course there seem to be other factors at play, like methods of presentation and quality of content.

Waiting for CNBC

chunking express — Fri, 08 May 2009 07:59:22 -0800

Waiting for CNBC: A tragicomedy in one long act. The Colombia Journalism Review also has an extensive list online of what the business press did (and didn’t do) while the financial crisis was brewing.

MeFi guidelines expert assures me this is Best of the Web

Gyan — Sat, 17 Jan 2009 22:21:34 -0800

Journalism and complex public issues - a British newspaper editor's travails

Sunday Paper Pledge Drive?

Miko — Sun, 23 Nov 2008 10:30:22 -0800

Can nonprofit news models save journalism? The advertising-supported, for-profit institutional model of journalism (skip this ad) is on the wane. Except for a few large and successful outlets, investment in comprehensive reporting has suffered from a shrinking bottom line, even as the hoped-for development of citizen journalism has been generally underwhelming. But some see a solution taking shape in not-for-profit, independent, citizen-supported online news organizations that would employ skilled professional journalists. Pointing to the encouraging recent growth of NPR and PBS as news outlets, many industry thinkers are starting to agree that "The only way to save journalism is to develop a new model that finds profit in truth, vigilance, and social responsibility." Editors are beginning to experiment with models like that of Paul Stieger's ProPublica (a sort of reporting clearinghouse), Geoff Dougherty's ChiTown Daily News, The NYC Center for an Urban Future's City Limits, and Scott Lewis' Voice of San Diego. Great idea - will it work?

"Fit" to report?

starman — Sat, 02 Aug 2008 05:36:11 -0800

In a recent Wall Street Journal story asking if Obama is "too fit" to be president, the reporter uses a Yahoo! message board to find sources (Google cache of the post). (via DF)

"Bad news sells best. Cause good news is no news."

fearfulsymmetry — Sun, 16 Dec 2007 04:55:57 -0800

Ace In The Hole. The best movie about a reporter ever? Probably... at least it will show you how to light a cigarette with a typewriter. I first watched it several years ago on Alex Cox's Moviedrome series (along with many other great films). It's now out on DVD but only Region 1.

NSFUSA?

randomination — Thu, 14 Sep 2006 02:28:45 -0800

When worlds collide: King Mswati III of Swaziland chooses his thirteenth wife at the Umhlanga, a Zulu reed-dancing ceremony [NSFW, tame]. The BBC reports on the story, but then realise US networks they syndicate to might be fined due to FCC regulations on nudity. Richard Porter, editor of BBC World, explains more in his blog.

Reporters ask the tough question

caddis — Sat, 05 Aug 2006 16:39:50 -0800

Journalism. There have been lots of complaints in the US about reporters not asking the tough questions, especially when they contradict the prevailing view, or the current administration's view. Here are some reporters who won't accept a weasel answer.

an ever-widening gulf between official language and the reality of the actual situation in Baghdad

amberglow — Sat, 25 Mar 2006 10:18:30 -0800

Prisoners of their Bureaus--the Besieged Press of Baghdad What it's like to be a journalist in Iraq now--and especially relevant given the current attacks on the media for not reporting all the good that's happening in Iraq-- ... an ever-widening gulf between official language and the reality of the actual situation in Baghdad. While official language is relentlessly upbeat, the already nightmarish reality has been getting worse with each passing day. ... the insurgent attacks on the US forces and Iraqi government and the sectarian fighting between Sunnis and Shiites have become destructive beyond what most journalists have been able to convey ... (NY Review of Books)

Choices

semmi — Fri, 23 Sep 2005 10:31:48 -0800

A slice of contemporary reality.

The 30-Year Secret Revealed

..ooOOoo....ooOOoo.. — Mon, 04 Apr 2005 12:34:46 -0800

With this year's Pulitzer Prizes announced, the award for Investigative Reporting went to Nigel Jaquiss of Williamette Week, a Portland alternative newsweekly. Jaquiss' story revealed the "30-year Secret" that led to the downfall of one of Oregon's most influential politicians, helped foster a public backlash against corporate greed, and exposed a conspiracy of silence, favoritism, and scandal among the powerful in Oregon.

Newsfilter!

anastasiav — Fri, 18 Mar 2005 09:15:06 -0800

underreported.com :: Headlines for the rest of us

Like dare-devil bloggers with journalism degrees

iffley — Thu, 03 Feb 2005 01:29:24 -0800

Unembedded reporters in Iraq: Fadel al-Badrani, Da hr Ja mail, Nir Ro sen, Christopher Allbritton. Where they go, what they see, and what they report on gives words to the photographs at Crisis Pictures (warning: some photographs may upset you, and the site has an obtrusive agenda) .

The vanquished know war.

languagehat — Thu, 02 Dec 2004 17:49:58 -0800

Chris Hedges on war. The long-time war correspondent explains why it will be years before we have any idea what's been going on in Iraq, and describes the gulf between here and there:

One of the Marines in the book returns to California and is invited to be the guest of honor in a gated community in Malibu, a place where he could never afford to live. The residents want to toast him as a war hero. "I'm not a hero," he tells the guests. "Guys like me are just a necessary part of things. To maintain this way of life in a fine community like this, you need psychos like us to go out and drop a bomb on somebody's house."

The ultimate censorship: journalist deaths in 2003

madamjujujive — Sat, 13 Mar 2004 05:46:55 -0800

Journalism is an increasingly deadly profession. Statistics vary. The Committee to Protect Journalists reports 36 deaths in 2003 while the International Press Institute documents 64 deaths. Iraq was the most life-threatening country, but the Philippines and Columbia remain some of of the most dangerous places to be a reporter. Four media deaths at the hands of US military in Iraq continue to spark controversy, and a Global Day of Mourning and Protest over the U.S. "abject failure" to probe the Palestinian Hotel deaths is scheduled for April 8. This year, Haiti appears to be another hotspot. The International News Safety Institute offers safety tips and member advice on how to stay alive.

Paul Krugman gives some free advice

skallas — Thu, 25 Dec 2003 22:54:07 -0800

Paul Krugman gives some free advice to reporters covering the election.

Krugman on Media and Economics

ericrolph — Mon, 22 Sep 2003 10:41:33 -0800

Video of Krugman on Media and Economics

If Bush said the earth is flat, of course Fox News would say "Yes, the earth is flat, and anyone who says different is unpatriotic." And mainstream media would have stories with the headline: "Shape of Earth: Views Differ; and would at most report that some Democrats say that it's round."

So said Paul Krugman during a recent interview in Boston with Chris Lydon, former host of NPR's 'The Connection.'

You calling me a liar?

gottabefunky — Wed, 10 Sep 2003 08:32:22 -0800

The dicey dynamics of exposing untruths. An interesting bit in the Columbia Journalism Review on why journalists tend to focus on politicians' small lies and let the big ones slide.

Searching for Valerie Plame

Artifice_Eternity — Fri, 25 Jul 2003 14:49:11 -0800

Search the New York Times website for any occurrence of the words "Valerie Plame" during the last week ...and you'll find nada, zilch, zip. The so-called "paper of record" has remained totally mum on what may be one of the biggest scandals of the Bush administration yet. You can read about it at Newsday, CBS, Time, and The Nation, and it's been mentioned on NBC... but not a word from the New York Times (save for a reference to it last week by syndicated columnist Paul Krugman, and a wire service story today; neither of those pieces mentions Plame by name). The Times' news and editorial divisions are asleep at the switch on this story. Maybe the Jayson Blair scandal was a distraction from the deeper problem: a paper that is so concerned with being balanced and respectable, it refuses to cover any politically controversial stories. You can e-mail letters@nytimes.com to ask why the Valerie Plame news blackout. Or just click this link a few dozen times to send 'em a message.

My Drugs Hell

grahamwell — Fri, 23 May 2003 09:31:42 -0800

Elliott could no longer bear the waste. He had six staff and a budget of £3.5m a year. He had a potential client group of 25,000 users ... but at the end of all his work and all that public money, the total number of detox beds he was able to provide was five. The Guardian reports from the front-line of the drugs war. (part two) You may have no interest in Drugs or the UK but read this superb piece for a profile of a bureaucracy in farcical, tragic, total collapse.

The Grey Lady Falters

hhc5 — Sat, 10 May 2003 10:14:23 -0800

Times Reporter Who Resigned Leaves Long Trail of Deception The New York Times runs a long article detailing its preliminary findings in the matter of Jayson Blair, The Times' young staff reporter who made up sources, facts, and anecdotes in potentially hundreds of stories. Does this investigation help the Times avoid permanent disgrace? Or does this just confirm what you've always thought about the Times? Slate magazine is attributing part of the problem to affirmative action (Blair is black). Is AA relevant here?

BBC reporters' log closed

hoder — Fri, 18 Apr 2003 21:01:46 -0800

BBC News reporters' weblog on the war is closed. It was a great example of how the idea of weblog can be used in mainstream media. (Although it lacked hyper-links) In it's last instalment, reporters record some final impressions and look back at what it was like reporting the war. The daily archives are available on the right column of the page.