Thursday, February 19, 2009

Missing the point, again.

A Google executive posts a long, often thoughtful, comment on news in the new era. Sure he falls into the trap so many new media folks do of deciding that just because Google can do something (like choose my news based on past views) it should do something (like show me more of the same).  This comes just before he so correctly indicates that one reason newspapers have done well over the years because "browsing a newspaper is rewarding and serendipitous." Frankly, one of the problems of today's newspapers, I believe, is too much "old news" that I already know.  Sure, Jonathan Rosenberg was suggesting that the news sites offer "only updates and new material," but it's still the same old stories.

Does American media misunderstand race?


A new study of journalists of color think American news media are missing the boat on race in America. Frankly, it's hard to disagree, especially on a day in which the New York Post apologizes, sort of, for a cartoon some think portray President Obama as a chimpanzee (see cartoon at right). 

Tuesday, February 17, 2009

Depressing, but interesting take on future of news

The news has been so depressing lately (and I've been so busy) that I haven't posted much in recent days. I'm still busy and the news is still depressing, but I wanted to call your attention to this Salon article. Headlined "The Death of News," the column Gary Kamyia paints a bleak future not only of newspapers, but of news itself. It's the kind of "big" thinking that we seldom see in new media, but the kind that gives me some hope that the future isn't going to be nothing but Drudge, Fox and Keith Olbermann.