Post examines the way we consume news

The Washington Post used the South Carolina primary election as a lens to look at the way media consumers are moving into silos in types of news coverage -- moving away from mass media into much more limited media consumption. Ultimately, it's a vision of a sad world where facts are less important than ideology. Still, it's the world we living in.

The truth and the media -- Controversy

When New York Times public editor Arthur S. Brisbane asked the question of whether media (he said newspapers, but it applies to all media) have an obligation to point out when a source utters something that isn't true, I doubt he thought it would controversial. I believe he was reacting to the flap over Politifact.

But he touched journalism's hot button. Politifact is controversial because it draws conclusions. If you agree with them, it's great. If you don't, it's journalists run amok.

The Atlantic has a nice roundup of the flap over Brisbane's column.

Shoppers prefer websites to apps

I'm back from a workshop overseas, and the media world continues to swirl. Buyouts in Chicago, downsizing in other dailies, and some interesting findings about tablet use.

I've spent the last year or so asking people who I see with tablets what they use them for. Primarily the answer has been email, Facebook, and e-books. Now comes some interesting research reported by Direct Marketing News on shopping trends on tablets and smart phones. No surprise to me, but consumers prefer using websites to apps. Sort of deflates a lot of the overblown rhetoric about how they love apps. I, too, love apps but for specific things -- and that's not purchasing things.