August 14, 2014
Your Constitutional Rights Are On The Line In Ferguson
If you value your freedom, you should care about what’s happening in Ferguson, Missouri.
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August 16, 2013
Police State: Journalists, Photographers Beware The Growing Domestic Army
If you’re building a “domestic army,” then what is one thing you need to crack down on? — Information — Or in other words, journalists and photographers.
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July 24, 2013
Where Have All The Journalists Gone? Democracy, Free Press, In The Age Of Internet Capitalism
What would happen if one day in the not so distant future, traditional print journalism died? I don’t mean what happens if we stop printing newspapers. I mean, what happens if “the press” is simply a collection of bloggers? I know I’m pouring gasoline on a fire with this line of questioning, most notably because I’m a blogger questioning the role of bloggers in journalism and news reporting, but is a person sitting in his bedroom or living room a journalist or a reporter?
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June 24, 2013
The Beltway Media: Watchdogs? More Like Lapdogs
Are “beltway media” types a guardian of democracy, or are they simply interested in maintaining privilege? Are they watchdogs or lapdogs?
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June 24, 2013
NSA Leak: David Gregory Suggests Glenn Greenwald Should Be Charged With A Crime
On Sunday’s Meet the Press, host David Gregory asked Glenn Greenwald, “To the extent that you have aided and abetted [Edward] Snowden [NSA leaker], even in his current movements, why shouldn’t you, Mr. Greenwald, be charged with a crime?” Last week I wrote about “groupthink” within the ranks of the mainstream media, and David Gregory is now Exhibit A. I believe a journalist could cross a line from reporting the news, to becoming the news, but is that what Greenwald set out to do? Is that what he’s done? Or is the mainstream media out to get him? Right now I put my money on the latter. The mainstream media coverage of the Snowden story falls under complicit reporting of government affairs, not objective reporting. It’s the kind of journalism that kept the executive branch unchecked and led us into two wars.
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April 8, 2013
Exxon – When A Company Is This Large, Freedom Takes A Backseat
Does anybody really believe it’s healthy for capitalism, and more importantly democracy, when one company hauls in a net income of over $40 billion a year? And do you think a company this large, with that much money and power to throw around is not going to disrupt freedom, liberty and civil rights if it suits the interests of the company? And do you think a company this large will not influence government policy, legislation and even local law enforcement? This is not conspiracy theory territory, it’s a simple truth that when you combine human beings with incredibly profitable businesses, you end up with an endless thirst for power.
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April 21, 2012
More False Equivalence In New York Times Article On Republican Focus On Social Issues
Michael Cooper writes in The New York Times: Concern in G.O.P. Over State Focus on Social Issues. In this otherwise fine article covering the potential political pitfalls for Republicans focusing on social issues instead of the economy, Cooper falls into the false equivalence trap when he says:
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April 7, 2012
My Take On Bob Woodward, Journalism, And The Internet
Mathew Ingram wrote a piece on GigaOM called Why Bob Woodward is wrong about the internet and journalism. In this piece Ingram says that “journalism needs more than just shoe leather now.” I will offer my take on traditional investigative reporters like Bob Woodward, as well as the role that the internet plays with modern journalism.
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January 12, 2012
The New York Times: Newspaper Of Record?
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