Archive for the Journalism Category

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Are schools or teachers the issue?

Posted in Education, Journalism, Politics with tags , , , on August 19, 2010 by macmystery

My favorite blog, Freakonomics, posted something about an L.A Times study about which matters more: school choice or teacher effectiveness.

I’m not making an argument for either. Like most serious issues, as the state of education in our country is, the answer isn’t always so simple and can’t be solved with an either-or question.

But just as interesting as the study and the data related to it are the reader responses. They cover the spectrum. Across the board.

I don’t know that any questions get answered, but it leaves you with a lot to think about.

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Wow! Who saw this coming?

Posted in Journalism, Politics, TV with tags , , , on August 18, 2010 by macmystery

Fair and balanced? Why start now?

Apparently, some people, particularly Democrats, are upset because Fox News’ parent company, News Corporation, made a $1 million donation to a Republican governor’s group. (Read here)

These people believe, shockingly, that this shows a lack of objectivity on Fox’s part and that the network’s coverage of Republican agendas, personalities, ideas, legislation and candidates will be favorable when compared to that of the Democrats.

Wow. No crap. What took you so damn long? Welcome to the real world.

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A political columnist submits to 60 hours of hell

Posted in Journalism, TV with tags , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on January 22, 2010 by macmystery

Last week, PoliticsDaily.com columnist Walter Shapiro, who is recovering from surgery on his leg, decided to commit to watching nothing but cable news networks for 12 hours a day for five straight days.

To some, that may sound not all that abnormal. But Shapiro, something of a dinosaur, gets his news from print media, and therefore is in no way acclimated to what he found on the boob tube.

Shapiro blogged each day for five days about his new experience with cable TV news. It’s pretty interesting.

Here are the five parts of his series:

Day 1: A New Survivor Show: Watching a Week of Cable News and Living to Tell

Day 2: The Cable News Patrol: Rounding Up the Usual Suspects and Subjects

Day 3: The Cable News Patrol: Sound Bite Skirmishing Silenced (Mostly) by Real Life Tragedy

Day 4: The Cable News Patrol: Glenn and Rachel Become My New Best Friends

Day 5: The Cable News Patrol: My Long National Nightmare Is Over!

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Church group reunited with orphanage in Haiti

Posted in Family, Journalism, Uncategorized with tags , , , , , , on January 15, 2010 by macmystery

In a photo from the MSNBC.com story, kids at the Rescue Children orphanage watch a generator-powered television on Friday in Port-au-Prince, Haiti.

The group from a Pennsylvania church and an MSNBC.com news crew reached the Rescue Children orphanage in Haiti on Friday.

The orphanage is supported by Spratanburg, S.C.-based Rice Bowls, a world hunger ministry, for which my wife Brooke works.

Here’s the MSNBC.com story with information about the 11 kids, who are all safe and well, and where the orphanage expects to go from here. There’s a cool slideshow, as well.

Once again, for those who want to give to relief efforts, here’s a list of organizations already working in Haiti.

Again, for those interesting in helping immediately, simply text “HAITI” to “90999” and a donation of $10 will be given automatically to the Red Cross to help with relief efforts, charged to your cell phone bill.

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Someone had to say it … way to go Keith

Posted in Journalism, Politics, Religion, TV with tags , , , , , , , , on January 15, 2010 by macmystery

That was Keith Olbermann’s Wednesday-night response to the asinine comments from Rush Limbaugh and Pat Robertson on the liberal-slanted MSNBC.com show Countdown.

I won’t go over what Limbaugh and Robertson had to say on Wednesday and Thursday about the earthquake and relief efforts in Haiti. I’ll just say they’re making Sarah Palin look smart.

Heck, you know you may be out of touch when well-known social commentator Roger Ebert, … yes, that Roger Ebert, the movie guy, go off on you in his movie blog.

Here’s Olbermann’s Thursday-night response to Limbaugh when he acted even less human on Thursday …

Once again, for those who want to give to relief efforts, here’s a list of organizations already working in Haiti.

Again, for those interesting in helping immediately, simply text “HAITI” to “90999” and a donation of $10 will be given automatically to the Red Cross to help with relief efforts, charged to your cell phone bill.

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