Questions, comments or suggested links? Contact me at: Ralph.Hanson@mail.wvu.edu Mass Communication: Living in a Media World, a new text for Introduction to Mass Communication classes.

May 2004 Archive

Note that some of these links are short term and will expire after two weeks. If you have access to Lexis-Nexis at your college or university library, you can retrieve many of the stories that are no longer on the web.

Main Archive List

Monday - May 31, 2004

• Internet in the News
  • Internet Everywhere - BlackBerries Take Over DC Life
    BlackBerry wireless e-mail terminals are now everywhere in the nation's capital. And though they are provided to young staffers for work use, the little communication devices are now a central part of the junior wonk's social life. (Cell phones are so last year! (NY Times)
  • Broadband Becoming Commonplace
    Growing options and falling prices are bringing broadband Internet into more and more homes. (NY Times)
• Who Will Replace Jack Valenti as Head of MPAA?
  Jack Valenti has been the chair of the Motion Picture Association of America since the 1960s. So now the question is, Who will replace him now that he is retiring? (NY Times)
• The Soldier in the Attic
  Other than being a beautiful Memorial Day feature from the Washington Post's Sunday Magazine, this story has nothing to do with this blog. A reporter for the magazine found a certificate for a purple heart for a soldier who died in World War II in the attic of the house he had lived in for 22 years. The article tells the story of the reporter's search for who this soldier was and what happened to his family.

Saturday - May 29, 2004

• Audio Weekend: Pop Culture / Media News from NPR
  On the weekend, Living in a Media World features a wrap up of audio stories from National Public Radio that deal with pop culture and/or media issues.
  • Critics Charge New People Meters Undercount Minority Viewers
    Nielsen (the company that does television ratings) has been developing a new system for measuring viewership of television stations. But critics charge the new system consistently undercounts minority viewers. (We've talked about this issue earlier.)
  • What Belongs in a Congressional Aid's Diary?
    Jessica Culter is a Senate staff member who was fired for keeping an Internet diary about her sex life. She might now be writing a book. Do we really need everything that's on the Net?
  • Who needs TDAT? The Original Godzilla Is Coming!
    The original, uncut 1954 Japanese Godzilla is coming to the US with all the themes about the atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
  • The Science of TDAT
    The Day After Tomorrow may be a fun summer popcorn movie, but it's not very good science. (But you knew that already.)
  • Veterans History Project
    The Library of Congress is working with teams of volunteers across the country to collect oral histories from war veterans, and especially World War II vets. With Memorial Day coming up, along with the dedication of the World War II memorial, there has been a lot of coverage of this story. Here are links to a couple of stories on the topic, along with a link to the P.I. Reed School of Journalism's Veterans History Project page.
    • Oral History Teams to Collect Memories of WWII Vets
    • Kate Nolan, WWII Combat Nurse
    • West Virginia's Veterans History Project
  • Record Companies Say It's All About Copyrights
    When the record companies sue file sharers, they say it's all about giving royalties to those who deserve them. But are these companies paying artists what they have coming?
  • 'Roto-Rooter' Advertising Jingle Turns 50
    For 50 years, the 'Roto-Rooter' song has been playing on the radio, promoting the drain cleaning service. Has any jingle ever been more successful?
  • Shrek 2 Boosts Dreamworks
    Shrek 2, if you will pardon the expression, has been a monster hit. And that success has been great for Dreamworks, the privately owned studio that produced it.

Friday - May 28, 2004

• Why Scripted TV Will Survive
  USA Today writer Robert Bianco gives us 10 reasons.
• Popular History
  USA Today lists the top selling history books on its bestseller list. But if you just look here, you'll miss one of the summer's great books. Historian Walter McDougall has a new one out, Freedom Just Around the Corner: A New American History: 1585-1828. It's the first of a projected three-book series, and it gives a fascinating look at how our nation got started. Readable, yet with good depth. But be forewarned, this is not a light, quick read. But it is well worth your time. (As is his absolutely brilliant and groundbreaking Let the Sea Make a Noise... A History of the North Pacific from Magellan to MacArthur.)
  • Chat Session from Washington Post With McDougall
• Viacom Launches Gay-Themed Network
  Pop quiz. What is the reason we have most television channels? "Teacher, Teacher!!! I know! To attract audiences to view advertising." Well, yes, we all knew that one. Now, why is Viacom, through its MTV division, launching a network targeted at gays and lesbians? Because, as USA Today points out, gay and lesbian consumers have an estimated $450 billion in disposable income.
  • Viacom's Press Release on LOGO network
  • Viacom's Other Properties
• Bias at NPR
  Regular readers here know that I am not big on the notion of left or right bias within the news media. It think it's a much bigger issue than favoring Democrats or Republicans, and I also believe that if you go looking, you can find evidence to support either contention. Which is why I find the report from the NPR ombudsman this week interesting. NPR is always high on the list of left-leaning media. But a recent study by FAIR (Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting), a left-leaning group, claims that NPR has moved sharply to the right. Pull out your scorecards and see what you think. Me? I want to know when we will here any truly radical ideas from any ideological point of view.
  
  I think that ombudsman Jeffrey A. Dvorkin does an excellent job of looking at the study and critiquing its various flaws. Take a look for a better than average look at the question of bias.
  • FAIR's Analysis of NPR

Thursday - May 27, 2004

• American Idol has Another Winner
  Does this mean that producer Bertelsmann will have a new star to promote on one of their record labels? I dunno... The WP critic said this show was an example of when "good things do happen to bad singers." (Washington Post)
• Enviro Groups Continue to Promote TDAT
  How big is the hype machine going to go on this movie? Is there nothing else for people to comment on? Seriously, there has been more ink on the topic of global warming as of late then there has been since the Kyoto Conference. Keep in mind, all this coverage is not coming because the news media suddenly care about these issues -- it's just a good way to talk about a big, upcoming movie...
  • Hollywood Reporter Calls It "Michael Moore meets Irwin Allen
  • It's the Weather Channel's Favorite Movie (Guess Why!)
  • The Wichita Eagle Uses Film for Debate on Global Warming
    • Pro
    • Con
  • Op/Ed Piece From NY Times
• Turning Movies into Video Games. Just Say No!
  With rare exceptions, movies don't make good video games. But that doesn't stop movie makers from seeking cross-promotional tie ins.
• Will Anyone Buy a DVD Player That's Also a Censor?
  A company is releasing a DVD player that can be programmed to delete offensive moments from movies. Which raises the question, "If the movie is offensive, why watch it?" (NY Times)

Wednesday - May 26, 2004

• NY Times Critiques Its Coverage of Lead Up to Iraq War
  The New York Times took the unusual step today of critiquing the paper's coverage of all the issues that led up to last year's start of the war with Iraq. There's no great scandal here, just a solid job of self examination. The Times' editors conclude they were way to willing to accept at face value statements from people who wanted to see the war happen. I'll update this as stories merit it.
  • Samples of Times Iraq Coverage
  • Times Iraq News Page
  • NPR Coverage of NY Times Critique
  • LA Times Reaction
• Does a Movie Fantasy Shaping Political Debate?
  So the mega-budget The Day After Tomorrow opens this weekend. And all of a sudden everyone is talking about the possible effects of global warming. And this is coming from a movie that everyone acknowledges is a near-impossible fantasy. But it's still shaping our national debate on a serious issue. (USA Today)
  • This has been a bit of a story for the last month.
  • Looking at the Science of TDAT.
• 2003-04 Television Season Comes to a Close
  And USA Today has lots of coverage.
  • Importance of Reality TV
  • CBS Wins Total Viewers Again

Tuesday - May 25, 2004

• Growing Pressure for A La Carte Cable Pricing
  Cable critics says that consumers should not have to pay for cable channels they don't want to receive. But the cable industry, and government watchdogs, suggest that pay-per-channel pricing would lead to paying the same amount for far fewer channels. (USA Today)
• "Would You Like a Movie With That?"
  McDonald's is test marketing DVD rentals in its 105 Denver-area stores. Should Blockbuster be afraid? (USA Today)
• Shrek 2 is Summer's First Big Hit
  The fairy tale animated sequel Shrek 2 brought in more than $100 million over the weekend, by far the biggest opening of the summer so far. (USA Today)
  • The Top 10 Weekend Box Office
  • But ya know what? Mean Girls is the big money maker
    I know, Shrek is going to kill everything in site, profits wise, but take a look at the line on the teen comedy Mean Girls. Look at what it's brought in, then look at what it cost to produce and promote. (Box Office Mojo)
• Can You Read a Paper's Point of View in the Headlines?
  Michael Getler, the Washington Post's ombudsman, addresses this question in his weekly column, when he looks at accusations that the Post is a cheerleader for the left.
• Journalists Critique the Job They are Doing
  Among the press's harshest critics may be other members of the press, according to WP media reporter Howard Kurtz.

Monday - May 24, 2004

• Fighting for the Morning News Audience
  ABC, NBC, and CBS are fighting for the morning news audience with their various shows. It's important to the networks, because even thousands of viewers can make a difference in millions of dollars of revenue over the course of a year. (NY Times)
• Finding a Use for Internet2
  Although there has been talk about the second generation Internet for some time, it hasn't been clear to me that too many people have known what to do with its capability. Well, video conferencing seems to be a major application, even allowing orchestral groups to rehearse together at a distance. (NY Times)
• New TV in the Summer. What a Concept!
  It used to be that there were nothing but reruns on network TV during the summer. But cable has changed all that by stealing the networks' lunch. (NY Times)

Saturday - May 22, 2004

• Audio Weekend: Pop Culture / Media News from NPR
  On the weekend, Living in a Media World features a wrap up of audio stories from National Public Radio that deal with pop culture and/or media issues.
  • When Does Language Become Offensive?
    NPR's ombudsman looks at language used in reports that some listeners found offensive.
  • Jazz Pianist Fats Waller remembered on his 100th Birthday
    Fats Waller's music was at the top of the Tin Pan Alley playlists in the 1930s and 40s, but they are still fun, naughty, and relevant 100 years after he was born. (And if your local summer stock company is doing the Waller musical review Ain't Misbehavin' this summer, make sure you see it!)
    • And composer Charles Ives is remembered on the 50th anniversary of his death.
  • Protecting the Terminator's Right to Privacy
    You may recall that privacy law includes protecting your right to control the commercial use of your name and image. So Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger is suing a company for making a bobblehead doll of him without his permission.
  • Highlights of Cannes Film Festival
    LA Times film critic Kenneth Turan discusses the famous French film festival's offerings, including the controversial Fahrenheit 9/11.
  • Ad Wars: Battle of the Light Beers
    The recent low-carb craze has brought new life to the light beer market, and the advertising of light beer.
  • Not All Political Ads Come from the Candidates
    This segment looks at the independent groups producing political ads that are showing up everywhere you look these days.
  • 60 Minutes Producer Looks back on 35 Years with News Magazine
    Don Hewitt talks about his 35-year history with the most influential of the television news magazines.

Friday - May 21, 2004

• Fox News Gets Ratings; CNN Gets Revenue
  Who's winning the cable news war? Well, it depends on how you count the score. Fox News clearly has higher ratings than CNN, but CNN gets paid more for their ad time. The Wall Street Journal explains. Thanks to Romenesko for this item.
• New Rule Would Require Labels on Dirty Spam
  A new FTC rule requires that spam containing or promoting explicit material have the words SEXUALLY EXPLICIT in the subject line. (Miami Herald)
• War Dead to be Listed in Doonesbury
  First Nightline created a fuss by running the names of America's war dead from Iraq. Now cartoonist Garry Trudeau has announced he will run the names of the more than 700 soldiers who have died in Iraq in his Memorial Day strip. (Editor and Publisher)
• You Only Watch 10 Different Cable Channels. So Why Do You Pay for 100?
  That's the question members of the House Commerce Committee are trying to answer. (Washington Post)
• Medicare VNRs Ruled Illegal
  Remember the big fuss over the Medicare video news releases that came out from the US Department of Health and Human Services? Well, it seems the General Accounting Office has ruled that they were illegal "covert propaganda." (NY Times)

Thursday - May 20, 2004

• Are Howard Stern Fans the Next Soccer Moms?
  OK. This is a strange one. You've heard of soccer moms and Nascar dads, right? Smart Money.com is suggesting that the Howard Stern listener might be a major force in the upcoming election. Seems that Howard is a bit peeved at President Bush...
• Kazaa Lawyers Claim File Sharing Service Doesn't Violate Copyright
  This case is being argued in Australia. Don't know how well this will stand up. Didn't work for Napster in the US. (Wired News)
• The Put-Down King: American Idol's Simon Cowell
  America's hottest TV star is famous for being nasty. That actually could describe a lot celebs, actually. He discusses the recent voting controversy with the NY Times.
• NBC Counting on Athens Olympics
  What's the summer strategy for making money at NBC this summer? Sell lots of high-priced ads for the Athens Olympics. How much money? As much as $1 billion. (Washington Post)

Wedneday - May 19, 2004

• WP Ombudsman Continues To Deal With Reader Feedback on War Images
  In last week's column, Michael Getler, the Washington Post's ombudsman, wrote about reader reaction to the Iraqi prisoner photos. This week he deals with responses to the images run (and not run) of the beheading of Nicholas Berg. Getler has a thoughtful column that deals with the issue in many of the same ways that my ethics students did with other disturbing images during the previous semester.
• Movie Court - Monster Movies
  The WP runs a great feature on its web site called Movie Court, where two of their critics argue over some meaningless point and then let the public vote. This week the question is: Have we had enough monster movies? What a silly question! You can never have enough movie monsters. Mothra Lives!
  • But What if the Monsters are Sweet i.e. Shrek 2? (CNN)
    Dreamworks continues to show that Disney isn't the only force in animation today.

Tuesday - May 18, 2004

• Summer Movie Season in Full Swing
  With Troy and Van Helsing in general release, we now have the summer movie season in full swing. These movies have big box office, but they also cost an enormous amount. Good examples on the economics of movie making.
• Moore Claims Fahrenheit 9/11 Will Have Trouble Getting Distribution
  Though how many other politically charged documentaries get the attention his do? (WP)
• Iraqi Violence Limits Reporters Access
  The Post's Howard Kurtz looks at the problems the increasing levels of violence in Iraq are causing for reporters trying to cover areas outside of the American-controlled "green zone."

Monday - May 17, 2004

• Cannes Film Festival Ready to Roll
  I don't know if it's the most important or prestigious film festival in the world (Toronto and Sundance might argue), but it certainly has the most glamour. The Cannes Film Festival is officially under weigh. (Washington Post)
• The World of Children's Books
  Lemony Snicket and J.K. Rowling have helped bring a lot of attention to children's books, but there's a lot more to the field than those two authors. Coverage of the topic from the NY Times.
• When is Too Much, Too Much?
  This is the question journalist Kelly McBride asks herself in a column on Poynter Online. She surprised herself by hiding a recent issue of the newspaper that contained a photo of the abuse of an Iraqi prisoner. A provocative column for journalists to consider.

Sunday - May 16, 2004

• Audio Weekend: Pop Culture / Media News from NPR
  On the weekend, Living in a Media World features a wrap up of audio stories from National Public Radio that deal with pop culture and/or media issues.
  • MPAA Contemplates Suing Movie Downloaders
    The movie industry is trying to decide whether it wants to start suing movie file sharers the same way that the music industry has.
  • Longevity of CDs questioned
    When CDs first came out, proponents argued that they were almost indestructible. Well, maybe... CDs that are at least 10 years old are starting to show signs of deterioration.
  • FOI In Mexico
    Mexico has a new freedom of information law that will allow the public and press to see more of what happens within the government,
  • Photos Influence Public Opinion Throughout History
    The photos to come out of Abu Ghraib prison are hardly the first to have had a profound effect on public opinion. All Things Considered takes an extended look at photos that have helped shaped history. Link contains both audio and video links.
  • NBC-Universal Merger
    NBC and Universal have completed their merger, combining a television powerhouse with a major movie studio.
  • Troy Opens This Week. I'm going...
    • Review by NPR's Bob Mondellow
    • Sand-and-Sandal Movies Remain Popular

Friday - May 14, 2004

• What are the Limits of Literary Tolerance?
  Poynter's Book Babes take a look at a book called Eat Me that has attracted some small level of controversy since it was published back in the 90s. It's a satirical novel that features a cross-section of a pomegranate on the cover, and a banana with a pair of plums on the back. The "babes" debate at what point should libraries, review journals, and the like, decide that something is inappropriate? Or when is it the obligation for the reviewer or librarian to fight to keep a potentially offensive book available? This is a difficult issue when it goes beyond government censorship. Are there times when we are expected to engage in self censorship? What are the consequences if we don't? I found this to be a provocative article, given the current trend toward backing away from offensive content in the broadcast media.
• Agreement may be Near on Distribution of New Moore Film
  Disney and the Weinsteins (who run Miramax Films) may be close to a deal on allowing a third party to distribute Michael Moore's latest anti-Bush documentary Fahrenheit 9/11. (Yahoo Finance)
• Book Sales Down
  Even with a mega-successful Harry Potter tome out, book sales were down dramatically in 2003. (Connecticut Post's AP Wire)
• Commentary on New Edward R. Murrow Book
  Bob Edwards explains why broadcast legend wouldn't fit into today's world of radio. (Miami Herald)
• More on NBC-Universal Merger
  New media company is expected to have $15 billion in revenue this year. Of course, the new blockbuster Van Helsing doesn't hurt anything! (Washington Post)
• Disney Profits Up Despite Alamo debacle
  Despite the Alamo's failure and ABC's low ratings, the theme parks have been doing well. (WP)
• Too Old To Rock 'n' Roll, Too Young To Die!
  Former Sex Pistol Steve Jones loved the band Boston even when he was a "snot-nosed hellion." This heading could make for a great on-going feature in this blog. Look for future news about aging rockers. There will be a bunch as the summer concert season ramps up. In fact, other than the various punk and metal fests, is there anything playing this summer other than nostalgia acts? (WP)

Thursday - May 13, 2004

• Swatch Tries Selling Watches Showing Bunnies Doing What Bunnies Do Best
  This seems to be the week for talking about deliberately offensive advertising. Swatch is working at promoting their "Bunnysutra" watches with drawings of rabbits in sexual positions. The ads are running on billboards in Times Square. (WKMG TV)
• NBC & Universal Make It Legal
  The NBC television network and Universal have now officially merged under ownership of General Electric. I'm not quite sure where this will put NBC-Universal in the lineup of the top six media companies, but it will definitely be a bigger player. (Reuters) Here's several other stories on the topic:
  • NBC-Universal Looking to Purchase MGM (Bloomburg)
  • NBC-Universal Announcement (Newsday)
  • NY Times Coverage
• Manga Targeting Girls
  The Japanese manga comics imported to the US have been heavily promoted at boys, but publishers have now set their eyes on the girl market as well. (USA Today).
• Should Broadcasters Have Run the Nick Berg Tape?
  Covering war isn't an easy thing for the press, especially when they get disturbing images. News organization had to decide this week how much of the disturbing film of American hostage Nicholas Berg. USA Today's Media Mix columnist Peter Johnson wrestles with the issue.
  • Editor & Publisher's coverage of how newspapers handled the photos
  • Arab Media Play Down Beheading (AP)

Wednesday - May 12, 2004

• Did NBC's Dateline Lose Credibility by Promoting The Apprentice?
  Phil Rosenthal of the Chicago Sun-Times seems to think so. He raises a very serious issue here - Can television news magazines be a serious news outlet and a tool for promoting other network shows? (Thanks to Romenesko for this link.)
• Robert Altman and Garry Trudeau to do Tanner 88 Sequel
  Altman is the legendary director of films such as M*A*S*H and The Player, and Trudeau draws the political comic strip Doonesbury. Tanner 88 was a series that ran 16 years ago about a fictional candidate for president named Tanner. The series will run on the Sundance Channel. (Reuters News)
• Making Television Interactive
  One way to get people to stay with media programming is to get them involved in it. That's why sports talk radio, for example, is so successful. Now television is trying to do the same thing. Look at the finale of Survivor All Stars. Viewers can vote online or via text messaging to decide what second player they would like to win $1 million. (Of course, it's also a dandy promotion for the Cingular text messaging service...) Truth in advertising requires that I point out that this article does not mention Survivor. (SiliconValley.com)
  
  By the way, I learned about the last two items from a great E-mail newsletter called Media Daily News.
• Selling Cars by Lying
  Two decades ago, Isuzu did a good job of marketing cars by having a spokesman tell aggressive lies about the product. Now the Mini Cooper is being sold with ads that claim the cars are being used to build robots. OK.... (NY Times)

Tuesday - May 11, 2004

• War Images Getting More Shocking
  The Washington Post's ombudsman looks at the changing face of war coverage as of late.
• Broadcasters Far More Cautious Now On Offensive Material
  Even PBS's Masterpiece Theater is being more cautious now given the recent FCC crackdown on offensive material. (NY Times)
• Advertising On The Internet - Going Beyond Banner Ads and Pop-Ups
  Figuring out how to effectively advertise on the Internet has been a big issue for agencies. Pop-Up ads annoy people and can be blocked, and many feel that banner ads simply aren't effective. One strategy that seems to be doing well is the so-called "viral marketing," which involves creating an interesting, shocking, disturbing image, game, movie, or sound file that people will pass around the Internet to their friends. This can be particularly effective way to create advertising that is too "edgy" for mainstream media. Here are several links to materials about viral marketing along with some examples. Be forewarned, some of these examples will contain disturbing or offensive imagery. (By the way, viral marketing doesn't involve computer viruses, but it does involve getting people to help spread your message much as a virus would spread.
  • Ford's Viral Campaign May Have Backfired (or Maybe Not!) (Real Media Riffs)
    One of Ford's ad agencies created a viral film that shows horrifying things happening to a cat. Is this any way to sell a car? Maybe....
    • USA Today Story on Campaign
    • Background on video from Snopes.com urban legend site.
    • The "Cat" Video
  • The Viral Factory
    An agency that creates viral marketing campaigns. Among the most notorious that they've done are ones for Trojan Condoms and MTV. Here are some sample viral videos.
  • Virgin Mobile's Viral Campaign
    This ad started out being developed for television, but ended up being too racy. It's offensive on a number of levels, but my students in my ethics class love it.

Monday - May 10, 2004

• Friends Finale Attracts 52 Million Viewers
  But the M*A*S*H finale in 1983 brought in 105 million viewers. Where have they all gone? (Washington Post)
• Van Helsing - It's More Than Just a Movie
  Van Helsing was the box office champ this weekend, bringing in $54 million. Along with the movie, it also has a soundtrack CD, a video game, a set of DVD classic monster movies, and a theme park ride. Peter Gruber, formerly of Sony Pictures, says, "these are no longer movies, these are businesses disguised as movies." (Washington Post)
• Internet Kills Off Surprise Endings
  With the Internet allowing anyone to share information, it becomes harder and harder for media companies to keep secrets about their shows. For example, details about the latest run of Survivor were posted on the Web right when the first episode ran. (NY Times)

Saturday - May 8, 2004

• Audio Weekend: Pop Culture / Media News from NPR
  On the weekend, Living in a Media World features a wrap up of audio stories from National Public Radio that deal with pop culture and/or media issues.
  • Bob Edwards Writes Book on Edward R. Murrow
    Long-time Morning Edition host Bob Edwards discusses his new book on radio news legend Edward R. Murrow. Murrow became famous for his broadcasts from London during World War II and for his weekly radio and then television shows Hear It Now and See It Now.
  • Disney Refuses to Distribute Fahrenheit 9/11
    Filmmaker Michael Moore discusses the controversy surrounding his new documentary that is highly critical of President Bush. More on this story below.
  • President Bush's Interview on Arab Television
    NPR's coverage of the president's interview with Arab journalists about the abuse of Iraqi prisoners includes a stream of the audio portion of his interview.
• Disney and Politics
  Earlier this week Disney declined to release Michael Moore's new documentary through its Miramax division, citing concerns about the political messages in it. But according to the Miami Herald, Disney has often gotten involved in political issues.
  • NY Times Editorial Questions Disney's Behavior
  • Mike Thomas Says Moore "tricked" the NY Times
    Orlando Sentinel columnist says Micahel Moore is making claims about his movie being canned to protect Disney tax breaks in order to generate publicity for his movie.
• Spider-man Called 'Out' at First Base
  Major League Baseball reconsidered its plan to advertise the movie Spider-Man 2 on the bases this weekend. (Miami Herald)
• Stephen Hunter Returns to Washington Post!
  Following a several month leave of absence to work on a new book, the Post's Pulitzer Prize winning movie critic is back on the job. His review of Van Helsing.
• Media News Wrapup
  There was so much going on in media news this week that I had trouble keeping up with what all was happening. Here are a number of stories that didn't get mentioned (or need updating).
  • Does Copyright Law Limit Art? (NY Times)
  • End of Friends Means Problems for NBC's Thursday Night Programing (and Money!) (Washington Post )
  • File Sharing Firms Fight Kiddie Porn (WP)
  • Serving Up Web Ads Based on Where You've Been (WP)
  • XM Satellite Radio Grows in Popularity But is Still Losing Money (WP)
  • Fox is Bringing New Cable Channel to Market (Media Post)
  • Spanish-Language Network Univision Reports Strong Ad Sales (Media Post)
• Mars Rover to Enter Crater
  I could argue that this is about broadcasts from another planet, or about the PR value of anthropomorphizing the Mars landers, but I won't. I'm a self-confessed space junkie, so I'm mentioning this story because I can. However... NASA has done a great job of giving the two Mars rovers (read "robots") the kind of personality that R2D2 exhibited in the Star Wars movies, which has helped make them popular with the public and provide positive publicity for an agency that has suffered a number of serious setbacks in the last year or two. (NY Times)

Friday - May 7, 2004

• Media News in Cartoons
  Cartoonist Daryl Cagle has a great web site that presents a wide range of politcal cartoons from around the country and the world. Periodically, we'll take a look here at cartoons that deal with media issues. But don't wait for a good media issue cartoon. Make Cagle's page a regular part of your media diet. Seeing the wide range of opinion out there is fascinating. There are some great media literacy assignments that could be done with these. For example, ask students to analyze how cartoons portray the role of the media in controversial issues. Or ask them to describe the range of political views used within the cartoons.
  • Iraqi Prison Photos
  • Coffin Photos
  • Howard Stern and the FCC
  • Kids and Too Much TV
  • Cartoons from Around the World
• Movie Promotion
  • Phony Web Sites Promote Movies
    Ever since the Blair Witch Project hit paydirt with a Web site that implied that the story about three college students lost in the woods was true, movie promoters have been looking for ways to replicate BW's success. Several movies this spring, many with medical themes, oddly enought, have tried to make use of this same technique. Among them are Godsend, which deals with cloning a dead child; Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, which deals with a company Lacuna Inc. that can erase your painful memories.
  • Spiderman Goes to the Ballgame
    The new movie Spider-Man 2 is being promoted with messages printed on the covers of bases at Major League Baseball games. Say it ain't so. (NY Times)

Thursday - May 6, 2004

• Disney Blocks Distribution of Anti-Bush Film
  Disney has told its Miramax division not to distribute a new documentary by filmmaker Michael Moore that is highly critical of President Bush. (NY Times) Expect to see a lot on this story in the days to come. Miramax is the "independent" film division of Disney that has a record of releasing edgier and more troubling films than the parent company.
  • Michael Moore's Web Site
    Get Michael's reaction to this story. HINT: It isn't pretty.
• What Should Media Do With Disturbing Photos?
  The war in Iraq has produced a host of disturbing images. The ones that surfaced in the last week of the mistreatment of Iraqi prisoners has set off a storm of controversy. The WP's media columnist Howard Kurtz asks the question - What should the media have done with the photos? There are no easy answers. Kurtz provides links to a range of stories about the photos across the web.
  • The Story Broke Initially on 60 Minutes II
  • CBS Held Story About Prisoner Abuse at Request of Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
    From Wednesday's entry
  • Bush Interviewed on Arab Satellite News Channel
    President Bush was interviewed on Arab television Wednesday where he talked about the mistreatment of the Iraqi prisoners.
• Bertelsmann AG Reports Profits for First Quarter
  World's largest English-language publisher (and owner of Random House) reported a profit of 31 million euros for the first quarter of 2004. (Canoe, a Canadian news site)
• Leonard Pitts Asks - "What Is It With Student Journalists?"
  Pulitzer Prize winning columnist Leonard Pitts Jr. looks at a recent controversial cartoon that ran in The Medium, an entertainment weekly published by a student organization at Rutgers. Be forewarned, elements of this paper can be pornographic.
  • Rutger's Response to Medium's cartoon
  • NYT Coverage of Cartoon
  • Daily Targum Gives Community Reaction
    The Daily Targum is the official student newspaper at Rutgers.
  • Targum columnist reacts to Medium
  • Jerusalem Post coverage

Wednesday - May 5, 2004

• Free Speech on U of MD Campus
  Does free speech on campus extend to obscene T-shirts at basketball games and profane cheers? That's the issue they are wrestling with at University of Maryland. And many other schools as well. NOTE: Along with being an important media law/free speech story, this would also make a good public relations case study. (Washington Post)
  • Baltimore Sun's Take on the Story
  • U-MD's Independent Student Newspaper Covers Profanity Forum
  • WP's Marc Fisher Gives Details of Fuss at U-MD
  • Students at U of MD Face Disciplinary Action for Yelling at Lynne Cheney Speech (WP)
  • Free Speech Zones at UT El Paso (CNN)
    This story is from May of 2003, but it does a good job of illustrating the ongoing controversy over controlling speech on college and university campuses.
  • Foundation for Individual Rights in Education
    FIRE is a nonprofit foundation that is concerned about free speech issues on college and university campuses.
• CBS Held Story About Prisoner Abuse at Request of Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
  Gen. Richard B. Myers asked CBS anchor Dan Rather to hold on broadcasting a story on the alleged abuse of Iraqi prisoners. CBS delayed the story for about two weeks.
• Stern Fans Write to the FCC
  For those of you who have not been paying attention in class, Bad Boy Howard Stern has been complaining of late that he is being singled out for punishment by the FCC for indecency while popular figures such as Oprah are being given a pass. At any rate, the folks at The Smoking Gun web site have been reading the complaint letters that have been filed with the FCC as of late about Oprah. Call me suspicious, but I think the majority of them have been written by angry Stern fans. NOTE: The letters of complaint contain potentially offensive content.

Tuesday - May 4, 2004

• Death of a Sitcom
  The Drew Carey Show will be coming to a close this summer without a lot of notice, although it was once a top rated program. This analysis from the Washington Post looks at how the show died and why it might have been able to hang in as long as it did. A nice look at the economics of sitcoms.
• Rock 'n' Roll Brought 50 Years of Recording Industry Profits
  The BBC takes a look at the global commercial impact that rock 'n' roll music has had over the last 50 years. The page also has several links to stories about file sharing in Europe.
• Updates on Stories We've Been Following
  There have been a number of stories we've been following here over the last few weeks. Here's the latest on several of them:
  • Simpsons Cast Settles
    The voice-acting cast of the Simpsons has negotiated a new contract after a month-long work stoppage. (WP)
  • Seattle Times 'Gratified' by Reactions to Coffin Photo
  • Doonesbury Writer Talks About B.D. Losing His Leg (News-Record)
  • NPR's On The Media Discusses Nightline's "The Fallen"

Monday - May 3, 2004

• Finding New Bands on the Internet
  Record label talent scouts are now looking for unsigned bands by scouring the Internet for MP3 music files. Swapping music files may be the bane of the big labels, but it may also be their salvation. This fascinating article also talks about the role that satellite radio is playing in promoting new bands. (Washington Post)
  • Russians Selling Online Music for a Nickel a Song (WP)
• Obscenity, Indecency, and Censorship
  With all the fuss over "indecent" material being broadcast (Janet Jackson's breast, Howard Stern's mouth, Oprah's talk), commentator Jonathan Knee asks if we've forgotten about full-fledged obscene materials. An interesting commentary. (NY Times)
• Will MGM's Movie Collection Actually be Sold?
  Ted Turner already owns a lot of the old MGM movies, but who will buy the remaining 4,000 films? A lot of big suitors are interested. An on-going story. (NYTimes)
• UW Faces PR Problem With Block Party
  Landing on the Princeton Review's Top Ten Party School list can be a public relations nightmare for a university because every party-related story that breaks about the school ends up on the national media. Look, for example, at this story about a four-keg limit at University of Wisconsin's spring block party. (CNN)
  • USA Today story
  • Fox News Story
  • Daily Cardinal story (UW student newspaper)
  • WCCO story (Minneapolis, MN)

• Nightline Update
  ABC's Nightline devoted it's entire broadcast Friday to reading the names and showing the faces of the American troops who have been killed in Iraq. As you can tell looking at the April 30th entry here, the program was controversial. Here's a sampling of the latest feedback on the program:
  • Not All See Nightline Tribute (Chicago Sun-Times)
  • A Roll Call That Spoke for Itself, Without Added Justification (NY Times)
  • Sinclair Critics to Fight License Renewal (Asheville Citizen Time)
    Sinclair Broadcast Group owns seven ABC affiliates. The group declined to run the Nightline broadcast, claiming it was anti-war propaganda. Asheville, SC, has one of the Sinclair stations.
  • UPN Affiliate Airs Nightline (Mobile Register)
    When a local affiliate won't carry the program, a non-netowrk station can pick it up.
  • Arkansas Family Reacts to Nightline controversy (KATV)
  • Nightline Special "The Fallen" Sparks Controversy (KCRG)
  • "The Fallen" Nightline
  • Ted Koppel's Closing Thoughts

Saturday - May 1, 2004

• Comics Go To War
  As has been noted earlier here, several comic strips are dealing with the ongoing war in Iraq, including Doonesbury, Get Fuzzy, and Boondocks. Several artists discuss the trend in this article from the LA Times
• ABC Drops Disturbing Adoption Promo for 20/20
  Poynter's Al Tompkins talks about how to write ethical television news promos.
• Media Business News
  • Comcast Gives Up on Bid for Disney
    Comcast, one of the nation's biggest cable companies, has given up on its attempt to buy out media giant Disney, owner of ABC, ESPN, and all the Disney brands. (LA Times)
  • Paulson to be new USA Today editor (NY Times)
  • Dallas Morning News Shakes Up the Staff (E&P)
    • Dallas Morning News
• Audio Weekend: Pop Culture / Media News from NPR
  On the weekend, Living in a Media World features a wrap up of audio stories from National Public Radio that deal with pop culture and/or media issues.
  • Is Adoption a Reality Show Competition?
    That's what an ABC promo made an episode of 20/20 look like.
  • Tribute to Bob Edwards
    A tribute to Edwards 25 years as host of NPR's Morning Edition.
  • Hollywood Looks Forward to Summer Blockbusters
    Following the box office failure of The Alamo, Hollywood is anticipating the summer blockbusters like Van Helsing.
  • U.S. Resumes Ad Campaign in Iraq
    The U.S. administration has resumed a television advertising campaign in Iraq designed to promote unity and nationalism.
  • Writers Who Have to Keep Their Day Jobs
    Not all who write professionally are able to make a good living at it. NPR reporter Noah Adams talks to a number of these low-paid authors.