tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-76077908210436453302012-01-30T18:47:02.568-08:00Keeping an eye on the landscape of journalism and cultureJo Kadleceknoreply@blogger.comBlogger391100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7607790821043645330.post-75890697411624321322012-01-04T12:31:00.000-08:002012-01-04T12:45:23.148-08:00

This is Clark Kent. Really. He's resting here on a pillow on our couch. In fact, he pretty much rests most of the time, in between of course, hunting and catching the ball, eating, and going for walks. It's a great life he has at the Daily Planet, and I'm glad he shares it with us. Of the many things Clark is good at, he's probably best at sniffing. Shoes, laps, garbage cans, sidewalks, you

Jo Kadleceknoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7607790821043645330.post-51414390824187761872011-12-31T13:25:00.000-08:002012-01-04T12:03:55.833-08:00

There are some stories journalism just can't tell with the same impact. At least, after that first draft of history. World War I, of course, is one. Chronicled well by numerous 'embedded' reporters, the war led humanity into new directions of horror: horses suddenly were no match for early versions of tanks and machine guns. New industry meant new military advantages, and greater heartbreaks.

Jo Kadleceknoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7607790821043645330.post-86982412603579422812011-11-14T14:16:00.001-08:002011-11-15T08:38:14.811-08:00

Yes, the next generation of reporters—and veteran reporters as well—still get inspired when coming face to face with the history of journalism. These photos of a recent trip to Washington D.C.'s Newseum reflect the importance of field training!

Jo Kadleceknoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7607790821043645330.post-23489498898961649802011-10-22T06:51:00.000-07:002011-10-28T07:10:22.274-07:00

A recent college graduate I know decided—rather spontaneously—to explore for herself some of the recent "Occupy Wall Street" protests in her nearby city. Along with a few of her friends, she arrived at a park, grabbed a pre-fab sign and stood on a corner expressing her right to protest what she saw as "economic inequality." It was a personal participation in democracy for a political science

Jo Kadleceknoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7607790821043645330.post-37311618043880041332011-10-20T06:19:00.000-07:002011-10-28T06:21:46.675-07:00

Local editor Dave Olson of the Salem News recently reminded readers and students alike of the important role a community newspaper plays. But he also focused on the need for verification and on the record sources, aspects of a story that maintain the integrity of a newspaper. Without those fundamental components of journalism, readers lose trust in the paper . . . and the industry. But as long as

Jo Kadleceknoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7607790821043645330.post-24880683588409932802011-05-25T12:15:00.000-07:002011-09-05T12:17:26.476-07:00

There's a lot to be said about Hollywood's ability to teach, instruct and inspire. Yup, I think we can learn volumes about journalism from watching some of the industry's top 'reporter' movies. Whether it's how to chase a story, or what not to do when reporting, journalism films can be a helpful—and sometimes hilarious—guide. For Gordon's May Term, I taught Journalism in the Movies with our

Jo Kadleceknoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7607790821043645330.post-79458515237522716542011-04-19T12:07:00.000-07:002011-04-19T12:08:17.820-07:00

I've followed his work for some time and even if you're the type who doesn't pay attention to bylines, this name is one worth noting: Jason DeParle, senior reporter for the New York Times, is the real deal. The stories he pursues—that obviously take serious time/patience to find—reveal dogged reporting; it seems he talks with just about everyone who has an insight on whatever subject he's

Jo Kadleceknoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7607790821043645330.post-12871658630739236062011-04-13T17:14:00.000-07:002011-04-13T17:14:44.097-07:00

Alas. It's not that news hasn't been happening since my last post . . .  it's that it's been getting done! And delightfully so by a few aspiring reporters from the next generation I've watched develop over the past few months. Check out the Gordon College News Service, now in its second year and one of many new partnerships springing up between community newspapers and local colleges. If good

Jo Kadleceknoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7607790821043645330.post-56345776620039645712011-01-29T11:46:00.000-08:002011-01-29T11:47:20.454-08:00

It happened again. Barely a week into 2011, an otherwise respected news outlet broke a major story by reporting that a U.S. Congresswoman in Arizona had been shot “and killed.” Within minutes of the report, others followed suit and the instant news of the “assassination” spread around the world. Though he claimed reporters had confirmed the “fact” with state officials on the scene, the

Jo Kadleceknoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7607790821043645330.post-20253074523156487932010-10-20T13:02:00.000-07:002010-10-20T13:07:56.622-07:00

Coverage of the Chilean miners last week was a welcome reminder of the powerful role broadcast journalism can still play in our 24/7 news cycle. Who watching didn't get choked up as each miner stepped from the capsule after two and half months stranded underground? How could we not be moved by the sheer inspiration such a rescue provided in digital color? Just weeks before, I'd felt again the

Jo Kadleceknoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7607790821043645330.post-78154085865388099152010-09-10T14:36:00.000-07:002010-09-10T14:37:04.318-07:00

I lived in New York City nine years ago and saw for myself the smoke and ash of two burning buildings known as the Twin Towers. It was an awful day, one I still get shaky remembering. I even wrote about it because, well, I had to. It was my way of making sense of the tragedy, if there was such a thing as making sense. And as the story became a bigger story and then an historic one, it traveled

Jo Kadleceknoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7607790821043645330.post-61160279684557576062010-09-02T08:47:00.000-07:002010-09-02T08:50:12.497-07:00

At the start of a new academic year, journalism students across campuses—my own included—begin the hunt for stories. They dig into their communities and jump across ideas, hungry to report the latest trend or discovery or event. It's good work and good preparation for their lives, and careers, ahead. But the new stories need old foundations. Truth as the primary pursuit for reporters has

Jo Kadleceknoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7607790821043645330.post-75135654516809891672010-06-29T18:15:00.000-07:002010-06-30T06:17:00.333-07:00

Oil spills. Supreme court hearing. Leaders falling. Goals (soccer, that is) stolen. It's been quite a summer already for the media. And I confess, it's hard not to want to run for cover . . . or to use the newspaper as an umbrella instead and quit reading altogether. But we need to know, don't we?  If a ban on handguns is lifted, it'd be a good idea to know that, especially during the next road

Jo Kadleceknoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7607790821043645330.post-64625111322242840622010-05-13T14:29:00.000-07:002010-05-13T14:47:18.957-07:00

This week’s Top Four Good Stories present fascinating reporting on issues we might not have thought about before, topics we might never have noticed unless a reporter brought them to us. They’re the kind of stories that take us outside of ourselves to new ways of seeing, of discovering the light on the trees beyond the leaves in front of us. Enjoy: 1. For focusing on the intersection of justice

Jo Kadleceknoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7607790821043645330.post-29870372686171251712010-05-11T06:20:00.000-07:002010-05-11T06:22:37.375-07:00

I've just completed the first semester launch of a new internship program, the Gordon College News Service, a partnership with student reporters and local news outlets. It's been genuinely inspiring working with young reporters, watching them grow, seeing them discover what they're capable of, reading (and re-reading) their stories for verification, clarity and value. They are, to me, another

Jo Kadleceknoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7607790821043645330.post-90002433462217931502010-05-05T18:27:00.000-07:002010-05-11T05:58:03.897-07:00

There was plenty to chew on this week with good stories that dug deep. Thank you to the reporters whose sheer tenacity produced stories that literally helped shed new light on important topics. Given the amount of vivid and varied details in this week's top four stories, each must have taken tons of time to report, verify, and confirm to get them right so we could draw our own conclusions. That

Jo Kadleceknoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7607790821043645330.post-29098279540306045302010-04-29T07:05:00.000-07:002010-04-29T07:06:25.602-07:00

As promised, here are my top four Good Stories celebrating the Fourth Estate for this week. Good journalism IS happening and we are all the better for it. History's first draft . . .  1. For a near perfect example of giving voice to the voiceless, and for sheer staying power (I woke up thinking about this story): "Here to Aid His Family, Left to Die on the Street" New York Times, Tuesday, April

Jo Kadleceknoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7607790821043645330.post-88498287673423159002010-04-27T12:48:00.000-07:002010-04-27T14:18:14.320-07:00

It's hardly news to say that ours is a culture fixated on celebrities and leaders. We elevate individuals into prominence and admire them for their leadership qualities or talents. In fact, we train our young people to aspire to such status. As a fellow journalist and educator recently wrote (and got me thinking about this), our colleges invest a lot of effort into preparing the world's next

Jo Kadleceknoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7607790821043645330.post-13186590447046662092010-04-21T18:52:00.000-07:002010-04-21T19:03:00.003-07:00

It's been a busy week for journalists around the globe, but I found these four articles worthy of my inaugural "Good Story Prize" and worth a read. Like the light on this ship in the Long Island Sound, they help us see the issues a little clearer. (That might be a stretch, but I liked this photo my husband took.) They are out there . . .      1. For old fashioned (local) inspiration:"City

Jo Kadleceknoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7607790821043645330.post-5687046568896981132010-04-19T14:51:00.000-07:002010-06-30T06:17:35.516-07:00

Last week the 2010 Pulitzer Prizes were announced at Columbia University in NYC. There were few surprises from the major news organizations (i.e., The New York Times and The Washington Post) and thankfully some smaller papers were honored as well (i.e., Milwaukee Journal Sentinel and the Bristol Herald Courier). The range and scope of the stories/reporters recognized suggest to me that—despite

Jo Kadleceknoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7607790821043645330.post-78138338216104137532010-03-14T14:20:00.000-07:002010-03-14T18:52:38.902-07:00

It's a sad reflection on a writer to go a month without posting a single new sentence on her blog. It's not that there's been a dearth of ideas or issues for me to comment on. There have been too many: Like the professor-turned-alleged-murderer in Alabama who long ago left the Boston area but who's remained a constant story in local weeklies and dailies lately, as if her life among us connected

Jo Kadleceknoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7607790821043645330.post-33649370537383372562010-02-06T14:13:00.000-08:002010-02-07T15:56:35.205-08:00

It's conventional wisdom (especially in this economy): you never buy a house on the first visit. In fact, it's smart to go back a second and third time, to look closely at each room, the shingles on the roof, the pipes in the basement. You ask questions, lots of them, about everything from the foundation and the structure to the neighborhood and the heating bills. You won't really know the place

Jo Kadleceknoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7607790821043645330.post-63903294872445364442010-01-23T07:51:00.000-08:002010-01-26T06:05:42.922-08:00

It might as well have been the headline. As if the news of this past week wasn't already keeping journalists running at full speed (i.e., the Haitian earthquake, a Republican elected from Massachusetts, escalating joblessness, Roe v Wade anniversary, etc.), the Supreme Court made a stunning announcement that surely will demand more of reporters in the future. In a 5-4 decision, it repealed a

Jo Kadleceknoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7607790821043645330.post-60450118358891311382010-01-14T15:56:00.000-08:002010-01-21T14:03:17.659-08:00

Okay, I'm a wreck. Haiti has long been on my radar, especially after two attempts in the 1990s to travel there with service groups and both times denied access because of the political upheavals. I have followed its issues and overthrows ever since, and barraged workers from NGOs or mission agencies with questions. I have supported friends who've cared for people there. So when I went to find out

Jo Kadleceknoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7607790821043645330.post-68948579005083724362010-01-06T16:26:00.000-08:002010-01-06T16:26:43.646-08:00

A new year is news. Any paper, magazine, radio or television show worth its salt confirmed that this past week with its endless spotlight on 'new as news.' So are resolutions, which are code for hoping the coming year is not like the last. And then there are the lists. The top stories that changed and moved and shocked the world. It's an odd but interesting tradition in journalism to pause (for

Jo Kadleceknoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7607790821043645330.post-84671249511423125202009-12-21T14:42:00.000-08:002009-12-21T14:50:45.996-08:00

Who says newspapers are irrelevant? Recently, I asked 17 college journalism students (ages 19-21) an admittedly leading question: why do we need newspapers? Or why does the Free Press matter?  (Full disclosure: the question was on an exam at the end of an academic semester.) I think their responses, though, are worth sharing. They were as insightful as they were informative, healthy reminders of

Jo Kadleceknoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7607790821043645330.post-5621706653127098092009-12-03T15:27:00.000-08:002009-12-04T06:28:26.805-08:00

When I lived in New York, I often avoided Times Square. It's easily the most crowded part of the city, largely because of tourists. Which also makes it the slowest. Meaning, tourists stroll through the urban spectacle, gawking at the monster ads that loom over 42nd Street because they've never seen anything like it. And at first glance, there is something eery about its power. The sheer size can

Jo Kadleceknoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7607790821043645330.post-49067544428039205742009-11-10T15:08:00.000-08:002009-11-10T15:11:19.502-08:00

Recently, I watched (again) the Russell Crowe movie that came out last year, "State of Play." The film is really a memorial to the state of journalism, to the need for local reporters to monitor the powers that be, to ensure democracy, to verify every detail of every story in order to provide the public the information they need to make their own decisions about the truth of those who represent

Jo Kadleceknoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7607790821043645330.post-36948529318683233982009-10-26T20:06:00.000-07:002009-10-27T10:52:47.166-07:00

Last week while getting my urban fix in New York City, I stepped into a church a block from Times Square. The doors were wide open and this sign ("Sinners Repaint") was posted at the aisle. And I confess, the sign—not the stained glass or the cathedral ceiling—grabbed my attention. I was impressed by its creativity and though the parish leaders probably only hoped to raise renovation funds, I

Jo Kadleceknoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7607790821043645330.post-81543065699360343322009-10-12T17:14:00.000-07:002009-10-12T17:25:30.067-07:00

What an irony that the recent announcement of this year's Nobel Peace Prize has created such a war of words. Between the canons shot across various Web sites and blogs, the bombs dropped in countless opinion columns, and the bullets shot from thousands of Tweets, the online news world is experiencing a 21st century battle of sentences and exclamation marks. Again. It was too early, many say, and

Jo Kadleceknoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7607790821043645330.post-42796744734467424922009-10-04T18:28:00.000-07:002009-10-04T18:56:12.542-07:00

This is Bob's car. It's parked next to his garden and his 100 year old house, which you can't see here but I'll report to you that it's in need of a paint job. Bob—who is 87 years old—lives just around the corner from my husband and me, and only has so much time and energy these days for a couple of things that matter to him. Painting isn't one of them. But his award-winning dahlias are; he

Jo Kadleceknoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7607790821043645330.post-15678649438920550092009-09-29T18:51:00.000-07:002009-09-29T19:09:21.286-07:00

Washington, D.C.—555 Pennsylvania Ave., N.W. That address, I think, is the most important one in our nation's capital. Because you can literally see the Capitol from the sixth floor of the 555 building, and because the White House is on the other end of Pennsylvania (at 1600 N.W.), you can rule both out as most important, though obviously each is significant in shaping our culture and governing

Jo Kadleceknoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7607790821043645330.post-26860403356798123322009-09-18T15:38:00.000-07:002009-09-18T15:40:10.733-07:00

Conflict, we know, is the sexy stuff of storytelling. If it bleeds, it leads, say the editors. Tension lures in readers, takes us on a journey that keeps us glued to the set so that we'll hang in there till the end. After all, we don't watch action-adventure flicks to know how they'll end; we watch to see how the hero will get out of each pickle. Little wonder then that reporters today cover

Jo Kadleceknoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7607790821043645330.post-89558125502817816502009-09-11T11:31:00.000-07:002009-09-11T11:37:57.365-07:00

Minneapolis, MN—I'm at the 60th anniversary conference of the Religion Newswriters Association (RNA), a smart and gracious group of about 160 (in attendance) professional reporters who have the audacity to believe that religion as a beat still matters. That's no small thing. When the general media is laying off or reassigning veteran religion reporters (the RNA president mentioned in his welcome

Jo Kadleceknoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7607790821043645330.post-23294228076072684132009-09-08T14:03:00.000-07:002009-09-08T15:50:43.778-07:00

Last week journalism history was made . . . again. Diane Sawyer was named to replace Charles Gibson on the ABC Nightly News, making her only the second woman to anchor a national television news program, and making this the first time when women anchored two of the three networks. As a woman reporter myself, I'm glad for what this signals, knowing how difficult it has been for women in what has

Jo Kadleceknoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7607790821043645330.post-7756561775133874412009-09-02T18:09:00.000-07:002009-09-02T18:14:11.783-07:00

I knew it was inevitable. Still, when I learned from colleagues that the student newspaper at the college where we work would soon be published entirely online, I was sad. After 50 years of a weekly print paper—sometimes late, always with errors, usually an interesting gauge of what college students deemed newsworthy in their community—I mourned a bit. I confess: I liked the feel of the paper in

Jo Kadleceknoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7607790821043645330.post-44222697898451354942009-08-31T13:01:00.000-07:002009-08-31T13:03:42.152-07:00

At its essence, journalism cherishes truth as its first and most critical pursuit. A good reporter—for all her limits and flaws—will dig and dig until she has a sense of the truth of a story. If she gets it right, she can invite both praise and criticism. What thugs, after all, want to be found out? But that is what drives us, what motivates our need to know. In fact, from their ground-breaking

Jo Kadleceknoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7607790821043645330.post-35325833137758842932009-08-29T12:54:00.000-07:002009-08-29T13:26:55.437-07:00

Today's memorial service of Senator Edward Kennedy in Boston reflected not just the loss of the country's fierce Lion of the Senate, but the massive changes in today's journalism. Hundreds of Massachusetts citizens throughout the week lined the streets of Boston to pay their respects and view his body—Tweeting their feelings in the process. This morning's actual service was streamlined in video

Jo Kadleceknoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7607790821043645330.post-26915493889624729212009-08-28T13:28:00.000-07:002009-08-29T19:46:02.340-07:00

10. Everyone is a snoop. 9. It's a window to the world. 8. Routines gain meaning. 7. History's first draft is recorded. 6. Perspectives take shape. 5. Powers get monitored. 4. Scoundrels are shamed and heroes celebrated. 3. Freedom is protected. 2. Communities stay connected. 1. Lives are changed.

Jo Kadleceknoreply@blogger.com