Meanwhile, while we’re pointing out games journalists play and the question of whether Social Security is welfare, WaPo’s Robert J. Samuelson says this: In a recent column on the senior citizen lobby, I noted that Social Security is often “middle-class welfare” that bleeds the country. This offended many readers. In an e-mail, one snarled: “Social
Vivian Schiller Resigns from NPR
Yesterday, CJR’s Joel Meares wrote about the latest in a long string of NPR dust-ups: a “sting” by conservative activist James O’Keefe that cast one of the organization’s fundraisers in a very unflattering light. The episode was especially embarrassing for NPR because O’Keefe’s video hit the web just one day after a speech by CEO
Improving News, Improving Community
On the future-of-news beat, it’s easy to see which projects and innovations get the most attention. From automation to augmented-reality, the more experimental the idea, the brighter the spotlight; not to mention the more funding it can hope to attract. But when it comes to local news in underserved areas, sometimes the most welcome addition
CJR Rewind: NPR Amps Up
This story originally ran in the March/April 2010 issue of CJR. If I were writing this story for All Things Considered, I might open with some audio: the sound of applause. The clapping would come from hundreds of employees gathered for an all-staff meeting at National Public Radio’s downtown Washington headquarters in December, as they
CNBC Misleads on "Welfare State" Dominance
There are so many things wrong with this CNBC “Fast Money” story it’s hard to know where to begin. But let’s start with the headline: Welfare State: Handouts Make Up One-Third of U.S. Wages I guess the first thing to point out is that the story, which is based on a study by some investment
