Archives
Accountability of news media
Guest commentary: Sunshine, not censorship, will make the news media accountable -- Josh Wilson
Posted Aug. 23, 2004
Media accountability systems and their importance (Claude-Jean Bertrand essay) 7/18/01
Accuracy
of Bay Area newspapers 8/11/00
Advertising
Bay Area papers accused of rigging 'best-of' survey to favor advertisers
Posted Aug. 5, 2004
Oakland Tribune pledges end to deceptive "advertorials" 4/15/04
Analysis: Bay Area TV, papers sit by while voters get spun 4/6/04
Commentary: Journalists must provide antidote to toxic campaign ads 3/17/04
Super Bowl "pay-per-view" controversy: Santa Cruz activist takes on Lingerie Bowl 1/21/04
Blurring the distinctions between news and advertising 10/18/01
Disguised as news 10/18/01
Contra Costa Times fails to label "Saturday Homes" section as advertising 9/24/00
Channel 7 pitches the "Millionaire" board game in a news story 3/8/00
Channel 7 pitches Disneyland (with which it shares ownership) 1/25/00
Running ads as news in the ANG newspapers 6/20/03
Why advertisers are more important than readers or viewers (KQED perspective)
Anonymity (see sources)
April Fool
Bagdikian, Ben H.
Bagdikian: A new political twist to the old media monopoly (The New Media Monopoly) 5/21/04
Why the Federal Communications Commission should not allow greater concentration of media ownership 4/30/03
Banter on the news set (happy talk) 8/28/00
Bertrand,
Claude-Jean 7/18/01
Bias
Guest commentary: Are new media polarizing American politics? -- Dan Schnur
Posted Aug. 2, 2004
Guest commentary: 'Fahrenheit 9/11' -- New film shows what news media were afraid to Robert C. Cuddy
Posted June 28, 2004
Essay on its nature and unavoidability (KQED perspective) 5/19/02
Did local news media encourage people to rip off Microsoft? 1/27/00
Blair, Jayson
What impact will Jayson Blair's fabrications have on the education of young journalists? 3/11/04
Bonds, Barry
Commentary: When journalism becomes hero worship 4/21/04
Bryant, Kobe
Commentary: Does Kobe Bryant deserve the front page? 10/15/03
Canned "local news" 9/4/03
Response from NewsProNet 9/15/03
Chaffee, Steve 6/1/01
Childcare
coverage 2/1/02
Children,
coverage in the news 11/12/01
Church scandal
Guest Commentary: Church sex abuse story lacks context 3/2/04
Civic
contribution index 5/13/01
Civic contribution index 9/22/03
Competition among Bay Area news
media
Conflicts of interest
Guest commentary: Sunshine, not censorship, will make the news media accountable -- Josh Wilson
Posted Aug. 23, 2004
When it's free speech for journalists vs. free press for owners, law is less than settledPosted Aug. 11, 2004
Chronicle reassigns letters editor: Now working sports copy desk; status unsettled, says Guild
Posted July 30, 2004
Make the call: Should journalists be allowed to contribute to political campaigns?
Posted July 23, 2004
Political gifts earn Bay Area journalists praise, punishment; Chronicle puts letters editor on leave for nearly $1,000 in contributions
Posted July 20, 2004
Chronicle, biotech columnist wrestle with conflict of interest; Duncan reassessing Chronicle column, role with BioAgenda 4/27/04
Chronicle columnist's biotech side job 4/14/04
Between journalism's public service and business goals (KQED commentary) 1/3/02
Newspaper Guild local's response to policy 4/25/03
Henry Norr, former Chronicle technology columnist's defense 4/25/03
"Container" stories (Contra Costa Times pays bonus for A1 briefs) 8/15/03
Context
index 5/13/01
Context index 5/13/01
Corrections
Wrong on IKEA critique 6/12/01
Courthouse cameras (Knee commentary) 8/19/03
Crime coverage
Guest commentary: Getting the red out: Former news director challenges stations to lead with something other than crime 11/19/03
Commentary: Focusing on random incidents of violence can harm us all 11/10/03
Scaring the public for profit (Aurora Forum at Stanford) 7/24/03
Analysis of youth and violence coverage
PDF of full report on coverage of youth and violence (Berkeley Media Studies Group)
Dean, Howard
Guest commentary: The media become political king-makers (Dean sabotaged) 2/13/04
Deception
2 papers claim same reporters as their own: Mercury News, Contra Costa Times merged operations in Sacramento.
Posted June 17, 2004
Diversity
Diversity in TV, radio slipping: Bay Area newspapers nowhere near as diverse as the population 5/17/04
Guest commentary: The Chronicle looks at the color of people in its photos and finds an uncomfortably pale reflection -- Dick Rogers 2/25/04
Guest commentary: If the D.A. is of half Asian descent why does the press label her "black"? 2/5/04
ASNE study 2003 5/30/03
ASNE study 2002 4/13/02
Style guide (from News Watch at Center for Integration and Improvement of Journalism, SF State U.) 1/3/02
How diversity came to matter (Dori J. Maynard) 5/30/03
Domestic violence (see intimate partner violence)
Editorials
Make the call: Scooping your own newsroom: Should the editorial page conduct investigative reporting? 5/26/04
Education
Commentary: Now is the time for all good journalism teachers and students to come to the aid of their field
Posted August 27, 2004
Commentary: An open letter to journalism graduates and faculty members -- At first, you can't lose by going into journalism
Posted June 1, 2004
Guest commentary: Getting ahead of the news (Chronicle story about UC admissions) -- Patrick Mattimore 5/20/04
Is the teacher housing crisis really a myth? (Mercury News story) 2/26/04
Critique of Chronicle series "Broken Promises," SFUSD 7/28/02
Ellsberg, Daniel
Daniel Ellsberg proposes a Pulitzer Prize for whistle-blowing sources 3/22/04
Enterprise index 5/13/01
Enterprise index 9/22/03
Ethical codes of journalism
Media jump on a Jayson Blair but have nothing to say about broader ethical issues (Glasser commentary) 6/13/03
Ethical codes of journalism and the language of war (Sussman commentary) 6/3/03
Explanation index 9/22/03
Fairness index 5/13/01
Fairness index 9/22/03
Features
Guest Commentary: The dog that ran away with the (Mercury) news 1/29/04
Federal Communications Commission
Commentary: Why would FCC Chairman Powell skip his own hearing? Listen to this commentary on KQED-FM "Perspectives" (aired 7/30/04)
Posted July 30, 2004
What we learned in Monterey: FCC localism inquiry met with cornucopia of critiques, reform ideas
Posted July 28, 2004
Analysis: Citizen audit of localness of local TV news
Posted July 21, 2004
Updated Aug. 11, 2004For Bay Area broadcasts, most politics is not local: the FCC in Monterey
Posted July 18, 2004
Analyze local TV news and we'll help you tell the FCC what you find News scorecard and instructions.
Posted July 1, 2004
Permitting greater ownership concentration is a bad idea (Bagdikian comments) 4/30/03
Flow stories (see tie-in stories)
Freedom of information
Guest commentary: Open up government to more public inspection -- Richard Knee
Posted June 22, 2004
Foreign news (see also war reporting)
Remnick: Blame profit-seeking news media, apathetic public for poor foreign reporting 5/19/04
Don't blame the people; Stanford Prof. Kennedy rebuts Remnick 5/19/04
Mercury News has only foreign affairs columnist in state -- Daniel Sneider 2/17/04
Gay marriage
Make the call: Should gay journalists who marry cover the same-sex marriage story? 3/30/04
Chronicle bans two female journalists from same-sex marriage story for marrying each other 3/15/04
Grade the News Yourself
why you should do it 10/19/01
Grades of Bay Area news media
The first analysis 2/17/00
In-depth analysis 2/17/00
How the study was conducted 2/17/00
The second analysis 4/6/00
The third analysis 5/13/01
Standards applied to news content 4/24/01
Civic contribution index 5/13/01
Context index 5/13/01
Enterprise index explained 5/13/01
Fairness index 5/13/01
Local relevance index 5/13/01
Newsworthiness index 5/13/01
The fourth analysis: Report Card 2003 9/22/03
How the study was done 10/2/03
Civic contribution index 9/22/03
Context index 9/22/03
Enterprise index 9/22/03
Explanation index 9/22/03
Fairness index 9/22/03
Local relevance index 9/22/03
Newsworthiness index 9/22/03
KNTV, Channel 11 in San Jose, analysis 1/27/02
Local TV news in Spanish: big stories but big problems (KDTV Channel 14) 2/2/04 Versión en español
Harris, Jay T.
Putting people over profits 3/31/01
Harris, Kamala
Guest commentary: If the D.A. is of half Asian descent why does the press label her "black"? 2/5/04
History of journalism
Changes in marketing from inclusivity to niches over the 20th century (Leonard interview pt. 1) 6/15/03
Ethical practices of journalism has vastly improved ( Leonard interview pt. 2) 6/25/03
Women change the newsroom and the rise of chains ( Leonard interview pt. 3) 7/2/03
Future of journalism (Leonard interview pt. 4) 7/11/03
Internet
and democracy (Comments of Kim Alexander, California Voter Foundation) 5/24/00
Intimate partner violence
Are victims blamed in press coverage? 2/19/03
How well do 2 California newspapers cover intimate partner violence? 2/19/03
The least reported violence -- commentary 2/19/03
Tips from experts on covering domestic/intimate violence 4/22/01
Is wife-beating ever a love story? (analysis of Mercury News article) 4/22/01
Jackson, Michael & Janet
Did Janet Jackson make a boob of the Chronicle? 2/3/04
Michael Jackson: The most important story of the day? 11/21/03
Journalism awards
Junk journalism
Guide: How to Distinguish Between Socially Responsible and Junk Journalism 10/27/03
Leonard, Thomas C. (See history of journalism)
Local relevance index 5/13/01
Local relevance index 9/22/03
Live shots
How newsworthy are TV live shots when nothings going on? 12/5/01
Maynard, Dori J. 5/30/03
McChesney, Robert
Activists aim to limit reach of monopoly media (McChesney and Mander speak in Berkekey) 5/6/04
Media Watch
Super Bowl 'pay-per-view' controversy: Santa Cruz activist takes on Lingerie Bowl 1/21/04
Middle East coverage
Analysis: The newsworthiness of death: Why did the Mercury News and Associated Press give Israeli deaths greater prominence than Palestinian in the Middle East conflict? 12/18/03
Minority communities coverage
Latina journalist offers career tips to reporters of color: Elizabeth Llorente. From News Watch
Posted July 13, 2004
Analysis: Bay Area press offers enlightened coverage of Muslims
Posted July 7, 2004
Dean of black journalists, Tom Fleming, critiques local media 9/12/00
Newsom, Gavin
A San Francisco mayoral forum unravels, as does one TV station's civic contribution11/ 26/03
News selection (choosing what's newsworthy and what's not)
Commentary: a grateful letter to the Mercury News -- It wasn't 'peeping Tom' journalism, was it? -- John Q. Public
Posted Aug. 19, 2004
Commentary: Balancing the commercial appeal of the Peterson trial with other news
Posted June 23, 2004
Guest commentary: The public as addict, the media as pusher -- Patrick Mattimore
Posted June 4, 2004
Make the call: Which is the day's most important story? Hint: not the Peterson trial.
Plus, how Bay Area and state newspapers allocated scarce front-page space.)
Posted June 2, 2004
Guest commentary: The least newsworthy stories of the year (Project Censored) 5/25/04
Commentary: Skin-deep journalism (Chronicle's "Porn 101" not newsworthy) 5/14/04
The Chronicle responds: Feature section stories need not be important, just compelling 5/14/04
Analysis: The newsworthiness of death: Why did the Mercury News and Associated Press give Israeli deaths greater prominence than Palestinian in the Middle East conflict? 12/18/03
Commentary: A test of newsworthiness in the central valley: Journalists covering the Peterson hearing rate it unimportant 11/5/03
Analysis of May, 2001 "Sweeps" reporting on Bay Area TV stations 7/15/01
Myth: We get the news we deserve KQED perspective 3/29/01
"Nutritional" analysis of Bay Area news media content 2/19/01
What Bay Area journalists say is undercovered 5/23/00
Newspaper carriers (Mercury's war with) 10/24/00
Newspaper design
NewsProNet (see canned news)
Newsworthiness index 5/13/01
Newsworthiness index 9/22/03
Objectivity (see bias)
Ownership of media
Bagdikian: A new political twist to the old media monopoly (The New Media Monopoly) 5/21/04
Activists aim to limit reach of monopoly media (McChesney and Mander speak in Berkekey) 5/6/04
Pearl, Daniel 2/23/02
Pedestrian
safety 6/12/00
Peterson, Scott & Laci
Commentary: a grateful letter to the Mercury News -- It wasn't 'peeping Tom' journalism, was it? -- John Q. Public
Posted Aug. 19, 2004
Commentary: Balancing the commercial appeal of the Peterson trial with other news
Posted June 23, 2004
Make the call: Which is the day's most important story? Hint: not the Peterson trial.
Plus, how Bay Area and state newspapers allocated scarce front-page space.)
Posted June 2, 2004
Guest commentary: The court should delay the "Perfect Husband" docu-drama to protect Scott Peterson's right to a fair trial 2/19/04
Guest commentary: KNEW finds Peterson guilty 2/12/04
Commentary: Rehashing the Peterson tragedy for cash 1/28/04
Commentary: A test of newsworthiness in the central valley: Journalists covering the Peterson hearing rate it unimportant 11/5/03
Political coverage
Interview: Hendrik Hertzberg on media and politics -- John McManus guest hosts KQED Radio's "Forum" (aired 8/5/04)
Posted Aug. 5, 2004
Soundbites, endorsements leave little room for the issues
Posted June 29, 2004
Political candidates' handlers outfoxing journalists (Stanford professors discuss political reporting) 5/11/04
Celebrity appeal pumps up capital press corps; Reporters came for the star, but many stay for the substance 5/3/04
Commentary: Who did more harm, Jayson Blair or San Francisco's local television news directors? 4/28/04
Analysis: News when voters need it -- 2 TV stations and 2 newspapers began election reporting early. 4 others lagged. 4/13/04
Commentary: A serious failure of journalism -- neglecting to cover the primary vote (Chronicle op-ed) 4/13/04
Analysis: Bay Area TV, papers sit by while voters get spun 4/6/04
Analysis of 2004 primaries: 3 Bay Area newscasts flunk Politics 101; TV, newspapers touched on local races only occasionally before March vote 3/25/04
Commentary: Journalists must provide antidote to toxic campaign ads 3/17/04
Guest commentary: The media become political king-makers (Dean sabotaged) 2/13/04
Analysis: The budget and the mountain lion. Rating Bay Area reporting of the Schwarzenegger budget 1/15/04
A San Francisco mayoral forum unravels, as does one TV station's civic contribution11/ 26/03
Analysis: Papers couldn't resist Schwarzenegger in photos and headlines 11/24/03
Guest commentary: Chronicle sidesteps ethical concerns in San Francisco prosecutor endorsement 10/30/03
The Chronicle responds 10/30/03
Gravity of recall elections should shake up journalists (Bettinger) 8/26/03Comparing coverage of state ballot measures in 2002 to Whipple murder trial 3/27/02
How Bay Area media covered campaign 2000 1/7/01
Why local TV rarely covers politics 1/6/01
Campaign advertisements (boost TV revenues but not coverage) KQED perspective 12/7/00
Why the networks should broadcast the Democratic and Republican national conventions 6/6/00
Polling
When a poll isn't really a poll 11/11/03
KGO-TV responds 11/16/03
How accurate are Bay Area political polls? 7/5/00
Polls precison is exaggerated 7/23/00
Potter, Harry 7/14/00
A story deserving the front page (Michael Antonucci, SJ Mercury News) 7/14/00
Poverty, coverage of (report from "We Interrupt this Message")
Project for Excellence in Journalism
National study in 2000 ranks Oakland's KTVU nation's best 11/10/00
Real Estate coverage (also see advertising)
Is the Mercury News' real estate section news or an ad platform? 10/18/01
Recommended reading and Web resources
Reagan, Ronald
Commentary: Leave canonization to Rome
Posted June 16, 2004
Bay Area papers go all-out for Reagan
Posted June 9, 2004
Remnick, David
Remnick: Blame profit-seeking news media, apathetic public for poor foreign reporting 5/19/04
Don't blame the people; Stanford Prof. Kennedy rebuts Remnick 5/19/04
San Francisco Examiner
Guest Commentaries on the purchase of the Examiner:
San Francisco desperately needs newspaper competition William Wong 2/25/04
Zombie newspaper rises again Rob Morse 2/24/04
Give the Examiner a proper burial Willliam F. Woo 2/24/04
Oops! The moribund Examiner is not dead yet David Burgin
2/23/04Coverage of Mayor Willie Brown before and after "horse trading" lunch 5/10/00
Editorial Page Editor James Finefrock responds 5/12/00
The Examiner rebuts charges 5/26/00
Schnurman, Ned
Grade the News advisor Ned Schnurman dies
Posted June 1, 2004
Schwarzenegger, Arnold
Celebrity appeal pumps up capital press corps; Reporters came for the star, but many stay for the substance 5/3/04
Analysis: The budget and the mountain lion. Rating Bay Area reporting of the Schwarzenegger budget 1/15/04
Analysis: Papers couldn't resist Schwarzenegger in photos and headlines 11/24/03
Sept. 11 coverage
Bad news raises news quality 10/4/01
Framing the response to terror as war; propagating propaganda 9/13/01
Sneider, Daniel
Mercury News has only foreign affairs columnist in state -- Daniel Sneider 2/17/04
Sources
Daniel Ellsberg proposes a Pulitzer Prize for whistle-blowing sources 3/22/04
Guest Commentary: When is gossip news? -- Kathryn Wallace 3/4/04
SPJ salon on reporters' refusal to name sources: Should a journalist keep a secret to protect a lawbreaker? 2/9/04
Newspapers shouldn't let top Bush administration sources routinely go off the record 7/15/03
Society of Professional Journalists
Daniel Ellsberg proposes a Pulitzer Prize for whistle-blowing sources 3/22/04
SPJ salon on reporters' refusal to name sources: Should a journalist keep a secret to protect a lawbreaker? 2/9/04
Spanish-language news
Local TV news in Spanish: big stories but big problems (KDTV Channel 14) 2/2/04 Versión en español
Sports Coverage
Commentary: When journalism becomes hero worship 4/21/04
Television Journalism
Guest commentary: All the news that's fit to sell -- Tony Seton 5/10/04
Anchor banter 8/28/00
Tie-in stories (TV stories about prime time shows used to lure audience) 6/25/00
Henry Tennenbaum for the defense 7/15/01
Violence, coverage of (see crime)
Wall Street trumps Main Street (profits over public service) 3/31/01
War reporting
On the job with the Chronicle's Anna Badkhen 8/21/03
Ethical codes of journalism and the language of war (Sussman commentary) 6/3/03
Whipple, Diane 3/27/02
What do you think? Discuss it in The Coffeehouse.
Monitoring the Bay Area's most popular news media:
Knight Ridder
Hearst
Knight Ridder
KTVU, Oakland (FOX)
KRON, San Francisco
KPIX, San Francisco (CBS)
KGO, San Francisco (ABC)
KNTV, San Jose (NBC)
Bay Area media advocates:
Media Alliance
Center for the Integration and Improvement of Journalism at SFSU
Maynard Institute
Youth Media Council
Project Censored
New California Media
Society of Professional Journalists, Northern California chapter
National Writers Union Bay Area chapter
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