Tag: the Washington Post
Bob Ryan – The Weatherman Pushes Back
Moving is never without risk both to the talent and stations. I am happy because for the first time in a few years someone on-the-air in local news has some leverage in contract negotiations.
Bob Ryan is a weather fixture in Washington, DC. He's been on the NBC owned station for around 30 years. Today he is my hero. On this pre-blizzard day when his station will probably show huge viewership he's in the news.
A dramatic change may be ahead for Washington's weather forecasts. And it has nothing to do with Friday's much anticipated snowstorm.
Bob Ryan, the most-watched television weather forecaster in Washington and a fixture at WRC (Channel 4) for nearly 30 years, is considering leaving the station and jumping to rival WJLA, people familiar with the discussions said Thursday.
Don't get me wrong. I am not happy because Bob may be leaving WRC. Moving is never without risk both to the talent and stations. I am happy because for the first time in a few years someone on-the-air in local news has some leverage in contract negotiations.
The trend in my business has been falling salaries, not rising. This is the first I've seen where that trend might be bucked!
What boss or owner doesn't want to buy the same thing for less? Bob's station is owned by NBC which has been very aggressive in that regard.
Some of the cuts anchors and reporters have were huge. Often they've been accompanied by added responsibilities and/or reduced benefits and security. All the cuts have been taken with impunity.
Bob Ryan is pushing back against bosses who've forgotten that can happen.
Granted, we're talking about a guy who should receive no sympathy over compensation. If Bob Ryan isn't making 7-figures he's certainly in the high hundreds of thousands per year. As a longtime AFTRA member he's got a very nice pension plan. This is not about whether his family will eat or not.
There will never be another Bob Ryan in Washington. The kind of following he has, built over years when TV stations had much more commanding audience numbers, just can't happen today. He knows that. They know that.
I will be very curious how this turns out. So will every other high profile on-air performer. It's more than idle curiosity.
Author Geoff FoxPosted on February 5, 2010 Categories UncategorizedTags AFTRA, Bob Ryan, DC, NBC, television weather forecaster, the Washington Post, Washington, WJLA2 Comments on Bob Ryan – The Weatherman Pushes Back
Should I Care About Letterman? I Do
It was obvious the audience was also caught off guard. They didn't seem to get the drift of what he was saying.
"I'm glad you folks are here tonight, and I'm glad you folks are in such a pleasant mood, because I have a story I'd like to tell you and the home viewers as well." – David Letterman
I rushed home and quickly turned on the TV. I wanted to watch David Letterman's mea culpa. I am not proud this was must see TV.
A few quick notes. The Letterman extortion story exploded because of the Internet and social media. It wasn't long after Letterman's audience exited the Ed Sullivan Theater that the twittering began. Though Letterman was mum the accused perp's name surfaced by 11:00p and his CBS News affiliation a few minutes later.
Social media led mainstream media by a mile. The Washington Post/CNN's Howard Kurtz is a perfect example of the new pecking order.
"Weird: I tweeted, Anderson Cooper's person saw it, seconds later I'm phoning in to CNN on the Letterman affair(s). Talk about Twitter power" – Howard Kurtz via Twitter
I'm a big Letterman fan and have been for nearly 30 years. I watched his confession tonight–that's what it was.
I knew Dave was a flawed man, but this wasn't a flaw I'd expected. My assumption was his shortcomings were beyond his control. This decidedly is not.
It was obvious the audience was caught off guard. There was no context so they originally felt Dave was setting up some bit. They didn't get the drift of what he was saying. More than once there was awkward silence as they grasped to understand what was unfolding. They would have benefited by being pre-tweeted.
I wish I knew if tonight's revelations would affect my ongoing viewing or even my opinion of Letterman in general. Though disappointing, these affairs of his aren't at the Polanski level nor what suspect was Michael Jackson's dysfunctional worst. I still enjoy Woody Allen movies and he's been pretty skeevy as an adult.
I am conflicted. My opinion will certainly be swayed by the opinions of others.
Why should I care anyway? But I do.
Author Geoff FoxPosted on October 2, 2009 Categories UncategorizedTags CBS News, CNN, Dave, David Letterman, guard, Howard Kurtz, mainstream media, Michael Jackson, pence, Social media, the Washington Post, Twitter, Woody Allen1 Comment on Should I Care About Letterman? I Do
You Get What You Pay For–News Version
Helluva scoop if it were only true.
The big buzz in media (all media, not just TV) is user created content. It's free–what's not to like?
From CNN's iReport–"Steve Jobs was rushed to the ER just a few hours ago after suffering a major heart attack. I have an insider who tells me that paramedics were called after Steve claimed to be suffering from severe chest pains and shortness of breath. My source has opted to remain anonymous, but he is quite reliable."
Helluva scoop if it were only true. I'll let a professional writer pick it up. This is from the Washington Post.
A false Internet report that Apple's Steve Jobs had suffered a heart attack briefly slammed his company's stock and raised fresh questions about the delicate relationship between traditional and new media.
The posting on iReport.com — a citizen journalist site owned by Time Warner's CNN — is the most recent incident in which a faulty online report created brief, but wrenching, confusion among investors.
Apple quickly denied the report about its chief executive, but not before its stock dropped more than 2 percent, hitting a 17-month low of $94.65. It later recovered, climbing as much as 4 percent, before closing at $97.07, down 3 percent for the day.
CNN has tried to distance itself from the iReport site and its 'reporters'. That's going to be tough. It's CNN's cred that keeps the site active. In the last month CNN used nearly 1,300 iReport submissions which encourages even more participation.
Having journalism performed by actual journalists doesn't guarantee accuracy, but it seems to be a step in the right direction when you supervise the reporter and he/she is answerable. Citizen journalists are not. Actually, that's not totally true as the Steve Jobs heart attack citizen journalist might be answerable to the SEC.
Last September I wrote about my upset with Fox News 'assigning' a story to viewers. I didn't say it was FNC but why hide it.
[T]oday I also watched an instance of what I don't want to see with cellphone video. I'm not going to say which cable network it was, because I can't find anything about it on their website, and it just might be 'freelancing' by a producer or anchor.
The anchor showed a still from an air show, mentioned where one was taking place today, and asked for viewer video. Uh… isn't that why they have reporters and camera crews?
I understand getting video of spot news, unanticipated events, from viewers. This is totally different. This is an assignment. I'm not even sure a business can legally ask people to work for free, can they?
Regardless, it bothers me.
It still bothers me.
Author Geoff FoxPosted on October 5, 2008 Categories UncategorizedTags chief executive, citizen journalist site, CNN, false Internet report, faulty online report, iReport, iReport.com, journalist, online report, producer, reporter, Steve Jobs, the Washington Post, time Warner, U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, writer2 Comments on You Get What You Pay For–News Version
Hooked On Twitter
May I call you Howie like the big guys–please?
I have become increasingly hooked on Twitter. It's not because I'm posting good stuff. I'm reading good stuff from lots of people. but I've really become a major fan of Howard Kurtz of the Washington Post.
Here's a little sample of Kurtz' work, limited (and enhanced) by Twitter's 140 character limit. He is writing from the Democratic National Convention in Denver. As is typical of a blog the most recent comments are on top.
Man, this place is crawling with media egos, some pretending to be happy to see each other
All of a sudden I have followers! who knew brevity was so popular?
It explores the promise and the pitfalls of 140-character journalism as it is practiced here at the convention and beyond.
My piece on twittering journalists here: http://tinyurl.com/6zlwu3
Great debate between Jon Stewart and The Press about how we're harming America. Both sides really engaged. He was funnier.
Riot police everywhere. My first perk: a smoothie from Google.
Just chatted up Brokaw, awaiting other anchors- and a free lunch.
Denver press tent is decrepit and depressing. Must soldier on.
Biden hit an 11 on the passion meter. I think he wants the job.
At the Denver baggage claim. The excitement is building.
TV on the plane! 4 hours of Biden blather to Denver!
He's very clever. He should write for a living.
Author Geoff FoxPosted on August 26, 2008 Categories UncategorizedTags America, Denver, Google, Howard Kurtz, Jon Stewart, media egos, Riot police, the Washington Post, Twitter2 Comments on Hooked On Twitter
Break In At Obama's Place
Drudge has it on his front page, though pretty far down the left side. The AP wrote it up nicely. A bit of trouble Friday night at Obama Headquarters in Iowa.
(AP) DAVENPORT, Iowa The Davenport, Iowa, campaign headquarters for presidential candidate Barack Obama was burglarized Friday evening.
Obama spokesman Tommy Vietor says two laptop computers and some campaign literature were taken. A campaign worker discovered the burglary this morning, and a report was filed with Davenport police.
Vietor says that it doesn't appear that it was anything sensitive or irreplaceable was taken.
Hmmm…. where have I heard this before? Here's the opening 'graph' of a story from the New York Times, June 17, 1972.
WASHINGTON, June 17 — Five men, said to have been carrying cameras, electronic surveillance equipment and burglary tools, were arrested shortly after 2 A.M. today after a floor-by-floor search that led to the executive quarters of the National Democratic Committee here.
Here's a copy of the actual story that ran on page 30 in the Times and the text of the story that was on the front page of the Washington Post. Remember, we knew nothing else except there was a burglary in Larry O'Brien's office at the Watergate (The image of the front page on the left is from two days later, June 19, 1972).
I doubt last night's burglary was anything more than a burglary. The stolen laptops were probably the target.
On the other hand, Watergate also seemed like a meaningless burglary. Nixon was way ahead at the polls. He would end up winning the presidential election with 60% of the popular vote and nearly 97% of the Electoral College.
Why would CREEP (Committee to Re-Elect the President) even care what O'Brien did or did not know?
Just for a second, let's make believe there was something politically evil going on Friday night in Iowa. Are there still Woodwards and Bernsteins in journalism? Are there Ben Bradlees and Katherine Grahams who would allow reporters to spend days and days pursuing leads which probably weren't going to pan out? Few thought Watergate would be anything more than the 2-bit burglary it was.
I'm afraid I know the answer.
Corporate journalism, where publishers (and TV managers) answer to stockholders, not individual owners and where the cost of debt service has entered into the daily decision making process, has changed journalism in profound ways.
If 1972 happened in 2007, how much would we know?
Author Geoff FoxPosted on July 8, 2007 Categories UncategorizedTags Barack Obama, Ben Bradlees, burglary tools, campaign worker, Davenport police, Electoral College, electronic surveillance equipment, floor-by-floor search, Iowa, Iowa The Davenport, Katherine Grahams, National Democratic Committee, Nixon, Obama Headquarters, president, presidential candidate, spokesman, the New York Times, The times, the Washington Post, Tommy Vietor, WashingtonLeave a comment on Break In At Obama's Place
The Good Story From The Libby Trial
I want to make comment about the Lewis 'Scooter' Libby trial. This will have nothing to do with the verdict.
I wasn't there. I don't have all the facts. The trial was incredibly politicized, These are all things I've worked to keep out of my blog.
There was, however, one part of the procedure which struck me when I read an article in Editor and Publisher.
(Juror Denis) Collins, a journalist who has written for The Washington Post and other newspapers — and is author of the 2004 book, "Spying: The Secret History of History"– described the jury's painstaking deliberations. He said there were several "managerial types" on the jury and they spent many days just assembling post-it notes in some kind or "buildings blocks" fashion. They did not take an immediately straw vote.
If I ever go to court, that's what I want to hear – the jury was involved and thorough. It's something I think we often feel isn't there.
A few years ago, while tuning past C-Span on a boring Sunday night I had audio tapes of Supreme Court proceedings. It was a similar feeling.
I had no idea what the particulars of the case were, but I heard intelligent men and women pondering the facts with well thought questions and comments.
Cousin Michael, who reads the blog and who clerked in the US Circuit Court might write otherwise, but these comments from the Libby trial and my 'eavesdropping' on the Supremes, gives me optimism our republic is built on a solid foundation.
Or maybe I'm just naive. I hope not.
Author Geoff FoxPosted on March 6, 2007 Categories UncategorizedTags author, editor, journalist, Michael, Supreme Court, the Washington Post, US Circuit Court2 Comments on The Good Story From The Libby Trial
Is Internet Access About To Change?
Last week I wrote about concerns Internet providers might some day change the unfettered access we currently have. You can understand their worry about providing me a workaround to services they'd like me to buy from them, like local telephone and pay-per-view video.
In the past Helaine and I bought Major League Baseball's web package. It's delivered by Comcast on my high speed Internet connection and competes with Comcast's own video-on-demand service. Comcast is the passive carrier and gets nothing from this sale. My gain is Comcast's loss – literally.
If you read this article from the Washington Post you can hear toes being stuck in the water. Bell South wants this to change. I'm sure they're not alone.
Of course it makes sense for providers to try and monetize their service. But my selfish concern is me, not them. I want to be able to decide what I want, when I want it, and then get it with all the speed I've paid for.
Unless my ISP is currently holding back (and I don't think it is), the only way to make some services faster is to throttle back the non-favored while allowing the others free access.
This is a very complex issue, as cable and phone companies watch their core businesses get cannabilized by 'fat pipes' they themselves provide!
You haven't heard the last of this. The fact that it's in the Washington Post as a news and not tech story, written by a staff writer, says it's already on the mainstream radar.
Blogger's note: I own a very small amount of Comcast stock as part of my retirement plan.
Author Geoff FoxPosted on December 1, 2005 Categories UncategorizedTags Comcast, concerns Internet providers, high speed Internet connection, Internet access, ISP, local telephone, Major, Major League Baseball, passive carrier, STAFF WRITER, the Washington Post, web package1 Comment on Is Internet Access About To Change?
Reruns On The Internet – It's More Than That
I first saw this story yesterday, from the Washington Post.
Associated Press Updated: 8:47 a.m. ET Nov. 14, 2005
LOS ANGELES – You'll soon be able to catch up on old T-V shows for free online.
Early next year, America Online and Warner Brothers will make shows like "Welcome Back Kotter" and "Growing Pains" available online and free-of-charge but with a catch
Author Geoff FoxPosted on November 14, 2005 Categories UncategorizedTags America Online, Associated Press, Los Angeles, the Washington PostLeave a comment on Reruns On The Internet – It's More Than That
JetBlue Emergency Update
When JetBlue's Airbus A320 landed with its nose gear perpendicular to its motion, I wondered if anyone would try and connect this incident with JetBlue's maintanence, performed in El Salvador and primarily by mechanics not certified by the FAA.
JetBlue doesn't even fly out of the US, except to get its planes repaired or maintained.
Today the story hit the Washington Post. I've attached their story to the link below.
Continue reading "JetBlue Emergency Update"
Author Geoff FoxPosted on September 28, 2005 Categories UncategorizedTags Air Canada, Airbus A-320, Airbus A320, airline, America, Barry C. Lynn, Canada, Central America, CEO, chief executive, Cisco, Coming waterfall, corporate leader, Dell, editor, El Salvador, Federal Aviation Administration, General Electric, Global Business, Global Business magazine, Harold Meyerson, Los Angeles International Airport, manufacturing, New America Foundation, Rise waterfall, Salvador, TACA, the Washington Post, Tom Friedman, United States, Wal-Mart, Wall Street Journal1 Comment on JetBlue Emergency Update
Airport Screening – Proposed Rule Changes
Last week, while waiting in line to depart Birmingham, I was reminded how futile and bothersome airline screening is. I wouldn't feel so bad if it made me feel safer. It does not.
Now the TSA has announced they're thinking of changing the screening procedures. Pocket knives – OK. Throwing stars – OK. As a favor to me, can't you just put your throwing star in checked luggage?
Ice picks become OK as well. So will bows and arrows.
None of these seem to be high impact.
There are also modifications to the shoe removal policy. Good – I hate taking my shoes off. Right now there's a Catch-22 saying you don't have to remove your shoes, though not removing them is grounds for further inspection during which time you'll be asked to remove your shoes!
Here's the only part that really upsets me:
The TSA memo proposes to minimize the number of passengers who must be patted down at checkpoints. It also recommends that certain categories of passengers be exempt from airport security screening, such as members of Congress, airline pilots, Cabinet members, state governors, federal judges, high-ranking military officers and people with top-secret security clearances.
When governmental officials… or anyone for that matter… is given a pass around a problem, they are immunized from its bother and less likely to continue seeing it as a problem. I want them to go to the airport and feel my pain.
I sense that someone with a lot more schlep than my little blog carries will really publicize this and it will disappear under the scowl of public disapproval.
Author Geoff FoxPosted on August 13, 2005 Categories UncategorizedTags airline pilots, Airport Screening, Birmingham, Congress, futile and bothersome airline, the Washington Post, Washington PostLeave a comment on Airport Screening – Proposed Rule Changes
Blurring The Line Between Old and New Media
I was just on the Washington Post site, looking for more on the Watergate story. I am of an age where this was a critically important story. The Vietnam war was raging. I perceived President Nixon as a threat to the 22 year old me – whether that's defensible or not at this point.
Even today, 30+ years after the fact, I want more on this story.
The Washington Post website had a 3:02 video interview with Bob Woodward. Below the video were their credits – 2 shooters and an editor. The Post had their own reporter interviewing Woodward. I'm not sure whether he was a dedicated video reporter or someone from the print side.
The video was preceded by a commercial. It was a :15 for Microsoft.
They – newspapers – want to get into my business. And why not? They already have the reporting staff. When the news product is delivered request-reply, making every story compelling and entertaining enough for someone in Seymour to care about Stonington, isn't necessary.
This is depressing.
Newspapers are struggling. Their circulation has generally trended down. They need to sustain revenue and maximize their resources.
TV doesn't get a free pass either. Cable channels and even the micro networks take some small audience – audience that once was defaulted to us – and there are dozens, maybe hundreds, of these tiny digital niche networks.
Will this bring on the next Golden Age of video? Will we see more quality or quantity or both? Who knows? It will definitely be different than what we're seeing now.
Whatever it is that finally sits in TV's current place in society will be more sharply targeted and the content more responsive to the needs of the people watching. Budgets will probably be lower, because niche audiences won't be able to support higher.
Technology has already started to bring down the cost of TV production. It is easier and cheaper today than ever before to put something together and make it available to an audience. That trend isn't over yet.
Author Geoff FoxPosted on June 2, 2005 Categories UncategorizedTags Bob Woodward, dedicated video reporter, editor, micro networks, Microsoft, news product, Nixon, president, reporter, The Post, the Washington Post, tiny digital niche networks, VietnamLeave a comment on Blurring The Line Between Old and New Media
Deep Throat Revealed
I woke up this morning , flipped on the TV and saw a 'breaking news' banner at the bottom of the screen on CNN. Breaking news doesn't proffer quite the same importance it once did, but it still got my attention.
Deep throat revealed – that was the gist of the story.
This just might have been the best kept secret in Washington, the identity of Woodward and Bernstein's Watergate source. Only four people knew for sure: Woodward, Bernstein, Ben Bradlee and Deep Throat himself… a claim now raised by W. Mark Felt.
Mark Felt was a high ranking FBI official. AP says he was number two at the bureau, putting him just below J. Edgar Hoover at the time.
His name has been linked to Deep Throat in the past, but he is not a high profile person. A quick Google search of "W. Mark Felt"&#185 shows only 292 hits. Even I'm better represented than that!
Woodward and Bernstein continued to protect their source until a few minutes ago when the Washington Post issued a confirmation. Over the years, as names were tossed out, they neither confirmed or denied what Felt today claimed. Before the confirmation, I was guessing, since this is in Vanity Fair which (in spite of its wimpy name) is very well respected for top notch writing and reportage, it's true. I would expect this story has been well vetted.
Deep Throat's tips were what broke open Watergate and finally brought down President Nixon. It is an excellent example of an unnamed source leading to credible journalism. Lately, unnamed sources have been under fire.
It's funny that even today the White House offers up unnamed sources in a very structured way.
MR. McCORMACK: Ladies and gentlemen, this is the briefing you've all been waiting for — all day long. (Laughter and applause.) We have a senior administration official here who is going to be — has a few words to say about the President's meetings with Prime Minister Singh of India and Prime Minister Koizumi of Japan. And then he'll take a few questions from you.
With that, I'll turn it over to our briefer.
SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL: Hi. I'm the senior administration official. The President met with Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh this morning at 8:05 a.m. And he met with Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi at 3:00 p.m. And let me tell you a little bit about those two, and then I'll take some questions.
That's from an actual White House briefing as documented on the White House website.
The White House uses unnamed sources for the same reason they're used elsewhere. Sometimes, people who know news that must get out just don't have the ability to speak freely. I'd rather they weren't used without additional attribution, but I believe inside sources… protected unnamed sources… are an important part of journalism.
Now, how the heck did they keep this a secret for so long?
&#185 – By putting my search in quotes, Google limits its results to only those pages with the exact text I've entered. Searching for W. Mark Felt without quotation marks yield millions of entries, but most of them aren't on topic.
Author Geoff FoxPosted on May 31, 2005 Categories UncategorizedTags Ben Bradlee, Bernstein, CNN, Deep Throat, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Google, high official, India, J. Edgar Hoover, Japan, Junichiro Koizumi, Manmohan Singh, Mark Felt, McCORMACK, Nixon, official, president, Prime Minister, SENIOR ADMINISTRATION, senior administration official, the Washington Post, Vanity Fair, W. Mark Felt, Washington, White HouseLeave a comment on Deep Throat Revealed
More ChoicePoint
They're back. It seems that the information flowing from ChoicePoint has been limited, parsed and maybe not totally revealing.
ChoicePoint has said repeatedly it learned of the breach in October, but delayed disclosing it because it said California authorities had asked it to keep quiet to protect the fraud investigation. It said in a detailed explanation Friday that it first learned of the possibility of fraud on Sept. 27. A similar breach involving 7,000 to 10,000 ChoicePoint records occurred in 2002.
MSNBC had been out in front on this story. Today their website only carried an AP article. In case you're interested in reading more, here's a link to the New York Times coverage and an excellent article on how this was uncovered from the Washington Post.
There also seems to be some discrepancy over when they were allowed to tell consumers. Though ChoicePoint waited until February, the authorities say it could have been done much sooner.
Author Geoff FoxPosted on March 5, 2005 Categories UncategorizedTags California, MSNBC, the New York Times, the Washington PostLeave a comment on More ChoicePoint
Fewer Killings… Not So Fast
I wanted to do this earlier when I saw Jean Meserve interview New York City police commissioner Raymond Kelly on CNN. I forgot. Then a moment ago, I was reminded when I went to the Washington Post website and saw a headline that said, "Killings in D.C. Fewest Since '86."
That very well may be true. It's certainly what Kelly said about New York. It just doesn't begin to tell the whole story.
A major reason murders are down is because hospitals are able to save more people. I'm not saying it's the only reason or the biggest reason – because I don't know. But if statistics came out to say it was the biggest contributing factor, I wouldn't be surprised.
That Kelly didn't acknowledge this, nor is it mentioned in the Post story is not surprising. I would have never thought of it myself had I not been tipped off by a doctor friend who works in the E.R.
Today, there is more critical care that can be delivered faster and more precisely than ever before. Hospitals are better equipped. Ambulances are better staffed and equipped. Communications are better than ever.
I really think the more telling statistic is "how many people were shot compared to prior years?" I wonder if that's even kept?
Author Geoff FoxPosted on January 1, 2005 Categories UncategorizedTags CNN, Jean Meserve, New York, new york city, police commissioner, Raymond Kelly, the Washington Post1 Comment on Fewer Killings… Not So Fast