PiPress gives the Strib a big, wet kiss

Bob Collins at MPR’s NewsCut blog has an interesting story from this weekend. Apparently, the folks at the St. Paul Pioneer Press felt compelled to give their across-the-river competitors at the Minneapolis Star Tribune a nice big hug after the Strib clawed its way out of Chapter 11 bankruptcy.
Click on the image to see a [...]

On language

Words matter. Masterful, artful command of our language is a skill in short supply. Precision in writing differentiates the meaningful from the meaningless. Careful application of the rules of grammar and proper composition — and knowing when the break them for effect or for fun — is among the most noble of tasks.
There’s a difference [...]

Google will rule the world: Exhibit 51,943

Suggested reading for today’s class: Austin’s earlier dissertation on micropayments.
We all know Google will soon rule the world. Here’s but one more piece of evidence:
According to the Nieman Journalism Lab, Google is developing a tool that will help publishers implement micropayment systems, letting them make pennies or fractions of pennies each time their content is [...]

‘Freedom’ is just another word for nothing else to choose

Gov. Pawlenty has officially filed the paperwork to form his political action committee, and some folks, apparently entirely unsurprised by the presidential aspirations this indicates, are busy chattering about the name.
Freedom First PAC.
Really? It’s cliche. Lifeless. Uninspiring. Predictable. Why not just name it Eagles and Flags and Supporting the Troops and the Bible PAC? You [...]

The sneeze germed ’round the world

NBC’s Chuck Todd finally learned his lesson. How to maintain objectivity in reporting the news? No. How to decode the complexities of the American “culture war” with ease for his viewing audience? No, no, silly.
He learned how to prevent the spread of germs by properly covering his sneeze! And how did [...]

Not cool

Even if it were 100 percent verifiable and true that Obama had lied about this issue at hand, a congressman shouting from the House floor, “You lie!” is totally not cool. Not cool at all, Rep. Joe Wilson, R-S.C.
The quick-on-the-heels apology, however, is a good move. So kudos for that, I [...]

Crawling Back to Normal-ish

You probably didn’t even notice I was missing. After all, I was hardly missing — stopping by rather regularly, especially for a “missing person,” to leave a rowdy comment here and there — and Loveland start writing again. The guy can’t be stopped. I think he just took a few months away to pile up [...]

Few ruin it for many

David Brauer at MinnPost has an interesting piece on the strategies local newspapers employ for dealing with comments on their reporting — specifically, how they handle the offensive and worthless comments left by people who can be best described a dickheads. (My word, not Brauer’s.)
For example:

Terry Sauer, the Strib’s Assistant Managing Editor/Digital, lists eight areas [...]

‘We are extremely reserved right up until we walk up to the ballot box’

On the heels of Al Franken’s Minnesota State Supreme Court victory, David Carr has a great piece in the Times attempting to explain how Franken’s just-odd-enough persona fits well into the realm of Minnesota politics.
Yes, Minnesotans vote like crazy. At 77.8 percent, the state had the highest turnout in last year’s very busy presidential election. [...]

Washington Post: Power broker

Politico reports:
For $25,000 to $250,000, The Washington Post is offering lobbyists and association executives off the record, non-confrontational access to “those powerful few” — Obama administration officials, members of Congress, and the paper’s own reporters and editors.
As you read more, it seems less “holy shit I can’t believe they’re doing this” but still a bit [...]