Mark Obbie's Blog, page 35

The thought that counts

Bob Kolker’s new feature in New York on the cannibal cop case does exactly what I would expect from a reporter and writer of Kolker’s caliber. Rather than wallow in titillating, sleazy, or just plain grotesque details, Kolker sprinkles just enough of that into the narrative to keep us tuned in, and then feeds us […]

How will we remember?

How do we process memories of events? In today’s New York Times Sunday Review, author Claudia Hammond applies her research into time perception to examine memories of news that we experience in varied ways: directly or via the news media. Her conclusion makes her point clear: … [I]n a decade’s time you may or may […]

#Boyswillbeboys

Amanda Hess’ compelling and disturbing cover story in the January/February issue of Pacific Standard explores the tension between unrestricted, anonymous online speech and criminal harassment. “Women Aren’t Welcome Here” argues, with weighty reported evidence and research, that the problem is a modern twist on an old issue: Too many men — who dominate the ranks […]

Exit interview with a mayor

I have two pieces in the January issue of The American Lawyer, my former employer. One was part of a months-long project that reintroduced me to the world of high-stakes commercial litigation, something the magazine excels at covering. But the more memorable story for me was a shorter piece that I suggested to the magazine: […]

A survivor weighs in

In the school shooting last month in Colorado, the local sheriff famously decreed that he would not mention the name of the killer, Karl Pierson. The no-naming trend that I blogged about here found new momentum. Here, Slate summarizes what happened at Wednesday’s memorial service for the student who died of her injuries, Claire Davis. Her […]

Endless war, Scenes 1 and 2

On one of my most reckless reporting trips, I traveled to Peru’s Amazon jungle and accompanied an American-backed paramilitary unit on a raid of remote coca plantations. The same crew suffered more than a dozen deaths on its previous mission. Barely thinking of the risks, I was thrilled to be allowed to witness the resumption […]

Name that killer

Thanks in part to this story last week by Jack Healy in The New York Times, journalists must justify or rethink their practice of identifying attackers by name in stories about mass killings. It’s a debate worth having because it … Continue reading →

Christmas in jail

For the past few months, I’ve been privileged to meet some inmates in the local jail and  probationers trying to stay out of jail. They’re studying for their GEDs and I’m a volunteer literacy tutor, helping their professional teachers where … Continue reading →

“Put down your phone”

Here’s one to add to the catalog of absurdities that typify the state of cameras in the courts. Thanks to this “watchdog” report in the Rochester, N.Y., Democrat & Chronicle, we get to see how a reporter doing his job … Continue reading →

Search for an historical footnote

The Atlantic‘s James Bennet riled the Interwebs recently with his complaint about overuse of the term “longform journalism.” Indeed, a host of curators and publishers of it have fetishized it a bit lately. I agree with Bennet that long isn’t … Continue reading →