Mark Obbie's Blog, page 38
October 28, 2013
Sherman’s march
A few years ago I traveled to New York City to appear on a panel at a law school event billed as a review of the year’s legal reporting. At the time, I ran a Caregie-supported program at Syracuse University … Continue reading →
October 24, 2013
A story with, and about, dignity
When people rely for their understanding of the world on television, with its fast-paced event-driven news, “reality” shows, and cable-TV shoutfests, it’s no wonder they might react with disbelief to the notion that a crime victim would want to speak … Continue reading →
October 23, 2013
Not just a “whoops” error
How egregious must an error be to justify firing a veteran reporter and his editors? The Associated Press just answered that question for itself, but not everyone accepts the answer. We don’t know all the relevant details about the decision … Continue reading →
October 21, 2013
A 10,000-word mea culpa
Mother Jones‘ Stephanie Mencimer has written a remarkable feature for the November/December Washington Monthly that serves as a sad commentary on the reporting of rape and harassment allegations against a military contractor and its employees in Iraq. She tells the … Continue reading →
Why more about Lanza?
The Hartford Courant continues its strong performance in covering the aftermath of Adam Lanza’s murderous rampage at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Connecticut last December with this report over the weekend by reporters Dave Altimari and Steven Goode. It’s a … Continue reading →
October 14, 2013
Have we lost the power to shame?
In yet another case of young male athletes, alleged drunken sexual assaults, and small-town backlash against victims, reporter Dugan Arnett lays out a compelling and disturbing story in yesterday’s Kansas City Star. An editor’s note attached to the story about … Continue reading →
October 13, 2013
Shepard, reconsidered
One of the more intriguing new works of crime journalism comes to us from writer Stephen Jimenez, called The Book of Matt. Based on years of reporting, Jimenez concludes that Matthew Shepard’s infamous murder had more to do with drugs … Continue reading →
October 9, 2013
News worth paying for
Keeping up with legal news, and criminal justice news in particular, occupies a vast amount of my time and budget. Besides the three daily newspapers I read thoroughly, I harvest my news from blogs, social media, and email services, such … Continue reading →
October 7, 2013
Survival, Gannett-style
For years, we journalists have been beaten down by bad news in our industry. Thinner products. Fewer outlets for our work. Hard-won experience thrown out in buyouts or outright layoffs. Rewards from an online audience for “curating,” glib commentary, and … Continue reading →
October 5, 2013
The ballad of La Madrina
The latest true-crime Byliner Original e-single, Cocaine Cowgirl, vaulted to the nonfiction top-10 list in Kindle Singles — all the more impressive because the author, Jennie Erin Smith, says she’s a newcomer to crime reporting. I’d say she did more … Continue reading →
