Fox Broadcast Network to Skip Obama

President¬†Obama won’t be¬†live on the red carpet Wednesday on Fox’s broadcast network.

Competitors Give News Conference a Prime-Time Hour

"For the first time in his presidency, a broadcast network is declining to give President Obama an hour in primetime for a news conference. Fox says it will run a new episode of drama ‘Lie To Me.’

"ABC, CBS and NBC all say they will air the press conference, set for Wednesday at 8 p.m.," Alex Weprin reported Monday for Broadcasting & Cable.

"Unlike fellow broadcasters CBS and ABC however, Fox has two cable outlets that will be covering the presser live. As a result, Fox will present an on-screen graphic at the start of the hour directing viewers to Fox News Channel or Fox Business Network to watch the press conference.

"The White House asked the broadcast networks last week to block off an hour of time on Wednesday. Wednesday marks Obama’s 100th day in office.

"The cable news channels are planning wall-to-wall coverage of the press conference, bringing out their top analysts and technology. Also on tap are ‘reviews’ and ‘grades’ of the president’s first three months in office.

"While pressers are the bread and butter of cable news, broadcast networks stand to lose millions in advertising revenue by shifting or rescheduling their normal programming. Fox has twice this year shifted its top show ‘American Idol’ to make room for the White House requests."

"Assuming a 30-second primetime spot runs an average of $150,000, media buyers estimate it costs the broadcast networks a combined $10 million per hour," Holly Sanders Ware added in the New York Post. "The economy has already crimped TV ad revenue."

"It’s really cutting into them, especially with what’s going on with the advertising market," said Brad Adgate, head of research for Horizon Media, a media-buying firm, in the Post. "I don’t think their revenue models anticipated these monthly State of the Unions."

While loss of advertising, low ratings for its own carriage of the presidential news conferences and the availability of the event on its sister cable network might be contributing factors to the Fox decision, it is also true that "Nearly three-in-ten (29%) select Fox when asked which of six broadcast and cable news networks have been too critical of the new Democratic president, a far greater share than any other network," the Pew Research Center reported last week.

• ABC News coverage plans
• Benchmarking Obama: NPR News Measures Administration’s Progress on Major Issues Against goals Set by the President
• CNN Plans Real-Time Report Card Event for President Obama’s 100th Day
• Ron Elving, National Public Radio: First 100 Days: A Time For Media Obsession
• Sam Fulwood III, Politico:¬†For Obama, hipness is what it is
• NBC Networks coverage plans
• Dayo Olopade, theRoot.com:¬†What Happened to the Office of Urban Policy?
• Terence Samuel, theRoot.com:¬†100 Not So Black Days
• Darlene Superville, Associated Press:¬†100 days of transformation for a new first lady
• Al Tompkins, Poynter Institute: Resources for Covering Obama’s First 100 Days
• Juan Williams blog, Fox News: Obama’s Outrageous Sin Against Our Kids

Donations Sought¬†to Waterboard Fox’s Sean Hannity

"A cadre of liberal personalities and bloggers are urging Fox News Channel and radio host Sean Hannity to follow through on his offer to be waterboarded for charity," Amanda Carpenter reported Monday in the Washington Times.

"During an on-air disagreement over torture with actor Charles Grodin, in which Mr. Grodin accused Mr. Hannity of wearing too much mascara and asked whether he was dating Ann Coulter, Mr. Hannity said he’d allow himself to be waterboarded to raise money for the troops.

"MSNBC’s Keith Olbermann followed by telling¬†his audience he would pay $1,000 to charity for ‘every second Hannity is waterboarded.’

"Several Web sites, promoted by liberal bloggers, have been constructed to coordinate donations if Mr. Hannity does agree to be waterboarded. A Facebook group supporting the cause has 720 members. There’s no word, however, if Mr. Hannity has scheduled a session at this time."

40 From Newark Star-Ledger Form News Web Site

"So what do you do when you have lots of newspaper experience and a year’s salary from a recent buyout at The Star-Ledger of Newark, N.J.?" Joe Strupp of Editor & Publisher asked¬†on Monday.

"You start a Website.

"That seems to be the view of some 40 former Star-Ledger staffers who took the lucrative early retirement last fall and have since banded together to form newjerseynewsroom.com.

Among the participants are Ana Alaya, president of the North Jersey Chapter of the National Association of Hispanic Journalists; Russell Ben-Ali, who has been a reporter and staff writer at the Star-Ledger, New York Newsday, the New York Daily News and the Los Angeles Times; Judith Lucas, who covered Superior Court in Union County for the Star-Ledger for six years; Paula Paige, a former deputy business editor at the Star-Ledger; Katie Wang, who covered the election of Newark Mayor Cory Booker in 2006; and Joan Whitlow, a former Star-Ledger editorial board member whose column on Newark City Hall affairs continues weekly in the newspaper.

"’We had started talking about doing this even before the buyouts were made," said Matt Romanoski, who spent five years at the paper, leaving as deputy sports editor," Strupp’s story continued.

"The Web site launched two weeks ago and is headed by three former veterans of the Advance Publications daily — Romanoski, Garrett Morrison, and Andrew Lagomarsino.

"The site, which so far has only Google ads but virtually no overhead, claims about 10,000 page views per week. It is mixing original reporting about the Garden State ‚Äî ranging [from] statehouse issues to sports ‚Äî along with links to other sites, including the Star-Ledger. An arrangement with Voice of America also allows the site to use that outlet’s content."¬†

Newspapers’ Circulation Decline Accelerates

"The rate of decline in circulation at the nation’s newspapers has accelerated since last fall, as industry figures released Monday show a more than 7 percent drop compared with the previous year," Tim Arango reported Monday for the New York Times.

"Of the top 25 newspapers in the United States, all posted declines in circulation except for The Wall Street Journal, which eked out a 0.6 percent gain, according to the figures released by the Audit Bureau of Circulations. For the others, the declines ranged from 20.6 percent for The New York Post, to a slight 0.4 percent drop for The Chicago Sun-Times."

"The paid circulations of Spanish-language dailies are not just stalling anymore — they’re slipping backwards," Mark Fitzgerald added in Editor & Publisher.

"La Opinion, the Los Angeles [newspaper] published by impreMedia, remained the nation’s largest Spanish-language paid-circulation daily . . . But it took a huge circulation hit in the six-month period ended March 31. La Opinion daily circulation fell 19.67% to 92,289. On Sundays, traditionally a weak day for the paper, circulation slid 14.66% to 47,810.

"In the fall 2008 reporting period, the New York City impreMedia-owned daily El Diario La Prensa recorded the biggest percentage gain circulation among all dailies." But in Monday’s report, "El Diario dipped 2% to 52,780 on weekdays and 3.87% to 35,729 on Sundays.

"El Nuevo Herald, the Spanish-language sibling of The McClatchy Co.’s Miami Herald, fell by 10.8% on weekdays so 71,318. Sunday circ was down 2.9% at 85,459."

"But La Opinion Publisher and CEO Monica Lozano disputes any interpretation that the newspaper’s circulation fall mimics the declines among mainstream dailies." 

Meanwhile, the Miami Herald on Friday bid farewell¬†to Humberto D’Costa, Lazaro Fraga, Michael Ottey, Jose Pagliery and Luis Rios, among others.

Bob Norman, in the Broward-Palm Beach New Times, published a memo to the staff from Aminda Marques, senior editor for news, individually praising some of those who left.

"There’s too much here to summarize, but I want to point out that among those going is Director of Photography Luis Rios, who helped make Patrick Farrell’s recently announced Pulitzer Prize possible by fighting for the inclusion of some of the more harrowing shots," Norman wrote.

Judged by His Rolodex, and Passing With Flying Colors

"Querry Robinson isn’t a name easily forgotten," Anne Schroeder Mullins wrote Monday in Politico.

"And in Washington, it’s a name journalists, politicians, press secretaries, political consultants, folks in the White House and even a few celebs have come to know well.

"Robinson is a guest booker for ‘Hardball With Chris Matthews,’ which makes the 31-year-old from Alabama both a gatekeeper and a star maker on the Washington stage.

"Remember last year, when Rep. Michele Bachmann told Matthews that the news media should conduct ‘a penetrating expos?©’ to determine which members of Congress have ‘anti-American’ views? Robinson booked it.

"Or when Texas state Sen. Kirk Watson, who supported Barack Obama for president, couldn’t name a single legislative accomplishment by Obama? That was a Robinson get, too.

"He also got Obama on ‘Hardball,’ and Hillary Clinton and Nancy Pelosi and John McCain and Ben Affleck and Michael Moore and Spike Lee and even the ‘Obama Girl,’ who seemed to be so appreciative that she ran up to Robinson and cooed all over him at last year‚Äôs White House Correspondents‚Äô Association Dinner."

Mullins didn’t mention it, but Robinson is also African American in a line of work where people of color are not very plentiful. "I can probably count them on my two hands," Robinson told Journal-isms. "That stands for radio and TV."

Having a diverse set of bookers and guests does make a difference, and "during the election it was a huge issue for every network," Robinson said. The guest lists were "not something that has been as closely watched as it was during this election," given the presence of a black candidate prominently in the presidential race.

"Robinson insists that a booker’s life isn’t as sexy as it seems — and it isn’t the life he had planned for himself," Mullins continued.

"Robinson started his Washington career as a bureau assistant at Fox News. From there, he moved on to being the ‘Guest Greeter,’ meaning, among other things, that he was responsible for shepherding to and from the Green Room guests who were to appear on Fox. That job led to a guest-booking gig for Fox‚Äôs dayside coverage, a job Robinson did for four years before moving over to MSNBC and ‘Hardball’ two years ago.

"TV bookers tend to have the best Rolodexes in town — after all, who’s going to say no to TV? — in a town where people are actually judged by their Rolodexes. Add a memorable first name — it’s pronounced Kuh-Where-E — and you get somebody who can get just about anyone in Washington on the phone in seconds."

College News Service Selects Best and Brightest

 

 

 

 

 

 

"The future belongs to the group we call Digital Journalists," according to Joe Weasel, CEO of UWire, the news service for college and university students.

"These are the young journalists who can report, write, tape, edit, Tweet, blog and photograph any type of news or commentary and package it appealingly for the reader. Most of our UWIRE 100 honorees have personal Web sites featuring their portfolios, which span a variety of disciplines. Between Breaking Tweets and CoPress, they have created unique sites that give us a glimpse of the future."

With that, UWire unveiled its list of the UWire 100, "the best and brightest student journalists."

They included:

• America Arias¬†of California State University.
• Francesca Chambers, University of Kansas.
• Georgia Dawkins, Florida A&M University.
• Jackie Hai, University of Massachusetts-Amherst.
• Arelis Hernandez, University of Maryland.
• Stephanie Lee, University of California at Berkeley.
• Monique Newton, University of North Carolina.
• David Ubben, University of Missouri.
• Allison Yang, Columbia University.

Each selection is accompanied by an endorsement. For example Fullerton, who is the student representative on the board of the National Association of Hispanic Journalists is praised by Brent Foster, assistant professor of communications at Fullerton.

"America’s story is about leadership. I have watched her grow and prosper as a leader among her peers. She represents the Hispanic community and is bilingual. She inspires her peers to get involved. She convinces industry pros to visit and speak at our campus," Foster said.

• Michael Malone, Broadcasting & Cable: College Students Remain Hopeful at RTNDA Despite Dim Job Prospects

A Little Hatin’ on Stephen A. Before He Leaves?

Sports commentator Stephen A. Smith is leaving ESPN on May 1, but not before New York Post sports columnist Phil Mushnick has a last chance to dispense with him.

In a column Monday, "Impossible to Feel Sorry for Stephen A.," Mushnick wrote that what had "been abundantly clear among ESPN’s TV and radio audiences from the start ‚Äî that Smith was a self-promoting, race-based gasbag with almost no discernible sports credibility beyond maudlin genuflecting at the feet of big shots ‚Äî had finally become clear to ESPN’s shot-callers.

"After 5¬? years of blowing every opportunity ESPN handed him, Smith was not renewed; he’s out effective Thursday. And who wants to kick him when he’s down?

"’But last week Smith begged for it. He went on Atlanta’s 790-Radio sports station to provide a highly public reminder, in a long, self-absorbed speech, as to why ESPN no longer could indulge him. Some highlights:

"’I just looked in the mirror, fellas, and I said, ‘You know, I’m 41 years of age, I’ve got a little cash stashed away. . . . I’m a proud single daddy, no question about that, but it’s just one those things, man, where I reached a point where at age 41 with about 20 to 25 years left in this business, me doing my public-speaking engagements around the country, me representing the communities, especially the African-American community, throughout this county, being one of the preeminent voices out there.’ . . .

"’If this is where I stop, then at age 41, I’m not growing anymore, and I couldn’t live with that.’

"Geez, he was just dumped for being a self-promoting, self-aggrandizing, self-congratulatory, race-hustling, blowhard and sports know-nothing and he still was unable to subjugate his bombast long enough to allow you a minute to feel sorry for him.

"Yep, despite all ESPN’s media platforms, it no longer had room for a wildly popular, in-demand fellow who’s one part Martin Luther King and one part Daniel Webster (but mostly like Sean Salisbury). Smith’s so delusional he’d insult those he considers his greatest admirers. He apparently feels that black Americans find him less full of it than everyone else." Salisbury was also pronounced another former ESPN "self-smitten windbag."

Knight Commission Seeks to Learn Information Needs

"In today’s media environment — with so many newspapers cutting back on editorial staff, and online media becoming more ever-present each day — do you have the information you need to accomplish your personal goals and to be an effective citizen?" asks the Knight Commission on the Information Needs of Communities in a Democracy.

The commission is a 15-member body of luminaries assembled to recommend both public and private measures that would help American communities better meet their information needs.

The commission¬†and PBS Engage have teamed up to explore the issues around each citizen’s information needs, and would like to hear from the public here¬†until Friday.

It asks, "Where do you find your information? Newspapers? Online? Television? Radio?" "In your local community, what kinds of information do you need to inform the decisions you make and improve your understanding of the community in which you live?" "How can local governments improve public access to the information communities need?" "Do you think everyone in your community has access to the networks they need (online or in-person) to find important information?" and "How would you improve the quality of information available to the general public?"

NABJ Picks NPR’s Norris as "Journalist of the Year"

Michele Norris of National Public Radio and Michael Wilbon of the Washington Post and ESPN will be honored by the National Association of Black Journalists at its convention in Tampa, Fla., the association announced on Tuesday.

Norris, who co-hosts the popular newsmagazine "All Things Considered," was named Journalist of the Year.

Wilbon is to receive NABJ’s Lifetime Achievement Award.

"Michele had the best year hands down, one full of accomplishments," said NABJ President Barbara Ciara in a news release.

"Journalists should look to people like Michele Norris, who shows that through determination, intelligent analysis and careful investigation come journalism’s highest level of respect."

"Michael is the epitome of the cross-over journalist, and he has achieved that distinction at the highest levels. One of far too few black columnists in the United States, Michael connects with sports fans and players like none other while capturing the enduring, challenging and inspiring moments of the game."

A sportswriter for the Post since 1980, and a columnist since 1990 who appears as often as four times per week, Wilbon was the subject of a q-and-a in Washingtonian magazine. "Mike Wilbon talks about what it’s like turning 50, becoming a new father, and recovering from a heart attack — plus what he thinks of his friend the President, the Redskins, the Wizards, the Nats, Tony Kornheiser, and more," read a blurb in the April issue.

Before coming to NPR in December 2002, Norris was a correspondent for ABC News, a post she had held since 1993. Norris has also reported for the Washington Post, Chicago Tribune and Los Angeles Times. [Added April 28.]

 

Short Takes

• The Iranian-American journalist imprisoned . . . since late January has become weak after seven days of a hunger strike, her father said Monday," Nazila Fathi wrote¬†for the New York Times on Monday from Tehran. "Reza Saberi, the father of Roxana Saberi, who was sentenced to eight years of imprisonment this month on charges of spying for Washington, said his daughter had lost about 10 pounds. Mr. Saberi spoke after he and his wife, Akiko, visited her in prison on Monday, a day after her 32nd birthday." The Los Angeles Times¬†and Miami Herald¬†editorialized last week about imprisoned journalists in connection with Press Freedom Day.
• "A growing number of cable operators are realizing that ethnic markets ‚Äî specifically the fast-growing Hispanic segment ‚Äî are key to taking on satellite-TV providers who’ve been much more successful at attracting multicultural audiences," Laura Mart??nez wrote¬†Monday for Multichannel News.
• "Diversity is critical to the success of the news industry," concluded an editorial¬†in the Seattle Times on Monday that reflected on the latest diversity census from the American Society of News Editors. "We cannot produce a strong product without it. Newsrooms that reflect the growing diversity of America help ensure fairness and excellence in media coverage. A loss of diversity equals a loss of substance and that’s a place none of us want to go." Lynne K. Varner, editorial writer and columnist, authored the editorial.
• "The Society of Professional Journalists, celebrating 100 years of journalism and free speech advocacy, opposes reintroduction of the Fairness Doctrine, which would allow the government to control broadcast editorial content," the society said¬†last week.
• "The Society of Professional Journalists announced today a partnership with Helium, the world‚Äôs largest writing community. The partnership recognizes the important role citizen journalists play in reporting and disseminating information," the organization said¬†on Monday. "SPJ is inviting 6,000 of Helium‚Äôs best citizen journalists to join the ranks of the 100-year old journalism organization. Similarly, SPJ will encourage its members to use Helium as a platform to build their digital writing skills and display their work online to thousands of publishers."
• In Detroit, Charles Pugh, the former Fox 2 anchor and WJLB morning personality, confirmed Thursday that he has filed to run for a seat on the Detroit City Council, columnist Rochelle Riley wrote Friday in the Detroit Free Press. "One of more than 400 Detroiters who have filed to run, Pugh, if elected, would become the first openly gay council member in the city’s history. But his campaign is not about lifestyle." Pugh said, "I’m running because I love Detroit and I think I have a unique set of skills. For the last 10 years, it has been my job to go to every part of Detroit and listen to people."¬†
• Six members of the "Metro Seven" ‚Äî young black reporters at the Washington Post who filed a discrimination complaint with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission in 1972 ‚Äî reunited on Sunday with their lawyer, former secretary of the Army Clifford Alexander, just outside Washington. Present were Bobbi Bowman, Ivan C. Brandon, Michael B. Hodge, Penny Mickelbury, Richard Prince and Ronald A. Taylor. The seventh reporter was Leon Dash. The complaint ended inconclusively, but was the first of similar actions involving women and people of color that took place at¬† news outlets in the 1970s and 1980s.
• "NBC10 anchor Renee Chenault-Fattah lunched at the White House today with First Lady Michelle Obama and Second Lady Jill Biden," Dan Gross wrote Friday for the Philadelphia Daily News. "We’re told she was there wearing her wife of Congressman Chaka Fattah hat and not in her journalistic capacity. The couple’s young daughters also recently attended the White House Easter-egg hunt."
• Omar Faruk Osman, president of the Federation of African Journalists, told a gathering of Human Rights Defenders in Kampala, Uganda, last week "that journalists and media workers in Africa face series of threats ranging from safety and security, repressive laws, oppressive regimes, monopolies, bad labour practices and unfair competition," the International Federation of Journalists reported. "The FAJ President further stated that the journalist, in reporting events including those that expose him/her to personal insecurity and most times injury or death, is now faced with even greater challenges ‘in the face of new threats occasioned by globalization, political power play and economic developments.’"
• "Veteran Colombian radio journalist Jos?© Everardo Aguilar, known for his harsh criticism of local corruption, was gunned down inside his home in southwestern Cauca province on Friday night. The Committee to Protect Journalists today called on Colombian authorities to thoroughly investigate Aguilar’s killing and bring all those responsible to justice," the organization said¬†on Monday.
• Bruno Jacquet Oss?©bi, a Franco-Congolese journalist known for outspoken coverage of government corruption in the Republic of Congo, died after a mysterious fire burned down his house. For a report¬†on the incident by Mohamed Hassim Keita and Sarah Turbeaux of the Committee to Protect Journalists, the organization "interviewed three dozen of Oss?©bi‚Äôs relatives, friends, and colleagues, some of whom declined to be quoted by name, as well as officials in Congo. CPJ also reviewed the few available official documents in the case, along with personal notes Oss?©bi sent out of the country."
• "Amnesty International UK has pledged to increase their campaigning efforts on behalf of disappeared journalist Ebrima Manneh following the Gambian Attorney General’s assertion that he was not in State custody," Public Agenda in Accra, Ghana, reported.