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Media Turn Up Heat on Trump

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It’s Policies, Not Personality, After Anti-Muslim Comments

Should Reporters Be Packing Heat?

HuffPost Rebuffs NABJ Request to Correct Finances Story

Students Taught to Produce Stories for Social Media

NPR Using More Black Sources; No Change in Latinos

Scant Diversity Progress Seen for Hollywood’s Awards

Judge Holds Back Videos of Chicago Officer’s Fatal Shots

Blacks Progress, but More Likely to Be Lower Income

Family Plans No Service for C. Gerald Fraser

Short Takes

It’s Policies, Not Personality, After Anti-Muslim Comments

“The media are taking a tougher stance against Republican front-runner Donald Trump after his campaign promise to keep Muslims out of the country as a means to stop the terrorist threat of ISIS,” Stephen Battaglio reported Wednesday for the Los Angeles Times.

“Trump’s high poll numbers have survived the fire he has drawn for making inappropriate statements on Mexican immigrants, questioning the heroism of Sen. John McCain as a prisoner of war, and suggesting that Fox News anchor Megyn Kelly was menstruating when she asked him tough questions at the first Republican primary debate.

“But the candidate’s recent remarks about Muslims in the aftermath of the shooting rampage in San Bernardino and its ties to terrorism by extremists have hit a new level of outrage — with conservative leaders and opinion makers associating Trump’s views with fascism.

“That, in turn, has put more pressure on the media to hold Trump to account for his remarks.

“Typically, the billionaire TV personality is able to bluster his way through morning talk shows. But Trump had an unusually contentious appearance Tuesday morning on MSNBC’s ‘Morning Joe,’ where co-hosts Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski grilled him on his proposals to keep Muslims out of the U.S. At one point during the 45-minute exchange, Scarborough even went to a commercial break as Trump was speaking.

” ‘It certainly puts the burden on the people conducting the interviews to be tougher the more controversial his comments are,’ Scarborough told The Times after the exchange. ‘When you have [chief foreign correspondent for NBC News] Richard Engel saying Trump’s comments hurt America’s standing overseas and [compromise] our fight against ISIS according to the military [intelligence] officials he’s spoken with, the burden does go up.’

“Trump’s appearance with Chris Cuomo on CNN’s ‘New Day’ was also far more heated than past appearances on the program in which the real estate mogul frequently calls in.

“David Westin, former chairman of ABC News who is now a morning anchor for Bloomberg Television, believes viewers may be seeing a shift in which TV journalism will focus more on Trump’s policies than his personality. . . .”

Battaglio also wrote, “Other media outlets, not just TV, have sharpened their coverage of Trump.

“The Philadelphia Daily News put a photo of Trump with his arm raised in a ‘Sieg Heil’ salute on its front page with the headline ‘The New Furor.’

“Michael Days, the editor in chief of the tabloid, said he decided to go with the image after receiving outraged texts throughout the day about Trump’s comments.

” ‘I thought, “Is this the same country that I pledge allegiance to?” ‘ Days said. ‘While we don’t tell readers what to think, I felt like it was our opportunity to say that they better sit up and pay attention. This may be what you want, but this is not a reality show. This gentleman is a real contender to be president of the United States.’ “

The Detroit Free Press published a front-page editorial. “America’s Muslim community has its deepest roots here in southeast Michigan, home to more Middle East immigrants than any other part of the country,” it began.

The editorial board also wrote, “So when Donald Trump says America should close its borders to Muslim immigrants, he’s not just attacking a fundamental American strength.

“He’s attacking us — our community, our neighbors, the rich, diverse fabric that makes up southeast Michigan. . . .”

In New York, a front-page illustration of Trump beheading the Statue of Liberty was accompanied by a guest column from Max Paul Friedman, professor of history at American University and author of “Nazis and Good Neighbors: The United States Campaign against the Germans of Latin America in World War II.”

Meanwhile, Univision Communications Inc., in partnership with preeminent political research firms David Binder Research and Moore Information, announced Wednesday that a study of Hispanic voters confirms “that the Hispanic vote in the 2016 election season is up for grabs. Directly contradicting the common assumption that Hispanics always vote Democrat, the study found that 55% of Hispanic registered voters age 25-54 are persuadable and in fact, frequently cross party lines. . . .”

Should Reporters Be Packing Heat?

“To carry or not to carry — that is the question some journalists were asking after the San Bernardino massacre last week,” Barbara Selvin wrote Wednesday for the Poynter Institute.

“The topic of whether community journalists should start packing concealed guns at public meetings or in the office was the busiest topic this week on the listserv of the International Society of Weekly Newspaper Editors. The issue was first posed by editor Patric Hedlund of The Mountain Express in Frazier Park, California. She asked, ‘Does this now become a question for journalists who cover so many public events to consider?’

“Most, though not all, of the editors who responded said they wouldn’t carry. . . . “

However, Selvin also wrote, “A handful of editors and publishers posted that they already exercise their right, legal in their states, to carry a concealed weapon.

” ‘I conceal carry a firearm most of the time when I am out and about,’ wrote Gregory J. Lamoureux, publisher of the County Courier in Northwestern Vermont’s Franklin County. ‘You never know what you are going to run into, and my personal feeling [is] that I would rather have the gun with me and never have to use it than not. I even have a pistol hidden in my office in the case that I need it.’ . . .”

HuffPost Rebuffs NABJ Request to Correct Finances Story

The Huffington Post Wednesday rebuffed a request from the National Association of Black Journalists for a correction of its Monday story headlined, “Why The Country’s Largest Minority-Journalism Group May Close.”

A message to the news organization from NABJ’s board of directors began, “A recent Huffington Post article by Senior Media Editor Gabriel Arana about the status of the National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) contained inaccurate and misleading details, jumped to conclusions not supported in its reporting and was topped by a headline deceptive in nature.

“The headline, ‘Why The Country’s Largest Minority-Journalism Group May Close’ was both incorrect and not supported by any facts or quotes in the story or elsewhere. NABJ is not closing.

“Since the beginning of its term in August, the 2015-17 NABJ Board of Directors has practiced transparency regarding NABJ finances. The deficit is neither new information or a secret, and was shared with the membership at the NABJ business meeting at the convention in Minneapolis. A public memo was posted to NABJ.org on Oct. 29 outlining the association’s financial position and strategies to stabilize NABJ’s bottom line.

“NABJ requests a formal correction published on the site and disseminated to those who have picked up the piece within 24 hours.

“Among other issues:

“— No record of a request for a 990 exists,” a reference to a tax return filed by nonprofit organizations, “the president has not received any such request, nor has the national office; but, the document is public record and readily available;

“— The board’s monetary pledges are donations to the organization as a gift and were never implied as help to offset any deficit

“— NABJ has not refused comment. Arana was referred to NABJ President Sarah Glover, the NABJ spokesperson, by each board member or staffer he contacted. Glover responded in writing to Arana’s questions on Nov. 6, yet the piece did not include responses to his questions. . . . The NABJ communications consultant also responded to the reporter, requested that he call her cell phone and asked in writing if he needed any additional details or help with the story on Nov. 18. That correspondence went unanswered by Arana.

“The most important issue was the claim that NABJ would use grant funds from the Ford Foundation to deal with the shortfall. That was never NABJ’s plan. It was suggested as a possibility by the treasurer in his report to the board during its October meeting in Washington, D.C. This was immediately corrected during the meeting, where it was acknowledged that the funds would not be used for anything other than their guaranteed purpose. Insinuating the move was a board consideration rather than a suggestion from the treasurer is reckless and, quite frankly, sloppy journalism.”

Separately, Bob Butler, immediate past NABJ president, messaged, “The bad headline and inaccurate story is also true of the allegation that my board overspent on travel expenses. Board travel and governance expenses for 2012, 2013 and 2014 amounted to approximately $195,000. That’s an average of $65,000 a year. And it was under what was budgeted.”

Victor Brand, standards editor for Huffington Post, replied to the NABJ complaint, “Our editors have carefully reviewed the objections advanced by the NABJ, and we stand by Gabriel Arana’s reporting. A request for the 990 form was sent to NABJ Treasurer Gregory Morrison on Nov. 6; this received no reply. We have no record of any further contact from Aprill Turner after Nov. 17, when Arana’s email of that afternoon went unanswered.

“We dispute the NABJ’s characterization on the other points, and stand by the statements in the article with respect to the funding and the organization’s responsiveness as accurate and clearly attributed.

“If the organization would like to provide HuffPost with a statement regarding its intentions for the Ford grant funds, we would be willing to update the story. Had its representatives been more responsive during the reporting, that information would have been included. Its inclusion, however, does not change the substance of the article.”

Glover replied, “NABJ stands by the request for correction letter and the inaccuracies in the Huffington Post headline and reporting.

“Thank you for seeking information about the Ford Foundation grant. NABJ did not receive questions about the grant, but responded to the questions submitted.

“The $100,000 grant awarded to NABJ by the Ford Foundation will be used solely for strategic planning.

“Please note that Mr. Arana became a media-related member of NABJ on Nov. 11. He did not disclose this in his story.

“NABJ is not closing its doors, concluding so is reckless and we expect more from an outlet of your caliber.”

Students Taught to Produce Stories for Social Media

“The video looks like something you might seen on a site like BuzzFeed or Mic: Two women — one a Spanish speaker, the other an Arabic speaker — are asked how to say different words in their respective language,” Joseph Lichterman reported Wednesday for NiemanLab.

“Pants? Bantalon in Arabic and pantalones in Spanish. Shirt? Kamis in Arabic and camisa in Spanish.

“The women — and many of the viewers — are surprised at the similarities between the words, and the video goes on to explain the history of the two languages and why they’re so similar.

“Since it was posted on Facebook last month, the video has amassed more than 15 million views — placing it squarely in BuzzFeed territory.

“The video, however, wasn’t produced by a professional news outlet; rather it was created by a pair of students in the University of Southern California’s Annenberg School of Communication and Journalism, as part of a new class to teach students how to produce videos and other storytelling methods specifically for social media and emerging platforms.

“News organizations have begun producing stories directly for social media platforms such as Instagram and Snapchat, while also experimenting with new story formats like 360-degree virtual reality video. With the new class, USC hopes to expose its students to new storytelling methods that are on the cutting edge of the news business. . . .”

NPR Using More Black Sources; No Change in Latinos

“Results are in from the third year of NPR’s sourcing project — designed to understand and ultimately improve the gender, geographic, and racial and ethnic diversity of people heard on NPR as outside sources of news and opinion,” Elizabeth Jensen, NPR ombudsman, wrote Tuesday.

“The news is mixed.

“In fiscal year 2015, which ended Sept. 30, there was a notable increase, compared to two years earlier, in the percentage of black sources, and an incremental, statistically insignificant increase in the share of female sources.

“Most disappointingly, there was virtually no change in the share of Latino sources.

“Asian sources improved slightly (again, a statistically insignificant change). The third-year results reflect a variety of experiments to improve source diversity that took place in 14 newsroom divisions over nine months.

“The impressive and challenging source diversity undertaking, which began in the fall of 2012, is led by Keith Woods, NPR’s vice president for diversity in news and operations. It is a major part of how NPR hopes to reach its oft-stated goal to ‘sound like America,’ which is related to its goal of broadening the diversity of those who listen. Currently, 8 percent of NPR listeners are Latino, 7 percent are black and the vast majority of the rest are white. . . .”

Scant Diversity Progress Seen for Hollywood’s Awards

“Hollywood’s awards season is taking shape, but if early indications are anything to go on, the Academy Awards won’t be fielding a much more diverse batch of nominees a year after the academy was ridiculed for an Oscars featuring only white actors,” Jake Coyle reported Tuesday for the Associated Press. 

“It’s still early and the season is very much in flux, with some of the top contenders including the journalism drama ‘Spotlight,’ the sci-fi adventure ‘The Martian’ and the lesbian romance ‘Carol.’ On Wednesday, the Screen Actors Guild Awards — an important Oscars predictor — will present their nominees, with the Golden Globe nominations from the Hollywood Foreign Press on Thursday.

[The Screen Actors Guild awards “made a strong statement for diversity, awarding both Netflix’s ‘Beasts of No Nation’ and Universal hip-hop biopic ‘Straight Outta Compton’ coveted Best Ensemble slots,” Anne Thompson reported Wednesday for indiewire.com.]

“But the whiteness of the season has already drawn attention.

“Surveying the 11 white nominees for best actor and best actress at the Gotham Independent Awards last week, co-host and ‘Broad City’ star Ilana Glazer commented: ‘You guys could open up a Williams Sonoma.’. . .”

Meanwhile, Stefanie Garden of insidephilanthropy.com reported Nov. 17 about a “recent $10 million endowment from the George Lucas Family Foundation to support the ‘recruitment of talented USC School of Cinematic Arts students from communities that are underrepresented in the entertainment industry.’

“The gift will establish the George Lucas Foundation Endowed Student Support Fund for Diversity, which will provide financial support for African-American and Hispanic USC students. Support will be split evenly between male and [female] students who will be known as George Lucas Scholars or Mellody Hobson Scholars, respectively. . . .”

Blacks Progress, but More Likely to Be Lower Income

“After more than four decades of serving as the nation’s economic majority, the American middle class is now matched in number by those in the economic tiers above and below it,” the Pew Research Center announced on Wednesday.

“In early 2015, 120.8 million adults were in middle-income households, compared with 121.3 million in lower- and upper-income households combined, a demographic shift that could signal a tipping point, according to a new Pew Research Center analysis of government data. . . .”

Pew also said, “Some demographic groups have fared better than others in moving up the income tiers, while some groups have slipped down the ladder. The groups making notable progress include older Americans, married couples and blacks. Despite this progress, older Americans and blacks remain more likely to be lower income and less likely to be upper income than adults overall. Those Americans without a college degree stand out as experiencing a substantial loss in economic status. . . .”

Family Plans No Service for C. Gerald Fraser

The family of C. Gerald Fraser, the longtime New York Times reporter who died Tuesday at 90, plans no service for him.

“You may quote me concerning Gerald not wanting the family to have a funeral or a memorial for him,” M. Phyllis Cunningham, his partner of many years, told Journal-isms by email on Wednesday. “He had told family members (the three children and I ) and we have agreed to respect his wishes.

“Once, when discussing the issue, he pointed out that Bob Teague,” the late television and print reporter who died in 2013, “did not have a funeral nor a memorial and he did not want them either.”

Meanwhile, Fraser’s contemporaries challenged a statement in the New York Times obituary that “When Mr. Fraser joined the paper, he became one of only two black reporters on the staff at that time. The other, Thomas A. Johnson, had been hired a year earlier.”

Earl Caldwell told Journal-isms that he joined the Times in March 1967, before Fraser arrived that fall. 

Short Takes

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