Lede: State of the News Media - Newspapers

Poynter Institute ethicist Kelly McBride was visiting former colleagues at the Spokane Spokesman-Review last summer, when the conversation slid into the how-bad-is-it? mode. It has gotten so bad, one journalist said, that the independent contractors who deliver the paper are complaining that the Monday edition doesn’t have enough throw-weight to get all the way up the porch.

(Source: Pew Project for Excellence in Journalism)

Lede: Professor Says Grace Contributed to Suicide

A Harvard Medical School professor states in court documents that CNN talk show host Nancy Grace contributed to the suicide of Melinda Duckett, the mother of missing 2-year-old Trenton Duckett who killed herself three years ago soon after appearing on the popular host's show.

"Her [Duckett's] apparently unanticipated public humiliation on the nationally televised program in question was a substantial contributing cause of her suicide," Dr. Harold J. Bursztajn wrote in a lengthy but preliminary opinion. It was filed recently in the wrongful-death civil case in U.S. District Court in Ocala.

Orlando Sentinel

Sheriff, Deputy, County, Reporter & Paper Sued

Dave Lovejoy was a candidate for Rockingham County (NH) Sheriff in 2008, when the person holding the office and one of his deputies leaked information about Mr. Lovejoy's annulled criminal record to the press, just over a week before the election.

Sheriff James "Dan" Linehan and his second-in-command Maj. Mark Peirce unlawfully told Portsmouth Herald reporter Karen Dandurant that Mr. Lovejoy had been "involved in a case of simple assault" in 1989. It appears that the Sheriff's office did not tell Ms. Dandurant that the case had been annulled, but when reached for comment, Mr. Lovejoy informed her of this fact. Under New Hampshire law, annulled cases can not be disclosed under any circumstances.

The state Attorney General's office investigated and last week, both Sheriff Lineham and Major Peirce resigned. To avoid prosecution, Mr. Lineham promised that he'd never seek another law enforcement position and both relinquished their law enforcement credentials.

On October 27th of 2008, Karen Dandurant of the Portsmouth Herald wrote an article, which included comments by the Sheriff about Mr. Lovejoy's knowledge of courtrooms because he's been involved in 22 civil cases and she discloses that the paper was "provided" with information about Mr. Lovejoy's arrest. When reached for comment, Mr. Lovejoy told the reporter that the case was part of a "domestic dispute" and that his conviction had been annulled.

Ms. Dandurant is no longer employed by the paper, but because a crime has been established by the state's AG, Mr. Lovejoy has filed a four-count lawsuit against the former Sheriff, the Deputy, the county, the reporter and her paper. He has also asked the county delegation to name him interim Sheriff based on his status as runner-up in 2008.

Answering Howie

Howard Kurtz of the Washington Post and CNN's Reliable Sources did a segment on his show about a perceived "turn" in the Obama coverage and around the four and a half minute mark of the embedded clip, the following exchange took place between him and Chrystia Freeland, U.S. managing editor of the Financial Times.

From the show's transcript;

KURTZ: OK, but let's look at another possible failure, Chrystia. Is it possible that with the 10,000 stories that have been written in broadcast about health care, the public option, the trigger, opting in, opting out, all that, that the press missed the boat on the story that most Americans really care about, and that's jobs?

FREELAND: Well, I work for "The Financial Times," so we write about jobs and the economy constantly.

KURTZ: Right. But look at the broad media landscape.

FREELAND: I think the press has really focused on jobs, and I think, actually, it would be a mistake for us to be short-termist in how we look at the health care debate.

Personally, I don't think Howie widened the media landscape quite broad enough because if you get below the networks and the national newspapers, especially in the areas experiencing the greatest losses, I'm sure he'd find countless stories about layoffs, company closings, economic uncertainty and a regular diet of stories suggesting people start their own businesses, helpful hints toward that goal from non-profit agencies and occasionally something explaining eBay.

I also don't believe Mr. Kurtz has been paying a lot of attention to the situation in his own industry because the trade press and media blogs have been all over the job losses and rumored staff reductions.

Perhaps, President Obama's lower poll numbers is a reflection of the public's concern over jobs and it, along with the recent flood of media layoffs has alerted, possibly even angered the national media about a situation, they may have been more insulated from in the past.

After all, unemployment is bigger issue, when you fear for your job or know people who have been affected.

Quickie: Saving CNN

It's not very long and not very deep, but a television writer for the Spokane Pacific Northwest Inlander suggests that CNN should let others brand portions of their primetime lineup. The concept sort of reminds me of the old Texaco Star Theater with Milton Berle or The Chase and Sanborn Hour of early radio, but Mr. McGregor suggests CNN turn it into newsmagazine(s).

With print having more problems than electronic, it might prove difficult to get sponsors capable of producing quality content on a regular basis, but just like product placement, the shows could also serve as extended commercials.