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lincoln

Narrative Watch: Why political candidates claim ‘dirt poor’ origins

If I were running for president, I have a pretty good idea how I would present myself to the American people. Not as a Ph.D. in medieval literature. Not as the author or editor of more than 15 books on… Read more

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How to decide whether to take a buyout?

In this week’s career chat, we talked with Larry Olmstead, vice president of organizational development at United Way Silicon Valley. He was formerly a vice president with Knight Ridder and managing editor at the Miami Herald. He also ran… Read more

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Monday, Feb. 20, 2012

romney

How “narrative” moved from literature to politics & what this means for covering candidates

On a public radio talk show recently, an expert discussed the “narrative” that had been developing around the candidacy of Mitt Romney during the Republican presidential primaries. The moral of this particular “narrative,” he said, was that Romney’s statements about… Read more

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The hot sauce trial: 5 ways journalists can improve coverage of research

Humans are messy and complicated. Psychologists and sociologists have put us through proverbial rats’ mazes for decades, hoping to find patterns in our behavior. Every time, our humanness gets in the way.

Social science is not like physical science: drop… Read more

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Friday, Feb. 17, 2012

shadidpyle

Anthony Shadid was our Ernie Pyle

Anthony Shadid, dead at the age of 43, was our Ernie Pyle, a war correspondent who combined physical and moral courage with the eyes and ears of a great storyteller.

Pyle died at the age of 44 from machine… Read more

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Thursday, Feb. 16, 2012

Tips for finding the courage to express anger in writing

When I read a letter from my Catholic bishop, Robert Lynch, to the faithful, it made me angry. Although it was framed as an issue of Church and State, I took the letter as a direct attack on President Obama… Read more

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Wednesday, Feb. 15, 2012

How can reporters take a watchdog approach to their reporting on veterans affairs?

With the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq winding down, more veterans will be relying on the U.S. government for services. To adequately report on how the government is responding to their needs, journalists need to learn the issues facing veterans… Read more

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Monday, Feb. 13, 2012

lintimberwolves

3 things journalists can learn from ‘Linsanity’

Like most sports fans (and many non-sports fans, for that matter), I’ve been caught up in Linsanity.

That’s the term fans use to describe Jeremy Lin’s stunning breakout performance as point guard for the New York Knicks.

For… Read more

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Friday, Feb. 10, 2012

Suspect in custody

How journalists can protect themselves & the news they’ve gathered if arrested on the job

A growing number of journalists across the U.S. are getting arrested while on the job. And it’s not just an Occupy Wall Street issue.

Veteran photojournalist Clint Fillinger was arrested in September for standing beyond police barricades while filming… Read more

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Tuesday, Feb. 07, 2012

Journalists connect the dots between data & reporting at Columbia J-school hackathon

Data journalism was recently singled out by an Online News Association panel in New York as one of the core skills for journalists. Students and journalists, however, often admit to being intimidated by data and coding.… Read more

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