Poynter. » Making Sense of News

Journalists share their views on Obama’s support for gay marriage

Kelly McBride — Wed, 09 May 2012 23:00:24 +0000

Did you say “Yay”? Tweet out a “hurrah”? Did you pass along a funny joke or link to a partisan headline like “Obama declares war on traditional America” or a story that declared the president’s announcement Read more

George Zimmerman’s lawyers hope to win trial by social media in Trayvon Martin case

Adam Hochberg — Mon, 07 May 2012 14:43:50 +0000

In the Trayvon Martin case, the court of public opinion has moved online.

Late last month, attorneys for George Zimmerman – the Sanford, Florida man facing second-degree murder charges in Martin’s killing – launched a website, Facebook page,… Read more

Study: Twitter users convinced of bin Laden’s death before media, President confirmed it

Steve Myers — Tue, 01 May 2012 10:51:47 +0000

How did people learn that Osama bin Laden had been killed a year ago? The story is simple: Keith Urbahn, an aide to former Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, “broke” the news on Twitter before any major news outlet… Read more

Trayvon Martin story revitalizes black press, mobilizes ‘new guard’

Tracie Powell — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 11:46:54 +0000

As George Zimmerman is released on bail from a Florida jail after being charged with the second-degree murder of 17-year-old Trayvon Martin, the case has ushered in “new guards” of black media, reports Jeff John Roberts, in a story that… Read more

FCC about to require TV stations to put public records online

Tracie Powell — Fri, 20 Apr 2012 12:56:49 +0000

The Federal Communications Commission is set to vote next week on whether to require local television stations to put public files, including political advertising records, online. Local news broadcasters say the commission’s approval of new reporting requirements is a foregone… Read more

CNN’s unedited epithets raise questions about when to use unfiltered hate speech

Adam Hochberg — Fri, 13 Apr 2012 12:14:23 +0000

When Tulsa police arrested two men Sunday in connection with a shooting spree that targeted African-Americans, much of the media drew attention to a racist Facebook post apparently written by one of the suspects. But CNN’s unusually explicit… Read more

How Pulitzer-winning writer moved Trayvon Martin story from margins to mainstream

Tracie Powell — Mon, 09 Apr 2012 15:25:15 +0000

Trymaine Lee is a Pulitzer Prize-winning writer many people might not have heard of until recently. He’s one of three journalists – all black men – credited with pushing the story of the controversial shooting death of Trayvon Martin into… Read more

GLAAD creates database of anti-gay commentators

Kelly McBride — Fri, 30 Mar 2012 15:28:22 +0000

Political and social advocates often grouse in common frustration while watching TV or reading the paper; they’ll recognize one of their opponents, and the advocate will slap his hand on his forehead and moan to the TV or newspaper, “Why… Read more

How to decide what can be published, what’s private on Twitter and Facebook

Nisha Chittal — Thu, 29 Mar 2012 14:49:25 +0000

As more journalists rely on social media to find ideas and sources, there is increasing confusion about what’s acceptable and what isn’t when it comes to using material not originally intended for publication.

Recently, a college journalism professor found… Read more

Trayvon Martin story reveals new tools of media power, justice

Kelly McBride — Sat, 24 Mar 2012 00:45:08 +0000

How does a story about teenager’s illogical killing go from barely registering a mention in local newspapers to a national conversation? It’s carried by people who care — by family, by bloggers who fear for their own children and by… Read more