Columbia Journalism Review
Kate Zernike finished it in November of 2001. "In many ways, it was strange for me [to read it on Monday], because I was reading it as a regular reader. I did wonder, 'Does this stand up to the test of time?' ...The lede was largely my lede, because I remember writing it."

She tells Lauren Kirchner in a Q-and-A:

I have not had a single reader write to me and say, “Why did you waste all this time on him?” My friends who are readers have sort of impressed upon me the historic element of this, more than maybe I realized myself. And I’ve gotten a lot of reader feedback saying that it was great to have this historical background and just sort of understand again—because, again, we’ve stopped talking about bin Laden—so I think it was really important for people to be reminded of just why he came to loom so large over our country.

Read the rest of the interview

Project for Excellence in Journalism So far the coverage has defied the tendency seen in many major national news events to turn quickly partisan, according to Pew's Project for Excellence in Journalism. The mainstream media's major themes: Trying to parse out the details leading up to and during the raid, and sorting through the national and international reaction to it. Pew examine more than 120,000 news stories, 100,000 blog posts, and 6.9 million posts on Twitter or Facebook and found that: * The largest share of discussion on Facebook and Twitter, (19 percent) has involved people sharing jokes. The second largest theme (17 percent) involved the question of whether bin Laden was really dead. * One quarter (25 percent) of the mainstream media coverage involved reconstructing the commando mission at bin Laden’s secret hiding place. * The second-biggest storyline in the mainstream press (24 percent) was reaction to bin Laden’s death from around the world and around the country. || The PEJ report also notes:

Two of the top themes in the blogosphere involved concerns that got less attention in the mainstream press. One of them (at 13%) was fear or unease about the potential retribution for the raid. In that vein, a number of bloggers reprinted sections of an Associated Press story reporting the Homeland Security Department’s warning of possible retaliatory attacks. That was the No. 2 storyline in blogs, just behind straight accounts of what happened (14%). || Read the full report.

> Rieder: Don't glorify Rumsfeld aide who "broke" news of bin Laden's death

Gwen Ifill reports in the National Journal: * Jeff Zeleny of the New York Times was watching "The King’s Speech" on pay per view at home. * David Sanger, another Timesman, was in Brussels working on a NATO story. * Tom Gjelten of NPR was on a late-night run to the drug store. * James Kitfield of National Journal was in Houston hotel room with a glass of brandy, working on stories. * Helene Cooper of the New York Times was at home watching a recording of the royal wedding.

Romenesko Misc. "60 Minutes" has released a partial transcript of its interview with President Obama, which airs on Sunday. "It is important for us to make sure that very graphic photos of somebody who was shot in the head -- are not floating around-- as-- an incitement to additional violence," he says. "As a propaganda tool. You know, that's not who we are. You know, we don't trot out this stuff as trophies." || Read New York Times' story on the decision. (more...)

Something interesting has happened since news broke that Osama bin Laden had been shot and killed. We have already received different accounts from government officials about what happened during the American raid on the compound in Pakistan.

These accounts are … Read more

Women's Wear Daily
"As a moment of time captured, it’s very powerful," says Bloomberg Businessweek creative director Richard Turley. "It’s quite a human picture isn’t it: The way Obama kind of tucked himself into the corner, the body language on everyone." Newsweek photo director Scott Hall tells John Koblin: "What’s most interesting to me about this photo is what you’re not seeing. The mystery of what’s happening off camera is captured wholly in the expression on Hillary’s face." || Associated Press: What exactly were they watching on that video screen? || More from Joel Achenbach.
> A Reuters shooter on racing to the WH to record history

When I look back on the days following the 9/11 attacks on America, I remember feeling that irony and satire were dead, that nothing would ever seem funny again. Hey, we got over it.

Nearly 10 years later, Osama … Read more