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New at CJR: Hillary’s first tweet – a 2016 harbinger?
My new column at CJR examines the excesses of coverage of Hillary Clinton’s first tweet and what it suggests about coverage of her potential 2016 presidential campaign – here’s how it begins: After more than four years representing the US abroad as Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton returned to the domestic political fray last Monday
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New at CJR: Scandal narratives vs. approval data
I forgot to post my latest CJR column on how some journalists and media outlets seized on a single poll to make evidence-free assertions that recent scandals had hurt President Obama’s approval ratings. Here’s how it begins: Get out your wizard hats! It’s starting to sound like campaign season again. Just as political reporters wanted
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On the Media interview on scandal coverage
For those who are interested, here’s my interview with Brooke Gladstone about my scandal research for this weekend’s edition of On the Media (click to play):
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For CJR: How new data can bolster political reporting
My new CJR column describes the potential value of a new political science dataset to reporters, especially those at the state level. Here’s an excerpt: The fact that many reporters dubbed [former Massachusetts senator Scott] Brown a conservative during his Senate run is not surprising given some of his positions and rhetoric. One of the
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New at CJR: Covering facts versus scandal “narrative”
In my column today, I examine the challenges facing reporters covering the week’s outbreak of scandal fever in Washington and note the need for more attention to facts. Here’s how it begins: The dilemma for journalists this week: How should you cover a series of proto-scandals with seemingly little in common? As far as we
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New at CJR: Backsliding on the “death panels” myth
My column last week (which I forgot to post) focused on the risk that coverage of the Independent Payment Advisory Board will reinforce the “death panels” myth. Here’s how it began: House Speaker John Boehner and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell released a letter on Thursday stating that they would not recommend individuals for appointment
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Why Obama is in trouble on IRS and Benghazi
After a largely scandal-free first term, President Obama appears likely to spend a lot more time mired in the politics of scandal after last week’s Benghazi hearings and Friday’s revelation of alleged political targeting at the IRS. My research suggests that the structural conditions are strongly favorable for a major media scandal to emerge. First,
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New at CJR: Covering ‘The American Presidency’
My new CJR column is about the disjunction between the fictional powers that journalists often expect the President to possess and the reality of the chief executive’s limited influence over Congress. Here’s how it begins: In Hollywood and the accounts of many of the nation’s leading journalists, events in Washington revolve around the president, who
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New at CJR: The incentives for speed-induced errors
My new column for Columbia Journalism Review examines the incentives that helped produce the stream of media errors during last week’s coverage of the Boston marathon bombings. Here’s an excerpt: Why did much of the media perform so poorly? Breaking news events have always been difficult and confusing to cover; errors are frequently made. However,
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New at CJR: Exit interview with Politifact’s Bill Adair
My new column at CJR is an interview with Politifact founder Bill Adair, who is leaving the site and the Tampa Bay Times (where he serves as White House bureau chief) for a position at Duke University. Here’s an excerpt: BN: Now seems like a good time to look back at what you’ve accomplished at