PhotoDude.com: Media

The Daily Whim

Piling Pixels For The People

When it comes to inspiring Stupid Reporter Tricks, I have to say, Irene has been a category 5 storm.

“Today our airwaves and public debates are filled with attempts to not just denounce opponents’ logic but to impugn their motives. Demagogues and rabble rousers are not new to American history — but the economics and the technology have changed. A large number of these folks are making millions of dollars dividing America into segments and yelling, ‘Sic ’em!’” Former Senator Sam Nunn

Posted 6:33PM, Mar 19 2011 in Media · Politics

Washington Times says assassinate Assange: http://is.gd/icRQb Do these leakers of a "top-secret hunt" get same treatment? http://is.gd/icRIi

Posted 3:02PM, Dec 04 on twitter

“This was not a rally to ridicule people of faith, or people of activism, or to look down our noses at the heartland, or passionate argument, or to suggest that times are not difficult and that we have nothing to fear. They are and we do. But we live now in hard times, not end times. And we can have animus and not be enemies. But, unfortunately, one of our main tools in delineating the two broke. The country’s 24-hour, politico, pundit, perpetual, panic conflictanator did not cause our problems, but its existence makes solving them that much harder. The press can hold its magnifying glass up to our problems, bringing them into focus, illuminating issues heretofore unseen. Or they can use that magnifying glass to light ants on fire, and then perhaps host a week of shows on the sudden, unexpected, dangerous flaming ant epidemic. If we amplify everything, we hear nothing.” Jon Stewart

Posted 4:25PM, Oct 31 2010 in Politics · Media

“So virulent is the Islamophobic hysteria of the neocon and Fox News right — abetted by the useful idiocy of the Anti-Defamation League, Harry Reid and other cowed Democrats — that it has also rendered Gen. David Petraeus’s last-ditch counterinsurgency strategy for fighting the war inoperative. How do you win Muslim hearts and minds in Kandahar when you are calling Muslims every filthy name in the book in New York?” Frank Rich

Posted 9:11AM, Aug 23 2010 in Al Qaeda · Media

“If I managed to find that much oil with my BlackBerry without getting dressed or leaving the house, let’s hope Thad Allen, who is quoted in the article as saying, ‘What we’re trying to figure out is where is all the oil at and what can we do about it,’ can locate some more with the staff and craft of the United States Coast Guard at his disposal. As for the reporter’s alarmingly unsubstantiated claim that ‘The beaches should be relatively painless to mop up,’ I can’t even count the number of correspondents down here who’ve pointed out that digging a finger under the surface of supposedly clean sand turns up crude, or the number of cleanup workers who’ve said cleanup efforts are strictly cosmetic, or that no matter what they do the contamination just keeps bubbling up. It’s BP’s job to whitewash this story and make it easier to indulge the desire to forget about the scope of the devastation, guys. Not the media’s.” Mac McClelland

Posted 3:15PM, Jul 28 2010 in News Events · Media

Wed. Jan 14, 2009

Joe the Whatever You Put In His Hand

I recently saw a cartoon that struck home, as someone who is often asked about camera choices. One character says to another who has a camera around his neck, “your camera takes nice pictures.” The character with the camera replies, “your mouth makes nice compliments.”

Sure, everyone has got a nice digital camera these days. But being a good photographer requires more than just equipment. Sure, anyone has the capability to take a really nice photo … when you’re in the right place at the right time and just happen to capture a magic moment.

... » Full Article, 1031 words »

Mon. Jun 23, 2008

Say Goodnight to the Hippy Dippy Weatherman

In 1972, I turned 14, and for Christmas I got [a] one of those fold-up “record players” and [b] three albums of my choosing. The first two I picked were “Paranoid” by Black Sabbath and The Fifth Dimension “Live.”

... » Full Article, 457 words »

Tue. Jun 17, 2008

The Alternate Reality Known As The Associated Press

The astounding arrogance of the Associated Press has managed to wake me from my blogslumber. They are suggesting that bloggers must pay for any quote of their work more than four words long. In other words, you could quote them saying “We’re clueless idiots” for free, but quoting them saying “We are idiots without a clue” would cost you $12.50.

... » Full Article, 640 words »

Sun. Dec 02, 2007

Questioning The Questions, Not The Answers

There’s been much hub-bub in the wake of last week’s Republican debate. Even some “blue-on-blue” action as the LA Times called CNN the Corrupt News Network. And then there’s this pointed rebuke:

... » Full Article, 508 words »

Thu. Jun 07, 2007

The Poor Paris Pool

I hate to stoop to the level of posting about “Poor Paris.” Because I think Al Gore had a valid point when he notes the media tells us everything about Paris’ jail sentence, and Brittney’s rehab, and Anna Nicole’s will, but educates us so poorly on the truly important issues of the day. And I hate to contribute to that effect.

... » Full Article, 615 words »

Mon. Mar 26, 2007

The Plight of Newspapers

There’s been a bit of discussion lately about the plight of newspapers in general, brought about in part by troubles at the San Francisco Chronicle. Tim O’Reilly writes: “Phil Bronstein, the editor-in-chief, told staff in a recent ‘emergency meeting’ that the news business is broken, and no one knows how to fix it.’ (‘And if any other paper says they do, they’re lying.’) Reportedly, the paper plans to announce more layoffs before the year is out.”

... » Full Article, 1889 words »

Sun. Feb 25, 2007

AJC Lost Online?

A week or so ago, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution made a big to-do about sweeping changes in their operation that would show their realization of the power of the web as well as the decline of print. In a memo to Atlanta Journal-Constitution staffers Julia Wallace wrote: “Online, we will show that we know Atlanta best, providing superlative news and information and becoming the preferred medium for connecting local communities.“

... » Full Article, 165 words »

Mon. Jan 08, 2007

What's That Smell? It's Your News Channel

On Sunday, Fox News ramped up to Code Red when there was some confusion about a truck at the Port of Miami. From the sound of the talking heads on Fox, you’d think the city was about to explode. But ... it turns out it was a simple “miscommunication,” a language problem, and not anything sinister at all. However, it was good for a couple of hours of fair and balanced ScareTV.

... » Full Article, 263 words »

Thu. Feb 16, 2006

Mixed Media Messages

For the past couple of weeks, we’ve been hearing about how US newspapers (and other media) saw no need to publish or broadcast the cartoons that have caused such a ruckus around the world.

The basic explanation was that the images were inflammatory and would be offensive to Muslims. There was simply no need to republish them, because a written description of them should be more than adequate for people to judge their nature.

... » Full Article, 539 words »

Wed. Jan 04, 2006

First Reports Almost Always Wrong

The first reports on 9/11 said a twin engine prop plane had accidently hit one of the Trade Towers (soon thereafter, we also heard about the bombing of the State Department in DC). On Election Day 2004, the first reports of exit polls said Kerry was winning. The first reports after Katrina were that the levees in New Orleans had held. And back in October, there was a terrorist attack at Georgia Tech (or maybe it was just a blogger).

... » Full Article, 693 words »

Thu. May 19, 2005

Pay the Gray Lady, Part Two

“The New York Times announced today that it will start charging for some online content, beginning in September” [...] To me, this is a complete inversion of the pyramid, an application of meat world values to a digital environment. Bassackwards.

... » Full Article, 647 words »

Mon. May 16, 2005

Deadly Anonymous

It was just one paragraph in one magazine, one with a simple reference to one anonymous source. Within days, it brought riots and death.

... » Full Article, 1504 words »

Fri. May 06, 2005

Hey, Have You Heard of 'Blogs'?

There’s an article that “made the rounds” earlier in the week, and from what I can tell, a lot of people got all a-twitter over it. One might almost say, “pleasurably engorged.” But to me, the article sounds a bit like a rookie reporter showing up at Super Bowl XXVIII, and detailing the future of Super Bowls based on that one game, with no knowledge of the 27 that preceded it.

... » Full Article, 1539 words »