News & Views
800-CEO-READ
Mark Metcalf meets Jack Covert and Todd Sattersten, CEO and President, respectively, of 800-CEO-READ, a local company that sells business books and promotes great ideas. (We think THEY'RE a great idea!)
Jul 22nd, 2009 by Amy Elliott
The Future of News
Once people get used to not paying for something, it’s hard to pry the cost of a subscription out of their penny-pinching paws.
Jul 16th, 2009 by Ted Bobrow
Part 4: The Bella Donnas
TCD's Summer Bike Series continues with The Bella Donnas- an all-female cycling group ready to make their mark in Milwaukee. Photos by Brian Jacobson.
Jul 16th, 2009 by Erin Petersen
A Tribute, Part Two
TCD's Senior Editor and Detroit native Amy Elliott waxes nostalgic about a trip to Hitsville, U.S.A. and the relationship between Michael and Motown.
Jun 26th, 2009 by Amy Elliott
Move On, Folks, Ain’t Nothin’ to See Here
When I found myself writing about Le Affaire Flynn/McBride last week, I promised myself that I’d return with a thoughtful reflection on why these stories are so irresistible. Then the Mark Sanford story broke and last week seems so, so long ago.
Jun 25th, 2009 by Ted Bobrow
Caesar’s Wife and Jessica McBride
It didn’t take Milwaukee Magazine editor Bruce Murphy long to respond to Milwaukee Journal Sentinel investigative reporter Dan Bice’s story about Jessica McBride’s affair with Police Chief Edward Flynn. Murphy does a fine job of detailing why the quality of the story should not be questioned. Not a single fact has been challenged and, by all accounts, the physical relationship between Flynn and McBride didn’t begin until after the story went to press. My response to Murphy’s comments pretty much says all I want to say on the topic. Calling the overblown coverage of this incident and its effect on McBride’s reputation a “tragedy for journalism” certainly overstates the matter. Ms. McBride and Chief Flynn deserve most of the responsibility for the disrepute this brings to them both. Then again, Bice’s comment that “Reporters are forbidden from writing about individuals to whom they have strong personal ties” struck me as simplistic and wrong. All journalists develop relationships with the people they cover. The vague term “strong personal ties” calls to mind a debate over definitions made famous by Bill Clinton. The “New Journalism” of the last 40 years recognizes the fact that writers become emotionally involved with their subjects and suggests that the idea of objectivity is a lie or, at least, unrealistic. Of course, writers are expected to disclose the nature of their relationships with their subjects. Obviously, the chronology of this incident made disclosure, the ultimate defense for the interested writer, a mere afterthought. Murphy’s defense of McBride, while understandable, doesn’t take into consideration the importance of reputation for public officials, journalists and the organizations that employ them. Murphy invites readers to comment on whether or not he should consider McBride as a future contributor. Murphy clearly believes McBride is a talented writer and does not seem to feel her subsequent behavior calls her work or her ethics into question. He says he would expect her to disclose a relationship if she was asked to write about Flynn in the future. But would he assign her a piece on crime or law enforcement? Would it be sufficient to disclose her relationship or does the disclosure rule out certain topics? He’ll need to work out a policy that not only applies to McBride but staff writers and other freelancers. Most things in life aren’t black and white which is one of the reasons I named this column Gray Matter.
Jun 22nd, 2009 by Ted Bobrow
Won’t Someone Please Think of the Children?
Any self-respecting editor knows that a personal relationship between a writer and a subject calls the legitimacy of the story into question. And suggesting that Bruce Murphy disputed that rang untrue. I took the liberty of contacting Murphy for clarification. I sent him an email saying that I don’t much care what two consenting adults do but it seemed to me that a reporter ought to maintain a certain distance from his or her subjects or disclose the nature of any personal relationship. So what gives?
Jun 19th, 2009 by Ted Bobrow
By The People, For The People?
The eyes of the world are focused on Iran where the will of the people is struggling to be heard. Here in Milwaukee the people spoke in favor of a paid sick leave mandate. So what's the difference?
Jun 17th, 2009 by Ted Bobrow
Milwaukee’s fresh (water) festival
This week, the Friends of Milwaukee's Lakeshore State Park hosts a landmark event: the Gathering Waters Festival, featuring dozens of activities, demonstrations and hands-on exhibits that promote the wellness of our city's freshwater resources. With kayaking and canoeine, catamaran rides, rock climbing, fishing, music, food and drink, it's a must-attend summer kickoff at Wisconsin's only urban state park.
Jun 7th, 2009 by Dugan Nichols
Ubiquitous Obama Adjusts to Evolving Media Universe
While media mavens struggle to figure out how to earn a buck selling the news, the tsunami of changes they face also presents enormous challenges for the folks who make the news. Way back in the last century, when a president wanted to make news he simply walked into the White House Rose Garden and whatever he said was quickly fed to the nation and world via the Associated Press, The New York Times, the major broadcast and cable television networks and a handful of other major media organizations. Occasionally, if the president wanted to speak directly to the public, he would deliver an address to the nation that the networks felt obligated to broadcast live during the post-dinner hours that were quaintly referred to as primetime. But that was then. These days, fewer and fewer people are getting their news from traditional sources. The preponderance of cable news networks, internet news options and the rapid growth of news on demand offered by cellphones and PDAs make it increasingly difficult for our political leaders, not to mention all the others who are competing for our attention, to get their messages out to their desired audiences. What this means is, well, actually we really don’t know yet what this all means. But it certainly means things are changing at an incredibly rapid pace and whatever worked yesterday is out of date before the ink dries on today’s newspapers. There’s a metaphor that has probably outlived its usefulness. Clearly, President Obama has his hands full trying to control the news cycle and get his message out while dealing with a recession, fighting two wars and otherwise running the country. You have to give the guy credit; just this last week or so he managed to announce the nomination of a new Supreme Court Justice, oversee the conditions for GM to declare bankruptcy, ensure that no less than five Congressional committees are moving forward with proposals to reform the nation’s health care system, all before heading off to the Middle East to deliver a speech intended to restart America’s relationship with the world’s Islamic population. Everyone seemed to agree that candidate Obama made remarkable use of the internet during the campaign. But doesn’t that seem a long, long time ago? During his first few months in office, President Obama experimented with a few innovations such as an internet public hearing and distributing his weekly address in video on YouTube. The White House’s efforts to get its message out can sometimes take your breath away. One minute you’ve got NBC News anchor Brian Williams following Obama around for a day winning the president a delicious, fat wet kiss for two nights on the network. Then The New York Times runs a story that gushes about how effectively All The President’s Men (let’s face it, they are mostly men) are working with Congress, especially on health care reform. And you couldn’t turn on a computer the last 24 hours or so without getting invited to […]
Jun 4th, 2009 by Ted Bobrow
Bronx Girl Makes Good
It’s going to be hard to demonize the girl from the Bronx projects. She went to Princeton and Yale Law, served as a prosecutor and corporate attorney, was appointed to the federal bench by the first President Bush and was elevated to the appeals court by President Clinton. Sonia Sotomayor has the kind of back story that lends itself to a delightful “Movie of the Week” portrayal.
May 26th, 2009 by Ted Bobrow
