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The Times They Aren't a Changing
by Molly McCall
Fri, December 07, 2007, 3:00 am PST

Ever since The New York Times opened its archives to one and all, journalist Jeremy Olshan has jubilantly mined its riches "to prove that everything news is old." Derek Jeter strays into a tax mess? Big whoop! The ball players and umps from 1919 found themselves in a just such a brouhaha. Alarmed over reports of a tsunami smacking the East Coast? Readers were similarly rattled, back in 1878. School officials and teachers tussle over tenure? Yeah, we've heard it before—the year we entered World War I. And, just to prove the steadiness of the New York character, a recent post covering "umbrella umbrage" on Manhattan's sidewalks reminds us that "New Yorkers have been whining in the rain for more than 75 years." Thank heavens for a little consistency.

Visit The Times They Aren't a Changing

Filed under: Blogs, News, Media, Newspapers

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Washingtonpost.com: Issue Coverage Tracker
by Molly McCall
Mon, September 17, 2007, 3:00 am PDT

After Howard Dean astonished the politerati by, gasp, using the Web in 2004, no candidate was going to get caught without an extensive online presence this time around. Neither was any news portal going to withstand the campaign season without launching at least one flashy interactive tool. Among some of the latest online endeavors, we like the Candidate Mashup from our own Yahoo! News (currently Democrats-only) and the Issue Coverage Tracker at Washingtonpost.com.

Drawing from online sources that include news organizations, bloggers, and interest groups, the Post's tracker pulls in commentary and coverage of the presidential race, and then presents the "mentions" in a way that shows graphically who's taking the most heat on what. Scroll over John McCain, for example, and see what issues are most associated with his name in online chatter (immigration, Iraq). Or look at hot button topics like abortion (Giuliani, Thompson) or Iraq (Clinton, Obama) for the candidates who are kicking up the most buzz. Click further and the tracker will dispatch you to the original sources. This is a snazzy piece of web design—and a refreshing way to see how the candidates are being assessed and critiqued online.

Visit Washingtonpost.com: Issue Coverage Tracker

Filed under: Politics, News, Media, U.S. Elections

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Digg Labs
by Molly McCall
Wed, June 20, 2007, 3:00 am PDT

We dig Digg as much as the next web addict, but our favorite thing to do on the link-luscious site is sneak through the doors of DiggLabs. As the site acknowledges, stuff now comes in to the user-empowered community so fast that stories often whip down the page and back into the unknown before most people catch them. The Labs attempts to address this issue by devising "a broader (and deeper) view" of all this frantic activity. And it does it in the most graphically arresting ways: Arc, the newest app, presents stories in ever-widening circles of popularity; Big Spy pops links down the page, enlarging titles as they gain votes; Swarm treats links like tadpoles under a microscope—each small circle wiggles and nudges about. Our vote for best visual feasting, though, goes to Stack, which plays like a news version of Tetris. "Diggers fall from above and stack up on popular stories." Watch out for the vertigo.
Visit Digg Labs

Filed under: Internet, News, Flash and Shockwave, The Web

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Bill Moyers Journal
by Jon Brooks
Fri, May 04, 2007, 3:00 am PDT

Bill Moyers is on the air again, kicking butt and taking names in his own inimitable fashion. If you haven't seen the new weekly series yet, this PBS companion site will serve as a great introduction. You can watch his recent two-hour documentary on the media's culpability in "buying the war" and perpetuating the myths of Iraqi weapons and a Saddam-al Qaida link. Also catch interviews with "Daily Show" host Jon Stewart and journalist/blogger Josh Marshall. A complete show archive, a blog, a podcast, and transcripts round out the offerings. Or find out when the show airs in your market. Keep on keepin' on, Bill; the Republic needs you.
Visit Bill Moyers Journal

Filed under: Politics, Television, News, Media

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National Geographic's Top Ten Stories of 2006
by Molly McCall
Wed, December 13, 2006, 3:00 am PST

Far from being stuffy or overly scientific, this round-up of National Geographic's top 10 articles of the year gleams with all the romance and wonder of a world where anything seems possible. "Bog men" from 2,000 years ago slick gel into their hair to appear more menacing. A monster rabbit pillages villages of northeast England; locals dub the marauding beast "Bigs Bunny." Noah's Ark possibly washes up in Iran, a "lost world" reveals itself in the South Pacific, and the family of planets bids adieu to poor Pluto. Human quadrupeds and the horrifying death of a beloved crocodile hunter round out the selection. But one story gloms up a record two spots, including the distinction of being the magazine's most popular article of 2006. We'll let you unearth that one for yourself. Enjoy.
Visit National Geographic's Top Ten Stories of 2006

Filed under: Science, News, Media

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