-
You can’t wrap fish in gigabytes
This MSN SmartMoney post by Donna Freedman, forwarded to me by my lovely spouse the Northern Cheapskate, starts with the question “What will we do without newspapers?” For instance, she opines, what will we wrap stuff in? Other stuff, she concludes. But she raises more important questions about how the death of traditional newspapers would…
-
Up north, the front line in the battle over ‘new’ journalism
Here’s an interesting post from “Graham” at Entrecard, a traffic service for bloggers. He suggests, tongue in cheek, that it’s the journalism industry that really needs a bailout. Here’s an excerpt: I don’t have the solutions, but I know four things about the future of journalism, blogging, and newspapers: Print newspapers will die. People will…
-
You win this round …
Dammit. On the same day the Hibbing Daily Tribune runs my column about hitting a deer with my Ford Focus station wagon, the Duluth News Tribune runs Janna Goerdt’s column about hitting a moose with her Subaru. Not only does she get the bigger, rarer and much more literary dead animal on which to pontificate,…
-
The joy of context
This is the kind of headline that lights up the Iron Range: “Yes, Virginia, Menards is coming“(Mesabi Daily News, Sunday, Nov. 2, 2008) In case you’re wondering, Menards is a home improvement store. That’s a very important detail. Also, Virginia is a town on the Iron Range. Also another important detail. I’d hate to imagine…
-
Comment insanity at the MDN
The Mesabi Daily News is the Range’s largest newspaper. Its online comments section is like Lord of the Flies. Look. Do not get involved; these are stray dogs not to be petted. OMG. (And, no, I am not one of the commenters). Related posts: No related posts.
-
‘Overburden’ shifts up a gear
Business North this month features a Beth Bily story about my new book, “Overburden: Modern Life on the Iron Range.” We’ve had a very successful first week of release and we haven’t even started the fun stuff yet. I have a series of lectures and other events that run once a week every week after…
-
UPDATED: Hillary Clinton in the Duluth/Iron Range media
Here’s a roundup of coverage of Hillary Clinton’s visit to the Iron Range. I was there and filed this report and analysis. Duluth News Tribune: “Clinton hits pocketbook issues in Iron Range rally for Obama” by Janna Goerdt. Straight forward event story, starts by talking to Clinton supporter who’s still backing the ticket; I’m quoted…
-
Show me the money … in fractions of pennies over the fullness of time
The problem with the new media is that very, very few people can make a living in it. Blogging is popular, diverse and exciting; but utterly unprofitable. I do this blog because A) I am an obsessive news geek addicted to information and politics; B) It soothes my insatiable ego; and C) I justify the…
-
Comeback? The real media bias is sad for both sides
This Andrew Romano blog post at Newsweek reminds me of my ever-growing theory about media bias: The media does not have a liberal bias. The media does not have a conservative bias. The media* is a big, stinky sweaty animal that craves blood in the form of ratings and money. They will feed on stories…
-
Back in school, we called it Soup-Town (but they don’t like that)
Another book mention to share: Maria Lockwood of the Superior (Wis.) Telegram writes a story today about my publisher Lindsy O’Brien and the first book under her Red Step Press imprint, which happens to be my book, “Overburden: Modern Life on the Iron Range.” Lindsy and I met each other at the University of Wisconsin-Superior…
-
Logging and sprawl
Let me give a shout out to MinnPost for the steady diet of Minnesota news, views and politics it provides for people like me. MinnPost is a nonprofit nonpartisan internet newspaper and is one model for how the media can adjust to changing conditions in the media business. Today I point your attention to two…
-
KAXE seeks opinions about future programming
I am a regular contributor to KAXE, an independent public radio station covering the vast and unique regions of Northern Minnesota, including Grand Rapids, Bemidji, Brainerd and the Iron Range. This station is asking for feedback about its programming. You should offer your thoughts, as these surveys are influential in the staff’s decisions about future…
-
Gettin’ J-schooled
This post is for all the journalists, ex-journalists or would-be journalists out there, and also the bloggers who are journalists too, even if they are drunk most of the time. (The golden age of journalism was lubricated with copious amounts of scotch). And also people who read. There, that covers everyone. This is an interesting…
-
Overburden media tour fires up
I’ve been doing interviews for my new book, “Overburden: Modern Life on the Iron Range” and you’ll start to see and hear some of these in Minnesota media. Jeff Warner is writing a story that will run in the “Tailings” section of the Sunday, Oct. 12 Hibbing Daily Tribune. “Tailings” is like the A&E section,…
-
Acronyms? Environmentalists? Developers? Politicians? Run the story!
The Mesabi Daily News has not one, not two, but THREE stories about environmental laws as they relate to mining. Hot damn. Buy a copy early because the kids like to buy these up and sell them on the eBay. If you DO follow such stories, enjoy these links: Environmental group hits PolyMetCommittee members tour…