The Quill articles from March 1995

The Quill archives from March 1995

APME's move helps separate trash from 'serious' journalists. (Associated Press Managing Editors)
March 1, 1995... Southern Illinois dismisses Jaehnig, citing differences Here's how a Sacramento Bee reader reacted to the Associated Press Managing Editors' new ethical guidelines: "These guidelines are very good, YOU CAN NOW SEPARATE YOURSELVES FROM THE...

The whisper heard 'round the world. (Connie Chung's interview with Kathleen Gingrich)
March 1, 1995... Did Connie Chung violate the rules of journalism by deceiving a little old lady - Newt Gingrich's mother - into telling millions of people her son thinks Hillary Rodham Clinton is a bitch? Or did Chung, an interviewer who has quizzed...

Libel reform isn't necessarily bad for nation's media.
March 1, 1995... Proposed law is fair, if it isn't changed by legislators For years, two simple words have struck fear in the hearts of the First Amendment community - libel reform. Libel laws have evolved very nicely in the 30 years since the New York Times...

On-line offers opportunities for selling your work. (on-line marketing)
March 1, 1995... Speed, accuracy are changing editor-writer relationships Clare Conley, then editor of Outdoor Life, tells me, "A problem came up late in the production. We had an ad running in 500,000 copies, but needed an editorial replacement for the other...

The 'new majority' threatens future of public broadcasting.
March 1, 1995... Is it fiscal responsibility or taking a shot at 'liberal bias'? "Big Bird is just another millionaire that's receiving a federal subsidy." Rep. Charles Bass R-New Hampshire "We spend billions underwriting sports arenas for millionaire...

Media remain uncomfortable covering Hillary. (Hillary Rodham Clinton)
March 1, 1995... Women's rise to power cowers many Americans Media coverage of first lady Hillary Rodham Clinton highlights American discomfort with the evolving roles and multifacets of women and men. Instead of dissecting the discomfort, we dissect the...

Navigating cyberspace: on-line services try to make world discovery into child's play.
March 1, 1995... Your newspaper or broadcast station has just run its millionth story about cyberspace. The turn of the millennium is bearing down and you have yet to venture onto the information stuporhypeway. You know computer connectivity is the future...

Making the cut: enhance your job opportunities by developing your computer skills. (includes related articles)
March 1, 1995... Calculate the mathematics of despair: One reporter job opening=one ad in Editor & Publisher=537 applicants. That's 537 applicants for a reporter's job at the Waterbury (Connecticut) Republican-American, not at The New York Times. And many of...

Journalese: annoying practice falls short of clarity, communication.
March 1, 1995... Newsspeak further erodes our connection to our audiences A constant annoyance in news writing is journalese - a trade jargon that depends upon worn-out, copy-cat, cliche-ridden phrasing. Want to write journalese? It's easy. First, we need a...

Big help for small papers: at-risk community papers - and their editors - get help from an innovative volunteer program. (includes related article)
March 1, 1995... As the 6 p.m. siren sounds, newspaper editor Becky Madden watches through the window while the next in a long line of trucks rolls onto the hot, dusty scales. "This is not my real job," she says, busily measuring a cup of freshly harvested...

Life in the trenches has real meaning. (Ernie Pyle memorial)
March 1, 1995... Homesite museum expands to tell the stories of famed war correspondent Ernie Pyle To the combat engineers who put them together under enemy fire, the Quonset huts were 1,500 nuts and bolts and 42 plates of galvanized steel weighing more than...

Media Virus! Hidden Agendas in Popular Culture.
March 1, 1995... Intentional, co-opted, spontaneous viruses are infectious If nothing else, you have to credit Douglas Rushkoff for finding a catchy phrase for this book on the blossoming of technology. "Media Virus!" is one of those labels - sort of like...

Newswriting in Transition.
March 1, 1995... Philosophy precedes traditional newswriting skills Journalism education is under siege. Traditionalists charge journalism is not scholarly enough; not central to the mission of the university. Reporters and editors complain about the lack of...

Handbook on Mass Media in the United States: The Industry and Its Audiences.
March 1, 1995... The Early American Press" is an examination of the primordial political soup that spawned American journalism. It is thoroughly researched, exhaustively documented, and eminently readable. Instructors and students of history will find...

Membership drive pays off despite some confusion. (Society of Professional Journalists)
March 1, 1995... Mailing that angered a few adds more than 400 to rolls I have been hearing a lot from the Society of Professional Journalists family recently and it has not all been good. It seems a well-intentioned idea that yielded significant fruit for us...

Task force, other projects bode well for SPJ, members. (Society of Professional Journalists)
March 1, 1995... Chapters, leaders to gain benefits from initiatives An exciting part about any business is taking on new projects and initiatives. New projects mean growth for the organization and new challenges for the people involved. SPJ has several such...

Pauley seeds project: task forces' goal to help education. (Jane Pauley; SPJ Task Force on Mass Communications)
March 1, 1995... The Society of Professional Journalists and NBC anchor Jane Pauley launched a one-year study of U.S. mass communication education programs last month in Washington, D.C. The study will assess the quality of academic programs as preparation for...