Power-hungry telecoms learn the art of astroturfing

Writing for PBS, Mark Glaser examines just who's been posting pro-telecom comments on his weblog item titled "Should the government regulate Net neutrality?"

I don't know anybody who has warm, fuzzy feelings for their telephone and cable TV providers, so naturally my bullshit detector goes on red alert whenever I see "citizens" going to bat for them.

Holovaty's commencement speech

Adrian Holovaty delivered the commencement speech at the University of Missouri School of Journalism last week, and he's posted it on his blog.

He delivers the "plain truth as a friendly kick in the pants as you walk out the door," and warns the J-grads that they're entering a troubled business: "Rarely is an entire industry in a position such that it needs to completely reinvent itself."

Setting the record straight ... on reporters posting in forums

AP reports that a Pennsylvania newspaper has fired a reporter for posting anonymously to forums on the newspaper's website.

According to the story, the reporter, Justin Quinn, began posting to "set the record straight" and eventually started adding his own opinions.

Quinn should have known better. But so should his editor, Ray Shaw.

Fair and balanced? No, just affirmation

According to BBC/Reuters/Media Center research, the most trusted media brand in the United States is Fox News, and the most trusted in Egypt is Al Jazeera.

This tells us something about "credibility" that I find troubling: A great many people aren't looking for fairness, or balance, or authoritative reporting, or accuracy, or the other values of professional journalism that some of us, at least, hold dear.