Is a position change an "evolution" or a "flip-flop"?
President Obama made public this week his support for same-sex marriage. Should the media characterize his stance as an “evolution” or a “flip-flop”?
When are 911 calls relevant to a story?
A Chicago Tribune columnist says the media’s use of 911 audio has descended into gratuitous voyeurism. When is 911 audio relevant and newsworthy?
Why do serious news editors fall for odd news stories?
A report about a Polish dentist removing her former boyfriend’s teeth out of spite turns out to be a hoax. Why has the media fallen for the genre of ‘odd but (ostensibly) true’ news stories?
Panel Rants and Raves
ABC News and Univision team up on an English-language news channel geared towards Latinos; Time Magazine's controversial cover of a breastfeeding mom; the Washington Post delves into Mitt Romney's high school years; and more.
When campaign operatives plant stories
It’s unclear if the Boston Herald was tipped off to Elizabeth Warren’s Native American heritage claims by the Scott Brown campaign. Should that be part of the story?
The Greed Beat: The media scrutinizes CEO salaries
Maybe it’s the lousy economy, the Occupy movement, or just plain resentment, but why are people who make too much or don’t pay enough the target of so much reporting?
A student newspaper IDs a rape victim
Should Bridgewater State’s student newspaper have identified a rape victim who spoke at a public rally against sexual violence?
Panel Rants and Raves
The Boston Globe finally gets the truth about the Boston Red Sox' sellout streak; the media debate over President Obama taking credit for Osama bin Laden's death; is Ryan Seacrest the best fit for NBC News?; and more.
Do racist tweets mean Boston is racist?
After black Washington Capitals player Joel Ward ended the Boston Bruins’ season with an overtime goal, a few fans fired off racist comments on Twitter. While the Tweets were vile, did the local media give them too much attention?
Liz Flock and the challenge of news aggregation
After making two unfortunate errors, Washington Post blogger Liz Flock quits, saying the demands placed upon her were impossible. Is there a tension between traditional reporting standards and the desire to generate buzz?
When the media uses slogans to simplify stories
How did a credible proposal addressing nuisance pet owners get branded as a “leash law” for cats and turn a Concord woman into a target of ridicule?
Panel Rants and Raves
Fox's Steve Doocy apologizes for misquoting President Obama; MIT launches NewsJack, a fake news generator; praise for ProPublica’s reporting on the disclosure of who’s political ads; and more.
The LA Times takes heat for publishing gruesome pics
The Los Angeles Times receives unexpected pushback for publishing 2-year-old photos of US soldiers posing with dead Afghan fighters. Did the Times make the right call by publishing the images?
Did ABC help fund Casey Anthony's defense?
Casey Anthony’s attorney says that the $200,000 in “rights payments” she received from ABC basically paid for her acquittal. Should the media – and specifically ABC – be troubled by the claim?
How news organizations are "unpublishing" stories
Newspapers are increasingly being asked to “unpublish” stories that have been posted on the Internet. Under what circumstances should papers try to accommodate such requests?
