By: E&P Staff In today's edition, former U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft criticizes recent subpoenas of journalists by his successor, the San Jose Mercury News and the Contra Costa Times are commended for being best in their coverage of the McClatchy/MediaNews deal, and a critic says it's time for newspapers to accept change and move on.
***
Ashcroft Slams Justice Dept. on Journo SubpoenasSubpoenas issued last month to reporters for The San Francisco Chronicle were criticized yesterday by a former chief spokesman for Attorney General John Ashcroft as a "reckless abuse of power." The former spokesman, Mark Corallo, made similar statements in an affidavit filed in federal court yesterday. He said Mr. Ashcroft's successor, Alberto R. Gonzales, had acted improperly in issuing the subpoenas.
***
British Media Eye U.S. Markets"We hope very much this is the start of a series of deals," said Richard Sambrook, chief executive at BBC World in London, who is working with Discovery Communications on American distribution for BBC World News. The United States "is the only region in the world where we're not available on a 24-hour basis," Mr. Sambrook said. Until now, he added, the only exposure Americans have had to BBC news was a daily, 30-minute program carried by local PBS stations
***
Injured CBS Reporter Dozier Sedated and on VentilatorA CBS News correspondent critically wounded by a car bomb in Iraq that killed two colleagues was heavily sedated and breathing through a ventilator yesterday at a U.S. military hospital in Germany, a spokeswoman said. Still, Kimberly Dozier reacted to the arrival of her boyfriend, Marie Shaw, spokeswoman for the Landstuhl Regional Medical Center, said.
***
'Merc News', 'Contra Costa Times' Were Best in Coverage of Singleton Deal"The Merc was the only local paper to break any news about the deal, from the inside story of how Knight Ridder brushed off early hints that it put itself up for sale, to the tale of how CEO Tony Ridder was talked out of trying to buy back his local papers," writes Stephen Buel. "Granted, the Merc had more invested in Knight Ridder's death than any other paper, but covering your own company is a thankless, difficult task -- which I learned firsthand during my four years at the Merc. The San Francisco Chronicle had both the resources and liberty to cover the sudden unraveling of a major Bay Area company and yet it was missing in action on a story it should have owned. The Contra Costa Times, meanwhile, was comprehensive, upbeat, and yet skeptical, a worthy accomplishment for a nonunion staff that suddenly reports to a man infamous for making new employees reapply for their jobs. Only it addressed the question of which papers might go away, and only it seemed interested in how the sale might affect subscribers. Perhaps this focus on readers explains why the Times is the healthiest of all Bay Area dailies."
***
Getting Over Ourselves"Yes, newspapers will endure, certainly in the near term," writes Rem Rieder. "But their role will change dramatically. They'll have to be open to new ideas and to reaching consumers in unconventional ways. They'll be the "engine" that drives a panoply of products including an array of Web sites, podcasts, vodcasts, niche publications and who knows what else."
***
Galling Shades of Green"I was miffed that among Dwell magazine's 'Being Green' recommendations, the mag had included 'Forgo the newspaper subscription and read your daily news online,' writes Alex Beam. "Those subscriptions keep shoes on my kids' feet. And it's not like the glossy, beautiful Dwell isn't making money off of dead trees, is it?"
***
Newsroom Reaction to 'Wash Post' Radio Has Been Positive, Say Staffers"Washington Post Radio is way too demanding an undertaking to be just 'testing the waters,'" says Tina Gulland, the paper's director of television and radio projects, in a web chat. "We're serious about making this local radio station essential listening here in Washington. If future broadcast ventures flow from that, great. But, for now, we want to you to tune in and keep tuning in so that's what we're working on everyday."
***
Danish Daily to Go TabloidDenmark's Berlingske Tidende newspaper, one of Europe's oldest dailies, announced Thursday it will change formats and become an all-tabloid newspaper in August. "We know that the readers prefer and want the more practical format that is easier to handle for the busy reader," editor in chief Niels Lunde said. "In the future, readers will get a quality paper in a handy format."
Comments
No comments on this item Please log in to comment by clicking here