Erik Klemetti, on Twitter, had steam coming from his ears on Wednesday: WHY, OH WHY did Bloomsberg talk to @michiokaku instead of a geologist about the VA earthquake? Come on, people! http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/kaku-says-virginia-earthquake-should-be-a-wake-up-call/2011/08/23/gIQAeeTXZJ_video.html That’s probably because some journalists seem to find it impossible to distinguish between various types of scientist. They also want a big, recognizable …
Category Archive: journalism
Jan 03 2011
Why We Need Science Bloggers
Two exhibits shall suffice, methinks. Exhibit A: The Strange Case of the Oldest Homo Sapiens That Weren’t The world went haywire last week with breathless reports that ZOMG ALL UR HOOMIN EVOLUSHUNS HAZ CHANGED!!1!11!! Back in the bad old days when all I had access to was the MSM, I might have gotten sucked in …
Aug 08 2010
Science and Media, or Why Laypeople Get the Wrong Impression
I’ve wanted to be many things in my life – astronomer, vet, private detective, rock star, figure skater. There was once a brief flirtation with the idea of a journalism degree before I got distracted by other shiny things. I didn’t go for the degree because I decided to focus my energies on my book …
Jul 20 2009
Walter Cronkite was So Right
Walter Cronkite was one of the last of a dying breed – a teevee journalist who was a journalist in truth rather than just name: Americans of all ages and the journalist community are remembering the life and career of Walter Cronkite, famously revered as “the most trusted man in America.” Salon’s Glenn Greenwald notes …
Mar 19 2009
Can You Spot the Stupidity?
Remember, magazine articles are supposedly vetted by knowledgeable editors. Yet a magazine with a 100+ year history of science writing manages to fuck up so egregiously that the error practically leaps from the page. Even creationists should be able to figure this one out: I’ve bitched and complained about the sorry state of popular science …
Mar 14 2009
“You Will Like Him When He’s Angry” – Jon Stewart Annihilates Jim Cramer
Steve Benen’s absolutely right. You will like Jon Stewart when he’s angry: In 2004, Jon Stewart appeared on CNN’s “Crossfire,” and explained that the show was “hurting America.” He wasn’t kidding. The brutal appearance exposed the show as something of a farce; CNN’s executives ended up agreeing with Stewart; and three months later, CNN announced …
Mar 04 2009
The Seattle P.I. Will Live On
This is excellent news: On March 18, Seattle almost certainly will lose an institution nearly as old as the city itself. The illuminated globe atop the Seattle Post-Intelligencer building will go dark. But perhaps all is not lost. If the Hearst folks decide against funding an internet edition of the P-I, a group of seasoned …
Oct 22 2008
Walking the Walk: Palin Opens Mouth, Inserts Foot
Sarah Palin’s talent for fucking herself over every time she opens her mouth is truly mind-boggling: “Here’s the difference between John McCain and our ticket and Barack Obama and Joe Biden,” she said. “We don’t just talk the talk, we walk the walk. And that’s why in not just that first speech, but in every …
Jun 22 2008
Lara Logan, I Tip My Smack-o-Matic 3000 to You
If you watch only one video today, make it this one: Some select quotes: “I did a piece with Navy Seals once. It took me six months of begging, screaming, breaking down walls, crawling on my knees to get that embed. And when I came back with that story, I was told, ‘these guys, you …
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