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conflicts of interest
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conflicts of interest
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conflicts of interest
conflicts of interest
Times Fawns Over Own Insider's Book -- Again
Times editors can't stop lavishing praise on books linked to their corporate overlords — and one corporate overlord can't seem to keep her family members from enjoying the fruits of this self-dealing. Times board member Lynn Dolnick yet again has an immediate family member whose book is featured in her newspaper, and yet again there is no disclosure of the connection to the board or to publisher Arthur Sulzberger Jr., who is Dolnick's cousin. And this time, the newspaper really went to town. A book by Dolnick's husband Edward about Dutch art forger Han van Meegeren got an early review ("engaging"), an "editor's choice" recommendation, a special plug on page A4, and a friendly write up on the Paper Cuts blog ("delightful book"). And the Times is not likely to be making any apologies for the situation, judging from its handling of Lynn Dolnick's last nepotism controversy. More »
conflicts of interest
CNET Writer's Cozy Sourcing
CNET News.com writer Caroline McCarthy published a nice scoop today on how social networking site I'm In Like With You raised $1.5 million from venture funding firm Spark Capital. Silicon Alley Insider has been chasing the story for weeks! How did McCarthy pull the exclusive out from under their nose? Who's to say! But, um, it's probably worth noting that McCarthy is dating David Karp, founder of blog network Tumblr and an intimate, bed-cuddling, entire-body-carrying friend of I'm In Like With You founder Charles Forman. Karp's company also shares Spark Capital as a venture funding backer. So, basically, McCarthy had sources close to her boyfriend to draw on. (Pictured, the happy threesome of Forman, Karp and McCarthy, as photographed by Richard Blakeley.) Should McCarthy's CNET blog post have carried a disclaimer? She doesn't think so: More »
conflicts of interest
Obama Declares Obama The Winner
Sure, the Times has joined ABC News, NBC News, CNN and AP in declaring Barack Obama the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee based on his delegate count after a victory in Montana and sufficiently strong showing in South Dakota. But after Obama rival Hillary Clinton refused to do the same and finally, mercifully concede during a speech tonight, no one really knew what Obama would say. Well, he stuck to the script: "I will be the Democratic nominee," followed by a polite nod to Clinton and her campaign, then a pelting of John McCain, starting with this: "I honor [his military] service, and I respect his many accomplishments, even if he chooses to deny mine." Video excerpt of the speech after the jump. More »
conflicts of interest
Post Women Very Powerful, Says Post
As if its listicle of the "50 Most Powerful Women In NYC" were not journalistically dubious enough, the Post also had to use the list for shameless self promotion, putting two of its own columnists on the list. Granted, some of the non-Post choices were also highly questionable, like the editor-in-chief of Cookie magazine, socialite Ivanka Trump and former hooker Ashley Dupre. But how can you even begin to take the selection of, say, Post columnist Cindy Adams seriously when the first qualification listed for her is "she's got a sandwich named after her?" The Post's self-serving choices are after the jump. More »
conflicts of interest
Malaise Days For Journal's Index
American stocks have declined over the past nine years, even before you adjust for inflation and the fall of the worthless dollar. It's the saddest stock scene since the 1970s and the Wall Street Journal said "we may be in another lost decade." To prove it, the paper furnishes a fancy chart and a bunch of statistics based on the S&P 500 stock index. In a brief disclaimer, the paper admits stocks are actually up if you use this other index. Which one would that be? Oh, just something called the Dow Jones Industrial Average, created by the founders of the Journal. [WSJ] (Photo via 60 Minutes)
sex wars
Ladies: Please, Just Settle
A new study alleges that men produce a lot of sperm because it's so hard to knock a woman up, Slate reports. Given the fact that they're always cheating, as well as having babies that aren't Really Yours, you cuckhold. On the flip side, Lori Gottlieb advises The Atlantic's female readers to, "Settle! That's right... Because if you want to have the infrastructure in place to have a family, settling is the way to go." You know, how Rachel should have settled for Barry on Friends, she points out. Wait, what?More »
urban anthropology
Single Pols Have Proven Themselves Bad Boyfriends
If you think it's hard for you to get a date, think about how much harder it would be if you were a busy politician, leading a busy, important life! Apparently, office-dropping doesn't help, according to famously single Congressman Anthony Weiner (D-Brookly/Queens). "Doesn't work," he told City Hall News. (That's not what we hear! He was rumored to be dating slinky Hillary Clinton aide Huma Abedin, but quite vigorously denied it).More »
breaking
'Village Voice' Fires Art Critic For Conflict Of Interest
Well that didn't take too long. In an online statement today from editor Tony Ortega, the Village Voice announced it has separated itself from art critic Christian Viveros-Faune, whose direction of two commercial art fairs was raised yesterday by a blogger as a possible conflict of interest. More »
altweeklies
'Voice' Art Critic Takes Heat For Conflict Of Interest
ArtsJournal blog 'Modern Art Notes' has a well-argued post today alleging that Voice art critic Christian Viveros-Faune's position as co-director of two major art fairs is an inherent conflict of interest. "The arrangement puts a Village Voice art critic in bed with a major art market player," Tyler Green writes. He makes two significant points—that Viveros-Faune's work in the Voice has the power to advance the commercial prospects of artists he's got a business interest in and more disturbing, that by ignoring an exhibit, he has a good chance of squelching its success. Determining who might have been wronged by the one-time Roebling Hall gallery-owner's conflict would be pretty much impossible. Does any of this matter? More »
conflicts of interest
Feds Wants Top Cop's Defender Dropped
Disgraced former police commish Bernie Kerik is probably gonna wish he'd spent a couple fewer of his millions of "security contracting" dollars on platinum-infused mustache wax, as it looks like he's going to have to get a third lawyer to defend him against the government's charges that he's a corrupt asshole. Kerik apparently told Kenneth Breen to lie to federal investigators about the mobbed-up contractor who paid for renovations of Bernie's Bronx apartment, and now they want Breen to take the stand in the trial and conflict-of-interest etc. etc. Kerik "faces up to 142 years in prison if convicted," which means he could still swing the Homeland Security head job once he gets released during the final term of America's Cyborg Tsar Giuliani.Kerik lawyer may not represent at trial [NYDN]
