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Posts Tagged “
Jon Friedman
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series of tubes
mass appeal
Jon Friedman Doesn't "Get" Anderson Cooper
MarketWatch media guru Jon Friedman just doesn't get the deal with that Anderson Cooper fellow. You know the one, right? Infinite blue eyes, enveloping gaze, powerful (but gentle) arms, distinguished and shimmering silver hair? Works on CNN? Well Friedman thinks he's the bunk! People just like Anderson 'cause he's adorable, and warm, and kind, and earnest! Not for any good reasons! Or, as Friedman puts it: "Yes, CNN's Anderson Cooper has heart. He oozes empathy. He's clearly a good-hearted fellow and, by all accounts, as likeable as all get-out." YES, YES, BUT WHY IS HE SO POPULAR? And, more importantly, why don't people feel the same way about Jon Friedman?? (Click thru to see the t-shirt we just bought for Jon, btw.) More »
journalismism
5 Years After Jayson Blair, Newspapers Too Broke to Care About Ethics
Superstar MarketWatch media columnist Jon Friedman remembered recently that there was this young fellow who worked for the Times once who got in trouble for making things up and lying. It was a bit of a scandal! It happened five years ago this... season, so Friedman asks a couple folk what they think of the current state of media ethics. Salon's Joan Walsh says the Jayson Blair (for that was the fabricator's name) scandal forced writers and editors to remind themselves not to lie, or to maybe fact-check once in a while. Editor & Publisher's Greg Mitchell says the scandal encouraged more papers to issue corrections more often and not plagiarize so much. But a couple critics note that Jayson Blair is really the least of the newsmedia's woes in 2008. More »
magazines
Jon Friedman Also Misses 'George'
MarketWatch media guru Jon Friedman wants to know why you kids aren't reading three of his favorite magazines anymore: U.S. News & World Report, The Sporting News, and Fast Company. We want to know whatever happened to Collier's Weekly! And where's our new issue of The American Mercury? [MarketWatch]
jon friedman
Jon Friedman Says Something We Don't Really Object To
Marketwatch media person (and frequent target of Gawker ridicule) Jon Friedman actually wrote a thought that is sorta original and correct and interesting! According to him, MSNBC's ratings may suck, but they "stand out in one underappreciated category: embarrassing, mealy-mouthed apologies." He refers to David Shuster's suspension for his remarks about Chelsea Clinton (ably dissected down to the very last gruesome detail by Rachel Sklar here), which, along with Chris Matthews' half-hearted and partially reversed apology for being insane about Hillary, has MSNBC holding the early lead in the "apologizing to the Clintons" race. Of course, in the overall apology race, Fox did force anchor John Gibson to apologize for laughing it up at the death of Heath Ledger. But he didn't really mean it so that doesn't count. [Marketwatch]
class warfare
Friedman: Ron Rosenbaum Will Save The Internet
Marketwatch media critic Jon Friedman's MEDIA WEB QUESTION OF THE DAY: "Who is your favorite writer on the Internet?" Ours is MarketWatch media critic Jon Friedman! Today he wants to introduce you to 61-year-old Ron Rosenbaum, who, writing at Washington Post-owned internet magazine of conventional wisdom plus occasional contrarianism Slate, "represent[s] a turning point in the evolution of online journalism." Finally, these new-fangled internet websites are hiring ultra-established, book-writin' old white dudes. More »
the new model
The 'Times' Bets It All On Graphics
Vivian Schiller General Manager, NYTimes.com: I just want to say one word to you—just one word.
Jon Friedman, Tool Reporter: Yes ma'am.
Vivian Schiller: Are you listening?
Jon Friedman: Yes I am.
Vivian Schiller: 'Slideshows.'
Jon Friedman: Exactly how do you mean?
Vivian Schiller: There's a great future in slideshows. Think about it. Will you think about it?
Jon Friedman: Yes I will.
Vivian Schiller: Shh! Enough said. That's a deal.
'All the news that's fit to click' at NYTimes.com [MarketWatch]
bad spin
Why People Care About 'Portfolio'
Today endlessly irksome media columnist Jon Friedman writes: "It's still hard to believe that a monthly, which has published a total of two issues, can seem so important. Yet Portfolio has taken on the aura of a big-budget Hollywood production, where pandemonium appears to be everywhere. Unfortunately, the magazine raises comparisons with "Heaven's Gate" and "Gigli." ("Do you even remember the latter's plot line?" Friedman asks. Sadly, some people do.) Friedman trots out Portfolio's publisher David Carey and Conde publicist Perri Dorset to dismiss the hubbub and claim that everyone's just talking about their stories. And, for real? It's "hard to believe" that this magazine—for which Conde Nast crowed about spending $100 million and poached nearly every business journalist with a pulse and maybe one standout clip—"can seem so important"? More »
our celebrities, ourselves
Jon Friedman Loves Julia Allison
Much like the many men who want to do Julia Allison but don't want to be known as having done the charming Star Editor-at-Large, plenty of reporters want to write a story about Julia Allison, but don't want to be known for having penned a profile of the bubbly media figure. Marketwatch's Jon Friedman finds the perfect solution to the dilemma: Pretend it's a happy piece about a stupid weblog, and then, with that window-dressing in place, Allison it up! It's a charming, self-inoculating strategy, and who are we to begrudge the guy? Julia Allison, like it or not, is traffic! Think about that when you write your angry comments about why we're giving her so much coverage, okay? More »
media bubble
Conrad Black Even Swears Like Nixon
media bubble
Oprah Cancels Presidential Election
media bubble
Guns & Blammo
media
Media Bubble: Conrad Black Trial Begins
media
Surly Maer Roshan only talks to Yusef Jackson. Yusef talks to Ron Burkle. It's called plausible deniability. You know, allegedly. [NYO]
Martha Stewart finds a way to write off her upcoming trip to China: It's a fact-finding mission. [NYP]
Cablevision can't do anything right. [NYT]
Jon Friedman's political analysis makes Jon Friedman's media criticism seem incisive and original. [MarketWatch]
New trend for magazines? Web video! It's like reading, except you watch it. [WWD]
Hillary Clinton mean to Asian press, Asian press mean to blacks. [AP]
Charlie Gibson is kicking Brian Williams' ass. [Hollywood Reporter]
The line on the Wall Street Journal has always been "best news organization in American newspapers, worst editorial section." That divide will now be tested, as Tunku Varadarajan moves over from the crazy, nut-ass, batshit insane editorial side to become assistant managing editor of the newsroom. Let's see how that goes. [NYO]
More »
Media Bubble: Maer Reports To Yusef
media
Media Bubble: Meth Mag Sales Slaves Of America
jon friedman
Someone Stole Jon Friedman's Thesaurus
Count Marketwatch media critic blatherer Jon Friedman as unhappy with the newest member of "The Today Show" team. Jonny thinks that Tiki Barber was a little too petulant during the press conference announcing his hire. On the other hand (and with Friedman, there's always another hand), it might not make a difference. Barber has something: a certain je ne sais quoi, an element of... well, we're not sure. Jon? More »
media
"Time Inc. has selected Stockholm's Bonnier Group as the winner of the auction for the right to buy 18 of Time Inc.'s magazines. There was no immediate word on the price that Bonnier will pay, but the terms are in place and a deal should close within a month." That's what AdAge said, but then they pulled it. So who knows? [AdAge]
Fired WSJ employees can at least take comfort in the fact that Dow Jones execs are sharing the pain. Oh, whoops, they're totally not. [Reuters]
Time M.E. Rick Stengel has offers out to NYT'sTom Friedman, Maureen Dowd, Adam Liptak, and Sarah Lyall, Weekly Standard's Matt Labash, TNR's Ryan Lizza, Slate's Dahlia Lithwack and Jim Holt, New Yorker's Peter Boyer. Well, there are plenty of empty desks. [NYO]
Rupert Murdoch jumps into the Tribune bidding. [The Age]
More »
Media Bubble: DO NOT MAKE IT LIVE!!!
jon friedman
Media Critic's Finger Firmly On The Pulse
Noted without comment.[W]hy did "60 Minutes" feel the need to include in Sunday's show a melodramatic segment dealing (again) with the Duke alleged-rape case? The program showed the furious parents of the accused lacrosse players sounding off before a national audience....Then again, maybe I'm in the minority here. Perhaps America craves the spectacle of furious mothers railing against a flawed legal system.Jon Friedman
60 Minutes "made Nielsen's top-10 list by delivering its best audience in key demographics in over a year last Sunday," CBS notes in a press release. The newsmag had 14,470,000 viewers and delivered an 11.2/16. "The broadcast finished at #6 in viewers and #5 in households to make the weekly top-10 list for the fifth time this season. In adults 25-54, 60 Minutes (6.0/12) had it best delivery since Jan. 8, 2006 and best adults 18-49 (4.9/11) delivery since Dec. 11, 2005." Scott Pelley had an interview with President Bush and Lesley Stahl had a double-length segment on the Duke rape case...TVNewser More »
