01/02/07
139
1

By abalk2

Comment by squidley: aw, claire goes out with punctuation jokes, some good advice and a little self-promotion. class act all the way. more » | Other threads

  • mickey kaus

    JoeJournalist Had Better Be James Fallows, Because We're Getting Pretty Goddamned Tired Of This Story

    So, JoeJournalist: We figured this scintillating story had run its course but, unfortunately, no. In a segment on the consistently incendiary BloggingHeads.tv, suspected self-aggrandizer Mickey Kaus claims that he knows who the solipsist is, and that it isn't Andrew Sullivan (or Kaus). Mickey won't give up the name, but he does volunteer that the journalist in question is "an important figure in the New America Foundation." More »
    11/30/06
    136
    1

    By abalk2

    Comment by Slappy McJackass: So it's not Andrew Sullivan (still a strong contender IMHO) but James Fallows, who self-congratulatory quotes on his website from... more » | Other threads

  • michael kinsley

    JoeJournalist.com: World's Most Boring Guessing Game Continues

    Okay, so that Kinsley piece: We'll start you off with the "blind item" in question:
    The first person I knew who had a Web site of his own was a fellow Washington journalist. This was when many journalists were still just getting into e-mail, but the URL for this Web site quickly circulated around town and around the world. Why? Well, we were all impressed by the technological savvy. But we were absolutely astounded by the solipsism. What on earth had gotten into Joe (not his real name)? This was a modest, soft-spoken, and self-effacing fellow, yet his Web site portrayed him as an egotistical monster. Or so it seemed at the time. All of the elements that struck us as obnoxious maybe eight years ago no longer seem that way. In fact, they are now virtually required for any writer's Web site. The Web address, of course, was his name: JoeJournalist.com. It's hard to recapture why that even seemed pretentious. But it did. Then there was his deadpan list of books he'd written and awards he'd won. And quotes from other journalists about how wonderful he is.
    So who's the mystery journalist? More »
    11/29/06
    384
    7

    By abalk2

    Comment by Slappy McJackass: Doh! Uh, forgot about that - it even came up in his Remnick asskissing episode. Boy I'm just asking for... more » | Other threads

  • flacks

    Tip for flacks: Make the journalist want it

    As much as journalists hate hearing "This could be a big story for you!" from people begging for news coverage, it's still nicer than getting the same mass message as potential business partners, which only reminds journalists how low they are on the Valley hierarchy. A writer sends in this example: More »
    11/03/06
    93
    0

    By Nick Douglas
  • media

    Media Bubble: Mark Foley Did Not Pop Tim Arango's Butt-cherry

    • In yet another installment of a series of just unbelievable coincidences, Anna Politkovskaya, a Russian journalist critical of President Vladimir Putin, was gunned down this weekend. Politkovskaya becomes the thirteenth reporter to so perish during Putin's tenure. But we're sure it was an accidental, brutal execution-style contract killing. [Guardian] More »
    10/09/06
    269
    0

    By abalk2
  • media

    Media Bubble: The Way You Say Good-Night

    • Warner Music has signed a licensing agreement with YouTube; Sumner Redstone immediately rehires Tom Freston to fire him again. [NYT] More »
    09/19/06
    192
    4

    By abalk2

    Comment by diorsuks: YEAH! You guys are better than Good because being good is all about pretending to be bad for traffic. And... more » | Other threads

  • media

    Media Bubble: Lies, Damn Lies, and Blowjob Lies

    • Hewlett-Packard hired private investigators to obtain journalists' phone records. Because there's nothing more interesting than a list of sex-talk lines called on the company dime. [NYT] More »
    09/08/06
    185
    0

    By abalk2
  • media

    Media Bubble: OMG, How Freaking Adorable Is That Kitty?

    • Ross Gelbspan thinks journalists have been "duped" by the fossil-fuel industry's P.R. people; we prefer to think that they're just lazy. [Grist] More »
    08/25/06
    76
    2

    By abalk2

    Comment by Balk: Click the CNN link and look for "Crazy Cat Walk." It's going to be more than you've ever expected. more » | Other threads

  • journalists

    Print Journalists in Movies Exhibit Integrity, Excellent Racks

    The Washington Post directs your attention to the startlingly comprehensive Image of the Journalist in Popular Culture project at USC Annenberg. Cataloging over 46,000 references to fictional journalists in books, print, films, and TV, the IJPC concludes that print journalists appearing in movies are generally depicted as beacons of integrity, while TV journalists come across as sleazebags. Project director Joe Saltzman theorizes this is because print journalists are mostly abstract figures that readers only encounter on the page, while TV folk appear in living color, flaws and all. Hence Scarlett Johannson in Woody Allen's new movie Scoop, adopting the glasses-make-me-look-smart school of journalist acting. It's a two-part denial process, though — we only believe a nubile young starlet as a hard-working reporter because there are few enough popularly envisioned print journalists to counteract the fantasy with pale, doughy, stubbly reality. Then again, there's no reason one can't envision Scarlett rolling around on a Lebanese beach with CNN mancake Karl Penhaul. Even NYC-local newsgal Jodie Applegate would have to call that cool. More »
    08/01/06
    789
    3

    By Chris Mohney

    Comment by SpyMagician: As far as Scarlett goes, I'd like to dogear her Strunk & White... REEE-OOOOWWWW! more » | Other threads

  • jim buckmaster

    Craigslist's CEO has mind control powers

    The Wall Street Journal ran a profile this weekend of everyone's favorite classifieds site, Craigslist, focusing on CEO Jim Buckmaster (pictured). More »
    06/20/06
    254
    1

    By Nick Douglas

    Comment by ResearchZilla: uh, why bother? with about 20 employees (several contract) and circa 10+ million in cold cash revenue, coupled with capital... more » | Other threads

  • john c dvorak

    Dvorak shoots for another bait-and-switch

    PC Magazine columnist John C. Dvorak follows up the "How I bait Mac users" video (which whipped bloggers into a frenzy) with an "I'm sorry, I'm flabbergasted" column. Now Dvorak says that his baiting trick only worked three times in his career — and that he's amazed how many people blew up at this video. More »
    06/19/06
    129
    1

    By Nick Douglas

    Comment by pb: MS Word AutoSummary of Dvorak's column: Even the "girly iBook" column was a stretch. Cool! more » | Other threads

  • john c dvorak

    Morning video: John Dvorak trolls Mac fans for fun and profit

    PC Magazine columnist and veteran tech pundit John C Dvorak explains his Mac-fan baiting method in this video by Dave Winer. The best part isn't Dvorak admitting that he writes like a weasel (duh), nor that he's saying all this in the San Fran Apple store. It's cameraman Dave Winer asking "what the point" is. More »
    06/12/06
    182
    0

    By Nick Douglas
  • journalists

    This is how we write things now.

    There's a rumor going 'round that lots of reporters are reading blogs. So apropos of nothing (and because it's the middle of the afternoon and I'm drinking at the House of Shields), the Valley journo circuit needs new rules from now on. More »
    06/07/06
    77
    1

    By Nick Douglas

    Comment by George: Brin gets snubbed by everyone, celibate stoner chicks and crooked politicians alike. Guy just can't catch a break. more » | Other threads

  • nerdhunt

    Where my geeks at?

    So Philip Kaplan's no longer running AdBrite — I think we established that. Where are all the other geeks moving? More »
    06/07/06
    193
    0

    By Nick Douglas
  • pud

    Remainders: Fucked CEO

    06/05/06
    167
    1

    By Nick Douglas

    Comment by George: "limited audience" for Google spreadsheet program = morons who have inexplicably downloaded and installed Google Toolbar, Google Pack, Google Talk,... more » | Other threads

  • valleyspeak

    Valleyspeak: Spinergy, Funlawful, Journoballistic, SloshCon

    Time for your Valleyspeak lesson. More »
    06/02/06
    44
    1

    By Nick Douglas

    Comment by jonnyforest: these are always fun, keep em coming! more » | Other threads

  • john c. dvorak

    Geek Gone Feral: John C. Dvorak

    I originally read the title of this romance novel mockup, featuring landmark tech journalist John C. Dvorak, as "Spanky Geeks." Just sayin'. More »
    05/31/06
    298
    0

    By Nick Douglas
  • tara hunt

    Chris Messina taking your spotlight, Tara Hunt? Join the club.

    Web 2.0 (TM) marketer Tara Hunt is less than pleased with how "the media" (read: the SF Chronicle's embedded reporter Dan Fost) covered her event this weekend: More »
    05/30/06
    392
    0

    By Nick Douglas
  • dave winer

    Dave Winer's instructions to the world: Read everything

    Dave Winer, king of the (totally mainstream and not inbred) world of Internet news feeds, is known for his font of wisdom, the personal blog Scripting News. But sometimes, in doling out his advice, the inventor of RSS Flavor #3 forgets that not everyone spends the whole day resting on their laurels: More »
    05/30/06
    126
    0

    By Nick Douglas
  • andrew orlowski

    Geek out: We'll miss you, Orlowski

    Hacks and flacks wished Andrew Orlowski (pictured, the one with his hair on top) farewell last night with a calm happy hour at the Edinburgh Castle Pub. His exit dilutes the pool of Valley journalism, as the Register reporter was a long-time snarker and Google hound (one confident enough to snub Google Press Day). Now, after five years in the Valley, he's headed back to England. More »
    05/26/06
    466
    1

    By Nick Douglas

    Comment by Lewisham: I believe that Dvorak is saying: "You can get *four times* the vitriol if you troll Mac fanboys than Wikipedia guys." Poor... more » | Other threads

  • to-do

    To-Do: Meet Markoff, the LJ guy, your maker

    Great weekend ahead, and I'm not just saying that 'cause Valleywag takes a half-day tomorrow. Here — meet someone important by Memorial Day and pump 'em for info. More »
    05/25/06
    164
    0

    By Nick Douglas