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this american life

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Jack Shafer Exposes Malcolm Gladwell's Lies About Lying

Remember when I freaked out that Malcolm Gladwell, the most successful pop-non-fiction writer of our time, was bragging about pulling pranks at the Washington Post? And remember how I was further irked that Gladwell was lying about lying? And remember how Pareene was like seriously, Rebecca, this is tired? Actually, you might not remember that, because it was a private conversation we had. But Slate media critic Jack Shafer thinks it's interesting. More »

11:00 AM on Thu Mar 20 2008
By rebecca
3,777 views, 19 comments

california here we come

This American Social Awkwardness

Last week, Ira Glass, host of This American Life spoke with This American Life contributor David Rakoff at UC Berkeley. What a nice thing for the students! But the engagement was spoiled by New Yorker writer Cynthia Gorney, who can't moderate an event to save her ass. The Berkeley student paper wrote, "In addition to her excessive exaltation thinly disguised as interview questions and an inexplicable penchant for interrupting the witty banter between Ira and David, Gorney's determination to get Ira to elaborate on precisely how he decided to mix in one song over another was an utter failure." Her moderating was so uncomfortable that the school offered tickets to another show to make it up to the guests. After the jump, Berkeley's admission of Cynthia Gorney's failures.
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3:21 PM on Mon Mar 3 2008
By rebecca
2,599 views, 5 comments

Latest by Pesquyist: 'Uncomplicated as it appeared, the demonstration was a mesmerizing orchestration that augmented the richness wrought of simplicity that is at the heart of "This American Life."' This, people, is what happens when public radio and Berkeley collide. Irony-free-enthusiasm-overload-syndrome. more »

journalismism

Malcolm Gladwell's Newspaper Daze

Malcom Gladwell was on precious radio program This American Life recently, telling some stories of his earliest days of "real" journalism at the Washington Post. He apparently had a bet with a colleague to determine which of them could be the first to insert a couple amusing phrases into the venerable paper. First was "new and troubling questions," which is surely already a journalistic cliche. Following that was the more amusing "perverse and often baffling"—a harder fit, but Gladwell managed it. Of course, Gladwell, easily one of the most charming one-trick ponies in media, has been dining out on this story for a dozen years. Despite that, it upset Jossip very very much, as it raises new and troubling questions about the state of respectable journalism. Audio clip attached.

3:31 PM on Tue Feb 19 2008
By Pareene
2,019 views, 7 comments

Latest by Tippy and Bad Girl: More Arthur Jones graphix, plz! more »