Monday, July 28, 2008

What went wrong at the San Diego Union Tribune--and lots of other institutions

Letter by Fred Jacobsen, Apollo Beach, Fla.
published by Voice of San Diego
July 28, 2008
"I retired from The San Diego Union-Tribune years ago, and years too early. I left after working there became no longer enjoyable.

"The turning point came when middle managers were deemed to be the cause of all problems there, and were not made part of the solution.

"New faces and high-paid consultants became the new fonts of salvation.

"Continuous planning was substituted for continuous improvement.

Browbeating was substituted for constructive conversation..."

Broadcast news more negative toward Obama

Media Biased Against Obama
By David Knowles
Jul 28th 2008

...The claim comes to us from George Mason University's Center for Media and Public Affairs, which has studied network newscasts for 20 years running. After analyzing the nightly ebb and flow of our current race, the center's researchers see a pattern (Via the Los Angeles Times):

...that ABC, NBC and CBS were tougher on Obama than on Republican John McCain during the first six weeks of the general-election campaign.

You read it right: tougher on the Democrat.


...when network news people ventured opinions in recent weeks, 28% of the statements were positive for Obama and 72% negative.

...with 43% of the statements positive and 57% negative, according to the Washington-based media center...

So, could the pro-McCain bias be having an effect on the race? No doubt. Maybe it's the x-factor that commentators like Robert Novak have been searching for to explain why Obama still has only a 9-point lead over McCain in national polls...