Founded as St. Louis Journalism Review in 1970
By WILLIAM H. FREIVOGEL// Post/Times’ stories powerful; but are they ethical? If a piece of journalism is so powerful that it captures the national conversation and results in positive reform, should it be immune from criticism for bias and inaccuracies?
That question is raised by a potent one-two punch administered by the Washington Post and The New York Times this month following up on the unrest in Ferguson, Mo.
By WILLIAM H. FREIVOGEL// The University of Illinois’ last minute decision not to hire a controversial scholar because of his nasty, anti-Israeli tweets has led to a debate about the limits of academic freedom.
The American Indian studies department of the university had approved the tenured appointment of Steven G. Salaita. But that appointment was contingent on approval by the Board of Trustees and Chancellor Phyllis M. Wise decided over the summer not to submit the appointment to the board.
By GEORGE SALAMON// On Labor Day (September 1) the NYT ran a story about the imminent demise of the Bagel Café, a 24-hour business forced out of the location it had occupied for 25 years in the Bronx’s Bay Plaza shopping center.
The story focused on the deterioration of the relationship between the café’s owner, 60-year-old Charles Maselli, and his landlord, Prestige Properties, a relationship ending in an induced “failure of communications” and the ensuing refusal by the landlord to extend the lease. The lease expired in March and Maselli stayed on a month-by-month basis for about $2,500 more, raising the rent to $17,500 per month. But that was not good enough for Prestige Properties and Maselli was served with an eviction notice. He will fight it in court on September 11.
By TRIPP FROHLICHSTEIN// Channel 5 did a disservice to viewers due to sloppy editing. Conservatives might even call it biased. California Democratic Senator Diane Feinstein appeared on Meet The Press discussing President Obama’s approach with ISIS.
By WILLIAM H. FREIVOGEL / If readers have the idea that Ferguson, Mo. is an angry, mostly segregated black community, they could be forgiven because that is how the community was portrayed in the New York Times a week after riots broke out. In fact, though, Ferguson is one of the most integrated places in the St. Louis area.