Category: Media

Missouri bill curtailing First Amendment rights may pass

Media
by William H. Freivogel

BY WILLIAM FREIVOGEL / The Missouri Legislature may override a veto next week and enact the “Second Amendment Preservation Act,” a bill that virtually reads the First Amendment out of the Constitution. The law makes it a crime to publish a story identifying a person as a gun-owner. The First Amendment isn’t the only part of the Constitution that the bill would ignore. In a throwback to the doctrine of “Nullification” that paved the way for the Civil War, HB 436 would nullify federal gun laws going back to 1934.

Outgoing SLU president takes parting shot at adversary

Media
by Roy Malone

BY ROY MALONE / The Rev. Lawrence Biondi, outgoing president of St. Louis University, used his last monthly newsletter to take one last swing at a professor he’s battled for more than two decades.The two-page rant against Avis Meyer was the near the end of his long missive to faculty, staff, students and others, but it was longer than any of the other subjects he extolled about during his tenure as head of the Jesuit university. Meyer has outlasted Biondi’s attempts to dislodge him as unofficial adviser to the student newspaper, the U. News. Meyer has been ordered never to set foot in the newspaper’s office. But the student journalists respect Meyer and meet separately with him to get his editing advice for each issue. Meyer says Biondi blames him for any articles he sees as critical of him or the university.

History looks clearer in the rear view mirror

Media
by William H. Freivogel

BY WILLIAM H. FREIVOGEL / Thirty years ago, this reporter was covering the 20th anniversary of the March on Washington. To prepare, a check was made of the bound volumes of the stories written on the day of the march by the Post-Dispatch Washington Bureau. It turned out that the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was not mentioned until about 40 inches into the story. Recently, Robert Kaiser, former managing editor of the Washington Post recalled his experience covering the march as a young reporter. He noted that the Post also barely mentioned King’s dream speech.

STL-SPJ holds free journalism boot camp

Media
by Compiled for GJR

The St. Louis chapter of the Society for Professional Journalists will hold an all-day journalism boot camp at Webster University Sept. 21 for high-school and college students, recent graduates and newsroom interns. Professional reporters, editors and photographers from the St. Louis area will coach campers on the art of interviewing, video editing, real-world newsroom ethics and covering arts and entertainment. “At a time when our industry is experiencing great change and many career journalists are losing their livelihoods, it is inspiring that so many professionals are willing to donate their time to teach incoming reporters,” SPJ St. Louis Pro Chapter President Tammy Merrett-Murry said.

GJR book review: McChesney critique mired in Marxist ideology

Media
by Jack Young

BY JACK YOUNG / The “collapse of journalism” is a hot topic these days. Although its decline preceded the Internet, the Internet appears to be the preferred news medium and a major cause for the failing media business model. Professor Robert McChesney’s latest foray into the discussion over the Internet’s impact on journalism can be found in his newest book, “Digital Disconnect: How Capitalism is Turning the Internet Against Democracy”.