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[2b2k] What we can learn from what we don’t know

davidw — Sat, 20 Apr 2013 12:48:51 +0000

I wrote a piece in the early afternoon yesterday about what we can learn from watching how we fill in the blanks when we don’t know stuff…in this case, when we don’t know much about Suspect #1 and #2. It’s about the narratives that shape our unserstanding.

For example, it turns out that I only have three Mass Murderer Narratives: Terrorist, Anti-Social, or Delusional. As we learned more about Suspect #2 yesterday, he seemed not to fit well into any of them. Perhaps he will once we know more, or perhaps my brain will cram him into one even if he doesn’t fit. Anyway, you can read the post at CNN.

I find myself unwilling to use Suspect #2′s name today because Martin Richard is too much with me.

via Boston Globe

Changing where you work is changing your job

davidw — Sat, 02 Mar 2013 20:44:50 +0000

CNN.com has posted my op-ed about why where you work is not about the quality of your life so much as about the substance of it.

Judging from some of the reaction, I should emphasize that if the only way to save Yahoo were to require everyone to come to work every day, that would certainly be the right decision. But it seems clear to me that Marissa Mayer was sending a signal with this policy, for surely there are some people who were working productively from home. So, if the new policy is a signal and is not actually required to save Yahoo, then I think she has underestimated how disruptive a signal it is. [To late to stick in a spoiler notice? That was the essence of my op-ed.]

Also, CNN.com has stripped out the links, I’m pretty sure unintentionally. Here they are:

This just in…to Twitter.

davidw — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 22:43:22 +0000

CNN’s breaking news service on Twitter (cnnbrk) has 2.7M followers. Here are all of its posts since August 24, a month’s worth:

Legally insane killer who escaped in Washington state has been captured, authorities say http://bit.ly/tEJTU7:03 PM Sep 20th
Man in terror probe charged with making false statements http://bit.ly/q1Cc01:03 AM Sep 20th

FBI agents raid the home of Najibullah Zazi, a Colorado resident, questioned in an alleged terrorist plot in the U.S. http://bit.ly/GYX4310:37 PM Sep 19th

Source: Man at center of terror probe admits al Qaeda ties http://bit.ly/BmGqB #terror6:11 PM Sep 18th

Lab tech arrested in killing of Yale graduate student, police say http://bit.ly/65bPt7:31 AM Sep 17th

Arrest imminent in Yale student killing, authorities say http://bit.ly/PKZTI5:54 AM Sep 17th

More resources being brought to New York in connection with terror probe that triggered raids this week – http://bit.ly/Kh47I1:13 PM Sep 16th

Election board: Karzai has more than 50 percent of Afghan presidential vote; irregularities still being examined – http://bit.ly/SdjnP9:33 AM Sep 16th

Iraqi man who threw his shoes at then-President Bush released from jail on good behavior http://bit.ly/10AmVr #Iraq3:51 AM Sep 15th

Police: Missing Yale student case is a homicide http://bit.ly/38zdz38:27 PM Sep 13th

Mayor: Blagojevich fundraiser told police he overdosed before death http://bit.ly/MED8U3:34 PM Sep 13th

FBI source: Serial bank robbery suspect arrested http://bit.ly/Nbght9:20 AM Sep 13th

Key Blagojevich player is dead, ex-governor says http://bit.ly/ntZnr5:11 PM Sep 12th

Shuttle lands in California http://bit.ly/DbsDg #shuttle #nasa #discovery7:56 PM Sep 11th

Anti-abortion activist shot dead, Michigan officials say – http://bit.ly/td8lF10:44 AM Sep 11th

Sources: Coast Guard incident a ‘training exercise’ http://bit.ly/1NvjKr9:39 AM Sep 11th

Coast Guard confronts boat as Obama visits Pentagon, police scanner reports say shots fired http://bit.ly/Qh9AO9:13 AM Sep 11th

Former Taiwan president convicted on corruption charges http://bit.ly/FAAhn #Taiwan3:17 AM Sep 11th

Mexican hijacking has ended peacefully; all passengers, crew safe, Mexican authorities say. http://bit.ly/2Stkq3 #mexicocity3:19 PM Sep 9th

At least 5 suspects taken into custody after hijacked plane lands at Mexico City airport – http://bit.ly/2Stkq3 #mexicocity3:09 PM Sep 9th

Crew held in hijacked commercial jet at Mexico City airport; passengers freed – http://bit.ly/LZWxM #mexicocity3:02 PM Sep 9th

Source: Key Senate Democrat proposes dropping public option from heath-care reform http://bit.ly/JJ0eo10:10 AM Sep 7th

3 found guility of plotting to blow up planes on flights between Britain, U.S. and Canada. http://bit.ly/JgZmt9:32 AM Sep 7th

Sudanese woman who wore pants escapes lashes, but faces fine http://bit.ly/gVysu6:55 AM Sep 7th

Suspect arrested in Georgia killings http://bit.ly/2Qgdn6:52 PM Sep 4th

Indonesia quake death toll at 25, could rise, agency says http://bit.ly/1bPSiF9:00 AM Sep 2nd

6 dead in #Indonesia after 7.0 magnitude #earthquake http://bit.ly/dyTYB5:03 AM Sep 2nd

Pres. Obama remembers Ted Kennedy as “champion for those who had none; soul of Democratic Party; lion of U.S. Senate.” http://bit.ly/3FmLyq11:42 AM Aug 29th

Sen. Edward M. Kennedy’s body arrives at Boston church for his funeral, with President Obama set to deliver the eulogy. http://bit.ly/2zWSWv9:52 AM Aug 29th

The Los Angeles County coroner rules Michael Jackson’s death a homicide – http://bit.ly/1xVyAH #michaeljackson1:45 PM Aug 28th

August deadliest month for U.S. military in Afghanistan since 2001 invasion — 46 dead http://bit.ly/3Cvzor8:50 AM Aug 28th

Author Dominick Dunne dies http://bit.ly/9BmES #dominickdunne4:00 PM Aug 26th

Kennedy to be buried at Arlington Cemetery, Defense Dept. official says – http://bit.ly/XCurP #kennedy11:10 AM Aug 26th

Sen. Edward Kennedy died Tuesday night after a lengthy battle with brain cancer. He was 77. http://bit.ly/WiZXA12:25 AM Aug 26th

Chris Brown sentenced to 5 years probation in Rihanna assault #rihanna http://bit.ly/jpJ8w4:21 PM Aug 25th

33 die in Afghan car bomb incident http://bit.ly/snREp11:38 AM Aug 25th

Justice Department asks prosecutor to examine legality of CIA interrogations http://bit.ly/N3Eql #cia #torture2:07 PM Aug 24th

Breakdown:

Total: 38
terrorism: 9
death: 20
Countries mentioned: US, Afghanistan (3), Taiwan, Mexico, Britain, Indonesia, Canada
Plain old crime (non-terrorist): 11
Percentage of tweets that contain actual news: 28.95%

I grant that there’s some subjectivity (=total subjectivity) in deciding what’s actual news. Nevertheless, Google News Timeline will show you at least some of the other events that happened during this month. And this query at Google News will list the 6,600 articles CNN.com posted during the past month, of which these 38 are not the most important, except by some radical redefinition of importance, of news, and of CNN’s dignity.

Stop the presses: CNN actually listens to Wright’s sermon

davidw — Sun, 23 Mar 2008 17:54:41 +0000

CNN actually had a reporter listen to the entire tape of Rev. Jeremiah Wright’s sermon, instead of just the sound bytes. Wow! What a revolutionary idea! And it turns out that in context, Wright’s words are â€” get this! â€” more understandable and less inflammatory. Isn’t it crazy how context will do that? Furthermore, it turns out that the when Wright suggested that our chickens were coming home to roost, he was ~~quoting~~citing Edward Peck, former U.S. Ambassador to Iraq and deputy director of President Reagan’s terrorism task force.

How many days did it take for the professional news media to get around to this?

[Tags: media journalism obama jeremiah_wright cnn ]

This is what passes for news

davidw — Wed, 05 Mar 2008 01:52:41 +0000

Tonight, a 8:50pm, this is CNN’s list of “latest news”:

Sigh.

[Tags: news cnn journalism media ]