Several things happened this week that have me thinking our perspective on the power of the media is skewed. It’s real, no doubt, but we’re missing something really basic. That might sound strange coming from a member of the media. But I like to think of myself as a different kind of journalist in that, …
When It Comes to a Woman’s Money, What’s with the Punishment Slap on the Wrist?
It seems like every other day some media or tech company is settling a lawsuit. Discrimination this, monopoly that, to the tune of millions of dollars. But I’ve noticed a pattern. When the suit involves women and minorities vs. say, a company, the restitution is considerably smaller. Take Vice Media, for instance. The company has …
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Media Influence Is so Bad, Apple Wants to Teach Critical Thinking
Some days I feel like a spectator in this really weird game of media bumper cars. As a career journalist, I have inside knowledge of how the media works. The good, the bad, and we all know things can get very ugly. But lately things seem especially wretched. Huge companies that have a huge impact …
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Don’t You Love It When Criminals Are Happy, Smiling and Perfectly Contoured?
So, the big news this week is the college admissions cheating scandal. But it’s not the scandal itself that I find interesting. Didn’t we always know that rich people pay in unsavory, under the table type ways, to get their kids into the best schools? It’s been a storyline or a sub story line in …
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People Really Need to Shut Up about R. Kelly
R. Kelly has everyone bugging. Or should I say, that Lifetime special about "Surviving R. Kelly" has everyone bugging. It’s pathetic, disgusting and miserably sad that it took a TV documentary to produce a decent amount of outrage for his actions. That creature’s crimes against women aren’t new. They’re literally decades old. One of those tongue …
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Silence, Armchair Activism, and Award Shows: Why More Men Should Speak Out
There’s a certain amount of arrogance in choosing to remain silent. There's also resolve. You could throw in some privilege, a hint of the spoiled, disgruntled and the rock solid certainty that what has gone before absolutely does not definite what is or what will be. I’m talking about myself here. But I’m also talking …
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There’s a Connection Between the National Enquirer and the 2016 Election
I was in the gym a few days ago when I saw it: National Enquirer publisher in league with Trump. Ordinarily I would’ve just rolled my eyes and refocused my attention elsewhere. First, it’s a Trump story. Second, it’s the National Enquirer. I’m no Woodward or Bernstein admittedly, but I still rate myself slightly higher …
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Privilege Can Be Petty — and Dangerous
So, CNN White House correspondent Jim Acosta had his hard pass revoked this week after he challenged President Trump in a post-midterm election press conference. USA Today reported that “news organizations condemned the move, calling it a threat to freedom of the press. "Such interactions, however uncomfortable they may appear to be, help define the …
Megan Kelly Doesn’t Know Why Blackface Is Wrong on Halloween
So, NBC allegedly officially gave Megan Kelly the boot yesterday following comments she made on her morning show Tuesday, ostensibly wondering why blackface in Halloween costumes is racist. I literally hate the fact that I have to type my own name over and over - simple spelling not withstanding - as I unpack why she …
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Censorship vs. Foreign Meddling: Who Should Win in the Battle for Social Media?
Ordinarily I disdain politics. Watching that pitiful reality show unfolding each day in the White House is like perpetual constipation, all useless poots and annoying belly pains. But what kind of journalist would I be if I ignored this week’s juicy happenings around Michael Cohen, long time Trump lawyer, who pled guilty to eight criminal …
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