Stephen Colbert on the Newspaper Industry

In the 'It's so funny it hurts' category, Stephen Colbert of Comedy Central's "The Colbert Report" interviews Newspaper Association of America President & CEO John Sturm. On the news that the Chicago Sun-Times had filed for bankruptcy (“Chicago hasn’t suffered a blow like this since every October”) Colbert mock interviews Sturm, explaining to his younger viewers that 'A newspaper is like a blog that leaves ink on your hands, and covers topics other than how much you love Fall Out Boy.' And what is the NAA? It's "named for the noise Americans make when you ask them if they care about thoughtful analysis of current events. Naaaa!"

To see the short video clip, go to:
http://newsblogs.chicagotribune.com/towerticker/2009/04/stephen-colbert-notes-the-suntimes-bankruptcy-looks-at-the-industrys-problems.html

Incidentally, the Guardian issued an April Fools Day press release that after 188 years of ink, it was turning to an all-Twitter format. The subhead read: "Experts say any story can be told in 140 characters." To see that story, click here: http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2009/apr/01/guardian-twitter-media-technology

Read the full story

It Hurts To Laugh

"What's black and white and completely over?" The answer is (ouch) "Newspapers." Jon Stewart on newspaper industry woes...
http://www.thedailyshow.com/video/index.jhtml?videoId=213347&title=clust

Read the full story

“You Know You’re A Journalist When…”

Ever seen the Society for Professional Journalist (SPJ)'s answers to the question above? (They’re hilarious.) “At weddings you take notes on the sermon.” “You shoot B-roll for your vacation videos.” “You’re not a social drinker. All drinking is work-related.” Etc.

Well, you can add being extremely unpopular to the list. As if newsroom working stiffs didn’t have enough to deal with these days with low pay and long hours - a Harris Poll measuring public perceptions of 23 professions has placed the field in the Bottom 10. What do farmers, lawyers and priests have in common? They’re all more popular in the popular mind than journalists. At the top are fire fighters, teachers and scientists. Hovering at the bottom – even below evil reporters - are bankers, actors and real estate agents. Go figure. Click here to see the study http://www.harrisinteractive.com/harris_poll/index.asp?PID=793.

Read the full story

All Joking Aside....

Leave it to The Onion to capture the hilarity of the over-caffeinated news cycle that Internet Age reporters and editors often bemoan. The Onion's recent piece "Media Landscape Redefined By 24-Second News Cycle" provides a laughable take on the deadline pressures journalists face in the digital world. The lede posits that the 24-second broadcast news cycle might not actually capture the depth and nuance of the "old" 45-second stories.

Newspapers aren't safe either, The Onion notes: "While the changes have brought higher ratings and ad revenues to televised news, print newspapers have suffered greatly, due to the high cost of printing and distributing a new edition every 24 seconds."

For more laughs:
http://www.theonion.com/content/news/media_landscape_redefined_by_24

Read the full story