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Man Fakes Mother's Obit to Take Time Off: Cops

Neal Colgrass — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 15:04:24 CST

Imagine a mother's surprise when she read her obituary in the local news—and learned her own son had written it. But police in northern Pennsylvania say 45-year-old Scott Bennett ran his mother's obituary in the newspaper so he could take bereavement time off from work. Brookville police have charged...

Say Goodbye to NBC as We Know It

Nick McMaster — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 13:54:19 CDT

Monday was a milestone for NBC’s misbegotten Leno experiment: only 4.6 million tuned in, the worst Monday of the year, writes Matthew Greenberg. This is getting so bad it may signal the beginning of the end of NBC as we know it. The network’s rationale for putting Leno at...

Anthony May Watch Caylee's Funeral on TV

Ambreen Ali — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 12:31:52 CST

Casey Anthony has been barred from her daughter's funeral, but she may still get to watch it on TV, the Orlando Sentinel reports. Jail officials haven't decided yet if she can watch Caylee's public service, bound to be telecast on the cable and local stations so inundated with news about...

Web Copyright Lawsuit Could Cripple the Freedom to Link

Harry Kimball — Tue, 23 Dec 2008 14:50:01 CST

A local newspaper chain is suing the New York Times Company for pilfering its online content, and the case could dramatically change how news sites link, Danny Sanchez writes on Journalistopia. GateHouse Media says readers can glean enough information from the snippets linked by the Boston Globe and therefore don’t...

Cash-Poor Newspapers Decamp From Washington

Harry Kimball — Thu, 18 Dec 2008 14:43:01 CST

US newspapers are shuttering their Washington bureaus—though hardly for lack of news, the New York Times reports. Consolidation and a steep fall-off in ad dollars have forced many to reevaluate their coverage in recent years, leading to a focus on local news and a reliance on agencies for coverage...

Who's That Guy on the Local News?

Kevin Spak — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 08:25:39 CST

Across the country, star local news anchors are signing off for good, the New York Times reports, as local network affiliates look for ways to cut costs, and find big anchor salaries tempting targets. Newscasters with more than 20 years behind the desk have been dropped in Chicago, Houston, Denver,...

Stay Tuned to WN- Bleep- C

Elizabeth Wolff — Tue, 13 May 2008 10:45:03 CDT

A longtime local anchor in New York got her viewers' undivided attention during a promo last night when she said the F-word live, the New York Daily News reports. After the wrong video played as she teased the upcoming news during Medium, 28-year WNBC veteran Sue Simmons said, "What the...

Anchors Squirm in HDTV's Glare

Matt Cantor — Tue, 04 Dec 2007 19:45:29 CST

As HD takes hold, TV personalities face a new challenge: namely, hiding that zit in magnified resolution. Makeup techniques that traditionally hid flaws have become as obvious as the blemishes themselves, the Baltimore Sun reports. And, er, seasoned anchors worry the improvements could shift focus from content to complexion, forcing...

Local TV Pushes Fake Medical News

Peter Fearon — Wed, 25 Apr 2007 08:51:49 CDT

TV stations across America broadcast fake medical news stories that are really ads produced by providers to tout their new techniques and procedures, according to an investigation by the Columbia Journalism Review . “I kick, scream, and fight, and make them as journalistically ethical as possible," says one reporter. "It makes...