commentary news stories on Newser

Keith's 'No Journalist'— Let Him Donate

Matt Cantor — Mon, 08 Nov 2010 11:22:32 CST

Keith Olbermann shouldn’t have been taken to task for donating to Democrats because he’s not a journalist—he’s a commentator, argues Meghan McCain in the Daily Beast . But the kerfuffle spotlights a key issue as the lines between entertainment, journalism, and commentary blur: News outlets need to decide which category...

NBC's Olympics Better on Mute

Polly Davis Doig — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 09:26:21 CST

The Olympics are supposed to be about the grand human drama of sports, entire lives culminating in this one shot at glory. So “why do we insist, like a bunch of preschoolers, on talking all the way through them?” demands LA Times TV critic Mary McNamara. NBC’s commentary is all...

Obama to Write Cover Story on Haiti for Newsweek

Emily Rauhala — Fri, 15 Jan 2010 08:35:18 CST

President Obama will write a cover story about Haiti for the next edition of Newsweek , which will hit the newsstands Monday. How did the newsweekly snag him? Editor Jon Meacham simply called up David Axelrod, who put the question to his boss, the Wall Street Journal reports.

Nev. Newspaper Defends Commenters' Anonymity

Nick McMaster — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 16:34:39 CDT

A tax-evasion trial has sparked a free-speech controversy at the Las Vegas Review-Journal . The paper has declined to honor a federal subpoena demanding the identities of everyone who commented on an article on the trial. Businessman Robert Kahre faces tax-fraud charges for hiding the real value of sales of gold...

Now I Know Why Lefties Hate Me Too: Milbank

Kevin Spak — Sat, 18 Apr 2009 18:22:00 CDT

On the advice of a colleague, columnist Dana Milbank diligently read the comments left by some 1,800 readers last week. And he discovered some fascinating things. “On Tuesday, I learned that I am a right-wing hack. I am a certified idiot. I am Republican flack,” he writes in the...

5 Best Songs You Didn't Hear in 2008

Paul Stinson — Thu, 11 Dec 2008 12:34:13 CST

Test your indie chops, courtesy of Esquire , which rounds up the five best tunes you probably didn’t hear this year: “Jingle Bells,” Julian Koster: There's not a single bell in this holiday classic, just a harrowing singing saw. “One Last Round,” Ron Sexsmith: Sharp commentary on American consumption never sounded...