Tag Archives: Washington Post

Authoritarianism expert: where is one?

Faith and Social Justice, , ,
pressdamn-300x250
Graphic from PressThink

Joy Rosen’s Press Think blog (illustration above) explains what strategies journalists can use in a Trump administration. One idea:

Make common cause with scholars who have been there. Especially experts in authoritarianism and countries when democratic conditions have been undermined, so you know what to watch for— and report on. (Creeping authoritarianism is a beat: who do you have on it?)

So WHO at a New Jersey college is an expert on that? People who know, weigh in please!

Another idea: track Trump’s promises as here in the Washington Post and then get yourself on the radio to talk about them.

I have a suggestion for the ‘ordinary’ concerned citizen:Reporters are going to be looking for sources beyond the usual ones. If you know about a broken promise, a sullied right, a violation of civil rights — contact a reporter. If you don’t know a reporter, maybe I can help you find one. If you see something . . . say something. 

 

 

 

Sly grin: Reporters as deliverers?

Business, Memoir, , , , , , ,
lisbon delivery boy
In Lisbon, Portugal, a delivery boy is featured on the monument for  newspaper magnate Eduardo Coelho

I couldn’t help but smile when I saw that Boston Globe reporters, frustrated by delivery problems, volunteered to get out and actually deliver Sunday’s paper themselves. Article here, courtesy of my Twitter feed. In 1986, for my first week at U.S. 1, everyone on the staff (plus the freelancers) loaded up with papers and headed out from Mapleton Road to their delivery routes.

As Rich Rein used to say . . . “When you deliver, you get to know your readers.” Our deliverers are also paid to be reporters — to note when companies come and go. Even when we moved “up” to Roszel Road, cheerful willingness to pitch in on delivery was a condition of employment.

I couldn’t help but be sad when I realized that the Globe fired 600 people who worked for its former delivery service. Yes they hired 600 more  but the previous workers were surely living on the margins, some struggling to learn a new language in a new country. You don’t work midnight to eight, putting miles and miles on your car or your feet, unless you really need the money.

Then I remembered how gratifying it was for those of us who wrote the paper to actually deliver a paper that is warmly welcomed by its readers.  In virtually all the buildings, I would be greeted by — “Oh good, U.S. 1 is here, thank you!”

Globe reporters got thanked too.

boston globe photo
from this Tweet https://twitter.com/HappitoBurrito/status/683497867626049536/photo/1?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw