The structure of contemporary American journalism is often described using the metaphor of walls. The news operation and editorial board are separated by walls. The newsroom and advertising department are divided by walls. And so on. The idea behind this walled structure is autonomy and independence. If news and advertising are separated, then reporters and… Continue reading Book review: ‘Journalistic Autonomy: The Genealogy of a Concept’
My summer plans
The 2022-23 academic year at UNC-Chapel Hill is over. We made it! Here is my agenda for the summer: Lead a week-long residency for our online master’s program in digital communication. A dozen students will get training in video production from my colleague Chad Heartwood. I will meet with them for brainstorming sessions for their… Continue reading My summer plans
Q&A with Ellie Heffernan of Mountain State Spotlight
Ellie Heffernan is a Report for America corps member and community watchdog reporter at Mountain State Spotlight, based in Charleston, West Virginia. She is a graduate of UNC-Chapel Hill and has written for several North Carolina publications, including INDY Week. In this interview, conducted by email, Heffernan discusses her role at Mountain State Spotlight, including… Continue reading Q&A with Ellie Heffernan of Mountain State Spotlight
A wealth of reporting from Puerto Rico
This semester, students in a multimedia course at UNC-Chapel Hill traveled to Puerto Rico during spring break. Their mission: Cover issues affecting the island and its people five years after Hurricanes Irma and Maria struck. After their trip, students in my News Editing course back on the mainland contributed by editing drafts of feature stories… Continue reading A wealth of reporting from Puerto Rico
Great guests
Paola Pérez of The News & Observer meets with an editing class via Zoom. The conversation covered topics such as how the N&O uses email newsletters and social media platforms. The 2022-23 academic year is in the home stretch. The last day of class at UNC-Chapel Hill is April 28, followed by exam week and… Continue reading Great guests
Your guides to AP style
Christine Steele, Andy Bechtel and Lisa McLendon at the ACES conference in Columbus, Ohio. The annual conference of ACES: The Society for Editing is in full swing in Columbus, Ohio. More than 500 editors from news, government, academia, corporations and freelance are attending — and yes, we are nerding out on everything editing. Here's what I… Continue reading Your guides to AP style
How I spent spring break
UNC-Chapel Hill's spring break is wrapping up. Classes resume on Monday. Here's how I spent my break: graded midterm exams and other assignments; reviewed applications for an online master’s program in digital communication; prepared presentations and assignments for classes; prepared for a panel for the upcoming conference of ACES: The Society for Editing; took care of mundane… Continue reading How I spent spring break
Q&A with Adrienne Lu of the Chronicle of Higher Education
Adrienne Lu is a senior reporter at the Chronicle of Higher Education. She has previously worked at Stateline, The Philadelphia Inquirer, The (Bergen County) Record in New Jersey, and The News & Observer in Raleigh, North Carolina. This interview was conducted by email. Q. Describe your job. What is your typical workweek like? A. I… Continue reading Q&A with Adrienne Lu of the Chronicle of Higher Education
Q&A with Sara Salinas of CNBC.com
Sara Salinas is deputy business editor at CNBC.com. A native of Maryland, she has worked in various roles at CNBC since earning a degree in journalism from UNC-Chapel Hill in 2017. In this interview, conducted by email, Salinas discusses her role at CNBC (including editing and headline writing) and offers advice to college students interested… Continue reading Q&A with Sara Salinas of CNBC.com
Amazon frown
Last week, I was sad to hear that Amazon is ending Amazon Smile. The program allowed customers to have a sliver of each Amazon purchase donated to charity. Amazon says the program "has not grown to create the impact that we had originally hoped" since its creation in 2013. The program will end in February… Continue reading Amazon frown