Friday 28 March 2008

Newsweek helps out New York Times Travel Section.

Whoops.

Not sure we'll be reading about B.A, Argentina in the International Herald Tribune anytime soon.

According to an Argentinian blogger, 'in an apparently well-researched article', a NYT travel editor riffed off (oris it ripped off?) another media as Mike Oreskes would say. Similarities between a piece about Buenos Aires in Newsweek and the NYT are startling.

Look, I do it all the time, so I appreciate the problem of just nicking people's material and using it but I am, I hope, up front about it.

To avoid doing it, I wont cut and paste and instead direct you to check out the link below which has riffed off the blogger.


http://www.mediabistro.com/fishbowlny/newspapers/did_the_new_york_times_travel_editor_steal_a_story_from_newsweek_80946.asp

Wednesday 26 March 2008

Abraham H. Foxman

Abraham H. Foxman is back in the letters pages of the International Herald Tribune today.

Mr. Foxman is the New York U.S. national director of the Anti-Defamation League.

A quick search on www.iht.com shows he has about 3 letters published a year.

One observation, one question:

a) Observation: Like most of the letter writers to the IHT, he is not a one-off contributor. Most IHT letter writers have appeared before, so in this respect, there is nothing unusual about his regular appearances.

b) Question: is there a pro-Palestinian organisation, or even a Palestinian letter writer, who has about 3 letters a year published in the IHT?

I don't know the answer to my question but I think the IHT should check that if there is, they get the same exposure as Mr. Foxman.

If there isn't such an organised Palestinian voice, I would say it reflects badly on the public relations infrastructure of the Palestinian people, and perhaps they need some help.

Tuesday 25 March 2008

Looney Tunes at www.iht.com

Has anyone had a careful read of who and what is being posted on the "B.Hussein Obama, he's a pinko, Commie, American-hating, sodomite loving, racist, grandmother-throwing-under-bus SOCIALST LIBERAL!" discussion group at www.iht.com?

http://www.iht.com/articles/2008/03/23/america/liberal.php?d=1#comment?d=1&m=1

Has any iht.com discussion board attracted more comments (soon approaching 600) with so few from IHT readers outside the USA?

It's a Hannity Fox-fest.

Bring it down man. It's just too weird.

And who's moderating this stuff? If you wouldn't publish it as a letter in the IHT why let some of this stuff get posted?

I'm not talking about free speech, I'm talking about quality of debate.