Estd. 2002. Politics, tech, startups, media, law, history, philosophy
Dick O’Brien criticises the Irish Times for quoting two different figures for US casualties since May 1st. I am not sure who is right, though I read this today in the Herald Tribune, by Brian Knowlton.
Two more U.S. troops were killed in attacks Sunday and Monday, the 70th and 71st to die in Iraq in guerrilla-style ambushes or from other causes since President George W. Bush declared May 1 that major combat had ended.
“Or other causes”. Hm
Paul over at An Oasis points to a story in the New York Metro about the Guardian publishing a US version for its growing US market. Interesting stuff.
No, he said. Were bringing the Guardian to America. Were going to publish an American version.
Interesting media story over on Volkh, linked to Fox News. A presenter in the US got the sack from MSNBC for his attack on a caller to his show:
Oh, you’re one of the sodomites,” Savage said. “You should only get AIDS and die, you pig. How’s that? Why don’t you see if you can sue me, you pig. You got nothing better than to put me down, you piece of garbage. You have got nothing to do today, go eat a sausage and choke on it.”
Such blatant disregard even for plain manners, nevermind the bullshit logic and insulting language, is reason enough to sack Savage.
The argument between the BBC and Labour communications guru Alastair Campbell has really hotted up. Campbell turned up at Channel 4 News while the show was on the air, completely by surprise. He then went on the show and proceeded to tear into the BBC and their covering of the ‘dodgy dossier’ issue. As ever Jon Snow handled him expertly.
Over at the Times, its noted that
Last night, in an interview for Channel 4 News described by Andrew Marr, the BBCs political editor, as jaw dropping, Jon Snow and Mr Campbell increasingly competed to interrupt each other over the state of BBC journalism.
The Times are also reporting that a group of senior Labour MP’s
will demand that all the BBC radio and television programmes that carried the allegation that Mr Campbell sexed up an intelligence dossier should apologise individually. If the strategy fails to produce the apology Mr Campbell seeks, he will make a formal complaint to the Broadcasting Standards Commission.
You can watch Alastair getting hot under the collar here.
You can read a transcript of his extensive criticisms of the media here. Meanwhile it is making front page news at the Guardian, and of course at the BBC.
The Spectator has an interesting feature by the BBC’s special correspondent John Sweeney. He lambasts John Pilger for ignoring the facts, drawing illogical conclusions and generally misleading of the public.
I accuse John Pilger of cheating the public and favouring a dictator.
Controversial stuff.
My article has been published in the New Statesman. It is on the subject of the drinking culture back home – and current attempts to stop the problems associated with it.
The whole article is available to those who pay, or those who buy it on the news stands. Get your copy now! LOL.
There’s whiskey in the glass . . .
Gavin Sheridan
June 23 2003
The pub, the craic – drinking is part of the culture. But it’s time Ireland counted the cost, writes Gavin Sheridan
The Irish are more associated with alcohol than most other nations and their fondness for drink is the butt of countless jokes.
The Atlantic are carrying the final interview of journalist and editor at large of the Atlantic, before he was killed while working in Iraq. Brilliant stuff.
Deb has got the story on Rick Bragg’s resignation from the NY Times. Great stuff as ever Deb!
Dan Gillmor vents some anger at Colin Powells son and the FCC for changing the rules on media ownership.
Monday, barring an 11th-hour change of bureaucratic heart, the Federal Communications Commission will give a gaggle of powerful corporations a gift of enormous value. The three Republican commissioners will outvote two Democrats in easing long-standing rules designed to prevent a few companies from controlling too much of the media we read, hear and view.
I found the Atlantic website on the Internet over a year ago, having never heard of the magazine before. I liked it so much that I immediately subscribed to it. Since then I have looked forward to it arriving in the letterbox each month, for its exhaustive analysis and second to none journalism.
I arrived home from London saddened. My brother immediately told me I should read this article he had seen in the Atlantic. He had not heard of the death of the Editor at Large, Michael Kelly in Iraq.
As it happened, the article that my brother unwittingly pointed me to was Micheal Kelly’s last in the Atlantic Montly. My brother told me to read it, pointing out its insightfulness and how much he agreed with the writer. I had to to tell my brother the writer was dead, and that his obituary was in today’s Guardian.
For some reason I have yet to figure out I take every death of a journalist or writer very personally. It seems all too many have died in Iraq, through combat or accidents. I hope there will be no more.