This Shorenstein Center report includes transcripts from a conference sponsored by the Shorenstein Center, featuring keynote speeches from Arianna Huffington, founder of the Huffington Post and Ellen Goodman, author and journalist, as well as research on women’s engagement with political news by Shauna Shames of Rutgers University and Marion Just of Wellesley College. Download the […]
A paper by Elizabeth A. Stein, spring 2007 fellow, evaluates the theory that in authoritarian regimes, leaders of civil society follow the mainstream press not so much for the specific information it provides, but rather as a barometer for the government’s tolerance for opposition activities or to gauge the government’s ability to quash such activities.
This study by the Shorenstein Center and the Project for Excellence in Journalism found that in the early months of the 2008 presidential campaign, the media had already winnowed the race to mostly five candidates and offered Americans relatively little information about their records or what they would do if elected. The press also gave
A paper by Charles Lewis, spring 2006 fellow, argues that despite the growing audience for non-profit news outlets such as NPR, there are few such organizations that have a sustained commitment to investigative reporting. This paper discusses four nonprofit investigative journalism organizations on three continents dedicated solely to publishing investigative content: the largest in the
The Growing Importance of Nonprofit Journalism Read More »
A paper by Allan M. Siegal, fall 2006 fellow, argues that while mainstream journalists almost uniformly advocate self-restraint on sensitive intelligence and military secrets, press and government are clearly unable to agree on definitions of “sensitive.” This paper examines vetting arrangements described by journalists and capsule case histories of both agreement and refusal to withhold
Secrets about Secrets: The Backstage Conversations between Press and Government Read More »
A paper by Jill Carroll, fall 2006 fellow, argues that media companies that cut back on foreign bureaus and correspondents are making a financial miscalculation and missing an opportunity to capitalize on an undervalued asset. High-quality foreign news coverage is in demand by readers and viewers, particularly by middle-aged, upper income consumers – an attractive
Foreign News Coverage: The U.S. Media’s Undervalued Asset Read More »
A paper by Marvin Kalb, Edward R. Murrow Professor of Practice Emeritus, follows the trajectory of the media from objective observer to fiery advocate in the Israeli-Hezbollah War, based on content analysis of global media and interviews with many diplomats and journalists. The paper also shows how an open society, Israel, is victimized by its
The Israeli-Hezbollah War of 2006: The Media as a Weapon in Asymmetrical Conflict Read More »
A speech delivered by John S. Carroll, Knight Visiting Lecturer 2005-2006 (deceased), at the 2006 meeting of the American Society of Newspaper Editors addresses the technological changes facing the news industry, but more importantly, a conflict between the business and editorial sides of newspapers. Carroll discusses new models of ownership, and the problems that can
What Will Become of Newspapers? Read More »
A paper by Kevin Ryan, fall 2005 fellow, argues that Army manpower is a subject that is often misunderstood and misreported. How does the status of Army manpower affect the nation’s War on Terror? What if the manpower demands of concurrent wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have sapped the country’s ability to deploy to the next
Army Manpower and the War on Terror Read More »
A paper by Cristine Russell, spring 2006 fellow, surveys the state of science journalism, and finds that as the pace of new developments in science and technology quickens, journalists are increasingly confronted with covering complicated technical information as well as the potential social, legal, religious, and political consequences of scientific research. More coverage of the
Covering Controversial Science: Improving Reporting on Science and Public Policy Read More »
The Shorenstein Center on Media, Politics and Public Policy is a Harvard Kennedy School research center dedicated to exploring and illuminating the intersection of press, politics and public policy in theory and practice. The Center strives to bridge the gap between journalists and scholars, and between them and the public.
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