The New York Observer » Media http://www.observer.com Just another WordPress site Tue, 14 Feb 2012 12:35:47 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en Reporter Claims Banning from New York Mets Credentials Because the Mets ‘Don’t Like My Reporting’ Pitchers and catchers report for Spring Training in less than two weeks! Not reporting with them (at least, not officially): The Journal News' sports reporter and Lo Hud Mets Blog writer Howard Megdal, who posted to the site today a story about his de-credentialing by the New York Mets. The reason, he says, is because the Mets "don't like my reporting." Read More

]]> http://www.observer.com/2012/02/howard-megdal-mets-banned-02062012/ 10 Questions with Chris Mohney, Editor-in-Chief of Tumblr’s New Editorial Project Yesterday, the New York Times broke news of blogging platform and social media network Tumblr's new editorial project. The project was characterized as something that will be "documenting the Tumblr service and marketing it to users."

In the same article, the project's editor-in-chief—(2011 NYO Media Poachable) Chris Mohney, who will be leaving his post as the Vice President of Content at BlackBook—explained that it will avoid "forced attempts at corporate boosterism." This is odd, because a forced attempt at corporate boosterism is exactly what this nebulous project sounds like. Then again, Mohney (who, before BlackBook, was an editor at regular Tumblr-antagonist Gawker) will be manning the project with Jessica Bennett, a journalist leaving her post at Newsweek/The Daily Beast to jump on board. Read More

]]> http://www.observer.com/2012/02/tumblr-editor-chris-mohney-02022012/ Sarah Lacy Goes After TechCrunch: ‘Not to Be a Dick, But Are You Still a News Site?’ A former TechCrunch employee—in the great tradition of many a former TechCrunch employee—is going after the site, asking them on Twitter: "not trying to be a dick but are you still a news site?"

The egregious offense of journalism Lacy offered up for her case? Read More

]]> http://www.observer.com/2012/02/sarah-lacy-techcrunch-feud-02012012/ Greg Kelly’s Greatest Hits: Five of the Rape-Accused Fox News Anchor’s Best TV Moments If you weren't familiar with the inarguable charms of Greg Kelly—the former White House correspondent, NY1 anchor, son of police commissioner Ray Kelly, and Good Day New York host—you should be. He's recently been in the news for having run into the law. Before he was a New York Post headline, he was a regular punchline on The Soup, E! Television's weekly rundown of the most ridiculous things on TV. Read More

]]> http://www.observer.com/2012/01/greg-kelly-moments-video-01272012/ English Majors and Journalists: You Are Not The 1%, And You Pretty Much Never Will Be New York City is one of the world's gravitational centers for the media and publishing industries; this, of course, results in an inordinate concentration of English majors. News for up-and-coming English majors that already-graduated English majors are likely well-acquainted with: You're not gonna make any money. Read More

]]> http://www.observer.com/2012/01/english-majors-income-01192011/ Deleted Scenes from Per Se, New York City’s Nicest Restaurant: Bathroom Sex, a “Puke-And-Rally,” Etc This week's New York Magazine is a series of "Workplace Confidential" essays, which include a former Lehman Brothers banker who thinks "nobody is making that much money" on Wall Street, a Page Six reporter shilling for News Corp on the DL, a firefighter who thinks anyone with post-traumatic stress disorder should "fucking get over it," a Hollywood agent who explains that "the abject lying is crazy" in his business, and other testimonials from people saying things we already knew they thought. Read More

]]> http://www.observer.com/2012/01/banned-per-se-01092011/ More NYT Buyouts: Diana B. Henriques, Eric Dash, Bob Harris, and The Reporter Who Didn’t Get One IN MID-OCTOBER, a memo was sent out to all New York Times editorial staffers, from recently-installed Times executive editor Jill Abramson, managing editor Dean Baquet, and managing editor for news operations John M. Geddes: plans to reducing the newsroom with a series of voluntary buyout packages were underway, with Ms. Abramson's projected count at "fewer than 20."

Over the last week, news of eight buyouts—including veteran columnists Clyde Haberman and George Vecsey, as well as T Magazine's executive editor Andy Port—and tributes to the respectively retired Timespeople were circulated internally, a cache of which we posted earlier. There are two three that we missed, and one that we didn't (but could've). UPDATED. Read More

]]> http://www.observer.com/2011/12/nyt-buyouts-2011-diana-henriques-eric-dash-12192011/ Goodbye, Gray Lady: New York Times Legends Take Buyouts, Internal Tributes Follow in Suit OVER THE WEEKEND, the New York Times' 'Sports of the Times' columnist George Vecsey surprised regular readers with his Saturday column this week, which he used to announce a change in his schedule: "it is time to step back (not using the R-word) and write for the paper occasionally.”

Mr. Vecsey was one of several Times veterans who signed off on the latest round of buyout packages recently offered to the paper's staffers, many of whom were publicly mourned on Twitter by Times staffers ("Some really good people leaving @nytimes with the latest round of voluntary buyouts. Paper will be less w/o them," one wrote).

The Observer was recently passed on a series of communiques from the Times in-house blog detailing who took the buyouts. In addition to Mr. Vecsey, a 30-year veteran of the paper, they are: Read More

]]> http://www.observer.com/2011/12/new-york-times-buyouts-leaked-12192011/ Notes on the NYPD Press Credentialing Process, from the (Ineligible) Editor-in-Chief of the New York Observer In a note responding to an earlier post from TheAwl detailing the various media organization associations of 26 reporters arrested during the Occupy Wall Street protests, Bloomberg spokesperson Stu Loeser tried to dismiss any accusations that the arrests were improper by noting that only five of the reporters arrested had valid NYPD press credentials. He then went on to Tweet at Observer News Editor Megan McCarthy:

@megan, you don’t have a press pass; that’s your option. But why should some random NYPD take your word that you’re press?

Aside from the question of whether credentialing by law enforcement is appropriate in the first place (inasmuch as it can potentially conflict with first amendment protections), the NYPD's processes for acquiring credentials are, to put it nicely, Kafkaesque. To put it bluntly: they're ridiculous. Read More

]]> http://www.observer.com/2011/11/nypd-press-credentialing-11182011/ Bloomberg Spokesperson Admits Arresting Credentialed Reporters, Reading The Awl Stu Loeser, Mayor Bloomberg's spokesperson, just sent out a note regarding an Awl report listing the names of reporters arrested during the Occupy Wall Street protests. In the email, reprinted below, he goes on the attack, noting that only 5 of the 26 reporters arrested are credentialed by the city, almost as if to distinguish between the rights of credentialed and non-credentialed reporters.

And who were the actual, real, card-carrying, government certified reporters arrested? AP reporter Julie Walker and Patrick Hedlund from DNA Info were both issued Desk Appearance Tickets for Disorderly Conduct, while Paul Lomax of DNA Info and Karen Matthews and Seth Wenig, both of the AP, had their arrests for trespassing voided.

Full memo after the jump. Do enjoy, and, don't forget: Bloomberg's spokesperson reads The Awl. Be less stupid: Read More

]]> http://www.observer.com/2011/11/bloomberg-spokesperson-admits-arresting-credentialed-reporters-reading-the-awl/ Occupy Wall Street’s Diaspora Day, 3PM Update: Reporter Arrest Tally Adds Up As Court Ruling is Awaited When we last checked in, protesters and police were standing off at Zuccotti Park as NYPD officers guarded anyone from entering, openly disobeying a New York Supreme Court Judge's injunction against barring anyone from entering the park. The judge was removed from the case, a new one was presented, and we're currently awaiting a verdict as to whether the protesters will be allowed back into the park. Read More

]]> http://www.observer.com/2011/11/occupy-wall-streets-diaspora-day-3pm-update-reporter-arrest-tally-adds-up-as-court-ruling-is-awaited/ Updated: Bloomberg Media Promotes, Fires Gay Person: Lawsuit Filed Updated: The New York Observer has been informed that Mr. Martinez has already filed the lawsuit.
Brian Martinez, Bloomberg Media's former International Managing Director of Television, filed a lawsuit against his ex-employer this week. His claim? That he was discriminated against because of his sexual orientation, as well as something that Michael Musto from Village Voice is relaying as "perceived disability discrimination."
Read More

]]> http://www.observer.com/2011/10/bloomberg-media-promotes-fires-gay-person-lawsuit-to-follow/ Media Poachables 2011: The 25 Editors and Staffers to Steal For Your Masthead IT'S A BUYER'S MARKET, AND THEY'RE JUST IN IT. Only three years after 2008 ravaged many a media property, New York's editorial operations haven't just thawed, but many are now on a hiring hot streak.

Read More

]]> http://www.observer.com/2011/09/2011s-media-poachables-the-25-editors-and-staffers-to-steal-for-your-masthead/ How Did Brian Williams End Up Having Lunch at the Gawker Offices? NBC Nightly News anchor and regular cut-up Brian Williams is currently having lunch at the Gawker offices right now, when he's not staring at their televisions (shout out to the early hominids). How'd he end up there? Read More

]]> http://www.observer.com/2011/09/how-did-brian-williams-end-up-having-lunch-at-the-gawker-offices/ Five Rosh Hashanah-Related Events In NYC For Guilty Jews Tonight is Rosh Hashanah, the holiday that rings in the New Year on the Jewish calendar...which is why we're surprised that there aren't more splashy media parties celebrating the event here in New York. While it's not entirely true that all of the media is owned by five Jewish Bankers (who are all probably distracted Read More

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