Monthly Archives: June 2018

A Dissenting Voice on Coverage of Politicians’ Families

I may be in the minority, but I generally disagree with the unspoken rule that politicians’ family members are off-limits to the press.

If politicians use warm and fuzzy images of family members to score points with voters, they can’t cry foul when the media subjects them to scrutiny – as is the case with today’s nj.com story about the legal troubles of New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy’s son Joshua.

According to the story, the younger Murphy “actively campaigned for his father, appearing on his behalf on college campuses and in television commercials with his family.”

By virtue of his father’s office and his public role in the gubernatorial campaign, Joshua Murphy is a public figure, and his troubles with the law are legitimate news.

 

Understanding the Tough Times at The Buffalo News Can Lead to Brighter Future for the Newspaper

Given the fiscal state of the news industry, the changes underway at The Buffalo News are not unique. To offset revenue losses, newspapers across the nation have bid farewell to longtime reporters, eliminated once-popular sections and removed jobs that involved covering important beats, such as education, the environment and transportation.

What makes the situation at The Buffalo News different is timing. Continue reading–