With $2.6 billion in assets, the Miami-based John S. and James L. Knight Foundation is the 22nd largest foundation in the United States. Its mission is the betterment of the 26 communities in which it works and the promotion of journalism as a career and industry nationwide. The latter part of Knight’s mission is... Continue Reading →
Super Bowl’s Greatest Commercials are never forgotten! PODCAST INTERVIEW
Here’s something you probably don’t know about Mr. Media. The second of my nine books was actually about football -- Why Men Watch Football, in fact. So when the opportunity to interview Bob Horowitz came about, how could I resist? Bob is the creator and producer of the annual special, “Super Bowl’s Greatest Commercials.”... Continue Reading →
94 David Andelman on A Shattered Peace–was WWII preventable? PODCAST INTERVIEW
David Andelman and I have been connected via the internet for the last few years. I frequently receive emails from people who remember me from CBS News or The New York Times, who want to reconnect via Facebook or network through LinkedIn. Unfortunately, I never worked for CBS News or The New York Times. And... Continue Reading →
88 Cranky Old Dude: A Mr. Media Essay Classic
Originally published July 28, 1997 I hate getting old. Oh, it's not the crow's feet at the edge of the eyes or the bags under them. It's not the sagging of some parts, the inner tube effect of others or even the occasional forgetting of details, dates or names. What I hate about aging is... Continue Reading →
87 What is Randall Lane’s P.O.V., anyway? INTERVIEW
Originally published July 21, 1997 Don't hate Randall Lane because he's arrogant. As editor in chief of P.O.V., a new men's magazine waging war in a brutally competitive marketplace, he makes a little attitude go a long way. Take P.O.V.'s all-out frontal assault on arch-rival Details, a 10-year-old magazine of choice for tattooed, body-piercing slacker... Continue Reading →
80 Roger Black on magazine design in the age of the Web! INTERVIEW
(From 1997) "There is a reason why they don't play Montovani in elevators any more," chuckles world-renowned media designer Roger Black. He's explaining why Reader's Digest hired the man who freshened up Rolling Stone to bring its look and feel forward to the 21st century. "You are more likely to hear Talking Heads than the... Continue Reading →
79 David Lauren’s new mag is his gen’s Swing! INTERVIEW
Originally published May 26, 1997 If you know someone in their 20s who needs a boost in self-confidence or direction, try sending them a copy of David Lauren's Swing magazine. The 25-year-old publisher is on a mission to propel his generation to greatness. "When I started the magazine," he says, "there was no magazine that... Continue Reading →
78 Can CompuServe Be Saved? ESSAY
Originally published May 19, 1997 My first experience with the online world was back in the mid-1980s. A CompuServe disk came in the box with my first Apple computer, a IIc, and as geeky as the company's name was, I couldn't wait to try it out. The brochure promised a world of information, discussion groups... Continue Reading →
66 Sree Sreenivasan on the future of journalism, j-school and more! PODCAST INTERVIEW
Today's Guest: Sree Sreenivasan, Chief Digital Officer, Columbia University I don’t know about you, but I could spend hours on end doing stuff on the Internet, some of it productive, some of it, well, not. And some days, it’s hard separating the two because one is generally just as distracting as the other. I’m... Continue Reading →
62 The day Mr. Magazine met Mr. Media in glorious color! INTERVIEW
Today's Guest: Samir Husni, Ph.D., a.k.a. "Mr. Magazine" (Originally Published September 2, 1996) Samir Husni has come a long way since buying his first Superman comic book on a Lebanese newsstand 35 years ago. Today, the acting chairman of the University of Mississippi journalism department spends more money on magazines in a month — topping... Continue Reading →