Jim Melvin has been a friend of mine for more than twenty years and, for as long as I’ve known him, his driving interest has been writing an epic fantasy series, something that might find shelf space alongside J.R.R. Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings trilogy. But life kept getting in the way. He was... 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 →
45 Pete Hamill edits NY Daily News, revisits A Drinking Life! INTERVIEW
Originally Published December 30, 1996 Look up the word "journalist" in any dictionary in New York City and you'll probably see Pete Hamill's mug staring back at you. The legendary newsman, a veteran of all three of the city's tabloids, returned to the New York Daily News on January 1 for what he's calling the... Continue Reading →
44 Consumer Reports editor Kim Kleman: “We take it seriously.” PODCAST INTERVIEW
Today's Guest: Kim Kleman, editor, Consumer Reports (Note from Mr. Media: Kim Kleman left Consumer Reports in June, 2013 after 16 years and joined The American Lawyer as Editor-in-Chief in February 2014.) In the 1970’s, my dad never made any purchase of substance without consulting Consumer Reports. Vacuum cleaners, toaster ovens, window air conditioners,... Continue Reading →
42 Dave Jones: Journalism at NY Times is good business! INTERVIEW
Originally Published March 17, 1997 If daily newspapers are truly on the endangered species list, The New York Times didn't get the memo. While other newspapers cut back and staff on pages or blunder their way into electronic publishing, the Gray Lady is adding regional editions in Boston and Washington, D.C. and breaking out sports... Continue Reading →
36 Zippy the Pinhead cartoonist Bill Griffith and polka dots! INTERVIEW
Is there room in prime time TV for another pinhead? And not just any pinhead, but the original, Zippy the Pinhead? Because ready or not, he appears headed toward a cable channel near you, possibly as soon as this fall. Bill Griffith, 53, who created Zippy as an afterthought in an underground comic book more... Continue Reading →
19 Kit Boss takes his Creature Comforts from animation! PODCAST INTERVIEW
BOB ANDELMAN: Kit, welcome to Mr. Media. (2012 UPDATE: Congratulations to Kit Boss, who shared an Emmy nomination for "Outstanding Animated Program" as consulting producer of "Bob's Burgers" on Fox!) The confounding thing about seeing your friends become successful is that while you’re obviously happy for the good things that come their way, a... Continue Reading →
12 Florida writer Tim Dorsey packs a Hurricane Punch of parody! PODCAST INTERVIEW
Today's Guest: Novelist Tim Dorsey, author of Hurricane Punch. The first time I tried my hand at fiction in high school, it was a way of dealing with people and issues that I couldn’t handle in real life. My friends thought it was hysterical and that I was a little twisted. In college, I... Continue Reading →
10 Boob tube talk: St. Petersburg Times critic Eric Deggans! PODCAST INTERVIEW
Today's Guest: Eric Deggans, media critic, St. Petersburg Times, NPR Eric Deggans is easily one of the smartest journalists I know. Okay, okay, I know some of you connect “smart” and “journalist” and chuckle the way other people combine “military” and “intelligence.” But trust me, Eric is really bright. He has his own way... Continue Reading →
6 At Poynter’s NewsU, Finberg teaches journalism to masses! PODCAST INTERVIEW
You may not know my guest today by name, but it’s safe to say that if you read an English-language newspaper anywhere in the world, Howard Finberg is having at least an indirect effect on its content. Finberg is Director of Interactive Learning for NewsU, the online training and education arm of The Poynter... Continue Reading →