Author Archives: admin

JOTR yanks BOBS from the grave

Posted on August 24, 2008 by admin

By Joel Thurtell Last week, I wrote an obituary for the bevy of monthly Detroit Free Press staff awards named after the late Free Press editor, Bob McGruder. They were called the BOBS Awards. Couple weeks ago, staffers received notice … Continue reading →

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‘Comm desk’ — What’s that?

Posted on August 23, 2008 by admin

By Joel Thurtell I heard a good one the other day. The Detroit Free Press is so frantic to be Internet savvy that they’re reorganizing their Web approach. That would make it the 11,000th time. The link between traditional newsroom … Continue reading →

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J school tricks: Making jaundice look ‘balanced’ 1.1

Posted on August 22, 2008 by admin

By Joel Thurtell In my lecture today, I’ll show you budding young journalists how to do what might seem impossible to many writers with less skill than you will have once you complete your training here in Joel’s J School. … Continue reading →

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Cover’s here: UP THE ROUGE!

Posted on August 21, 2008 by admin

By Joel Thurtell Here it is! Wayne State University Press has sent us images of the cover they’ve designed for the book I co-authored with Patricia Beck about our June 2005 canoe trip up the Rouge River through Metro Detroit. … Continue reading →

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Message to guv: butt out

Posted on August 20, 2008 by admin

By Joel Thurtell It took a Wayne County Circuit judge to do what Detroit’s Sludgegate-tainted City Council members should have had brains enough to do. Butt out. Now it’s time for Michigan’s governor to realize there is only one proper … Continue reading →

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Trash is trash if junk’s in the Rouge

Posted on August 19, 2008 by admin

By Joel Thurtell Knowing of my interest in the Rouge River, my friend John W. Smith told me about what he thought might be the remains of a 19th century mill lying in the Rouge not far from his home … Continue reading →

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‘New Journalism’ check-list

Posted on August 18, 2008 by admin

By Joel Thurtell Let’s say you’re a pinko, left-wing think tank. Or, hey, maybe you’re a bunch of fascists on the right. For the sake of this lecture in Joel’s J School, it doesn’t matter how you’re aligned on the … Continue reading →

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Bye-bye, BOBS!

Posted on August 17, 2008 by admin

By Joel Thurtell BOBS is dead. That’s the word I’m hearing from insiders at The Detroit Free Press. What’s BOBS? It was a neat monthly set of awards voted by Freepsters to fellow staffers for taking the best photo, writing … Continue reading →

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Kwamegate and Detroit’s presumption of guilt

Posted on August 16, 2008 by admin

By Joel Thurtell For three hours, sanity replaced the spite that governs the ever-more-depressing courtroom saga of Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick. Despite the histrionics of an assistant Wayne County prosecuting attorney, Wayne Circuit Judge Leonard Townsend flatly stated in court … Continue reading →

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Playing dumb

Posted on August 15, 2008 by admin

By Joel Thurtell Like everyone else in Michigan, I’ve been following Kwamegate pretty religiously. How can you not? The stories are everywhere, even when there’s not a story. Occasionally, when my reactions to media coverage become too powerful to control, … Continue reading →

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