Category Archives: future of newspapers

‘New Journalism’ check-list

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!

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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A TRUE ethics policy revisited

By Joel Thurtell Still on vacation. Hope you don’t mind another retread. I think this essay on ethics is important and I plan to follow with more thoughts on what’s important and what’s not important to credibility for journalists. With … Continue reading

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Joel on the road — but the roadmap has changed

By Joel Thurtell I’m on vacation, folks. Pecking away at my laptop in a Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario motel. It’s August 2, and I have fresh columns through August 6. Oh-oh. I promised I’d post something new every day. Many … Continue reading

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Rebellion at joelontheroad.com

By Joel Thurtell [donation] Oh boy. Have I got trouble. The staff at joelontheroad.com is up in arms. Absolutely PO’ed. Nobody’s writing articles. They’re all griping about me. Luke Warm, my roving reporter, is boiling mad, and that’s not like … Continue reading

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joelontheroad, 24/7

By Joel Thurtell [donation] With rumors that the Detroit Free Press is mulling a twice-weekly publication schedule in tabloid form, I want to assure readers of joelontheroad.com that no publication cutbacks are being planned here. Au contraire, I’m mulling (isn’t … Continue reading

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‘Sources say’ — Free Press mantra

By Joel Thurtell [donation] I don’t give a rat’s ass whether the governor of Michigan called a federal prosecutor. But I’m sick and tired of the Detroit Free Press dumping on the world its daily tabloid-style rants dressed up as … Continue reading

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Detroit dailies: 116 take buyouts

By Joel Thurtell [donation] I didn’t need an updated personnel directory to find the 17 Freepsters leaving the paper in the latest round of cost-cutting buyouts. They’re all old time Detroit Free Press people. Easy to find them on my … Continue reading

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Bad dream?

By Joel Thurtell   [donation]   Maybe jet lag  accounts for my awful dream.   It seemed as if I’d stepped into a Hollywood movie set for a film called “The Future of Newspapers.”   Except this scenario was scripted … Continue reading

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Paperless Free Press?

By Joel Thurtell [donation] Did you know that the Detroit Free Press is now a news ORGANIZATION? It’s not a newsPAPER any more. Surprise! That object you’re reading with your morning coffee has gained three syllables. What’s going on? A … Continue reading

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