Some links I've discussed this semester

Some links I’ve shown in class this semester

•          Krugman on Colbert (2011)

•          Krugman v. O’Reilly (2006)

•          RCP: electoral map

•          NPR’s “Fact Check” for the debate

Feeding frenzies:

1976: Carter too timid

1984: Reagan too old

1988: Quayle too dumb

1988: Dukakis too stiff: “death penalty” question

1988: Dukakis (Lovitz) on SNL

1992: Bush senior too out of touch: debate with Clinton

1996 Third party debate

Obama’s 2004 convention speech

Yes, We Can (Will.i.am)

Dean’s “I Have a Scream” speech

Dave Chappelle’s version

The “Dean Scream,” revisited by ABC News

•          Clinton on MTV: Boxers or Briefs?

•          Jeremy Paxman asks one question 12 times.

•          Colbert at White House Correspondents dinner (2006)

•          Franken O’Reilly

•          1. zero to 7

•          2.  4:00 to 9

•          3 at 2:30

•          Colbert O’Reilly

•          What was said in Hopkinton at 38:26?

•         

•          What you missed by missing the frat party.

•          New Hampshire Secretary of State

•          Kristof says security is paramount; Kristof talks about his detachment

•          Kristof talks about the paradox of one’s inability to talk about big numbers

•          From OutFoxed

•         

•          Anderson Cooper

•          Ann Coulter on Herman Cain

Nate Silver’s multimedia calculator

NPR’s commentary with David Brooks and E.J. Dionne

Jay Walking

Perry in New Hampshire, noted by Bill Maher.

The Daily Show on Romney’s victory.

Pew Research Center for the People & the Press (general, policy views)

Michael Bloomberg on the First Amendment

Herman Cain on Libya

•          O’Donnell on Pawlenty

•          O’Reilly on pepper spray

•          Gingrich on child labor laws

Colbert on Kyl

Pepper spray is OK!

Here’s O’Reilly’s take on the UC Davis pepper spray incident.  Enjoy, and then have a restful Thanksgiving…

http://youtu.be/MNXPB6TFZgE

Here's the rough schedule for the rest of the semester:

Friday: Tuned Out (handout)

Monday (11/14): Three- or four page paper draft due

 

Using the articles and chapters about young people and news, write a three- or four- page paper about the topic, concentrating on evaluating the arguments, particularly in light of new media, like Facebook and Twitter. Requirements:

one outside printed source (no Wikipedia)

one reference to class readings or lectures  

footnotes

your own words and ideas  

let your great argument dazzle

 

Wednesday (11/16): paper due; New Hampshire Secretary of State: Divvy up minor candidates

 

Friday (11/18) : Minor candidate reports

 

Monday(11/21): Minor candidate reports

 

Week after Thanksgiving (11/28): finalize template, group projects, edit minor candidate reports

 

Week of 12/5: post minor candidate reports, conclusion, take-home final exam given out

Noonan

If you're looking for Noonan's column, it is here.

Homework for the week of Nov. 7

Monday (11/7):

Keep up with the news and read:

Nate Silver, “Is Obama Toast?” (New York Times)

Hendrik Hertzberg, “Occupational Hazards” (New Yorker)

Wednesday (11/9):

Keep up with the news and read:

”Young People and News,” Harvard study

Mindich "The Young and the Restless," Wilson Quarterly

Mindich, "Dude, Where's Your Newspaper?" Op-Ed, Chron. of Higher Ed.

Friday (11/11):

 

Keep up with the news and read:

Introduction, chapter 1, and conclusion, Tuned Out: Why Americans Under 40 Don't Follow the News.

Noonan

http://online.wsj.com/article/declarations.html

Monday:

Finish your op-ed, send it in, and turn it in to me on Monday.

Also, keep up with the news and read:

Jodi Enda, “Campaign Coverage in the Time of Twitter: How technology has transformed reporting on presidential politics,” American Journalism Review, Fall 2011

Wednesday:

Please keep up with the news and read the following articles, sent to us by Meg Heckman, the editor we met with at the Concord Monitor:

Heckman and a summer intern tracked the candidates’ use of social media during one 24-hour period. Here's the story: http://www.concordmonitor.com/article/267291/day-in-the-social-media-campaign

This is a live chat on Poynter about social media in politics: http://www.poynter.org/latest-news/top-stories/148297/live-chat-today-how-political-reporters-can-mine-social-media-for-tips-on-politicians-campaigns/

Friday:

A political science professor at UVM, Jack Gierzynski, will be coming in on Friday to talk about his new book, Saving American Elections:A Diagnosis and Prescription for a Healthier Democracy.  I’ll be handing out a section of the book on Monday.  Also, as always, keep up with the news.   

Homework for Wednesday, Oct. 26

Read all  10 of the Pulitzer-Prize winning articles from Nicholas Kristof here.  The articles are from 2005; the prize was given in 2006.

Keep up with the news.

Read this classic editorial, "A Flower for the Graves."

Homework for Friday and Monday

Homework for Friday: 

Keep up with the news; be prepared to discuss your letters, which are due.

Homework for Monday: 

Friday’s columns by Krugman, Brooks, and Noonan. 
Saturday’s column by Blow.
Sunday’s column by Kristof (New York Times)
Monday’s column by Krugman.
Also, please read my op-ed on civil unions.

Planning a trip to New Hampshire?

To those of you who missed the trip to New Hampshire (you are now required to plan an equivalent trip) and to those who want to go again (political junkies/masochists), here are two good websites that tell you what's going on. 

http://politicalscoop.wmur.com/

http://www.nhgop.org/

The best sources, however, are the campaigns themselves and I have a lot of contact numbers.

Friday's homework

Dear class,

Here’s the homework for tomorrow (most of this is on the syllabus, too).

I’d like you to take three tests (please print the results page of each test, too).

The first two tests will take about 10 minutes or less. The third will take 20 minutes. That’s 40 minutes total.

Test #1 determines who you’d support on the main issues of 2008: McCain or Obama.  It is here. Or here: http://www.votehelp.org/

Test #2 is a Pew quiz.  It will tell you your political “type.”  If the link doesn’t work, go here: http://www.people-press.org/typology/quiz/

Test #3 is a longer, more nuanced examination of your politics.  It is here and here: http://www.politicalcompass.org/test

YOUR HOMEWORK IS:

TAKE THE THREE TESTS, PRINT OUT THE RESULTS, AND BRING THEM IN.  YOU’LL BE TURNING THEM IN, ANONYMOUSLY IF YOU WISH, AT THE END OF CLASS.  ALSO, MAKE SURE YOU FOLLOW THE NEWS.

Some news stories relating to our trip

Romney Badgered on Same-Sex Marriage Questions at NH Town Hall (ABC News)


Romney Avoids Reporters But Not Tough Questions (NBC)


Feisty Romney Barnstorms Granite State (National Journal)

Tarah's blog.

Elizabeth's Twitter posts.

Gabbi's Twitter posts.

Time Magazine blog post

Economy is touchstone for Romney (Concord Monitor)

Report from L.A. Times

Five things You Need to Know About Today (Patch)

Homework for Wednesday and Friday

Here is the Peggy Noonan column from Friday.

Also, read the three book excerpts on eCollege for Wednesday.  If you can't find them, or read them, e-mail me.

Finally, bring $20, $60, or $100 to class (cash is best) for your hotel stay in Nashua.  These amounts are for a place on the floor, a half bed, or a full bed, respectively.

Sincerely,

David

Notes about and homework for Wednesday (9/28), Friday (9/30), and Monday (10/3)

For Wednesday (9/28), please read the following articles (in addition to the news):

Rachel Smolkin, "Judgment Calls," American Journalism Review

Seymour M. Hersh, "Torture at Abu Ghraib," New Yorker

Dana Priest and Anne Hull, "Soldiers Face Neglect, Frustration At Army's Top Medical Facility," Washington Post 

 

 

There is no class Friday (9/30); I am traveling.

 

 

For Monday (10/3), please read the following instead of the articles listed on the syllabus:

Bill Keller, “Traditional News Outlets — Living Among the Guerrillas,” New York Times, 2011.

Daniel Okrent, “THE PUBLIC EDITOR; Is The New York Times a Liberal Newspaper?,” New York Times, 2004.

Larissa Macfarquhar, “The deflationist: How Paul Krugman found politics,” New Yorker, 2011.

Also, as usual, read Noonan, Krugman, Brooks, Blow, and the rest of the assigned news for Monday.

 

Monday's and Wednesday's NEW homework

For Monday, please read the following instead of Hunter Thompson:

James Risen and Eric Lichtblau, “Bush Lets U.S. Spy on Callers Without Courts,” New York Times 

Eric Boehlert, "The Day the Bloggers Won," Salon

Jonathan Bernstien, "Which Network asks the Best Presidential Debate Questions?" Salon

Here is Peggy Noonan's column. In addition to reading Noonan, please read Krugman, Brooks, Blow, and the rest of the assigned news for Monday.

 

For Wednesday, please read the following articles (in addition to the news):

Rachel Smolkin, "Judgment Calls," American Journalism Review

Seymour M. Hersh, "Torture at Abu Ghraib," New Yorker

Dana Priest and Anne Hull, "Soldiers Face Neglect, Frustration At Army's Top Medical Facility," Washington Post 

Wednesday's homework

Here are four articles for you to read by Wednesday.  All from today’s Times.

1. An op-ed by Bill Keller, the former executive editor of the Times, talking about Obama and how the president allowed others to set the narrative for him. http://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/19/opinion/filling-in-the-blanks.html?ref=opinion
2. An article about how Pennsylvania Republicans are trying to divide the electoral map.  Sound familiar? http://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/19/us/politics/pennsylvania-republicans-weigh-electoral-vote-changes.html?ref=politics
3. A good profile of Rick Perry’s hometown, Paint Creek, Texas. http://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/19/us/politics/paint-creek-tex-remembers-rick-perry.html?ref=politics
4. A profile about Romney’s chief strategist, Stuart Stevens. http://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/20/us/politics/stuart-stevens-redefining-romneys-presidential-run.html?hp
5. Also, make sure you read today’s Krugman and tomorrow’s Brooks, as well as the rest of the news.

Take care,

David

Noonan

Here is today's column by Noonan: http://online.wsj.com/article/declarations.html or here

Tickets for the New Hampshire debate

If you're a New Hampshire resident, you can join the lottery for a debate ticket.  Go here.

The rest of will get into the "Watch Party," which will be lots of fun and will give us an opportunity to meet some of the candidates.

A Moroccan Driver and the Great Experiment

Here is an op-ed I wrote ten years ago following the September 11 attaks. I thought you might find it interesting. It ran in the Burlington Free Press and it's called "A Moroccan Driver and the Great Experiment."

Noonan's column

I just checked Noonan's column and its available in full text here.

Krugman's and Brooks's columns are up, too.
See you tomorrow in class...

Insider Baseball

Here's the homework for Friday, a 1988 article by Joan Didion, one of the great journalists of our time.  The article is called "Insider Baseball" and it is here.

PS Here's Kurtis Blow singing "The Breaks." This is not a homework assignment.  Kurtis Blow does NOT write for the Times.  As I mentioned in class today, I imagine that both Kurtis Blow and Charles Blow would be horrified by my mistake.

Peggy Noonan, Charles Blow, and Bernie Sanders

Here, again, is the link to Peggy Noonan's column

Here is the link to Charles Blow

Here is information about the Sanders event.  It will take place on Monday at noon and will run until 3 p.m. downtown.  We'll leave at noon from Bergeron.

Links

Perhaps you'll want to bookmark this page.  Here are set links to various news sites:

Media and American Politics:  David’s news page

Check daily:

Read the New York Times in general

Focus on the politics section

Check out the top  read, emailed, and blogged stories of the last three days.  Read the top one from each category (sometimes there will be some overlap).

Read the most blogged story from the past week

Read the most blogged story from the past month

Monday: Krugman

Tuesday: Brooks

Friday: Brooks, Krugman, and Peggy Noonan (Wall Street Journal)

Saturday: Blow

Tuesday and Saturday:

Browse the BBC’s U.S. and Canada page

Browse The Note

Browse Moveon.org

Browse Real Clear Politics

Browse Intrade