Much of the media mantra in Ferguson, Missouri, followed a simple storyline. An 18-year-old black, known to his friends and family as a "gentle giant," planned to attend college the following week. As he walked down the street with his friend around noon Saturday, Aug. 9, he met a police officer who gunned him down as he tried to surrender with his hands held high. Published August 20, 2014
Imagine being without your mobile phone. Then imagine being without your mobile phone outside the U.S. for five days. Published August 13, 2014
Many reporters still consider Watergate as the zenith of U.S. journalism, a point of which we'll be reminded as the 40th anniversary of the resignation of President Richard M. Nixon arrives this week. Published August 6, 2014
The differences between those in the media who support and those who oppose Israel have never been clearer, but that doesn't necessarily mean readers and viewers have gotten a better picture of the current conflict with Hamas. Published July 30, 2014
Despite his liberal leanings, actor James Garner, who died last weekend, provided some of the most conservative role models U.S. television has ever seen — role models that rarely exist now. Published July 23, 2014
A scandal concerning academic journals that could unravel theories and practices from acoustics to climate change rattled scientists this month throughout the world. Published July 16, 2014
Google, Facebook and Amazon — a triumvirate the media tend to exalt — have been engaged in some questionable practices that have received relatively little news coverage, even though they were significant events that came to light during the slow summer news period. Published July 9, 2014
The Supreme Court decision in a narrowly drawn case this week on contraception created a firestorm in the media, with the dominant narrative that rulings against women loom ahead in the courts — a viewpoint not borne out by a review of the case. Published July 2, 2014
A trio of books — one of them with an accompanying motion picture — has launched the 2016 presidential campaign among media junkies and journalists. Published June 25, 2014
Only a few days after graduating from Temple University, one of my former students headed off to Syria to report on the civil war there. Published June 18, 2014
The use of mobile devices has changed the way people communicate with one another — not always for the better. Published June 11, 2014
The Obama team clearly did not foresee the fierce media blowback that occurred over the swap of five dangerous Taliban leaders for the only U.S. Army soldier held captive in Afghanistan. Published June 4, 2014
The replays of the infamous YouTube video and the excerpts from the manifesto of the Santa Barbara killer underline an ethical debate news organizations should have: How much coverage should murderers get? Published May 28, 2014
Although he has been rocked by the public relations disaster over his firing of New York Times Executive Editor Jill Abramson, Arthur Sulzberger Jr. has proved himself a survivor when dealing with most of the questions about his tenure as leader of the news organization over the past two decades. Published May 21, 2014
The Environmental Protection Administration, arguably one of worst-managed federal agencies, has also become one of the government's most powerful entities with only limited oversight from journalists. Published May 14, 2014
Despite the media's fascination with racial issues, many news organizations have failed to understand the importance of two cases involving black women whose political views got them bounced from providing words of wisdom to graduating students at two universities. Published May 7, 2014
St. John Paul II may have saved my soul. I'm not quite there for the final reckoning, but he certainly went a long way toward my reconnection to the Roman Catholic faith. Published April 30, 2014
The U.S. Supreme Court heard oral arguments this week on an important lawsuit concerning freedom of speech, but many news organizations failed to report on the issue. Maybe that's because a pro-life group brought the lawsuit and may win a significant victory before the court. Published April 23, 2014
Politicians and the media like slogans. They're simple and don't necessarily need to be true. Published April 16, 2014
The U.S. Department of State — mostly on Hillary Clinton's watch — improperly monitored or completely lost an estimated $6 billion, which is nearly 12 percent of the department's annual budget of $51 billion. That's according to a recently-released report from the Office of the Inspector General. Published April 9, 2014
