Articles by Christopher Harper
As the U.S. media have focused on the Syrian civil war and Iran's elections, news organizations have failed to concentrate on what I consider a key player in the equation: Hezbollah, the Shiite militia.
Published
June 19, 2013
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It's liberal columnist Jonathan Alter vs. Fox News President Roger Ailes.
Published
June 12, 2013
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The beaches at Normandy remain a place to contemplate, to remember and to cry — a place where 69 years ago Thursday the Allies launched the invasion that ultimately brought victory in World War II.
Published
June 5, 2013
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The Internal Revenue Service, the federal agency almost everyone loves to hate, and the scandal surrounding it may have some significant traction, particularly because the IRS will be deeply involved in overseeing a major part of the Affordable Care Act, known unofficially as "Obamacare." A few news organizations have connected the dots, but not many.
Published
May 29, 2013
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President Obama, who vowed to have a transparent presidency in dealing with the media, seems to have gone to war with journalists and government officials who leak information to reporters.
Published
May 24, 2013
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The tornado in Oklahoma provides a classic example of how national television network news operates, depending on local reporters and camera operators until the big guns arrive to take over.
Published
May 22, 2013
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Not since the days of the Nixon administration has this country seen such government malfeasance as under President Obama.
Published
May 15, 2013
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Two of my former students recently found themselves caught in a drive-by shooting in Kensington, a neighborhood in North Philadelphia.
Published
May 8, 2013
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The Boston Police Department wants to deploy drones during next year's running of the city's marathon to have "eyes in the sky." But what about journalists using drones? I will admit I am skeptical about reporters using a drone — technically known as an unmanned aerial vehicle.
Published
May 1, 2013
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Despite persistent criticism, the White House Correspondents' Association dinner on Saturday takes a lickin' and keeps on tickin'. The event underscores what's wrong with much of Washington journalism. The reporters cozy up to politicians, and both groups want to be part of the Hollywood set.
Published
April 24, 2013
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Within minutes of the bombing at the Boston Marathon, CNN put up a simple message on the front page of its website: "Are you there? Share images on CNN iReport."
Published
April 17, 2013
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Philadelphia, a city magazine once considered among the country's best, has become a disgrace.
Published
April 10, 2013
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You would think the trial of a physician charged with eight counts of murder, conspiracy and other crimes might get some attention in the national news.
Published
March 27, 2013
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Digital tablets and smartphones provide about the only good news for the media in the Pew Research Center's Project for Excellence in Journalism's "State of the Media: 2013," which was released this week. The growth in the news audience in 2012 came on digital platforms, and the proliferation of digital devices in people's lives seemed to be a significant reason.
Published
March 20, 2013
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If CNN's coverage of the election of Pope Francis I on Wednesday afternoon is any indication, Jeff Zucker and his minions are not ready for prime time — or any time for that matter.
Published
March 13, 2013
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It may not have been her intention, but the public editor of The New York Times transported me back to those heady days of my youth, when I attended anti-war rallies and protested against the Nixon administration. Margaret Sullivan was too young to experience those days, but she apparently wants to live them vicariously.
Published
March 13, 2013
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Much of what you are reading and hearing this week about the conclave in Rome amounts to utter nonsense.
Published
March 12, 2013
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Joe Vornehm of Simpsonville, S.C., pulled out his ruler to count the number of column inches his local newspaper, the Gannett-owned Greenville News, had written about the budget impasse in Washington.
Published
March 6, 2013
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Objectivity. Fairness. Balance. Three words that should be stricken from the journalistic lexicon. Even though many of my colleagues maintain journalists can be objective, fair and balanced, I think it’s time to admit that these standards — which, by the way, are mainly American conventions — cannot be attained.
Published
February 28, 2013
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Tom Aspell covered almost every war fought in the past 40 years. He was the type of journalist we need to see more of. Unfortunately, we are seeing fewer.
Published
February 20, 2013
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