Had Dorothy called me, I’d have gladly told her my editors have been kept well-informed of my personal life bit.ly/HfOBVB
— Mike DeBonis (@mikedebonis) April 5, 2012
Mike DeBonis’s tweet refers to DC Watch’s Dorothy Brizill, who reports that the Washington Post political reporter is dating Mayor Fenty’s former spokeswoman, Dena Iverson.
* Professional ethics, Washington Post and Mike DeBonis || DeBonis responds || More from DeBonis
George Norcross
The new owners of the Philadelphia Inquirer and Daily News can pledge all they want not to interfere with news coverage but who is going to stop them? asks former Inquirer staffer Paul Davies.
There are many good reporters at the two papers still doing fine work under some difficult conditions. But who is going to have the courage to dig into [new owner George] Norcross’s business dealings or the many issues involving the other owners? Even without Norcross or the other owners saying anything, it is pretty easy to see how self-censorship could seep into deciding what to cover and what not to cover.
Bill Marimow, who is returning to the editor’s chair at the Philadelphia Inquirer, told me late Wednesday that he believes the new owners “are going to care about excellent journalism” and that “because they are Philadelphians, they want to have a news organization they are proud of.”
Marimow says Philadelphia Media Network CEO Greg Osberg offered him the job this week, and “he clearly was enthusiastic about my coming back.” But it was Osberg who removed Marimow from the editor’s chair a few years ago. “My feeling, honestly, is that has the prerogative to replace me, and I said that at time,” Marimow tells Dave Davies. “And he has the prerogative to rehire me.”
* Can the Inquirer and Daily News still be public watchdogs?
* Norcross’s role as Philly newspaper owner has some worried
* Marimow: “We will try to produce indispensable content without covering every planning board meeting in the region”
* Could digital journalists uncover a Watergate-type scandal? (Washington Post)
* Time Warner might pull Current TV off its systems because of low ratings. (Reuters.com)
* New magazine launches outpace closures by more than a 4 to 1 margin in the first quarter of 2012. (New York Post)
* Arianna Huffington gains more control in AOL revamping. (New York Times)
* “Color obits … were a big hit among our boomer audience.” (Burlington Free Press)
* “A lot of enthusiasm” at the New York Times for a “stupid game” that has Planet Journalism going bananas. (Nieman Journalism Lab)
* Ted Genoways to leave Virginia Quarterly Review. The editor came under scrutiny in 2010 after his ME’s suicide. (Los Angeles Times)
