The John Tortorella press conference is fast becoming an art form in how not to deal with the press.
Archives for journalism
No one ever said Torts was easy
When I was a young reporter at the South Bend Tribune covering Notre Dame football, it was Ara Parseghian who taught me how to ask a good question. The great Notre Dame football coach did not suffer fools lightly. Questions ended in question marks and had to demonstrate that you knew what the heck you were talking about.
Still, I wouldn’t call Parseghian impatient. He’d push you to rephrase the question — or at least that’s how he handled me.
Now New York Rangers coach John Tortorella — that’s something altogether different. You can just feel the tension at a Tortorella press conference. There are some pretty good reporters in the New York and national press corps covering the Stanley Cup playoffs, but to watch Tortorella answer their questions, you’d think they were all idiots. Larry Brooks? Jay Greenberg? Stan Fischler? Idiots? Uh, don’t think so, Torts.
Tom Brokaw commencement address
Just in case you’re a graduating journalism senior and need a commencement speech that has something to do with YOUR future, here’s NBC’s Tom Brokaw at Arizona State University.
tags: Arizona State, Tom Brokaw
‘Gutenberg the Geek’
One of the major points I make in History of Journalism: From Gutenberg to Zuckerberg (Comm455, fall semester, T/R 10:30 a.m.) is the connection between the invention of the printing press and the social media revolution today. Here’s a video about Jeff Jarvis’s new Kindle Single, “Gutenberg the Geek,” and an interview with Jarvis on Big Think about his essay.
tags: gutenberg, jeff jarvis
The Rolling Stone Obama interview
So, ever since Katie Couric asked Sarah Palin what newspapers she read, you’ve been dying to ask President Barack Obama the same question, right?
Well, rest easy. The president didn’t flub the question when Rolling Stone editor Jann Wenner asked. The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Washington Post (for the coupons?). Sorry, USA Today. The president doesn’t watch cable news, but he likes Jon Stewart, a lot. And he reads ALL the New York Time op-ed columnists, especially Paul Krugman.
Rick Santorum probably thinks the president is a snob. Who knows what Sarah Palin thinks.
category: journalism, steveklein
Can’t wait for the 2012 AP Stylebook?
It’s true. I love the AP Stylebook. And I have quite the collection, dating all the way back to 1960 and a 50-pager my GMU colleague Don Boileau gave me.
The current (2011) Stylebook is 480 pages with more than 500 new or revised entries. The 2012 book will sell for $20.95, up $1 from a year ago. The online app is available in iOS and Android versions; I just renewed mine for $15.
category: journalism, steveklein
Deford on Deford
Perhaps no one defines the best that sports writing and profile writing can be than Frank Deford. Best known for his long and distinguished career at Sports Illustrated, Deford is a regular commentator on National Public Radio’s “Morning Edition” and a correspondent on HBO’s “Real Sport with Bryant Gumbel.”
Deford has written 15 books, including the about-to-be-published “Over Time” on May 1. You can read an excerpt in this week’s Sports Illustrated.
Evan Smith of “Texas Monthly Talks” interviewed Deford on May 6 at the University of Texas.
Thanks, mom (P&G campaign)
From P&G's "Thanks, Mom" advertising campaign.
As athletes get ready to take the global stage during the London 2012 Olympic Games less than 100 days away, Procter & Gamble has released a new ad praising mothers worldwide. Press play and cue the waterworks.
In three days, the video has received over 700,000+ views on YouTube. P&G, the personal care and cleaning products giant and Olympic partner, released the “Best Job” video in anticipation of the summer games.
The video, directed by Alejandro González Iñárritu, features mothers on four continents in London, Rio de Janeiro, Los Angeles and Beijing. These inspirational women raising their young Olympians are the true champs.
The “Thank You, Mom” campaign is the largest in the company’s 174-year history, according to a P&G press release. It ties in social media and print elements.
Winging it
Nick Lidstrom ponders the Red Wings' early exit from the Stanley Cup playoffs.
I used to write columns, cover games and manage sports departments in my pre-academic days. So it isn’t often that I sit down to write a full-bodied column. But the elimination of the Detroit Red Wings from the Stanley Cup playoffs on April 20 — April 20! — was enough to motivate me to take on the early exit and zero-sum theory.
The column appeared on my friend George Malik‘s “Malik Report,” part of the larger “Kukla’sKorner” hockey blog. Thanks for the opportunity, George.
And make sure you read the comments!
category: journalism, steveklein
Fill her up!
My goodness! My Summer A section of Comm303-A01 Writing Across Media (May 21-June 21) is fully enrolled: 28 students! This the first time that’s happened during the summer term, which covers an intense 17 classes over five weeks.
And Fall Term 2012 is starting to take shape with students starting to sign up for for Comm203-001/Introduction to Journalism; for Comm351-001/News Writing & Reporting, and for my favorite course, Comm455-001/History of Journalism: From Gutenberg to Zuckerberg.
category: journalism, steveklein
Congratulations to …
… Pat Carroll, who received the Kevin Athari Award and scholarship at the George Mason University Communication Department‘s annual Award’s Banquet April 14; and Gabby Gayl, honored with the annual Journalism Writing Award.
Thanks, too, to my colleagues, Dr. Gary Kreps, chair of the department, and Professor Star Muir for their kind introductory comments.
category: journalism, steveklein
tags: Communication Department
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The place to meet on the Fairfax campus
The George Mason statue is kitty-corner to the Johnson Center and the Mason Pond Parking Deck, where guests can easily park on the first three levels (Fairfax campus map). As soon-to-be emeritus faculty, I'm always happy to meet with friends and my former Mason students on campus.
Alum Kevin McCarthy at work
Film critic and GMU alum Kevin McCarthy encouraged students during his many visits to my GMU classes to pursue internships and "get noticed!" See some of Kevin's terrific interviews on his Nerd Tears website.
The One Thing
So, as Billy Crystal asked Jack Palance in "City Slickers," what's "The One Thing"? To find out, just contact me by email to set up a "Journalism for the Rest of Us" seminar, workshop or program.