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February 2007 - Posts

Wednesday, February 28, 2007 8:30 AM

Calling Mr. White

Andy Gammill of the Indianapolis Star had a wonderful profile last week of Jeffery C. White, the man given the seemingly impossible task of turning around a troubled urban middle school. For "Taking Back a School," Gammill and photographer Danese Kenon
posted by jonmarshall | 0 Comments
Tuesday, February 27, 2007 6:30 AM

The Polk Folk

For some outstanding journalism, take a look at the recently announced winners of the George Polk Awards. I was happy to see that many of the winners were featured in some of my favorite News Gems of the past year. Lydia Polgreen of the New York Times,
posted by jonmarshall | 0 Comments
Sunday, February 25, 2007 5:54 PM

Shabby Treatment

It's not often that a newspaper series produces results as quickly as The Washington Post's "The Other Walter Reed." Last Sunday Post reporters Dana Priest and Anne Hull described the deplorable conditions endured by injured soldiers at the Army's
posted by jonmarshall | 0 Comments
Friday, February 23, 2007 8:45 AM

The Little Engine Company that Could

NBC's Brian Williams distinguished himself nearly 18 months ago with his coverage of Hurricane Katrina, and I'm glad to see that he's not letting the story die. His "New Orleans Fire Department Answers the Bell" takes us to the still-devastated firehouse
posted by jonmarshall | 0 Comments
Thursday, February 22, 2007 8:30 AM

To Live or Let Die

In 1987, Milwaukee County Circuit Judge Chris Foley made a controversial decision to remove a severely disabled newborn from the care of his parents so that he could receive possibly lifesaving surgery. Nearly 20 years later, Crocker Stephenson of the
posted by jonmarshall | 0 Comments
Wednesday, February 21, 2007 8:45 AM

Who's Driving the Kids?

Randy Ludlow and Jill Riepenhoff of The Columbus Dispatch uncovered gaping holes in the system used by Ohio school districts to screen their bus drivers. Their "Fit to Drive?" investigation found that 167 drivers with DUI or drug-related license suspensions
posted by jonmarshall | 0 Comments
Tuesday, February 20, 2007 8:45 AM

Folsom Prison Blues

In Saturday's Los Angeles Times, Jenifer Warren takes us on a fascinating journey inside Folsom Prison, where a convict and the wife of the man he killed sit face to face. "Talking through the Pain" describes how Patty O'Reilly, a mother of two girls,
posted by jonmarshall | 1 Comments
Friday, February 16, 2007 8:45 AM

Island Juice

While most stories about steroids in baseball focus on Barry Bonds and other stars, Mike Fish of ESPN.com takes a look south to where players may feel the most pressure to use illegal performance-enhancing drugs. Fish's "The Dominican Steroid Problem"
posted by jonmarshall | 0 Comments
Thursday, February 15, 2007 8:30 AM

The Mysterious Mr. Debutts

Stay out of your own stories is a commandment many editors give their reporters. But Sean Robinson of the Tacoma News Tribune puts himself smack dab in the middle of his own series, "A Case of Identity," to great effect. When a good friend of
posted by jonmarshall | 1 Comments
Wednesday, February 14, 2007 8:30 AM

Designing Woman

High fashion meets steel and plastic in a profile by Tamara Audi (what a great name for someone writing about cars) in Sunday's Detroit Free Press. Audi's "California Designin'" describes how General Motors is turning to a trendy and savvy designer to
posted by jonmarshall | 0 Comments
Tuesday, February 13, 2007 8:30 AM

Who Are You?

Jennifer Crandall of washingtonpost.com has a special talent for getting people to talk comfortably on camera. Her "onBeing" showcases videos of regular people talking about themselves in a way that reveals how each person's life can be fascinating. So
posted by jonmarshall | 1 Comments
Monday, February 12, 2007 7:15 AM

Caskets with Appetizers

I've seen a couple of interesting trend stories lately from both ends of the life spectrum. In "Come for the Funeral, Stay for the Food," Rick Romell of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel explores how increasing numbers of undertakers are trying to
posted by jonmarshall | 0 Comments
Friday, February 09, 2007 8:15 AM

All Those Years Ago

"The past is not dead," William Faulkner wrote. "In fact, it's not even past." That line came to my mind while reading the Rocky Mountain News' beautiful and haunting new series, "The Crossing."  Now on its 13th chapter, "The Crossing" traces what's happened
posted by jonmarshall | 0 Comments
Thursday, February 08, 2007 7:00 AM

American Graffiti

April Kinser of DallasNews.com (the Dallas Morning News Web site) has created one of the most dynamic journalism packages I've ever seen. Her "Dismantling the Bomb" takes us inside the world of taggers and graffiti makers to explore whether they
posted by jonmarshall | 0 Comments
Wednesday, February 07, 2007 9:00 AM

Let's Arm the Crooks

If you visit Florida, you might want to wear body armor. In "License to Carry," Megan O'Matz and John Maines of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel reveal that the state "has given concealed weapon licenses to hundreds of people who wouldn't have a chance
posted by jonmarshall | 0 Comments
Tuesday, February 06, 2007 9:00 AM

From Boys to Men

I don't think any publication in America reports on what it's like to be an adolescent boy better than The Baltimore Sun does. I keep seeing stories in the Sun that probe deeply and insightfully into the lives of boys who are climbing the path to adulthood.
posted by jonmarshall | 0 Comments
Friday, February 02, 2007 8:15 AM

The Clump of Woods

Many of us have read stories about homelessness where the reporter manages to slip some anecdotes from one or two homeless people in between the quotes and statistics from experts. I've written a few like that myself. But in "The Neighbors You
posted by jonmarshall | 0 Comments
Thursday, February 01, 2007 8:30 AM

Super Bowl Crunch

As the Bears and Colts prepare for Sunday's Super Bowl showdown, Ron Kroichick of the San Francisco Chronicles describes what happens to players long after the big game is over. For his "Glory Has Its Price," Kroichick tracked down 30 players from the
posted by jonmarshall | 0 Comments