Many moons ago, when I was an editor at a weekly newspaper, we used to run a section in the paper that was known as the Police Notes. It's a common practice for smaller, local newspapers to run such police blotters, but we used to have a little fun with ours by giving each blurb … Continue reading What would you do?
Category: OUTLAW JOURNALIST
Musings about media issues, the old days of journalism, the new days of journalism and other stuff for old hacks to argue about
Maine Satire: The good and the bad
There has been a lot of talk lately about satire in Maine. Much of that discussion was prompted by a recent post on GQ magazine's web site, Maine: Do we really need it? I'm not a regular GQ reader. Hell, I don't even consider myself a "gentleman," so why should I be bothered, irked or … Continue reading Maine Satire: The good and the bad
No Good Deed
They say that no good deed goes unpunished, and if you don't believe that just ask Biddeford City Councilor Robert "Bobby" Quattrone. A couple of weeks ago, Quattrone and other members of the city council received an e-mail from Vicky Edgerly, the city's welfare director. In her e-mail, Edgerly asked if any of the councilors … Continue reading No Good Deed
Take Five
My wife, Governor Paul Lepage, Bill Nemitz, a charity auction and the in-patient psychiatric unit at Maine Medical Center. How did these random things become connected last week, causing a bit of a stir on my Facebook page last night? Let's start at the top. Last week, just days before the election, Governor Paul LePage joked … Continue reading Take Five
Who do you love?
I was saddened this morning to read that the Portland Press Herald/Maine Sunday Telegram will end their longstanding tradition of offering endorsements of political candidates and races. Although this decision will likely be a popular one among the newspaper's readers, I think it is a terrible mistake. In today's media world, newspapers are struggling to … Continue reading Who do you love?
How not to use social media in a campaign
There is a right way to use social media in a campaign. And there is a wrong way to use social media in a campaign. The following could be forgiven if it came from a political novice, but not when it comes from the governor's re-election team. Here's a game you can play at home. … Continue reading How not to use social media in a campaign
Color me bad
You find the weirdest stuff on Facebook. This morning, I stumbled across a new Facebook page that is dedicated to the idea of reclaiming the color blue for Republicans. At first blush, I thought this was one of the silliest things. But then, I started thinking about it. Why would the GOP want the color … Continue reading Color me bad
Just like a prayer
Biddeford City Councilor Bobby Mills has a lesson for all of us who use social media. It doesn't matter much if the NSA has tapped your phone or if Google is using your online data to create a psychological profile, you have a responsibility to be careful about what you share on social media outlets. … Continue reading Just like a prayer
Goodbye Stranger
While media criticism is important and necessary, a lot of people who blame "the media" have no idea what they are talking about.
Too big to fail?
I never expected it to happen so quickly. Almost every day I am deep in the trenches of public opinion, helping a wide variety of clients navigate the perilous waters of brand reputation management, crisis communications and message development designed to garner strong public support. But last night it got a bit personal, and I tried … Continue reading Too big to fail?
NOTES TO CARL | LESSONS IN MEDIOCRITY 