Category Archives: future of newspapers

SPIKING THE SUPER BOWL POOL

First posted on February 5, 2012 JT Revised version posted February 1, 2021  By Joel Thurtell I’m no sports writer, so it was neat to think my byline would appear over a Super Bowl story. What a drag that my first-ever Super … Continue reading

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THE DOWNWARD SPIRAL — underground at the Free Press

BY JOEL THURTELL Thirty years ago, journalists at Detroit’s two daily newspapers were just waking up to the realities of the merger of their operations into one operation aimed at making a fortune for owners Knight-Ridder and Gannett. No, no, … Continue reading

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Free Press memory hole

A memory hole is any mechanism for the alteration or disappearance of inconvenient or embarrassing documents, photographs, transcripts, or other records, such as from a website or other archive, particularly as part of an attempt to give the impression that … Continue reading

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WSU reporters and Duggan: the rest of the story

By Joel Thurtell You would think from reading the August 18, 2015 Detroit Free Press article about two Wayne State University student reporters who were stonewalled by Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan’s staff that the Free Press broke the story. Thanks to … Continue reading

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Free Press to deliver NY Times

By Joel Thurtell Note to newspaper publishers: Can’t make money on your own news product? Peddle somebody else’s. A note in today’s (March 24, 2013) New York Times states: “Starting on Monday April 1st we will no longer be your … Continue reading

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CABs: What I get

By Joel Thurtell A few days ago, joelontheroad registered more than 5,500 hits in a week. Not Facebook, but for a guy without the resources of, say Huffington Post or The New York Times or even a small town weekly, … Continue reading

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Interfering with news? What’s new?

By Joel Thurtell Unbelievable! Frightening news! Democrats are poised to take over Philadelphia newspapers! A former Democratic mayor of Philly who was also a governor of the state is heading a group who plan to acquire the newspapers. Already, they’re … Continue reading

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Spiking the Super Bowl pizza

Here, slightly edited, is my annual Super Bowl story: By Joel Thurtell I’m no sports writer, so it was neat to think my byline would appear over a Super Bowl story. What a drag that my first-ever Super Bowl piece … Continue reading

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Reasons not to cancel the paper

By Joel Thurtell We’ve already learned from my star columnist, Peppermint Patti, why she thinks my idea of reading newspapers on my laptop is bad, bad, bad. I have only one lap. It can hold a laptop computer. Or it … Continue reading

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Leaking is good (for us reporters)

LONDON — A Scotland Yard detective has been arrested on suspicion of leaking details about the phone hacking case to the news media, the police said on Friday. — The New York Times, August 20, 2011 By Agnes Bullster JOTR … Continue reading

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