Shop Talk

The panelists discuss an apology issued by the Associated Press 67 years after the fact.

AP rebuked and then fired correspondent Edward Kennedy after he reported -- a full day ahead of the competition -- that the Germans had unconditionally surrendered in World War II.  Kennedy was one of 17 reporters who witnessed the surrender ceremony. But in exchange for being allowed to see the ceremony, they were barred from reporting on it until authorized by Allied headquarters.

The panelists talk about a new requirement regarding the political advertising sold by network television stations in the nation's 50 largest markets.

The FCC board voted to have those stations post certain data on-line. That includes information on who bought political ads, when, and how much they paid.

Broadcasters are already required to file the information at their stations but the board feels it will be more accessible if posted on the web.

The panelists talk about a federal appeals court ruling on Illinois' eavesdropping law.

The Chicago Tribune reports the Seventh Circuit US Court of Appeals in Chicago found the law “likely violates” the First Amendment. The court ordered authorities to stop enforcing it.

The law made it illegal to audio record police officers in public without their consent. Violators faced harsh prison sentences.

The matter became an issue because of the NATO summit scheduled to be held in Chicago on May 20 & 21, 2012.

The panelists talk about an article on the CareerCast website, which said newspaper reporter and broadcaster are two of the worst jobs of 2012.

The article said, “As the digital world continues to take over and provide on-demand  information, the need for print newspapers and daily newscasts is diminishing. To be sure, both jobs once seemed glamorous, but on-the-job stress, declining job opportunities and income levels are what landed them on our Worst Jobs list.”

This week's program is about Bill Knight's career and changes in the news industry. In addition, Lisa Kernek joins the panel to replace Knight.

Knight graduated from WIU, went on to be a reporter, and came back to Western to teach in the early 1990s. He never stopped writing and reporting, and will continue to do commentaries on Tri States Public Radio.

Knight said there have been many changes in the newspaper industry over the years. He said the one creating the biggest impact right now is in management.

The panelists talk about the late Mike Wallace's lament about cable news, which he dismissed as “opinion, gossip, and scandal.”

Wallace said, “News today has become yammer, yammer, yammer. It's infotainment. It used to be a race to the top. To a certain degree news today is a race to the bottom.”

The panelists discuss a policy implemented by Chicago State University. The Chicago Tribune reported CSU told faculty and staff that everything from opinion pieces to social media communications could require prior approval, and that only authorized university personnel could share information with the media.

(Editor's note: CSU rescinded the policy in the time since this program was recorded).

The panelists discuss so-called "ag gag" laws, one of which was recently signed by Iowa Governor Terry Branstad.

The bill makes it a crime to access an agricultural facility under false pretenses.  Illinois and Missouri lawmakers have considered similar legislation.

Critics of the bill say it is too broad because it does not define "false pretenses." Supporters say the law will protect farmers.

The panelists talk about a constitutional amendment in Mexico that would federalize criminal attacks on journalists.

The Citizen Media Law Project reports the amendment was recently approved by the Mexican Senate. It still needs to be approved by more than half of the country's 31 state legislatures. Even if it wins approval, the amendment offers no guidance on how it would be enforced.

Drug cartels have made Mexico one of the most dangerous places in the world for journalists, who are routinely threatened, attacked, or killed if they report on crime.

The panelists discuss legislation in Illinois (SB 3773) requiring charities that receive state money to follow the state's Freedom of Information Act.

Financial statements and e-mails are among the items that would be subject to FOIA requests. Not-for-profits feel the plan would create confusion and burden organizations with extra work. In addition, they point out they are private entities.

The panelists discuss the retraction aired over the weekend by This American Life.

TAL in January aired an adaptation of storyteller Mike Daisey's one-man stage show The Agony and the Ecstasy of Steve Jobs. The show looks into abuses at Apple factories in China.  It became TAL's most popular podcast, but host Ira Glass said he has since discovered Daisey fabricated certain people and incidents.

The panelists talk about Sunshine Week, which is being observed this week.

Sunshine Week is described as a national initiative to promote a dialogue about the importance of open government and freedom of information. It's held to coincide with the March 16 anniversary of the birth of James Madison. Sunshine Week was launched by the American Society of News Editors in 2005.

This week's topic is about a survey of Americans' trust of news sources.

The Poynter Institute reports the survey was commissioned by Craiglist founder Craig Newmark. A polling firm interviewed 1,001 people. Land line phones and cell phones were called.

The survey found newspapers are the most trusted source of news -- 22% of respondents considered newspapers to be credible.  21% chose cable and network news.

The panelists discuss proposals in several states to reduce or eliminate funding for public broadcasting.

The public media magazine Current reports such funding cuts are being discussed in Rhode Island, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Idaho, and Kansas. In addition, there has been talk about slashing funding for Iowa Public Television.

The panelists discuss the problems the Society of Environmental Journalists have encountered in recent years with the US EPA.

The SEJ says the federal agency asks for questions in writing ahead of time, it wants to know what kind of story the reporter is working on, and it's slow to respond to requests for information. The journalism group says the EPA rarely makes available the expert who could be most helpful with the story.

The panelists discuss a pair of plans to bring greater transparency to Illinois government.

One allows cameras and microphones in the state's trial courtrooms. Illinois Supreme Court Chief Justice Thomas Kilbride announced late last month he will allow the technology to be used on an experimental basis. The Illinois News Broadcaster's Association and other media groups have said for many years that this would be a way to improve coverage of the judicial system.

The panelists debate whether journalists should be concerned about news makers using social media to circumvent reporters.

The starting point for the discussion is a New York Times piece by David Carr, who wrote about Rupert Murdoch's use of Twitter. Murdoch has only recently started tweeting and has used the platform to sound off on a wide variety of topics.

Some journalists fear news makers will use social media to eliminate the middleman - ie, reporters - and simply distribute their thoughts and information directly to the audience.

This week's discussion is about KWQC-TV from the Quad Cities and a Scottish Terrier named Chief from Burlington.

Chief's owner said someone came into his yard and kicked the dog, causing severe trauma. The TV station planned to come down to Burlington to do a story but changed its mind after Chief died. That led to creation of a Facebook page called Justice for Chief, which was used to urge the station to do story reporting that there is animal abuser in the community.

The panelists discuss Gatehouse Media's decision to have all of its newspapers laid out in one of two central locations.

Copy editors across Illinois are losing their jobs as a result of the change. The company's stock increased a full penny after the decision was announced.