Longtime Philly columnist was left paralyzed in 2010 (2/13/16); Gwen Ifill wins in candidates' debate; Obama live from Illinois on CNN, MSNBC, but not Fox; ex-Mexican president laughs at Trump plan for border wall; NYPD to act after story on barring people from own homes; media begin to cover police killings of Native Americans; . . . stories about Native Americans rare, stereotypical; CNN International Desk staffers must reapply for jobs; Mizzou "town hall" asks white reporters to leave; parents of ex-Little Leaguers sue ESPN, name Smith; should Al Jazeera America have been an app instead? (2/12/16)Journal-isms will be on hiatus until further notice.
Longtime Philly Columnist Was Left Paralyzed in 2010
Mizzou "Town Hall" Asks White Reporters to Leave
"A 'Concerned Town Hall' meeting advertised to 'black students and students of color' at the University of Missouri on Wednesday turned out to be less-than-inclusive to white reporters attempting to cover the event,"Jennifer Kabbany reported Friday for the College Fix, which describes itself as"a news and commentary site dedicated to higher education news."
"The gathering was organized by Concerned Student 1950, which led protests on campus last fall accusing the institution of racism; it describes itself as seeking the 'liberation of all BLACK collegiate students' on Twitter.
"As the meeting began Wednesday night inside the A. P. Green Chapel at the public university, a student organizer announced: 'If there are any reporters in here, can you please exit? That was my nice warning.'
"That according to a video of the event taken by Mark Schierbecker, a student at the school and freelance videographer who contributes to The College Fix.
"His video shows a white male reporter from the mainstream city newspaper, The Columbia Tribune, introduced himself and say 'we will definitely respect your privacy. Just curious, um — why are you guys afr — why are you guys asking us to leave? …'
"'Um, just because I asked you to,' came the reply. 'We just want to discuss some things.'
"'Sure, OK, that's totally fine,' the reporter replied, handing over his business card before he exited the chapel. Two white females also left the room.
"Schierbecker, however, politely declined to leave, repeating 'my personal preference is to stay.' . . ."
"The town hall ended promptly within minutes of starting when students decided to relocate the forum to a more private location."
Parents of Ex-Little Leaguers Sue ESPN, Name Smith
"Parents of former Little Leaguers from Jackie Robinson West filed a lawsuit Thursday against Little League International, ESPN and officials from the local league, alleging, among other things, that they profited off the disgraced team while knowing of its ineligible players,"David Matthews and Mark Konkol reported Thursday for dnainfo.com.
"The lawsuit by Jackie Robinson West's former coach Darold Butler and other team parents also names former league president Bill Haley, Evergreen Park whistleblower Chris Janes, the suburban Little League Janes represents and ESPN commentator Stephen A. Smith.
"The complaint says Butler and other team officials were diligent submitting boundary maps and player addresses throughout the team's captivating 2014 run, which they allege Little League publicized for their gain without making parents aware the team fielded ineligible players who lived outside JRW boundaries.
"Jackie Robinson West won the U.S. Little League title in 2014, but it was stripped last year after Little League International ruled JRW officials allowed ineligible players to make the roster. The complaint filed Thursday falls on the anniversary of JRW's title stripping. . . ."
Matthews and Konkol also wrote, "The lawsuit also alleges ESPN defamed Butler and others by saying they fabricated residency documents and deliberately assembled JRW's ineligible team. The lawsuit specifically names ESPN personality Stephen A. Smith, who said on national television that Butler 'threw' his players 'into the wind.'
"An ESPN spokesman did not have an immediate comment. . . ."
Should Al Jazeera America Have Been an App Instead?
"In January, the deep-pocketed Al Jazeera Media Network announced the shutdown of its United States cable news channel, Al Jazeera America (AJA),"Joe Mohen, a digital media entrepreneur, wrote Friday for Broadcasting & Cable.
"Industry pundits have found a range of reasons for the meltdown: internal disputes, discrimination, racism, bias, and even the decline of its price of oil. All of these explanations are wrong. AJA failed for one reason: It had a fatally flawed strategy. The network is textbook example of a business with an excellent product that still failed, entirely because it chose the wrong distribution channel.
"When AJA launched in 2013, it was already too late to launch a new cable channel. Cable is in permanent, irreversible, secular decline. Just as launching a successful new magazine is almost impossible nowadays, so too is launching a new cable brand. Had it been distributed as an app like Netflix, it would have likely succeeded and became the first big 24-hour OTT network backed by a linear TV company. But Al Jazeera hired the wrong advisers and consultants, dinosaurs who did not see fundamental shifts. . . ."