“Order of Ghastliness”: This week in Numbers Masquerading as Meaningful
When I and others wrote recently about a problematic study allegedly clarifying the number of women raped in Congo, there was a common refrain…
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Can women write?
Well, they can pick up a pen, surely. But do they need gender-exclusive paths to the Cocktail Party of Greatness? It’s an old debate,…
Read MoreEvents that are worth a New York minute — and more
Here are two upcoming events that promise to be interesting and inspiring. If you’re in the City, come on by. If you’re not, tell…
Read MoreWith this death, losing a way of seeing — and being in — the world
Tim Hetherington and Chris Hondros, two eminent photographers and journalists, were killed yesterday in Libya. I’d learned about Tim’s work from Glenna Gordon, whose…
Read MoreSometimes, even newspapers call it like it is
Via the indefatigable @blakehounshell, this amazing moment of journalistic honesty — in the URL, not the story. (Though the story’s pretty funny.) http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/food-and-drink/utter-PR-fiction-but-people-love-this-shit-so-fuck-it-lets-just-print-it-2269573.html UPDATE:…
Read MoreOf peacebuilding, debt relief, and other professional fun
It’s been quiet here lately, as I work too much and then sleep it off. But here’s what’s been going on: I have a…
Read MoreLet’s play, “Why is this news?”
In this report from Uganda (slow down! 20 clicks a month!) we learn that: A man tried to steal a motorcycle in Kampala. A…
Read MoreWhy you should pay for the New York Times
So as of March 28, my favorite past-time and yours (to judge from what I can infer of my readership) is about to get…
Read MoreIn crisis, who is media for?
Among the many talents of my friend Aaron Ernst is one for language. He recently translated tweets from a victim of the earthquake in…
Read MoreThe double standards of rape reporting — and outcry
Lots of folks have been outraged by the NYT coverage of a gang rape in Texas. The coverage veered often and unnecessarily into blame-the-victim…
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