Someone left their shoes by the newspaper thing in Lerner on Monday. The authorities describe the person as “having his/her feet on the wrong feet.”

Did you know that times are tough for journalists? Fear not, though, for, as The New York Times reported yesterday, the Journalism School has issued a rallying cry to save struggling newspapers across the country.  

In the J-School commissioned report, “The Reconstruction of American Journalism,” Leonard Downie Jr., former executive editor of the Washington Post (and no relation to Bwog editor James Downie), and Michael Schudson, a professor at the J-School, argue that since current advertising models fail to support “so-called accountability journalism,” drastic new steps should be taken. Their six recommendations not only include involving philathropists, nonprofits, and universities in news gathering, but also getting the government to support the business, particularly local news. And to think people already call Obama a socialist.

The weekly CCSC meeting began with a rousing singing of Happy Birthday for the members with February birthdays, and the distribution of free M2M coconut wafers. In a textbook case of crossed wires, a birthday cake appeared five minutes later (with trick candles! Teehee!), and a second round of Happy Birthday singing ensued…

On the “inky newsprint” front, Student Services Representative Aaron Edmonds talked about a possible program that would increase the number of free newspapers available on campus from one to three (though one would have to be USA Today). Currently, CCSC provides 600 copies of the New York Times, which cost $5280 for fall semester. The program would also potentially include swipe access for the papers so that only CC students (whose Student Life fees are supporting the papers) could take them. Apparently, many of the free copies in Lerner are currently snapped up by Lerner administrators (for whom tuition checks clearly aren’t large enough). Read more…

According to an article by everyone’s favorite authority on colleges, US News and World Report, Columbia was nipped ever so slightly by Harvard this year for the top honor of being the university whose name appears most in global print and electronic media.  Hey, at least we trounced the rest of the Ivies, as Yale, Princeton, and Cornell were the only other Ancient Eight schools to appear in the top ten.

Rounding out the report’s top five were Michigan, UC Berkeley, and Stanford.  For the rest of the results (as well as a different ranking for the number of appearances of liberal arts colleges in the media) check out this New York Times-evoking report courtesy of the Global Language Monitor.

Who knows, maybe this post will push us over the top! Or maybe not!

It’s time today to say goodbye to the New York Sun, which has been a diligent and dedicated chronicler of the life and times of Columbia and its faculty. Come, let’s relive the memories.

Way back in 2006, the Sun dutifully reported on the Joseph Massad and Nadia Ab El-Haj Tenure Battles. And then the following year, there was extensive coverage of the visit a certain Iranian President, which included some rather unflattering pieces about Coatsworth & Friends.

Then was that time that 70 prominent professors published a “statement of concern” in the paper, accusing your President Bollinger of stifling academic freedom. 

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Freshmen are probably noticing that NSOP slows down the pace of events quite a bit as it moves into the weekend. Bwog thought it would slow things down as well and bring you a round-up of Columbians in the news. We know it’s not all national or internation news, but not all of us can be presidential candidates.

• President Mikheil Saakashvili of Georgia remains closely allied to the United States despite continual pressure from Russia.
• Tim Horrigan CC ’69 is running for New Hampshire State representative. For more background on him, check out his Netscap-era website.
• The Buffalo News profiles Dan Foote CC ’85, who is currently on diplomatic mission to Iraq.
• Future alum/current 2010er Raphael Graybill was in Denver this past week as the youngest member of Montana’s delegation.

After several application deadline postponements, our dead-tree friends at the Spec have finally chosen their new set of opinion columnists. Some old Bwog favorites have returned, some fresh faces have been added, and it’s not known who gets the Friday death slots.

• Anthony Kelley, CC ’09, who wrote what IvyGate called “The Batshittiest Spectator Column You Will Ever Read.”
• Jonathan Hollander, CC ’10, whose most recent Spec piece called out Kelley.
• Adil Ahmed, CC ’09, CCSC VP for Policy and former MSA president.
• Andrew Lyubarsky, CC ’09, one of the hunger strike negotiators, whom Bwog interviewed in Novermber.
• Lauren Salz, BC ’11, CUGOP President Executive Director and CPU Communications Coordinator.
• Kate Redburn, CC ’10, and Sarah Leonard, CC ’10, former Dems board members writing a joint column.
• Marissa Mazek, BC ’10, one of the organizers of “Love Your Body Week.”
• Jonathon Grant, GS ’08, actor and dancer.
  
• Catherine Madeo, GS ’10, a yoga instructor (and the oldest columnist at 33).
• Becky Davies, CC ’10, leader of the Columbia University Food Sustainability Project. 
• Dan Blank, CC ’09, who directed KCST’s King Lear, and who hasn’t written for the Spec since Saddam was executed.
• Alexios Shaw, CC ’09, former Managing Editor of The Birch, and water-polo enthusiast.  

UPDATE 9:27 PM: Ask for a schedule, and ye shall receive. All mysteries will be solved after the jump.

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As I was without an Internet connection for the past week, I ended up watching a lot of television news. And while hearing about Barack Obama’s every move and every analyst’s baseless prediction of the day is fun for… well, really not all that long, here are some movies about the news are much more entertaining than trying to figure who among Olbermann, O’Reilly, and Lou Dobbs needs to shut up first.  

Broadcast News (1987): Nominated for seven Academy Awards, Broadcast News takes a look at the evolution of television journalism and its shift of focus from quality reporting to getting ratings. The vehicle through which writer/director/producer James L. Brooks presents this shift is a love triangle between Jane Craig (Holly Hunter), a passionate producer who cares deeply about the quality of her reporting; Aaron Altman (Albert Brooks), another devoted reporter who wants to be recognized for his hard work; and Tom Grunick (William Hurt), a good-looking new guy who is able to work his way up the ladder of promotion, despite his total lack of knowledge or journalistic skill. As significant changes happen at the network, the relationships between the three reach a climax, allowing the film to shed light on the way news media has shifted today. 

Read more…

The New York Times is reporting that the J-School received a 5 million-dollar gift today from one Mr. Leonard Tow, a Columbia grad whom the Times identifies as “a former chief executive of Citizens Communications, and Century Communications” as well as a philanthropist — and how!

Tow is hoping that his $5 million will aid J-Schoolers in figuring out how to save the dying newspaper business by attaining Internet-savvy. (Hint: stop printing newspapers on paper.) Tow also explains that he was annoyed at Harvard and its fancy “Internet institute” because it was much better than Columbia at teaching grad students how to publish things online.

Tow also donated $3 million to the CUNY J-School to create the Tow Center for Journalistic Innovation, which will focus on research and development. Funds at Columbia will be centered around training J-Schoolers in “digital media.” What exactly can 5 million buy these days? Accoring to J-School dean Nicholas B. Lemann: “two professors in new media” and “a curriculum that may include data-driven reporting and software design for news organizations.”

According to Editor & Publisher, CUNY will have to match the donation through fund raising in order to receive it.  Columbia will have to do the same, but it will have to double Tow’s donation and fund raise $10 million.