Video: Geithner Interviewed by Brian Williams and CNBC Reporter After Bailout II Announcement
Filed under: Bailout Bill, Banking, Recession, U.S. Economy, U.S. Financial Crisis
I’ve Got a Job for Bill Gates
Another major city daily newspaper is dying, but this one may have a chance because of its city’s most famous citizen.
The demise of the Seattle Post-Intelligencer wouldn’t be good for Washington state – or the whole Northwestern U.S. for that matter. Redmond, the headquarters of Gates’ Microsoft Corp. is part of the Seattle metro area. One of the largest corporations in the world, and arguably the most important tech company in the world needs to be located in a healthy, vibrant city. Part of that mix is a genuine arm of the Fourth Estate, a healthy daily newspaper.
Gates has an opportunity here. He has the personal wealth to swoop in and be the angel investor that keeps journalism in Seattle. Today, we may say that a “healthy daily newspaper” is integral to a world-class city, but Gates has the opportunity to turn that notion on its ear. Gates is a visionary, a strategist. A man like Bill Gates – with an imagination and understanding of technology and the power of the World Wide Web – matched with an equal sized pocketbook has the opportunity to incubate the future of daily journalism in his own back yard.
Most rich guys would swoop in and try to remake the P-I in some sort of image of themselves, hence perhaps sacrificing objectivity and information for opinion and fluff. After hearing this interview with Charlie Rose, where Gates talked about his commitment to information and education – and affordable access to both, Gates may be the man to view the P-I opportunity not only as a way to be civic-minded, but as a way to make a bigger impact on society and create the business model that in the least saves the utility of the daily newspaper.
What I would hope Gates wouldn’t do is turn the P-I into an arm of Microsoft. Sure, MSNBC could be involved in some way, but in creating this new business model for daily journalism, the entire world of technology and ideas about communication needs to be considered. Gates, “semi-retired” from Microsoft is in a better place in his life to do this. Several years ago, I fear the P-I would have become part of the Microsoft franchise or brand and the journalistic integrity would have suffered, even if only in perception. No, this should be a Bill Gates project, not a Microsoft project.
I might suggest that as a bridge, perhaps the first place to look to save a few dollars and a few trees would be to begin with a scaled-back model regarding print circulation. It’s probably not a public service to go completely electronic at this stage. What about all the oldsters who do not have internet access? What about the people who can’t afford internet access? A lot of these folks can still afford 50 cents to a dollar a day to get a good quality newspaper. I might also suggest that the last place to look for savings should be the newsroom. It might be the first place to look for performance management, but content is King and content comes from people reporting, thinking and presenting.
Mr. Gates: To borrow some language from another venerable northwestern firm, “Just Do It.”
MSNBC Electoral Map – Updates Every Two Minutes
What’s Worse than Gustav? CNN’s Rick Sanchez Anchoring Coverage
Kudos to MSNBC
MSNBC, becoming more known for prison documentaries and visual talk radio, is actually covering the news today. I’ve been looking in from time to time today on their hurricane coverage. They appear to be the only network who had a reporter in Cuba to cover the hurricane. The devastation and displacement of people is horrendous. I hope decision-makers in the Gulf states and Washington have seen some of this coverage.
Brickbats to CNN
Guys this story is too serious for Rick Sanchez. Sanchez proves every time he’s on the air that he’s the Ted Baxter of today. One of his trademark moves is to get a guest talking and then loudly interrupt them about 15 seconds into what they’re saying. He just did it to Lt. Gen. (Ret.) Russel L. Honore, the Ragin’ Cajun. Honore, I believe, is calling in an airstrike on Sanchez’s position. As I write this, Sanchez is checking in on Facebook to let us know what “Mark” from Somewhere in cyberspace thinks about everything. Rick, there appears to be enough news today. Put down the Facebook. America doesn’t give a shit what “Mark” thinks.
See Also
Attention DNC: You’re Allowing Pundits to Steal Our Convention
Filed under: Democratic National Convention, Presidential Campaign 2008
OK, I swear I’ve been watching this convention coverage on CNN and MSNBC for three hours tonight and I’ve seen very little convention. What I’m watching right now at 8:55 p.m. is Pat Buchanan and Rachel Maddow stoking the fires of Democratic discontent.
Forty-five minutes ago or so there was more pessimism from my hero James Carville. It’s so obvious he’s still in the tank for Hillary.
Point being behind this post: DNC put up some damn programming worthy of these talking heads to shut the f*&k up!
“Liberal” Media Apparently Not in the Tank for Obama
Print and Electronic Media Making PUMAs Out to Be More Than What They Are
I get home from work, kiss the wife, pet the cat and check in on the Fourth Estate’s coverage of the Democratic National Convention. I was shocked to find out that the floor fights have already begun, Hillary has chained herself to the podium, Bill is threatening self-immolation, and James Carville just decked Howard Dean.
That’s what one would think from the 4,793 headlines on Google News and a review of today’s transcripts of CNN’s coverage. Every reporter in town is trying to find one of the two or three loud-mouthed, sore losers who are threatening to blow the place up. CNN’s “Situation Room” with Wolf Blitzed began the program with a quote from James Carville suggesting that the Obama campaign has handled things all wrong — the transcript doesn’t point out when that sentence was uttered or in what context.
The vapid Ann Curry of NBC’s Today Show is the podium reporter tonight on MSNBC. She literally pummeled poor Nancy Pelosi with questions about Hillary v. Barack. Memo to Ann: This thing was won about four months ago. Pelosi was straining so hard to smile through the barrage, she literally sweat Botox.
What’s missing from the media’s theme of discontent at the convention is — discontent. I haven’t seen one party leader threatening insurrection. I haven’t read one quote tonight from a party leader saying the situation is tenuous. There are no signs of Hillary placards in the crowd among the delegates.
What the media may be missing in its attempt to create news is the real news. Democrats are uniting in Denver this week.
Obama Veepstakes – Does a Biden Pick Spite Hillary’s States?
Chris Matthews’ Strong Case for Hillary for Veep
I keep hearing the pundits talking about how Sen. Barack Obama isn’t “comfortable” with this person or that person – the chemistry isn’t there. Screw the chemistry, let’s win this damn election.
Chris Matthews had a great segment tonight on Hardball with Howard Fineman and Andrea Mitchell. You can watch the whole 14 minutes or so at the end of this post. Those states in green look awful good.