A SLAPP In The Face Of Journalism

A hearty congratulations and considerable sympathy is due freelance writer Susan Paterno, whose American Journalism Review article "Santa Barbara Smackdown" so upset the owner of the Santa Barbara News-Press that the journalist ended up in court for two years before having the case dismissed this month.

That's two years of courtroom conflict that should light a fire under every American journalist, and not just the freelance writers who aren't reading their contracts before they sign them.

Two years.

As Howard Kurtz reported a year ago, the publisher of Paterno's story, American Journalism Review, "was not originally named as a defendant but agreed to pay Paterno's legal bills and indemnify her against any judgment."

And what did AJR get for doing the right thing? Kurtz had that answer too: "management was stunned to discover that its libel insurance did not cover freelance writers."

Like AJR, a lot of mainstream newspapers are contracting out more and more of their content, which in many cases exposes their freelancers to the same sort of experience Paterno suffered.

Every journalist ought to consider the chilling effect this is bound to have on freelance journalists covering business and government at every level. Will injustices go unreported for fear of retaliation? I don't know. Is two years in hell too long?

The rundown of Paterno's case is at LA Observed.

Cross-posted at LA Observed

Hat tip to Romenesko at Poynter.org for the related-comment link.

Click to e-mail TJ Sullivan in LA

'Through all trials and tribulation ...'

Paul Newman singing "Plastic Jesus" in "Cool Hand Luke"

One more for Paul Newman before the day is done.


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NYT: Paul Newman Dies At 83

Robert Redford (L) and Paul Newman in "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid"

From the Associated Press via NYT:

He got his start in theater and on television during the 1950s, and went on to become one of the world's most enduring and popular film stars, a legend held in awe by his peers. He was nominated for Oscars 10 times, winning one regular award and two honorary ones, and had major roles in more than 50 motion pictures, including "Exodus," "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid," "The Verdict," "The Sting" and "Absence of Malice."

From the NYT:

A politically active liberal Democrat, Mr. Newman was a Eugene McCarthy delegate to the 1968 Democratic convention and appointed by President Jimmy Carter to a United Nations General Assembly session on disarmament. He expressed pride at being on President Richard M. Nixon’s enemies list.

For me, he was at his best in the film adaptation of Richard Russo's brilliant novel "Nobody's Fool," and not just because he played a character named Sully.

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Stewart: 'Those Who Do Not Study The Past ...'

Feel like we've been here before?

John Stewart, host of the Daily Show on Comedy Central, points out some tragically funny similarities between Pres. Bush's speech Thursday night regarding the troubled economy and a speech he gave preceding the war in Iraq in 2003.

Of course, through the magic editing, Stewart gets to make it look like the speech was written from a presidential book of Mad Libs, which is hardly the case. Most any two speeches regarding preemptive actions of such scope are bound to contain common elements. The irony here, however, is that there's no "Us vs. Them" this time. Regardless of whether Bush is right or wrong, the USA has no one to blame but the USA for whatever happens.

Here's a few quotes from the piece:

STEWART: What points do we want to hit … Should we be scared?"

BUSH ON ECONOMY 2008: Our entire economy is in danger ...

BUSH ON IRAQ 2003: The Danger is clear ...

[SNIP ...]

BUSH ON ECONOMY 2008: Not passing a bill now would cost these Americans much more later ...

BUSH ON IRAQ 2003: We are now acting because the risks of inaction would be far greater ...

[SNIP ...]

BUSH ON ECONOMY 2008: Millions of Americans could lose their jobs ...

BUSH ON IRAQ 2003: The terrorists could fulfill their stated ambitions ...

[SNIP ...]

STEWART: So you would like us to grant you incredible unprecedented powers with very little oversight, something that could literally change the course of the country's history. I assume we have some time to think this over ...

BUSH ON ECONOMY 2008: Without immediate action by Congress, America could slip into a financial panic ...

BUSH ON IRAQ 2003: Before the day of horror can come, before it is to late to act ...

[SNIP ...]

STEWART: It really is true what they say. Those who do not study the past, get an exciting opportunity to repeat it.

Thanks to The Huffington Post for highlighting this one.


— TJ Sullivan in LA

'A Degree of Monomania'

Thanks to Working With Words for pointing out this piece by David Gessner on some of the challenges of the writing life. Here's a snippet:

It’s fine for writing teachers to talk in self-help jargon about how their lives require “balance” and “shifting gears” between teaching and writing, but below that civil language lurks the uncomfortable fact that the creation of literature requires a degree of monomania, and that it is, at least in part, an irrational enterprise. It’s hard to throw your whole self into something when that self has another job.

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'Hey John … Need A Ride To The Airport?'

This from Huffington Post:

"John McCain canceled a scheduled appearance on CBS's 'Late Show with David Letterman' mere hours before he was slated to tape the show Wednesday as part of the suspension of his campaign, MSNBC reported on air Wednesday afternoon. Keith Olbermann will appear on Wednesday's 'Late Show' in McCain's place.

From the Drudge Report:

"Then in the middle of the taping Dave got word that McCain was, in fact just down the street being interviewed by Katie Couric. Dave even cut over to the live video of the interview, and said, 'Hey Senator, can I give you a ride home?'

And finally, this from the late Hunter S. Thompson:

"Politics is the art of controlling your environment. That is one of the key things I learned in these years, and I learned it the hard way. Anybody who thinks that 'it doesn't matter who's President has never been Drafted and sent off to fight and die in a vicious, stupid War on the other side of the World — or been beaten and gassed by Police for trespassing on public property — or been hounded by the IRS for purely political reasons — or locked up in the Cook County Jail with a broken nose and no phone access and twelve perverts wanting to stomp your ass in the shower. That is when it matters who is President or Governor or Police Chief. That is when you will wish you had voted."

Click to e-mail TJ Sullivan in LA