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May 20, 2013

Richard A. Serrano: Is Meir Kahane's assassin now a changed man?

Hannan Adely: Town raises Palestinian flag at City Hall

Melissa Healy: Genetic copies of living people from embryos no longer science fiction
Morgan Housel: When smart investors do stupid things

Sharon Saloman, M.S., R.D.: Hunger games: Eat more, weigh less, without starving

Jewz in the Newz by Nate Bloom : Jews Inducted into Rock Hall of Fame; Anton Yelchin co-stars in New "Trek" film; Kutcher (but not Kunis) visits Israel; Jewish TV Star Praises Jewish Rap Star

The Kosher Gourmet by Cathy Pollak: WARNING: This WALNUT CAKE WITH PRALINE FROSTING, perfect for afternoon coffee, is addicting
May 13, 2013

Rabbi Nathan Lopes Cardozo: Why the giving of the document that would permanently change the world could only be done in desolation

David G. Savage: Church-state, literally? Supreme Court weighing public school graduation in a church

Emily Alpert: Recession dragged down birth rates for less-educated women
Morgan Housel: The deep downside of home ownership

Peter Teffer: Will Dutch police soon be stalking cybercriminals on your computer?

Heidi McIndoo, M.S., R.D.: Meatless 'meat' can have its own set of problems

The Kosher Gourmet by Diane Rossen Worthington: Celebrate! This must-try appetizer is delicate yet has depth of flavor: Corn-Leek Cakes with Caviar, Smoked Salmon and Creme Fraiche

May 10, 2013

Rabbi Berel Wein: Be all that you should be

Caroline B. Glick: The dirty little secret about Israel's Arabs

Mona Charen: Hawking's Moral Calculus: The man and the movement he embraces
Morgan Housel: The biggest retirement myth ever told

Sandi Doughton: Eyes may provide new insight into brain problems

Jewz in the Newz by Nate Bloom : The Great Gatsby's Jewish Ties; Jews in the "Time 100 list" List; People's Most Beautiful Women

The Kosher Gourmet by Linda Gassenheimer: A sweet-hot meal: Pear salsa spices up salmon

May 8, 2013

Peter Ford: Why China is welcoming both Israel's Netanyahu and Palestinians' Abbas

Warren Richey: Obama administration quietly backs out of appeal over new contraceptive mandate

Fred Weir: At Kerry-Putin meeting, US-Russia relations thaw --- a tad
Amanda Paulson: Study reveals sad truths about community colleges

Harvard Health Letters: Evidence weak that zinc, echinacea are beneficial

The Kosher Gourmet by Leela Cyd Ross : Almost too pretty to eat, this colorful salad with Sicilian inspiration will tickle the taste buds and delight your visual sensibility

May 6, 2013

Edmund Sanders and Patrick J. McDonnell: Think Israel's objective in Syria is to weaken Assad or embolden the rebels? Think again

Brian Bennett: Israeli airstrikes may show weakness in Syrian defense

Michael Ollove: Millions of ex-felons, parolees and those on probation are about to be entitled to tax-payer paid health coverage
Karen Kaplan: Most men can skip PSA test for prostate cancer, urologists say

Kimberly Lankford: How to track down a lost life insurance policy

Dream of Mars exploration achievable, experts say

The Kosher Gourmet by Susan M. Selasky: EGGPLANT WRAPS are an easy, sumptuous and scrumptious meal

May 3, 2013

Rabbi Nathan Lopes Cardozo: Human Courage and the Unavoidable, Disturbing Text

Steven Emerson: Attorney General Fights CAIR in Court, Lauds it in Public

Mediterranean diet helps beat dementia: study
Harvard Health Letters: When to be screened for a hearing problem

Jewz in the Newz by Nate Bloom : Iron Man's Jewish Connections; Marc Maron's New TV Show; Martin Landau Grows Up with Israel; Shalom, Allan Arbus

The Kosher Gourmet by Diane Rossen Worthington: A sweet surprise for Mother's Day dessert

May 1, 2013

Jonathan Rosenblum: An Improbable Journey to Orthodoxy

Jonathan Tobin: Blame Obama, Not Israel for Syria Push

Kids, kittens the Same? With employee perks at struggling Internet pioneer Yahoo! it's hard to tell
Halena M. Gazelka, M.D.: Mayo Clinic Medical Edge: What you need to know about implanted pain relief devices

Sandy Kleffman: Artificial kidney offers hope to patients tethered to a dialysis machine

Jessica Shugart: When it comes to math, MRIs may be better than IQs

The Kosher Gourmet by Mario Batali: The celebrated chef on how high-maintenance ASPARAGUS RISOTTO need not be

April 29, 2013

Roy Gutman: Poland's new Jewish museum celebrates life, doesn't revisit Holocaust

Mark Clayton: Terrorism in America: Is US missing a chance to learn from failed plots?

Kim Murphy: Boston Bomber's 'Svengali' Revealed
Morgan Housel: He's rich, smart and old: Listen to him

Thomas Salinas, D.D.S.: Mayo Clinic Medical Edge: The safety of amalgam fillings

Harvard Health Letters: Tomatoes and stroke protection

Pete Spotts: Tiny satellites + cellphones = cheaper 'eyes in the sky' for NASA

The Kosher Gourmet by Diane Rossen Worthington: Swing into spring with lemon cream pie

April 26, 2013

Rabbi Abraham J. Twerski: The world is a mirror

Caroline B. Glick: Time to confront Obama

Clifford D. May: Defense in the Age of Jihadist Terrorism
Kimberly Lankford: New strategies ease pain of paying for long-term care insurance

Howard LeWine, M.D.: Ask the Harvard Experts: Too much ibuprofen?

Sharon Palmer, R.D.: How to feel your best -- with plenty of energy, a healthy weight and optimal mental and physical function -- without driving yourself batty

Jewz in the Newz by Nate Bloom: Jewish Major Leaguers, 2013; New Movies and Comedy Show; Shalom, 'Lumpy' (Leave it to Beaver)

The Kosher Gourmet by Emily Ho : A bright and cheerful salad to herald the warmer months ahead

April 24, 2013

Steven Emerson: Boston Bomber Exposes Islamist Secret

Morgan Housel Admit it: No one has any idea what's going on
Harvard Health Letters: Can you get headaches from headache medication?

Kerri-Ann Jennings, M.S., R.D.: How to easily get more Omega-3s in your diet

Melissa Healy: Pot in a pill: All the pain relief without the smoke

The Kosher Gourmet by Susan Russo: Chipotle Chili Butternut Squash Soup is bold, zesty, hot

April 22, 2013

Ken Dilanian: Counterterrorism's future is unclear

US man departing country arrested on terror charges
Barbara Williams: An unorthodox but growing treatment in a 9-year-old's battle against cancer

P.J. Skerrett, M.D.: How to recognize a good whole grain product

Jewz in the Newz by Nate Bloom: Teen actor Jonah Bobo in New Flick: Hunky James Wolk on Mad Men; Erich Segal's Daughter Writes Prize-Winning Jewish Novel


Jewish World Review April 17, 2008 / 12 Nissan 5768

News you can (re)use

By Malcolm Fleschner


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http://www.JewishWorldReview.com | With so much going on in the world these days, whether locally, nationally or internationally, it's remarkable that the nightly news shows manage to cover it all in just an hour and still squeeze in sports, weather and the latest Britney Spears updates.


I've often wondered how, with all these events to cover, the news programs can afford to dedicate any air time to those perennially occurring stories that, in their sameness, never seem to offer anything of actual news value. You know the stories I'm talking about - footage of the Pennsylvania groundhog either seeing or not seeing his shadow, interviews with people waiting to buy lottery tickets for a $100 million jackpot, footage of slow-moving shoppers being crushed underfoot by the stampeding bargain hunters on the day after Thanksgiving, etc. The list goes on and so, inexplicably, does the coverage.


I remember thinking about how little these stories change last year as I watched a TV reporter interviewing the incoherent, toothless 113-year-old woman who had just become the oldest living person. Rather than bothering to go out and get this footage, I wondered, wouldn't it be easier and less expensive to simply re-air an interview with the previous oldest person or, if that wasn't available, an interview with Keith Richards? Who would know the difference?


That's when I realized I might be on to something. Maybe the network news programs keep showing us stories that recur so frequently precisely because they can run old footage without anyone at home catching on. Take, for example, the occasional story about a bunch of bodies turning up in some otherwise nondescript homeowner's backyard. Is it really necessary for a camera crew to go out to the house in question just to record a neighbor predictably saying that the guy was "a quiet type" who "kept mostly to himself" except for when he was "cranking up the stereo to play what he called 'good body-burying music?'"


Next week I'll be able to test my theory when news reporters predictably tromp out to area post offices to interview the hordes of procrastinators who've waited until the last minute to file their income tax returns. I know I'll be watching closely for telltale signs of recycled footage, such as people in line using older cell phone models, wearing "Frankie Say Relax" t-shirts or telling interviewers they're concerned about the government handling the millions of returns, "what with this whole Y2K crisis and all."


In fact, the practice of repurposing old stories is a long and celebrated news tradition. To cite just one example, legend has it that famed newspaper man William Randolph Heart, upon hearing of the Hindenburg disaster, stopped his top editor from sending a reporter out to the crash scene. "Here, just run this," Hearst allegedly said, handing the editor an old story about the sinking of the Titanic. "Just change 'ship' to 'blimp,' 'Titanic' to 'Hindenberg,' 'iceberg' to 'fireball' and 'North Atlantic Ocean' to 'Lakehurst, New Jersey.'"


Today, with news budgets tighter than ever, the practice of recycling footage will likely increase. Suspicion has already arisen that producers are using new Photoshop technology to take existing video of, say, Paris Hilton being released from prison and replacing the hotel heiress' image with footage of Lindsay Lohan, Nicole Ritchie, Kiefer Sutherland or the latest former child star to finish serving time. This also may explain why the wives of disgraced politicians always appear at their husbands' sides during the ensuing press conferences; since Hillary was in the original source video, dutifully standing beside Bill, news organizations are now forced to drop in images of the current wife, most likely taken from stock footage from a state funeral or some other somber event. It's the only logical explanation.


Why, even President Bush has been getting into the act. While many commentators have criticized the president for his seemingly "detached" approach to governing, the fact is that Bush retired to his Crawford ranch sometime in 2005 and now only returns to the White House for photo opportunities with important visiting guests, such as the French president, the Queen of England or a recently-crowned bass fishing champion. That's why, when the news organizations need to show the president reacting to, say, the latest bad news in Iraq, they just trot out old footage of Bush talking about how "the surge is working," "we're turning the corner" and "the Democrats all hate the troops."


The only problem with all this footage recycling is if the public begins to lose faith in the integrity of the news media. But as usual, the networks are way ahead of us, and already have plenty of stored video of people on the street talking about how much they still trust the network news. I just hope someone had the good sense to screen out anyone wearing a "Frankie Says" t-shirt.

Every weekday JewishWorldReview.com publishes what many in the media and Washington consider "must-reading". Sign up for the daily JWR update. It's free. Just click here.

JWR contributor Malcolm Fleschner is a humor columnist for The DC Examiner. Let him know what you think by clicking here.


Previously:

04/02/08: Commercial (over)load
02/20/08: An overdose of reality
02/14/08: A developing situation
01/30/08: I can tech it or leave it
01/02/08: Confessions of a coke addict
01/02/08: Our bills are due
12/13/07: Going (to lunch) once, going twice…
11/28/07: Out with the old
11/06/07: My latest pet project
11/06/07: Can't tune it out
10/23/07: Something special in the hair
09/12/07: Can I have your attention, please?
09/12/07: Houston, we have an image problem
08/21/07: In the heat of fashion
08/09/07: Let's get in the game
06/13/07: You gonna eat that?
05/08/07: That's disinter-tainment
05/02/07:You Are (not) Getting Sleepy...
04/18/07: No time like Father Time
03/15/07: Deface the Nation
03/08/07: More gifts? You shouldn't have
02/22/07: Relationships can be such a chore
12/05/06: Who's calling the shots?
11/09/06: I'm taking selling to a whole new level
10/27/06: Some skills are beyond repair
10/18/06: You can't tech it with you
10/04/06: Award to the wise
08/24/06: Phrased and Confused
08/09/06: We're Gonna Party Like it's $19.99
07/19/06: Just Singing in the Brain
05/24/06: Who says you can't go home again?
05/11/06: When nightly news stories go off script
04/26/06: Cents and sensibility: A thought for your pennies
03/16/06: The day the Muzak died
02/23/06: Checkbook diplomacy begins at home
02/15/06: Today's toys: Where learning means earning



© 2006, Malcolm Fleschner

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