Discussion on 2016 presidential race: Ornstein on MSNBC Live

Resident Scholar Norman Ornstein discusses the 2016 presidential race on MSNBC Live. from AEI » Latest Content http://ift.tt/1Q4vU...

Lack of transparency in the Fed: AEI’s Kevin Hassett on Fox Business Networks’ ‘Varney & Co’

Kevin Hassett of the American Enterprise Institute talks about uncertainty in the market and how the Fed may be responsible on Fox Business Networks’ ‘Varney & Co.’ from AEI » Latest Content http://ift.tt/1X6Z9...

Is the GOP falling out of love with supply-side economics?

Is this true, I wonder? From the Wonkblog reporter Matt O’Brien:   A few thoughts: 1.) Some policies Donald Trump is talking about are clearly contrary to what most Republicans think of as “supply-side economics.” Raising trade barriers and investment taxes are two that most immediately...

Congress has options on Iran

Please join AEI on Tuesday, September 8th at 9:00am to welcome former vice president Richard B. Cheney for a major address concerning the deal’s consequences for the security and interests of the United States and its allies in the Middle East. Details here. There was a time, not so long ago,...

Monday afternoon links

1. Chart of the Day I (above). As a result of revolutionary drilling technologies that have dramatically increased domestic production of shale oil and shale gas, America produced 89% of the domestic energy consumed this year (through May), which is the highest level of energy self-sufficiency since...

State Department releasing more Clinton emails: Thiessen on Fox News’ ‘America’s Newsroom’

Fellow Marc Thiessen discusses the Clinton email controversy and Donald Trump's recent attacks on Clinton aide on Fox News' 'America's Newsroom.' from AEI » Latest Content http://ift.tt/1Kz28...

Shareholder activism has gone overboard

In their quest for quick returns, activists make the mistake of forgetting that it takes time and patience to position any company for success. A sea change is under way in the governance of America’s public companies. Today, we are witnessing a dramatic increase in attacks by activist investors demanding immediate improvement in shareholder returns. In the first six months of this year, activists...

Clinton and Trump on the immigration debate: Thiessen on Fox News’ ‘The Kelly File’

Fellow Marc Thiessen discusses Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump's immigration proposals on Fox News' 'The Kelly File' from AEI » Latest Content http://ift.tt/1JGZb...

Donald Trump’s evolving positions: Ponnuru on Fox News’ ‘Special Report’

AEI's Visiting Fellow of Society and Culture, Ramesh Ponnuru, offers insight into Donald Trump's conservative principals -- or lack thereof -- and what the candidate's flip-flopping could mean going forward. from AEI » Latest Content http://ift.tt/1JwDe...

Trump is a nuisance, not a nightmare

Donald Trump is not high on my list of people who ought to be the president of the United States. I would prefer a candidate who has a track record of conservatism. Who supports free trade. Who has served in elective office. Who can keep his petty resentments below the surface. And who doesn’t casually slander whole ethnic groups or call reporters “bimbos” for asking him tough questions. But even...

News startups are looking to avoid the viewability issue by designing ad-friendly sites from the start

You might have heard: Digital media is wrestling with ad viewability, with little agreement on whose responsibility it is to move the industry forward But did you know: Ad viewability is a contested issue with publishers and advertisers, but some news startups are hoping to get around the issue by designing websites that are ad-friendly. Lauren Johnson writes that LittleThings, a year-old viral news...

Should errors on old stories still be corrected?

Steve Buttry asks, is there a statute of limitations on on correcting errors or updating flawed stories? Errors are often corrected soon after a story’s publication, but a flaw that’s pointed out years later may not be as likely to be corrected. Writing on a case involving The New York Times, Buttry writes that news organizations should still make the correction. Former chair of the SPJ Ethics Committee...

Chinese journalist detained for fabricating and spreading false information about stock market

A Chinese journalist admitted to spreading false information that led to “panic and disorder” at China’s stock market, according to reports by state-run news agency Xinhua. Wang Xiaolu, a journalist for Caijing magazine, wrote a story in July that said the securities regulator was studying plans for government funds to exit the market, which China Securities Regulatory Commission denied and called...

Once a ‘high-stakes affair,’ political press conferences are now a farce with journalists playing along

Political press conferences were formerly events where politicians were “girded for pitched battle with the assembled journalists,” but Robert Mann writes that the political press conference has devolved into “little more than a theater production starring the politician.” Journalists are bit players in this production, Mann says, with politicians looking to make news with carefully scripted statements....

NPR ombud defends use of screengrab from WDBJ video

Though NPR did not use or link to videos from the WDBJ shooting, it drew criticism for its use of a screengrab taken from the shooter’s video. NPR ombudsman Elizabeth Jensen says NPR showed the appropriate restraint is choosing not to air the videos, and says its use of the screengrab was justified. Jensen writes: “[The pictures] and the audio could have been described instead of shown (as they have...

How The Washington Post’s homepage redesign was inspired by print

The Washington Post’s redesigned homepage was revealed last week, the final piece of its sidewide reboot. But it’s not drastically different from its predecessor, which director of digital products and design Joey Marburger says was intentional. The new homepage was inspired by the print front page, as the Post was looking for the ability to emphasize big stories online the same way it can in print....

Need to Know: Aug. 31, 2015

Fresh useful insights for people advancing quality, innovative and sustainable journalism OFF THE TOP You might have heard: Digital media is wrestling with ad viewability, with little agreement on whose responsibility it is to move the industry forward But did you know: News startups are looking to avoid the viewability issue by designing ad-friendly sites from the start (Adweek) Ad viewability is...

Amazon and America: A report on workplace cultures

Earlier this month, the New York Times created a firestorm with a description of what it’s like to work at Amazon, one of America’s most successful companies. The reporters described a brutal workplace culture where employees work long into the night, are pushed to their limits and beyond, and sabotage...

Is America forgetting American values?

Khadija Ismayilova, an Azerbaijani journalist working for the congressionally funded Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, has been sitting behind bars in Baku since December and faces up to 19 years in prison. With the number of journalists jailed around the world surging, a case like hers hardly seems like news these days. According to the Committee to Protect Journalists, or CPJ, last year 221 journalists...

Obama to let China handle Iran’s plutonium plant

Senators supporting the Iran deal may want to reflect long and hard about just what they are endorsing. The faults are many: The Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) is far weaker than previous non-proliferation agreements with South Africa and Libya. Contrary to White House talking points, the...

When China-bashing isn’t

China’s leaders must love the narrative Western media has adopted regarding presidential candidates’ views on China. Consider a selection of headlines from the past few days: • “China bashing: American campaign ritual or harbinger of tougher policy?” The Interpreter, August 25 • “Republicans line up...

Why Georgia’s quest for Euro-Atlantic integration matters more than ever

Seven years after his invasion of the former Soviet Republic, Russian President Vladimir Putin is busy in Georgia again. Since early summer, Russian-backed security forces have been inching further into the country from the breakaway province of South Ossetia to install signs unilaterally creating a new border with Georgia. As a result of the new demarcations, part of a BP-operated gas pipeline has...

Three tensions in health care: Guideline fatigue, patient power, end of life dollars

As we savor the fading days of summer and begin to gear up for a busy autumn, it seems like to good time for another edition of “Three Tensions In Healthcare.” (My usual disclosure/reminder: I work at a cloud genomics company in Mountain View, CA.) Tension 1: Guideline Fatigue The delivery of care is said to suffer from excessive variability, which can result in some patients receiving a higher quality...

Is Turkey heading to partition?

Malaysia and Singapore. Ethiopia and Eritrea. The Czech Republic and Slovakia. Yugoslavia. Serbia and Montenegro and Kosovo. Indonesia and East Timor. Sudan and South Sudan. Many countries which once swore they would uphold their territorial unity have acquiesced to partition. Turkey may be the...

As the GOP plays with Trumpism, Hillary and the Democrats work to shape the new American economy

Donald Trump’s policy views have a high degree of plasticity, even for a politician. But the retrograde version he currently espouses — mass deportation, protectionism, maybe even the gold standard — and the harsh way he espouses them have a foothold in the GOP. Columnist George Will may be correct that each “sulfurous belch from the molten interior of the volcanic Trump phenomenon injures the chances...

Hillary Clinton’s higher ed plan: Something (expensive) for everyone

Hillary Clinton’s higher education plan is extensive and expensive. The plan contains multitudes (almost every idea proposed in the past five years is in there somewhere—some of which are good). But most of the good ideas are window dressing for what is, first and foremost, a call for more resources....

LinkedIn’s referral traffic to publishers has dropped by as much as 44 percent this year

You might have heard: LinkedIn is building a publishing platform for professionals, and more than 130,000 posts are published with LinkedIn’s publishing tools every week But did you know: LinkedIn was once a steady source of referral traffic for many publishers, but that’s slowing as LinkedIn prioritizes its own publishing tools. In the first 8 months of 2015, SimpleReach, which provides metrics on...

News organizations should alter the way they cover mass killings to avoid fueling copycats

The media coverage and social media surrounding the Virginia shooting was likely exactly what the shooter was aiming for, Zeynep Tufekci writes. Tufekci says media should reevaluate how mass killings are covered to prevent giving the killers the notoriety they seek, as well as preventing copycats. Tufekci writes: “This doesn’t mean censoring the news or not reporting important events of obvious news...

UK may require social networks to add warnings on controversial autoplay videos

In the wake of the Virginia shooting, after which raw video was widely shared, the U.K. is considering a law that would require social networks to add warnings to autoplay videos. Government officials say social networks should be using “automatic and manual” techniques to identify controversial content that users should be warned of. Head of the Parliamentary Internet, Communications and Technology...

The Daily Show looks to expand its production of original digital content with the hire of Baratunde Thurston

The Daily Show has hired author and comedian Baratunde Thurston to oversee its expansion of original digital content. Thurston was previously director of digital for The Onion and is planning to expand The Daily Show’s content to other platforms beyond TV. Thurston says: “There’s more to what ‘The Daily Show’ can make than what people have seen. This is a 21-and-a-half-minute show that airs on a box...

Techmeme CEO: The homepage can be valuable for publishers and readers

Some say that the homepage is dead, but Gabe Rivera, the CEO of tech news aggregator Techmeme, says it can be valuable for readers, if publishers make them more useful. Rivera says publishers are often too focused on their stats, but the homepage “captures what the site is about and illustrates to readers what the site thinks is important.” Techmeme’s success shows the homepage’s relevance, Rivera...

How competition between a Cincinnati TV station and newspaper is leading to better journalism for their audiences

Cincinnati TV station WCPO launched a paywall in January 2014 and focused on increasing the quality and breadth of its coverage, leading to increased competition with the city’s leading daily newspaper the Cincinnati Enquirer. Management at both news outlets say the competition between the two is leading to better journalism for their audiences. Chief digital officer for Scripps, which owns WCPO,...

Need to Know: Aug. 28, 2015

Fresh useful insights for people advancing quality, innovative and sustainable journalism OFF THE TOP You might have heard: LinkedIn is building a publishing platform for professionals, and more than 130,000 posts are published with LinkedIn’s publishing tools every week But did you know: LinkedIn’s referral traffic to publishers has dropped by as much as 44 percent this year (Digiday) LinkedIn was...