Culture

The sisters of Helen Thomas say her statements about Israel — which cost the White House correspondent-turned-Hearst columnist her job — have been widely misinterpreted. In a telephone interview initiated by Journal-isms, three of them said Thomas was not calling for the destruction of Israel or the return of all Israelis to Europe or the…

“Speaking to the people of the Gulf Coast a week ago last Wednesday from Grand Isle, President Obama assured them that his administration would keep focused on the massive oil spill and its consequences,” David Carr wrote Monday in the New York Times. “ ‘I am here to tell you that you’re not alone. You…

ASNE To Try Again on Online Diversity Survey The American Society of News Editors, which received only seven responses after asking, it said, 28 online organizations to respond to its annual diversity survey, will “do a new census,” according to ASNE President Milton Coleman. Coleman told Journal-isms he hoped to have the survey completed by…

Updated on June 2 at 11:20 p.m. ET. Amy DuBois Barnett, deputy editor-in-chief of Harper’s Bazaar magazine and former editor of Honey, on Wednesday was named editor-in-chief of Ebony magazine, effective immediately, Johnson Publishing Co. announced.  Harriette Cole, the magazine’s creative director and its acting editor-in-chief since Bryan Monroe left as editorial director in April…

As the days get longer and voters turn up the heat on our national leaders, Washington becomes the setting for most of the nonfiction work listed here, at least it’s where many of the authors make their livings. The election of Barack Obama was a shot in the arm to the book industry, and it…

UPDATE: “Democratic gubernatorial candidate Matt Entenza picked Robyne Robinson, who left her anchor post at Fox 9 Wednesday, to run on his ticket,” the Star Tribune of Minneapolis reported on Thursday. “The pick, announced in person on the Minnesota Capitol steps a few minutes after Entenza announced it on Twitter, ended a week’s worth of…

A handful of Malcolm X scholars say the 45-year-old mystery of who really pulled the trigger and killed the iconic black leader has been solved, and are wondering why the news media aren’t giving it more attention. Abdur-Rahman Muhammad, a historian who writes for the Woodson Review and other publications of the respected Association for…

Rand Paul Cancels Out on “Meet the Press” Rand Paul, engulfed in controversy over his views on the 1964 Civil Rights Act 24 hours after he won the Republican nomination for the U.S. Senate from Kentucky, has canceled his scheduled appearance Sunday on NBC’s “Meet the Press.” His campaign spokesman “said he was exhausted and…

Richard Prince’s Book Notes™: Compelling Nonfiction After 44 years behind bars, the nation’s most famous prison journalist tells his story. A black journalist reaches the highest reaches of the New York Times newsroom, only to topple in a tragedy of Shakespearean dimensions. Women examine their multifaceted status in 21st century journalism. Now it can be…

Seattle News Director Quits, Assignment Editor Fired The Seattle news director whose station turned down the video of a police beating resigned, and an assignment manager has been fired, Seattle news organizations reported on Thursday. “I want to let you all know today is my last day here at Q13 FOX. As the leader of…