Rieder: How the media was the news in 2015
The news media covers the news, but it often makes news as well. Here are some of the major controversies, developments and happenings from the media world in 2015.
WHAT ABOUT TRUMP?
It's hardly a secret that the news media devoted a huge amount of attention to the presidential candidacy of one Donald Trump during the year. And the interplay between the irrepressible Republican presidential candidate and news outlets and journalists emerged as a major running subplot.
Trump's high-decibel, rules-flouting approach posed a challenge for the media. Many journalists blanched at the idea of giving so much exposure to the sensational, sometimes fact-challenged assertions of a candidate who at times seems more entertainer than serious politico.
But the sheer outrageousness of some of his pronouncements made them hard to ignore, particularly as Trump's dominance of the polls, the political conversation and the Republican presidential primary endured month after month, making clear the blustery billionaire was no mere flavor of the week a la Herman Cain or Michele Bachmann.
But how much is too much? Earlier in December, a survey found Trump had 47% of the TV mentions of GOP candidates. The runner-up? Marco Rubio, at 6%.
Despite the avalanche of free media, Trump was hardly brimming with gratitude. Trump clearly relishes beating up on journalists. He said a good percentage of them are "really a terrible group of people." He mocked the disability of a New York Times reporter, had a top Hispanic journalist tossed out of a press conference, singled out individual journalists like NBC News' Katie Tur and Fox News' Megyn Kelly for insults, and dismissed conservative pundits Charles Krauthammer and George Will as "losers."
Regardless, Trump was good news for networks hosting GOP debates, playing a big role in attracting record-setting audiences to the face-offs.
THE BRIAN WILLIAMS SCANDAL
It wasn't long ago that Brian Williams was flying high. He was anchor of the top-ranked NBC Nightly News and a much sought-after celebrity who appeared on such venues as The Late Show with David Letterman. Then his world exploded with the revelation that he had grossly exaggerated his exploits while covering the war in Iraq.
Williams had said he had been in a helicopter that had been forced out of the sky when it was hit by enemy fire. But he hadn't been, which he admitted after he was challenged by some veterans on Facebook. Williams had told the story on his own newscast, on Letterman and elsewhere.
Then other examples of Williams embellishing his derring-do surfaced. The disclosures cut to the heart of an anchor's essential qualities: credibility and trust. The fabrications and exaggerations and the ensuing ridicule made his tenure as an anchor no longer tenable. NBC News suspended him and launched an internal investigation. When the dust settled, Williams had lost his job as the face of NBC News, although he wasn't fired; NBC demoted him to a role in which he honchos breaking news stories on sister cable network MSNBC.
THE CHARLIE HEBDO ATTACKS
For journalists, covering terrorist attacks has become an all-too-frequent part of the mission since 9/11. The story came painfully close to home on Jan. 7 when Muslim extremists forced their way into the Paris offices of the satirical weekly Charlie Hebdo, killing 12 people, including the newspaper's editor and prominent cartoonists.
The newspaper's crime? Publishing images of the prophet Mohammed, which is offensive to many Muslims. While it often ridiculed Muslims, the newspaper was an equal-opportunity offender, directing its satire at many targets, including the Catholic Church.
The world was galvanized by the horrific attack on freedom of expression, and "Je suis Charlie" became a rallying cry of solidarity. Seven weeks later, Charlie resumed regular publication.
ID'ING MASS KILLERS
Should the news media identify mass murderers? Should news outlets repeatedly publish their pictures? Should they give publicity to the "manifestos" of these vicious criminals?
These questions came to the fore as the USA witnessed a seemingly endless string of mass killings during 2015. Driving this conversation were Caren and Tom Teves, whose son Alex was gunned down in a mass shooting at a movie theater in Aurora, Colo., in 2012.
While no blackout is on the horizon, nor should it be, the notion that these issues should be handled with more sensitivity gained traction this year, as did the idea that in the effort to pinpoint who the killers are and why they did what they did, it's vital that the lives of the victims not be overshadowed.
JOURNALIST LANGUISHES IN IRAN JAIL
Washington Post correspondent Jason Rezaian remained locked up in Iran, his period in captivity now far longer than that of the Iranian hostages, despite the best efforts of his family, Post executive editor Marty Baron and journalism organizations to focus attention on his plight.
Hopes that the nuclear deal between the United States and Iran would speed Rezaian's release quickly evaporated. Rezaian is charged with espionage, although no evidence to support the charges has emerged — the journalist was tried behind closed doors — and his supporters have denounced the allegations as entirely trumped-up.
On Dec.7, to mark his 500th day in prison, journalists read from Rezaian's work for 24 consecutive hours at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C.
WHO OWNS THE PAPER?
Journalists are always demanding transparency from the people and institutions they cover. But what happens when a state's largest newspaper changes hands and the new owners remain secret?
That was the case when a mysterious Delaware-based outfit called News + Media Capital Group LLC acquired the Las Vegas Review-Journal. The company's principals weren't identified in the official paperwork, and they refused to come forward. While the manager for the new owners told the staff not to worry about who the owners were, the staff had other ideas, and bravely vowed to find out.
After they did, the paper published a story saying that it had been acquired by the family of casino magnate and big-time GOP donor Sheldon Adelson, a major player in Nevada, and the family owned up to it in a statement published in the Review-Journal.
Why so coy, Adelsons? The family said it didn't want to distract people from the Republican presidential debate in Las Vegas on Dec. 15, held at Adelson's Venetian casino.
NOTHING BUT NET
In February, the Federal Communications Commission approved rules that chairman Tom Wheeler said would preserve a "fast, fair and open Internet." The rules, known as net neutrality, prevent Internet service providers from blocking content they don't like or selling faster service.
In doing so, the FCC voted for the first time to classify Internet service providers as public utilities, like telephone companies. The new rules are enthusiastically backed by consumer groups and content providers, but staunchly opposed by the service providers, who have challenged them in court.
WIN SOME, LOSE SOME
The newspaper business continued its painful transition to the digital era, with many papers once again shrinking their staffs with layoffs and buyouts. In Philadelphia, Interstate General Media announced that it was consolidating the staffs of The Philadelphia Inquirer, the Philadelphia Daily News and philly.com, raising concerns about the future of the Daily News. Chicago-based Tribune Publishing dismissed the publisher of its Los Angeles Times, Austin Beutner, who had forged an innovative strategy of heightened community engagement. In response, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors and top civic leaders called for a return to local ownership of the paper. When the owner of New York's Daily News put the paper up for sale, Cablevison bid $1 for the financially challenged tabloid.
On the brighter side, The Washington Post has seen its digital audience rise dramatically under the ownership of Amazon.com CEO Jeff Bezos, for the first time surpassing The New York Times with multiplatform unique viewers in the U.S. And the Times notched an important milestone when it reached 1 million digital-only subscribers, an impressive feat considering it wasn't that long ago that charging for digital content was considered anathema.
JOURNALISTS AS HEROES
Journalism got a much-needed shot in the arm from the movie Spotlight, a riveting account of The Boston Globe's powerful reporting on the Catholic priest pedophile scandal. The well-reviewed film was considered among the year's best and one of the best journalism movies ever, and served as a vivid reminder of the importance of the work that journalists do.
JON STEWART STEPS DOWN
The Comedy Central host frequently reminded us that he was not a journalist. But there is little doubt he was one of the nation's most incisive, not to say acerbic, political commentators and most astute media critics. Stewart left The Daily Show on Aug. 6.
NEW KIDS ON THE BLOCK
John Henry, owner of the Boston Red Sox and The Boston Globe, launched Stat, a digital operation focusing on health, medicine and life sciences. News Deeply, which runs immersive single-topic news sites like the acclaimed Syria Deeply, debuted Arctic Deeplyand Water Deeply. Craft beer icon Sam Calagione, of Dogfish Head fame, and two collaborators started up Pallet, a print magazine for people who like to "think and drink."