Author Archives: Ralph Hanson

What did Rachel Maddow do to Upset So Many People with Trump’s Tax Return?

Posted on March 16, 2017 by Ralph Hanson

Last night on her MSNBC show, Rachel Maddow and her guest, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist David Cay Johnston, revealed the front two pages of President Trump’s 2005 tax return.  The reveal had been promoted on the network and via social media for … Continue reading →

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If a news story punches all your buttons – it probably isn’t so…

Posted on March 3, 2017 by Ralph Hanson

You know how you’ve always been warned about being careful when something seems too good to be true? That’s never more the case than when you see a story online and say to yourself, “YES! This is exactly how I … Continue reading →

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Questions Worth Asking (Maybe)

Posted on February 28, 2017 by Ralph Hanson

How could have better design skills eliminated Sunday’s Oscar disaster? Oddly enough, the cards read by the presenters at the Oscars only list the winner in a reasonable sized type.  The name of the category is relegated to tiny type … Continue reading →

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Washington Post adopts new nameplate slogan – Democracy Dies in Darkness

Posted on February 22, 2017 by Ralph Hanson

I’m not sure how long it’s been up, but I noticed it this morning. And I think it’s the most distinctive newspaper motto since the New York Times adopted “All the news that’s fit to print.” The new motto has been … Continue reading →

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A History of Fake Quotes – Lincoln, de Tocqueville & Alcott

Posted on February 16, 2017 by Ralph Hanson

Fake quotes, especially fake Abraham Lincoln quotes, are a popular thing online. Just this week, the Republican National Committee got caught out with one in a tweet celebrating Lincoln’s birthday that read: “And in the end, it’s not the years … Continue reading →

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Media News Keeps Changing – PewDiePie and Playboy

Posted on February 14, 2017 by Ralph Hanson

One of the challenges of writing a media literacy/intro to mass comm textbook is keeping it up to date.  Even with new editions coming every two years, current events have a way of   changing the media world we live … Continue reading →

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Live Stream Opens up Appeals Court Hearing on on Trump’s Travel Ban

Posted on February 10, 2017 by Ralph Hanson

By today (Friday afternoon), the big news is that the 9th District Appeals Court did not strike down the court-ordered stay on President Trump’s executive order banning then entrance of traveller from seven Muslim-majority countries and limiting entrance to the … Continue reading →

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Women’s Magazines Covering Politics

Posted on February 8, 2017 by Ralph Hanson

Journalist Lily Herman had a great Tweetstorm the other day pointing out the big contributions that women’s magazines have been making to political journalism lately.  Without comment, here are her tweets with links.  Lots of good reporting here.  (And a … Continue reading →

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Politics, Lady Gaga & the Super Bowl Halftime Show

Posted on February 6, 2017 by Ralph Hanson

A couple of weeks ago I put up a post that considered the intriguing, if extraordinarily unlikely, possibility of Lady Gaga singing a protest song by 60s & 70s folksinger Phil Ochs during her Super Bowl halftime show. However much fun … Continue reading →

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First Look at 2017 Super Bowl Commercials

Posted on February 1, 2017 by Ralph Hanson

So far, I’ve seen two new Super Bowl commercials which I admit I come to with complex reactions. The first commercial is for the Mercedes AMG Roadster and was shot by the Coen Brothers of Raising Arizona, Fargo, No Country for Old Men, and Hail, … Continue reading →

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