Twenty-nine-year-old Brandon Smith spends most of his time driving for Uber and Lyft, but the independent journalist’s relentless fight to make the video of Laquan McDonald’s death public is changing Chicago history. The unarmed black teen was shot 16 times by a white police officer. Now that officer is charged with first-degree murder.
Ashley Southall, New York Times: “Reporter who forced release of Laquan McDonald video is barred from news event”
James Warren, Poynter: “How the media blew reporting the Chicago cop’s shooting of a teen"
Peter Zimmerman, WGN Radio: “Why was the journalist who forced the release of the Laquan McDonald video barred from attending the press conference?”
Jeremy Borden, Columbia Journalism Review: “How a little-known, Uber-driving freelancer brought the lawsuit that forced Chicago to release a police shooting video”'
Kobe Bryant’s retirement announcement
Kobe Bryant announced his retirement from the NBA in the Players’ Tribune. The site is fairly new, started by former New York Yankee Derek Jeter to give athletes a place to tell their own stories -- without the media.
Kobe Bryant, The Players’ Tribune: “Dear Basketball”
ESPN, ESPN.com news services: “Kobe Bryant of Los Angeles Lakers announces he will retire after this season”
SI Wire, Sports Illustrated: “Kobe Bryant retirement: Lakers star will retire after this season”
Kevin Draper, Deadspin: “Kobe Bryant announces retirement via poem”
PR Newswire: “Derek Jeter-founded The Players’ Tribune announces its official launch and strategic partnerships”
Exxon takes on Columbia University journalism students
ExxonMobile accuses graduate students of using unethical research methods in their investigation into potentially unethical business practices.
Elana Schor & Hadas Gold, POLITICO: “ExxonMobile climate change: Exxon takes aim at Columbia University journalists for role in climate reports”
Melissa Cronin, Gawker: “Exxon accuses Columbia Journalism students of ‘ethics violations’ for reporting on Exxon’s own ethics violations”
Katie Jennings, Dino Grandoni and Susanne Rust, Los Angeles Times: “How Exxon went from leader to skeptic on climate change research”
Clampdown in Thailand
James Warren, Poynter: “Printer refuses to run International New York Times story (again)”
Oliver Holmes, The Guardian: “Thai printer replaces International New York Times article with blank space”
AFP, Yahoo News!: “Blank spaces replace NYT article on flagging Thai economy”
New York Times adds Mx.
Kara Bloomgarden-Smoke, New York Observer: “The New York Times adds ‘Mx.’ To the honorific mix”
Charles Curkin, New York Times: “At Bluestockings, a Manhattan activist center, radical is sensible”
Katherine Rosman, New York Times: “Me, Myself and Mx.”
Margaret Sullivan, New York Times: “The Times and Transgender issues: Pronouns”
Christopher Kimball ends 'America's Test Kitchen' run
Bill Chappell, NPR: “America's Test Kitchen founder Chris Kimball leaves show”
Sydney Ember, New York Times: “Christopher Kimball, founder of America’s Test Kitchen, to leave the company”
Russ Parsons, Los Angeles Times: “Christopher Kimball out at America's Test Kitchen”
