Aggravation over aggregation

In my latest for the Guardian, I take a look at the increasingly contentious issue of aggregation, and at what constitutes good and bad linking practices.

Spying on the antiwar movement

In my latest for the Guardian, I take a look at a disturbing, underreported revelation: that a public-records request in Washington State revealed an antiwar activist was, in fact, a military spy whose activities may have been a violation of federal law. And I argue that President Obama can no longer ignore calls to investigate the Bush-Cheney White House.

Natural-born citizens of Idiot America

In my latest for the Guardian, I consider how the media ought to deal with the right-wing Birther movement through the lens of my friend Charles Pierce's excellent new book — "Idiot America: How Stupidity Became a Virtue in the Land of the Free."

What's the matter with Cleveland?

In my commentary for the Guardian, I take on the latest bad idea to come out of the Cleveland Plain Dealer — reader representative Ted Diadiun's widely mocked claim that bloggers are "pipsqueaks" who steal content.

The Washington Post's own pay-for-play scandal

In my latest for the Guardian, I examine why the pay-for-play scandal at the Washington Post — off-the-record access to Post editors and reporters at publisher Katharine Weymouth's home for $25,000 a pop — defied early efforts to contain it.

On the one hand, it's good to know that we're still capable of being appalled. On the other hand, was this really all that different from what happens every day at the nexus of power, media and money?

A new threat to the Internet

In my latest for the Guardian, I consider the implications of an idea put forth recently by influential U.S. Court of Appeals Judge Richard Posner: making it illegal to link to copyrighted content without permission. Not only would Posner's proposal do enormous damage to the Internet, but it would destroy the doctrine of "fair use" as well.

A president too much with us?

In my latest for the Guardian, I ponder the possibility that President Obama, with his health-care forum on ABC News as the latest example, may have just about reached the media-oversaturation point.

For the Globe, an amicable divorce?

In my latest for the Guardian, I attempt to make sense out of the past week's developments regarding the Boston Globe — and to urge an amicable divorce between the Globe and the New York Times Co.

Talking about the Globe at the Mirror Awards

Alas, my work in the Guardian came up short for the second year in a row in the Syracuse University Mirror Awards, as I lost out yesterday to Clive Thompson of Wired.com in the category of online media commentary.

There was plenty of buzz about the Boston Globe at the luncheon, held in the not-very-spacious confines of New York's Harmonie Club. Several New York Times people I spoke with, including media columnist David Carr, were speculating about why the Newspaper Guild voted "no" and what might happen next.

We also heard from Arianna Huffington, founder of the Huffington Post, whose receipt of a lifetime achievement award was controversial given her perceived role in harming the news business.

She got off the best line of the day, saying (this is a close paraphrase; I should have taken notes, but I couldn't extend my elbows sufficiently), It's not true that I single-handedly destroyed the newspaper business. I had help from Craigslist. Ho, ho.

Our terrorism manufacturing policy

In my latest for the Guardian, I write about the New York Times and the myth of Guantánamo recidivism.

The cultural divide that won't go away

The assassination of Dr. George Tiller, I write in the Guardian, shows once again that abortion is the cultural divide that won't go away. Which is why Bill O'Reilly's taunting name-calling — "Tiller the baby killer" — and his comparisons of Tiller to Nazis and Al Qaeda terrorists was so mind-blowingly irresponsible.

Dubious allies

In my latest for the Guardian, I review Eric Boehlert's new book, "Bloggers on the Bus," which introduces us to the liberal bloggers who've redefined Democratic politics in recent years — and who helped Barack Obama win the presidency even as he, wisely, kept his distance from them.

The latest in the paid-content wars

I've got a commentary up at the Guardian on the latest skirmishes in the paid-content wars, from Times Reader to Rupert Murdoch's new scheme.

State of play at the Globe

I've got a commentary up at the Guardian on the latest at the Boston Globe, and what's coming next: more layoffs and — maybe — a new owner.

An update on the Kazakhstan Internet

In my latest for the Guardian, I offer an update on a proposal to crack down on the Internet in Kazakhstan, which I earlier wrote about here and here.

Obama and the media at 100 days

In my latest for the Guardian, I take a look at 100 days of the media covering the Obama presidency.

Guardian column nominated for award

My online media column for The Guardian has been nominated for a Syracuse University Mirror Award for the second straight year.

The categories have been changed around a bit since last year. This time I'm in the category of "Best Commentary — Digital," along with Eric Alterman of the Center for American Progress, Megan Garber of the Columbia Journalism Review, Rachel Sklar of the Huffington Post, Joe Strupp of Editor & Publisher and Clive Thompson of Wired.

The awards will be presented in New York City sometime in June.

The trouble with charging for content

In my latest for The Guardian, I gather together some thoughts on why newspapers can't charge for online content.

The Washington Post versus George Will

In my latest for The Guardian, I take a look at the insurrection with the ranks of the Washington Post over George Will's repeated mischaracterizations of the scientific evidence for human-caused global warming.

What we know about the Globe thus far

In my latest for The Guardian, I try to compress four days' worth of blogging and tweeting on the fate of the Boston Globe into one 900-word summary.