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In 1978, investigative journalists…

January 23, 2023Weirdo

In 1978, investigative journalists from the Chicago Sun-Times purchased and ran a neighborhood bar as a means of uncovering corruption by city inspectors.

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Facts corruption, investigative journalism, journalism Leave a comment

“Missing White Woman Syndrome” is a phenomenon…

September 20, 2021Weirdo

“Missing White Woman Syndrome” is a phenomenon of disproportionately heightened media coverage surrounding disappearances of young, white, upper-class women compared to similar cases of missing males or non-white women.

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The journalist Nellie Bly got bored…

October 10, 2020October 10, 2020Weirdo

The journalist Nellie Bly got bored of writing about fashion and gardening. Instead, she went undercover in a mental asylum to expose the horrible conditions there. She later travelled around the world by balloon in record time.

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The notion of an “objective” media…

March 2, 2020Weirdo

The notion of an “objective” media was a commercial product that only evolved in the late 1800s as newspapers shifted from partisan to nonpartisan in order to attract larger audiences from both parties and to sell these readers’ attention to advertisers.

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More than 100 years ago, a French sports…

October 28, 2019Weirdo

More than 100 years ago, a French sports journalist suggested the idea of organizing a 6-day cycling race to the editor of a local newspaper to boost sales – because he couldn’t think of any other idea. That race was called Tour de France – it’s now the most prestigious bicycle race in the world.

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In 1887 a reporter named Nellie…

May 20, 2019Weirdo

In 1887 a reporter named Nellie Bly talked her way into an insane asylum in New York and published her experience after ten days in the asylum. She claimed many of the patients seemed completely sane and the conditions were horrid. This led to NYC budgeting $1,000,000 to care of the insane.

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In 1920, the New York Times…

March 7, 2019Weirdo

In 1920, the New York Times published an editorial titled “A Severe Strain on Credulity,” mocking scientist Robert Goddard’s contention that a rocket could conceivably leave the atmosphere and even reach the moon. They later printed a retraction, the day after the launch of Apollo 11.

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60 Minutes ran a story…

July 14, 2018Weirdo

60 Minutes ran a story on the Audi 5000 in 1986, claiming that it accelerated suddenly on its own. However, the demonstration used a rigged car whose transmission had been altered. Government agencies vindicated the car, but Audi’s sales were affected. 60 minutes never apologised to Audi.

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In 1977 the Chicago Sun-Times bought a bar…

January 25, 2018Weirdo

In 1977 the Chicago Sun-Times bought a bar and ran it with undercover reporters to investigate widespread corruption.

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Robert Dee, a British professional tennis player who was deemed “The world’s worst…

June 16, 2015Josh

Robert Dee, a British professional tennis player who was deemed “The world’s worst tennis player”, sued newspaper and media sites for giving him the embarrassing title. He would successfully win all of the court cases and post every formal apology letter written on his website.

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