Southern Bookman

BuzzFeed News' Ben Smith seeks to restore David Carr's flair as New York Times media columnist

The New York Times took another step toward its digital future Tuesday with the appointment of BuzzFeed News' Ben Smith as the newspaper's media columnist.

Smith as BuzzFeed News' editor in chief built a respected news operation besides the web site's click-bait offerings. Now, the 43-year-old Smith will seek to restore the luster the late David Carr gave the media column.

Jim Rutenberg, who succeeded Carr after his death in 2015, will now write in-depth features for the newspaper and its magazine. While solid as media columnist, Rutenberg never achieved Carr's flair. He also showed more interest in how media intersects with politics than with Hollywood and TV glamour.

Smith caught Times Executive Editor Dean Baquet's eye with a November BuzzFeed News piece on who in the Times newsroom will take over Baquet's job when he retires in a couple of years.

With his hard-news success in building BuzzFeed News and understanding of today's digital media landscape, Smith himself will be a strong candidate to replace Baquet.

Smith is younger than other leading candidates and brings extensive writing and editing experience, including a stint at Politico. Smith's blend of new media flash and traditional news values equip him to lead the Times into its digital future.

While Smith led investigative projects that garnered two Pulitzer Prize nominations for BuzzFeed News, he also drew fire for publishing the Steele dossier accusing Donald Trump of various nefarious activities while courting Russian leader Vladimir Putin.

BuzzFeed News also struggled financially, with multiple layoffs last year. Smith says the news site has stabilized, while still losing money. The larger BuzzFeed has found success with a range of product lines.

Smith begins the column in March. Times watchers hope he brings back Carr's excitement.

 

Charleston among leaders in innovation jobs growth, report finds

I was surprised to see Charleston listed tenth among American cities that had gained the most "innovation" jobs from 2005 to 2017.

The insular Southern city where the Civil War began with the firing on Fort Sumter joined such heavyweights as No. 1 San Francisco, No. 2 Seattle and No. 3 Silicon Valley on the high-tech jobs rankings compiled by the Brookings Institution, according to The New York Times.

Charleston fell far behind San Francisco, Seattle, Silicon Valley, No. 4 Boston and No. 5 San Diego. Those cities garnered nine out of 10 innovation jobs created in the country during those years, but Charleston's making the top 10 is impressive.

A charming city of old homes, fine restaurants and waterfront vistas is apparently drawing high-tech firms with its easy-going lifestyle. The home of the Daughters of the Confederacy and a towering monument to John C. Calhoun must also have a strong population of well-educated workers. I didn't realize that the College of Charleston and the Citadel were rivals to MIT.

I'm skeptical about such reports, although the Brookings Institution is highly regarded. San Francisco made the top spot, but the Wall Street Journal editorial page frequently chortles that the city by the bay is hemorrhaging jobs because of its high taxes and expensive housing. Other reports agree with the WSJ.

Charles Schwab Co., which might not qualify as an innovation company, recently announced that it will move its headquarters from San Francisco to Dallas.

Dallas was No. 3 for innovation jobs lost, according to the Brookings report. Who knew; I thought Dallas and the rest of Texas is booming.

Washington, which recently was awarded an Amazon headquarters, hit No. 6 on the negative list. Chicago led the lost jobs category, followed by Philadelphia. Los Angeles came in at No. 4. Poor Wichita, Kansas, was No. 5.

Charleston before the Civil War led the nation in the slave trade. Now it beats Los Angeles in gaining innovation jobs.

Feeling paranoid on Peachtree Street? It might be those cameras watching you

Welcome South, (Big) Brother.

Atlanta is a global city after all, at least when it comes to spying on its citizens and visitors. Henry Grady's "brave and beautiful city" ranks 10th in the world in public street surveillance, with nearly 11,000 security cameras watching the sidewalks, according to a recent AJC article.

With 15.6 cameras per 1,000 residents, Atlanta ia the only American city to make the top 10 list, according to the Comparitech report. Eight of the top surveillance cities are in China, which holds the top five spots. London, with 58 cameras per 1,000 residents, ranks sixth. Chongqing, in central China, is the world's top snoop, with 158 cameras per 1,000 people.

Years ago, Atlanta aspired to be an international city. Little did we know it would be for video surveillance.

Go to a strip club, the giant eye will see you. Tipsy after too many drinks at lunch? Surprise, you're on candid camera. Starting a new relationship? The camera knows. Those 11,000 unblinking eyes will see what books or magazines you've purchased.

Notoriously repressive Singapore and Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates rank below Atlanta. Perhaps Atlanta can hold on to the camera-security lead as the UAB's Dubai's airport closes in on Hartsfield-Jackson as the world's busiest.

City police keeping watch on the city's streets from monitors in the Loudermilk Visual Intregration Center downtown say the prying on Peachtree reduces crime. But the ACLU says the watching handcuffs personal freedom.

If you're going to see the Falcons or Atlanta United at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, enjoy the game. The city will be watching you.

 

 

 

 

 

Deadspin crashes after staff revolts against corporate demands

The Internet has ravaged newspapers and magazines. The new age is also perilous for digital news sites.

Cheeky sports site Deadspin looks all but dead after a staff revolt against its corporate overlords.

Deadspin's staff resigned this week after a demand from its private equity owners that the site limit its coverage to sports. The site drew a hip audience with articles that branched out from sports to politics and popular culture. Writers were given wide latitude to give personal views and throw bricks at revered sports figures and institutions.

As with ESPN, Deadspin owner Great Hill Partners grew uneasy with its staff's left-leaning political coverage. Great Hill gained control of Deadspin and sibling Jezebel from Univision and formed G/O Media to run the sites. Deadspin and Jezebel were originally part of Gawker, which collapsed after wrestler Hulk Hogan won a $140 million judgment against it.

G/O Media Editorial Director Paul Maidiment's meddling with Deadspin's articles led to the resignation of Editor Megan Greenwall a few months ago. This week, interim Editor Barry Petchesky was tossed out after opposing Maidment's demands that the site limit itself to sports. The staff resigned in support of Petchesky. The writers also objected to pop-up video ads that disrupted readers. An outpouring of outrage from Deadspin fans followed the turmoil.

Deadspin's self-immolation follows massive staff cutbacks at Sports Illustrated, engineered by another private equity firm. SI soldiers on, scoring a First Amendment victory over the Houston Astros during the World Series when an Astros executive was fired for making misogynistic comments to a female SI reporter.

With Deadspin reeling, sports fans have fewer digital choices. The site's demise is another blow to free, reliable information on the Internet.

Along with ESPN, newspaper sites and the diminished SI, those hungry for comprehensive sports news on the Internet can turn to the self-congratulatory and subscription-based the Athletic, funded by venture capitalists. With a roster of mainstream sportswriters pirated from local newspapers, The Athletic labors to match Deadspin's snarkiness and unconventional views.

Private equity firms have plundered local newspapers as well as digital sites. The old press barons were greedy, but had some commitment to journalism.

 

Mike Vaccarro, Ray Ratto and Will Leitch give sportswriting pleasure

Rupert Murdoch's New York Post is often derided, but the tabloid does a good job of covering New York City.

Following the Yankees-Astros American League Championship Series, I've discovered the Post's Mike Vaccarro, one of the best newspaper sports columnists I've read in a while.

The Yankees-oriented Vaccarro's vivid language recalls the old-time sportswriting masters. He conveys baseball's excitement, drama and disappointment. Vaccaro is also the author of several books on baseball history.

Along with Vaccarro, I've had a good run recently of finding outstanding sportswriters on the Internet.

Deadspin, beset by corporate turmoil, recently began running columns by West-coast based Ray Ratto. Years ago, I heard about Ratto's coverage of California sports, but in those pre-Internet days, I never read his work. Now, I look forward to reading his witty and provocative columns that express an original viewpoint.

New York magazine and MLB's Will Leitch is another sportswriter who gives a fresh outlook. Co-founder of Deadspin, Leitch is now based in Athens, Ga., from where he turns out an impressive body of work. I mainly read his insightful New York magazine articles. He also produces a weekly Saturday newsletter, in which he reflects on sports and his life in Athens among the UGA Bulldogs.

The Internet has endangered print journalism. It's also given access to sportswriters keeping alive an American tradition.

 

Farewell, Sports Illustrated

Sports Illustrated, which thrilled generations of sports fanatics with its magnificent color photographs and hip writing, is being plundered by a bunch of vultures known as Maven.

Maven, a Seattle-based digital platform company that had seized control of SI, announced Thursday that 40 percent of the magazine/web site's staff will be laid off. The bad news arrived in a cruel pageant of canceled and revived meetings in which those cut were divided from those allowed to stay. Functionaries from Meredith Co., which still ran the magazine, carried out the hit job, while Maven issued crowing emails.

Another journalistic lion finding itself obsolete in the digital publishing jungle, Sports Illustrated had struggled to survive through shifting owners. The SI web site kept offering free content as other publishers changed to a pay-wall model. Publishing the same articles free on the Internet as appeared in the print magazine depleted its readership.

Longtime owner Time-Warner, merging with AT&T, in 2017 sold Sports Illustrated along with Time and other well-known magazines to Meredith, which publishes wholesome home and hearth magazines of eternal appeal to new generations of moms and "homemakers."

Meredith quickly unloaded SI to Authentic Brands Co. which profits from the images of dead celebrities like Marilyn Monroe and Muhammad Ali. It hoped the SI brand would sell different products. Meredith agreed to keep publishing SI for two years. But then a deal was reached with Maven to take over.

Maven plans to replace the professional writers and photographers with a network of low-paid bloggers. According to a triumphant Maven news release, a new SI digital platform will be relaunched in January, with "complementary video content."

The SI layoffs follow the announcement that New York magazine will merge with Vox Media. Like Sports Illustrated, New York magazine was late to the pay content model, offering its magazine articles for free until recently. New York magazine's cast of excellent writers fear layoffs are coming under Vox.

Like many whose sports love was inflamed by reading Sports Illustrated in boyhood, I was saddened by SI's demise. But as with many of those other star-dazzled kids, I rarely if ever read the magazine anymore.

J.D. Salinger's books enter the digital age

J.D. Salinger's books will be published digitally for the first time, according to a front page article in Monday's New York Times.

Salinger's works are the last major literary estate to enter the digital world, according to the Times. Although the reclusive Salinger hated technology, the J.D. Salinger Literary Trust decided that his work is being forgotten by a new generation geared to reading on smartphones and computer screens.

"The Catcher in the Rye," "Nine Stories," "Franny and Zooey" and "Raise High the Roof Beam Carpenters and Seymour, An Introduction," will be converted into e-books, but not audio recordings, Salinger's son, Matt, announced. The estate also will continue its ban on movie versions of the books.

Matt Salinger also told the Times that more of Salinger's writing will be published in the next few years. As rumored, Salinger, who died at age 91, kept writing until the end of his life and produced a voluminous amount of new material.

A lot of the unpublished work concerns Salinger's mystical Glass family, his son said. Unable to find reliable software to convert Salinger's handwritten work into print, Matt Salinger is painstakingly typing the manuscripts.

Long a favorite of middle-school and high school classes, "The Catcher in the Rye" is seen as outdated by young readers today. Girls especially find the book unrelated to their concerns. Black readers also don't find the book relevant.

Yet, Salinger's Holden Caulfield and his memorable portrait of New York City surely will draw younger fans attuned to the beauty of language and Holden's quest for meaning.

I'll be happy to have an e-book copy of "Nine Stories" available for convenient reading. "For Esme in Love and Squalor" is one of those stories I must reread, along with "A Perfect Day for Banana Fish" and "Just Before the War With The Eskimos."

Along with many other male Salinger fans, I fell in love with Franny Glass, imagining myself also dating her on a crisp Ivy League football weekend. But when I reread the novella a few years ago, it seemed overwrought and treacly.

I consumed "Raise High the Roof Beams, Carpenters," and "Seymour: An Introduction," but they show a decline in Salinger's writing, with too much exposition at the expense of artistry. Still, narrator Buddy Glass, Salinger's alter-ego, is a good companion.

While I welcome the e-book publication of Salinger's classics, I can't wait to see what he was working on all of those years hiding away in New Hampshire. Perhaps brilliant new masterpieces will arrive, or disappointing, unrealized work. Either way, Salinger fans will greet them in a frenzy.

.

 

 

 

Innovative editor Adam Moss leaving New York magazine

The beleaguered magazine industry received another shock Tuesday with the annoucement that New York magazine editor Adam Moss will be leaving in March, as The New York Times reported.

Under Moss, New York magazine and its online branches Vulture and the Cut produced outstanding coverage of politics, business, international relations and climate change while riding ahead of the wave in TV, fashion, film, books, theater and art reporting.

Former editor of the New York Times Sunday magazine, Moss carried New York's legacy inherited from founder Clay Felker into the Internet age.

Despite its incisive and far-ranging coverage of New York City and the national scene, profits remained sluggish. Recently, the magazine announced a pay wall for its web site.  That seemed to conflict with the web site's free-wheeling style.

As with Graydon Carter and Tina Brown at Vanity Fair and Anna Wintour at Vogue, New York closely reflected Moss' personality. Moss' departure is another sign that the era of strong editors and vivid magazines is passing away.

 

 

Joseph Heller's "Catch 22" the most influential novel of 1960s

Emily Temple's "A Century of Reading" series on LiteraryHub has given useful and entertaining lists of the defining American books of each decade beginning with the 1900s.

I've had no quarrel with Temple's top 10 lists until, as might be expected, she reached the 1960s on Tuesday.

My objection is that she left Joseph Heller's 1961 novel "Catch-22" off her Top 10 selections, relegating it to the much larger "See also" list.

"Catch-22" was the essential work that defined the anti-establishment, anti-military, non-conformist spirit of the 1960s. Heller's book was much more influential than those she places on the top 10.

While I appreciate Temple's honoring of poetry by including Sylvia Plath's "Ariel," on the decade's top 10, "Catch-22" inspired the 1960s generation much more than Plath's posthumous collection.

Heller's black-humor masterpiece outweighs three of the other novels she includes, "Portnoy's Complaint," "Slaughterhouse Five" and "Stranger in a Strange Land."

While Temple says in her introduction "I do not make any claim on exhaustiveness," I was mystified how she could have left Norman Mailer's 1968 classic "Armies of the Night" off both the top 10 and "see also" lists.

Mailer's new journalism landmark about the Vietnam protest march in Washington, D.C., is another defining work of the era. To my mind, it should have made the top 10 over the new journalism books Temple names, "Slouching Toward Bethlehem" and "In Cold Blood."

A strong case for top 10 status could also be made for Tom Wolfe's "The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test." 

Rachel Carson's "Silent Spring," placed on Temple's secondary list, should have also been on the top 10. Carson's book launched the environmental movement and still inspires the campaign against climate change.

Temple's "see also" roll ignores several other books that illustrated the zeitgeist: Eldridge Cleaver's autobiography "Soul on Ice," Richard Farina's novel, "Been Down So Long It Looks Like Up to Me," Hunter S. Thompson's New Journalism classic"Hell's Angels" and Frederick Exley's memoir/novel "A Fan's Notes."

While the 1960s marked television's ascendency for news and entertainment, the decade also brought an outpouring of important, vital literature. Temple's incomplete list brings more debate to a contentious time.

 

Teddy Wayne's interviews with writers on Literary Hub show vibrancy of American literature

I've been disappointed by the Literary Hub web site. Its articles often wallow in author self-indulgence and book fetishism.

An exception is Teddy Wayne's monthly interview column, "5 Writers, 7 Questions, No Wrong Answers."

In the feature, Wayne asks five young or established fiction writers the same recurring questions about their inspiration, outside of books, and critical terms they find irritating. The writers also share what was going on in their lives when they were writing their novels or short story collections.

The writers are asked to not respond in complete sentences, resulting in more imaginative, reflective and poetic answers. 

A question about each writer's strengths and weaknesses brings informative reflections on writing techniques, and encouragement for younger writers. 

Wayne's column affirms that American literature remains alive and well.