Staten Island Community Media

August 8, 2023 by

The Struggle To Save the Printed Word and the Challenge at The Washington Post

The printed word is to be treasured. Two decades ago, I would have written newspapers are to be treasured. But the morning newspaper of old — manufactured in a factory in the middle of the night, shoved onto a truck and trusted to a child for delivery — is largely over. It follows the demise […]

Fact-Checking Has Always Been an Elemental Part of Journalism

Llewellyn King

A whole new area of endeavor is opening up for the entrepreneurial. Name it after the ancient Greek philosopher Diogenes of Sinope. He allegedly hunted for an honest man and was possibly the founder of Cynicism. Verification will become a vital business as the flood of misinformation engulfs us. What can be trusted? What source is […]

Trump ‘Puts a Bit of Stick About’ and Frightens Our Friends

Llewellyn King

President-elect Donald Trump is “putting a bit of stick about.” That is a British expression which means as it sounds to stir up trouble. In sports, like rugby, it means to play more aggressively. In politics, it can mean to stir up trouble for trouble’s sake. Aficionados of UK television will remember when, in the BBC […]

My Frightening, Splendid Christmas in the ER

Llewellyn King

Most people have horror stories about emergency rooms. Whether in Boston, Washington or Los Angeles, the stories are appalling. Gurneys, sometimes with critically ill patients, lined up and left unattended along walls. Hurting people waiting for hours because of a shortage of staff, beds and a prevailing shortage of resources. Systems that are stressed and seem […]