Remedial web journalism

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Dead tree editions need art departments and photographers to put their stories into easy context. The challenge of TV made this true fifty years ago. Before that, if you read in the paper that a developer had given up on a development on Megunko Hill (might be in the neighborhood shown above since the story puts it near the Ashland commuter rail station), you'd better damn well know where Megunko Hill is on your own. Fifty years ago, we started to get spare little map insets - not enough of them since they cost money but quite a few.

Long-time residents may not need the geographic details that the story of Shepard Fairey's arrest calls for. They may all know where the ICA is. On the other hand, the Institute has moved within the time I've lived in greater Boston. And there's no way I could be sure of the location of the alleged tagging, although I could get to the intersection of Mass Ave. and Newbury St.

In fact, although I've lived in the same small suburban town west of Boston for twenty-four years now, I can always use a map for a real estate story like the Ashland story. After all, there's not yet a building to use as a landmark!

Here's a rule that professionals evidently can't seem to get their heads around: Every story that has any geographical significance should include a link to a mapping site, Google Maps or Yahoo or even one of the on-line phone number sites. In fact, newspapers should either spread the wealth or sell exclusive linking to the highest bidder if anyone would pay for it.

The fact that reporters and editors miss this obvious way to make their stories better suggests that even now they are living in a past journalist world that is not coming back.

Update (2/11): I can't claim credit, but someone at the MWDN is trying to get with the 21st century with a Google Map insert in another story.

Poker in the eye

I saw Rep. Jim McGovern at this event in Ashland on Sunday, and he was his usual out front self:

"Republicans are balking, and want nothing but tax cuts. We tried that. We have given so many tax cuts to the wealthy that we have accumulated a debt that is the largest in the history of the United States of America."

I restrained myself from telling McGovern what I'd like to see: Strip out the Republican crap. Vote the stimulus with no Republican support in the House and minimal Republican support in the Senate. For the signing ceremony, President Obama can give these short remarks:

Today, the Democrats stood with me and with you, the American people. We have taken responsibility for fixing the mess left by my predecessor. It won't be easy, but we are up to the challenge even if those on the other side are not.

Go all in on this to reap the rewards. Make the economy work again.

This should kill the Republican Party. Oh, sure, there will be another conservative party - and there should be - but this hidebound, redneck conservative party led by Rush Limbaugh is so bound up in lies and stupidity that it needs to be replaced.