Columbia Online News Analysis
I’ve done a quickie roundup of how the major online news sites handled the Columbia explosion this morning. Think of it as a mini-update to a story I did a year ago for Online Journalism Review rating the major news sites on breaking news. At that time, the fastest were AP, Reuters, CNN and MSNBC (though AP and Reuters didn’t really have their own sites, and were found only through their subscribers’ sites.)

Today’s quick comparison shows things are changing.

As of noon ET, three hours after NASA lost contact with the space shuttle Columbia, Associated Press, Reuters, CNN, BBC, CBS, the New York Times and the Washington Post all had their own stories up.

Wire stories, primarily AP, were up at ABCNews.com, USA Today, and the LA Times. Fox and MSNBC.com had "staff and wire" reports.

The Wall Street Journal has something up but I’m unclear how to rank it since the trunk story has a “Wall Street Journal Online News Roundup” that I suspect is a the equivalent of “wire reports” but there’s no wire credit except for one internal reference to AP.

Please note that not all the sources above have good links. Some sites write over their stories as new news develops. Others create unique story numbers. For example, the LA Times link I had from noon now sends readers (by 1 p.m. ET) to a staff-written story from the "space editor" at one of its sister papers, the Sun-Sentinel in South Florida.
- posted by Amy @ 2/01/2003 12:52:00 PM

 

Kitty No Like Airplanes
Well here’s a not so feel-good animal story from Reuters (via The Chicago Tribune.)

Many big airlines may stop carrying pets over the United States if the government makes them report figures on how many animals they lose and how many die or are injured on their planes, an industry group says.

And:

No industry figures are available for pet deaths or injuries, and the airlines dispute widely circulated claims that roughly 5,000 animals die in their custody each year.

- posted by Amy @ 1/27/2003 01:48:00 PM

 

Open Letter to Dave Barry
Dear Dave,

I see Ken Layne helped you set up your blog and you now have some concerns about those silly little puppy icons he put on your page. Trust me, it could have been worse.


While I was on Greyhound traveling from California to New York, Ken set up my blog and solicited e-mail from “lonely firemen.”


Sincerely,


Amy
- posted by Amy @ 1/26/2003 11:36:00 PM

 

Siberian Chill? Fuhgetaboudit
The New York Times ran a mean weather story today. The premise is that it’s not that cold out. Among the jabs:

Instead, (New Yorkers) have busily hung on the histrionics of broadcast weatherpeople, comparing their travails to those of characters in Jack London stories and loudly indulging in the kind of banal weather jabber one might once have assumed they left their smaller towns to escape.

- posted by Amy @ 1/26/2003 11:13:00 PM

 

Cat Update
The cat’s lump tuned out to be benign – though it was an extra $120 for the test. Anyone know where to get decent pet insurance? Zappa (not his real name, though it should have been) just turned 9 years old and I suspect that all vet procedures from here on out are expensive ones.
- posted by Amy @ 1/26/2003 11:06:00 PM

 

DOJ Consent Decree
The New York Times reports that the country’s two biggest alt-weekly newspaper chains have reached a consent decree over allegations they violated the Sherman Anti-Trust Act. It’s from tomorrow’s paper:

In a quiet end to a highly contested investigation, the Justice Department signed a consent decree on Saturday with New Times Media and Village Voice Media, two newsweekly chains that it had accused of dividing markets when they closed competing papers in Cleveland and Los Angeles last October, according to representatives of both companies.

For background, check with LAExaminer.com.
- posted by Amy @ 1/26/2003 11:00:00 PM