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W. Joseph Campbell's Top Mythbusting Posts of 2012

The author of Getting It Wrong: Ten of the Greatest Misreported Stories in American Journalism, W. Joseph Campbell, has rounded up 2012′s most prominent media-driven myths and errors. Visit Campbell’s blog, Media Myth Alert, for the year’s five top writeups, the first of which is excerpted below:

Calling out the New York Times on ‘napalm girl’ photo error (posted June 3)

The 40th anniversary of the [more...]

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For the Last Time, the Washington Post Did Not Bring Down Nixon

In his latest blog post, W. Joseph Campbell undertakes the Sisyphean task of discrediting yet another media myth: the notion that the Washington Post was vital to the outcome of Watergate. This widely held belief “is the stuff of legend,” Campbell says. Read on for the full scoop on what really brought down Nixon. Maybe this [more...]

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W. Joseph Campbell Responds to His Latest Review

W. Joseph Campbell, author of Getting It Wrong, responds to a review by Dr. Jeannette McVicker in his latest blog post. JHistory, the listserv devoted to issues in journalism history, posted an insightful review by McVicker yesterday, who said Getting it Wrong “should be required reading for journalism students as well as journalists and editors.” [more...]

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The Truth About Halloween 1938

Halloween conjures up memories of one of the spookiest events in broadcast history: Orson Welles’ radio dramatization of the War of the Worlds, which aired on Halloween eve in 1938. “No single program in American broadcasting has inspired more fear, controversy, and endless fascination,” writes W. Joseph Campbell, author of Getting It Wrong: Ten [more...]

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A Myth of Mass Hysteria

Welles and 'War of the Worlds'

In his latest blog post, W. Joseph Campbell, author of Getting It Wrong, discusses a media myth “too well-known, too entrenched in the American consciousness, ever to fall into disuse.” How could such an unsubstantiated belief take hold? Campbell explains below:

“October always brings frequent reminders about radio’s most memorable [more...]

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Happy 42nd Anniversary!

As pointed out by W. Joseph Campbell, author of Getting it Wrong, today is the 42nd Anniversary of the women’s liberation protest September 7, 1968, on the Atlantic City boardwalk where the myth of bra-burning was born.

He writes in his own blog, Media Myth Alert, that “…bra-burning” is a media myth that has morphed and [more...]

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W. Joseph Campbell on Katrina's Fifth Anniversary

The author of Getting it Wrong, W. Joseph Campbell, has written a great post on his own blog, Media Myth Alert, on the media’s coverage of the Katrina disaster and subsequent recovery.

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