Reluare duminică, 28 martie 2004

News Reports For Ultra-Short Attentions

Date: 28 March 2004

By Warren St. John

Warren St

AT 5:30 p.m. last Monday, Shepard Smith, the 40-year-old host of Fox News Channel's ''Fox Report,'' was hunched over his computer in the company's bustling Midtown headquarters, poring over the script for his evening broadcast, and searching for verbs. Mr. Smith, let it be known, does not like verbs. Whenever he finds one, he crinkles his brow in disgust like a man who has discovered a dribble of food on his tie. He taps furiously at his keyboard, moves the cursor to the offending word and deletes it, or else adds ''ing,'' turning the verb into a participle and his script into the strange shorthand that passes for English these days on cable news: ''Amazon.com celebrating a birthday! The Internet company 10 years old.''

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NEWS SUMMARY

Date: 29 March 2004

INTERNATIONAL A3-15 U.S. Shuts Iraq Paper, Prompting Protest Rallies American soldiers shut down a popular Baghdad newspaper and padlocked the doors after occupation authorities accused it of printing lies that incited violence. Thousands of outraged Iraqis protested the closing as an act of American hypocrisy. A1 Disarray in Arab League Arab governments presented a picture of disarray after the Arab League summit meeting was abruptly eliminated just before it was to have opened. A1

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NEWS SUMMARY

Date: 28 March 2004

INTERNATIONAL 3-22 Sharon Said to Face Indictment Israel's state prosecutor will recommend that Prime Minister Ariel Sharon be indicted on charges of taking bribes from a real estate developer, Israeli television reported. Mr. Sharon's office declined comment. 1

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In Tyco Trial, an Apparent Gesture Has Many Meanings

Date: 29 March 2004

By David Carr and Adam Liptak

David Carr

Juror who seemed to give approving signal to defense in trial of former Tyco International executives L Dennis Kozlowski and Mark H Swartz has become centerpiece of debate over whether she should have been identified in news media; she may become issue in trial as well, as defense says it will seek mistrial because compromise of her anonymity could subject her to undue pressure; she was identified by name by two news organizations, breaking longstanding tradition of not naming sitting jurors; legal scholars say bid for mistrial may have merit, although disclosure was legal; photo (M)

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The Privileges of Opinion, the Obligations of Fact

Date: 28 March 2004

By Daniel Okrent

Daniel Okrent

Daniel Okrent, in Public Editor column, notes that under new rule, if New York Times Op-Ed columnist makes error, correction will be placed at end of subsequent column (M)

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Operation Iraqi Infoganda

Date: 28 March 2004

By Frank Rich

Frank Rich

Frank Rich article on danger in current broadcasting category of 'fake anchors delivering fake news' even on programs purporting to be real news shows; holds that phenomenon is good for Pres George W Bush, who shuts out real news media as much as possible, while his administration distributes steady supply of 'fictionalized news stories; asserts that barrage of bogus information from White House about reasons for invading Iraq reveals aspect of 'faux news' policy that is most dangerous threat to American public; photo (L)

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A Trusted Bush Aide to Return, but Not to Washington

Date: 28 March 2004

By Elisabeth Bumiller and Richard W. Stevenson

Elisabeth Bumiller

Pres Bush's trusted adviser Karen P Hughes returns to help with Bush's re-election campaign; Hughes left White House 21 months ago and went home to Texas with her family; Hughes is valued for her media savvy and knack for evaluating effectiveness of campaign messages, but some Bush aides fear clash of wills with Pres Bush's chief political adviser, Karl Rove; photo (M)

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Bumps Along the Rails

Date: 28 March 2004

By RICHARD PÉREZ-PEÑA

Richard PÉREZ-PEÑA

Politics, rivalries, grudges, accidents and dumb decisions that have contributed to making of New York's subway system recounted; most of squabbles have been about money, which is why wide swaths of city still have no service, and demolition of elevated lines means that city has less transit rail service than before World War II; disputes delayed construction for more than decade, allowing Boston to beat out New York; younger IND, or independent, line emerged from populist mayor John F Hylan's wish to bankrupt private IRT and BMT, abetted by publisher William Randolph Hearst; Second Avenue line, approved by voters in 1951, exists only in portions of tunnels; photos (M)

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G.I.'s Padlock Baghdad Paper Accused of Lies

Date: 29 March 2004

By Jeffrey Gettleman

Jeffrey Gettleman

American soldiers shut down popular Baghdad newspaper and tighten chains across its doors after occupation authorities accuse it of printing lies that incite violence; thousands of outraged Iraqis protest closing of paper, radical Shiite weekly called Al Hawza; see it as act of American hypocrisy; closing of newspaper illustrates quandary Americans face in trying to strike balance between their two main goals--encouraging democracy while maintaining stability; many Iraqis say closing down newspaper will only inflame anti-occupation feelings; among Iraqi journalists, Al Hawza is known for printing wild rumors, especially anti-American ones; paper is considered mouthpiece for Moktada al-Sadr, fiery young Shiite cleric and one of most outspoken critics of Americans; letter ordering paper closed, signed by American administrator L Paul Bremer III, cites what American authorities call false reports in Al Hawza, including Feb dispatch claiming that explosion that killed 50 Iraqi police recruits was caused not by car bomb, as occupation officials say, but by American missile; photo (M)

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House Is Raided In Madrid Inquiry

Date: 28 March 2004

Spanish police raid house outside Madrid in connection with March 11 terrorist bombings; Spanish news media reports demolition materials, including explosive Goma 2, were found in house, but government will not confirm report (S)

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