About Editing and Writing

De Niro Says Speech Blasting Trump Was Cut at Film Awards

November 28, 2023

From a Washington Post story by Jennifer Hassan headlined “Robert De Niro says speech blasting Trump was cut at film awards”:

Robert De Niro has accused the organizers of a film awards ceremony of editing his speech without permission, removing critical remarks of former president Donald Trump and other political comments.

De Niro was presenting the Historical Icon and Creator Tribute award at the Gotham Independent Film Awards on Monday, when, mid-speech, he paused and looked confused as he read off the teleprompter.

Russian Court Extends Detention of WSJ Reporter

November 28, 2023

From a Wall Street Journal story by Ann M. Simmons headlined “Russian Court Extends Detention of WSJ Reporter”:

A Russian court ruled to extend the detention of Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich for a third time since he was taken into custody in March on an allegation of espionage that he, the Journal and the U.S. government vehemently deny.

The decision followed a judge’s ruling in August to grant the request of investigators from the Federal Security Service, or FSB, that Gershkovich remains behind bars awaiting trial until Nov. 30. Tuesday’s ruling lengthens his detention through at least Jan. 30, by which time he will have been held for 10 months.

The Ten Best Books of 2023

November 28, 2023

From a New York Times story headlined “The Ten Best Books of 2023”:

Every year, starting in the spring, we spend months debating the most exceptional books that pass across our desks: the families we grow to love, the narrative nonfiction that carries us away, the fictional universes we can’t forget. It’s all toward one goal — deciding the best books of the year.

Things can get heated. We spar, we persuade and (above all) we agonize until the very end, when we vote and arrive at 10 books — five fiction and five nonfiction.

The Bee Sting, by Paul Murray

Haberman and Swan Sign Deal for Trump Book

November 28, 2023

From a story on axios.com by Mike Allen headlined “Haberman, Swan sign deal for Trump book”:

Maggie Haberman and Jonathan Swan have signed a deal for the definitive book about Donald Trump’s final act in public life — whatever that final act is.

Why it matters: The two have owned the Trump beat for years, with deep, wide sources in his orbit and throughout the Republican Party he has transformed.

Simon and Schuster won a furious competition for the deeply reported book by the two New York Times political correspondents.

Russia Presses Criminal Case Against Award-Winning Journalist

November 28, 2023

From a Washington Post story by Mary Ilyushina headlined “Russia presses criminal case against award-winning journalist Marsha Gessen”:

Russia has opened a criminal case against the prominent Russian American writer and journalist Masha Gessen, accusing them of spreading “false information” about the actions of the Russian army in Ukraine — part of a continuing crackdown by the Kremlin on voices critical of its war.

Russian authorities have charged Gessen, a staff writer for the New Yorker who holds dual Russian and U.S. citizenship but lives in the United States, with spreading “knowingly false information” about atrocities committed by the Russian soldiers in the Ukrainian city of Bucha.

Sports Illustrated Deletes Articles Published Under Fake Author Names

November 27, 2023

From a story on cnn.com by Liam Reilly headlined “Sports Illustrated deletes articles published under fake author names and AI-generated profile photos”:

Sports Illustrated on Monday said it had deleted several articles from its website after a report found the once-celebrated legacy magazine had published the pieces under fake author names and profile images generated by artificial intelligence.

The report, which was published by Futurism, found that the magazine had repeatedly published articles whose authors could not be found online outside the Sports Illustrated website. The articles were all accompanied by AI-generated profile photos that Futurism also found for sale on digital marketplaces that sell AI-produced headshots.

Russian Women Get a Warning About Their Rights

November 27, 2023

From a New York Times guest essay by Vasilisa Kirilochkina headlined “Russian Women Get a Fresh Warning About Their Rights”:

It has been more than six months since the Russian playwright Svetlana Petriychuk and the theater director Zhenya Berkovich were arrested and jailed for their work on “Finist, the Bright Falcon,” an acclaimed play sympathetic to women recruited by ISIS.

The charge? “Justifying terrorism.”

The plaintiffs have appealed being held in pretrial detention three times; each time, the court has denied it. The prosecution, on the other hand, has asked the court three times to postpone the trial “to interview important witnesses”; each time, the court has granted the request.

Six Teenagers Go on Trial for Their Alleged Role in the Beheading of a French Teacher

November 27, 2023

From an AP story headlined “Six teenagers go on trial for their alleged role in the 2020 beheading of a French teacher”:

Six teenagers go on trial Monday in Paris for their alleged roles in the beheading of a teacher who showed caricatures of the prophet of Islam to his class, a killing that led authorities to reaffirm France’s cherished rights of expression and secularism.

Samuel Paty, a history and geography teacher, was killed on Oct. 16, 2020, near his school in a northwest Paris suburb by an 18-year-old of Chechen origin who had become radicalized. The attacker was in turn shot dead by police.

Small-Town Newspaper Hit in “Open Season” on Free Press

November 27, 2023

From a Washington Post story by Paul Farhi headlined “In Alabama, another small-town paper hit in ‘open season’ on free press”:

ATMORE, Ala. — When Don Fletcher checked the mailbox outside his newspaper’s office on Main Street in late September, he found a little gold mine waiting for him.

Folded up inside was a copy of a grand-jury subpoena served on two employees of the local school system. The confidential document indicated that a criminal investigation into potential financial abuse was underway — a solid lead for a veteran reporter like Fletcher.

Airports Where Planes Run on Time and Fares Are Low

November 27, 2023

From a Wall Street Journal story by Jacob Passy headlined “The Airports Where Planes Run on Time and Fares Are Low”:

Finding an airport that gets everything right is a fool’s errand.

Orlando might have great food and shopping, but it is located in an area with lousy weather. Los Angeles International outperforms other airports on fast times through security, according to federal data, but the traffic on the way to the airport can be ghastly.

About Editing and Writing

De Niro Says Speech Blasting Trump Was Cut at Film Awards

Russian Court Extends Detention of WSJ Reporter

The Ten Best Books of 2023

Haberman and Swan Sign Deal for Trump Book

Russia Presses Criminal Case Against Award-Winning Journalist

Sports Illustrated Deletes Articles Published Under Fake Author Names

Russian Women Get a Warning About Their Rights

Six Teenagers Go on Trial for Their Alleged Role in the Beheading of a French Teacher

Small-Town Newspaper Hit in “Open Season” on Free Press

Airports Where Planes Run on Time and Fares Are Low

About Editing

What Editors Should Look for in Writers

About Writing

Writing That Is of Marginal Interest