The New Media Diva

Well here’s a headscratcher: The Annenberg School of Journalism is shutting down the Online Journalism Review. Editor Robert Niles posted the announcement today:

After a decade, the University of Southern California’s Annenberg School for Communication has suspended publication of OJR.

One of OJR’s goals over the years has been to help mid-career journalists make a successful transition from other media to online reporting and production. I’m pleased to say that USC Annenberg will continue to provide support in that area, through the Knight Digital Media Center. I encourage OJR readers to click over to the KDMC website and its blogs, if you are not already a regular reader there.

The decision to suspend OJR for now means that I have left the University of Southern California. But I am not going offline. I will continue to write, daily, about new media and journalism at my new website, SensibleTalk.com. I hope that many of you will click over and visit me there.

No reason for the shut down was posted. Shoot, this has me more upset than the eXile story.

There used to be a time when “breaking news” meant something was burning, a life was a stake or a Heisman Trophy winner was ridin dirty in a white Bronco.

Nowadays, it’s Bernanke saying that the economy “may ‘contract’ slightly” or the prez doing the NATO hustle and flow.

Is it just me or is something wrong with this picture? And don’t blame it on 9/11: Shoot, I remember going out on breaking news stories about dog bites.

Bites. Even nips. Nudges.

Not attacks.

I even remember some shops pulling out their BN banners for urgent Britney Spears information.

Since “breaking news” is being used for all types of stories, what should be used with something borderline or even, heaven forbid, 9/11-ish?

“We Really Mean It Breaking News?”

“Really Serious Breaking News?”

“Get The Hell Out Of Dodge Breaking News?”

“Fo Damn Sho Breaking News?”

Whoops. Just checked CNN. Naomi’s on the rampage.

How about “Hide Your Cellphones Breaking News?”