CohenConnect.com, Honest, accurate & outspoken: Lenny's thoughts on this world of ours
"These are the times to remember" (Billy Joel lyrics pluralized)
Lots of people interested in politics and next year’s Democratic presidential nomination will have their eyes focused on the Pennsylvania Convention Center through Saturday. Netroots Nation is holding its annual convention there. The group’s website says, “For more than a decade, Netroots Nation has hosted the largest annual conference for progressives, drawing thousands of attendees … Continue reading Netroots Nation’s national conference in town, and how I heard of it
The phrase “Digital First” is nothing new. Managers in TV station news departments have been saying it for years, but they really hadn’t practiced what it means. Years ago, news directors thought viewers getting information sooner would not feel the need to watch TV newscasts, which was where the money was made and so was … Continue reading Adding my own few points to Nexstar’s ‘Digital First’ strategy
Wednesday, special counsel Robert Mueller spoke out for the first time, saying he was resigning and closing down the special counsel’s office. His investigation, overseen by the Justice Department, lasted two years and led to 199 criminal charges and 37 indictments. He submitted his 448-page final report more than two months ago and made clear … Continue reading Would you want Mueller’s words about Trump said about you?
You may have actually looked at the homepage of this blog, http://www.CohenConnect.com, and thought I hadn’t been writing. It may have looked that way, but it sure wasn’t the case. Not at all. Actually, I’ve been writing – a whole lot! I let you know I took a job working for a local weekly newspaper … Continue reading Lenny’s update, and the writing and posting you may have missed
THANK YOU to the two new followers from over the past week, bringing the total up to 116. I hope you like what you read, or at least feel strongly enough to comment. I don’t think people realize there’s something in it for them! Go back over previous posts and you’ll see the subjects I’ve … Continue reading Control of the media after the mosque attacks in New Zealand
First off, yes, I may be a day late, but this is definitely not a dollar short! I wanted to make sure this post was as perfect as I could make it, like I do with all others. Of course, it’s just a coincidence that Martin Luther King Day, which commemorates the birthday of the … Continue reading Martin Luther King Day, a victim of the (official) Women’s March
If you want to do something well, watch someone else do it. That’s the way to improve in most skills in life. That’s one reason I read Scott Jones’ blog, FTVLive.com. Say what you want about him or his spelling, but he’s usually right on the money when it comes to facts, and won’t make … Continue reading Reports: Nexstar says no to WPIX-NY, WSFL-Miami
It’s Jan. 11 and that means today marks four years since my very first blog post at http://www.CohenConnect.com. Back then, when I started, I was still in Florida. Being new in Bristol & the Tri-Cities March 8, 2015 Getting settled at home March 14, 2015 Getting settled at work March 15, 2015 Getting settled in Bristol March 16, 2015 I hadn’t yet moved … Continue reading Anniversary means time to start something new
It’s always good to be remembered, and hopefully being your last new year’s message of the year will keep some of my thoughts on your minds. (I’d be embarrassed to post something like this more than a week late, even by a few minutes!) Let me start with the most important: that I became an … Continue reading Odds, ends and new beginnings
Sometimes, interesting things happen when you read friends’ Facebook pages. I’m not talking about going to look on purpose, which I’ve done before. I’m just referring to seeing something on your news feed and clicking on it. That got me, as the title clearly says, banned from Facebook pages twice in 2 days! The one … Continue reading Banned from Facebook pages twice in 2 days!
My interest started when I was looking at my Facebook feed over the weekend and saw this post from a former coworker. Obviously, we’re Facebook friends. Otherwise, his post wouldn't have come up. He’s a former Marine. We’d always worked well together and even though he is the most right-wing person I know, he’d never … Continue reading Exposing hate, close to home (as if acceptable anywhere)
Philadelphia is a great place to live. It has so much, so close-by: history, museums, sports. It’s walkable, livable, has green space. No, it didn’t get Amazon’s HQ2 and yes, it’s often overshadowed by New York and Washington. Too bad it has people in charge who don’t care about serving the public. This goes along … Continue reading Level-headed moderation needed now in The Birthplace of America
I don’t remember a seven-day period like the time since last Saturday. That’s when I woke up, turned on the TV, and saw what was happening in Pittsburgh. I got very angry and couldn’t stand to hear anything about it after two hours. It took until Wednesday for the anger to turn to sadness. I … Continue reading Difficult week, from anger to sadness, as election approaches
I’ve known I had another blog post “due” before the election, if you know how I think, but too much on my mind and so much going on – personally and in the news – to actually do it. After this morning’s attack in a Pittsburgh neighborhood where I have family and have been to … Continue reading Not a good day for political thoughts, the USA as a whole
The “game” of politics is no fun anymore. Discussing anything having to do with it used to be educating and entertaining, and sometimes enlightening, among friends and on social media. Not anymore. These days, it’s all for the kill. Saturday, NBC Nightly News showed skirmishes in New York and Portland, Oregon. As correspondent Matt Bradley … Continue reading Political pondering, 3 weeks before Election Day
Several times a year, before elections, a man in Florida emails me about who to support in elections down there. The goal is to receive money (Isn’t that everyone’s?) for private schools. In this case, it’s Jewish religious schools. And that’s despite public schools being free for everyone – Jews too – and paid for … Continue reading The case against us all paying for private schools
It’s a happy moment at CohenConnect.com. (Online definition of moment: “a very brief period of time.” The italics are mine.) September’s blog numbers were high with more than a thousand views, despite the fact I only published four posts. (I know. I have to do better on that. And I can’t complain about the time, but … Continue reading News starting out good but going downhill fast
President Trump's Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh will be giving the Senate Judiciary Committee calendars from 1982 to back up his continued denial of sexually assaulting Christine Blasey Ford. That’s according to The New York Times, late Sunday afternoon. The year 1982 was 36 years ago. Do you have your calendar from back then? Heck, … Continue reading Clarence Thomas, Brett Kavanaugh, justice and becoming a Justice
I try not to go more than a week without posting something. Unfortunately, it has been 11 days dues to holidays that won’t be letting up anytime soon, and also my IT support specialist classes. (Last night, I finished Course 2, Week 1, out of 5 courses.) I just don’t like blogs that give a … Continue reading Eric Trump and his shekels
I don’t know, but I’m pretty sure you’ve had a busy week, between getting used to having your kids in school or planning what to do on this long holiday weekend. Sorry for the folks in “sunny Florida” with plans ruined while dealing with Tropical Storm Gordon. (But you're welcome for this souvenir to help … Continue reading Labor Day weekend leftovers
Hi! This is Lenny with the first of what I’m hoping will be regular guest columns. Just use the contact form to let me know if you write up something you’d like to share here. I’ll be happy to post it if the work is all yours and may appeal to the audience. Then, you’ll … Continue reading Cher’s surprise: Stopping by The Cher Show while it gets ready for Broadway
There’s something to be said for waiting before starting to write. That’s not my nature. I want to get things out first. I type very well but nobody can do it as quickly as my brain, so I often dictate into a phone and email myself. Then, I make any corrections and additions, and create … Continue reading Sinclair sinks, Trump’s temper, Cox’s cash value
This was starting to get a little hard to keep track of, and I wrote most of this last night. Good thing I waited to publish, because I had to really rewrite today! It’s looking like the big media merger I’ve been writing about so frequently may not happen! Even better, it looks like one … Continue reading Big merger, big problem, big surprise!
I’ve had a lot on my mind lately. There’s too much going on, between job stuff, the news and that last blog post I wrote. It was about being attacked on Facebook by someone who was angry I don't think Barack Obama is my favorite president and made nasty knee-jerk comments when I simply asked … Continue reading More moderation in politics, not so in casting calls
I tend to stay away from politics that I really, really care about -- simply due to my background as a journalist and the habit it created over all these years. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Ncv7QZqwxc But yesterday, while waiting for the final Bastille Day celebration at Eastern State Penitentiary which we ended up not even waiting for because … Continue reading You may be right but don’t let some on the left know (and vice versa)!
Philadelphia may be one of the biggest cities in the country and arguably the most historic, considering it is the birthplace of our country. However, it's a whole lot more than Old City and historic places like the Liberty Bell and Independence Hall that attract tourists from all over the world. Philadelphia is also known … Continue reading From Philly? How your neighborhood (or one nearby) got its name
I don’t know why TV stations (and networks) allow mistakes to remain without corrections but it’s certainly a disservice to viewers and readers. One could also say Fake News and fraud. Perhaps the Federal Communications Commission needs to get involved to keep them in line. Local stations use the public airwaves, are licensed to serve … Continue reading Where have you gone, Sasha Savitsky?
I hate lazy people (and stupid ones, but that’s a blog for another time). I can understand being sick. Last year, I showed up to work sick for three weeks since I wasn't contagious and learned two lessons. First, I wasn't appreciated and second, going to the doctor instead of assuming the bug would go … Continue reading The lousiness of laziness and liars
First, I want to thank you for all your reading. This is my 99th blog and so far there have been more than 14,100 page views. Dozens of you are reading and clicking more than once, even when I don't post anything, and the numbers have really been going up. Reading above what's above would good … Continue reading Follow-Up Friday, plus David Hogg defeats Publix
There's never a good time to write a story like this. We know there has been a school shooting in Texas, apparently between Houston and Galveston, and at least eight people have been killed. It's a tragedy. We can blame security, gun laws, the National Rifle Association, and so on. That's not my point right … Continue reading It happened again, and again
I don’t know about you but yesterday, I couldn’t stop “hearing” about what the people who listened to a certain audio file heard. Most insisted it was one thing: just not the same thing. That became the Yanny-Laurel debate. What you think you heard became the side you were on. Sometimes listeners even switched teams. … Continue reading Forget Laurel and Yanny. Did Cecily call Adam a moron?
First, happy Mother's Day to everyone to whom that applies. I hope you're having a great day! Second, today is also the celebration of Yom Yerushalayim, or Jerusalem Day. It's the Hebrew anniversary of when the Israelis recaptured the eastern/holy part of the city in the Six-Day War of 1967. It's where no Arab country's leader … Continue reading In defense: The good Facebook can do when used by the right people
I hope you’ve had a terrific Tuesday! I have a few thoughts (just a few) I figured I’d get out today. This morning, Axios reported several news websites “launched new paywalls within the past year.” Sorry! (But not this one.) It named Bloomberg, Vanity Fair, Wired, Business Insider and The Atlantic, and added, “Legacy institutions like The New York Times, The Wall … Continue reading Paying for news, one candidate’s free airtime and asking for your comments
I have a lot more on Marjory Stoneman Douglas hero Emma González, not a hero for surviving but for her activism after. She has probably suffered more than her surviving schoolmates after February’s shooting massacre. In late March, USA Today reported Iowa Republican Rep. Steve King drew criticism when someone from his campaign team mocked González’s ‘look’ … Continue reading In defense of Emma González, not that she needs it but deserves it
This is my 90th blog post and like most journalists, I identify mistakes all over and somehow -- often through publicity -- try to get them fixed. But not on this milestone. There's too much good to write about. I also want to point out the page CohenConnect Headlines Sitemap has a list of all the blog … Continue reading Who says everything I write is negative (but correct)?
I’m not writing to take an opinion on the issues of sanctuary cities or illegal immigration, but have to say I’m pleased a gang of Republican-appointed federal judges were willing to rule against a president from their own party. Philly.com reports from the Associated Press that this afternoon, “A federal appeals court in Chicago has … Continue reading Sanctuary cities judges show they know justice, not politics
I didn’t know much about James Comey until about two years ago. Since then, I thought pretty highly of the guy and that really hasn’t changed. Arguably, Comey was the big political story of the week – so far. Today, his new book A Higher Loyalty: Truth, Lies, and Leadership was officially released and Sunday, … Continue reading Comey comes alive with tough talk against Trump
Industry leaders have been meeting in Las Vegas for the National Association of Broadcasters Show and Adam Symson, president-CEO of the E.W. Scripps Co., made an interesting comparison between broadcast and digital. “Broadcasting has been traditionally a very protected business — protected by regulation and economically protected because not everybody could have a television station in a … Continue reading Syria, Gaza and the FCC chair babying broadcasters
I’m actually going to start optimistically and thank you for reading. The blog is getting very close and may have 12,000 hits after this post. (It's at 11,927 as I start formatting at 7:11pm). Please, if you haven’t, subscribe with your email address or WordPress account. There are places on the right side of your … Continue reading Salaries, senators and a spat between a Fox News host and the A.P.
It's not easy being a moderate. That's definitely what I consider myself and it seems to make people on both sides angry. Either that, or because I tell it like it is. Today, the issues that got to me started with this post from Miami journalist Eliott Rodriguez. Fine points, and you can click here … Continue reading Distorting history, stirring up stereotypes
Tragic story. Heartbreaking. The victims put their lives on the line and lost them, just to protect us. And reports of it were made even worse because certain people at one victim's local TV station don't know the location is HuntingDon Valley -- not HuntingTon Valley -- and it's right in their backyard, in Montgomery … Continue reading How long until local news people figure out local locations?
They did it again! Villanova University’s men's basketball team is celebrating its second national championship in three years. According to the school’s president, Rev. Peter M. Donohue, OSA, “In 2016, it had been 31 years since our last national championship for basketball, and now, just two years later, Villanova is once again the national … Continue reading Villanova Victory, Volume III
It's nice when Americans exercise their First Amendment rights (freedom of religion, speech, the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances) with good intentions, and that should be encouraged. Last Saturday, many in the country were shocked after March for Our Lives rallies were … Continue reading Tiffany Trump’s trouble, what unions could do to Amazon and the media
OK. Let’s get this right. Lawmakers and many Americans are angry about Facebook and how it handled 50 million users’ people’s data, but President Trump really hates Amazon. First, it’s owned by Jeff Bezos, who also owns The Washington Post, which Trump also hates. Second, sources told Axios Trump has talked about changing Amazon’s tax … Continue reading Who Trump hates more, Facebook or Amazon? Oh, and Stormy Daniels’ motion to make him speak!
If you were reading the Sunday paper, you may have come across this full-page ad from Facebook with a letter signed by Mark Zuckerberg. Seems like he spent a fortune but needed to for a chance to save his company. Axios reports the ad ran “inside the front section of today's N.Y. Times, on the back … Continue reading Facebook: Friend or foe? Keep or delete?
People who know me can never, ever say I’m not loyal to people I like and respect. You’ll see that in a moment, along with an example of the opposite. (Is your mouth watering yet?) Yesterday, one of Philadelphia’s daily newspapers published an article called “Is the morning news format that fuels Mike Jerrick's 'weird … Continue reading Be nicer to Mike Jerrick, and other thoughts on what’s making news
They haven’t been “Fair and Balanced” in a while but stating Monday, Fox News will be marketing itself as “Real News. Real Honest Opinion.” Yesterday, Ad Age magazine made the announcement. It’ll start with Fox’s own properties and then perhaps go elsewhere. The change follows the huge “revelation of sexual harassment allegations” that got Fox … Continue reading Fox News: Really ‘Real News. Real Honest Opinion’?
First, I want to go thank and apologize to everyone who read my last post. It was way too long. Yes, it contained what I think was good information on several subjects. It happened to be on a snow day and I had nothing better to do then let out some of what I was … Continue reading Call to action: Help stop Sinclair from taking over Tribune
Gotta love a snow day if you don’t have anywhere to be. Yes, I have a busy week ahead and things to prepare, but they don’t require going out. The TV people were right this time. It’s almost 1pm and I’m supposedly getting 3 inches of snow an hour, which should end up as 6-10 … Continue reading Flakes and facts, lots on my mind
Let's start by updating my latest post on television. Last Thursday, in discussing Fox Sports paying a fortune for Thursday Night Football, I brought up Sinclair Broadcast Group – the largest TV owner in America – trying to buy Tribune Broadcasting, another biggie. Sinclair had given hints on what it would divest in order to get approval from … Continue reading Sinclair, Tribune TV stations combined: Why it’s not a done deal yet
Did I just write that headline? There's lots on my mind (too often, and that's between me and my medical professional, and I'll get to the rest another time), but I'm going to limit myself to what just happened in southern and northern Florida over the past few days, since last week's massacre at Marjory Stoneman … Continue reading Parkland now, but North Miami Beach proud!
How many of you watched the Super Bowl this year? Of course, in Philadelphia, that's a loaded question with the underdog Eagles in the game and beating the seemingly perennial winners, the New England Patriots. Same thing in New England. Their team was in the Super Bowl and they don't get sick of Tom Brady … Continue reading Got cable, satellite? You’ll foot the bill for Fox’s Thursday Night Football
What’s famous to you obviously relies on where you’ve been and what you’ve noticed, but these people have had national exposure for at least part of their long working lives. It took longer than a New York minute, but Howard Stern would be happy to hear Warner Wolf is suing Don Imus -- and it has … Continue reading Famous man, 80, suing famous man, 77, for age discrimination
Talk about ungrateful and too much attention for a minor story. The only thing major was the size of the animal. About a year ago, you’ll probably remember all the interest that started to be given to a giraffe named April, that was pregnant at a small zoo called the Animal Adventure Park in … Continue reading Eagles’ fans give April the Giraffe an ‘F’
You would think anytime there’s a possibility of terrorism in Philadelphia, the Philadelphia media would report it. Apparently that wasn’t the case this week. Maybe hysteria over the Eagles in the Super Bowl is to blame. By all reported accounts, Khalil Lawal of Arlington, Va., drove a car into a pedestrian in South Philadelphia. It … Continue reading Eagle eye: Most Philadelphia media ignore possibility of local terrorism
Two articles got my attention as I recover, tonight. You'll remember yesterday, I couldn't read or even think. Now, look how far I've come -- and for how many hours! The first, called How Facebook Can Grow Its Media 'Likes' by Harry A. Jessell on TVNewsCheck continues the discussion I wrote on Rupert Murdoch saying Mark … Continue reading Facebook, Twitter, and Fox (Fox x 14)!
Time for the obvious, yet again. News organizations post their news on Facebook and other social media sites. Those articles, videos, slideshows, etc. also get picked up on search sites like Google, Yahoo and Bing (Microsoft). If they use the correct SEOs (Search Engine Optimization words) and have a little luck (or pay a … Continue reading Don’t post your content on Facebook if you don’t want readers getting it for free!
Last night, I did something I rarely do: open a Facebook post to the public, rather than just friends. Today, I'm blogging about the online battle that followed, something I hadn't planned to do. The story was about one of the hosts of a show on the DIY Network -- part of Scripps Networks Interactive … Continue reading Sad stereotypes too strong to silence (for now)
By now, I'm sure you realize I'm a fan of the underdog. Fly, Philadelphia Eagles, fly! I also strongly believe in holding people in high positions accountable for their acts, even off the clock. Can’t deny that after the recent string of sexual harassment allegations and confessions from some of the smartest and most talented people in … Continue reading The rights of TV station owners vs. the public