May 01, 2007 — These are tough times for America's newspapers, which face growing competition from the internet and other electronic media. A new report issued yesterday found that circulation has declined yet again, down by more than three percent at some big-city papers. But in this age of blogs and 24/7 news, one part of the newspaper business seems to be thriving. Small newspapers that offer "hyper-local" content -- everything from baby pictures to neighborhood politics -- are managing to hold their audience. In some towns here in the North Country and around the country, mom-and-pop papers are actually expanding circulation. Brian Mann has our story.  Go to full article

Apr 23, 2007 — Over the weekend, journalists from all over the U.S. gathered in Kentucky to talk about the future of small-town America. The Rural Journalism Summit was an effort to identify and raise awareness of the big issues facing small communities. Todd Moe spoke with NCPR Adirondack bureau chief Brian Mann, who spoke at the summit.  Go to full article

Nov 13, 2006 — Last Tuesday, kids across the U.S. were talking with Americans about the importance of voting. The national project was organized by journalist and writer Sue Halpern, who spends much of year in Johnsburg, in the central Adirondacks. Halpern says it was a chance for students to hear from people who see voting as a duty and a crucial part of their lives. But as Brian Mann reports, their idealism played out this year against one of the nastiest and most controversial campaigns on record.  Go to full article

Jul 27, 2006 — Photojournalist Bill Putnam was in the Army when he met David Sommerstein in Kosovo in 2002. He's been living in the heart of the chaotic, violent world of Baghdad for two years - one year as a soldier, another as a freelancer stringing for Time magazine and ZUMA Photo Agency. He's back home in Portland, Oregon now. Putnam spoke with David Sommerstein about war-time photojournalism.  Go to full article

Apr 27, 2006 — Franklin County District Attorney Derek Champagne says it's too late to file criminal charges against a Vermontville man videotaped while hitting and slapping his 15-year-old daughter. But Champagne says state and local officials are reviewing whether three children still living in the home of Joe and Lynn Nelson are receiving proper care. Last Friday, the ABC news magazine "Primetime" broadcast footage of the Nelson home that included scenes of physical and emotional violence. The footage aired as part of a documentary on stepfamilies struggling with children from separate marriages. The broadcast prompted a public outcry. As Brian Mann reports, it has also triggered a new debate over the ethics of journalism.

A warning: Some of the sounds in this story are violent and disturbing.  Go to full article

Apr 27, 2006 — For a deeper look at the ethics of journalism, NCPR contacted Kelly McBride, who writes about ethics at the Poynter Institute, one of the top journalism think tanks in America. McBride spoke with Brian Mann about the ethical gray zones that reporters sometimes navigate while pursuing complicated stories. McBride says journalists sometimes serve a greater good by acting as observers rather than active participants.  Go to full article

Apr 06, 2006 — The North Creek News-Enterprise has been sold to Denton Publications, a regional newspaper chain based in North Creek. The dollar amount of the sale hasn't been disclosed. Brian Mann spoke with publisher Tom Henecker, who has run the paper for more than six years, along with his wife, Katie O'Dell. Henecker says the sale last week saved the News-Enterprise from shutting down.

Tomorrow during the 8 O'clock Hour, we'll talk with Dan Alexander, head of Denton Publications in Elizabethtown. His seven newspapers reach from St. Lawrence County all the way to Vermont.  Go to full article

Jun 21, 2005 — Rural America has been getting more attention in the national media lately. Big news organizations like NPR and the New York Times say they're expanding coverage of America's small towns. Brian Mann is just back from Washington DC, where he took part in a conference on rural journalism sponsored by the Knight Center for Specialized Journalism. He spoke with Martha Foley.  Go to full article

Dec 29, 2004 — Mark Wilson's political cartoons appear regularly on the editorial pages of newsapers around New York state, often catching the irony and absurdity of the day's news. Wilson lives and works in Saranac Lake. The internet allows him observe the political battles in Albany and New York City. His drawings also lampoon regional issues here in the North Country. Wilson sat down at his home this week with Brian Mann to talk about his work and the issues that inspire him to sharpen his pen.  Go to full article

Oct 07, 2004 — Drawing from his experience as a New York Times correspondent in the Middle East, Eastern Europe and Central America, Hedges explores the seductive attraction of war--for the soldier, the civilian and the war correspondent--in this brief but provocative work. Hedges and hosts Ellen Rocco and Chris Robinson take listener questions.  Go to full article