Author Archives: Robert Basil

“The Professional Culture of the Press”

Posted on December 24, 2019 by Robert Basil

NYU Journalism professor and media critic Jay Rosen* writes that “Not in personal but in public life, 2019 has been the most bleak and depressing year I have lived through of my 63. A few tiny green shoots in a … Continue reading →

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Posted on December 23, 2019 by Robert Basil

The Martin building, Olympia. Collages by the wonderful David Scherer Water.

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Open Learning

Posted on December 23, 2019 by Robert Basil

Some of my colleagues in the Applied Communications department at Kwantlen Polytechnic University have published an “open textbook” for people in our profession. Student Engagement Activities for Business Communications is a compilation resource for instructors of workplace writing and oral … Continue reading →

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Vancouver histories

Posted on November 30, 2019 by Robert Basil

I am much enjoying rereading “Vancouver Special,” a funny but unsparing collection of essays written by local writer and comic Charles Demers and published by Arsenal Pulp Press (with photographs by Emmanuel Buenviaje). A note in his chapter on the … Continue reading →

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Happy to help

Posted on November 3, 2019 by Robert Basil

Twice in the last week I have helped to prevent a calamity from befalling a colleague. One colleague was irritated and the other was infuriated to receive my editorial help, though they each requested it. Both will come out “smelling … Continue reading →

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Getting it over on Google

Posted on October 31, 2019 by Robert Basil

As someone who has taught digital and social media to super-smart marketing students, this cracked me up: Why would Rudy Giuliani associate and indicted dealmaker Lev Parnas name his company “Fraud Guarantee”? Is there a worse name for a company … Continue reading →

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Posted on October 30, 2019 by Robert Basil
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Discussing parapsychology in the classroom

Posted on October 28, 2019 by Robert Basil

A few days ago I had the good fortune to chat (via Skype) with advanced undergraduate students at Brooklyn College. Our topic was “parapsychology.” The gifted and nimble instructor of Psych 3585 was LeAnne Flaherty, who was a student in … Continue reading →

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Better research posters

Posted on September 22, 2019 by Robert Basil

I often give up in frustration when faced with “research posters,” especially as I get older and my eyesight declines. They are hard to read – too much text, not enough appropriate visual organization telling my eyes where to look. … Continue reading →

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Enders

Posted on September 20, 2019 by Robert Basil

There are two claims your antagonist will typically corroborate right away: “You’re being defensive!” “You always need to have the last word!” A friend in network news told me that the proper response to the first claim is “You’re changing … Continue reading →

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