Anju, April 17, 2012

THERE, FIXED IT FOR YOU: “UN strongly [weakly] condemns North Korea rocket launch, warns of [no] further action if new nuclear test.” Seriously, guys, it’s a presidential statement — not even a resolution. It’s not just that, it’s the swiftness with which the U.N. collectively decided to imitate parody.

HOW TO REPORT FROM NORTH KOREA, from a critical consumer: It isn’t rocket science, really; just tell the reader what you saw and what you didn’t see, and if you think something has been hidden from you, tell the reader that, too. You don’t have to deprecate everything you see, but you do have to be skeptical about what you’re shown, especially in a place where you’re on notice that your hosts are trying to deceive, manipulate, and use you. In other words, do it like Michael Ruffles did it for the Sydney Morning Herald.

IF THE NORTH KOREANS REALLY NEVER REFUSED to let Jean H. Lee cover a story, then it can only be because Lee has decided not to ask the North Koreans uncomfortable questions, and I’ll leave it to you to decide why. Does Lee really think accordion players, juche mythology, and the first day of elementary school are really more newsworthy than the fact that 150,000 North Koreans are dying in concentration camps? Because if she does, some of the world’s foremost news services and at least one of her AP colleagues disagree.

THE ONION: “Chinese Woman Gives Birth to Septuplets, Has One Week To Choose”