Rick Hampson

Coverage of British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher's death and life was relegated to below the fold at USA Today this morning (pictured here; the paper stopped posting front-page pics two years ago). Three items above the fold (excluding left-side teases to coverage of other stories) were considered more important that the Iron Lady's passing: "Remembering Annette Funicello"; a "Duplicate…

While USA Today editors shunted to page 5A a 15-paragraph article on how the Occupy movement has worn out its welcome in many major cities, today's front page featured a 47-paragraph puffy profile on how "'Occupiers' [are] not cut from the same cloth." "Occupy's membership is a coat of many colors" that "includes the foreclosed, the uninsured and the homeless" as well as "college students…

According to Rick Hampson in what is apparently an analysis piece in Monday's USA Today, the Occupy movement has a violent "fringe," which constitutes just a "fraction" of those involved. Well, he's right about it being a "fraction," except that said fraction is a lot larger than he apparently believes. The USAT writer also attempts to perpetuate the Occupy Oakland myth that its November 2 "…

"The Civil War still divides Americans, especially at a time when some in the Tea Party movement talk of states' rights and secession; when many states are rebelling against federal initiatives such as the health care overhaul; and when America's changing demographics make some nostalgic for a society in which white Christians were more dominant." That's how USA Today's Rick Hampson went out…