Am I naïve, or have things drastically changed? As a sports fan growing up, I spent a lot of time cheering on my favorite local teams. Like everyone else, I had favorite players. Being from the Detroit area and growing up in the 90s meant that Barry Sanders and Sergei Federov might as well have been created by Stan Lee. I would watch every game I could and cheer for the Redwings, Lions, Tigers, and Pistons to win.
What I don’t remember doing is cheering for the other team to lose. The other team didn’t really matter, and they weren’t of any consequence to my fandom—they were just the other team. The other team had to be present in order for my team to win, but their demise wasn’t my focus; it wasn’t even in my peripherals.
Things seemed to have changed. I saw a picture today of a female fan flipping off Joakim Noah after he had been ejected from one of the Bulls’ matchups with the Heat in this year’s NBA Playoffs. If you’ve ever heard Dane Cook’s description of a giant middle finger with eight knuckles and a million tiny middle fingers raining down around it, you have somewhat of an understanding of just how violent this woman’s intentions were.
I know I was late in seeing this incident, because I have largely distanced myself from any interest in the NBA. I’m not trying to pick on this woman in particular, because I think her sentiment is shared by the vast majority of sports fans.
Adam Jacobi wrote an article called, “The Difference between a Good Fan and a Bad Fan” in regards to the same incident. He says that the middle finger would’ve been acceptable except that, “Noah didn’t do anything to the fans to ask for it.”
I couldn’t disagree more. Who cares if someone “asks for it?” Since when do we teach that two wrongs make a right? I see this attitude as a piece of a paradigm shift in sports, and perhaps in society in general. I mentioned earlier how I grew up with a great deal of love for my favorite teams. I feel that today, most sports fans’ appreciation for their own team in overpowered by their hatred of the other team.
I saw further evidence of this tonight when watching the Redwings take on the Blackhawks in a playoff hockey game. I’m sure Chicago fans were outraged at the middle finger toward Noah, but this didn’t stop them from treating an opposing player with disrespect the next time they had a chance. Detroit goaltender Jimmy Howard stood on his head, walked on his hands, juggled with his feet, and did everything else he could possibly do before surrendering the losing goal midway through the third period of game one.
Chicago fans went nuts when the goal was scored, and rightfully so. After all, if you aren’t excited when your team scores, then why are you at the game to begin with? They didn't stop with supporting their own club, however. Immediately following the uproar was a long, slow, taunting chant of Howard’s name. What did he do to deserve this? Is he worthy of ridicule because he did his best and came up just short? Would those fans appreciate being taunted if they made a mistake in the wording of an email at their job?
Unfortunately this problem isn’t unique to Chicago, and I have no intentions of picking on them either. I heard my fellow Detroiters doing the same thing to Jonas Hiller just a few days ago in the midst of a very impressive performance on his behalf. I just don’t understand the negativity, and it is really pushing me away from being a sports fan.
I remember a story of my grandpa going to a Tigers game and cheering on one of the opposing infielders as he was making a diving stop and beating his man with a throw to first. As the story goes, Grandpa got some funny looks, but he shrugged them off. “It was a good play,” he said proudly, “he deserved to know it.” I wish this is what being a sports fan still meant, but I feel as though that’s not the case. Am I naïve, or have things drastically changed?
Wednesday, May 15, 2013
Thursday, March 25, 2010
Students, staff share weather concerns
Officials from the EMU Physical Plant Department released an email to students and faculty on Wednesday reminding the university community of the official severe weather policy. With many of its 20,000 plus students being commuters, the assurance of safe driving conditions is a prominent issue for the EMU community.
The policy states that the university president, in conjunction with the Department of Pubic Safety and the Physical Plant, will make a decision regarding closures when a severe weather situation arises. In the opinion of many, the decision to close the university amidst inclement weather is not made frequently enough.
“They should lower their standards a little bit,” said Matthew Hoover, 23, a Japanese Language and Culture Junior. “Sometimes I can’t get out of my house because we get snow drifts,” he added.
“I commuted from Brownstown last year and there were a couple days that I was in danger driving to school,” said Kate Geary, 23, a Biology and Dance Senior “EMU is a huge commuter school and should consider their students,” she added. Others think that the universities policy is doing just fine.
“I think the university's weather policy is quite good,” said James Stimpson, 28, a Political Science graduate. “If there are any issues, they have predefined times to make decisions, as well as multiple ways to disseminate the information to the university community."
With significant snowfall already this month and a forecast calling for more in the coming days, many students are concerned about the driving conditions already.
“I have a feeling that the weather would have to be much more severe than for normal elementary school closings,” said Hoover. “Colleges seem to have higher requirements in general,” he explained, adding that he has felt pressure in the past to attend class in cases of severe weather.
Students are not the only members of the community affected by severe weather. Many of the faculty and staff also reside in communities outside of the Ypsilanti area.
“The president runs the university, and the public safety people are the closest university equivalent of a road commission,” said James Pinson, 57, a Journalism Professor who drives a little over a half hour to work each day. He adds that they are probably the most qualified people to make the decision.
Pinson agrees that students should not be penalized for missing class during times of inclement weather even if the university remains open. “If the weather was bad on a particular day of my class, I know it and give students who couldn't or were afraid to drive in it an excused absence,” he explains. “Plenty of times I’ve thought the University should’ve cancelled classes and didn’t,” he added.
“No matter how bad the weather was, I've usually tried to make it in,” Pinson explained, “although sometimes I haven't been able to or felt it was unnecessarily dangerous,”
“Do I go to class or do I stay home because I could get in a severe accident?” Hoover ponders aloud, echoing Pinson’s concern. “It has been an issue in the past.”
This raises the point that, regardless of university policy, the students are the ones who decide whether or not having class is plausible. “I’m willing to roll with the punches and deal with a slight decrease in my homework grade if I have to,” said Hoover.
To view the full version of EMU’s severe weather policy, visit emich.edu/univcomm/weatherpolicy.html. To receive text messages regarding weather and other emergencies affecting the EMU community go to emich.edu/alerts. The Department of Public Safety can be reached at emich.edu/publicsafety.
The policy states that the university president, in conjunction with the Department of Pubic Safety and the Physical Plant, will make a decision regarding closures when a severe weather situation arises. In the opinion of many, the decision to close the university amidst inclement weather is not made frequently enough.
“They should lower their standards a little bit,” said Matthew Hoover, 23, a Japanese Language and Culture Junior. “Sometimes I can’t get out of my house because we get snow drifts,” he added.
“I commuted from Brownstown last year and there were a couple days that I was in danger driving to school,” said Kate Geary, 23, a Biology and Dance Senior “EMU is a huge commuter school and should consider their students,” she added. Others think that the universities policy is doing just fine.
“I think the university's weather policy is quite good,” said James Stimpson, 28, a Political Science graduate. “If there are any issues, they have predefined times to make decisions, as well as multiple ways to disseminate the information to the university community."
With significant snowfall already this month and a forecast calling for more in the coming days, many students are concerned about the driving conditions already.
“I have a feeling that the weather would have to be much more severe than for normal elementary school closings,” said Hoover. “Colleges seem to have higher requirements in general,” he explained, adding that he has felt pressure in the past to attend class in cases of severe weather.
Students are not the only members of the community affected by severe weather. Many of the faculty and staff also reside in communities outside of the Ypsilanti area.
“The president runs the university, and the public safety people are the closest university equivalent of a road commission,” said James Pinson, 57, a Journalism Professor who drives a little over a half hour to work each day. He adds that they are probably the most qualified people to make the decision.
Pinson agrees that students should not be penalized for missing class during times of inclement weather even if the university remains open. “If the weather was bad on a particular day of my class, I know it and give students who couldn't or were afraid to drive in it an excused absence,” he explains. “Plenty of times I’ve thought the University should’ve cancelled classes and didn’t,” he added.
“No matter how bad the weather was, I've usually tried to make it in,” Pinson explained, “although sometimes I haven't been able to or felt it was unnecessarily dangerous,”
“Do I go to class or do I stay home because I could get in a severe accident?” Hoover ponders aloud, echoing Pinson’s concern. “It has been an issue in the past.”
This raises the point that, regardless of university policy, the students are the ones who decide whether or not having class is plausible. “I’m willing to roll with the punches and deal with a slight decrease in my homework grade if I have to,” said Hoover.
To view the full version of EMU’s severe weather policy, visit emich.edu/univcomm/weatherpolicy.html. To receive text messages regarding weather and other emergencies affecting the EMU community go to emich.edu/alerts. The Department of Public Safety can be reached at emich.edu/publicsafety.
Honoring teaching excellence
During the winter months it’s common to turn to the local television or internet news in order to get information on the latest school closings. Normally these closings are due to inclement weather conditions and things return to normal in a day or two after road crews have had a chance to plow and salt the roads making it safe for busses to travel to and fro.
These days, however, amidst staggering budget deficits and an economic recession that is the worst in many of our lifetimes, these schools aren’t just closing their doors for a snow-day; they are closing them for good. It’s hard not to hear about the latest closure and how it’s going to affect the community. With all of the negativity surrounding the education field, it is especially commendable that some instructors are able to keep a positive attitude and try to make a real difference in students’ lives.
Professor Paul Majeske, of Eastern Michigan University’s College of Technology was recently recognized by the Alumni Association with a very high honor; an Excellence in Teaching Award.
“Several former students got together and submitted the nomination material,” explained Majeske, adding that it felt, “awesome,” to receive such an honor. “I was chosen by students who weren’t solicited,” he exclaimed, adding that, “there have only been a little over 100 of these awards given out in 12 years or so.”
“Originally I didn’t want to go because I was going to have to miss class,” Majeske explained, showing his true commitment to education, “but then I remembered that this is why I do what I do,” he added
The award was presented, along with a commemorative medallion and certificate, at a Saturday breakfast in the EMU Student Center with further ceremonies being held during halftime at the men’s basketball game on February, 4. “It was extremely nice and many people were there. I had my family and close friends sitting with me. I was a little nervous,” Majeske admitted.
Having taught in EMU’s College of Technology for a total of 16 years, Majeske says that his favorite part about the university is its commitment to teaching. “I hope for my students to be better people and to learn,” explains Majeske, adding that his daily approach consists of making sure this happens as a result of his efforts.
Positivity is often hard to find; especially in light of economic trends and the slew of vacant building surrounding our once lucrative towns and cities. Assurance only comes in knowing that certain people are trying to have a positive impact in the world and create a better future for those around them.
“Teaching (at EMU) is the perfect blend of all the interests in my life. I didn’t select it as a career; it selected me,” Majeske explains, laughing that insomnia has been his biggest inspiration.
Asked about the example he hopes to set for his own children, Majeske concludes, “I hope they can also find something they truly love to do, I hope it shows when they see me receive things like this award.”
Nominations for Teaching Excellence Awards are accepted annually with this year’s deadline on March 5. To nominate an instructor or get more information on the award visit http://www.emich.edu/alumni or call the alumni relations office at
(734)487-0250.
These days, however, amidst staggering budget deficits and an economic recession that is the worst in many of our lifetimes, these schools aren’t just closing their doors for a snow-day; they are closing them for good. It’s hard not to hear about the latest closure and how it’s going to affect the community. With all of the negativity surrounding the education field, it is especially commendable that some instructors are able to keep a positive attitude and try to make a real difference in students’ lives.
Professor Paul Majeske, of Eastern Michigan University’s College of Technology was recently recognized by the Alumni Association with a very high honor; an Excellence in Teaching Award.
“Several former students got together and submitted the nomination material,” explained Majeske, adding that it felt, “awesome,” to receive such an honor. “I was chosen by students who weren’t solicited,” he exclaimed, adding that, “there have only been a little over 100 of these awards given out in 12 years or so.”
“Originally I didn’t want to go because I was going to have to miss class,” Majeske explained, showing his true commitment to education, “but then I remembered that this is why I do what I do,” he added
The award was presented, along with a commemorative medallion and certificate, at a Saturday breakfast in the EMU Student Center with further ceremonies being held during halftime at the men’s basketball game on February, 4. “It was extremely nice and many people were there. I had my family and close friends sitting with me. I was a little nervous,” Majeske admitted.
Having taught in EMU’s College of Technology for a total of 16 years, Majeske says that his favorite part about the university is its commitment to teaching. “I hope for my students to be better people and to learn,” explains Majeske, adding that his daily approach consists of making sure this happens as a result of his efforts.
Positivity is often hard to find; especially in light of economic trends and the slew of vacant building surrounding our once lucrative towns and cities. Assurance only comes in knowing that certain people are trying to have a positive impact in the world and create a better future for those around them.
“Teaching (at EMU) is the perfect blend of all the interests in my life. I didn’t select it as a career; it selected me,” Majeske explains, laughing that insomnia has been his biggest inspiration.
Asked about the example he hopes to set for his own children, Majeske concludes, “I hope they can also find something they truly love to do, I hope it shows when they see me receive things like this award.”
Nominations for Teaching Excellence Awards are accepted annually with this year’s deadline on March 5. To nominate an instructor or get more information on the award visit http://www.emich.edu/alumni or call the alumni relations office at
(734)487-0250.
Detroit identity theft case to resume
The hearing of a local identity theft case is set to resume this week after being sent to recess on March 8 by a 35th District judge.
Clifford Thomas, a Detroit man currently incarcerated on an unrelated offense, is charged with 12 counts of using a computer to commit a crime, each carrying a charge between four and five years.
Police arrested Thomas nearly two years ago after Detroit Police Detective Rabson traced the IP address on several phony transactions to 19719 Gilchrist, the Detroit address at which Thomas was admittedly staying at the time of the crimes. The personal information of three individuals was being stored in a shoebox in the basement upon the search of the home. This evidence was, according to Detective Rabson, tagged and retained as evidence.
According to detectives, Thomas claimed that a friend by the name of Kenny was the one collecting individuals’ personal information, admitting that he was only responsible for entering it into the computer. According to the same report, Thomas also admitted to receiving money in exchange for his actions; knowing that the individuals had not willingly surrendered their personal information.
Thomas was not able to give any information regarding the identity or whereabouts of the man he called Kenny, and police were unable to locate him or verify his involvement in the crimes. Shawna Blackman, the owner of the home Thomas was living in, also provided no information.
The individuals whom Thomas is charged with defrauding include Lauren Cogalli, Joseph Campbell, Lois Brown, and Tamara Olson. Each of these individuals had financial documents in their name at the Gilchrist house and claims to have not given Thomas permission to obtain these documents.
The case is set to resume at 8 a.m. March 12 at the Frank Murphy Hall of Justice in Detroit. Thomas, at the request of his attorney, will be released from incarceration on $10,000 personal bond in order to attend the trial.
Clifford Thomas, a Detroit man currently incarcerated on an unrelated offense, is charged with 12 counts of using a computer to commit a crime, each carrying a charge between four and five years.
Police arrested Thomas nearly two years ago after Detroit Police Detective Rabson traced the IP address on several phony transactions to 19719 Gilchrist, the Detroit address at which Thomas was admittedly staying at the time of the crimes. The personal information of three individuals was being stored in a shoebox in the basement upon the search of the home. This evidence was, according to Detective Rabson, tagged and retained as evidence.
According to detectives, Thomas claimed that a friend by the name of Kenny was the one collecting individuals’ personal information, admitting that he was only responsible for entering it into the computer. According to the same report, Thomas also admitted to receiving money in exchange for his actions; knowing that the individuals had not willingly surrendered their personal information.
Thomas was not able to give any information regarding the identity or whereabouts of the man he called Kenny, and police were unable to locate him or verify his involvement in the crimes. Shawna Blackman, the owner of the home Thomas was living in, also provided no information.
The individuals whom Thomas is charged with defrauding include Lauren Cogalli, Joseph Campbell, Lois Brown, and Tamara Olson. Each of these individuals had financial documents in their name at the Gilchrist house and claims to have not given Thomas permission to obtain these documents.
The case is set to resume at 8 a.m. March 12 at the Frank Murphy Hall of Justice in Detroit. Thomas, at the request of his attorney, will be released from incarceration on $10,000 personal bond in order to attend the trial.
Board covers 8th Annual Liberty Fest, other calendar issues
The Canton Township Board of Trustees met Tuesday to discuss calendar and budget issues for the upcoming months.
Among the topics discussed was the confirmation of the 8th annual Liberty Festival Parade that is scheduled from 9am-11am on Saturday, June 19, 2010. The board approved the temporary closing of Ford Rd. during these hours along a stretch from Canton Center to Lilley roads. The request came from the Michigan Department of Transportation and was granted via unanimous decision.
Wade Shows has been selected on the basis of a one year contract to provide carnival rides and attractions which have been a part of the weekend long festival since 2007. According to Supervisor LaJoy, a five person panel was formed to score Wade shows and Skerbeck Brothers Inc., which has had the contract for the past two years. “Wade Shows was scored the highest by each independent reviewer, “ said LaJoy, “and we recommend they be offered the contract.”
“This is one of the great ways for us to generate revenue at Liberty Fest,” said Treasurer McLaughlin of the attractions.
Topping the budget was a $73, 480 approval of funds for the township’s IT division. The township will purchase two servers for disaster recovery. “One of the units will be sitting in the library and we will be backing up our system on a daily basis,” said Trustee Anthony. The other will be housed in the Administration Building serving a similar purpose, each acting as a fail-safe for the other.
The Board also granted an additional amount close to $31,000 for the Water Main Replacement and Rehabilitation Program. “Additional costs are mostly for concrete, sod, and other expenses that were difficult to asses with the original estimates,” Director LaJoy explained. “These additional funds still put us below the $500,000 budget we voted on last year,” he added.
Two decisions were made involving environmental waste and energy consumption as well. The township will purchase two solar-powered traffic control arrow boards from a Canton company by the name of Poco Traffic Control Specialists. “It’s nice to see the bid go to a local candidate vender,” said Trustee Anthony. The budget for the two boards, which will replace outdated, diesel run boards, is just under $8,000.
The township will also be purchasing eight self dumping hoppers for the purposes of separating and storing waste material in an effort to make more money selling the scrap. The budget for these hoppers is $6,900.
All issues were decided by unanimous vote with trustee Caccamo absent. The next meeting of the Canton Township Board of Trustees is scheduled for Tuesday, February 23, 2010 at 7pm in the Administration Building. For more information visit http://www.canton-mi.gov.
Among the topics discussed was the confirmation of the 8th annual Liberty Festival Parade that is scheduled from 9am-11am on Saturday, June 19, 2010. The board approved the temporary closing of Ford Rd. during these hours along a stretch from Canton Center to Lilley roads. The request came from the Michigan Department of Transportation and was granted via unanimous decision.
Wade Shows has been selected on the basis of a one year contract to provide carnival rides and attractions which have been a part of the weekend long festival since 2007. According to Supervisor LaJoy, a five person panel was formed to score Wade shows and Skerbeck Brothers Inc., which has had the contract for the past two years. “Wade Shows was scored the highest by each independent reviewer, “ said LaJoy, “and we recommend they be offered the contract.”
“This is one of the great ways for us to generate revenue at Liberty Fest,” said Treasurer McLaughlin of the attractions.
Topping the budget was a $73, 480 approval of funds for the township’s IT division. The township will purchase two servers for disaster recovery. “One of the units will be sitting in the library and we will be backing up our system on a daily basis,” said Trustee Anthony. The other will be housed in the Administration Building serving a similar purpose, each acting as a fail-safe for the other.
The Board also granted an additional amount close to $31,000 for the Water Main Replacement and Rehabilitation Program. “Additional costs are mostly for concrete, sod, and other expenses that were difficult to asses with the original estimates,” Director LaJoy explained. “These additional funds still put us below the $500,000 budget we voted on last year,” he added.
Two decisions were made involving environmental waste and energy consumption as well. The township will purchase two solar-powered traffic control arrow boards from a Canton company by the name of Poco Traffic Control Specialists. “It’s nice to see the bid go to a local candidate vender,” said Trustee Anthony. The budget for the two boards, which will replace outdated, diesel run boards, is just under $8,000.
The township will also be purchasing eight self dumping hoppers for the purposes of separating and storing waste material in an effort to make more money selling the scrap. The budget for these hoppers is $6,900.
All issues were decided by unanimous vote with trustee Caccamo absent. The next meeting of the Canton Township Board of Trustees is scheduled for Tuesday, February 23, 2010 at 7pm in the Administration Building. For more information visit http://www.canton-mi.gov.
Thursday, January 14, 2010
Society's Watchdog
Journalists often describe our collective community as the watchdog of society. We like to think we’re doing some good in the world in spite of the fact that we don’t always make a lot of money and we piss people off with incredible frequency. Often times we are. Sometimes we’re not.
I have a dog most would regard as a watchdog. She’s big; about 120 pounds and every bit as tall as I am when standing on her hind legs. When a stranger comes to the door, Gabby shakes the walls with her bark and immediately positions herself between the people in the house, which she knows and loves, and the person or people on the outside, of whom she is unconditionally skeptical.
While I am glad to have the protection of an animal that is, without question, willing and able to tear an individual apart in order to protect myself, and more importantly my fiancée, there is an inherent problem with the situation described above. To this point in my life, none of the individuals who have ringed my doorbell of knocked on my door did so with any intention of causing myself, my family, or my property any harm. Although things have happened to others; break-ins, rapes, murders, etc., causing me to remain cautious, it would be grossly inappropriate for me to assume that every time someone comes calling for my fiancée or myself they are trying to harm us in some manner.
As I near graduation in my chosen discipline and look forward to a magical piece of paper hanging on my wall I am growing ever skeptical of my classmates and soon to be peers. The last Journalism course I will ever take at EMU is Advanced Reporting; a professor’s last chance to force us into some real world experience before we depend on it for a living. The term or, “enterprise,” assignment for the course is to come up with an underlying issue and investigate to its end. Gathering the insights of experts and average Joes alike we are expected to offer a solution to the problem by the end of the course and present it to the class and, ideally, for publication.
As we struggled for topics one student decided to share a story she had been working on since September of last year. Her topic was sex offenders on campus. Through public records and internet searches she was able to find the name and profession of a janitor on campus whom, years earlier, was convicted of raping his wife. She began the cat and mouse game of interviewing the people responsible for hiring and keeping the man on board after his convictions. Over time the search led her to interview the man himself and get a lot of information on the subject.
The student then shared that she received an email this morning to inform her that the man’s employment with the university had been terminated. My professor told us that the university would never admit the fact that the investigation had something to do with the firing, but more likely than not, it did. Don’t worry about the fact that the man hasn’t done anything sexually offensive in years. Ignore the fact that he had moved on with his life and was gainfully employed and contributing to society. Don’t give any mind to the fact the this man was working after hours in a facility with locked doors where no one even had access to fall victim to his cruel intention. The student stated that she wasn’t sure how to feel about the guy losing his job. How about bad?This is when I started to wonder if maybe I’m one of the bad guys.
Rape is a terrible crime. It ranks highly on everyone’s list of blood boilers. While I am no exception, I did think we were a society based on second chances. Whatever his sentence, the individual in question had clearly “paid his debt to society” as we like to phrase it when we’re rooting for the convicted felon. What bothers me the most is that a day earlier, another journalist, with a different set of motives could’ve published a moving feature story on a convicted felon who had moved on with his life and changed his role from violent criminal into productive and meaningful serviceman.
The journalist may have been barking at a door with a trusted friend, whose loyalty had been proven, standing on the other side. On the other hand, what kind of grade would she have earned if she returned to the professor and said, “Nothing wrong here, no danger for students on this campus?” I don’t blame the professor, either; the problem runs much deeper. I feel the assignment is a realistic one perfectly in line with professional expectations. A newspaper editor would find just as much disinterest in a positive version of the story.
Sometimes the wind blows hard enough to make the door squeak and pop in unusual ways. My dog barks uncontrollably because she is incapable of distinguishing a real threat from one that doesn’t exist at all. She is so intent on protecting her family that false alarms are inevitable. I can give her a command forcing her to submit and realize the lack of danger in the given situation. I thank her for being aware of her surroundings and everything going on around her and move on. The world refuses to do so.
Negativity draws attention. If the dog believed in harmony and coexistence she would never be worried at all. We find ourselves in an identical situation. Our skepticism leans towards paranoia in a society that trusts itself less with each sunrise. We know in our hearts that bad things will eventually happen. This fact leads us to assume that they will right now.
I will never get rid of my dog. There’s too much at stake to be unprepared and ignorant of my surroundings. I keep her with a calculated risk, however. There’s always the outside chance that the watchdog, best intentions in tow, can strike an individual who is only passing by. If she were to do she would be deemed unfit for society and killed; a fate I hope the news media and the journalists who control them are smart enough to avoid.
I have a dog most would regard as a watchdog. She’s big; about 120 pounds and every bit as tall as I am when standing on her hind legs. When a stranger comes to the door, Gabby shakes the walls with her bark and immediately positions herself between the people in the house, which she knows and loves, and the person or people on the outside, of whom she is unconditionally skeptical.
While I am glad to have the protection of an animal that is, without question, willing and able to tear an individual apart in order to protect myself, and more importantly my fiancée, there is an inherent problem with the situation described above. To this point in my life, none of the individuals who have ringed my doorbell of knocked on my door did so with any intention of causing myself, my family, or my property any harm. Although things have happened to others; break-ins, rapes, murders, etc., causing me to remain cautious, it would be grossly inappropriate for me to assume that every time someone comes calling for my fiancée or myself they are trying to harm us in some manner.
As I near graduation in my chosen discipline and look forward to a magical piece of paper hanging on my wall I am growing ever skeptical of my classmates and soon to be peers. The last Journalism course I will ever take at EMU is Advanced Reporting; a professor’s last chance to force us into some real world experience before we depend on it for a living. The term or, “enterprise,” assignment for the course is to come up with an underlying issue and investigate to its end. Gathering the insights of experts and average Joes alike we are expected to offer a solution to the problem by the end of the course and present it to the class and, ideally, for publication.
As we struggled for topics one student decided to share a story she had been working on since September of last year. Her topic was sex offenders on campus. Through public records and internet searches she was able to find the name and profession of a janitor on campus whom, years earlier, was convicted of raping his wife. She began the cat and mouse game of interviewing the people responsible for hiring and keeping the man on board after his convictions. Over time the search led her to interview the man himself and get a lot of information on the subject.
The student then shared that she received an email this morning to inform her that the man’s employment with the university had been terminated. My professor told us that the university would never admit the fact that the investigation had something to do with the firing, but more likely than not, it did. Don’t worry about the fact that the man hasn’t done anything sexually offensive in years. Ignore the fact that he had moved on with his life and was gainfully employed and contributing to society. Don’t give any mind to the fact the this man was working after hours in a facility with locked doors where no one even had access to fall victim to his cruel intention. The student stated that she wasn’t sure how to feel about the guy losing his job. How about bad?This is when I started to wonder if maybe I’m one of the bad guys.
Rape is a terrible crime. It ranks highly on everyone’s list of blood boilers. While I am no exception, I did think we were a society based on second chances. Whatever his sentence, the individual in question had clearly “paid his debt to society” as we like to phrase it when we’re rooting for the convicted felon. What bothers me the most is that a day earlier, another journalist, with a different set of motives could’ve published a moving feature story on a convicted felon who had moved on with his life and changed his role from violent criminal into productive and meaningful serviceman.
The journalist may have been barking at a door with a trusted friend, whose loyalty had been proven, standing on the other side. On the other hand, what kind of grade would she have earned if she returned to the professor and said, “Nothing wrong here, no danger for students on this campus?” I don’t blame the professor, either; the problem runs much deeper. I feel the assignment is a realistic one perfectly in line with professional expectations. A newspaper editor would find just as much disinterest in a positive version of the story.
Sometimes the wind blows hard enough to make the door squeak and pop in unusual ways. My dog barks uncontrollably because she is incapable of distinguishing a real threat from one that doesn’t exist at all. She is so intent on protecting her family that false alarms are inevitable. I can give her a command forcing her to submit and realize the lack of danger in the given situation. I thank her for being aware of her surroundings and everything going on around her and move on. The world refuses to do so.
Negativity draws attention. If the dog believed in harmony and coexistence she would never be worried at all. We find ourselves in an identical situation. Our skepticism leans towards paranoia in a society that trusts itself less with each sunrise. We know in our hearts that bad things will eventually happen. This fact leads us to assume that they will right now.
I will never get rid of my dog. There’s too much at stake to be unprepared and ignorant of my surroundings. I keep her with a calculated risk, however. There’s always the outside chance that the watchdog, best intentions in tow, can strike an individual who is only passing by. If she were to do she would be deemed unfit for society and killed; a fate I hope the news media and the journalists who control them are smart enough to avoid.
Wednesday, December 9, 2009
This I believe About Digital Journalism
This I believe: That for better or worse, digital journalism is the future of news and broadcast media. Throughout the course readings and my consequent blog responses to each of them, I have tried to continue with a sense of truth and justice in the future of journalism. I find it important to keep these principles that we’ve spent hundreds of years working towards in the forefront of what we intend to do in the future.
The best example of a future I can subscribe to comes from Leonard Downie, Jr., and Michael Schudson who provide grounds for the most detailed and inclusive conversation about the future of journalism I've ever come across in their The Reconstruction of American Journalism report. They take and honest, in-depth look at what changes have already happened, what trends show may be coming next, and what the conclusion of the transformation may look like.
On the other end of this Brent Cunningham is a narrow minded individual and discouraging individual when giving his insights on the future of journalism. Hopefully my saying this will automatically sway public opinion to agree with me. I am, after all, a journalist, and according to Cunningham in his How journalism can regain its relevance piece, journalism has "more important" roles than "emitting an endless stream of incremental developments and story frames."
By definition, Brent, journalism is, "writing characterized by a direct representation of facts or description of events without an attempt at interpretation. That is one version of the Merriam-Webster definition. Note the phrase created by the words I chose to emphasize, "direct facts without interpretation." That is what journalism is supposed to be; the principle of objectivity that each of us learned in our first semester of dedicated study.
Lastly, I believe that Dr. Tracy’s Evolution of the Newspaper of the Future is ringing true already. We can see her principles of community interaction involvement playing out in AnnArbor.com’s Your Voice" section on every page that provides the method of correspondance Dr. Tracy describes as "ongoing communication."
I believe that digital is the future of everything. I also believe that no matter what I, or the individuals I’ve sighted believe, the future of journalism is going to be determined by the free market system that has brought the newspaper industry to its knees in the past five years. I believe that people will never stop wanting to read their news and they will never stop looking for more interesting or interactive ways to get it.
The best example of a future I can subscribe to comes from Leonard Downie, Jr., and Michael Schudson who provide grounds for the most detailed and inclusive conversation about the future of journalism I've ever come across in their The Reconstruction of American Journalism report. They take and honest, in-depth look at what changes have already happened, what trends show may be coming next, and what the conclusion of the transformation may look like.
On the other end of this Brent Cunningham is a narrow minded individual and discouraging individual when giving his insights on the future of journalism. Hopefully my saying this will automatically sway public opinion to agree with me. I am, after all, a journalist, and according to Cunningham in his How journalism can regain its relevance piece, journalism has "more important" roles than "emitting an endless stream of incremental developments and story frames."
By definition, Brent, journalism is, "writing characterized by a direct representation of facts or description of events without an attempt at interpretation. That is one version of the Merriam-Webster definition. Note the phrase created by the words I chose to emphasize, "direct facts without interpretation." That is what journalism is supposed to be; the principle of objectivity that each of us learned in our first semester of dedicated study.
Lastly, I believe that Dr. Tracy’s Evolution of the Newspaper of the Future is ringing true already. We can see her principles of community interaction involvement playing out in AnnArbor.com’s Your Voice" section on every page that provides the method of correspondance Dr. Tracy describes as "ongoing communication."
I believe that digital is the future of everything. I also believe that no matter what I, or the individuals I’ve sighted believe, the future of journalism is going to be determined by the free market system that has brought the newspaper industry to its knees in the past five years. I believe that people will never stop wanting to read their news and they will never stop looking for more interesting or interactive ways to get it.
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
DVR great for busy times
Some of my classmates wrote their news scoops assignment on the Holiday Parade. All I can say in regards to it and their dreamy reports is "thank God for DVR." On a day where I had to make Thanksgiving Dinner for both mine and my fiance's families, I was unable to leave my oven in favor of the local coverage. I wasn't able to watch the parade until much later in the weekend, and thanks to modern technology, I was able to do so.
I started considering how this technology could affect the future of journalism. I feel like it already has, whether directly or indirectly. The way we used podcasts, online video, and other on demand technologies is indicative of the way journalism will look in the future.
Things need to be accessible to anyone who wants to see them at anytime. Such is why blogging is so successful.
I started considering how this technology could affect the future of journalism. I feel like it already has, whether directly or indirectly. The way we used podcasts, online video, and other on demand technologies is indicative of the way journalism will look in the future.
Things need to be accessible to anyone who wants to see them at anytime. Such is why blogging is so successful.
Crafty crafts
Martha Stewart has been a prominent figure in our aociety for the last 15 years or so. I saw her this morning with a guest who used the seeds from chili peppers in a recipe and then said, "we absolutely hate throwing things away these days." My first thought was that this was a lit but what she did next was amazing. She showed how to dry the peppers and then proceeded to paint them into little decorations for the holiday season. It was a neat little way to revisit the Native American concept of using absolutely everything.
I don;t mean to get in the corner of a corporate fraud but, at any rate, this was a neat idea and a good way to make the most of what you have. No matter who you are.
I don;t mean to get in the corner of a corporate fraud but, at any rate, this was a neat idea and a good way to make the most of what you have. No matter who you are.
Black Friday brings cheer, crowds
Listen
CANTON, Mich.: The biggest shopping day of the year began early in the evening hours of Thanksgiving for many dedicated shoppers. The event is called Black Friday but for the, not so select, number of deal hunters who got in line just after finishing their turkey and potatoes, this is a misnomer.
Emma Tills, 35, a Canton resident stood in line at her local Target store for seven hours prior to the store’s 5 a.m. opening. “It was really hard to stand outside all night; leaving the kids at home with their dad instead of spending the holiday with them,” Tills stated. “But the deals are so good that we can’t afford to pass them up.”
With features like $3 appliances and extensively discounted large screen TVs, the situation not only affected shoppers, but retail workers as well.
“I couldn’t even find a place to park when I got here this morning,” said Troy Young, an employee working his fourth holiday season at Target. “We also had to have two people escorted from the premises for getting into a fistfight over a spot.”
Like it or not these Black Friday deals are here to stay. With doors seeming to open earlier every year, many like the Fairlane Mall at Midnight, the biggest shopping day of the year shows no signs of slowing down.
Target’s Ford Rd. location finished the day with just over half a million dollars in sales, about five times their daily average. With that many more gifts under the tree, this Christmas promises to be cheery despite the hard economic times around us.
CANTON, Mich.: The biggest shopping day of the year began early in the evening hours of Thanksgiving for many dedicated shoppers. The event is called Black Friday but for the, not so select, number of deal hunters who got in line just after finishing their turkey and potatoes, this is a misnomer.
Emma Tills, 35, a Canton resident stood in line at her local Target store for seven hours prior to the store’s 5 a.m. opening. “It was really hard to stand outside all night; leaving the kids at home with their dad instead of spending the holiday with them,” Tills stated. “But the deals are so good that we can’t afford to pass them up.”
With features like $3 appliances and extensively discounted large screen TVs, the situation not only affected shoppers, but retail workers as well.
“I couldn’t even find a place to park when I got here this morning,” said Troy Young, an employee working his fourth holiday season at Target. “We also had to have two people escorted from the premises for getting into a fistfight over a spot.”
Like it or not these Black Friday deals are here to stay. With doors seeming to open earlier every year, many like the Fairlane Mall at Midnight, the biggest shopping day of the year shows no signs of slowing down.
Target’s Ford Rd. location finished the day with just over half a million dollars in sales, about five times their daily average. With that many more gifts under the tree, this Christmas promises to be cheery despite the hard economic times around us.
Thursday, November 19, 2009
Social netSTALKING
What would we do without Facebook, Myspace, or Twitter? How in the world did people survive without them for thousands (or millions depending on who you ask) of years? Social networking has become much more than a fad or way to spend free time when everyone else is busy on Friday night.
God knows these sites didn't need the free advertising that my links above provide. The fact that I am able to freely post these links and refer people to these pages from my own little corer of the blogging world demonstrates a principle unique to the internet.
Sir Timothy Berners-Lee, in his testimony before the U.S. House of Repesentatives stated that, "new data integration capabilities, when directed at personal information, pose substantial privacy challenges which are hardly addressed by today's privacy laws." The fact is that we are all vulnerable to identity theft crimes which are the fastest growing group of crimes in the U.S. The worst part about it is that a lot of us are digging our own graves.
When speaking of how thiefs obtain our personal information, Berners-Lee says, "people actually reveal a lot about themselves, but with the intent that it only used in certain contexts by certain people." Are we giving ourselves away, literally? Stay tuned for more discussion on the future of the web, what we need to do to protect ourselves, and what some of the newest threats may be.
God knows these sites didn't need the free advertising that my links above provide. The fact that I am able to freely post these links and refer people to these pages from my own little corer of the blogging world demonstrates a principle unique to the internet.
Sir Timothy Berners-Lee, in his testimony before the U.S. House of Repesentatives stated that, "new data integration capabilities, when directed at personal information, pose substantial privacy challenges which are hardly addressed by today's privacy laws." The fact is that we are all vulnerable to identity theft crimes which are the fastest growing group of crimes in the U.S. The worst part about it is that a lot of us are digging our own graves.
When speaking of how thiefs obtain our personal information, Berners-Lee says, "people actually reveal a lot about themselves, but with the intent that it only used in certain contexts by certain people." Are we giving ourselves away, literally? Stay tuned for more discussion on the future of the web, what we need to do to protect ourselves, and what some of the newest threats may be.
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
The economics of giving
My grandma quit smoking some 30 years before she died. Her pack-a-day habit was something she picked up well before the adverse medical effects of the cancer causing toxins in cigarette smoke were well known or publicized. Even though the last time she slid a match across a strip of flint was long before printed ad revenues went down the proverbial toilet, grandma still experienced the affects on her health. The resulting lung cancer and aggressive chemo therapy ultimately killed her. Knowing the facts ahead of time, and following a well formulated and articulated plan can prevent many problems in the long run and ultimately make life easier.
Just as never smoking is the best remedy for diseases caused by smoking, not letting the world economy go down the tubes is the best way to prevent expensive rebuilding costs for underdeveloped nations across the world. A Washington file article noted that in 2005, U.S. aid to African nations reached an all-time high and were projected to increase in the following years. Another web-site, theadvocates.org, sites that The United States has given more than $320 Billion in foreign aid since the end of WWII. If those aren’t impressive try this on for size: at the 2007 G8 Summit in Gleneagles, the developed western world pledged to donate $50 Billion a year to help the poor nations of the world. Over half of this money was to go to the world’s poorest nations in Africa. The pattern here is a lot of giving and little result. The problem is that, despite efforts, poverty is not decreasing. Reports, such as Chen Shaohua’s Is poverty increasing in the developing world? cite that World Bank claims of decreasing poverty don’t account for inflation or population increases and claim that things are actually getting worse for third world nations. We call it the developing world but it is, in fact, not developing with any sort of consistency.
Just as quitting smoking proved to be only a temporary fix for my grandma’s health problems, dumping money into these nations without any sort of coherent agenda is not helping matters. One individual has a plan for a potential solution and wants you to join in his cause.
Victor Helb, 32, a Wayne State University student, and native to the West African nation of Liberia, was sent away from the warring country when he was just 12 years old. His parents felt he would have better opportunities in the Detroit area, where he had family with which to stay. Now, 20 years later, Helb feels the same desire to help others succeed as his parents did when they sent him away.
Helb is taking on an international challenge of promoting love across continental divides and knowledge across a gap that is even wider. Liberia has been left without hospitals, schools, and even running water since the 14 year civil war ended in 2003. With the help of college students across the nation, Helb wants to raise money through used book sales. The goal of his Liberian Literacy Foundation is to teach Liberian’s to read by building learning centers, creating a computer-based education network spanning the country.
“They have a whole generation that has grown up without schools,” explains Helb. “They don’t know anything more than what they’ve been living in.”
The education centers will be run by wind energy that will be supplied in surplus and sold to other nations in order to offset carbon emissions worldwide.
“Liberia will actually be able to contribute to the world economy instead of asking for handouts from the developed world all the time.”
Helb’s homecoming is set for January when he will return to Liberia for the official “kick-off” of the project. The Liberian president will be there and is set to hold the honor of cutting the tape.
Helb’s efforts have been an ongoing process even though he is currently away from home. Wayne State University has become the first official sponsor of the program and has provided a four year scholarship to a Liberian student as well as raising thousands already through used book sales.
This isn’t call to humanity or charity because those ideals have clearly failed the estimated 1.2 Billion people in the world who live in extreme poverty. Even the most money hungry, inside trading, cheap-skate executive at a multi-billion dollar organization can make sense of the economic situation. We have a choice to either dump countless amounts of dollar bills into a continuously growing pit of need to no avail; donating just to make ourselves look and feel good, or we can invest our time, and our useless old text books wisely in order to take steps at actually solving a problem.
Grandma’s cancer wasn’t cured by chemo and radiation therapy. We were all happy she decided to fight it and stay alive for as long as she could, but the truth is the methods being used were simply insufficient. The only thing that could’ve cured grandma’s cancer would’ve been a preconceived arrangement with real implications for the future; a plan to attack a problem at its roots and create a promising future.
Just as never smoking is the best remedy for diseases caused by smoking, not letting the world economy go down the tubes is the best way to prevent expensive rebuilding costs for underdeveloped nations across the world. A Washington file article noted that in 2005, U.S. aid to African nations reached an all-time high and were projected to increase in the following years. Another web-site, theadvocates.org, sites that The United States has given more than $320 Billion in foreign aid since the end of WWII. If those aren’t impressive try this on for size: at the 2007 G8 Summit in Gleneagles, the developed western world pledged to donate $50 Billion a year to help the poor nations of the world. Over half of this money was to go to the world’s poorest nations in Africa. The pattern here is a lot of giving and little result. The problem is that, despite efforts, poverty is not decreasing. Reports, such as Chen Shaohua’s Is poverty increasing in the developing world? cite that World Bank claims of decreasing poverty don’t account for inflation or population increases and claim that things are actually getting worse for third world nations. We call it the developing world but it is, in fact, not developing with any sort of consistency.
Just as quitting smoking proved to be only a temporary fix for my grandma’s health problems, dumping money into these nations without any sort of coherent agenda is not helping matters. One individual has a plan for a potential solution and wants you to join in his cause.
Victor Helb, 32, a Wayne State University student, and native to the West African nation of Liberia, was sent away from the warring country when he was just 12 years old. His parents felt he would have better opportunities in the Detroit area, where he had family with which to stay. Now, 20 years later, Helb feels the same desire to help others succeed as his parents did when they sent him away.
Helb is taking on an international challenge of promoting love across continental divides and knowledge across a gap that is even wider. Liberia has been left without hospitals, schools, and even running water since the 14 year civil war ended in 2003. With the help of college students across the nation, Helb wants to raise money through used book sales. The goal of his Liberian Literacy Foundation is to teach Liberian’s to read by building learning centers, creating a computer-based education network spanning the country.
“They have a whole generation that has grown up without schools,” explains Helb. “They don’t know anything more than what they’ve been living in.”
The education centers will be run by wind energy that will be supplied in surplus and sold to other nations in order to offset carbon emissions worldwide.
“Liberia will actually be able to contribute to the world economy instead of asking for handouts from the developed world all the time.”
Helb’s homecoming is set for January when he will return to Liberia for the official “kick-off” of the project. The Liberian president will be there and is set to hold the honor of cutting the tape.
Helb’s efforts have been an ongoing process even though he is currently away from home. Wayne State University has become the first official sponsor of the program and has provided a four year scholarship to a Liberian student as well as raising thousands already through used book sales.
This isn’t call to humanity or charity because those ideals have clearly failed the estimated 1.2 Billion people in the world who live in extreme poverty. Even the most money hungry, inside trading, cheap-skate executive at a multi-billion dollar organization can make sense of the economic situation. We have a choice to either dump countless amounts of dollar bills into a continuously growing pit of need to no avail; donating just to make ourselves look and feel good, or we can invest our time, and our useless old text books wisely in order to take steps at actually solving a problem.
Grandma’s cancer wasn’t cured by chemo and radiation therapy. We were all happy she decided to fight it and stay alive for as long as she could, but the truth is the methods being used were simply insufficient. The only thing that could’ve cured grandma’s cancer would’ve been a preconceived arrangement with real implications for the future; a plan to attack a problem at its roots and create a promising future.
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
Video Editing
Check out the video I created and edited for my Digital Journalism Class. I was able to learn basic editing skills using Movie Maker and publish the video online.
Saturday, November 7, 2009
...Look no further
Leonard Downie, Jr., and Michael Schudson provide grounds for the most detailed and inclusive conversation about the future of journalism I've ever come across in their The Reconstruction of American Journalism report. They take and honest, in-depth look at what changes have already happened, what trends show may be coming next, and what the conclusion of the transformation may look like.
I won't tear the piece apart, per my usual, as it seems the two reporters have avoided personal opinion to the best of their abilities. That's an example I can follow; a program I can subscribe to if you will. It's good to see, in an article discussing whether or not journalism can remain objective, that the reporting taking place is, itself, objective. Ironic?
I maintain that articles such as this provide for the greatest amount of productive discussion on various topics as opposed to the lude rants we've become accustomed to of late. It's funny to me that we find a great example of what the future of journalism should look like in an article that aims to discuss the very same topic.
I won't tear the piece apart, per my usual, as it seems the two reporters have avoided personal opinion to the best of their abilities. That's an example I can follow; a program I can subscribe to if you will. It's good to see, in an article discussing whether or not journalism can remain objective, that the reporting taking place is, itself, objective. Ironic?
I maintain that articles such as this provide for the greatest amount of productive discussion on various topics as opposed to the lude rants we've become accustomed to of late. It's funny to me that we find a great example of what the future of journalism should look like in an article that aims to discuss the very same topic.
Citizen Journalism
One of the more liberal ideas thrown around regarding the future of journalism is the idea of the "citizen journalist." Much like the health care debate in our country today, everybody seems to have a deeply seeded opinion about whether the idea of a citizen journalist is a good or bad thing but no one seems to really know what it means. Steve outing, in his "The 11 Layers of Citizen Journalism," describes the steps of the process in an almost hierarchical manner leading towards what he describes as "wiki-journalism."
While I've made my thoughts about the future of journalism clear in the past, I will reiterate that I hope the readers are never the editors as Outing predicts in the last step of the transitional process. Without any sort of structure, news organizations will cease to be organizations at all. If there is no payment for stories, thus no established credibility, then cyberspace will be filled with nothing but gossip, one-sided opinion, and flat out lies. We criticize the era of the party press for being non-objective and dishonest (at least I do, some people relish the concept and are glad it appears to be returning), but imagine how misleading the "news" will be when you have extremist opinions coming from both sides of the aisle with absolutely no middle ground or objectivity, a situation that is bound to happen as people strive to push the party line harder and harder. And with no organization but a shared, public web-address, you won't stand a chance at deciphering which side is feeding you propaganda filled lies at any given moment.
Journalism is losing its credibility as a profession because of ideas such as these. There needs to be some amount of cohesion. God knows I'm not for unions, but we need to have some way to accredit professional writers and make sure they are capable of doing the jobs they're asked. I hate to get cliche, but when it comes to news reporting, let's leave it to the pros!
While I've made my thoughts about the future of journalism clear in the past, I will reiterate that I hope the readers are never the editors as Outing predicts in the last step of the transitional process. Without any sort of structure, news organizations will cease to be organizations at all. If there is no payment for stories, thus no established credibility, then cyberspace will be filled with nothing but gossip, one-sided opinion, and flat out lies. We criticize the era of the party press for being non-objective and dishonest (at least I do, some people relish the concept and are glad it appears to be returning), but imagine how misleading the "news" will be when you have extremist opinions coming from both sides of the aisle with absolutely no middle ground or objectivity, a situation that is bound to happen as people strive to push the party line harder and harder. And with no organization but a shared, public web-address, you won't stand a chance at deciphering which side is feeding you propaganda filled lies at any given moment.
Journalism is losing its credibility as a profession because of ideas such as these. There needs to be some amount of cohesion. God knows I'm not for unions, but we need to have some way to accredit professional writers and make sure they are capable of doing the jobs they're asked. I hate to get cliche, but when it comes to news reporting, let's leave it to the pros!
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Check out my "This I Believe Essay" about EMU. Listen to it by clicking the play button below or read the text here
Sunday, October 25, 2009
Aspirations
One of my classmate's, Clifton, spoke recently in his blog about becoming his own boss by publishing his own writing online and hoping to attract attention to it. While I agree that the online arena is the one most likely bound for success at this point in time, I still have my doubts about self publication. There are a lot of talented writers in each of my 300 and 400 level journalism courses at EMU. With that being said, there are a lot of talented writers in a lot of 300 and 400 and level courses at schools all over the state, the country, and the rest of the world as well.
With such a large pool of talent and so many individuals wanting to get in the fast line towards success through self publishing, how can anyone succeed? The truth is that we need each other. We need agencies (to this point newspapers) who are willing and able to seek out the best of us and combine our best work into some accredited publication. Without this kind of cohesion, it will be impossible for any of us to be discovered for the sheer number of "professional" writers that will try to make a living this way. In this dog eat dog world where anyone will do anything to get ahead, journalists need to stick together with a strong core of ethical, grammatical, and cultural standards that will keep our craft relevant and respected by the mainstream world.
With such a large pool of talent and so many individuals wanting to get in the fast line towards success through self publishing, how can anyone succeed? The truth is that we need each other. We need agencies (to this point newspapers) who are willing and able to seek out the best of us and combine our best work into some accredited publication. Without this kind of cohesion, it will be impossible for any of us to be discovered for the sheer number of "professional" writers that will try to make a living this way. In this dog eat dog world where anyone will do anything to get ahead, journalists need to stick together with a strong core of ethical, grammatical, and cultural standards that will keep our craft relevant and respected by the mainstream world.
Can Amazon predict the future?
I spend a lot of time talking about amazon.com in my blog. Amazon isn't just an arbitrary company that I like to follow however. With a huge advantage in the industry of online shopping, Amazon always works hard to increase profits through excellent customer service and an enormous selection of items at prices that are more than reasonable.
When Amazon posted its third quarter profits at $199 million and spoke of a 37% increase in sales, it's no wonder I thought the struggling media industry could take a few pointers.
How much have these guys really figured out? How much knowledge do they really have to offer?
Morgan Stanley analyst Mary Meeker is quotes as saying, "Amazon.com's value proposition (lowest prices + best selection + great customer service) is succeeding in attracting consumers as they transition from offline to online in search of value." Why should news consumers be any different? The best way for the news industry to follow this model towards continued success is to consistently offer opposing viewpoints on a variety of issues. Another example of how the idea of unified, crusade journalism described in my last post will lead the industry to failure. Can Amazon predict the future? If they can, and they seem to be doing a fair job so far, we're in a lot of trouble!
When Amazon posted its third quarter profits at $199 million and spoke of a 37% increase in sales, it's no wonder I thought the struggling media industry could take a few pointers.
How much have these guys really figured out? How much knowledge do they really have to offer?
Morgan Stanley analyst Mary Meeker is quotes as saying, "Amazon.com's value proposition (lowest prices + best selection + great customer service) is succeeding in attracting consumers as they transition from offline to online in search of value." Why should news consumers be any different? The best way for the news industry to follow this model towards continued success is to consistently offer opposing viewpoints on a variety of issues. Another example of how the idea of unified, crusade journalism described in my last post will lead the industry to failure. Can Amazon predict the future? If they can, and they seem to be doing a fair job so far, we're in a lot of trouble!
Friday, October 23, 2009
How journalism can abandon what little relevance it still holds
Brent Cunningham is a narrow minded individual. Hopefully my saying this will automatically sway public opinion to agree with me. I am, after all, a journalist, and according to Cunningham in his How journalism can regain it's relevance piece, journalism has "more important" roles than "emitting an endless stream of incremental developments and story frames."
Um, WHAT?! By definition, Brent, journalism is, "writing characterized by a direct representation of facts or description of events without an attempt at interpretation. That is one version of the Merriam-Webster definition. Note the phrase created by the words I chose to emphasize, "direct facts without interpretation." That is what journalism is supposed to be; the principle of objectivity that each of us learned in our first semester of dedicated study.
The reason people don't read the newspaper anymore isn't because we don't give them enough of our own opinions. The reason no one reads the paper, or watches the evening news, or listens to WJR on their way home from work, is that we have totally over saturated the airwaves with our own beliefs and the public is tired of us telling them what to think.
Brent does however go on to contradict himself. "Many of the good ideas we (America) take for granted are not the only good ideas." What do you know; finally some objectivity. The downfall is in the fact that if we combine this idea with the idea of crusade journalism discussed above, we can deduce that what Cunningham means to say is, "Journalists know what's better for Americans than Americans do." So much for being "by the people, for the people."
Cunningham later points out that, "in short, they (the press) would need to convince the public, by words and deeds, that they are on its side." Great, now we are trying to make best friends with the people we don't think are smart enough to interpret raw facts without our overwhelming wisdom. Give me a break. Are we trying to turn journalism into an institution with even more bearing and political power than the government itself? I could be mistaken, but I thought we were opposed to that.
Cunningham also states that journalists need to be, "clear about what they stand for and what they stand against." How about our age old creeds of truth, and helpful information? Probably not important; it is, after all, the 21st century.
I don't want to see the day when everyone believes that a Time Magazine editorial about a particular subject, "just isn't enough." Our job as journalists is to let the facts be known in order for people to make their own decisions about how they feel, not to force submissive agreement. If this is really where my field of study is headed, then I want a refund because every one of my professors has lied to me. I won't get on board with publishing 60 pages of opinion everyday, the editorial page is just that for a reason.
Um, WHAT?! By definition, Brent, journalism is, "writing characterized by a direct representation of facts or description of events without an attempt at interpretation. That is one version of the Merriam-Webster definition. Note the phrase created by the words I chose to emphasize, "direct facts without interpretation." That is what journalism is supposed to be; the principle of objectivity that each of us learned in our first semester of dedicated study.
The reason people don't read the newspaper anymore isn't because we don't give them enough of our own opinions. The reason no one reads the paper, or watches the evening news, or listens to WJR on their way home from work, is that we have totally over saturated the airwaves with our own beliefs and the public is tired of us telling them what to think.
Brent does however go on to contradict himself. "Many of the good ideas we (America) take for granted are not the only good ideas." What do you know; finally some objectivity. The downfall is in the fact that if we combine this idea with the idea of crusade journalism discussed above, we can deduce that what Cunningham means to say is, "Journalists know what's better for Americans than Americans do." So much for being "by the people, for the people."
Cunningham later points out that, "in short, they (the press) would need to convince the public, by words and deeds, that they are on its side." Great, now we are trying to make best friends with the people we don't think are smart enough to interpret raw facts without our overwhelming wisdom. Give me a break. Are we trying to turn journalism into an institution with even more bearing and political power than the government itself? I could be mistaken, but I thought we were opposed to that.
Cunningham also states that journalists need to be, "clear about what they stand for and what they stand against." How about our age old creeds of truth, and helpful information? Probably not important; it is, after all, the 21st century.
I don't want to see the day when everyone believes that a Time Magazine editorial about a particular subject, "just isn't enough." Our job as journalists is to let the facts be known in order for people to make their own decisions about how they feel, not to force submissive agreement. If this is really where my field of study is headed, then I want a refund because every one of my professors has lied to me. I won't get on board with publishing 60 pages of opinion everyday, the editorial page is just that for a reason.
Sunday, October 18, 2009
YouTube Journalism
My classmate, Marisa, wrote in her blog about YouTube and how it is both a form of digital journalism and a sign of where the field is headed. I couldn't agree more. Instead of tuning in to watch their favorite reporter on the 6 o'clock news, consumers could connect at their own convenience to get a web update from their favorite field reporter.
It is fascinating to me, as I give the topic more and more thought, that digital journalism transcends the boundaries of paper, radio, and television to create whatever hybrid of the three is most practical at any given moment. This evolution and adaptation toward consumer wants and needs is a truly amazing thing. Hopefully our industry will be able to find a sustainable business model at the same time.
It is fascinating to me, as I give the topic more and more thought, that digital journalism transcends the boundaries of paper, radio, and television to create whatever hybrid of the three is most practical at any given moment. This evolution and adaptation toward consumer wants and needs is a truly amazing thing. Hopefully our industry will be able to find a sustainable business model at the same time.
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