The News About The News: 2008

A sad day for Internet in Italy

Sunday, December 7, 2008

By: Christina Woldt

This past week Eurostat, It was found that the percentage of Italian households with internet access actually declined, marking the first downward trend of its kind in any European country. Although only a 1% drop, Francisco Federico at the European Journalism Centre points the finger at the "digital and cultural divides that plague Italy."

According to Federico a divide exists between the Northern and Southern halves of the country, and many large cities in the southern regions are completely without broadband connectivity. He suggests that a much deeper cultural problem revolving around the reluctance to accept change is the catalyst behind it all.

In this vast technological era the internet is everything. It is difficult to imagine that an entire country could be dragging its feet or even moving backward, essentially, from the direction in which the world is moving. I understand that the Italian culture, like any other, is rich with heritage and tradition, but if I were them I would take caution to these latest figures before the rest of Europe leaves them in the www dot dust.

Finding a New Sunday Hobby

By: Christina Woldt

According to a recent report from Pointer Online journalist Al Thompkins, many NASCAR drivers are calling on fans to get in touch with their local Congress members. Why? To urge them to lobby for an auto company bailout now quoted at 34 billion dollars and save their sport.

We can hardly turn on a TV anymore without hearing about the impact of struggling auto companies and talk of a possible bailout, but I for one had not thought about the various long-arm affects that the auto world woes are imposing upon numerous other businesses.

Apparently Honda has already decided to pull out of the Formula One racing world altogether, citing the global economy and a struggling industry as the reason behind it. Should other large NASCAR companies like GM, Ford, or Chrysler begin to follow suit we may be looking at dramatic changes to the sport itself.

NASCAR is often touted as being the most popular "sport" in America. With the millions of dollars counted on annually in sponsorships and parts, many fans (70 million of them Fox says) and owners could be looking for a new way to spend their Sundays.

Awful start to the holiday season...

Saturday, December 6, 2008

By: Katie Schaefer

This Christmas is not going to be like other Christmases. There is going to be a lot more people staying home and maybe even less presents under the tree.

Much like all of this year, money is quite the issue. According to the International Council of Shopping Centers, this has been one of the worst starts to Christmas shopping yet.

With the economy being like it is, shopping is only probably going to get worse. All retail stores are struggling right now excluding Wal-Mart.

Sales in November dropped 7.7 percent, which is the lowest it has been in a lot of Novembers. The ICSC predicts that sales are going to drop 10 percent which could make this Christmas the weakest Christmas shopping on record.

There aren't as many people traveling either. Even though gas prices are starting to drop, it still costs a lot to buy a plane ticket.

Even big name brand department stores like Macy's and Saks Fifth Avenue are struggling. No one can afford the economy right now.

With it beginning to look a lot like Christmas, people are starting to get more and more nervous about how they are going to be able to afford the expensive holiday.

No signature, no publication

Friday, December 5, 2008

By: Hannah Pickett

There are many times that I open up a newspaper, read an article, and don't necessarily agree with the writer's tone or take on the issue at hand. I take it with a grain of salt and go on with my day. But, if I felt compelled enough to write a letter to the editor about my disgust with the article, I most certainly would not want to sign my name. It would be humiliating and in my opinion, unnecessary.

The truth of the matter is that in many newspapers, especially small town papers, letters to the editor will not be printed unless there is a signature on the letter. I know that at the Winterset Madisonian, if there is no signature or someone willing to take the heat for the letter to the editor, it will not be looked at, let alone published.

How important and necessary is it to have a signature on a letter to the editor? Why does it matter who wrote the letter?

Jounalism job security?

By: Hannah Pickett

The journalistic world has been hit hard with the current economic crisis. Layoffs are the most obvious result of the crisis.

This week, the Des Moines Register laid off a number of employees. This was not the first time this has happened this year. The typical slogan in layoffs is "last hired, first fired." That's not proving to be the case anymore, in fact, the opposite is proving to be true.

Wednesday, Brian Duffy, an award winning editorial cartoonist, was one of dozens to receive the latest cut. Duffy's cartoons were the highlight on the front page for decades.

The truth of the matter is this. Fresh college graduates are chomping at the bit to land their first journalism job and will bite at just about anything, regardless of the starting salary. Journalists that have served their time in the business have worked their way up the pay scale. This makes it economical to lay off the tenured journalist and replace him with a college graduate who will do the same job for much less.

With this scheme mixed with the unsteady economy, where is the job security in this field?

Education vs. talent

By: Hannah Pickett

In today's technologically advanced world where we can publish our works and creations with the click of a mouse, I wonder, why spend money on getting a journalism degree?

For instance, I am 20 years old and am the leading sports writer and sports editor at an accredited weekly newspaper. I have worked here since I was 15 years old. At 15, I had no experience whatsoever in the field of journalism. Right now, I simply have the experience gained on the job and the knowledge of some college courses leading my writing and editing, but still no fancy college diploma on the wall.

Sure, going to college is a great idea. I obviously think so otherwise I wouldn't be at Simpson. But, in the journalist world, the majority of jobs are determined based on skill, not education level.

If I were to apply for a position as an anchor or television reporter, the fact that I have a degree from Simpson College is not going to be as important as my demo tape, likewise in print journalism. If I wanted a job at the Des Moines Register, it would be my work, not my education, that would make or break the deal.

My aunt was one of the most popular writers for the Des Moines Register for about 15 years and has since written a book. Her level of education stopped after high school. No one ever questioned her qualifications for the position when they read her column.

So, my question is this: Having a college education is a wonderful asset to most jobs, and sure it gives a bump in the pay scale, but is it really necessary to become an established journalist?

Women gain recognition

Thursday, December 4, 2008

By: Allison McNeal

A new Web site is being launched that aims toward the success of women.

TheNextWomen.com is an online magazine mainly aimed towards highly successful women and their contributions to society.

Linde Wolters, editor in chief, said that the company highlights "women who are [future] founders, chief executives and VCs of internet companies. We write about who these women are, what they do and where they are going."

The site also brings in news from around the world, company start-ups, and lifestyle features.

The difference with this online magazine is that it brings interatnional business news about the internet industy.

There are sites like TechCrunch and Mashable, but they have predominantly male audiences.

Wolters also said that they have a strong focus on the women that are shaping the industry and are making the news, rather than the companies they work for or the technology that drives their business.

TheNextWomen.com uses Twitter as a way of networking, to keep in touch, and to let other women follow articles.

This site is proposed to expand to magazines in the next coming months.

With the question of the economy, the Web site is trying to keep their costs to a minimum and think of alternative ways to get revenue through the site.

According to Wolters, the main message that she wants consumers to know is that "we're trying to provide quality content that will eventually convince people that we really are unique in what we do."

Blogging comes to Simpson

By Liz Tjaden

Students who have never taken a communication class at Simpson probably aren’t familiar with blogging and the benefits that it provides.

As the Simpsonian reported today, Simpson women’s basketball team player, Emily Smith, was thrown into this unknown cyber world last month by the NCAA.

The NCAA randomly chose schools and players to blog about what it is like to be a collegiate athlete within their division.

It is hard to understand the massive effects that blogging can produce. I think this is a great public relation’s idea by the NCAA to promote college athletics as well as shinning a light on women’s teams.
The blog will give fans an inside look at the experiences of a collegiate team by the athletes themselves, as well as promoting positive role models for young girls.

Viacom troubles reach breaking point

By: Allison McNeal

Companies such as AT&T Inc., Credit Suisse Group AG, DuPont Co., and Viacom announced job cuts today as the U.S. recession threatens to become the longest in the postwar era.

Viacom Inc., owner of MTV networks and Paramount Pictures, recently stated that it plans on cutting more than 850 jobs, which is about seven percent of the workforce, because of lack of viewership and falling ad sales.

Chief executive Philippe Dauman said that the staff reduction “will better position Viacom to navigate the economic slowdown.”

Last month, Viacom reported a 37 percent drop in third-quarter profit as ad sales declined for the U.S. cable channels.

This quarter MTV’s viewership has declined 22 percent, which is the most of any Viacom network. Compared to a year ago, shows like “The Hills” and “A Shot at Love with Tila Tequila” attracted bigger audiences, Spencer Wang, an analyst at Credit Suisse, said.

While these shows are still being viewed, individuals are not watching them to the extent that they have when they were first broadcast.

In addition to the job cuts, the company is also suspending senior-level management salary increases for 2009.

With job cuts that are now becoming imminent, organizations are growing weary.

According to Dauman and Chief Financial Officer Tom Dooley, Viacom needs “an organization and a cost structure that are in step with the evolving economic environment."

CBS radio and Yahoo! join forces

By: Allison McNeal

Along with newspapers that are constantly reorganizing and combining forces with other companies, radio stations and Internet sites are merging as well.

CBS radio recently announced that it will be joining with Yahoo! music’s Launchcast radio, which combines Launchcast’s 150 stations with the more than 150 stations operated by CBS.

According to crainsnewyork.com, a new CBS radio player will become part of the Yahoo! music site and will be incorporated into news and sports sites as well, giving new exposure to stations like WFAN-AM.

Along with Yahoo! music, CBS will sell advertisements to other stations, which could expand their company even more.

“This announcement… reinforces our company’s position as the No. 1 Internet radio company in the world,” said David Goodman, president of digital media and integrated marketing at CBS.

CBS also is looking to combine with AOL radio this coming spring.

Even though these companies are increasing their ad-sales sharing, growth of online radio is continuing to lose advertising dollars to the Web.

According to this article, the current ad recession has intensified the pain for radio and pressured operators to find new revenue streams.

At the same time as the ad recessions, stations like WCBS-FM and WWFS-FM are prospering from Yahoo! and CBS radio’s local ad sales expertise. Internet radio operators have been building large audiences for their online stations, but have not managed to make money from the new medium.

Observers say that Internet and terrestrial radio have reached a point where they need each other. “Both sides are reaching across to see if they can tap into the strengths of the other party," said Paul Verna, senior analyst at eMarketer.

Even though advertising sales are in a slump, CBS and Yahoo! main objective is to be a exponential force in the radio industry.

Cox Enterprises reorganizes media outlets

By: Allison McNeal

More and more companies are linking newspaper, Internet, and television functions to increase their industry power.

Cox Enterprises is joining these companies and placing its newspaper, radio, and television groups under one unit called Cox Media Group.

Effective Jan. 2009, this new group will have 17 daily and 26 nondaily newspaper publications, including The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

15 television stations and 86 radio stations and digital media services will also be implemented.

Even with the reorganization, Cox radio will remain a publicly traded company.

Though the company is adding three different mediums, the newspaper, radio, and television units will remain separate.

Placing them under one organization “creates efficiencies that allow us to strengthen Cox for the future,” Jimmy Hayes, president and chief operating officer of Cox Enterprises, said.

According to ajc.com, the move also allows the company to bring different techniques together.

“Our wide array of digital resources that ultimately will lead to enhanced online and mobile experiences for all our audiences,” Sandy Schwartz, the president of Cox Auto Trader, said.

With the joining of different medium outlets, will this company prosper?

Many companies are using this strategy of combining different forms of media to enhance their image and create a "powerhouse" company.

If Cox is wanting to gain this same power and recognition, the company will have to just wait and see how their consumers respond to their message.

Do Not Disturb

Wednesday, December 3, 2008

by Peter Merchlewitz

I remember growing up in Winona, MN where I had to help my sister collect dues for her paper route. House after house, I was received with unwelcoming glares and rolled eyes, with some people who would even be on the phone, asking me to come back at a later time to collect the money.

But with the new trend of Internet news becoming so popular, and newspaper subscriptions becoming more scarce, it seems the city of Alexandria, VA might just cut the middleman all together.

Apparently, Alexandria legislation could pass a bill that would create a local "Do Not Deliver" list to help stop unwanted newspaper, Editor and Publisher reports.

Similar to the famous "Do Not Call" list with telemarketers, newspaper circulation managers are likely to be irked by the proposed "Do Not Deliver" list where residents can "make their desires official," and would institute fines for violators.

On the bright side, the bill will help reduce blown away newspaper litter created by most unwanted subscriptions.

Gannett layoffs

By: Callie McBroom

Amy Gahran from PoynterOnline reports that Jim Hopkins, a former Gannett reporter and editor, is publishing a blog about the recent layoffs at Gannett.

Hopkins is asking Gannett employees for information about how many layoffs are taking place at specific Gannett papers across the country. He is keeping a running tally of the number of layoffs and the number of papers that are doing the layoffs.

There are some concerns about this process, however. It is not completely accurate as some of the comments that have been posted contradict the numbers that have already been reported.

Most of the employees' information is submitted anonymously so Gahran is concerned about the anonymity harming the credibilty of the numbers as well.

Still, Gahran calls this project "a powerful window on a difficult situation."

It's Just My Type

by Peter Merchlewitz

The Baltimore Sun's Jay Hancock posted in his blog on November 25 that there is an HTML program called Typealyzer, which scans the text of a blog page, and analyzes the dominant words in the blog with a specific brain activity resulting in in learning styles, preferences and thought-processes of individual people.

Here's the analysis of my favorite blog, You Don"t Say:

The logical and analytical type. They are especially [sic] attuned to difficult creative and intellectual challenges and always look for something more complex to dig into. They are great at finding subtle connections between things and imagine far-reaching implications.

They enjoy working with complex things using a lot of concepts and imaginative models of reality. Since they are not very good at seeing and understanding the needs of other people, they might come across as arrogant, impatient and insensitive to people that need some time to understand what they are talking about.

And here's what it says about The News About The News:

ISTJ - The Duty Fulfillers

The responsible and hardworking type. They are especially attuned to the details of life and are careful about getting the facts right. Conservative by nature they are often reluctant to take any risks whatsoever.

The Duty Fulfillers are happy to be let alone and to be able to work int heir own pace. They know what they have to do and how to do it.

Follow the links

By: Callie McBroom

Daniel Luzer from the Columbia Journalism Review is Linked Out. He recently decided to follow the hyperlinks in various stories for a whole day.

Luzer was interested to see if hyperlinks are an incidental addition to news, or actually changing the way people consume information. He began his experiment on Oct. 15, the day after the last presidential debate.

He felt that hyperlinking made it very hard to finish reading any articles. Also, the parts of different articles he did read were distracting and didn't really relate.

Luzer discovered that different media organizations have different strategies for hyperlinking. Many use corporate media hyperlinks, which link the reader to other pages within the site. He points out that these links avoided distracting the reader, which ended up boring the reader.

Even though Luzer felt that he knew what was going on, he stressed that he didn't really understand what was going on. He also felt overwhelmed with keeping up with the news.

In the end, Luzer found that many of the articles he read just weren't that good. He says, "If journalists don’t really know anything, they can’t link their way around the problem."

Politico brings in new members

By: Allison McNeal

Content sharing networks are forming at rapid speeds and signing new members as they are starting up.

Politico has recently signed up more than 100 clients, including 67 newspapers.

Among those are all 27 advance publication daily papers, including The Times-Picayune of New Orleans, The Indianapolis Star, and The Des Moines Register.

The linking of these companies are creating a positive buzz, which could produce more companies to join in the near future.

"The more people who hear about it, the more they come to us," said Jim Vandehei, Politico's executive editor. "We have government news, analysis, and they get the content they like and share the revenue."

Politico's success is in part of The Associated Press's lack of consumers.

Newspapers that have associated themselves with the AP are now pulling their companies from this organization.

Even broadcast outlets are now creating other means of getting information to the public.

CNN, for example, meanwhile, created its own new wire service called CNN Wire, which can release national and international news, as well as local news.

According to EditorandPublisher.com, "newspapers and broadcast outlets utilize the content for their Web sites in exchange for placing advertisements provided by Politico, with revenue shared by both."

Beth Frerking, an assistant management editor for Politico, said different content packages are available that provide between five and 15 Politico items per week. The more content the client uses, the less their share of the ad revenue.

"We sell ads for the entire network and the revenue is based on how much you use, either 50%, 40% or 30%," she said. "Rather than charging you for it, it works like this."

With more newspapers joining Politico, this company will have the opportunity to expand and increase content sharing networks in the future.

Retirement

By; Sarah Keller

Retirement, it is so far away for college students, why should we start thinking about it now, we have plenty of time to worry about it later… right? Wrong! It is always smart to start planning early for your golden years, and it is never too early. Think how rich you will be if you start saving now. With these helpful tips from an article from Walletpop.com it is easy to find ways to start saving now.

First start putting money aside for retirement. Cut back on take-out or going out to dinner. Join an IRA, be creative on how to save money for daily basis needs, have stocks and funds. Join target gate funds, seek professional advice, make a withdrawal plan, and make retirement plan documents. Also doing as little as staying healthy is a big thing so you do not have to worry about as many medical bills later in life.

This article was a great way to find out how to save money. These were things that I had never thought of before to save money for when I am retired. The article was full of great reporting ideas that can really help people out.

Tis the season to give

By; Sarah Keller

I love helping others out. Giving to charities are a great way to help others out, but with the way the economy is these days it is hard to find the money to give to a charity, and even harder to figure out a charity that will put your money to good use.

According to an article from wallet pop it tells you how to safely give money to a good cause that will be using at least 75% of proceeds to support the actual program. The first tip it talks about is to research your charity at charitynavigator.org, which tells how efficiently individual charities “spread the wealth”.

The article talks about how you can deduct your donation from your federal income tax. A lot of charities are looking for things that you may have right at home such as old clothes and canned food so you do not have to fork out cash. You can even donate an old cell phone or other electronics that you are not using. The article also talks about how you can simply donate your time and energy, which is what I like to do.

The article goes on to talk about how there is a scam on the internet right now about people trying to get money from you by sending an e-mail out acting like they are a big name charity such as Salvation Army, beware of these e-mails.

This article gives many great tips on how to give for the holiday season, and helps you to know how to avoid scam artists. It is well worth the time to read. I think it was well reported, I love helping others out so this article was very important to me.

CNN reaches a larger audience

By: Allison McNeal

As some newspapers are feeling the effects of lack of readership and layoffs, CNN is pitching a new alternative to newspapers.

Their new tactic is to release a CNN Wire, which can cover large national and international events, as well as local ones.

With its CNN Wire, the company is going up against the largest news-gathering operation in the world: The Associated Press.

One strategy that CNN is currently pitching is to convince editors that it can offer something outside of their broadcast spectrum.

"The reality is we don’t have a lot of relationships with newspapers,” said Jim Walton, president of CNN Worldwide. “We have relationships with TV stations around the world.”

This announcement has come at a time where many newspapers are unhappy with the cost of the AP. Some newspapers have even given notice that they intend to leave this organization.

Newspapers such as The Columbus Dispatch, for example, paid more than $800,000 a year. Others, including The Star Tribune of Minneapolis and the Tribune Company, one of the largest newspaper chains, have also given notice that they plan to drop out of the service.

In response, the AP announced that it would reduce prices, which could result in saving $30 million annually for its member newspapers.

According to the New York Times, "CNN amounts to another expansion of its operations at a time of severe cutbacks across the media industry, especially at newspapers, which are facing the wrenching circumstances of both a faltering economy and the continuing flight of advertising dollars out of print and onto the Internet."

A disadvantage to this new medium is that a number of newspaper editors say the component of the AP service that would be hardest to replace is still photography. CNN said it did not plan to offer photography but would offer streaming Web video for newspapers’ sites.

Even during financial cutbacks and the slump in the economy, CNN has shown that citizens want another medium to receive information. If newspapers are not willing to pay the expansive sum the AP requires, CNN can give people information they deserve.

Who wants to be my new BFF?

Tuesday, December 2, 2008

By: Jessica Hartgers

Why is it necessary for a celebrity to be the star of a reality television show were the winner of the contest is suddenly their new best friend forever?

After watching the season finale of Paris Hilton's My New BFF on MTV tonight I had a lot of thoughts running through my head. First of all, why in the world did I allow myself to watch this crap? And second, why do so many people desire to be Paris Hilton's best friend forever?

The reason for all the hype is due to the media. Our society idealizes celebrities because of the way celebrities live and the way the media portrays them. Photographers and paparazzi snap every shot of celebrities that they can, putting an image with the name.

It is somewhat depressing to think that our society idealizes celebrities so much that they will put their own life on hold to hopefully win a contest to be that celebrities best friend. What happens if you really do win the contest? You can not live your own life, you must live the life of Paris.

Paris has a new BFF named Brittney. Brittney is the newest member to the red carpet. The paparazzi have a new target.

Sacrifices

By: Jessica Hamell

If you want to keep your reporting job you might need to make a few sacrifices. The Palm Beach Post has decided to not have a holiday party and to not give all its employees raises this year. If you make less than $65,000 you get a 2 percent raise. If you make more than that you are just
out of luck.

All of the company executives now have frozen salaries. There are 150 employees who will not be getting raises this year. This is all taking place because the downward spiral our economy is in and because newspaper revenues are going down also.

I think that this is a good choice. People need to make sacrifices in order to keep some from losing their job. It will help the company in the long run.

Going to far

By Kellie Green

Newspapers are published everywhere, in America, different countries, high schools, colleges, the lists goes on and on. Publishers of newspapers should always be aware of what they are printing no matter who their target audience are.

As I was going through a couple of blogs online I came across a blog about a column that was posted in the University of Washington's school newspaper. The column was entitle Gay Marriage? Let's stop and think about this.

The article is an opinion column but in my opinion the publisher should have read through the article and thought about what kind of message they were sending out to their readers. The article is very disrespecting not only to homosexual men and women but also to any one that supports the idea of legalizing gay marriage.

The article stated that if, "you legalized gay marriage, why not polygamy, incest, bestiality or any other form of union?" How can we compare gay marriage to any of these? I think that opinion columns are necessary and that people should be allowed state their opinions about many issues but this seems to go a little far.

Something that to me seems like poor journalism is that the publisher of the paper didn't seem to think about what they were publishing before they did. The article caused a major upset in the college and many students are protesting the article.

The article even included a offensive picture, the one I have included, in its article.

Opinion pieces cause controversies all the time but when is it that an article is just to much?

This article to me seems like it should not have been published. It feels overlooked by the publisher because they should have known what problems it would cause for those that would be reading it.

MySpace cyber-bullying goes too far

By: Allison McNeal

The Internet has reached its first cyber-bulling case on MySpace's network.

Lori Drew, from Dardenne Prairie, Missouri, has been convicted of impersonating a teenage boy in an online hoax that led to a young girl's suicide.

According to officials, Drew, 49, posed as a teenage boy, named "Josh Evans," using a MySpace account to send romantic, then disturbing, messages to one of her daughter's classmates, 13-year-old Megan Meier.

Meier thought she was messaging with a new, good-looking boy in town and never realized it was all a joke.

Meier, who suffered from depression, killed herself in October 2006 soon after reading a message from Drew's account that said: "The world would be a better place without you."

The case was tried by Thomas P. O'Brien, the U.S. attorney in Los Angeles, after Missouri officials determined that Drew had broken no state laws, but the verdict did send an "overwhelming message" to Internet users.

Former federal prosecutor Matthew L. Levine, disagreed about this proposed law and told The Associated Press that O'Brien's legal theory was "very aggressive."

"Unfortunately, there's not a law that covers every bad thing in the world. It's a bad idea to use laws that have very different purpose," he said.

Even though there are disagreements, online safety experts told The Los Angeles Times that the verdict is now pushing social networking sites to regulate their users' activities.

"I think the industry was hoping there would be a strong verdict blaming one user for abusing another because that way it's not their fault," safety expert Linda Criddle said. "These companies claim to have good standards and then do nothing to enforce them. They let people breach their terms and conditions and do nothing about it."

Even though this proposal is up in the air, one major question to ask is what should social network sites like MySpace do to end cyber-bullying?

With the increase in technology and the availability of the Internet, online citizens will have to be more cautious than ever about social networking sites.

Turkey with a twist

By: Erin Floro

A read a humorous story by Regina Schrambling, food editor for the New York Times, that gives her perspective on coming up with a gimmick for preparing Thanksgiving dinner. She said most food writers dread this assignment because you must be creative and come up with a new idea each year for preparing the feast. She compares it to trying to reinvent the wheel.

She has written articles with themes like beautiful Thanksgiving, budget Thanksgiving, lavish Thanksgiving, and ethic Thanksgiving. She has written about fast turkey, slow turkey, etc. You get the picture.

Writers and editors put so much effort in tweaking the menu when, for the most part, Americans like the good old traditional dinner. Nothing fancy about it, just turkey, stuffing, cranberries, potatoes and gravy, and pumpkin pie.

Comparing Michelle O to Jackie O

By: Erin Floro

Fashion and style writers are having a heyday with Michelle Obama. Many have compared our next first lady to Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, who was admired for her fashion sense in the 1960s. The New York Post has referred to the Obama White House as "Bamelot," similar to the "Camelot" of the Kennedy era.

Carl Anthony, historian for the National First Ladies' Library, doesn't see the connection. He points out that there is a world of difference between the two women. One example given was that Jackie was a child of privilege, while Michelle grew up in the working class.

Maybe the two women have a few similarities like their beauty, youth, and young children, but Mrs. Obama will surely set her own style. She will want people to remember the social issues she plans to focus on, not what she is wearing.

Don't let those names get you!

By: Sarah Harl

A recent blog warns newspaper editors that they need to be skeptical about surveys they choose to run in their papers, and any stories that may accompany them.

It is important that editors not be fooled by long, important sounding names, and run surveys that are less than newsworthy, or not credible.

Our culture will believe anything they read in a newspaper, and so we need to be able to trust that newspaper editors and reporters are doing everything they can to get the best possible information to us.

I'm a journalist: I can do whatever I want!

Monday, December 1, 2008

By: Sarah Harl

Over the course of this class, I have become increasingly frustrated with reporters who think they have the right to stick their nose in everything, simply because they work for a newspaper.

One such paper is the Providence Journal, of Rhode Island, who will argue before the Supreme Court that thousands of pages of jury questionnaires should be made public in the case of the 2003 nightclub blaze that killed 100 people.

Because Providence is such a small town, and virtually everyone knew someone affected by the 100 deaths that occurred when pyrotechnics used inside the building started a blaze, the court used a 32 page questionnaire to help select their jury.

Even though the case never went to trial, as the nightclub owners pleaded no-contest, the Providence Journal is still demanding that these questionnaires be released.

Despite the fact that the questionnaire asks very personal questions about potential jurors marriage, and medical and criminal history, the Journal still feels these questionnaires are somehow newsworthy.

The Journal claims that they want to use the completed questionnaires as a teaching tool for the court, as a sort of guide for how long or extensive jury questionnaires should be.

But, the Journal was provided with a blank copy of the questionnaire. This blank questionnaire would suffice just fine in teaching the court--although I'm not sure the Providence Journal is really the best teacher for the court systems of Rhode Island.

Essentially the Journal is trying to make news out of nothing. A questionnaire that is not newsworthy or necessary to be seen by anyone besides the court, that wasn't even used because a jury was never called in this case.

But because they are journalists, they feel they have the right to whatever information they want.

Journalists should all take a step back and consider the things they demand they should have a right to see. And as the people we should seriously consider how much access we give them into our personal lives. Pretty soon they will be telling the Supreme Court they should be able to read my diary as a teaching tool for Simpson College.

Get over yourselves journalists, and stop using self-righteous reasons to demand access to material you have no need to see.

Citizen journalism is essential

By: Sara Crouse

Everyday citizens are accidental journalists by time, place, and manner, whether they chose to live by the journalists’ code of ethics or not.

In the 21st century news stations and newspapers have become dependent on those citizens who witness breaking news. They have come to rely on the details through firsthand experience often captured by cell phones. Digital cell phone footage has proven to be quite a resource, but not without the careful editorial overlook of the material.

Everyday journalists are providing news consumers with something essential, and that essential item is immediacy. The people of today’s world want to know what is going on around them at all times. The world is far too fast paced to wait for the next morning’s paper. Perhaps the old TV show Early Edition needs to become a reality.

In all honesty though, it doesn’t matter whether we trust the everyday person to record the news for us. We simply enjoy the immediacy and even the feeling of authority by being news gatherers.

Not to mention, who doesn’t like knowing that his/her version of capturing the event could potentially show up on the nightly news? You must admit, it would make you feel special.

Breaking news through cell phone footage is around to stay.

Burried information

By: Shauna Agan

An article on MSNBC.com caught my eye today. The headline read, “1 in 5 young Americans has personality disorder”.

Reading through this article, several things seemed wrong to me.

First off, never in the article is young adult defined. Is young adult anyone under the age of 30, or is it anyone under the age of 25? What constitutes of a young adult?

Second, the source of all the information isn’t even told until halfway through the article. Furthermore, there is no link to the source making it harder to find all the information and not just the information shared in the article.

Although the headline is very catchy, it is not necessarily accurate for the article either. Reading into the article, it is explained what these disorders are, and the label personality disorder does not exactly sum it up. Disorder maybe, but not necessarily personality disorder.

When I traced the source of the article back to its root, I found out the source that this article is written about is a much broader scheme than just personality disorders. It is about mental health conditions in college studetns compared to non-college individuals.

Finally, although I understand the article is meant to just tell the facts and get the information to the public, newsworthiness comes into question. The source of the information was just published recently, but the information is based from 2001 and 2002. This also should have been noted higher up in the article to let the reader understand where the information was coming from.

Sometimes a journalist buries information such as this into the article to make his or her own article look more newsworthy and credible. However, I don’t believe any good journalist should have to do this. If the true story is good enough, they wouldn’t bury information throughout their story.

Suicidal blog not taken seriously

By: Erin Floro

I read an article in People magazine today that made me sick to my stomach. A 19-year-old college freshman suffering from bipolar disorder was upset over a girl.

Abraham Biggs posted a suicide note online and had a live Webcam running as he overdosed on pills. He was posting his feelings of depression on a blog. People who were reading his blog and watching his Webcam were encouraging him to do it and not doing anything to stop him.

This continued on for 12 hours before someone called the site's monitor who told police. By then, it was too late, Abraham was dead.

I understand that many people probably thought this was a joke but it wasn't necessary for bloggers to type comments such as "Stop giving the attention whore what he wanted", and "Go ahead and do it."

I don't see how people can be so cruel when someone was in a time of need.

Media Matters too small

By: Adrian Aitken

Through out the semester I have used Media Matters as a source for my blogs. The web site provides good and interesting information regarding on how the media reports the news. For the most part I have agreed with their standings until now.

Recently a blog was published on the page informing readers about how MS NBC brings on Christopher Hitchens as an analyst when he disagrees with everything Hilary Clinton does. MS NBC has the right to bring on anyone they wish when asking for expert opinions because the station does so fair and balanced. For every democrat they have a republican, and a dove for every hawk.

Also Hitchens has the right to disagree with any person he wants to. His points are valid and not superficial like her ineffectiveness is due to hair color or sex , but personality.

The problem eating away at the back of my mind is that this Media Matters has posted many blogs about how democrats are being treated unfairly in the media and should be equally represented. This entire semester has had nothing about republicans being abused by the media. This site needs to take some of their own medicine and become neutral.

Tiger and Barack

By: Quinn Albrecht

Note, this is not a political blog. I found an interesting article that was debating the idea that Tiger Woods and Barack Obama are the same person. Going as far as asking the question, "have you ever seen them together"? Like Kent Clark as Superman.

He also said that one of the reasons that America is accepting of an African American president is because of Tiger. Tiger has been in the right for a long time now and people are used to seeing his face on all media outlets.

This takes me to my point. The media has so much more control than they think. People talk about all the bad things they see on TV.

This could be something good for us and our country, stemming from our obsessive tube watching. Seeing Tiger on the news has taught people tolerance for other cultures.

Journalism outsourcing?

By: Taylor Browning

I never thought I would see the words 'journalism' and 'outsourcing' used together in a sentence. How is it possible to 'outsource' reporting and printing the news for a newspaper?

James Macpherson, creator of the Pasadena Now newspaper, fired his staff of reporters and hired people in India, over the Craigslist Website, to provide him with the news. Instead of paying a weekly salary, Macpherson pays for his news by the story which pays $7.50 for a thousand words.

Macpherson admits that news gets caught up in mistranslation as well as his sources, G. Sreejayanthi, claiming “I try to do my best, which need not necessarily be correct always.”

I cannot help but think about the terrible direction this would head in if larger newspapers attempted to 'outsource' for their news. Who knows, newspapers such as The New York Times could eventually become the 'Wikipedia' of newspaper journalism, with everyone reporting what they know without checking the facts.

Maybe there are too many blogs

By: Lexie Hagerty

I read an article on Time U.S. titled How Many Blogs Does the World Need? It instantly caught my attention and I am glad I read it.

The author, Michael Kinsley, argued that blogs are overflowing the Internet. The value of a single blog is decreasing because of this overflow.

I would agree with this. As much as I like reading an ordinary person's perspective on a specific subject, what exactly makes that person's perspective credible or important.

Soon, everyone is going to be blogging. To make things easier, why don't we just get on a national T.V. station and ask the world a question, give them a number to call, and wait for each individual response? It's too much, correct?

I think so. Soon, Internet users are going to notice this overflow just like Kinsley. The users will become bored of the blogs resulting in the the brilliant idea of the blog becoming a media source of the past just lik,e the newspaper.

Get both feet on the wheel

By: Kayla Miller

It was hard not to blog about this one. I was surfing the web, looking for random information when I came across this article from CNET news: Man with no arms caught driving car with his feet. WHAT! Now, that's an article that's hard to avoid.

According to a British newspaper, The Sun, the driver, Zing Shen, was pulled over but was stunned the cops issued him with a public safety summons. He must think cops believe it's completely normal for people to drive with their feet!

Although this man is from Beijing, the media knows that this story would catch the viewers attention to know that a man is actually able to drive with his own feet.

Also, I'm glad to know the journalist of the CNET article, Chris Matyszczyk, had a sense of humor throughout the article. When he states, "... I cannot help but wonder just how often he uses his blinkers." and "I heartily recommend that Mr. Shen come to California to open driving school." And to know that he ended off his article with this, "... if you could learn to answer a cell phone and hold it with your feet while driving, that would enhance road safety, wouldn't it?" only makes the article that much better.

The article is worth the read.

That's the way journalism should grab our attention at all times: find stories and add humor.

The frontlines of journalism

By: Sarah Harl

Many journalists, in their drive to bring information to their fellow citizens put themselves in danger on a regular basis.

Thankfully, in the United States, we enjoy the privileges of a free press. So, if an American journalist writes a piece not well received by the rest of the nation, the worst he may have to endure is an inbox of hate mail for a week, until all is forgotten.

But when a controversial piece is written in many other countries, the journalist can end up in jail, for weeks at a time.

These journalists deserve recognition and thanks for bringing attention to controversial topics, despite great danger to themselves.

Perhaps whiny, pampered American journalists can take some lessons from their foreign counterparts about the real trials and tribulations of being a journalist.

An outsourcing nightmare

By: Katie Anthony

As we all know by now (especially those of us who have taking Communications 101 with Brian Steffen or Julie Summers) outsourcing has become quite the issue in the United States.

I suppose it was only a matter of time before outsourcing hit the world of journalism and, well, media in general.

James Macpherson puts it very bluntly when he says, "In brutal terms, it’s going to get to the point where saving the industry may require some people losing their jobs. The newspaper industry is coming to a General Motors moment — except there’s no one to bail them out." He goes on to say that it would be "irresponsible" for newspapers not to seek offshore options for help.

The jobs seem to be going strongly to India where they are being paid less than 8 dollars for every 1,000 word story.

So, perhaps outsourcing saves the US some money, but the question at issue is this: Are the stories about the American lifestyle (being written in India) as believable and effective as stories written by people who actually live the American lifestyle and in this culture?

Many would say that sending these stories to India is a cop-out in order to save money. Sure, they save money, but if they're losing part of their audience in the process, they're really not gaining much in the long-run.

Parents get into the gaming loop

By: Allison McNeal

Parents are now embracing a new technique to see what games are out on the market for their children.

Aol is releasing a new Web site called PlaySavvy.com, which allows parents to look at new video games that are being released.

The new site offers parents a guide to games, from ratings and reviews to connecting with other parents about making informed buying decisions.

According to MediaPost.com, the main attraction is Gaming 101, which "explains the rating system for games promulgated by the Entertainment Software Ratings Board as well as how to use parental controls on different game systems such as PlayStation and the Xbox."

Gaming 101 also provides tips on which online games and sites are safe for children.

"Parents are often not aware that games have ratings on them," Libe Goad, the editor in chief of PlaySavvy, said. "There really still is a huge lack of knowledge about game ratings and what they mean. People just don't pay attention sometimes."

PlaySavvy's main target group are toward mothers, who they believe primarily run the household and pay more attention to what entertainment their kids are being exposed to.

Game systems, age and content are all displayed on this site, along with reviews and recommendations supplied by Common Sense Media, a nonprofit organization that allows parents information and advice about media and entertainment choices.

Another feature allows parents to conduct a question and answer session with a panel of AOL women who work in the gaming industry.

Even though PlaySavvy is about selling, a huge concern of this site is safety.

The site will carry advertising geared to its target audience "by creating appealing campaigns around the content," said Goad.

Advertising on the site will resemble AOL Games, which can include spots from major consumer brands.

In addition to advertising, PlaySavvy's buying advice also encourages parents to get games or game systems their kids really want.

Parents and children can both profit from PlaySavvy by giving parents the needed information about a game and allowing kids to receive the game of their dreams.

Scam advice

By: Sarah Keller

In today’s society it is common to be worried about being scammed out of money. Especially in recent months when the economy has been so bad, and people are feeling the crunch to make a little extra cash for the holidays. So how do you make sure that you are not being scammed? With helpful hints from the Dolans at Wallet Pop they make it easier to look for signs of a scam being in operation.

The Dolans talked about how there is a new scam over the internet going on and how people should make sure they do no give any of their personal information out via e-mail. If someone receives something from a mortgage company or their bank they should be cautious because it could very likely be a scam. People should contact their bank or mortgage companies before e-mailing any personal information.

The article also talked about how you should not cash a blank, unexpected check you receive in the mail because it is probably a scam to get money out of you. The article said that you should never have to pay a fee in advance for a credit card either because more than likely it is just another way to receive money out of someone.

I found this article to be very helpful; it gave out many usual hints on how to avoid scams being played on you. If I had not read this article I would not have known about any of these scams. I believe this article to be very useful information for anyone, especially in today’s society, it is well worth the time to read it.

The black culture of Black Friday

By: Sarah Harl

A recent New York Times article closely scrutinizes the tragic story of this year's Black Friday, in which a Long Island Wal-Mart temporary worker was trampled by crowds after unlocking the doors to the store.

The article pointed out that 10 years ago, the day after Thanksgiving didn't even crack the top 10 as far as big revenue shopping days.

But thanks to newspapers that on Thanksgiving Day come stuffed to the brim with advertisements, media outlets that send camera crews to cover the events, and articles and blogs written about the best way to utilize Black Friday sales, the day has become something of a cultural phenomenon.

And one that speaks to the darker side of America, no less.

The story reports that 81% of Black Friday shoppers were shopping for themselves, not for others.

And in their rush to save $100, people trampled a human being to death, and even continued to run in the store as the paramedics were trying to help the man.

This cultural phenomenon, which the media has done a large part to help create, has now turned deadly in the most senseless of ways. People are being trampled to death at Wal-Mart and shot at Toys 'R Us.

It is time the media rethink its endorsement of Black Friday until the American people can learn to show more respect and restraint.

The media will not be able to control what at what time a store will open, or what sort of deals they will offer.

But they can choose not to show up with a camera crew. They can choose not to write or run articles promoting the most effective use of strategy at the mall.

And they can choose to take some responsibility for the monster that they helped to create.

The Huffington Post skips out on the recession

By: Kathryn Lisk

In a time when everyone from Wall Street to Detroit seems to be suffering from an economic downfall, most companies are looking at cutting budget. This is far from a problem for The Huffington Post, who recently received a $25 million fund from Oak Investment Partners.

This is especially surprising in the journalism market considering the lack of support newspapers have been facing lately as the Internet continues to boom.

Huffington Post hopes to use the extra cash to continue growing nationwide and expand their coverage. Many currently view the HuffPo as a left wing team who reports mainly on politics with a left wing bias. The proceeds will help build up other sections including style, living, media and green.

A economic boost like this shows how our world is changing. Investors are no longer willing to take a chance in the American automobile market like General Motors because the risk outweighs the reward. Instead, an online journalism business gets the check.

Maybe journalism isn't such a risky career after all.

Go (Red), save a life

By: Sarah Harl

Today is World AIDS Day, and a blog by James Boyce left me reeling this morning.

Today, on World AIDS Day, 4,400 people will die of AIDS in Africa.

Tomorrow 4,400 people will die of AIDS in Africa.

On Christmas, on Easter, on your birthday, 4,400 people will die of AIDS in Africa.

But now, some companies are making it easier than ever to support The Global Fund, which helps provide treatment to those suffering in Africa.

(Red) products are showing up everywhere: From Gap t-shirts, to ipods, and cell phones, to Starbucks coffee, who today is giving 5 cents of every coffee sold to the Global Fund.

And the great part is that (Red) products don't cost consumers a penny more. It didn't cost me one extra cent to choose the (Red) Razor over the pink one.

But in doing so, someone in Africa suffering from AIDS received the pill that drastically changed their quality of life.

So kudos to the companies and marketing firms that are making the purchase of these products possible.

And kudos to anyone who has purchased a (Red) product to help people who so desperately need it.

So today, on World AIDS day, take that Starbucks study break (maybe two!). And that ipod you were going to get dad for Christmas? He'll love it in (Red)! And while you're at it, get your self a nice t-shirt, in (Red) of course!

Because today 4,400 people will die of AIDS in Africa. But if we all commit to buying (Red), maybe next World AIDS day that number will be lower.

Investing in the future

By: Sarah Harl

The recent economic woes aren't just hitting individual pockets hard this year.

What about advertising and marketing companies, who are put in quite the spot during an economic downturn.

On the one hand, they are just as strapped for cash as anyone else, and cutbacks in spending must be made to ensure they emerge on the other side of the recession as unscathed as possible.

On the other hand, it is difficult to promote people spending money if they are not seeing ads and marketing campaigns to encourage them to spend money.

The current market is one that calls for innovation and change, not relying on the same marketing plan that has been used for the last 20 years.

Marketing and advertising companies must be creative when tightening their belts during this time of hardship. People still have to be inspired to spend money if we are ever going to pull out of this recession.

The cost of the war

Sunday, November 30, 2008

By: Sarah Harl

There are many ways to determine the cost of the current wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Dollars spent, lives lost, or lives changed.

But what about the media and what they do or do not report?

In a recent blog, Blake Lambert's opinion is discussed. Many times when a war correspondent is taking captive, the media network the reporter works with requests that no outgoing information leave the country in order to ensure that their reporter is returned safely. Lambert believes this to be the wrong solution.

According to Lambert, information should never be withheld from the public, nor should news be used in political negotiations.

The people should know exactly what is happening in the wars that their government is spending money on.

And, apparently it is only necessary to keep journalistic news secret when the kidnapped is a reporter. When a politician, aid worker, or anyone else is abducted, the media is quick to report that abduction, regardless of whether it will jeopardize their safe return.

So maybe what the media withholds from the public to protect their own is another cost of this war.

A public service announcement

By Austin Bates

I was listening to the radio a few days back when a simple, lengthy narrative began playing during the commercial break between songs. Though I cannot find its exact transcript, the narrative ran for about a minute or so, and discussed the current financial crisis affecting the nation, and how Iowa is doing quite well despite it all.

Some of the points it made was that our financial market, including insurance services, is more isolated and better handled than the other companies that failed, and thus, ours are doing just fine. It also pointed out that our unemployement rate is one of the lowest in the nation. In all, it declared Iowa as doing well and remaining strong, despite the collapsing economy.

The message concluded with statements encouraing listeners to relax, go out and buy local services and products, and not worry about the national crisis affecting many others. By this point I was wondering who was paying for this message when the disclaimer came at the end: the Des Moines Radio Group was responsible for the message.

I immediately found myself seriously wondering who was benefitting from the broadcast of the message. How did the Des Moines Radio Group stand to gain from such a message? Who was making a profit off of it? Minutes later, I was still wondering about what alterior motives must be driving the message, mostly because I was shocked that the message wasn't adverising anything specific.

I eventually came to realize that the message was just a public service announcement of sorts; no one stood to profit from it, it was just for the public's benefit. All the same, it's kind of sad that my first thoughts about a radio broadcast assumed it was advertising of some kind. I guess we tend to forget that, even as awash in promotions for private companies all forms of media are, there is still such a thing as interest in the greater good.

The Des Moines Radio Group didn't have to broadcast that message; they could have just filled the slot with another advertisement, in which they could have made money, instead of lost it. But instead they chose to put out a message of hope and encouragement, something to benefit the public. It's nice to see that private companies, even those in broadcast, can still have interests in public well-being, and not just be entirely concerned with profit.

College priorities need rearranged

By: Erin Floro

A letter to the editor in the Des Moines Register expresses my exact opinion regarding priorities of colleges.

A. Frank Thompson, a University of Northern Iowa professor, claims that more emphasis is placed on sports than academics.

At UNI, faculty received zero percentage increase in salaries this year due to lack of funds. Yet, the football coach was awarded a raise.

The Des Moines Register featured an article on the arrest of two of the school's top athletes. Just a week before, 23 students and faculty had been recognized by Omicron Delta Kappa for outstanding achievements in the community, both as scholars and leaders. Where was the media coverage?

Professor Thompson also points out that UNI gives more full time scholarships to athletes than it does to students for academics. I believe this happens at all colleges, both public and private (even though the privates claim they don't give athletic scholarships). I don't think this will ever change.

Blogs and the first amendment

By: Christina Woldt

Today in The Associated Press an article entertained the idea that blogging might be lobbying. As we all know, political lobbyists try to sway public opinion and are supportive of a certain policy or position. Lobbyists try to sway the public to join their "team". The topic of Blogging came into play when discussing the 1972 and 1992 laws on lobbyists. The article described that under the law,

"Lobbyists must register with the state, and submit regular reports about who pays them, how they spend money, and which issues they’re working on. Groups that don’t fit the traditional definition of “lobbyist” also have to file reports, provided they meet certain spending thresholds while leading public campaigns intended to influence public policy."

For popular bloggers such as David Goldstein and his political blog on Horseass.org is all about swaying the public and speaking out about political issues. Isn't this what the first amendment is all about? Goldstein is merely speaking his opinions, it's just to a larger audience. Isn't it safe to say that we all could be considered lobbyists? As much as we try not to enforce our beliefs on others, we all slip up at one time or another. We all can blog, we all are human beings with a voice, so we all are lobbyists, right?

Obama's way is the right way

By: Erin Floro

A local newspaper reporter, Steven Thomma, got an insight into how President-elect Barack Obama will try to solve the world's problems.

At a news conference held at the Hilton-Chicago, reporters were seated on opposite sides of the room. Press sections were labeled Cubs and White Sox, named for the city's major league baseball teams.

Thomma, a diehard White Sox fan, was seated in the Cubs section. He jokingly complained to Obama's staff who in turn told the president-elect.

Obama, also a White Sox fan, called on Thomma for a question at the next day's meeting. He issued a humorous apology and told Thomma that is how his administration plans to do business; by admitting a mistake, then correcting it.

Free online

By: Lexie Hagerty

I love the TV show One Tree Hill but tend to miss the show every Monday night due to sorority activities.

I was talking to my roommate about taping the show, but she said I could just watch the episode on the internet. This seemed very interesting to me, considering it is free and I can watch any episode I have ever missed.

With that, I began to search the internet and sure enough, there were several Web sites that allowed me to watch any TV episode for free. These websites include WorldTVPC and Project Free TV.

As much as I like the ability to watch the episodes I have missed, isn't this free TV cheating? Once again, I see the media changing so much that everything is available online and normally for free.

Soon, there isn't going to be anything other media sources than the internet, because why pay for a media source if you can get it for free online?

Webcams gone to the dogs.

By: Sarah Harl

The most recent Internet craze is Puppy Cam, which allows viewers to watch in on 6 growing Shiba Inu puppies.

The operation is really quite simple: The owners positioned their web cam to look on the puppy pen, allowing bored web surfers to check up on the pups anytime they have a free second.

What started as a simple way to let family and friends see the new litter of pups, quickly turned to something of a cultural phenomenon.

Why would everyone from little girls to company executives be taking a break from their day to see what the pups are up to?

They tune in because unlike other reality shows, this cast doesn't deal with the shallow drama so often seen on television.

Perhaps the lack of drama is what surprised the news outlets who reported on this as a story.

And maybe it is a lesson that the media needs to learn. It doesn't always have to be back-stabbing, glitz, glamour, high-speed chases, and gossip.

Sometimes the simplest things are the most entertaining.

WARNING: Graphic Images

Saturday, November 29, 2008

by Pat Tierney

Recently the terrorist attacks in India have been dominating the headlines of newspapers and web pages across the country and the world.

The homepage of Fox News is no different.

On the front of their page are links to related stories about the terrorist attacks. One of the most striking was a photo essay about the attacks that specifically said, WARNING: Graphic Images.

In our class we have talked a lot about censorship and whether it is a good or bad thing.

Yes, these images are graphic, but the event itself wasn't exactly a pretty sight.

Is it responsible for the media to show photos that may be graphic in nature, to the world.

Personally and professionally I believe yes.

The world can be a harsh place, and often times people don't always see the reality of everyday life around the world. Living in the mid-west it is so easy to be sheltered from the harsh realities that are sometimes taking place around the world, but I think journalists can do a good job of sharing these experiences with the world.

Fox News is just one example of a news organization that is doing this, taking a story (no matter how hard to handle) and share it with the world.

Twitter saves the day...maybe

By: Katie Anthony

While many would argue that the journalists strive to show, rather than tell, I believe there to be a fine line between showing what's necessary and showing it all.

By now, everyone knows that I'm not a huge fan of negative news-though I've become used to it because that type of news is the majority of the news.

Yet, when I was looking for a blog topic this week, I stumbled across "Citizen Journalists Provide Glimpes Into Attacks."

This article falls back on the information that was put on Twitter the day that the Taj Mahal Palace and Taj Hotel were attacked.

Many reporters tapes, cell phones, and any other means of information were confiscated after the attacks for evidence, yet some citizens-now seen as "citizen journalists"-were able to keep their cell phones that held short recordings of the burning of these buildings.

In situations like these, the line is truly fine, and I think the line was crossed in this case. While the public had a desire to be informed, I don't think that a minute-by-minute picture of burning buildings is the most effective way to get their message and information across.

In fact, I'd argue that just replaying the pictures/video the news have, would be more than sufficient as long as they're relaying new information as its given to them. That's how they informed the public about the 9/11 attacks, so I think that in the case of the Mumbai attacks, the same rules need to be applied.

Obama merchandise hawked by papers

By: Erin Floro

After the recent election of Barack Obama newspapers are trying to make money off this historic event. Since revenues are down at most newspapers, it sounds like a good idea to me.

The Washington Post, The New York Times, and the Los Angeles Times are selling memorabilia such as t-shirts, coffee mugs, and key chains with Obama’s image. Big items now are reproductions of the Nov. 5 front page headlining Obama’s victory. A framed edition front page with brass plating can be yours for only $299 plus shipping and handling from the NY Times.

After searching the LA Times Web site, I came across other items available for purchase such as buttons, dolls, clocks, and even bobble heads. This paper reports $686,000 in sales of Obama merchandise.

I think this is smart of the newspapers to make additional revenue. As a consumer I would personally buy an item from a newspaper before I would a t-shirt or souvenir shop. These items would be of quality material and appropriate.

College newspapers suffer from poor economy

By: Erin Floro

The increasing decline of print advertising revenue has hit newspapers hard all over the United States. College newspapers are no exception.

The economy has nosedived so badly that papers have had to make cutbacks in such areas as frequency of issues, size of paper, and number of pages. Other papers have had to reevaluate their budget by trimming expenses such as travel and dining.

Many financial and consulting firms that normally recruit through advertising have cut back or stop doing so altogether.

National companies that target college students as consumers are cutting their own costs by reducing advertising. They probably figure a college student doesn’t have much extra money to spend on their product. So why advertise in a college newspaper?

I’m sure our very own paper, The Simpsonian, has also felt the crunch. Lets hope that it can continue to be the nations longest running college newspaper.

NPR's vlog

By: Callie McBroom

NPR announced the launch of a new type of blog today. It is called a Vlog, which is a video blog. Wikipedia says that vlogging consists of regular entries embedded with video or video links that also employ text and still images. Vlogs can also be distributed by RSS feeds, allowing "automatic aggregation and playback on mobile devices and personal computers."

NPR's vlog named "Open Mike" is set up on a YouTube channel called Weekend Edition.

Scott Simon, the host for Weekend Edition Saturday held his first interview with NPR News Analyst Juan Williams. Liane Hansen will soon be holding her first interview on the vlog as the host for Weekend Edition Sunday.

NPR is also asking its readers for suggestions about future guests for the vlog.

Abusive blogs

By: Callie McBroom

Blogs have become very popular with many different people who use them for very different reasons. But now, this popularity and the tendency for blogs to be posted anonymously is causing problems.

Both John McIntire and Words at Work have recently been discussing the need to have some sort of control over what is said in blogs. This issue has surfaced because some bloggers are abusing others over the internet.

This is not only a problem for the abused bloggers, however. Annoying and abusive posts can also deter other people from posting a comment, for fear that they will receive the same treatment. This defeats the purpose of blogging.

Now the question remains, who will decide what should and shouldn't be said? And, who will make sure that First Amendment rights are upheld while protecting bloggers from unnecessary attacks?

No job? Blog!

Friday, November 28, 2008

By Liz Tjaden

In celebration of my upcoming graduation from Simpson in a few weeks without a job, I would like to shed light on a blog that can help journalists who have been laid-off.

According to Lost Remote, a blog has been launched by Six Apart called the "TypePad Journalist Bailout Program". It allows journalists to post stories and new events. They don’t promise the blog to be a full-time replacement for a lost job, but it does provide a place for journalists to post their opinions and news in a public forum.

Plus, this service is free so people don't feel the burden of shelling out money they don't have in order to get their work out.

With layoffs and bailouts consuming the media news, it is nice to hear about people, especially journalists, being “saved” by the help from others.

Newspapers endangered

By: Hannah Pickett

Scientifically speaking, in the animal kingdom when a species starts to trail off they go on the endangered species list, a precursor to extinction. If journalism careers were categorized the way the animal kingdom is, newspapers would be dubbed endangered.

Many small town newspapers throughout the state of Iowa, and around the nation are having to close shop. There are many different reasons for the newspaper's endangerment. Some say it's the economic crisis, others say it's the internet phenomenon. This doesn't just pertain to small town papers, however. In the past year, the Des Moines Register laid off much of its staff.

Newspapers can survive on a skeleton staff. For example, in Winterset, the newspaper staff is four people to put out a 22 page paper weekly. It can be done; it just requires hard working employees. The point is, however, if major newspapers are cutting staff, some who have worked their for many years, what does that mean to the college journalism student?

If the current jobs are being cut right now, imagine what it will be like in a couple of years when college graduates are looking for jobs. Regardless of the reasoning behind small town papers folding, right now it is a really scary time to be a journalism major with no job security foreseeable in the future.

Eventually, newspapers will probably be taken over by the internet. Until then, where are the jobs?

Activists use Internet to get word out

Thursday, November 27, 2008

By: Allison McNeal

Social activists are distributing their message to a new audience: the Web.

Nonprofit groups have recently started to construct demonstrations on YouTube and use social networking sites like Facebook to get the word out.

The different strategies the groups have implemented are the use of animated 3-D characters to protest the global shortage of drinking water and having Web companies that allow individuals to create their own charity.

WaterPartners International is one of the companies to incorporate a global safe drinking water campaign.

This company could have promoted their campaign by visually showing the effects of safe drinking water, but instead used the Internet as their means of communication.

According to Nicole Wickenhauser, a company spokesperson, said that it saved time and money by putting their campaign online and through animated, virtual characters built from actual people.

As a result, daily Web traffic doubled at WebPartners site during the campaign and also attracted support from around the globe.

With Web based activism, it encourages ordinary people to start up their own campaigns.

Another campaign that has started up is Yourcause.com.

Yourcause.com has allowed citizens to create their own charity and is similar to sites like MySpace.

According to cnn.com, "the new site allows a person to do everything a charity traditionally does [like] raise money and awareness and recruit support."

Matthew Combs, the site's co-founder, said his site designs Web pages and vets charities for people who don't have the time or expertise to do it themselves.

Other social network sites like MySpace are starting to support activists and have an "impact" page that connects users with political and charitable causes.

YouTube has also recently launched a "Nonprofits and Activism" channel for consumers.

With these new technologies, the Web has become a crucial source for nonprofit fundraising and has shown how involved Americans are.

$550 million has been donated online in 2001, and the number grew to $10.4 billion in 2007.

Online companies have shown that social activists can help reach a larger audience and that change can be imminent in the near future.

"Real change is most often accomplished by committed individuals working together for a cause they feel passionately about," Wickenhauser said. "Whether they work together virtually or in person is less important."

Catholic priest honored by Jewish paper

Tuesday, November 25, 2008

By: Erin Floro

The Forward, a national Jewish newspaper, included a catholic priest, Rev. Paul Ouderkirk of Postville, in its annual list of 50 most influential people in Judaism. The list usually includes only Jews.

Ouderkirk was honored for his work with former workers of Agriprocessors Inc. In May, federal agents raided the company and 400 workers were arrested on illegal immigration charges. The company is the largest producer of kosher meat.

The 75-year-old retired priest, who speaks fluent Spanish, served the Guatemalan and Mexican immigrants who sought help after the raid. He aided workers and their families in obtaining food and shelter.

The editors of the paper considered the Agriprocessors controversy a top story in Judaism in 2008.

Health web sites

By: Lexie Hagerty

An article in the International Herald Tribune reported that the Kaiser Family Foundation is hoping to start their own Web site to cover the health issues that are being pushed aside by other media who's budgets are going down the drain.

The family thinks that even with the economic downturn, their website will succeed, because of the need to stay aware of all health related issues.

I think this is a good idea. The Kaiser Web site will be a good source for any person who wants to know the latest in any health issues. The Web site also hopes to be connected to other news organizations as well.

I think that with the frightening and sketchy health issues of today, it is important for anyone to stay connected to health news. It allows people to stay aware and what to look out for, especially in this winter season.

Plus, there are lots of things that people can do to prevent the spread of diseases. Hopefully, these new health Web sites will keep people updated and not push the issues aside.

Update your Web site!

By: Shauna Agan

Recently, an article on CNN.com was posted about the 25 best cities to find a job. Four of these cities were in Iowa. They were Ames, Iowa City, Des Moines, and Sioux City.

These figures were based on this year’s unemployment rate compared to last years and job growth.

Checking out DesMoinesRegister.com, there are many interesting articles, but none about this particular find.

It is surprising to me to find that a local newspaper that most of Iowa reads has not yet reported something this important. Four of the cities in Iowa are listed as top cities to find a job during tough economic times.

This is significant for Iowa. It shows that Iowa is doing something ‘right’ economically, but why hasn’t the Des Moines Register reported it yet?

As a local newspaper, one duty is to be aware of significant things such as these. Reporters should constantly be checking larger media outlets to make sure they have not missed anything significant.

If just one of the reporters had checked CNN.com, this story would be posted on the Web site of the Des Moines Register. Regardless of the fact that this story will more than likely appear in the Des Moines Register tomorrow, I believe it should have been reported on the Web site tonight.

This is big news for Iowa, but if Iowans follow local news via the Internet, this story is nowhere to be found. An update of the DesMoinesRegister.com Web site would be favorable.

Who cares?

Monday, November 24, 2008

By: Adrian Aitken

The Politico published a story about the extracurricular activities that Barack Obama partakes in. They focused on what Barack does during his Sunday mornings. According to the article the president elect has missed church the past few weeks to workout at the gym instead.

I don't understand this what so ever. Shouldn't the media be more focused on what our future has in store rather than Barack's religious habits. The article then compares Obama to President Bush.

Apparently George W. Bush has also missed a few services. I cant say for the publisher of the paper but I can forgive the president for being too busy to attend church. The Politico is being too shallow in reporting during such important times in America.

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