The News About The News

Palin still dominates the media

Thursday, September 18, 2008

By: Kathryn Lisk

While the presidential polls between candidates have leveled out since the Republican National Convention, Sarah Palin is still attracting quite a bit of media attention.

With so many controversial issues surrounding Gov. Palin, including her pregnant 17-year-old daughter, her 5-month-old, disabled son, and the fact that she is a woman who will be on the final presidential ballot, the media is still having a field day.

It could be that Americans still don't know enough about Palin, since she was an unexpected vice presidential candidate for the Republican Party. Or it could be that she has more baggage than Joe Biden does. Regardless, everywhere I look, whether it's on newspaper Web sites, magazine covers, or blog sites for my BNR entry, Sarah Palin dominates.

Palin is mentioned in a story in The New York Times because she drew 4.9 million people to one of Fox News' shows on Wednesday night.

The Huffington Post covered a story about how an unknown group hacked into her Yahoo e-mail account and posted her personal e-mails onto Wikipedia.

Finally, all three newspaper Web sites I checked, The New York Times, Los Angeles Times, and the Des Moines Register, each have a story involving Palin on their home page.

As someone who is very interested and informed in politics, I have been equally intrigued by Sarah Palin. It's important to know what she stands for and her political experience.

But I've hit my limit. I know more about Palin than I need to and the media needs a new story.

Old School vs New School

Wednesday, September 17, 2008

by Peter Merchlewitz

I know that there are people afraid of change. Some people believe that the old ways are best. Or in the words of one of my favorite musicals: "Tradition!". Dave Lee's jBlog reports the feelings of Middle East reporter Robert Fisk, who believes that the new age of internet blogging is crippling the quality of news writing. "To hell with the web. It's got no responsibility." said Fisk after being challenged about a quote whom the caller stated that he "...read it on the Internet."

Lee comes to the defense of blogging by reminding journalists what it is that we try to accomplish: to inform, educate, and and apply a sense of public voice. He even goes a step further, talking about an image shown in one of Fisk's articles, one of a man holding his dead daughter whose bones were protruding from her legs. However, due to traditional news reporting mediums, part of the picture was cropped, cutting the daughter off just below the bone, thus changing the caption of the photo "A man carries his wounded daughter."', ergo, completely changes the initial impact that the image presents.

Had Fisk actually given this new fangled thing called blogging a try, he might have realized that he would have been able to post the entire image, instead of just most of it. But not only that, blogs are becoming more and more popular source of news information, when compared to ABC's figures of people who read the news paper.

Some people say that without tradition, our lives would be as shaky as a fiddler on a roof. One of these days, that fiddler might fall and break his neck. And when that day occurs, make a picture, and make sure you post it on your blog.

Web site pros

by Sarah Keller

My blog last week was about a small paper that was not utilizing their web site and resources properly, but this week I would like to blog about journalists who are using their tools and congratulate them for being resourceful.

As been discussed on various people’s blog entries from the classes, the world of journalism is being turned toward the internet. There is more and more blogging being done, and mostly all newspapers have a web site in today’s society, even small colleges like Simpson have web sites for their papers. Since the dynamic of journalism seems to be shifting toward the web I have to applaud sites such as abc news.

The home page of abc news is probably my favorite web site to check for daily news, I am there at least once a day and I have to say that they are doing a great job of keeping the world updated on top news stories. They are using the things that we have discussed in class as being important for journalists today. They do a great job with their photography; every good journalist needs to have the ability to take good pictures. The abc network also updates their articles throughout the day portraying the immediacy element of journalism. On top of all of that abc also has videos to watch and not just from abc news channels they also give you the opportunity to watch news broadcasts from shows such as 20/20, Good morning America, Primetime, and more.

Not only is abc on top of their game these days but sites such as cnn.com and google news are also going along with what society is craving. They are staying on top of things and making great news with pictures, updates and video clips.

I have to salute abc news, and other popular web sites for their commitment to making their web sites the best they can be, updating the world daily, and for drawing me in.

Dirty Cops

Tuesday, September 16, 2008

By: Jessica Hartgers

During a traffic stop Friday two citizens claim to have been mistreated by two Des Moines police officers. Des Moines residents Octavius Bonds and Erin Evans filled formal complaints with the department. The case is now under review.

I think it is a very interesting as to what angle the reporter takes on this case. A wide range of evidence and facts are being left out of the report in order to protect the two Des Moines police officers under investigation. If the situation had been turned around and the police officers were the ones being mistreated the content of this story would be much different.

The reporter waits until the near end of the story to mention that the Des Moines residents were African Americans, while both the police officers were Caucasian. Either the reporter didn't want to draw attention to the race issue on behalf of the police or he didn't want readers to stereotype the alleged victims.

Comedian Vs. Journalist

By: Erin Floro

To some, Jon Stewart is just a comedian. To others, Jon Stewart is both a comedian and a journalist. Jon Stewart is the host of Comedy Central's The Daily Show and is known for his humor of mocking people and politics. He says he is just a comic but a lot of journalists disagree. Nathan Kasper, a Stewart fan said "I see him as a journalist first and a comedian second. When he's reporting the news, he's still reporting. He's just making it funny."

Depending on who you ask some think that "The Daily Show" is a "news" program and some think that it is a comedy show. With the 2008 election coming up, everyone is tuned in to his funny style of journalism because he is unbiased. Some people think he has an impact on how the election will turn out. This is the third presidential election in which Stewart has been at "The Daily Show."

In a survey ranked in the public's favorite journalist, he is in a five-way tie for fourth overall with Anderson Cooper, Dan Tarther, Tom Brokaw, and Brian Williams. Mike Connell a college student at the University of St.Thomas in St. Paul said "And he rips equally on both parties. I think it's hilarious."

Almost one in four adults aged 18 to 29 are informed about the election from watching "The Daily Show." Also, "The Daily Show" scored higher on a campaign knowlege test than news viewers and those who read the newspaper.

So, if you want to be informed about politics and want some humor at the same time, check out the famous journalist and comedian Jon Stewart on "The Daily Show."

Comedy Central Politics

By: Sarah Harl

Every day, 1.8 million people tune into Comedy Central's "The Daily Show with John Stewart". In comparison, 1.9 million people watch Fox News "Hannity and Colmes" show.

I know this question has been posed in this class before, but how much influence does John Stewart have in the wake of this upcoming election?

Stewart doesn't think much. During an interview earlier this year Stewart said that he felt no pressure to report all news stories, such as the Virginia Tech shootings.

But Stewart does report things like international news and politics. But as many citizen's interviewed pointed out, Stewart generally gives both parties the run around, getting a chuckle from both Democrats and Republicans alike.

I think that Stewart's witter banter provides a much needed relief for Americans in the heat of political races. By pointing out how ridiculous politics can sometimes be, Stewart gives a voice to the average American in a comedic and appreciated way.

As a sole source of news, "The Daily Show" provides an incomplete and uneducated view. But as a Pew Center research points out, you cannot understand all of the jokes Stewart makes without having a commanding knowledge of the news first.

So, Stewart isn't a journalist. He caters to a very specific crowd of news buffs who are looking for a break from the intensity of everyday news.

False advertisments

By: Jessica Hamell

The University of Iowa ran an ad in Sunday’s Cedar Rapids Gazette that was misleading . It showed Sophomore Jarryd Cole slam-dunking a ball and in a line on the ad, it says, “Jarryd Cole's thunderous dunk brought the Buckeyes to their knees and the sellout crowd inside Carver-Hawkeye Arena to their feet.” The problem, Jarryd Cole was injured for most of the season and never played again Ohio State.

The University claims that it is a fictional ad that is meant to sell tickets. This ad is trying to see something not advertise a dunk against the Buckeyes so what is the big deal. Businesses use lines to advertise their services all of the time that might not be true. University of Iowa was just trying to show something you could see if you buy season tickets

This ad also ran in the Des Moines Register on Sunday. It was not created by either newspaper so neither one are responsible for the fictitious ad.

As said by the gazette “In this case, Iowa dropped the ball.”

Comedy with my highlights please

By: Gabe Gilson

A couple weeks ago, everybody’s favorite ESPN show SportsCenter decided to make a slight change in the morning. In order to cover more breaking news, the hour long broadcast went from replaying for several hours the broadcast taped in the early morning to going on live for four hours in the morning.

Good idea SportsCenter. Poor execution though.

SportsCenter has many full-time and part-time anchors on the show. Some anchors are obviously better than others. The morning anchors (more well-known as the ones that I have to put up with) have been disappointing in the way they deliver the highlights.
Josh Elliot and Hannah Storm are the two that most often show up on the television screen in the morning. If it were not for Elliot’s ability to save Storm when she cannot think of anything to say during a highlight, which is too often, I would have to get my sports news elsewhere.

Both Elliot and Storm have amazing resumes at sportscenter.com. However, after watching critically one of their live broadcasts, one may start to assume that Storm was either a first-timer on live television, never been to an actual live sporting game of any sort, or just graduated from the 8th grade.

Maybe, just maybe, Storm was not meant for the live broadcast and would do better in a taped atmosphere. SportsCenter has many brilliant anchors that have a certain flow with how they speak that is easy to follow. Scott Van Pelt, Steve Levy, Linda Cohn, and John Anderson could make a boring highlight into something you talk to your friends about the next day just by their delivery alone. People most certainly talk about Hannah Storm’s highlights the next day, but
sadly, for her, more in a negative way.

Or maybe it is just the fact that I grew up in the Kenny Mayne, Dan Patrick era of SportsCenter. When hearing those guys do their broadcasts, I might as well have been listening to a regular Daniel Tosh routine. Hearing people like Stuart Scott yell “BOO-YA” early in the morning gave you that extra kick to start the day. SportsCenter is too far removed from having comedians like Craig Kilborn do the show.

Hannah Storm might be excellent for a television show like The View, or any other show that the 18-35 year old male demographic would never turn on. But for SportsCenter, us guys in that demographic want some pizzazz when seeing how the Cubs did in the game that went into extra innings; some fluidity when hearing about the shootout with the Eagles and Cowboys; and most importantly, some humor when watching those Clipper highlights. ESPN, is this too much to ask?

Limits

By Kellie Green

Journalist are limited to write just enough for people to get the main information that the journalist is addressing but the journalist must be brief on what they say. What if this is not enough? What if the information that the journalist provides is not informing the reader of everything that they need to know?

I am referring to articles that just give you the basics and nothing else. While reading an article on CNN.com I came to the conclusion that I need more.

Journalists are taught to provide enough information to keep the reader interested. In the article 'Peace Corps temporarily out of Bolivia' that CNN.com put out recently it talks about how America has pulled the Peace Corps out and has sent them to Peru. There is no mention in the article about the Peace Corps members and how they are affected or if they were affected by anything that is happening in Bolivia.

Journalist should be limited to how much they put in an article but they should also give enough information out so people, like me who have friends in Bolivia with the Peace Corps, know exactly what is going on.

Limits on articles can cause lack of information for an article. Information is what makes and can break an article. The question is how do you know if it is to much or not. I guess that is what makes a good journalist.

Cheap customers

By: Lexie Hagerty

I am a cheap customer. I will not buy jeans over $50 and will rarely buy a shirt over $20. However, when it comes to a good movie, I have no problem paying the full 10 to 20 dollars for it and I have no problem paying $1 for a song off iTunes.

Social Media released an article about the new legal ways to copy a DVD. It cites an article from PC Magazine about the "7 tools for ripping your DVD's." Basically, the cite helps customers copy and watch DVD's on their iPods and other sources.

This is not piracy, at least not yet. However, I am afraid that if customers can copy their DVD's and CD's to watch and listen to on any device, I am sure that they will find a way to completely cheat the system sooner or later.

There have all ready been many cases in which customers have downloaded music illegally. Why not movies as well?

Hypocrisy

Monday, September 15, 2008

By: Shauna Agan

While many people believe the media is accurate, or at least fairly accurate, many also believe a lot of truths are left out.

One group of people feels so strongly about these inaccuracies that they started a Web site about the accuracy in the media. Browsing this page, one could find many things this group of individuals believes to be inaccurate within the mainstream media.

Some allegations appear to have a basis of truth while some in fact are far-fetched.
One article I found interesting was titled “Obama Truth Campaign”. This article accuses the media of withholding information about Sen. Barack Obama because reporters are more interested in other things.

While I do not know if there is any truth behind these accusations, there is a phone number, address, and e-mail address listed in this article to try to gain readers’ support for the writer’s cause. There is also an advertisement at the side attempting to make readers believe Liberals say unmentionable things.

Although this Web site is probably not reliable, the name is ironic. The people who wrote this particular article are obviously a group of Conservatives who feel media takes a Liberal stance.

Internet sources in today’s society are said to be a source of media. Although this Web site may not be in the mainstream media, it is still a source that many people look to for information.

While accusing the mainstream of being biased and inaccurate, this article has also become biased to the opposite extreme. How can they accuse the other sources of being biased when they themselves are biased? Hypocrites.

Taking a lickin' and keepin' on ticken'

By:Quinn Albrecht

Amidst the destruction of Hurricane Ike, one newspaper is still finding a way to stay in print. The Galveston Daily News lost its roof due to the hurricane last week, but is still ticking.

The Victoria Advocate is printing their stories for them and is also helping them deliver to shelters and homes alike. The paper is doing its best to keep its readers informed of all that is going on, with many different outlets.

A sister newspaper, The Herald-Zeitung, is letting the staff use their facilities to type up stories and edit them. The Galveston Daily News is yet to miss an edition, thanks to their help.

They are using a cell phone blog site called Twitter, and also they are posting all news on the website. This is a huge change from years past, when a situation like this would shut down a newspaper for a long time and keep readers in the dark.

They are utilizing technology to; first of all get in touch with the members of their staff to make sure they are all okay. Secondly they are using what they have to keep people up to date on the latest efforts and breakthroughs with Hurricane Ike.

Its seems that today we are forced to deal with larger problems than ever, but for the Galveston Daily News, these problems will never slow them down.

Google to be or not

By: Adrian Aitken

In my last blog entry I reported on the new Google News Archive and its unveiling. Now after a week controversy and debate has sprouted.

Publishers have taken two sides on the program, either a way to boost revenues or finally die off and give up. Google is taking the stand that the new venture will bring newspapers into the twentieth century.

One of the specific conflicts the publishers have stressed is where the profit is going and how much-if any-money will they see? Because Google is a dominating and well established corporation the company will pay for the costs of digitizing the microfilm. This will allow for a steadier flow of income to the publishers.

The question of how the digitization of newspapers will affect journalism will not be answered until the program is in full swing and has had time to settle. Personally I believe if done right both the publishers can make a lot of money through subscriptions and the user friendly aspect of the website will attract many customers.

I will try to keep updated as this situation unfolds.

Saying Farwell to the Print Newspaper

Sunday, September 14, 2008

By: Christina Woldt

Our very first newspaper produced in America came to us in the 17th Century, from Benjamin Harris and Richard Pierce. Publick Occurrences, Both Foreign and Domestick came to print in September of 1690. Journalism didn't really take off with the first newspaper but, by the 19th century Penny Press newspapers brought news to the masses and made newspapers a popular commodity.

Sadly, newspapers have passed their prime, they are no longer the bright shiny new toy fresh from the toy store. Newspapers are old news. Who needs stacks of paper and ink smothered fingertips when we can have the news of the world at our fingertips.

There are many benefits to online news; The cost of a Sunday print newspaper, in some cases, is more than an annual broadband payment; The news is at our fingertips and is virtually up to date with millisecond accuracy; Online newspapers are environmentally friendly : )

The only downfall I can conjure up is a case of poor eyesight from squinting at a computer screen all day. But what about our newspapers? Should we just lock them up in library archives or put them in a Media History Museum?

Newspapers aren't dead yet but its circulation numbers are on a downward spiral. Though newspapers are not popular now, start collecting them because in 50 years they might be as valuable as old baseball cards.

YouTube is scolded by Sen. Lieberman

By: Katie Anthony

As a frequent YouTube user, this article really took me by shock. Sen. Lieberman (I-Conn.) made a point to YouTube saying that YouTube was too "too open to terrorist groups disseminating militant propaganda."

Lieberman specified his accusation by providing examples of videos that were actually marked with logos of the al-Qaeda along with other groups that work in conjunction with the al-Qaeda. However, to my complete shock, the company refused to remove these videos because they, "did not violate the Web site's guidelines against graphic violence or hate speech. "

In my opinion, when I think "al-Qaeda," I have a tendency to picture graphic violence given the circumstances on which Americans think of the al-Qaeda. Then again, that's just my opinion.

"YouTube was being used by Islamist terrorist organizations to recruit and train followers via the Internet and to incite terrorist attacks around the world, including right here in the United States," Lieberman said in a statement. "I expect these stronger community guidelines to decrease the number of videos on YouTube produced by al-Qaeda and affiliated Islamist terrorist organizations."

YouTube heavily relies on what's referred to as "community guidelines." Which, is just a fancy way of saying that they rely on the viewers to flag videos that the viewer deems as "inappropriate." That puts a large amount of faith in the "community" of YouTube.

Lieberman even took it a step further and wrote a letter to the official of Google (for those of you who don't know, Google owns YouTube) which resulted in a few of the videos being removed. Regretfully, however, the vast majority of the videos that Lieberman pointed out were not removed.

How does YouTube defend itself? By stating that, "while we respect and understand his[Lieberman's] views, YouTube encourages free speech and defends everyones right to express unpopular points of view."

I'm all for free speech and the right to express, but honestly, is the United States going to be at a higher risk for terrorist attacks due to YouTube?

When journalism goes too far

Saturday, September 13, 2008

By Austin Bates

It is journalism's duty to the American public to report on current, relevant, and meaningful events, in order to enlighten and keep the American public up-to-date about various news items. But is there a point when journalism can go too far, cross ethical lines, and face serious question and criticisms from the public about its tactics and methods? I believe there is, and at least a few others would agree.

I raise this question in the growing concerns of journalism's place in reporting on events like private funerals. Things like a funeral, unless it is advertised as a large, public event, should not be reported on live by reporters. While John Temple in his article argues that as long as the journalist reports in a unobtrusive manner, say from a secluded spot of the funeral, and does so respectfully, such actions should be fine.

However, I have to argue that even if the journalist is being as discreet as possible, someone is still bound to notice, especially if there are a number of people attending. From my personal viewpoint, if I saw someone reporting live from a funeral, I would be disgusted. And while Temple says the reporters who work with him never enter a funeral without prior permission, I can't imagine all journalists might follow that code.

Funerals are supposed to be solemn, respectful events, and if private, they are supposed to be private, secluded from the public's prying eye and questions and criticisms.

I do believe, however, that reporters should be able to attend a private funeral, if allowed, and take notes quietly, and then write a report on the event later. I see nothing wrong with this approach; the public would still get their story and information, and the funeral goers would get their peace and respect.

I can't help but also raise the question of whether technology has anything to do with the increasing attendance of journalists to otherwise private or off limit events, that they would never have covered before. With the advent of smaller, more advanced, and more connected devices, it makes it much easier for journalists to be places they might not be allowed to be at, or should be at. With better gadgets, journalists seem to increasingly going past boundaries they should not cross.

In any case, I believe journalism should be free to cover most of what it wants, how it wants; after all, this is the very premise of journalism and its duty to the American public. But some events and places should be off limits, such as private funerals. Besides, what ever happened to "rest in peace"?

Sorry! You couldn't pay me enough

By: Liz Tjaden

Heavy rains and strong winds will not scare some brave journalists from getting the story. Hurricane Ike is sweeping across the southern coast of the United States and is also affecting other parts of the country. Many people have been evacuated from their homes and Ike has created massive flooding and damage.

Thank you CNN.com for throwing your reporters into the middle of the action so I, a girl from Iowa who is hundreds of miles away, can feel like I’m right there too!

CNN.com has a lot of videos posted on their Web site from reporters to the average Joe taking pictures with his camera phone. There is such a wide variety of videos from streets flooded out, homes destroyed by falling branches and from my personal favorite, what I like to call, the suckers.

These are the poor saps that are standing in the middle of the wind and rain determined to provide an eye catching and thrilling story.

I think, someone needs to tell the suckers how ridiculous they look being blown over.

The real question is, is this news? Now obviously, the hurricane and the damaged it has caused for people is real news. But modern technology can tell us the force of an impending hurricane. Do we need to jeopardize an underpaid reporter’s life to sensationalize an event like this? I found myself watching video clips on CNN.com of reporters standing in the rain and wind, no longer concerned about the effects of the hurricane but entertained by the reporters’ antics of training to remain upright in 100 mph gusts.

By now you may be asking yourself, “Liz, I thought you just blogged last week about how important it was for journalists to go after the story, even if that means harm.” Guilty as charged.

I did say that and I still stand by it. However, I believe there is a difference between jail and a few bruises versus being mauled in the face by a tree trunk or road sign. It is a thin line to cross but it comes down to everyone asking themselves when too much is simply too much. You couldn’t pay me enough to stand in a hurricane for a two minute video to be posted and watched by people who just want to see me fall on my ass by the strength of the wind. But I would research and dig and investigate any story I felt had a true impact on our lives even if that meant going to jail.

All is not lost!

By: Katie Anthony

I'm not sure about all of you guys, but I definitely find it heartily discouraging that the media is so negative. For the longest time, I thought that I was the only one feeling that way. Little did I know-I was really wrong.

"Stop obsessing about the depressing industry news on Romenesko and open your eyes to all of the amazing stories out there." That quote is from an article written by Beth Macy of the American Journalism Review. It caught my eye since Romenesko is so noted in class about the news it provides. Macy seemed to be on a journey to find the optimism in journalism.

Soon, one person in agreement with me, became two. Macy met Sam Roberts who's story, I found to be extremely hopeful in the case of columnists.

Roberts talks about his experience with being a columnist, and describes it, so sullenly as this, "Of all the jobs I've had at newspapers, being a columnist was probably the least beneficial to my mental health. If you counted all the time I spent worrying about my next column, I made about a dollar an hour."

I found that to be extremely discouraging as an aspiring columnist myself, but nevertheless, I read on.

And two becomes three. Roberts soon encounters Regina Brett, who seems to share his opinion on being a columnist-or so it seems.

Brett, yes, is a very hardworking columnist, but not in the way that Roberts expected. She doesn't ask permission from her editor when it comes to what to write about it, she's extremely organized, and she starts every week with a minimum of six column ideas.

One day, Brett finds herself buying ice cream when she gets lost on her way to an interview (an interview that she was planning on basing her column for the week around), and she asks the teenage African American that served her ice cream, what his plans for school are. He, regretfully, informs her that he wanted to go to a private school to begin his medical career but that he couldn't afford it.

That was it. Brett was sold. This young man would be her column for the week.

Brett calls it that "familiar tug," that had her writing her column. One of her readers felt that tug too. Her reader convinced her husband (who, coincidentally, was a brain surgeon) to allow this young man to shadow him during a brain surgery. In the end, this young man's choice of private school, was paying for his tuition.

Why did I choose this as my blog posting? For, ironically enough, the same reason I chose my last blog entry. There was one quote (or, in this case, two) that stood out to me, and gave me hope that all is not lost when it comes to the journalistic world.

One of the quotes I'm referring to, is said by Roberts. "Being reporters, we're paid to basically get a graduate education in whatever we're interested in! We should be out there all the time, just jumping into the things that make us curious."

And the other one, said by Brett in regards to her opinion on the negativity of journalism today, sums up why I chose to write this particular blog. "We've got the best seat on the Titanic," she says. "And you know what? The band kept playing while the ship went down. That's our job in this — to be the band; to uplift people even as the ship's going down."

So, maybe you don't think that this article focuses on "the news about the news." But, I on the other hand, find the articles that inspire and motivate the young journalists to keep pushing through and excel, to, ultimately, be "the news about the news."

Relentless Media Provide Hot Information

By: Kelsey Knutson

I've given up on the thought that the media will drop the "Palin Buzz." However, following her first official interview the media have finally stumbled on to something worth noting: her voting record.

Finally, something that matters.

The Fox News article talks of Palin's voting record in Alaska that doesn't necessarily add up to what she "says" she votes for. Either she is confused or McCain is confused because they definitely aren't on the same page. She says she supports something, and then McCain is caught on the record saying she doesn't.

The media has finally stumbled on to something.

ABC's Charles Gibson asked her about animal research money that had been requested to study mating habits of animals in Alaska, the kind of research that McCain doesn't think highly of, he asked her about her earmark spending after she claimed to be against it, and also mentioned the support of the "Bridge to Nowhere" in Alaska. Some things just aren't adding up.

I'm happy and impressed that the media has finally found something worth while to talk about in reference to Sarah Palin. We're finally hearing about the issues.

$852,953.63 buys a lot of McChickens or...

Friday, September 12, 2008

By: Katie Schaefer

What could or would you buy if you had eight hundred and fifty three thousand dollars?

Normally the first thing on us girls' minds are: shopping spree!! For guys, maybe a new video game or a big new television. But for the West Bend-Mallad football team is was simply a school.

West-Bend Mallard's school was in dier need of money to keep their school up and running but they just simply didn't have it. The football players from the school didn't want to see their school and their football program to come to an end, so they did the impossible and raised the money to keep the school afloat.

The football team didn't have to do this, but they did it because they love the school and love to play football. This amazing event got me wondering what exactly what I would do if I loved something that much.

These kids raised almost eight hundred and fifty four thousand dollars just to play football. This truly is remarkable and I think everyone in this world come learn from this.

This article reminds me a lot of politic campaigns. The politians raise money for something they love and want to be. They want to be president and to get their word out there they need money so they have to raise it. I never thought about this until I read this article.

Sports journalism crossing ethical boundaries

By: Hannah Pickett

Personally, I am a major sports enthusiast. I love to play sports, coach sports, and watch sports live and on television. Lately, however, I have noticed that much of the sports journalism world is beginning to resemble the front page of a tabloid. Not only have rumors flown about the Patriot's quarterback, Tom Brady, getting injured in last week's game and sideline for the season, but now, I have run across a story in the news that just might be crossing an ethical journalistic line as far as sports are concerned. Last time I checked, we sports enthusiasts were more interested in the game, drafts, and newcomers, rather than athletes' personal issues.

The Tennessee Titans' starting quarterback, Vince Young, was put in the spotlight after the police were called Monday night to check on Young after information regarding thoughts of suicide were slipped from Young's therapist to his coach. According to Young's therapist, the NFL quarterback mentioned suicide several times in his session before driving home with a gun.

The concern about Young's mental state began with an 'off game' he had last week where he threw his second interception against Jacksonville, and four plays later, he was sacked and sat out the rest of the game with a knee injury. With upset fans 'booing' him off the field, Young was no doubt down on himself.

This story appeared on the major news stations as a lead story with headlines like, "Report: Therapist said Young mentioned suicide."

What does Young's mental state have to do with his performance on the field? Basically, why should this be a leading story on major news networks? It crosses an ethical line in sports journalism, in my opinion. The focus shouldn't necessarily be on something that slipped out in a private therapy session, but rather if his knee injury will allow him to play in the next game.

Young and his family were outraged at the media attention this attracted, saying that the media blew the entire situation out of proportion. How far will a sports journalist go to get the irrelevant story that doesn't regard field performance?

Journalist takes toddler's murder too lightly

Thursday, September 11, 2008

By: Kathryn Lisk

I have always found some journalists to be a bit numb and unyielding when it comes to finding and delivering news stories. They make a living from being constantly exposed to intense situations, so they may start to lose the intensity most of us experience in difficult situations.

But a reporter from Rocky Mountain News took insensitivity to a new level last Thursday, when he covered a toddler's funeral live on Twitter.

I understand using a cite like this to report national news regarding politics or celebrities, but it seems violating to use it regarding the death of a child.

It may be more convenient for readers to get a snapshot of what happened via a website like Twitter, which has a word limit of 140 characters, but it is absurd to cover a funeral live through a blog site. Where is the respect for the family?

The mistake that Rocky Mountain News made shows a lack of respect from those who are grieving and makes the reporter look extremely insensitive to the situation.

As we've heard, newspapers are having a difficult time making money now that people have the internet to get news, but I hope that this isn't the direction of the journalism industry.

BreakingViews.com enters multiple partnerships

By: Allison McNeal

A boost in confidence for online financial news.

BreakingViews.com is planning on partnering with other newspapers, magazines, and other online Web sites to appeal to a new audience.

According to Christophe Favre, executive vice president of sales and marketing for BreakingViews, "the new agreements will cover titles in the US, Canada and Australia and a national newspaper in the UK." This agreement means ending the partnership with the Wall Street Journal Europe and adding other companies such as Le Monde, El Pais, The National, La Stampa, and Singapore’s Business Times (journalism.co.uk).

This Web site will also be starting a new online site called BreakingViews Briefing, which will be a free news site that reports what has happened the day before. The public can then access the information without subscribing to the actual online site.

Another initiative this company is bringing is online news to Blackberries and other mobile devices. The company believes by expanding their news stories to mobile devices that they could lead the world with online newspapers.

This story presents a huge question: What will happen to print newspapers? Will they die out completely or chug along and attempt to gain speed?

With so many print newspapers converting to online Web sites, the newspaper industry cannot seem to keep up. Web sites, like BreakingViews.com, give financial news at the touch of a button, where print newspapers do not always write about stocks and financial news that happen each week.

Cell phones are another technological factor that are causing the newspaper business to dwindle. Most everyone has some kind of a mobile device, which can allow people to receive news even faster than the Internet.

Even though technology seems to be speeding up faster than newspapers can print a news story, many people are not complaining. If consumers are not happy with the rise of technology, they will need to voice their opinions, otherwise online newspapers will become the dominant force in newswriting.

Poor Hawkeye

Wednesday, September 10, 2008

By: Gabe Gilson

In the few short days before the big game, quarterback Jake Christiansen for the Iowa Hawkeyes is going to be somewhat newsworthy. The former starter for the Hawks recently lost the job to sophomore Rick Stanzi.

At least one person is taking it well. Christiansen said in a post-game interview how every fan had the right to do what they did.

Christiansen was booed big time last Saturday as the Hawks played Florida International. Even though the game was won 42-0 by the University of Iowa, Hawk fans still found it necessary to boo the college athlete. Christiansen said in a post-game interview how every fan had the right to do what they did.

Is this wrong?

Sean Keller of the Des Moines register sure had a problem with it. In his weekly column Monday, Keller said it was pretty horrible of the noblest of all noble fans to do such a thing to a college athlete.

Andy Fales of WHO-TV 13 had a differing opinion. Sunday on the weekly show Sports Soundoff, Fales gave his 2 cents worth saying how Iowa is giving Mr. Christiansen a free tuition to play football. Why does every fan not have a reason to do such a thing?

What Fales said I tend to agree with. However, as a noble Cyclone fan, I know that Ames would never boo their former starting quarterback no matter how horrible he was playing.

Magazines hurt by Web

By: Alex Jones

Yet another form of print media is being threatened by the shift in consumers from print media to online resources. Magazines are now feeling the move quite dramatically. Magazines like the National Enquirer that focus on celebrity gossip are really struggling with maintaining their newsstand sales.

Surfing the Web it is easy to see why this is the case. It is nearly impossible to access a Web site and not stumble upon some form of celebrity gossip. Let's be honest, if you can find the same stories, for free and be able to access them from the convenience of your home computer you're not going to spend the time and money to retrieve a print copy at the local supermarket.

This is just another example of print media's decline and the rise of online media. Although the magazines are trying desperately to save their print sales using whatever tactics they can like only giving consumers half the stories online; I think in the near future we will see that the Web will be the true victor.

Political Truth-o-Meter

By: Callie McBroom

I have just discovered a cool site that seems to do the impossible: look at both sides of politics with an unbiased eye. PolitiFact.com looks at both Republican and Democratic party comments. It even addresses rumor emails directed towards a certain politician.

The St. Petersburg Times of Florida and Congressional Quarterly of Washington, D.C. team up everyday to check out speeches, TV ads, interviews, and other campaign communications for not-so-honest claims. The goal is to help voters navigate the fine line between true and false.

Some of the features provided include the Attack File, the Truth-o-Meter, and the Flip-o-Meter. Each claim is labeled as True, Mostly True, Half True, Barely True or False. A special category entitled, "Pants on Fire" is reserved for the worse offenders.

As a voter who is concerned about making the right decision in November, I find the site to be useful. As a person tired of political attack ads and speeches that exaggerate claims, I find the site to be refreshing. I know that this will become a valuable source for me in the next two months.

Questions for Sarah Palin

By: Brian Steffen

Charlie Gibson of ABC News gets the first shot at interviewing hockey-mom-cum-vice-presidential hopeful Sarah Palin, with the pieces to air on Thursday and Friday nights. At Slate, media critic Jack Shafer has his list of suggested questions.

Tough questions, to be sure. Are they fair to ask, or do they show the dreaded lack of "respect and deference"?

I'm a Crackberry!

Tuesday, September 9, 2008

By: Sarah Harl

While spending part of my summer in Washington DC, and all of my down time from my summer camp job running around Manhatten's Upper East side, meshing into the world of Gossip Girl, I realized that if you didn't have a Blackberry or and iphone, you esentially had nothing.

Media outlets are recognizing this too. Major media outlets are looking for creative ways to take news on the go.

Writing is now more concise and direct then ever before, the headlines meant to stand out amid all the other things one can do on a cell phone these days.

Just as the media adapted to radio, television, and the internet, and blogs, journalists will conquer this new form of news gathering perhaps one day making it an artform, or something we learn about in class.

Journalists aressted outside Republican National Convention

By: Erin Floro

On September 5, 2008 at the Republican National Convention many reporters were arrested while trying to photograph the anti-war protestors. The St. Paul police told everyone to leave and no one did, even the reprters. This was in violation of the law, but they were just doing their job! The police didn't care who was who, everyone was getting sent to jail.

Nathan Weber, a photojurnalist was shooting pictures Monday and police threw him to the ground, beat him, and then arrested him. This is absurd, police could tell who was a journalist and who wasn't. Police used grenades, smoke, pepperspray, and tear gas on both reporters and protestors. A journalist stated "It's not hard to see who's media and who's not, even if you have two cameras, a tool belt, and a credential handing around your neck, it's pretty clear who's media and who's a protester." They confiscated many of the journalists equipment and personal belongings. I feel this was completely unnecessary

Reporters had dealt with covering the stories of the debates before, no one was as strict as in Minnesota, they had no tolerance for anyone there. Some of the major reporters there were photojournalists from the University of Kentucky and their student advsor, Associated Press journalist Matt Rourke, Twin Cities journalist, and many more. Sometimes journalists will do whatever it takes to get a story.

Small town papers

By Sarah Keller

Last May term I had the opportunity to shadow at the Overland Park Sun. I am sure you have never heard of it, that is because it is a small local newspaper from my home town in Kansas.

From my shadowing experience I was able to get a hands on experience with the reporters and hear what they had to say behind the scenes. One of the things the reporters told me was that they were trying to utilize the internet more, since that is what people are reading off of now. Unfortunatly if you go on to the Overland Park Sun's website, there is not a whole lot to look at. It is really boring, the best thing I have to say about their website is that they have a few pictures, and publish some of their articles online. If they really want readers to appriciate their website they should make it look better, and get more interactive with it. I could not even find the authors of the articles name anywhere in site.

Another thing that I was able to pick up from the reporters was that they felt as though no one took them seriously. They told me that their biggest competetion was The Kansas City Star, and if you know anything about the Kansas City star, you would know that you would not want to be up against them. The reporters from the Sun told me that they had to write far more articles than the reporters from The Star because they had less staff. They believed that The Star had far more time to make their articles sound better than the Sun. Unfortunatly the fact of the matter is that the public does not care how much time you have to write something, they care how it sounds. The public does not want to take the time to read an article that is poorly written.

When I looked at an article from The Suns website, about one of the high schools in my districts dance team I was bored. I wanted to hear something that would draw me in, but I could not seem to get interested. Even though I was against this dance team at several dance competitions in high shchool I still could not seem to care. The lead was poorly written, and there was nothing interesting in the story, and then on the same page with out any title they started a new article, it was confusing and not well prepared.

So though I loved the people at The Sun I do believe that they need to get caught up with the times, became more computer Savvy, and spend more time writing well sounding articles.

One man makes a team

By: Jessica Hamell

Reporters treat Tom Brady like a god. How will they react now that he is injured? The reporters first reacted by bashing the Pats They say that all hope is lost to return to the Super Bowl this year because their star QB is out of the season. Quarterbacks aren’t the only part to a team as long as the Patriots find an average replacement QB they should so just fine.

NFL.com says that Brady’s injury will shift the power in the AFC. Opponents expecting the New England Patriots to fall apart as a result of Tom Brady's season-ending knee injury would be wise to remember the last time the team had to turn to its backup quarterback.

The Denver Post says “Opponents expecting the New England Patriots to fall apart as a result of Tom Brady's season-ending knee injury would be wise to remember the last time the team had to turn to its backup quarterback.”

One person really doesn’t make a team. If the Patriots think that they can come out and still be successful without Brady and have confidence in the new QB then their season might end up just fine.

And the State steps in...

By: Jessica Hartgers

Iowan foster mother, Desiree Bosch, reportedly loses custody of her own son recently. A judge ruled the 12 year old boy's home to be un-fit for him to be living in, yet she is still able to house foster children whom are not blood related. The judge's reasoning for taking the boy from the home was because the son was experiencing extreme stress and mental health issues.

From the beginning of the story it seems to look as if the journalists were taking the side of the mother. At the start of the article it mainly talks about the mother's point of view; foster mother who keeps her house open for any struggling friend or child. However, as the story goes on more and more details arise. You soon find out that the son was abused physically and sexually by his live in roommates, this abuse caused numerous problems for the child.

This story bothers me because the foster mother should be a mother first, and think of her own child's well-being before she chooses to open her house up to foster children that she makes money off of from the government.

Find the arts

By Kellie Green

The Arts is something many of us, who are attending Simpson (a liberal arts school), know a lot about. The Arts is an area that many people focus on and enjoy. People daily go see plays, watch movies, go to a museum, write poetry, etc. Then why is it that The Arts section in newspapers seems to be hidden or completely not existing.

In going through The Des Moines Register in just a glance I can't even find the section focused on The Arts. At times there is a little section but nothing as big as the sports section or other popular selections. When reading The New York Times they at least have an Arts section but it is usually way in the back and hard to find.

The Arts section should not be hidden. It affects people everyday. Going through The Arts section today, on the New York Times website, I found out about the closing of Rent, a Broadway show that has been going on since 1996. When I went to find this out, on the web, I had to search for The Arts section because it was hidden off to the side.

The Arts may not be something that everyone is crazy about but it shouldn't be taken as something not important. The Arts should be compared to sections like sports. Both of these areas may not be for everyone but I am sure there are many people out there that spend their time focused on these areas.

Respect and deference

By: Brian Steffen

After my rant in class yesterday about why Republicans seem to feel that they get the shaft from the press more than Democrats think they get (although they think they get it plenty), we find a John McCain aide explaining the same idea when he expounds the campaign's philosophy on how it will permit Sarah Palin to interact with the media.

"Why would we want to want to throw Sarah Palin into a cycle of piranhas called the news media that have nothing better to ask questions about than her personal life and her children?" campaign manager Rick Davis asked the Washington Post yesterday. "Until we feel like the news media is going to treat with some level of respect and deference, I think it would be foolhardy to put her out into that kind of environment." (Emphasis mine.)

The respect-and-deference card is a great one to play if your goal is to energize your base by stoking resentment against the press as one of those snotty "elitist" groups. It's a tried-and-true campaign strategy. And the sad thing is that it works.

What's the veep hopeful's take on oil independence? If you're a journalist, don't ask too probing of a question, because it shows your bias.

How about Iraq? Don't be so unpatriotic as to question what the candidate has called a "task from God."

How about her membership in a church that considers her efforts to expand Alaska pipeline to be an expression of God's will? You must really hate ordinary people to ask questions of such temerity.

Winston Churchill put it best a long while ago: "The best argument against democracy is a five-minute conversation with the average voter." When journalists are told to sit down and be quiet and let the pros take over — and a large swath of the voting public agrees — then we're in trouble.

Male reporters may be the issue

Monday, September 8, 2008

By: Sara Crouse

Historically, male reporters have been significantly more prominent in numbers than female reporters. This trend has continued into the 21st Century, but seems to be progressing slightly towards an even ratio. America can still feel the trend prominently though in political coverage. John McCain’s sudden refusal to appear on the Larry King Live show may be a direct effect of male reporters in action.

The media coverage of John McCain’s choice to for Vice President has been focused largely on issues of children and the woman’s role in society. Why are these two topics on the mind of reporters and journalists alike? There has been quite the controversy and many questions asked of Sarah Palin that would be nowhere in an interview with a male candidate. Perhaps male reporters are fascinated with Sarah Palin, and believe her family life is far more important than her voting record as Governor.

The increasing questioning and reporting of Palin proves no different than the coverage of Hillary Clinton during her campaign. The issues important in Clinton’s agenda were often pushed aside by the media. Voting records and ideology were not needed to discuss the first female front-runner in the race for the presidency. Reporters were concerned with Clinton’s female tendencies such as tearing up on stage or the ‘Sisterhood of the Traveling Pantsuits.’

Have reporters gone soft with male concerns of the emerging female presidential hopefuls? Has the public gone soft with the issues important in the ’08 Election? Have the large numbers of male reporters chosen to cover these stories on seemingly unaccepting views of women politicians for a reason. Perhaps female reporters should step out and focus on what has been a bad year for feminism.

Media hurting media

By: Shauna Agan

With Sarah Palin’s first nationally televised interview since being named as John McCain’s vice presidential mate coming up, many people wonder what questions will be asked and how well Palin will respond. Word on the street is that ABC News is going to come down hard on Palin in the near-future interview.

Since Palin became a nationally known name a littler over a week ago, the media has done little to praise her, leaving many headlines to do quite the opposite. Many attacks and accusations have been made about her and her family, some true, but some false.

The media has attacked her daughter, Bristol Palin, for being 17, unmarried, and pregnant. The media has also accused Bristol Palin of being the real mother of Sarah Palin’s infant son with Down’s syndrome. Sarah Palin has also been accused by the media of being too inexperienced, and since she came into the national radar, the media has done nothing but try to dig up as much dirt as possible about activities she has taken part of that some may refer to as ‘shady’.

Leave no doubt though; Palin was prepared to fire right back. At the Republican National Convention during Palin’s speech last week, she sent out a message, “here’s a little newsflash for all those reporters and commentators: I’m not going to Washington to seek [your] good opinion”.

Palin isn’t the only one in the McCain campaign standing up to the media. Rick Davis, McCain’s campaign manager said, “Why would we want to throw Sarah Palin into a cycle of piranhas called the news media [?]”. He added that she wouldn’t do an interview until the media gave her some respect.

The question that must be asked now is: Does media come down too harshly? Do they push too hard trying to draw public interest, but in result create an affect of actually pushing away the target of the criticism, which ultimately hurts other media?

The media was not nice to Palin. It made her not even want to conduct an interview. If the media does not treat her fairly, there is no reason she should play along with its games.

Palin is not the only person in this situation. Virtually all public figures must sensor what they say because the media is too harsh. If public figures even word one thing wrong, it is definitely the headline in the next day’s paper. And, of course, the story about it includes the media’s spin on the situation.

I believe the media is only hurting them self by running multiple criticizing articles. There must be some way to deliver a story without constantly bashing the individual the story is about. If the situation continues, nobody will want to be interviewed because the media will say what they want anyways.

Be safe out there

By: Quinn Albrecht

After my last blog, encouraging people to make news happen, I came across a story that refutes my statement. I found an article about the journalists in Minnesota that got caught up in an out of control protest, at the Republican National Convention.

The journalists were reporting on this protest, and everything was okay. The problems started when the permit the protesters had, expired. Even though it expired, they still wished to protest. In the end quite a few protesters dispersed away, but a few stuck in there and created problems.

Being good journalist, they stuck around, waiting for a good story. Little did they know they were going to become the news story of the evening.

The protesters where corralled onto a bridge, with the journalists. When the journalist tried to leave, they were not allowed. The journalists were given tickets for being a part of the protest.

In the end, I found that making a news story happen can sometimes be a good thing, but other times you could end up with a hefty fine to pay. So when looking for a news story, play it safe and attack China’s government, not your own.

Trimming down student newspapers

By Austin Bates

Recently, The Daily Orange and The Daily Californian both announced that they would be cutting a day from their daily prints. Now, this would be pretty eye-opening if this were a national, commercial paper, but these two papers are student run from the University of California and Syracuse University, respectively. So, with falling revenues for all newspapers, big, small, and student run, one can't be too shocked about these "lay-offs".

Still, these are student run papers, and I'm sure the students running these papers were less than happy about this decision. Obviously, a paper printing operation has to have money to print, and if it's not there, then you can't print, but the fact that a school created paper would suffer from the problems that should affect only commercial operations is sad. Afterall, these are papers that are meant to be a sort of practice run for students seeking to enter into professional, commercial journalism, or possibly into a business related career. If the paper had to be cut all together, students would lose out on an invaluable experience that really couldn't be had effectively in any other way.

I would hope such a fate would never befall the Simpsonian, and if there was danger of such a thing, I would suggest the paper be buttressed with public voluntary funds, or other non-commercial means. I would hate to see what's supposed to be a mostly educational experience turn into a nitty-gritty, money grabbing operation just to stay afloat, and personally if it did come to that, I would almost prefer the paper to just be put out of its misery. Working with the Simpsonian, even for just one article so far, I can say the experience really has been unmatched by anything else so far, and is invaluable in learning how to write actual news stories for an actual newspaper. I believe it should be the school's responsibility to ensure such an experience remains intact and available for all future generations of students.

Google-paper

By:Adrian Aitken

Have you ever missed a newspaper one day, attempt to look at the publisher's website and find either shortened versions of stories or different coverage? Or maybe you would like to look up a historical newspaper story from across the country? Well the solution has arrived!

Google has just informed the public of its new newspaper archive program. The system will work just like the original Google search engine, but specific to newspapers. Viewers will be able to see the actual newspaper as is on the Internet and although at the moment only a handful of publishers are signed on, the team at Google is working to expand their network from large dailies to small monthlies. At this time Google has commented that this service will not be entirely free and gave no details on the cost.This might be the change newspaper publishers need to move with today's technology.

Technology ultimately helping new branches of journalism

By: Taylor Browning

It is commonly known that the Internet is hurting the newspaper business by providing instant news continually throughout the day. The Internet however, is also helping many entrepreneur journalist get a huge leap into their aspired careers as well as sparking many new journalism outlets.

An Entrepreneurial Journalism class taught by Jeff Jarvis at the City University of New York's new Journalism School covers the opportunities the Internet provides many aspiring Journalist, outside the world of blogging. Many online versions of magazines and newspapers use the Internet to spread their awareness and advertising, gaining money through organizations and online subscriptions in hopes of making it into print media.

So while the Internet makes everyone a journalist through blogging and such, those further seeking a career in journalism are getting a boost into the field. As one era started without technology is somewhat diminishing, a new wave of entrepreneurs are emerging in journalism as technology continues to grow.

Good advice from a 2008 journalism grad

By: Brian Steffen

We've been spending a lot of time in the first few BNR sessions in talking about the skills today's journalism students need to have. It's a scary time, but — as many have pointed out — there are opportunities for those who are willing to innovate, take risks and stay on top of the business.

Now comes this advice from Nick Rosinia, a 2008 graduate of the University of Florida, who's in his first job at MLB.com, the Web site that covers major league baseball. (Pretty cool job for those interested in sports, don't you think?)

Rosinia, by his own admission, isn't a tech geek, but he does have the basics down, and he's using that to remain competitive in a highly competitive work environment. It's great advice from someone who was sitting in a chair like yours not too long ago.

It is not just about right now

By: Lexie Hagerty

A majority of what we consider journalism today has interest, impact and immediacy. I believe the first two to be true, but information can still make an impact and have interest without immediacy.

American Journalism Review published an article about noticting the small, yet interesting stories out there that most journalists are too busy to find. The article focused on a story about the use of a semicolon in a subway sign.

Correct punctuation is usually not that interesting. In this case, however, the AJR reporter found his angle and went with it creating an entertaining story.

I find that this reporter can be a motivation for all journalists. It is not always about what is going on today, but what could help and interest the readers of today.

The money issue

By: Katie Anthony

Money seems to be the trouble maker across the nation right now. However, I personally, wouldn't have ever considered money to be the reason for the decreasing quality of journalistic work.

The State of the News Media took a poll of over 500 journalists in regards to their largest worries when it comes to the state of their career, and 55% of national journalists said that business and financial are is the highest up on their list of concerns.

The list of concerns ranged from business and financial, all the way to the lowest scoring concern, which was ethics and standards. In my opinion, there in lies the problem.

Tom Rosenstiel and Amy Mitchell that work on the Project for Excellence in Journalism, state the the "money concern" has begun to impact the quality of work. "As financial concerns have risen, few journalists cite the quality of coverage and the loss of credibility with the public as the most important problems facing journalism," says Mitchell and Rosenstiel.

So, how can we go about fixing this problem? So many journalists seem to be focused on this specific problem, but no one has yet proposed an idea to attempt to reverse the growing financial problem.

Who's going to "take the plunge," as I stated in my first blog, to begin to fix this ever-growing financial crisis for the journalists? Better yet, who's to blame?

Palin's Media Overkill

By: Pat Tierney

In every political campaign, there always seems to be media hype. However, in this 2008 presidential election, there seems to be more than ever. Since the announcement of Sen. John McCain's running mate, Sarah Palin, there has been a media frenzy over every detail of her life. Even details that some may say don't even justify as news.

Just a few days after the official announcement was made, the media broke what they claim to be an important story, that Palin's 17 year old daughter is 5 months pregnant. This story was leaping of the covers of magazines and front pages all across the country with headlines such as "Babies, Lies, and Scandals." Many outlets tried tying Palin's own newborn to her daughter and others torn the new vice president candidate apart for her daughters mistake.

In a historic election such as this, is it important to look at things such as the candidates children or perhaps the candidates wardrobe style? CNN.com had a link on their front page entitled "Sarah Palin's Style." This linked directly to a video clip over 7 minutes long, discussing the way the new candidate dresses.

The country depends on information from media outlets, in order to make an informed decision in November. This puts the responsibility on media outlets, to convey clear news, that matters, to the consumer. Some may say that Sarah Palin's style may directly effect the way she helps lead this country, but in the grand scheme of things, there are a few bigger issues to tackle than family drama and a wardrobe change.

Breaking news in Dallas County

Sunday, September 7, 2008

By: Sara Crouse

High school students have a tendency to resist all things law enforcement related. Whether it’s because they are breaking the law or just feel the cops are particularly too noisy, teenagers seem to avoid law enforcement. Just how do the cops get young adults to speak about the things corrupting today’s youth?

Law enforcement officials are required to seek out breaking news and investigate, much like reporters. However, it is difficult for law enforcement to know all the goes on in a city, especially the hidden activities of youth. Yet, officials may have found a new reporting tactic, a technique known very well to high school students, called text messaging.

High school students in Dallas County, Iowa now have the option to send a text message to an anonymous hot line about issues like underage age drinking and partying. The technique has proven helpful in many other counties and states across the country. Dallas County still has yet to receive its first text message about illegal activities, but they hope the new technique will be less evasive than phone calls to report.

It seems that anonymous text messages to the police about the illegal doings of your neighbors may tend to be a bit far fetched, but this is the 21st Century. Privacy is little and hard to find in American. Next we may be convicting crimes based on text message responses, but that is a whole different issue in itself.

Sarah Palin, not a top notch journalist

By: Erin Floro

John McCain chose Governor Sarah Palin as his running mate in the election. She graduated from North Idaho College with a Journalism degree. Funny though, no one has ever heard of her. When reporters went back to the 5 colleges she had attended no one remembered her and no one thought she was a stand out student. Furthermore, she hasn't presented herself as either a good journalist or a promising vice presidential candidate. Her choice not to take journalist questions or voluntary media contact at all allows the public to make their own answer and reaffirms what they already thought about her. It is the same as answering a question with "No comment" and she as a journalist should know that.

Guilty!

By: Shauna Agan

One of the major headlines in the media is about missing 3 year old Caylee Anthony. Although she has been missing since July, issues surrounding this case still make front pages and national news.

With all the media interest and allegations that the mother, Casey Anthony, was the person who killed her daughter, it brings a flashback to another high-profile case a decade ago. In many ways this case can be compared to JonBenet Ramsey’s murder in 1996.

In this particular case, the media went in search of evidence when the police wouldn’t give them what they wanted. From the beginning it was assumed that the parents, John and Patsy Ramsey were guilty of killing their daughter. Suggestive allegations like the parents would rather talk to the media rather than the police, there was indeed to footprints leading to the house and no forced entry, and that the Ramseys sexually assaulted their daughter drew in readers and boosted ratings for the media networks.

After a long, grueling investigation, both John and Patsy Ramsey were proven innocent. So, the question raised was did the media embellish facts and take things too far? I mean after all, there were many inaccuracies in the media reports and also because of headlines, the parents were wrongfully accused. To this day, I couldn’t remember if they were proven guilty or innocent until I conducted a Google search on the case. The media left a lasting impression on me that they were guilty when in fact they were innocent.

The media is now showing suggestive headlines about how Caylee Anthony’s mother, Casey is the murderer in this murder mystery. Sound familiar?

The media has a duty to report the facts and portray important stories to the public in a true fashion. Suggesting evidence and pointing fingers at suspects is not part of their job descriptions. It misleads the audience. Although the suspect might actually turn out to be guilty, in our democracy, people are supposed to be innocent until proven guilty, but the media sometimes jumps the gun straight to a guilty verdict creating a bandwagon for the public to join.

I believe it should be said who suspects are, but suggestive wording and misleading stories should not be used. The way things are now, suspects might as well wear a giant ‘M’ on their shirts for ‘murderer’ just as Hester wore an ‘A’ for ‘adulterer’ in Nathaniel Hawthorne’s novel “The Scarlet Letter”.

US Magazine's Politics

By: Sarah Harl

It may have come as quite a surprise to writers at the popular gossip magazine US Magazine that their cover featuring Vice-Presidential candidate Sarah Palin generated so much controversy. The cover features Palin and newborn son, while the bright yellow headline proclaims "Babies, Lies & Scandal". Not only did the cover provoke a record number of comments on the magazine's website, but it also incited outrage when compared to the magazine's cover featuring Democratic nominee Barak Obama and his wife Michelle. While the cover featuring the Obama's talks about how Michelle shops at Target, watches Sex and the City, and why her husband loves her so much, the Palin cover, however, showcases her young daughter's pregnancy, and new and embarrassing surprises about the governor's family.

Now, to say that US Magazine is known for it's political reporting, would be naive, at best. It's encouraging to see that a magazine that normally covers Britney or Brad and Angelina would feature both parties major political parties candidates. However, if this magazine is going to continue to report on political issues and candidates, it is imperative that they focus on reporting that is more factual, truthful, and tactful than what they have shown with the differences in these two articles. In no way should the Palin article have talked about new and embarrassing stories about Ms. Palin's family. They are not the Osbourne's with a television show making their lives available to public scrutiny. I understand they assume some of this now with their mother running for vice president, but they should be subject to the same treatment as the Obama children, and this clearly is untrue in the case of the US covers.

I understand that US is new to the world of politics, but hopefully through this completely classless display of biased political opinion, the magazine will realize that readers want and deserve the facts presented in a tactful and respectful way, and attacking a teenager who made a mistake and a baby with down syndrome is a shameless way to sell magazines.

News Immediacy: Helping or Hurting

By: Christina Woldt

This Sunday evening, I finally had a moment to sit down and watch some educational television. I turned to MTV to watch the Video Music Awards (VMA’s.) The pre-show of the VMA’s promptly started at 7:00 p.m. central time. I watched all of the celebrities and musicians walk down the red carpet in their flashy suits and dresses. After about 30 minutes of the program I proceeded to check my e-mail and log on-to MSN to check up on the latest news. On the front page contained the headline,"Looks from the Red Carpet." I was literally watching these stars come down the red carpet at the VMA’S as I was browsing through pictures of them on the red carpet” at the VMA’s at the same time! Now that’s what I call IMMEDIATE! Now, of course these are just uploaded photos and bylines, it’s not necessarily a lengthy researched article that makes the New York Times front-page news. But, the saying “News travels fast” could never be more true in today’s journalism. I understand how photos and bylines are easy to post on the web in seconds but, what about when it is news that really effects us, like the number of death’s a tornado caused or facts of a local school shooting. These stories need to be accurate as well as immediate. The problem with this is that journalists are so focused on getting their story out that they neglect to check the facts in their story. I’d rather wait another hour for important news that is accurate than get my news right away that may have false information. I understand some journalists make mistakes in their articles but I also strongly feel that it should be more important to write accurate articles than to turn in an article before all the other journalists that may contain the wrong information.

He Kexin

By: Quinn Albrecht

Let’s take a trip back to August 2008. I know, who cares about the news from so long ago? This was so stunning and amazing that I had to write about it. Think back to the gymnastics performances. How can some of those athletes be 16?

To participate in the Olympics you must meet a minimum age requirement of 16. All through the Olympics there have been discrepancies of some of the Chinese girl’s ages. The whole time it was just speculation but they proved their age with passports to the IOC.

One person, Stryde Hax, seemed to think that the Chinese were not telling the whole truth with their ID’s. So he did a little research, and found that He Kexin’s name had been removed from the search source Google. He then searched an engine from China. This yielded a list of names that competed in the Olympics, and they had He Kexin listed at some 14 years of age, need I remind you, is well below the proper age of an Olympian.

This man has blogged, on the Blogger website mind you, about this issue for quite a long time. Once he found some evidence the media picked up on the issue as well. The New York Daily News picked up on the story. This then caused the IOC to do some research on the ages of five young women.

This brings me to my point. Don’t sit back and watch the news happen. Go out and make the news happen. This very site was the cause of the International Olympic Committee to do research on the proper ages of the women. With a bit of work and determination you can make a difference in the world of news.

New Website Demotix is Launched

By: Allison McNeal

Calling all journalists! A new outlet has opened for journalists, who are either just starting their career or those who are professionals, on the Internet.

This new Website, called Demotix, allows citizens to submit news videos and images, and in turn, these individuals get paid for their news stories from other organizations that want that particular story.

In all cases, individuals get paid 70 percent for each photograph or video image. Demotix.com also states that non-exclusive rights for a photograph could be sold at $80 to $1,600 and a video $500-$600 per minute. Exclusive rights for a image or video could be sold for $100,000.

This Website almost sounds too good to be true, which is exactly what the two founders, Turi Munthe and Jonathan Tepper, want to convey. According to journalism.co.uk, these men want "to give freelance journalists the opportunity to showcase their work and forge links with mainstream media." They also want this Website to become the place for citizens to turn to get their news.

Vivian Norris de Montaigu, who has a PhD in Cinema Studes and has studied Globalization and Media, voiced her opinion about the lack of news that was being reported in the United States and felt that citizen journalism needed a boost away from companies that reported stories just for profits. She met with Turi Munthe in London and believes this Website could break barriers for citizen journalists.

Demotix.com could be the answer that many individuals are looking for. Journalists all around the globe could profit from this inventive site as well, including our Beginning Newswriting and Reporting class. It is very important to know what is going on the in the world and how to be well-informed journalists. It seems like this Website could help give students a starting point and improve their journalism skills.

I believe that this Website could become a huge sucess for citizen journalists. Demotix allows individuals to showcase their pictures and video clips of a news story, which gives them experience and recognition for their work. The site goes to show that citizens are a very important part of news and that executives are not the only ones that have a say in society.

In the meantime, citizens will hopefully watch and see how this Website continues to grow and prosper in the coming months and years to come.

Private Life Vs. News Story

By: Jessica Hamell

Should Sarah Palin’s personal life be kept out of the news? She is the republican candidate for Vice Presidents is anything really meant to be kept under wraps if your name is in such high standings? Although this story sparks great debate topics on Sarah Palin’s political views such as teaching kids abstinence instead of “sex ed.” the present day journalists are treading a fine line on what is ethically the right choice.

If Palin really didn’t want everyone to know her daughter was pregnant she would have left her at home instead of taking her to the republican convention. It was 100% Sarah Palin’s choice to make this into such the big deal that it has become. This should be a private matter just for the family and close friends to know about but the choice was made and Palin accepted opening up her private life to the public eye. I do feel sorry for the young girl but once the election is over and everything calms down her life will go back to being close to normal and this story will be forgotten about.

All around this wasn’t a choice that Sarah Palin made it was a choice that Bristol Palin made and although I know it will happen, Sarah Palin will be criticized and examined for this choice and it could either help or hurt John Mccain’s campaign. So I guess in the end we will find out if John Mccain and Sarah Palin made the right choice by making this such a big news story.

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