Ted cruises past Donald in Wisconsin

Posted on April 8, 2016 by Jean-Paul Aguirre

By JEAN-PAUL AGUIRRE

This week, once again, the presidential election has encompassed our lives and the lives of the new media as the Wisconsin Republican primaries were this week.

The results came as somewhat of a surprise, Ted Cruz beat Donald Trump, and now all the pundits are getting ready for a contested election on the Republican side.

All the news media are calling this one of the worst, if not the worst, weeks Trump has seen since entering the election. This all come of the heels of him posting a picture comparing his wife to Ted Cruz’s wife and which of the two was better looking.

Anytime that Trump loses something it is becoming newsworthy, and I do not necessarily have a problem with it.

Social media can be the greatest gift if used for the right reason or for the right cause. If you are trying to spread the word out or disseminate important information nowadays, Twitter and Facebook are the way to go.

However, social media can be one of the greatest curses, too. It only takes one miss-step or bad re-Tweet to derail everything you had been working to up to that point.

My quarrel with the news media is that I have seen more coverage about how this loss affects Trump’s plans and the steps he is taking in case it gets to a contested convention.

I would like to see a more in-depth look at the different scenarios and what each candidate would have to do in order to win. When they mention they seem to sweep it under the rug, especially when the news media talks about John Kasich.

I also would like to know more about what the Republican Party plans to do if they get the contested convention they have been hoping for and whether it will affect Trump’s chances of becoming the party’s nominee.

The article you shouldn’t miss

Posted on April 8, 2016 by Roxanne Yu

By ROXANNE YU

You can easily tell the difference between a well-written food article from one that is poorly composed. It’s not enough for the photos on the screen to make your mouth water.

“Eat like a local: 10 Chinese dishes you can’t miss in Xi’an.” It’s not hard to agree that seeing an article like on CNN will just make you want to scroll down. Knowing the Chinese, who have a reputation of eating all sorts things, dogs, chicken feet, turtle soup — you name it, the article doesn’t seem too appealing.

Not everyone can write about food. It’s one thing for a photographer to take a photo of an appetizing meal and allow the picture speak for itself, but it’s a completely different undertaking for a writer to transcribe the smell, taste and savory of the dish by making it seem as though it’s right before the reader’s eyes.

As disappointing as the title may sound, the content surely made up for the mundane nature of the headline. Even before the lead comes to the reader’s view, there are 10 pictures that set the tone of the article. There was nothing too exotic that could be outside the range of an American who has only ever come close to Chinese food by means of ordering from the nearest Panda Express.

The lead immediately catches the attention of the readers. The writer, Shen Lu, opens with the statement, “The Terracotta Army may be the most famous landmark in the central Chinese city of Xi’an, but the Shaanxi capital’s array of noodles, breads and dumplings are the tastiest way to be transported back to ancient China.” The tone is engaging, and the message captivating.

As Lu proceeds with her article, she lists one local delicacy at a time, describing what the food is made of, how it will be served and eaten, and she also includes the address of where it is best served at. If there happens to be contact information of the restaurant, she does not fail to list it too.

I’ve tried to save the best for last — the food (and juice) that she has included in her list of 10. Among the few things that are part of the list are Xi’an meat burger, soupy dumpling, cold noodles and pomegranate juice. In order to cater to the American audience, she carefully describes how a certain delicacy is similar to a specific American-made food. She also inserts the Pinyin (system of writing Mandarin Chinese using the Latin alphabet) translation of the dishes.

The article is written with colloquial language to keep the readers engaged. Lu also managed to keep the description written under every dish short, but informative. To cap it all off, how can the article get any worse to know that all the dishes are affordable and easily accessible (in China, of course!).

Slimane breaks up with Saint Laurent

Posted on April 7, 2016 by Grace Bernard

By GRACE BERNARD

Hedi Slimane showed relationships really are messy for everyone after mega-fashion house Saint Lauren announced that he’s stepping down as image and creative director.

The house released a press release last Friday stating “at the end of a four-year mission, which has led to the complete repositioning of the brand, the Maison Yves Saint Laurent announces the departure of Hedi Slimane.”

On Monday, the brand’s Instagram made a drastic decision and purged itself of all things Slimane. The designer often posted pictures of everything from high-profile models in Saint Laurent clothing to palm trees branded with the Saint Laurent logo.

The rocky break-up comes as no surprise to fashion followers. Slimane’s long been in the face of controversy during his four-year relationship with the house. Rumors about his departure have been circulating all year.

Slimane time there was host to several milestones. He doubled Saint Laurent’s revenues to $787 million and completely relaunched the house’s identity.

Once known as Yves Saint Laurent, Slimane created a much more wearable brand. While this is what accounts for the brand’s huge revenue increase, it was the cause of widespread criticism of his supposed lack of originality.

The new Saint Laurent Instagram solely featuring a picture of Vacarello.

The brand took to Instagram yet again to issue another blow to Slimane by reclaiming the acronym “YSL” in their bio. This outright reverses Slimane’s decision to drop the “Yves” from the label’s name.

As reproach for the fashion industry’s use of frail models increases, Slimane always stayed true to himself and worked almost exclusively with rail thin men and women. This decision was disapproved by many and contributed to his controversy.

While this relationship and subsequent breakup has certainly been tumultuous, it likely will sizzle out soon. Slimane has remained characteristically private throughout the entire ordeal.

The next big story out of Saint Laurent will center around where the house’s new creative director, Anthony Vacarello, will take the brand.

No more social justice on Snapchat

Posted on April 7, 2016 by Etty Grossman

By ETTY GROSSMAN

You’ve probably heard about Snapchat but, for those who haven’t, it is a popular mobile app that allows you to send costumed videos and pictures, which will be self-destructed after a maximum of 10 seconds after the recipient opens it.

Snapchat is mostly a hit among teenagers though it is catching on and embracing new demographics every day. Updates are added to the application frequently in order to improve it and attract all type of publics.

In an attempt to draw more users, on January 2015, Snapchat launched a big project: “Snapchat Discover.” A new way to explore stories from different editorial teams who build storytelling formats that put the narrative first.

Fusion, a television cable, and satellite Hispanic news channel were part of Discover. For me it was the perfect fit, sadly, for some others it wasn’t.

Fusion gears its programming less towards the constant coverage of breaking news, instead, it emphasizes in context and analysis on news and issues, along with interviews, documentaries and long-form reports on current events, lifestyle and pop culture.

In a platform full of highly recognized media channels, such as CNN, ESPN, Vice, National Geographic, MTV, just to name a few; Fusion served as a door to social justice. A topic that is rarely portrayed, because when it is, it tends to be annoyingly slanted.

Fusion addressed its topics in a very sincere and real way, its writers had a very personal tone when writing, which let the readers connect with what was been told.

They knew when to talk about politics and selected only the most newsworthy breaking news when it was necessary.

Even though it did a great job with content and graphics, on April 1, the Fusion bubble disappeared from Snapchat.

Now every Discover Fusion reader is asking the same thing. If Snapchat built Discover for creatives, why did they take out Fusion without any announcement? Why do they left a platform full of the same news we are bombarded with every day?

Terror war: Florida soldiers get orders

Posted on April 7, 2016 by Maria Luiza Lago

By MARIA LUIZA LAGO

An article in The Miami Herald indicated that 700 soldiers from the Florida National Guard are going to the Horn of Africa to be part of the U.S. military operations against extremists organizations. The article has much to offer in the matter of informing readers about what’s going on, but it does not go deeper on the matter of what this means to Florida or to the U.S military.

The article could focus on the soldiers that are going there; their stories, what they are expecting from this operation, whether they think it is a valuable cause or if they should first defend their own homes to then defend other countries.

The text is really straight-forward, there are other details about other U.S operations across Afghanistan and the Horn of Africa, but that is the deepest the article would go into.

There could be interviews with the former chief of the Florida National Guard or whoever is guiding this troops, because they are representing Florida and I think they should have a say on what will be our part on the mission and whether it will help the situation in Africa or not.

Other additional information like the terrorism that happens in the United States or even the extremists groups that surround the state of Florida (if there’s any) or around the nation could be cited, because readers might wonder why they are sending Floridians soldiers all the way to Africa instead of resolving their problems locally first.

The article describes basic information of the event, it focuses more on the military operation itself and on Florida National Guard, but it could be more explored in other aspects.

Villanova was a surprise winner

Posted on April 7, 2016 by Wyatt Geller

By WYATT GELLER

The most talented college basketball team will always seem to have an advantage over its opponents. That is what North Carolina had where it would outplay its opponents in the post led by senior Brice Johnson and play ferocious perimeter defense led by senior Marcus Paige.

However, on any given night, even the best team can be beaten by an underdog if it is in top form.

Villanova accomplished that Monday night on the biggest stage to capture its second national championship over UNC, 77-74, thanks to buzzer beater three-pointer by Kris Jenkins that will go down as one of the greatest shots in NCAA tournament history.

Many fans underestimated this team despite being ranked No. 1 in the country for part of the season.

Many teams such as Pitt, Syracuse, Norte Dame and Louisville left the Big East Conference over the past few years for the ACC that appeared to make the Big East only a mid-major conference with somewhat competitive teams. The games against Xavier, Seton Hall, Georgetown and Providence tested the Wildcats throughout the regular season and Big East Tournament play.

Senior guard Ryan Arcidiacono along with other underrated stars played together and cruised through their first three tournament games. They did shooting a high field goal percentage.

After a narrow victory over Kansas in the Elite Eight, the Wildcats dismantled superstar Buddy Hield and the Oklahoma Sooners using large scoring runs in the 2nd half to blow them out 95-51.

Despite being out rebounded 33-23 to UNC in the final, Villanova shot 58.3 percent from the field compared to Carolina’s 42.9 percent, according to NCAA.com.

Villanova came to play and it did not look back.

CNN explains the Panama Papers

Posted on April 6, 2016 by Kate Hovan

By KATIE HOVAN

The International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ) leaked several documents Sunday citing illegal activity of an offshore Panamanian law firm called Mossack Fonseca. The papers are being referred to as the “Panama Papers” and allegedly exposes a tax haven used by some of the world’s wealthiest and most well-known individuals

Several current and former public officials have come under fire following the leak after the papers exposed their ties to the firm. Russian President Vladimir Putin and the prime minister of Iceland are two political leaders involved in the scandal.

The firm itself quickly responded to the papers shortly after their release, noting that the information is “inaccurate.”

While the investigation is still ongoing, CNN News Desk editor Jethro Mullen published “The Panama Papers: 7 things to know” to the site on Monday.

Over the years, I’ve seen several crash-course articles similar to Mullen’s on the CNN website and, at first, these types of articles struck me as unprofessional. The titles sound similar to articles posted on blogs or news and entertainment sites like Buzzfeed. Over time, however, I learned to appreciate this type of reporting.

Whenever I’m struggling to understand the details of a complex news story, I tend to look for articles similar to Mullen’s to break down the information piece by piece.

The average American does not have an extensive background in every subject that makes news. Breaking down the background of a story and its general information is a great way to help people understand a variety of important topics.

Though these stories may defy the standard inverted pyramid formula of news writing, I find them to be the most effective way to convey multifaceted stories to the general public. In retrospect, I probably would not have been able to right the first portion of this article without Mullen’s reporting.

Kesha says she was offered ‘freedom’

Posted on April 6, 2016 by Melissa Cabral

By MELISSA CABAL

In an Instagram post shared Sunday, singer Kesha says she was proposed a deal to gain her “freedom” only if she issued a public apology and retracted her accusations of sexual assault against Dr. Luke.

The pop singer first sued her former producer back in 2014 for battery and sexual assault and is seeking to cut off all contractual ties with him.

In response, Dr. Luke filed a countersuit and called her allegations “defamatory.” In his own words, he said he “didn’t rape Kesha” and “had never had sex with her.”

In the Instagram post she says, “I got offered my freedom IF i were to lie. I would have to APOLOGIZE publicly and say that I never got raped.”

“THIS IS WHAT HAPPENS behind closed doors. I will not take back the TRUTH. I would rather let the truth ruin my career than lie for a monster ever again.”

In February, a New York judge denied her bid for a preliminary injunction that would allow the singer to record music outside of her contract.

The news of the judge’s denial spread quickly which led the public and even celebrities like Demi Lovato and Taylor Swift to reach out to the singer in support.

As of now, her legal battle continues as she refuses to release music for the label until the contract is broken off.

Ugly truth about rise in sea levels

Posted on April 1, 2016 by Breana Ross

By BREANA ROSS

The idea that sea levels are rapidly rising and eventually will engulf most of the land that we call home is not exactly the most uplifting topic. Most people find the topic rather disheartening.

It’s one of those “what you don’t know won’t hurt you” topics. Yes, the truth can be disappointing but it is the job of the news media to tell readers what they need to know, even if it may not be what they want to know.

New findings about the dangers and speed of sea level rise were published this week. Reports revealed that melting ice in Antarctica could cause sea levels to rise by one meter, or three feet, within the next century. Factoring in melting ice all around the world, sea levels could rise five to six feet by the end of the century, making some areas impossible to live on.

So what makes this newsworthy? Why does the news media feel that readers and viewers should be aware of rising sea levels expected to occur in a century when we will all surely be dead by then?

The answer is simple. We, as humans, are the ones contributing to this problem. It is a domino effect. Every time we do something that harms the environment, we are contributing to the emission of heat trapping gases into the environment, thus contributing to the greater issue of climate change. As temperatures rise, so do sea levels.

The news media present us with this information to show the effects of our actions. Though we may not be alive to see and experience the effects of rising sea levels, the next generations will be. Our actions today are affecting how others will live in the future. Although rising sea levels seems to be a distant phenomenon that we do not want to think about, it is something we need to think about.

Hyzagi strikes at publishers, editors

Posted on April 1, 2016 by Mia Pollack

By MIA POLLACK

This week’s fashion story has gone viral.

You’d never think a fashion industry insider would rip his peers to shreds, let alone publicly, but this week, one did.

The now deemed “blacklisted freelancer,” Jacques Hyzagi did the unthinkable; he went on a tirade, going after the publishers and editors that put his eloquent stories in their magazines, in a now viral story published by the Observer on Thursday.

He went after any major fashion publication you can think of, Vogue, The Atlantic, GQ, New York, but the most important one of all is Elle. Hyzagi described in his 4,000-word piece what it was like to work at a fashion magazine through a story in which he snagged an interview with the notoriously shy Comme Des Garcons designer, Rei Kawakubo. (Hyzagi calls her the “Bob Dylan of the fashion industry…”).

In the article, Hyzagi explains that the sought after meeting with the Japanese designer was called on and off within such a short time span, that he describes his thought so perfectly, you can imagine it yourself: “You would think that the extremely rare interview of the most sought after and talented living designer in the world would be of importance to ELLE.” But clearly, do to the unknown fate of the interview, the importance factor became less apparent.

When hunting around the Internet for reactions, fashion mega-blog Man Repeller was right on it. Deputy editor Amelia Diamond had incredible insight into the article: “I am not in the position to make fun of another’s writing or editing, nor am I remotely qualified to question another human’s mental state. Snark, no matter how tempting, is unhelpful. But I will say this — a vague, politically correct understatement for the sake of my take on professionalism: There are many things odd and off about Hyzagi’s piece that have me questioning its validity on multiple levels.”

Later she answers the question as to why the story exploded for fashion insiders and lovers. Did it explode due to the fact that the author of the article spews forth so much anger and hurt that we can’t do anything but assume it is honest? Or because we want an insane amount of honesty or this hostile kind of honesty?

From DIamon’s point of view in answering these posed questions, she states that you obviously cannot believe everything that you read, but that she is pretty sure that it’s not an accurate picture of reality.

Lakers upset at Russell for video

Posted on April 1, 2016 by Wyatt Geller

By WYATT GELLER

The Los Angeles Lakers season faced more issues after rookie D’Angelo Russell filmed teammate Nick Young who admitted to cheating on his fiancée rapper Iggy Azalea.

The Lakers, who are in last place in the Western Conference with a 16-59 record, now face trust issues with Young.

“It’s bad,” one team source told ESPN.com’s Ramona Shelburne.

“It’s about as bad as it can get. There were trust issues already. Now there’s no trust,” a team member said, according to Deadspin.com.

According to sources mentioned by ESPN, Young’s teammates have isolated themselves from him and when Young tried to sit down at a team breakfast, players got up and sat elsewhere.

This season, which is primarily a farewell tour for five time NBA champion and future hall of famer Kobe Bryant, continues to be a struggle for the Lakers both on and off the court.

Russell, who is just 20 years old, has played extremely well this season after being drafted 3rd overall by the Lakers. It appears he has some maturity to improve on and trust to regain as the season concludes.

“It’s just unfortunate, man. It’s tough,” Bryant said in the Los Angeles Times. “I’m sure he’ll evolve. I’m sure he will grow and I’m sure he’ll be better from it.”

DIGITAL NEWS REPORTING

Journalism and Media Management Department, School of Communication, University of Miami

Monthly Archives: April 2016