Author Archives: Camila Munera

Man arrested for three church fires

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By CAMILA MUNERA

CNN posted an article Thursday evening entitled, “Suspect in Louisiana black church fires is the son of sheriff’s deputy, officials say.”

The article summarizes the story of Holden Matthews, a 21-year-old that recently just burned down three historically black churches in Louisiana including St. Mary Baptist Church in Port Barre, which burned on March 26. This was followed by Greater Union Baptist Church in Opelousas on April 2 and, two days later, Mount Pleasant Baptist Church in the same town.

The article notes that Matthews may have been influenced by black metal music and its associated history with church burnings, mentions the state fire marshal this past Thursday.

Matthews is currently being charged with three counts of simple arson on a religious building. Each charge carries a penalty for over 15 years. The most ironic part of this devastating matter is that Matthews has no previous history of violence or prior arrests, officials noted. 

Matthew’s investigation is still ongoing and federal officials are looking to see whether or not the fires were meant to represent a hate crime. 

To add more irony, Matthews is the son of a local sheriff’s deputy. St. Landry Parish Sheriff Bobby Guidroz who is reportedly very good friends with Matthew’s father broke the harsh news to him. Guidroz  mentions how the father was shocked and hurt as any father would be.

This breaking news is a reflection of the racist behaviors that continue to happen around the world. It is a sad reality but it needs to be dealt with as it is completely unfair to the African Americans who consider their church to be a safe place.  

Teen found may be boy missing 8 years

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By CAMILA MUNERA

CNN posted an article titled, “Teen found wandering in Kentucky says he escaped kidnappers after 7 years,” written by Faith Karimi and Holly Yan.

The article summarizes the story of Timmothy Pitzen. A 6-year-old that disappeared almost eight years ago after his mother committed suicide in a motel room. She left a note saying her son was with people who loved him. “You’ll never find him” she noted.

The article notes how the mother struggled with depression. Her marriage was failing and her biggest fear was to have her son taken from her due to her mental health issues. One can assume this is why she didn’t let the boy stay with the father, maybe in a way she was jealous. 

Now years later Timmothy has possibly appeared again. The article explains how police in Illinois are currently waiting for DNA test results to see if this teenager really is Timmothy Pitzen.

I find it really important for the news to share a story like this one because sometimes people don’t tend to take mental health seriously. These are some of the consequences when you don’t. Some people don’t understand that having a mental health disorder that is not treated will begin to consume and change you, the worst part is that you won’t even notice. 

I want to believe this teen is Timmothy and I hope to hear the rest of the story. His family never stopped looking for him for years.

Georgia teachers bully student

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By CAMILA MUNERA

Yahoo! News published an article recently entitled, “Georgia teachers suspended after allegedly mocking student’s sexuality, teasing him about ‘boyfriend’.” The article is written by Mark Osborne from “Good Morning America.”

I for one, was very shocked to read this headline. I knew bullying still happened today in society but I would never expect it from teachers.  Osborne did a great job of making the article easy to read describing how Jean Mott, the mother of 14-year-old student at Shiloh Middle School located in Snellville, a suburb northeast of Atlanta, was devastated to see her son come home in tears. The son told the mother how he had been bullied by classmates because of two teachers’ comments.

The teachers’ comments included, “Your boyfriend was cheating on you while you were away. Oh, you two make a really good couple.” Not only did the teachers say this to the student, but they did so in front of the whole entire class.

The school has taken action by following through investigations and have suspended the teachers for the time being. Another investigation that is still ongoing is  being conducted by the Georgia Professional Standards Commission. According to the article, the commission “has the ability to pull the teaching certificates for both teachers based on the outcome.”

I hope the school takes action and fires these two teachers immediately. With all the violence going on lately, I feel like school is the one place a child should enjoy going to as a place to learn and grow. Teachers should be there to inspire and motivate you, not bring you down. 

Facebook faces password trouble

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By CAMILA MUNERA

CNN Business posted an article on March 21 by Donie O’Sullivan and Kevin Collier. The article discusses how, once again, Facebook has made headlines concerning its staff. We’re told that Facebook staff had access to hundreds of millions of people’s passwords.

The article explained how users that were mostly affected were those using its Facebook Lite product, which is a simplified version of Facebook. This product serves to help users who experience slower internet connection.

I am honestly not surprised with the news of Facebook having hundreds of passwords. The internet is tricky and nothing is ever completely private. In a world like today with so much advanced technology, there is barely any space left for privacy. 

Although, this news does not look good for Facebook at all, especially, as mentioned in the article.The news comes days after the one-year anniversary of the Cambridge Analytica scandal. This scandal revealed that Facebook shared the personal data of about 87 million users with a political data firm.

This latest news shows that we shouldn’t share anything too private not only on Facebook but any social media platform. You can never really know much private information is being looked at and it’s better to be safe than sorry.

Sullivan and Collier did a good job on this article by not making it too lengthy and getting to the point in a quick but efficient manner. They also attached a video explaining the situation in more detail. 

Markle online abuse worries royal staff

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By CAMILA MUNER

CNN posted an article entitled “The racist online abuse of Meghan Make has put royal staff on high alert,” written by Max Foster.

Foster did a neat job with this article providing useful and interesting information. He not only provided factual information but related pictures and videos as well. 

The article emphasizes the vulgar online hate the Duchess of Sussex has received in the past few months after announcing her pregnancy. This has made Kensington Palace staff devote more time to target social media trolls by blocking abusive Twitter and Instagram accounts. 

It showed that most hate accounts were against Meghan Markle because she is of black descent breaking royal protocol.  Foster remarks how “Meghan and Harry’s forthcoming child will be the first known mixed-race baby in the royal family’s thousand-year history.” 

The article shows a very important and under-looked aspect of journalism that needs to be changed. Much of the hate Markle and also Kate Middleton receive is due to the news media. Foster narrates how “the pressure to produce ever more dramatic headlines to drive traffic is intense.” He also mentioned that Markle has had to deal with much more hate than Middleton had to when she first joined the royal family.

The media can sometimes illustrate the on-going issue of racism and selfishness in our society. Journalism should always be true and raw. I’m glad CNN posted an article discussing the lies told about the media such as spreading rumors of Markle and Middleton not getting along. 

Ivanka stirs debate over Green New Deal

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By CAMILIA MUNERA

Yahoo! published an article called “Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez Fires Back At Ivanka Trump: I ‘Actually Worked For Tips & Hourly Wages In My Life.”

The article was originally published on the HuffPost and was just recently uploaded 10 hours ago. 

Ed Mazza, the person who wrote this article, did a great job of explaining the topic clearly, concise and to the point.

As many of you may know, Ivanka Trump is President Donald Trump’s daughter and advisor. She just attacked part of the Green New Deal. 

The deal, backed by Democrats, has job and wage guarantees, something Ivanka claims that Americans don’t want. Why in the world would Americans not want this?

Ivanka Trump told Fox News host Steve Hilton in an interview that “I don’t think most Americans, in their heart, want to be given something,” she continues by saying that “I’ve spent a lot of time traveling around this country over the last four years. People want to work for what they get.”

Ivanka Trump later clarified that she does in fact support a minimum wage but not for those who are unwilling to work. Ivanka was silent on the topic of  a “living wage” though for those who are willing to work. 

Rep. Ocasio-Cortez was not happy with the statement as she expresses herself on Twitter. She fired back by saying

“As a person who actually worked for tips & hourly wages in my life, instead of having to learn about it 2nd-hand, I can tell you that most people want to be paid enough to live. A living wage isn’t a gift, it’s a right. Workers are often paid far less than the value they create.” 

I, for one, am really happy and thankful that Rep. Ocasio-Cortez spoke out because when a person like Ivanka Trump, someone in a high position says such a thing it’s truly harmful to our citizens.

Light should be shed on this topic because of the recent government shut-down, many government workers weren’t even being paid. A plan such as the Green New Deal would help prevent this in the future. 

Mazza also did a great job of providing pictures of the tweets Rep. Ocasio Cortez wrote and provided a video explaining the topic more in detail. 

Separations still common at border

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By CAMILA MUNERA

In an article posted on CNN by Priscilla Alvarez on Feb. 22 reads the headline, “At least 245 children separated from families since Trump admin said it would stop doing so.” I am very happy CNN decided to post the article because I feel like many people have stopped talking about this topic and it’s vital that people know. This is a painful immigration issue that needs to be fixed. I understand that immigration laws should be enforced, but not in such a harsh way.

Children should never be separated from their parents unless that parent is causing them harm. Alvarez did a very good job at getting to the point quickly and not making the article way too long. She provided a helpful video and links to anyone wishing to receive more information about the matter. 

It mentions how an immigration lawyer stated that “family separation never ended.” Sources have found that between late June 2018 and early February of this year, the administration has identified over 245 children that have been separated from their families. Four children are still under additional review.

The court will hold a hearing this Thursday upholding the concern of the separation of families. 

Administration has uncovered even more information regarding children being separated from their families. In a Health and Human Services Inspector general report it reveals that thousands of more children have been separated than previously reported. Thus indicating the number reported was false. 

The government’s response is soon to come this Thursday at the hearing. 

Parkland victims reflect one year later

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By CAMILA MUNERA

The New York Times published an article on Feb. 14 remembering the Parkland Incident. It is the one-year anniversary since the devastating and heartbreaking shooting that happened at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High school in Parkland, Fla. The article written by Patricia Mazzei is beautifully written since it not only outlines the horrific events that happened this day but also shows the lasting impact one year later. 

In the article, photographs are taken by Eve Edelheit. These photographs I believe are the strongest element of this article and why photography is so important in journalism. In a series of interviews nine members from the Stoneman Douglas community including students, teachers, police officers and parents reflect on this tragic event a year later. In each segment of the article there is a photo of the person interviewed and beneath is their story. 

I love the way Mazzei approaches this matter because instead of writing an article explaining all the horrible events that occurred that day again— she let the people who actually experienced it be able to shine and tell their story. Reading these stories are extremely impactful hearing all the different things these people had to go through. It is important to know these stories because after this school shooting occurred, many citizens wanted to see a change but shootings in America and around the world continue today. 

The photographs are mostly candid, showing the true emotions the person felt. This article felt very raw and that I could relate to these people interviewed on an emotional and personal level even though I haven’t been what they have been through. It shows again and again the courage people have when violence outbursts occur and how we all must come together in order to remain strong. I hope journalism continues to use this approach of photography and journalism merged together because it makes the article and the story itself more relatable and interesting. 

Grande drops album ‘thank u, next’

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By CAMILA MUNERA

If you know anything about the singer Ariana Grande, you know that she has been through an ordeal the past few months. From her ex-boyfriend dying from an overdose to a failed engagement, Grande has been through quite a lot. 

Although, Grande’s music career one can say has never looked better. After recently releasing her album “Sweetener” on Aug. 17, 2018, Grande has decided to drop yet another album. 

The new album entitled “thank u, next” after one of her top singles just dropped last night on all streaming devices including Spotify and Apple Music. Grande also decided to drop a new music video as well. 

With the Grammys coming up, many thought Grande would be performing as she is nominated for two Grammys this year. 

“Good Morning America” published an article written by Michael Rothman explaining the controversy behind her reason for not performing. 

Apparently Grande had a falling out with Grammys executive producer, Ken Enrlich. Enrlich quoted in an Associated Press report that he had discussed with Grande about the possibility of performing at the Grammys, but the singer felt it “was too late for her to pull something together.” 

Grande had a lot to say about Enrlich’s comment on Twitter by mentioning that what Enrlich was saying was nothing but a lie. 

The singer expressed herself by saying that she is deciding not to perform when she felt that her creativity and self expression was being stifled by Enrlich. 

It truly is a shame that probably the most successful singer of the year won’t be attending the most important music award of the year. 

This type of publicity will not look good on Enrlich as he is the reason behind why the popular singer will no longer be presenting herself at the Grammys. 

Don’t miss out on music’s biggest night to see if Grande takes home any Grammys at 8 p.m. on Feb. 10 on CBS. 

Winter cold deadly for Iowa student

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By CAMILA MUNERA

Yahoo! News has included an article by HuffPost earlier in the day discussing the devastating death of a college student. Gerald Belz, an 18-year-old freshman at the University of Iowa was found Wednesday morning near his dorm. He was then taken to the hospital where he passed away. 

Jenna Amatulli, the reporter who covered this story, did a great job of balancing all the information that came with this story. She didn’t provide more information than necessary about Belz. 

Amatulli noted important facts about the weather saying how the polar vortex has done its fair share of damage to the country sending temperatures to an extreme low. The university had weather of minus 21 degrees, with the windchill as low as minus 51 degrees. 

Although this is a heartbreaking story, I appreciate news companies sharing this. Belz is not the only individual who has passed away in the past few days due to the extremely low temperatures. 

I see most news companies today overload stories on celebrities and Donald Trump. News that truly doesn’t concern us citizens as broadly as all the issues occurring in the country today. 

Even if you aren’t living in a cold area, maybe you have loved ones that do. 

Amatulli also did a neat job of including extra sources such as photos, a video, and a link to more information updates on the weather.

Overall, I found this article very interesting and helpful. I hope more news organizations focus on current events that need more attention brought to them and focus less on what our president is doing and what celebrities are going to do next.