Media monarch lives on after death

Posted on November 18, 2016 by Madison Brown

By MADISON BROWN

One of this week’s top news stories focuses on someone who used to lead the news by reporting it.

Gwen Ifill, former co-host of PBS NewsHour, died on Monday at age 61.

Ifill dominated the world of news media and politics, having covered the White House, Congress and many national campaigns over the course of her career. The Washington Post, The New York Times, NBC and PBS all hold spaces on her impressive resume.

Another impressive accomplishment, Ifill broke glass ceilings before it was cool. She began her journalism career in the 1970s, a time when white men ruled the newsrooms, as an African American woman. And she didn’t stop there.

More recently, she became half of the first network nightly news female co-anchor team with Judy Woodruff on PBS.

According to her family, Ifill’s death was related to uterine cancer.

Ifill as a news media monarch is still ruling the news today. The New York Times, The Washington Post, CNN and more paid tribute to Ifill with headlines and stories this week.

“I got my first job by exceeding expectations,” Ifill said in an interview with the Archive of American Television in 2011.

Ifill changed journalism with her acclaimed work and dedication, and helped pave the way for females and minorities now and for years to come.

North Korea curbs commentary

Posted on November 17, 2016 by Elizabeth Gelbaugh

By ELIZABETH GELBAUGH

Kim Jong-un got fat.

According to the South Korean National Intelligence Service, the North Korean dictator has gained around 40 kg (about 88 pounds), and it has not gone unnoticed on various social media platforms in China, such as Weibo.

The weight gain spawned nicknames like “Kim the Fat,” “Kim Fat III,” “Kim Fatty III,” and “Kim III half-moon,” according to Stephen Fottrell’s blog on BBC. Needless to say, the North Korean government was not amused.

Chinese media outlets have censored readers’ comments to appease the North Korean government.

“The North Korean authorities have formally demanded that media, government officials and people from the mainland must not address leader Kim Jong-un in the future as ‘Kim the Fat,'” Hong Kong’s Apple Daily said.

“They are terrified the tyrant will find out about the insult and look for someone to blame,” Fox News World claimed.

Diplomatic relations, particularly peaceful relationships with neighboring nations, is essential in this day and age. However, when does censorship for the sake of political niceties hinder the function of media as a watchdog and critic of the government?

While it is unfortunate but true that citizens of other nations do not enjoy the same rights to freedom of speech and freedom to criticize the government that U.S. citizens do, the internet has begun to give citizens a voice in countries where traditional media is more tightly controlled by the government.

This censorship is a step back for journalism as well as freedom of expression in China. Citizens are unable to comment on or voice disapproval for Kim, even if it is merely centered on his appearance. Media has resumed its submissive role to the government by sacrificing the opinions of citizens to pacify a foreign dictator.

Protests show discontent with Trump

Posted on November 17, 2016 by Marissa Vonesh

By MARISSA VONESH

Since Donald Trump became the president-elect on Nov. 8, citizens across the United States have protested the president-elect himself along with other concerns.

Protests – mainly generated in urban areas – have grown to be more than just a defiance of Trump and his actions. Now, protestors, dominantly young adults, are peacefully taking the streets to advocate for minority rights and overall discontent with American politics.

However, many protesters did not even participate in this year’s election. For example, in Oregon about two-thirds of the arrested protesters either chose not to vote or were and are not registered to vote.

The dissatisfaction with Trump has cultivated a platform for the American public to walk together and discuss discontent. Aside from political protests, now protests against the Dakota Oil pipeline are popping up across the country.

News media outlets have covered the nationwide protests and other impacts of the election, such as the increased hate crimes towards minorities and violence towards Trump supporters.

The news organizations are taking their traditional biases. Fox News continues to speculate on whether the protests are real or paid propaganda and discusses the millennial dissatisfaction with a mocking tone. On the other hand, many outlets besides Fox have failed to report maltreatment of Trump supporters and have leaned heavily left following the election.

Where all organizations are failing is the in represention of the people who voted for Trump. Where are the people who voted for Trump? What are their lives like? Are they all rural, uneducated, white males?

Social media is overwhelmed with posts claiming, “Maybe not all Trump supporters are racists, sexist, etc., but they all decided that they weren’t deal breakers.” With comments like these, the protests and the general effects of the election, it appears like those who voted for Trump have no voice. Dialogue is not happening between the opposing views, yet it is necessary for both sides to state their opinions in order for the country to prosper.

Although racism, sexism and hatred in general should never be tolerated, there is an entire segment of the United States population that has been put into a box and dismissed.

In a few instances, media is speculating about these voters. For example, in a post on Glenn Beck’s website by Riaz Patel, executive producer of Axial Entertainment, Patel shares his experience as a gay, Muslim, Pakistani-American immigrant trying to understand Trump voters in Alaska.

This reflection sheds more light on the Trump voters than most news organizations have presented. Patel explains their economic struggles and their hope for a change. Patel suggests that a selection of the population was voting for social issues, whereas another was voting for “survival.”

By exploring the Trump voters’ perspectives in black and white perspectives, the American media is, in many ways, continuing to point fingers and divide the nation. When most of the American public sit in an area of gray, it is extremely important that journalists investigate and report fairly to make a more informed society. Hate from all sides is only exacerbated by the media, and although news does not create the hate, it does have the power to quell it in many instances.

Information is key. Unbiased reporting is key. Thorough investigation is key. When the news outlets are failing to put these type stories on the front page or on their Facebooks, more divide, and sadly mistrust, is cultivated.

High school students stabbed in Utah

Posted on November 16, 2016 by Francesca Ciuffo

By FRANCESCA CIUFFO

A school stabbing occurred at Mountain View High School in Orem, Utah, injuring five students, who are all expected to survive.

It happened just before 8 a.m. in the boy’s locker room. The five students and the suspected attacker were taken to the hospital for treatment.

Inside the locker room, police say a 16-year-old straight-A student with no record of disciplinary trouble had attacked his classmates with a knife as they changed into their gym clothes.

Students were in shock and fear after the gruesome scene that they just saw. Police reported that the blade used was three inches long.

The 911 recordings were released from the police. One caller told dispatchers: “There’s someone at Mountain View killing people! He’s stabbing people! He’s stabbing people!”

Another woman called about a student in the attendance office with wounds to his neck and that another victim was on his way. She said, “We just need some help.”

The parents of the suspect later posted a letter apologizing for their son’s horrific actions and insuring everyone that the attacks were not racially or ethnically motivated.

“We are at a loss to express how deeply sorry we are for the pain and injury caused,” the letter said.

There were no indications the suspect was having problems or being bullied, so police are still investigating if there were any motivations behind these attacks.

Right after the attack, the school went on lockdown for about an hour until the police were able to decide that the school was safe. School then resumed normally, but some parents took their children out of school that day.

The school plans to investigate if the student’s actions were caused by anything that could have been addressed or stopped beforehand.

The news media addresses topics like this because a school stabbing is something that is not seen everyday, so when it happens people want to hear about it so that they can make sure that their loved ones that are in that area are safe and pray for anyone that was injured in the process. Anything that has to do with younger children is usually newsworthy because it appeals to the emotional side of audiences.

Trump criticizes news media

Posted on November 16, 2016 by Daniel Lloveras

By DANIEL LLOVERAS

Numerous news media outlets, including CNN, NPR and The New York Times, reported Wednesday that Donald Trump’s presidential transition was in a state of disarray.

According to the reports, the disarray was marked by the firing of New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie and the subsequent hiring of Vice President-elect Mike Pence as chair of the transition. It was reported that Jared Kushner, Trump’s son-in-law and close adviser, purged the transition team of anyone affiliated with Christie.

Trump emphatically refuted the claims of turmoil in his transition team. Trump attacked the news media, particularly The New York Times, for the reports.

He tweeted that the reports were “so totally wrong” and that the transition was going “so smoothly.”

While Trump’s criticism of news media organizations is nothing new, his attacks will carry more significance now that he has been elected.

Since Trump has the tendency to deny any negative coverage involving him, the role of the news media may increase during a Trump presidency.

News media outlets have a responsibility to seek the truth and report it. Journalists must remain vigilant in spite of Trump’s denial and make sure that the American people are not being lied to by the president-elect.

Rockefeller tree is a WOW

Posted on November 16, 2016 by Amy Taintor

By AMY TAINTOR

A swarm of positive stories passed through the news this week as the Rockefeller Christmas tree made its way to the Big Apple. This year, the tree is 94 feet tall and will be lit on Nov. 30.

This holiday tradition marks the beginning of the most wonderful time of the year in New York City. The tree lighting will begin at 7 p.m. with performances until 9 p.m. It has not yet been announced which entertainers will be singing at the tree lighting this year, but the news media have hinted at Mariah Carey, Miley Cyrus and Michael Bublé. Of course you can also expect to see the Rockettes and their mile-long legs dancing to “Jingle Bell Rock.”

The coverage of this story in the news hasn’t been as prevalent as last year, perhaps because nobody is ready to accept that Christmastime is near and Thanksgiving will be past before we know it.

The tree lighting will be broadcast on NBC starting at 6:30 p.m. Join as millions watch the live televised event, or show up early to watch it up close.

If you want to skate at Rockefeller Plaza and see the most festive tree in America, you have until Jan. 7, 2017. That will be a sad day for all of us Christmas lovers.

Did news coverage help elect Trump?

Posted on November 11, 2016 by Nyah Tennell

By NYAH TENNELL

In light of the recent election of Donald Trump into the White House, I have begun to evaluate the news media’s role in Trump’s apparent success.

Although a lot of us were sure that Trump’s rhetoric would keep him out of the White House, clearly, we were wrong. Which leads me to ask, how in the name of God, did Trump get voted into the world’s most prestigious and powerful position?

Well, let us start by considering the fact that, out of all of the presidential hopefuls, Trump received the most news media coverage.

According to a study conducted by Harvard’s Shorenstein Center on media and politics, Trump received 34 percent of news coverage when compared with his other GOP candidates: Jeb Bush receiving 18 percent, Marco Rubio and Ben Carson both with 14 percent, Ted Cruz with 13 percent, and last, and most certainly least, John Kasich with a mere 7 percent of all GOP media coverage.

A New York Times article written by Patrick Healey in late 2015 notes that, Trump “had planned to spend $15 million on campaign commercials this summer but did not because of the “free nationwide publicity” that the cable news networks provided.

This is due to the fact that Trump’s main business plan during the course of his campaign was to manipulate the media and, in particular, monopolize airtime.

Far too many networks fell victim to Trump’s ploys, and every raunchy, explosive, or controversial thing he said became headlines, allowing Trump to use cable’s widespread dissemination and availability to do the advertising for him.

US News refers to Trump as “The Master of Manipulation”, and as much as I would like to disagree, Trump has done an outstanding job in using his unprecedented rhetoric, scandals, and controversies to bank on airtime.

“Trump never stopped dominating the media,” reads the headline of Farai Chideya’s FiveThirtyEight article, and “the master” manipulator, Trump seems to second that notion.

“I’ve gotten so much free advertising, it’s like nothing I’d have expected,” he told the Times. “When you look at cable television, a lot of the programs are 100 percent Trump, so why would you need more Trump during the commercial breaks?”

Well, as difficult as it may be to leave, Donald Trump is indeed the next president of this fine country and, unfortunately, I congratulate him and wish him the best for the sake of ALL mankind.

Wade met with thunderous applause

Posted on November 11, 2016 by Nicholas Bruens

By NICHOLAS BRUENS

At the end of the 2015-16 NBA basketball season, Miami Heat fans were nervous. Dwyane Wade, the greatest player in franchise history was a free agent. Fans new Wade was older now but still a “Heat Lifer” in many fans minds. As nervous as the finds were, they were also just as confident that basketball mastermind, Pat Riley would keep him in South Beach for a few more years and maybe the res of his career.

But on July 16, their worst fear was realized. The former NBA Finals MVP, Scoring Champ and 12-time All Star signed a contract with the Chicago Bulls. And since that day in July, every heat fan was waiting for Nov. 10. The day Dwyane returns to the American Airlines Arena to take on the Heat as a Bull.

I was lucky enough to attend this game and I was excited. There was so much anticipation from the crowd getting to see there former idol again. But with all storylines going into the game, the news media was unsure of how the crowd would react. After all, he did leave the city for another team that one could argue is not much better than the situation in Miami. Also, there was the Riley vs. Wade storyline pitting the two figures against one another.

But despite all the speculation and reason to boo D-Wade, what I witnessed was an act of genuine love by the Miami Heat community toward a man who have 14 years of his life to a franchise and never wavered for those 14 years. There was not a single person seated in the AAA and all were applauding, cheering, and chanting his name. Even though he left, it is still “Miami-Wade County.”

This great moment was exactly what the media was hoping for and they had a field day. Multiple tweets, articles and TV spots were put out on the return. And in every single one he was the local hero coming home to a warm welcome.

Wade ended the night by reminding the fans he still has it when he hit the two free throws that secured the win for Chicago.

For Wade, Miami does it right

Posted on November 11, 2016 by Zachary Stubblefield

By ZACH STUBBLEFIELD

Dwyane Wade was the face of the Miami Heat for 13 years before he signed with his hometown team, the Chicago Bulls, this summer.

He brought Miami its first NBA championship by having one of the greatest finals performances of all time in 2006. He averaged 34.7 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 2.7 steals per game in route to a championship and a finals most valuable player award.

He was also the catalyst that created the big three of Lebron James, Chris Bosh and himself possible in Miami. This was unprecedented at the time when it first happened. Superstars were supposed to stay with the team that drafted them.

Wade convinced James and Bosh to come join him in Miami instead. This move brought another two championships to Miami.

Despite all of these accomplishments for the franchise, Pat Riley, the Miami Heat owner, let Wade walk in free agency this summer. Much to the chagrin of many fans and sports reporters.

Wade played his first game back in Miami last night and he was met with great fanfare. Fans cheered while he was on the court, and his jersey littered the crowd.

This is how a star’s return is supposed to be handled. Instead of boos and jeers. It should be filled with odes and cheers.

A national self-analysis underway

Posted on November 11, 2016 by Marissa Vonesh

By MARISSA VONESH

After the United States’ presidential election on Nov. 8, 2016, Donald Trump won the election despite political polls that projected Hillary Clinton to win by a landslide.

Major news outlets, such as The New York Times and the Huffington Post, made predictions that were wrong, writing off Trump and proclaiming Clinton as the absolute winner.

Once Trump won, many voters across the nation felt misled by mainstream news media. In an article from The New York Times, the media company explained how numerous letters came in asking why it was so off and proclaiming mistrust in the news and journalists in general. Furthermore, mistrust and disdain was heard – loud and clear – as subscriptions to The New York Times were canceled.

The news media outlets, namely The Times, have began processing what went wrong and how they can improve in the future.

Journalism is designed to create a well-informed voting public, and whether or not the American agencies did that this election season is up to question. Most of the election coverage had a liberal bias, almost all news outlets missed the views and representation of rural America – which ended up being a deciding factor in the election – and now agencies are covering more fear about Trump than potential policies and positives Trump could mean for the country.

America is not just the urban centers of New York, Boston, Los Angeles, Miami and Chicago. There is no need to spin more fear, more panic and more drama into the American public that already feels disheartened about this past election season.

The inconsistencies with current polling techniques are a large reason to blame for the surprise win of Trump, but more importantly, the way the news media are continuing to cover the aftermath of the election is disappointing. Opinions and emotion are exaggerated and objective opinions seem to be a thing of the past.

In a period in American history where it is absolutely vital for journalists to be objective, expose injustices and represent the public, media agencies have fallen short.

Potentially, Trump winning the presidency could help expose journalists to areas of improvement.

Editors and journalists are already confronting the change.

“If I have a mea culpa for journalists and journalism, it’s that we’ve got to do a much better job of being on the road, out in the country, talking to different kinds of people than the people we talk to,” Dean Baquet, executive editor of The New York Times, said.

Baquet makes a point, the bubble of social media, community groups and families does not paint the whole picture of the story. My hope is that journalists continue to improve and continue to strive to serve and inform the American public.

Florida Amendment 1 fails, 2 passes

Posted on November 11, 2016 by Alex Goldman

By ALEX GOLDMAN

The two prominent amendments on the Florida ballot were Amendment 1, which created an industry monopoly on solar power, and Amendment 2, which legalized medicinal marijuana.

Amendment 1, the Trojan horse of a pro-solar amendment, failed to receive a super-majority, or 60 percent, of votes.

Amendment 2 passed with 71.3 percent approval.

As was the case in past elections, The New York Times had a page detailing the results for each amendment, one for Amendment 1 and another for Amendment 2. Each page had results broken down by county.

Interestingly, every Florida county voted favorably to pass Amendment 2 and legalize medicinal marijuana. For a state that has been so backwards on marijuana categorization, that was a surprise.

As for Amendment 1, a decent majority supported the “yes” vote. Even so, the amendment was still 10 percentage points in the red.

The Miami Herald ran a piece that looked into the efforts that were put forth to defeat Amendment 1. In the article, Mary Ellen Klas quoted Tory Perfetti, chairman of Floridians for Solar Choice, an opposition group.

“We defeated one of the most egregious and underhanded attempts at voter manipulation in this state’s history,” Perfetti said, referencing the misleading nature of the amendment.

Amendment 1 cloaks itself as being pro-solar by protecting individuals’ rights to solar energy, but would effectively eliminate the market for solar energy in Florida by creating an investor-owned utilities monopoly on the energy source.

The Herald also had an article about the passing of Amendment 2. According to the story, Florida became the 26th state to legalize marijuana either recreationally or for medicinal purposes.

According to writer Michael Auslen, questions remain about how the medical marijuana amendment will be implemented.

“The Florida Department of Health has until July 2017 to pass regulations under the new amendment,” Auslen writes, and “by October, the state must start registering growers, dispensaries and other facilities and start issuing identification cards for patients approved to use marijuana.”

I’m interested in how Florida will transition to a medical marijuana state.

Will recreational legalization come next?

Election trumps paralysis advancement

Posted on November 10, 2016 by Elizabeth Gelbaugh

By ELIZABETH GELBAUGH

The development of a wireless connection between the brain and spinal cord has enabled monkeys with paralysis in one leg to walk again without being hooked up to a computer, scientists reported Wednesday.

Though the information must still be processed in a computer, the new technology has made the device wearable.

This scientific achievement shows great promise for future treatments for paralysis in humans that could potentially extend beyond paralysis of merely one leg.

The discovery is by no means a miracle cure for paralysis but is a key development in the rehabilitation process due to its strengthening of the remaining connections between the injured limb and spinal cord.

David Borton, of Brown University, developed the wireless sensor with colleagues while doing doctoral work, according to James Gorman’s article in The New York Times.

This advancement is pivotal in the treatment of spinal cord injuries, so why isn’t it front-page news?

The simple answer: Donald Trump was elected president of the United States.

After scrolling through several pages of articles, this one barely caught my attention because of the small headline and haphazard placement. A discovery that could improve millions of lives in the future was trumped (pun intended) by the sensationalized concerns of today.

Many Americans are thrilled by Trump’s election, but others fear for the nation’s future. If Americans are so concerned about the future, why isn’t an article with potentially life-changing results given more attention.

Out of all the major news organization, excluding scientific journals, The New York Times and CBC News were the only organization to cover this story so far.

News media should spend more time covering medical discoveries and developments that are constantly progressing and advancing rather than dwelling on circumstances that cannot be changed.

Yes, a presidential election is an important historical event that should be covered in the news. However, it should not dominate news to the point where other important stories are ignored almost entirely.

Sports figures avoid election drama

Posted on November 10, 2016 by Daniel Lloveras

By DANIEL LLOVERAS

After Donald Trump’s shocking victory over Hillary Clinton in Tuesday’s presidential election, several major sports figures expressed apathy toward the result.

Nick Saban, head football coach of the top-ranked Alabama Crimson Tide, said that he was unaware of the election.

“It was so important to me that I didn’t even know it was happening,” Saban said. “We’re focused on other things here.”

New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick, a long-time friend of Donald Trump, sent a letter of congratulations to the president-elect, but asserted that the letter was not politically motivated.

“I have multiple friendships that are important to me and that’s what that was about.” Belichick said. “So, it’s not about politics. It’s about football.”

Even San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick, an outspoken supporter of the Black Lives Matter movement, said that the result of the election was irrelevant to him.

“I’ve been very disconnected from the systematic oppression as a whole,” Kaepernick said. “So, for me, it’s another face that’s going to be the face of that system of oppression.”

Kaepernick, who has received death threats for kneeling during the national anthem, has not shied away from the political spotlight in the past. Kaepernick’s apathy is surprising considering Clinton’s support of Black Lives Matter and Trump’s support of police.

However, athletes and coaches are constantly under intense scrutiny by fans and the sports media, so it makes sense that they would avoid increased criticism for their political opinions.

As the nation recovers from a divisive election season, the sports world will act as both as a distraction and as a unifying tool.

Protesters: ‘Trump is not my president’

Posted on November 10, 2016 by Courtney Chennault

By COURTNEY CHENNAULT

The results of the presidential election were shocking and painful to many people across the country, especially because Clinton won the popular vote.

Feelings of anger, fear and utter disbelief culminated last night as thousands of protesters took to the streets in cities reaching from New York to Los Angeles. According to NBC New York, at least 60 people in Manhattan were arrested during the protests.

Fox News reported that protesters’ signs said things like, “Trump’s a racist,” “Impeach Trump,” and “Abolish Electoral College.”

It seems that if any good can come of this situation, it is the uniting of minorities and oppressed peoples across the board. While broadcasting at a protest in New York, a Fox News reporter stated, “There’s a hodgepodge of so many different groups here.” Though their races, sexual orientations, ages, sexes and religions differed, the protesters’ message was the same: “Trump is not my president.”

I have noticed that people tend to protest the injustices that directly impact themselves. As a result, most of the Black Lives Matter activists are black, most of the LGBTQ supports are non-heterosexual individuals, and so forth.

On one level, this phenomenon is understandable, even expected. But on another level, this phenomenon is inexcusable. As Martin Luther King, Jr., once said, “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.” Minorities should support other minority causes just as readily as they support their own.

With this in mind, it seems that standing up against Trump and his racist, homophobic, Islamophobic and misogynistic beliefs is today’s biggest opportunity for all minorities and marginalized groups to come together and form the most expansive civil rights movement yet.

Trump and the Supreme Court

Posted on November 9, 2016 by Francesca Ciuffo

By: FRANCESCA CIUFFO

With Justice Scalia’s seat vacant, it will certainly be filled by a conservative nominee next year. The court will now be tilted right, as it has been for decades.

The choice of the U.S. Supreme Court justice will soon belong to President-elect Trump, which supports Republican senators’ refusal to allow President Obama to choose Garland to Scalia’s seat.

Some liberals hope that even if the court is dominantly conservative, it could still hinder Trumps’s ambitions.

“Given that many of the conservatives on his list are more in the traditional conservative mold than Trump himself, they might not simply write him a blank check when it comes to actions and policies that threaten constitutional structure,” said Elizabeth Wydra, president of the Constitutional Accountability Center.

The news media would cover a story like this because Trump’s presidency is not a good thing for liberals. Many are worried about what comes next at the Supreme Court. They almost had a liberal-leaning Supreme Court for the first time in decades and now they have to deal with yet another right-leaning court and liberals feeling overshadowed and nearly disappearing in the Supreme Court. This election is one of the most important and controversial elections there has ever been, so it is important for the news media to cover it and for the public to stay on top of what happens next.

In March, public-sector unions were threatened, but this could soon reach the court again, and this time, the challengers are likely to gain a fifth vote.

Trump is likely to undo what Obama’s approaches were to climate change, transgender rights, and abortion issues. A Supreme Court controlled by conservatives is likely to further secure gun rights and resume the deregulation of campaign finance.

The candidates on Trump’s list of possible nominees are almost all working judges and several served as law assistants to conservative Supreme Court justices. Many have judicial track records hostile to federal power, abortion rights and gay marriage, so it will be interesting to see how it plays out.

Can AA exist in social media era?

Posted on November 7, 2016 by Claudia Brown

By CLAUDIA BROWN

Alcoholics Anonymous, the program for those who have an alcohol addiction, is supposed to be a safe place for the addicts to discuss their experiences with alcohol always worked in the past because the participants were able to comfortably not identify themselves while becoming close with their group.

The rule in AA is that when you speak you state your name, but only your first name. This prevents people from finding out too much information about the person and possibly exposing others who may want to keep it a secret.

There are, however, people in the groups who get close enough to become not only a support system for one another but good friends.

Today, in 2016, it is not only common, but expected to friend or follow those you are close to, on social media. And the way social media outlets such as Facebook work is mutual friends pop up on other news feeds.

Therefore, there is potential to distribute personal information that was never supposed to be revealed.

Some people in the program don’t mind because their family and friends know, but there are some people who want to keep it a secret from everyone they know.

One AA member, Caitlin, has been in the program for 23 years. She says “I do see a change with AA co-existing with social media. I don’t see a problem with it, but I understand why some people do.”

Those who are comfortable with discussing it and don’t hide their addiction even follow the Alcoholics Anonymous Facebook page.

These people feel that it gives them another outlet with people who are going through the same experience they are. This Facebook page acts as another support group.

Others who are in the program have deleted their social media accounts or changed their name to ensure their anonymous program stays that way.

Linda, another member of AA, is a mother and a wife. She joined the program six years ago and no one in her family knows.

“I was friends with my husband and kids on Facebook, when my AA sponsor and friends started friend requesting me, I deleted my Facebook (account). Some of these people write about AA on their walls and I don’t want my family asking questions as to why I have so many friends in AA,” she said.

DIGITAL NEWS REPORTING

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