Microsoft reinvents desktop PC

Posted on October 26, 2016 by Francesca Ciuffo

By FRANCESCA CIUFFO

Once a year, Microsoft’s Panos Panay appears with new creations that he and his Surface team have produced in their labs.

Microsoft is expected to deliver their latest gadget: a Surface PC.

It is expected to convert a desk into a creative work studio. Today, most people are using tablets and laptops instead of desktop PCs, so it will be difficult for Microsoft to convince society that the Surface PC is better than a laptop or tablet.

One way that Microsoft can do this is by promoting the powerful GPU inside that works well with video games. Most Surface laptops are not powerful enough to play video games like Gears of War 4 properly, but this PC will be powerful enough.

Microsoft is trying to convince people that this Surface is going to be different because it is more innovative and creative. They are promoting the different ways to create content: using a keyboard, touchscreen or stylus. Additional leaks have been released like a new 3D paint app, along with 3D additions to Microsoft Office and Windows itself. This new painting app will let you 3D print your Minecraft creations

A desktop PC will have to blend the best aspects of both the Surface Table and the Surface Hub.

Microsoft’s focus on HoloLens and Windows Holographic should be a big focus for Windows itself and hardware like the Surface PC if Microsoft truly believes that mixed reality is the future.

If Microsoft wants to reinvent the PC for a 3D future and use creativity for its new hardware, then it will need to show society why regular Windows 10 users will be eager to test and use 3D objects, applications, and mixed reality devices on this new Surface PC.

Virtual reality and enhanced reality headsets are still in their early stages of development, but Microsoft is bringing its full virtual Windows Holographic experience to Windows 10. Microsoft is unsure about how society will react to their new advances in technology, but they are hoping that the product will skyrocket and become the next big thing, reinventing Microsoft as a big name market in the industry. (http://www.theverge.com/2016/10/26/13402546/microsoft-event-preview-surface-desktop-pc-laptop)

The media reports on stories like these because innovative technology is an important aspect of society today. Everyone is looking for the next big thing, and everyone wants to have the most recent technology, so they want to hear about new ideas in the news.

Reporting about medicine is challenging

Posted on October 26, 2016 by Claudia Brown

By CLAUDIA BROWN

Endocrinology, the medical field of diabetes, thyroid disorders and metabolism, is often misunderstood by most adults.

This includes the journalists who report on any new findings in the endocrinology field that originate from the doctors and medical scientists themselves.

Therefore, articles on “living a healthier life” with diabetes, a thyroid disorder or an illness that affects the metabolism are strictly from a scientific point of view as opposed to other topics that are geared toward discussing what the readers (or at least their preferred audience) wants to hear or read.

For example, the majority of articles are published by doctors and medical researchers in the New England Journal of Medicine, as well as reliable newspapers such as The New York Times.

The articles pertaining to endocrinology that are published in regular newspapers (not medical journals) are summarized and simplified articles from various medical journals.

An article called, 2 Endocrinology Groups Raise Doubt on Earlier Onset of Girls’ Puberty was published in The New York Times on Sept. 3, 2001.

One week earlier, the official study was published in the New England Journal of Medicine. This article includes the full abstract, intro, thesis, tests, charts, results, conclusion and overall write up properly cited.

The New York Times version, although explaining everything, is a relatively short article as opposed to the full study report that is approximately 14 pages (not including cited sources and methods).

Reporter continues to hound mayor

Posted on October 18, 2016 by Alex Goldman

By ALEX GOLDMAN

Stockton Mayor Anthony Silva is unhappy with many people.

Perhaps none more so than Stockton Record metro-reporter Michael Fitzgerald.

I’m sure Silva thinks the microscope has been hovering over him and his every move since his inauguration. I’m also quite sure Silva thinks the unending news coverage about his is unwarranted and unfair. Except Silva is a mayor in one of the largest cities in California. Not only is he the mayor, but, to put it one way, he’s an unconventional mayor at that.

So sure, he’s going to live in the eyes of the news media. His failure to understand why such a thing might be falls in line with his whole mayorship, from day one to present, as you will see momentarily.

Fitzgerald has been there at every turn to chronicle how poorly of a job Silva has done with his time in office, both administratively and politically. Let’s take a look at Silva’s mayorship through Fitzgerald’s reporting.

First, we’ll start with Silva’s accomplishments.

“In terms of accomplishments in office, Silva ranks beneath do-little Mayor Ed Chavez (2005-08). He has set the bar for getting nothing done,” Fitzgerald writes.

Fitzgerald goes on to write about the only policies Silva has successfully championed while in office. Both of them, “the fiscally suicidal Safe Streets crime-fighting plan and a reduction in building fees,” were handed to him by developers, according to Fitzgerald.

Now that we’ve looked at Silva’s successes, why don’t we delve into the remaining 98% of his term.

Silva calls himself “the people’s mayor,” fighting on behalf of everyday citizens, from the middle-class to low-income families. He was sure to stand up to big money influences while in office, not only with words, but with actions, right?

Wrong.

“He’s made some rich guys richer,” Fitzgerald writes. “All the while demagoguing about the rich bigwigs who control this town and how he stands up for the economically disadvantaged.”

Okay, so maybe standing up to money while in office isn’t as easy as the politicians want us to believe. That isn’t to say mayors are impervious to submitting to financial influences.

But what about possessing knowledge on the rights, duties and powers that a mayor does actually have?

“[T]hen it appears Silva did not understand the office for which he ran,” Fitzgerald writes. “He has been publicly shocked and perturbed by the statutory limitations placed on the mayor’s power.”

Well, maybe the educational system is to blame for Silva’s ignorance on the position he campaigned and was elected for. He can at least keep his word on things under his control, can’t he?

“Ethical lapses followed,” Fitzgerald continues. “Silva promised if elected not to work two jobs. But he did. He promised not to take a mayor’s salary until crime tumbled. But he did. There were more.”

Alright alright alright, but he had to at least have some ideas on policy and positive changes that can be made to the citizens of Stockton. Right?

“What did not follow was policy,” Fitzgerald goes on. “It became clear that “The People’s Mayor” had no real ideas for governing and no real interest in the hard work that goes into civic improvements.”

But wait, there’s more:

“When I asked him what his position on growth was — on sprawl vs. infill — he looked at me as if I had spoken to him in Mandarin,” Fitzgerald writes.

While Silva has a laundry-list of political and administrative failures, Fitzgerald looks to the distraction he has become as the figurehead of the city, a city which is attempting to move out of the darkness of being the largest city in United States history to declare bankruptcy (before Detroit).

“[I]t is as a distraction from the serious business of governance where Silva has been a Hall-of-Famer,” Fitzgerald writes.

I wrote about some of those in a previous post.

To strengthen the case that Silva is unqualified to run a city of 300,000 people – or any city, for that matter, and as if his case needs any strengthening – look no further than his reactions and response to the most serious of his “lapses.”

“Silva is refusing to cooperate with investigators trying to understand how his stolen gun came to be used to kill a 13-year-old,” Fitzgerald writes. “And he has been indicted on felony and misdemeanor charges related to his alleged participation in an alcohol-fueled strip poker game with teens.”

Come Nov. 8, material as great – and horrible, considering his is an elected public official – as what Silva provided might be harder to find.

In all likelihood, it won’t just fall into our lap.

No politics, ESPN warns Le Batard

Posted on October 14, 2016 by Michael Franca

By MICHAEL FRANCA

Miami-based ESPN personality — and University of Miami graduate — Dan Le Batard is no stranger to controversy. He has a history of testing the limits of his employers… and getting suspended for doing so.

For example, he’s been suspended for paying for billboards mocking LeBron James and calling an ESPN film about Bob Knight a “mountain of elephant crap.” He even lost his MLB Hall of Fame vote for allowing Deadspin to cast his ballot one year.

Le Batard, though, has had good reason for each of these actions; whether it be in the name of fun or in protest.

He’s also notorious for hosting a national radio show on ESPN that isn’t necessarily about sports. He focuses on the pop culture and social elements of the sports world and often ventures entirely out of this environment.

So when the footage of Donald Trump’s conversation with Billy Bush leaked and was defended as “locker room talk,” Le Batard suggested that the controversy was right in his show’s wheelhouse.

When he asked the rules surrounding his ability to talk about the subject, his producer told him that he “probably said too much already.” While he said he understood the hesitancy by ESPN to approach anything regarding politics, he was upset that they didn’t trust him enough to cover the subject without taking a political stance.

Le Batard later admitted that he would be suspended if he did end up talking about the Trump tape on air.

While it may be sensible that ESPN try and avoid anything that could result in political stances being taken, Le Batard has a proven track record of handling tricky subjects without displaying any bias.

It’s also interesting that the Colin Kaepernick protest sparked conversations on ESPN airwaves that contained political opinions and no objections were raised. Clearly the issue is taking a stance on an issue involving a candidate running for office.

Johnson’s league suspension upheld

Posted on October 14, 2016 by Nicholas Bruens

By NICHOLAS BRUENS

The National Football League has outlawed the performance enhancing drug (PED) use among players for many years. The league also, however, provides an approved list of supplements that players can take. To our surprise, it seems that players aren’t even safe when it comes to these approved supplements.

Lane Johnson is the starting right tackle for the Philadelphia Eagles and is now serving a 10-game suspension. Prior to the season start Johnson tested positive for a banned substance. The interesting part is that Johnson claims it was something in an approved NFL supplement which caused the positive test.

Johnson told Jay Glaser of Fox Sports that he took an amino acid approved by the NFL which caused the positive test.

This provided an difficult decision for the NFL. They do state players should take the substance at their own risk and they still may contain substances that are banned. But they also should consider how misleading that is. They ultimately decided to carry out their initial decision of a 10-game suspension as this has been Johnson’s second run with he PED code.

The news media have covered this story for weeks due to its long timeline. Johnson tested positive prior to the season and has only been officially suspended in the sixth week. During that time it has been a constant stream of stories making if he finally be suspend this week.

The NFL’s drug policy has also come into question by the news media. Questions have been raised as to whether an approved list should exist if the players may not be allowed to take the drugs on the list.

Overall, the news media has found that Johnson’s case and suspension will serve as a precedent and scare players from taking any supplement that may or may not cause them to potentially fail drug tests.

Lane Johnson’s attorney has expressed dissatisfaction regarding the NFL’s decision.

“We are disappointed with Arbitrator James Carter’s summary ruling,” Steve Zashin, Johnson’s attorney, wrote in the statement obtained by NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo. “We will wait for his formal written opinion. After we review that decision, we will consider all available legal options.”

Forecast models predict Clinton victory

Posted on October 14, 2016 by Daniel Lloveras

By DANIEL LLOVERAS

In a wild and chaotic election season, pollsters and statisticians are attempting to do the seemingly impossible: predict the winner of the 2016 presidential election.

National and state polls get the most attention from media organizations, as they are simple ways of communicating how much support the candidates are receiving.

However, political scientists also produce forecast models which may provide a more insightful look into what will happen come election day.

The forecast models incorporate the voting history of each state and hundreds of national and state polls in order to determine how many electoral votes each candidate is likely to receive.

The models are produced by organizations such as The New York Times, FiveThirtyEight, and the Princeton Election Consortium.

According to the forecast models, Hillary Clinton is the overwhelming favorite to be elected president. The Princeton Election Consortium model gives Clinton a 97% chance of being elected. The New York Times says that Clinton is 89 percent likely to win the presidency. The FiveThirtyEight model gives Clinton an 86 percent chance.

When reporting on the 2016 election, individual state and national polls only tell part of the story.

While the forecast models clearly have error and uncertainty, they take hundreds of pieces of information into account to produce an exhaustive look at the presidential race.

When news organizations only report the results of individual polls, they are providing people with incomplete and unreliable information.

In addition to providing poll results, news media outlets should report on the forecast models to make sure people are not receiving skewed interpretations of the presidential race.

Trump video an October surprise

Posted on October 14, 2016 by Nyah Tennell

By NYAH TENNELL

Just when America thought it couldn’t get anymore raunchy…

Trump, the master showman, gives yet another spectacular “locker room” performance the weekend before Monday’s debate.

The Washington Post released video footage retrieved from “Access Hollywood” of what could be acknowledged as this election’s October surprise, given the unmistakable lewd comments that Trump makes about his behavior towards women, as well as the allegations that arose following the footage’s dissemination.

These newly released wire briefs and tapes, some dating back as far as 1992, confirm the suspicions many Americans already had in regards to Donald Trumps views on, and treatment of women.

“I’ve gotta use some Tic Tacs, just in case I start kissing her,” Trump said in reference to an actress on the Access Hollywood tape. “You know, I’m automatically attracted to beautiful … I just start kissing them. It’s like a magnet. Just kiss. I don’t even wait. And when you’re a star, they let you do it. You can do anything.”

“Grab them by the p—-. You can do anything,” Trump added.

The media has been all over Trump’s horrid campaign since January, and an article written by The Atlantic entitled, The Many Scandals of Donald Trump: A Cheat Sheet, says that, “now his behavior toward women threatens to doom a campaign that was already limping.”

Trump’s campaign released a statement in response to the allegations saying,

“This was locker room banter, a private conversation that took place many years ago. Bill Clinton has said far worse to me on the golf course – not even close. I apologize if anyone was offended.”

“Locker room banter,” is it?

The things you say and do when you think no one is watching are the things that define you, not the performance that you put on with the knowledge that people are listening and judging you.

Let’s not bypass the fact that he apologizes for offending anyone, not for his comments and actions in regards to women. I guess that is the narcissistic way to apologize when you don’t think you’ve done anything wrong.

According to an article written Thursday by David Graham of The Atlantic, many women allege that this is no small talk, but are accusing Trump of sexual assault, and in one case, rape.

Remarkably, in the past 24 hours, The Washington Post has published nine stories with ‘Trump’ in the headline.

How can the media be unbiased in their reporting if a new Trump scandal emerges every week?

And in case anyone forgot, we still haven’t seen the taxes.

Is the audit finished yet, Trump?

News media struggle with Chibok story

Posted on October 14, 2016 by Marissa Vonesh

By MARISSA VONESH

Twenty-one Chibok school girls kidnapped by Boko Haram more than two years ago were freed Thursday.

The Islamist terrorist group, Boko Haram, kidnapped more than 270 students from a school in Chibok in April 2014. Although the militant group had been terrorizing Nigeria for years, the kidnapping provoked international attention and increased support to stop Boko Haram.

After numerous negotiations with the Islamic militant group, the Nigerian government finally made a breakthrough this week. The International Committee of the Red Cross and the Swiss government brokered a deal between Nigeria and Boko Haram which allowed 21 of the girls to go home.

The celebratory information has spread quickly across global platforms but has lead to conflicting information. Some groups, such as The New York Times, have sources that claim that no Boko Haram members were released from jail in exchange for the women. In opposition, other news media groups, including the Chicago Tribune, claim there was a swap.

The news outlets have different quoted sources yet, not all are credible. Phrases such as “a credible source” or “someone close to the negotiation” were used as attribution in the reports. This tactic points to a trend of large news media organizations valuing getting out information instead of getting specific sources that are proven true.

In important, historical stories, such as the initial coverage of a major kidnapping, it is vital for journalists to have accurate information. The fact that the news media are not consistent, are negligent about sources and compete to get out information quickly oppose to correctly needs to change.

With the increased presence of social media, the pressure to get out information is heightened. New audiences are more attracted to quick blurbs and immediate information; however, if news sources are giving inaccurate information, their credibility decreases.

It is the primary concern for a journalist to uphold the truth –– a truth that is should not be compromised.

Bob Dylan wins Nobel Prize in literature

Posted on October 14, 2016 by Elizabeth Gelbaugh

By ELIZABETH GELBAUGH

Bob Dylan received the prestigious honor of the Nobel Prize in Literature on Thursday. Dylan is a far cry from the Swedish Academy’s typical choice, being a commercially successful musician instead of a high-brow, lesser-known writer with a strong political or social message.

However, when you take away the vocals and instrumentals, the lyrics left on the page bear a remarkable resemblance to poetry. The Swedish Academy recogn bob-dylan ized this and treated it as such.

Many see this award as a broadening of the standards of literature, expanding the category to include music and potentially other untraditional art forms.

“The old categories of high and low art, they’ve been collapsing for a long time,” music critic David Hajdu said in a New York Times article, ”but this is it being
made official.”

Although many are praising the institution for expanding its literary horizons, others are not so pleased. Many people from the literary world voiced their disapproval on social media.

“I’m a Dylan fan, but this is an ill conceived nostalgia award wrenched from the rancid prostates of senile, gibbering hippies,” Scottish novelist Irvine Welsh wrote on Twitter.

Both The New York Times and the BBC included this tweet in their articles on Dylan’s win. For the sake of objectivity, news media are obligated to include the opinions of those in disagreement with the Swedish Academy’s choice.

But does this publication of disapproval stifle evolution of the arts?

After receiving such backlash, the chances of reverting to the old method of separating high and low forms of art may resurface, causing a step back in this artistic progression.

Instead of immediate criticism, perhaps the news media should take a moment to appreciate the significance of this award and what it means for the future. Dylan’s talent and individuality was finally recognized, and, for the sake of future generations, the news media should acknowledge this accomplishment to the same extent that they have noted the disapproval.

Actress arrested for pipeline activism

Posted on October 13, 2016 by Courtney Chennault

By COURTNEY CHENNAULT

Over the weekend, Shailene Woodley made headlines for being arrested at a peaceful protest in North Dakota.

According to the Los Angeles Times, the “Secret Life of the American Teenager” star was demonstrating her disapproval of the proposed 1,172-mile Dakota Access Pipeline that would transport 400,000 barrels of oil daily from North Dakota to Illinois alongside hundreds of other activists.

Naturally, environmentalists oppose the pipeline for multiple reasons, including the very real possibility of oil leaks that contaminate soil and underground water sources.

Additionally, the Los Angeles Times states that many Native American groups have been outspoken about the pipeline and were present at the protest because the pipeline will disturb sacred Native American lands.

The protest took place on Monday of this week, which also happened to be Columbus Day, which many are trying to re-dedicate as Indigenous Peoples’ Day.

Personally, I did not know about the protest until I saw “Shailene Woodley” trending on Facebook. I clicked on her name and learned what had happened.

It is interesting that the story trended because it involved a celebrity arrest rather than because the pipeline is a big deal in and of itself that affects all of us. I fear that if Woodley had not been involved, there would have been little news media attention given to the protest.

As an environmental activist myself, I am grateful to Woodley for being outspoken about this issue and for drawing attention to the demonstration.

Samsung Galaxy Note 7 sales cease

Posted on October 13, 2016 by Francesca Ciuffo

By: FRANCESCA CIUFFO

The Samsung Galaxy Note 7 has just been recalled and the company is asking all of its sellers to stop sales and exchanges.

There were reports of problems that the phone overheated and caught fire. The company first decreased the production volume, but seeing that this wasn’t good enough and that the safety of the consumers was their top priority, the company halted the production of the Note 7.

In September, Samsung recalled around 2.5 million phones after complaints of exploding batteries. They replaced all the batteries and told all consumers that the phone batteries were now safe and there was nothing to worry about.

Obviously, this was not true because there were reports that the phones with the replaced batteries were now catching fire too. A flight was recently evacuated after a new device started emitting smoke in the cabin. Also, a man was awaken when his bedroom filled with smoke from the new battery on the Note 7.

Authorities in the U.S. and South Korea, where the phones are made, are examining why this is happening to the replacement batteries because they were supposed to be equipped with a safe battery. At least five fires were reported from the replacement batteries. Samsung sold about 45,000 Note 7’s through preorder in Europe. The company knew that it could not send these dangerous phones to Europe.

These problems can cause extreme damages to the brand because Samsung is supposed to have reliable phones, so the fact that the same problem happened twice after it was supposed to be fixed can hurt Samsung’s reputation. A large loss of faith can be triggered in Samsung consumers, which could hurt the brand and its reputation.

News media cover stories like this because Samsung is a very popular brand in the United States and is one of the most well-known phone companies. This means that a lot of Americans have these phones and this news will affect them all.

It is important to report this news because consumers of this phone need to know that they are not safe, so that they can return them, stay safe, and keep others around them safe.

Tebow prays to help ill fan

Posted on October 12, 2016 by Amy Taintor

By AMY TAINTOR

Tim Tebow, former quarterback for the Denver Broncos, prayed over a seizing fan during an autograph session, as they awaited paramedics.

However, the autograph session wasn’t after a football game, it was after a minor league baseball game.

That’s right, Tebow has changed his career path in hopes to play Major League Baseball.

Now, that’s not the point. You may be asking why I care that Tim Tebow was praying over a fan. Lots of athletes are religious and believe in something of a higher power. But Tebow is different.

He has devoted his whole life to the Christian faith. His parents are both Baptists and have spent their life doing missionary work. In fact, Tebow was born in the Philippines while his parents were doing missionary work.

He was home schooled up until college because his parents were worried that the public school system would corrupt his faith.

And now, he’s not only made a name for himself as a star quarterback/ hopeful Major League Baseball player, but also as a devout Christian.

His athletic career has been focused on playing for God and that was no different while he prayed over the fan, while he was having a seizure.

Unreasonable expectations for Leicester

Posted on October 11, 2016 by Michael Franca

By MICHAEL FRANCA

Leicester City has enjoyed an unbelievable run of success dating back to their relegation escape two seasons ago and culminating in the hoisting of the Premier League trophy last May. This year, however, their results have been more believable than that reality.

That’s not to say that it’s all bad either. While they may not be flying as high as they did on their way to the title, they’re still clear of the relegation zone and top of their Champions League group.

News media coverage, though, appears to indicate that this season has been a disappointment so far.

While this would seem like fair coverage of a team that went from winning the league to toiling in 12th place, Leicester is no ordinary story.

The team famously overcame 5000/1 odds to win the English Premier League last season. They were even a popular pick to finish last at the start of the season.

With all of this in mind, many supporters of the club will likely be content with their current standing. As a team that isn’t a traditional powerhouse, a repeat of last year shouldn’t have been expected.

Still, pundits across the world have considered their performance thus far to be underwhelming.

Another factor that has largely gone unmentioned is how much time they have to make a push. Just 7 games into a 38-game season, their fate is far from sealed.

A story as special and unprecedented as Leicester’s shouldn’t be tarnished by unreasonable expectations. Hopefully the pressure many have placed on their shoulders will not be too much to bear.

All about hurricanes this week

Posted on October 10, 2016 by Alex Goldman

By ALEX GOLDMAN

The South Florida region saw the passing of two hurricanes this past week.

Matthew was the name of one, letdown was the name of the other.

Hurricane Matthew did most of its damage in the Caribbean and along Florida’s eastern coast. The Miami Hurricanes football team lost in a much anticipated match-up to the Florida State Seminoles, 20-19. Now that the storms have passed, let’s take a look at how the Miami Herald covered the events.

First up, Mr. Matthew.

The real-life hurricanes claimed the lives of six people in the state of Florida, as described in this informative article. I thought that this was a good post because it included information that probably wasn’t reported on heavily in our area, such as the storm-related deaths (which occurred outside of South Florida); the effects of the storm up the coast in Brevard, Flagler, and Volusia counties; the water levels of Lake Ockeechobee; and why state law enforcement didn’t provide security around Hard Rock Stadium on Saturday.

This article reported on the progress of FPL restoring power in South Florida. As of Sunday evening, all but 10 customers had their power restored.

Think that because you haven’t heard about Zika recently the problem has gone away? As this article indicates, you may be hearing more about it in the coming weeks.

On to the Hurricanes. Oh, the ‘Canes…

Herald columnist Greg Cote penned a gem in his post-game story. Great coverage coming from Cote.

Florida State running back Dalvin Cook was cooking in his return home. The Miami native caught fire in the second half, finishing with 209 total yards. Elliot Lapin chronicled the hometown feast.

Not only did he throw a game-changing interception, but Miami quarterback Brad Kaaya came out of the game with a banged up shoulder. And lost a tooth. Susan Miller Degnan provided the coverage in her article.

The best part of the game was seeing the ‘Canes in those new (old) unis

All in all, the Herald continues with its reliable and interesting reporting.

‘Honor killings’ found dishonorable

Posted on October 7, 2016 by Marissa Vonesh

By MARISSA VONESH

Under new legislation, perpetrators of “honor killings” in Pakistan will no longer be able to walk free if pardoned by the victims’ family. Honor killings, or the killing of a relative (usually female) who has brought dishonor upon his or her family, have risen in Pakistan with more than 1,000 documented cases in the past year.

After a series of gruesome honor killings and the death of the social celebrity Qandeel Baloch, legislators closed the loophole that allowed families forgive perpetrators and pardon them with no jail time or punishment. Now, all perpetrators will face a mandatory jail sentence of 25 years and will only be pardoned if they face the death penalty — they will still be forced to serve 25 years.

The news media account of the new legislation has effectively shown the impact of the social media and the average citizen to get the law changed. The legislation underscores a major step in the right direction for social justice and the heavy impact that exposure has on influencing government entities.

Furthermore, news media outlets stated that the law is one small step to conquering the honor killings and the rooted traditions that come with it. Because these killings usually come with acceptance and approval, it will take much more than a law to deconstruct the idea that killing for “family honor” is wrong, especially because many cases of honor killing go undocumented.

On the other hand, while news media were well-sourced with opinions of people against these killings, the perspective and justification for the honor killings were minimal. Especially reading news articles from across the world where the culture is different, it is important for news coverage to explain alternative views. Without fully understanding why the culture promotes the killing of a relative, one is unable to comprehend the story in its entirety.

Hurricane Matthew dominates news

Posted on October 7, 2016 by Madison Brown

By MADISON BROWN

Hurricane Matthew has been getting widespread attention this week in the news media, especially here in South Florida.

The category 4 hurricane was expected to hit Florida and travel up the coastal United States on Thursday and Friday.

The University of Miami cancelled classes and closed all of its campuses from 5 p.m. on Wednesday through Friday in preparation for whatever Matthew would bring to the Miami-Dade area.

News coverage has been constant, in addition to people posting Facebook updates and tweeting about the storm to make sure people are aware and prepared for the potential impact.

Posts range from tracking the storm’s path to telling people to stock up on certain supplies in case of power outages.

Most of the coverage is extremely serious since the storm killed more than 100 people in Haiti and forced nearly three million people in the United States to evacuate their areas.

However, some people looked for the humor in the grave situation, posting memes and other comical photos related to Hurricane Matthew.

Fox News anchor Shepard Smith stressed the storm’s life-threatening potential bluntly during a broadcast on Thursday.

“This moves 20 miles to the west, you and everyone you know are dead. All of you…and your kids die, too,” Shepard said.

A short video clip of Shepard’s broadcast went viral, with people surprised at the his less than poised reaction to the storm.

Students neglect danger and party

Posted on October 7, 2016 by Elizabeth Gelbaugh

By ELIZABETH GELBAUGH

Windows are boarded up, families have fled their homes and the entire nation is glued to television sets, smart phones and computers to stay updated on the latest news of Hurricane Matthew.

The United States hasn’t been hit by such a strong, dangerous hurricane since Sandy in 2012, so inevitably concern is growing throughout the nation, even in areas not directly impacted by the storm.

Many news stories have warned citizens, especially South Floridians, of the danger of their apathetic attitude. A category 4 hurricane seems obviously threatening to most, but South Florida is frequently plagued by tropical storms, complete with high winds and immense flooding.

President Obama and Florida Gov. Rick Scott have encouraged Americans living in coastal Florida, Georgia and South Carolina to leave their homes, warning that apathy and unwillingness to leave could cost citizens their lives.

However, there is little being said about college students during this time.

Universities along the southeast coast, including University of Miami, the College of Charleston, Coastal Carolina University and University of South Carolina, have closed for the remainder of the week. Schools have encouraged students to evacuate if possible and are taking various precautions to ensure the safety of those who remain on campus.

Many college students are far away from friends and family dealing with a situation that is totally foreign to them. Plenty of students, particularly Midwesterners, have never lived through a hurricane and are utterly unprepared and overwhelmed.

Although the panic and stress this may cause is worrisome, the lack of preparedness and underestimation of the severity of Hurricane Matthew is far more concerning. Classes are canceled, assignments are postponed and students have more free time than ever.

What does that mean? It’s party time.

Media have neglected to cover the added danger that excessive alcohol consumption and drug use will undoubtedly cause during this disaster. Everyone must keep their wits about them during a crisis, and neglecting to do so by binge-drinking and going out in inclement weather may be fatal.

By neglecting to mention this issue and its potentially fatal side effects in the news, media are allowing this attitude to endure, even proliferate. Many young adults are unaware of the severity of a hurricane, so peer pressure and fear of missing out (FOMO, as the kids are calling it these days) are driving students to engage in risky behavior that is unwise even under the safest environmental conditions.

News media should pay more attention to college and university students to remind them of the possible consequences of hurricane parties and discourage them from taking part in unnecessary and life-threatening activities.

DIGITAL NEWS REPORTING

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