Matthew shakes up college football

Posted on October 6, 2016 by Daniel Lloveras

By DANIEL LLOVERAS

As Hurricane Matthew, the longest-lived Atlantic major hurricane since Ivan in 2004, moves through the Bahamas and approaches the southeastern United States, evacuations have been ordered and preparations have been made for the possibly devastating impacts of the storm.

Several major college football programs, including the Miami Hurricanes and the Florida Gators, are scheduled to host games this Saturday which may be impacted by the storm. Hurricane Matthew is forecast to move north along Florida’s east coast on Thursday and Friday.

Depending on Matthew’s track and the associated damage, Miami, Florida and South Carolina may be forced to reschedule or even cancel their respective games against Florida State, Louisiana State and Georgia.

As of Thursday afternoon, no scheduling changes have been made for college football games this Saturday.

However, the impact on preparations for the game cannot be understated.

While most sports media organizations are focusing on the hurricane’s impacts on game scheduling, the most significant effects of Matthew will likely be on transportation and preparation.

The University of Miami has closed its campus on Thursday and Friday, meaning the Hurricanes will be unable to practice before the game. Florida State has delayed its travel plans and will take a bus to Miami on Friday instead of Thursday.

Hurricanes are dangerous and cannot be taken lightly. However, college football games and television deals are valuable and will not be cancelled or postponed unless the safety of fans, players and coaches is threatened.

In this case, the storm will likely be clear of most college football stadiums come Saturday afternoon. With the games almost certain to be played, teams must ensure that the transportation and preparation issues do not negatively impact performance.

October’s chaotic kickoff

Posted on October 5, 2016 by Nyah Tennell

By NYAH TENNELL

This week has been an exciting, yet chaotic week for Miami Hurricane students and staff.

With the game against rival, FSU, this coming Saturday, Hurricane Matthew’s touchdown beginning Wednesday and in the midst of midterms, October is getting off to an interesting, and jam-packed start.

Hurricane Matthew, which has already devastated many areas of the Caribbean, has been declared as a powerful category four, with maximum sustained winds of 130 m.p.h., said the National Hurricane Center.

Florida Gov. Rick Scott declared a state of emergency on Monday and, according to USA today, he has warned residents to prepare for potential power outages and possible evacuations.

“We are preparing for the worst, hoping for the best and not taking any chances,” Scott said.

According to Fox News, South Carolina also declared a state of emergency on Thursday, which allows federal aid to be dispersed in addition to state and local emergency response teams.

Furthermore, The Pentagon reported that Florida, Georgia and South Carolina state governors mobilized 4,500 National Guardsmen to assist with southern communities’ efforts to weather the storm.

I just hope that Hurricane Matthew brings our Hurricane football team some hurricane-force winds that wipe out Florida State at this Saturday’s game.

Kardashian West faces gunpoint robbery

Posted on October 5, 2016 by Francesca Ciuffo

By FRANCESCA CIUFFO

At around 2 a.m. Monday, Kim Kardashian was robbed of jewelry worth nearly $9 million while held at gunpoint in Paris.

She was alone in the Eighth Arrondissement when two men burst in, tied her up and gagged her, then escaped with at least three accomplices, officials said.

Kanye West, Kim’s husband, abruptly left the stage in New York, while performing for the Meadows Music and Art Festival, after he heard of this news.

The men appeared to identify themselves as police officers. They tied up the hands of the receptionist and stormed into Kardashian West’s room. They then tied up her hands, held a handgun to her, and put a gag in her mouth.

A spokeswoman for Kardashian West said that she was “badly shaken but physically unharmed” following the incident.

Sources say that Kardashian West begged for her life because she has two children to take care of as she was threatened with the gun and was bound and forced into a bathtub. Tape was placed over her mouth.

It was also discovered that two cellphones were stolen, one being Kardashian West’s phone with a lot of private information on it.

Kris Jenner, her mother, was staying at a nearby hotel at the time of the robbery, while the sisters were at a nightclub, along with Kardashian West’s security guards.

The first to flood to the scene were other mansion guests, and her sisters and mother came soon after, as soon as they heard the news.

Media writes about this because the Kardashians are one of the most talked about celebrities in the entertainment industry today. This means that a major crime like this would be important to broadcast because she is a public figure.

Kim Kardashian being held at gunpoint and robbed of millions of dollars worth of jewelry is newsworthy because it is not only a crime story, but also an unlikely and concerning entertainment story that is likely to cause the public to react.

Kaine and Pence duke it out

Posted on October 5, 2016 by Courtney Chennault

By COURTNEY CHENNAULT

With the 2016 presidential election fast approaching, the vice presidential nominees Gov. Mike Pence and Sen. Tim Kaine took the stage last night at Longwood University in Virginia for a vice presidential debate.

Significantly, according to a tweet in a CNN article, moderator Elaine Quijano was the first Asian American to moderate a presidential debate. Quijano certainly did not have an easy job as the two candidates constantly interrupted each other, as has become customary in such debates.

Both candidates accused the other of running an “insult-drive campaign” and exaggerated the truth on select issues, according to National Public Radio’s fact checker.

An article about the debate on CNN features a number of tweets from CNN Opinion commentators, a majority of whom harshly criticized Trump’s running mate, M screen-shot-2016-10-05-at-10-56-24-am ike Pence, for lying and being in denial of Trump’s stance on many issues.

Meanwhile, both CNN and Fox News criticized Quijano as the moderator, but for different reasons. A CNN article claimed that Quijano cut off valuable discussion about important topics in order to make it through all the planned questions.

Fox News accused her of blatantly favoring the Democrat nominee Tim Kaine. For example, an article on the Fox News homepage claimed that Quijano asked Pence extremely tough questions by a factor of 8-to-1 compared to the questions asked to Kaine. Additionally, the network berated Quijano for allowing Kaine to interrupt Pence far more than Pence interrupted Kaine.

With the second presidential debate coming up this weekend, it will be interesting to hear if the candidates have any comments about their running mates’ performances.

The facts about drinking while pregnant?

Posted on October 4, 2016 by Claudia Brown

By CLAUDIA BROWN

Every few months or so, the Internet goes crazy over a new study that says what is okay and not okay to do while pregnant.

For example, first it is not okay to drink alcohol while pregnant, then it was suggested that having a glass of wine once a month is healthy. And now, it is okay to only drink the last month a woman is pregnant.

WebMD poses the question “How much alcohol is too much?”

It also states that “The problem with drinking and pregnancy is that there is no amount that has been proven to be safe.”

The latest theory states that it is not only okay, but it is actually good for ones pregnancy.

David Garry an OBGYN admits that “researchers don’t know enough about the potential effects of drinking alcohol at particular times during the pregnancy to be able to say that any time is really safe.”

Journalists and reporters quickly write about why the new theory is correct and why we were wrong in the past. Obviously, it is their job to get information out there as quickly and accurately as possible.

In this case, although the journalists and reporters are doing their jobs, they are missing the extensive research as to why people’s perceptions change.

New studies are frequently done, but how correct are they? Within in the past two years, doctors have changed their mind about alcohol intake while pregnant.

Wanting to get the information out there with the newest studies, the accuracy of information is not always clear. If it were, these new studies would all conclude in agreement with one another.

Doctors are still not agreeing on which theory is most correct. If doctors are admitting they do not know, it is impossible for the reporting to be 100% accurate.

Trump claims debate was rigged

Posted on September 30, 2016 by Daniel Lloveras

By DANIEL LLOVERAS

At Monday night’s first presidential debate, Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump faced off on issues such as taxes, gun control and foreign policy. The candidates also exchanged personal blows, with Clinton criticizing her opponent’s inexperience and sexism and Trump attacking his opponent’s e-mails and temperament.

While the process of declaring a debate winner is subjective, journalists do it in order to provide a summary for those unable or unwilling to watch the debate.

Many national news organizations, including CNN, NBC News and The New York Times, claimed that Clinton won the debate with her preparation and attacks on Trump’s sexist insults and unreleased tax returns.

However, Trump insists that he defeated Clinton during the debate and went so far as to assert that the debate was fixed by moderator Lester Holt.

“I had to put up with the anchor and fight the anchor all the time on everything I said,” Trump told supporters at a New Hampshire rally. “What a rigged deal.”

Trump’s denial of Clinton’s impressive performance shows why declaring a winner of a presidential debate is useless. Regardless of how unprepared Trump may have seemed and how poised his opponent may have been, his supporters will continue to focus on Clinton’s apparent lack of trustworthiness.

Debate coverage dramatizes the event and embellishes the importance of declaring a winner. In reality, the two-party system polarizes the country, and voters watching the debates are unlikely to change their opinions based on the candidates’ performance. When the candidates themselves deny debate results, supporters are likely to do so as well.

Debate coverage should focus on informing voters and describing the candidates’ opinions on key issues instead of treating the events like the Super Bowl.

Real and perceived slights

Posted on September 30, 2016 by Nyah Tennell

By NYAH TENNELL

Police brutality and the use of excessive force is a major social and political issue, particularly with our nation on the brink of electing a new president. The coverage by the news media of incidents of brutality has caused major disruptions from coast-to-coast, and has many Americans on edge.

Police brutality is not a new phenomenon. If you ask a publisher or editor at one of the country’s African-American newspapers, she or he would tell you they’ve been covering these cases for a long time.

“We’ve been in business for 130 years,” said Robert Bogle, President and CEO of The Philadelphia Tribune. Tracey Williams-Dillard of the Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder, another African-American newspaper, said “It not only feels like there’s more coverage, there is more coverage. It’s not a perception, it’s definitely real,” According to an article written by Eliott C. McLaughlin of CNN, we’re just seeing more mainstream media coverage thanks to cell phones.

Cellphone videos captured by on-the-scene eyewitnesses have brought many stories into the light that, otherwise, would have been swept under the rug. Once the video hits the mainstream, usually via social media forums, journalists can then provide follow-up. Citizens, now armed with evidence, demand accountability and pursue justice.

Black newspaper executives feel that videos lend credibility not only to black victims’ versions of events in specific situations, but also to their versions of events historically. Where a victim’s race could affect a story’s perceived veracity, video permits no such prejudice.

Not only are we in a better position to capture video of police misconduct today, we’re also better equipped to disseminate the footage via social media.

However, news organizations may not be giving the same level of scrutiny, context and analysis to the various groups who face violence at the hands of police.

When you think of police brutality in the U.S., you think of black males being brutalized; however, black females have been victimized as well. According to an article written by Meredith Clark in USAToday, “black and brown women and girls are additionally brutalized in ways that men often aren’t,” says Clark. “And the data shows that police incidents involving women of color occur at a disproportionately high level compared with media coverage.”

More than 20 women of color have been killed in police-related incidents including Sandra Bland, who died in police custody in Texas on July 13, 2015.

Additionally, there are many who criticize the under-representation of incidents of police brutality at the top English-language networks. An article in the Huffington Post Feb. 24, 2015, raised the question of how major television networks cover police violence cases in which the victims are Hispanic. For example, Antonio Zambrano-Montes, a Mexican migrant worker, who was shot and killed by police officers on Feb. 10, 2015 in Pasco, Washington, gained coverage by Univision, the top-rated Spanish-language channel numerous times. However, the case was not portrayed with the same ferocity by Fox News or CNN, the two leading national news channels.

I am sure that the news media would prefer not to continuously inundate the public with tale after tale of police brutality, as it is an unfortunate reality and construct of our society and justice system.

The question is: Which story is more worthy of attention and, most importantly, why?

Chris Bosh’s NBA career likely over

Posted on September 30, 2016 by Michael Franca

By MICHAEL FRANCA

Miami Heat superstar forward Chris Bosh failed a physical in an attempt to return to NBA action, meaning that he won’t be cleared to participate in training camp for the new season. He has suffered from blood clots that have put an end to each of his last two seasons.

Since he failed the physical, Bosh has fired his agent and Heat president Pat Riley has conceded that his career with the franchise is likely over. Riley also stated that the team is not actively working towards a return.

Bosh is featuring in a documentary-style series on Uninterrupted.com that details his struggle and aspirations to play again. In the series, he said that he felt Heat doctors were quick to write him off.

This situation has the makings of a dramatic end to a great relationship between player and franchise.

While Bosh understandably is pushing to be able to return to what he says he was “made to do,” there is simply too much risk involved for him to be cleared.

The majority of news media coverage has centered on this brewing controversy. What has been largely overlooked, however, is just how dangerous Bosh’s situation is to his health.

When he was first diagnosed with blood clots one of the most prevalent public narratives was that if he tried to play, it would be plausible that he could die on the court.

In general, athletes are told that playing contact sports while on blood thinners can be risky, as there is the potential for internal bleeding or other complications.

This time around, the news media seem more concerned with what Bosh may do to try and play and what that will mean for the Heat. Although it’s been covered before, it seems as if the gravity of his condition is no longer being emphasized as it should be.

There will only be one Fernandez

Posted on September 30, 2016 by Alex Goldman

By ALEX GOLDMAN

I’m not the first to write about him. And I won’t be the last.

It seemed like too obvious a choice to write about for this week, yet in the end I couldn’t help myself.

I had to write about Jose Fernandez. Just like many others this week.

The Miami Marlins pitcher was killed in a boating incident early Sunday morning in Miami Beach. The boat hit a rock jetty. Fernandez and two other men were killed. Instantly, I hope.

Coverage of his death on Sunday, tributes made out to him Sunday, Monday and Tuesday, and live coverage of his public and family funeral processions Wednesday and Thursday were hot topics.

The uniform blog Uni-Watch covered all sports-related tributes to Fernandez. Among them were the Marlins wearing “Fernandez” jersey’s with his No. 16 for the duration of their Monday game against the New York Mets. Uni-Watch believes this to be the first occasion of a team memorializing a player through uniformly (get it?) dressing the team in that player’s jersey (excluding the league-wide wearing of Jackie Robinson’s “42” for one day of each season).

Local TV stations WPLG 10, WTVJ 6, WSVN 7, and WFOR-TV 4 all aired the funeral procession live, with commentary.

The Miami Herald covered the events of the week extensively.

The coverage is warranted. Fernandez was an incredibly bright light. He had an infectious smile. He was able to penetrate through to Barry Bonds’ soft side. The courage he displayed through 4 overall attempts to defect from Cuba is immeasurable.

And he was only 24.

We’ll all be left to wonder what more he could have given us.

LeBron to stand for anthem

Posted on September 30, 2016 by Nicholas Bruens

By NICHOLAS BRUENS

Colin Kaepernick sparked a major discussion this year when he chose to kneel during the national anthem. It was done to protest the mistreatment African Americans are facing in the nation.

Kaepernick’s protest has caused many athletes to join his protest. LeBron James, however, will not be one of these athletes. LeBron has stated during the Cleveland Cavaliers’ media day that he will in fact be standing for the national anthem.

“Me standing for the national anthem is something I will do,” James told the news media. “That’s who I am. That’s what I believe in.”

James also made sure to mention that he also does not disagree with Kaepernick’s actions. The former MVP actually stated that he supports Kaepernick and his right to protest.

“You have the right to voice your opinion, stand for your opinion, and he’s doing it in the most peaceful way I’ve ever seen someone do something,” said James.

LeBron James is arguably the best player in the National Basketball Association. He is probably the most famous athlete in the world and is idolized by millions of people. When LeBron speaks, people listen.

These words carry a lot of weight because of the one who is saying them. As a result the media has been all over the statements. Multiple internet articles have been written and his statements have the topic of conversation on TV channels such as ESPN and Fox Sports.

This is very important because LeBron’s message is one that should be heard throughout the country. Even though he doesn’t share the belief that he should protest, he respects the other athletes enough to recognize that these players have rights and it should be respected.

The news media have recognized this message and are spreading James’ word for the nation to hear.

Candidate stumbles on words

Posted on September 30, 2016 by Marissa Vonesh

By MARISSA VONESH

Gary Johnson, the Libertarian Party’s nominee for president, choked once again during an interview Wednesday night when MSNBC’s Chris Matthews asked for his favorite political leader. Johnson was not able to respond.

Bill Weld, Johnson’s running mate, attempted to help Johnson, yet, Johnson failed to come up with an answer even after Matthews asked numerous prompting questions.

Johnson simply responded, “I guess I’m having an Aleppo moment,” referring to his incident of not remembering the war-destroyed Syrian city in a prior interview with MSNBC.

Furthermore, Johnson updated the status of his “brain-freeze” with a tweet:

It’s been almost 24 hours…and I still can’t come up with a foreign leader I look up to.

— Gov. Gary Johnson (@GovGaryJohnson) September 29, 2016

The 2016 presidential race has been filled with scandals and comparisons of the candidates’ failures. With this mindset, news outlets have vigorously grabbed onto Johnson’s gaffe. The nominee’s inability to think on his feet has only contributed to the pool of reasons many Americans feel like there is no good candidate for president.

Although the information is interesting, a lot of news sources’ energy has been focused on the politician’s dirt. Even if Johnson spoke carelessly or Clinton has reasons to be mistrusted or Trump has no filter, these missteps should not be the only information reported. It is important to know the personalities of future leaders, but what is more pressing is what their plans are for the country’s future.

The focus on the mistakes of the nominees, moreover, restrict the politicians to exaggerated stereotypes. It is unrealistic for a human being to be perfect constantly. As journalists, remaining unbiased should be a priority. The public should be able to understand all viewpoints, the good and the bad, about the candidates.

It is critical that news outlets begin to discuss the election in terms that will truly inform the voters, not continue division, promote pigeonholes and make the election an entertainment spectacle.

#normalizebreastfeeding gains attention

Posted on September 29, 2016 by Elizabeth Gelbaugh

By ELIZABETH GELBAUGH

On Sept. 22, Cindy Boren’s article in The Washington Post labeled a woman as an inspiration for pumping breast milk while running a half marathon.

Anna Young completed the Revel Big Cottonwood half marathon in Salt Lake City on Sept. 9, her first race since giving birth to her daughter five months prior.

“I thought it would be something the breastfeeding community would appreciate, but I had no idea I would get such a strong reaction. It’s been mostly positive and I’m grateful for that,” Young said in her e-mail to The Washington Post.

Breastfeeding, whether publicly or privately, has recently caused a social media frenzy, with the hashtag #normalizebreastfeeding popping up on Instagram and Twitter. Women have shared empowering photos of breastfeeding and created a supportive community for breastfeeding and non-breastfeeding mothers.

However, not everyone is expressing overwhelming support for this movement.

Six days later, Kristine Guerra wrote an article for The Washington Post about a man who punched his wife in the mouth after a male doctor witnessed her breastfeeding her newborn in the hospital.

According to a police report, Rafael Orozco became jealous and enraged when his wife exposed herself to feed her child, causing him to punch her and grab her neck. He even slapped the infant on the head before he was confronted by hospital staff.

The Washington Post has done an excellent job presenting both viewpoints of this issue while still remaining neutral in its reporting. However, when does neutrality for the sake of journalism wind up preventing change?

American women have many freedoms and privileges that women in other societies around the world couldn’t dream to have themselves, yet we are still encouraged to be embarrassed of our bodies and their life-giving functions.

With the outward support of respected mainstream news media, such as The Washington Post and The New York Times, society can rid itself of this idea of openly and confidently breastfeeding as taboo. News media are meant to be the voices of the people and progress is unlikely without their involvement.

The loss of a pitching ace

Posted on September 28, 2016 by Francesca Ciuffo

By FRANCESCA CIUFFO

Miami Marlins star pitcher Jose Fernandez died in a fatal boating accident Sunday morning.

The 24-year-old and his friends Emilio Jesus Macias, 27, and Eduardo Rivero, 25, were killed when Fernandez’s 32-foot SeaVee boat that was going at high speed smashed into a jetty near Miami Beach. Authorities do not believe alcohol or drugs were involved, but are still investigating.

It was later determined that Fernandez was upset after getting in a fight with his girlfriend who is pregnant with his child. He then called some Marlins teammates to go on his boat with him to help calm him down, but they all declined, so he called other friends who accepted his offer.

Authorities are still investigating who was driving the boat and what exactly caused the crash.

Marlins outfielder Marcell Ozuna, a good friend of Fernandez, told The Miami Herald that he spoke to Fernandez, urging him not to go out that night.

“Everybody knew he was crazy about that boat and loved being out on the water. I told him I couldn’t go out that night because I had the kids and my wife waiting for me,” Ozuna said.

Ozuna continued, “He told me if I didn’t hear from him by 10 a.m. (Sunday) to call him and wake him up so he could get back to the ballpark on time for the game. I told him, ‘yeah no problem, I’ll call you.’”

Ozuna then woke up to some of the worst news of his life on Sunday, Fernandez’s death. He cried endlessly all day.

The loss of Fernandez was severe to not only the Miami Marlins franchise, but Major League Baseball. The news media reports on stories like this, because it is not only impactful due to the tragic death of an ace baseball player, has great significance because it affected the whole baseball world. The Marlins canceled their home game on Sunday against the Atlanta Braves to honor the loss of one of their iconic teammates. Major League Baseball also mandated a league-wide moment of silence before each of Sunday’s games.

The coverage about this death is newsworthy because it appeals to the emotions of the audience. Since baseball is in its final few days before the postseason starts, it is very relevant in coverage this week.

A tragic story about an accident that killed a very good baseball player would be considered very important for the news media to cover. It impacts not only the families of the deceased, but also baseball players around the country, and even fans of Major League Baseball.

The tragic death of a rising star

Posted on September 27, 2016 by Amy Taintor

By AMY TAINTOR

Rising star Jose Fernandez, pitcher for Miami Marlins, died suddenly in a boating accident early Sunday morning.

The 32-foot fishing boat was found around 3 a.m. flipped onto a jetty off the coast near Miami Beach. The boat was going at a high speed at the time of the accident.

It has not been determined if drugs or alcohol were involved in the incident, but there has been no evidence found on the boat. A toxicology exam will be performed.

Reportedly, Fernandez went to blow off steam after having an argument with his pregnant girlfriend. He had asked multiple teammates to join him on the water, but many declined. The two friends that went with him, however, died as well. They have been identified as Eddy Rivero and Emilio Macias.

Fernandez came from Cuba when he was 15-years-old and arrived with his mother. He had many challenges in his life, but he’s the perfect example of living the “American Dream.” He was a first-round pick in 2012, signing a $2 million contract with the Marlins. He was undoubtedly one of the best pitchers in MLB, on his way to great things.

Many fans have mourned the loss of Fernandez and have created a memorial in his name outside of Marlins Park. The team also memorialized him beautifully Monday night in a game against the New York Mets. The whole team wore number 16 jerseys with “Fernandez” written on the back, and huddled around the mound before the game.

This is a huge loss for the Marlins, the city of Miami and all of Major League Baseball. Jose Fernandez will be missed.

DIGITAL NEWS REPORTING

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