Hurricanes, Adidas reveal new uniforms

Posted on September 23, 2016 by Daniel Lloveras

By DANIEL LLOVERAS

The University of Miami and Adidas revealed Monday the new “Legend of the U” football uniforms, which will make their debut on Oct. 8 when the Hurricanes take on rival Florida State at Hard Rock Stadium.

The new uniforms resemble those of the Miami teams which dominated college football in the 1980s and 1990s.

The design was inspired in part by the hiring of new coach Mark Richt, who played quarterback for the Hurricanes in the early 1980s. The uniforms represent the program’s recognition of past success and optimistic outlook for the future.

While college football uniform unveilings generally receive minimal news media coverage, sports journalists went into a frenzy after seeing the “Legend of the U” uniforms.

Many national sports news organizations, including ESPN and Fox Sports, published articles raving about the new look for the Miami Hurricanes football team.

The Hurricanes football program was not only a dominant force on the field in the 1980s, but also a polarizing figure in popular culture.

The Hurricanes popularized the term “swag” with their aggressive play and showy celebrations, but have been mostly irrelevant in college football for the past decade.

The positive response from sports news media to the uniform reveal is reflective of the excitement and optimism surrounding the Miami football program.

Along with Miami fans, sports journalists hope to see Miami echo the success of the glory days in the 1980s, when the teams were exciting both to watch on the field and cover off it.

194 victims and counting

Posted on September 23, 2016 by Courtney Chennault

By COURTNEY CHENNAULT

Since the birth of this nation, racism has torn people apart. The last few weeks have been no different as black men continue to be assaulted, gunned down and murdered by police officers without just cause.

Yesterday, the governor of North Carolina declared a state of emergency after protests broke out in response to the shooting deaths of Keith Scott, Tyre King and Terence Crutcher, and the countless others, at the hands of police.

I first became aware of the protest when I was scrolling through my news feed on Facebook. One of the pages I follow shared another person’s live broadcast of the protest. There were more than 44,000 people watching the video that this Facebook user posted.

Watching this video made me realize the true impact that social media are having on television news broadcasting. Live broadcasting, tweeting, etc. allows anyone to function as a journalist. I actually preferred to watch this person’s broadcasting over CNN’s or Fox’s because it felt much more authentic and was entirely uncensored.

According to The Guardian’s police killings database, since the beginning of 2016, 194 black people have been killed by the police, making blacks the most killed race by police officers. The Guardian also states that black men are nine times more likely than any other American to be killed by police.

The Wall Street Journal reports that in all of 2015, cops killed about 1,200 people, yet not a single officer was convicted of murder.

This lack of accountability of police officers, and their seeming disregard for the lives of people of color inspired Colin Kaepernick, quarterback of the San Francisco 49ers, and others around the country, to sit or kneel during the playing of the National Anthem as an act of protest against these injustices.

Though so many people were quick to criticize Kaepernick and his supporters for their peaceful protest calling attention to the injustice, many of these critics have nothing to say about the injustices themselves. People are calling out this tendency with the trending statement “Take a knee, people riot … take a bullet, people quiet.”

Wentz, Prescott are not average rookies

Posted on September 23, 2016 by Nicholas Bruens

By NICHOLAS BRUENS

Carson Wentz and Dak Prescott are starting NFL quarterbacks. They are entrusted with knowing the team inside and out and their restive teams season rest on their shoulders … and they’re also rookies.

This is their first season in a strange city away from their families with a city’s worth of pressure sitting on their shoulders. The similarities continue to stack up. Both were expected to sit on the bench the whole season. Both had questions when they were drafted by there respective teams and both are doing a great job.

Carson Wentz, the second overall pick from North Dakota State, has led his Philadelphia Eagles to a 2-0 start becoming to first rookie QB to win his first two starts without a team turnover. He is a contender for the Offensive Rookie of the Year Award and looks have a bright future in Philly.

Prescott, a fourth round pick from Mississippi Sate, hasn’t won both of his first to games but has yet to commit a turnover. he is also a contender for the OROY Award and could be the permanent successor to Tony Romo for Dallas.

With two young figure like this at their disposal, it is no surprise that the news media have constantly talking about these two. On the Fox Sports show, “Skip and Shannon Undisputed,” Skip Bayless and Shannon Sharpe and a lengthy debate over who is better. One of may discussions comparing the two young stars.

The media also ha the added benefit of these young men playing in the same division. Went and Prescott will play each other twice a year. This scenario provides the means for a rivalry to be cooked up among these two and as a result a story that has legs to be covered for 10 to 15 years.

“Wentz vs. Prescott” is a headline you may want to get used to.

NBA’s Steve Kerr speaks out

Posted on September 23, 2016 by Michael Franca

By MICHAEL FRANCA

Colin Kaepernick, however you may feel about him, undeniably started a movement across the sporting landscape that shows no signs of slowing down.

His public protest sparked responses (both in support of and against him) from people involved in every major North American sport. From Megan Rapinoe in soccer, to Adam Jones and Tony La Russa in baseball, John Tortorella in hockey, and now Golden State Coach Steve Kerr (among others) in basketball.

The reaction to each of these people, however, has varied. Perhaps unsurprisingly, Steve Kerr and Colin Kapernick — who are sharing similar messages — have received very different public feedback.

While Kerr may not have made the same grandiose gesture Kaepernick did, he still expressed many of the same sentiments.

“No matter what side of the spectrum you are on, I would hope that every American is disgusted with what is going on around the country, with what happened in Tulsa two days ago, Terrence Cutcher … Unarmed black people are being killed indiscriminately around the country. And that’s what happened two days ago. That’s the message. That’s what matters. The other stuff you can talk about all day. Nobody is right. Nobody is wrong,” Kerr stated.

He even goes on to mention Kaepernick by name and cosign his movement. He says that the statement is “what our country is about” and praises the merits of the nonviolent protest.

The feedback Kerr, a white male, has gotten has been overwhelmingly positive. A simple search of his name on Twitter will yield nearly nothing but positive comments.

Do the same with Kaepernick, however, and the story is much different. The result will be endless streams of hate and death threats – something he publicly acknowledged – sprinkled with little rational commentary.

This discrepancy is both predictable and disturbing. Both men shared honest, eloquent, and important statements to shed light on a troubling situation.

The backlash that only one of them received serves as a fitting juxtaposition. It only adds more evidence of the discrimination that these men are commenting on.

UM’s Richt receives warm welcome

Posted on September 23, 2016 by Nyah Tennell

By NYAH TENNELL

University of Miami Football Coach Mark Richt continues to set a positive example for the UM football players.

Richt was recently named Honorary Head Coach for the 2016 Allstate AFCA Good Works Team, an organization that recognizes student-athletes and their efforts in service as well as enriching the lives of individuals in need.

Since becoming the 24th football coach at the university in December 2015, Richt has received nothing but praise for his performance both on and off the field.

Besides his football acumen, Richt is known for his strong faith, emphasis on academics, integrity and community service. According to an article appearing in USAToday, Richt’s greatest virtue is his willingness to do the right thing for the program, even if it was against his self-interest as a coach trying to keep his job. Georgia players, whether star player or backup, were going to face discipline for off-season infractions — usually to a greater degree than their counterparts at other SEC schools.

However, Richt has left a favorable impression wherever he has treaded. The Miami Herald reported that fans attending an Atlanta Falcons game at the Georgia Dome were quite upset when the announcement of Richt’s departure came over the public-address system. Despite a somewhat tumultuous end to his career at the University of Georgia, DawgNation’s Seth Emerson and Chip Towers quoted Georgia Athletics Director Greg McGarity who said, “Mark has touched thousands of lives over the past 15 years – he has a huge heart and his positive influence has affected many people, young and old.”

While bestowing the Honorary Coaching Award to Richt, Todd Berry, AFCA Executive Director, lavished him with praise. “We get to honor one of our own members, Coach Mark Richt from the University of Miami. His dedication to community service goes hand in hand for why this award was established in 1992”.

The UM fans and alumni are anxiously hoping that Richt will return the football program to its illustrious position in the college football universe. According to The Miami Herald, season ticket renewal rates are at an astonishing 87 percent.

In the midst of football season, this is a hectic, yet lively time for the first year coach of the Hurricanes, and in an interview conducted by the Sun-Sentinel, Richt indicated that he believes his players are adjusting well to changes, and added, “It’s been busy, but it’s been good.”

While I have not had the honor of speaking with Richt, I am looking forward to witnessing this season with the man many believe is currently one of the University of Miami’s best assets.

The pressure on Rodgers increases

Posted on September 23, 2016 by Alex Goldman

By ALEX GOLDMAN

Aaron Rodgers is the NFL’s all-time leader in passer rating, a statistic that measures the effectiveness of a quarterback through the course of a game. He leads that category with a rating of 103.8.

No other quarterback with a minimum four years in the league has a rating more than 100.

However, Rodgers has gone almost a complete NFL season without eclipsing 100 mark in the category. For the last 14 games, dating back to last season, Rodgers has underperformed according to his own high standard.

Just don’t bring it up to him.

In a weekly conference with reporters, Rodgers was asked about his recent (and not so recent) struggles. It wasn’t just one question but a platoon of questions. As ESPN’s Rob Demovsky noted, Rodgers knew the questions would be coming his way.

Rodgers responded “abrasively” to the questions, according to an ESPN description.

I can’t blame him. Rodgers, that is. Search “Aaron Rodgers” on Google and practically all of the news articles revolve around his recent performance. Oh, and by “practically” all of the articles, I mean all of the articles. It’s understandable that he would get tired of answering perpetually negative questions. Especially because he is, after all, the all-time leader in passer rating.

I also can’t blame the news media for their persistent questions on his struggles. Especially because he is, after all, the all-time leader in passer rating.

The sword cuts both ways.

More from the celebrity dating beat …

Posted on September 22, 2016 by Madison Brown

By MADISON BROWN

Rapper Mac Miller said on Power 105’s The Breakfast Club on Thursday morning that he and his girlfriend singer Ariana Grande are in love.

“Just because we are two people who are in love and have a great relationship doesn’t mean I am going to get weird about this incredible music we make,” Miller said when asked about how the impact the news media have on his relationship.

Lately, Miller and Grande have been attracting lots of news media attention about their newly confirmed relationship.

Earlier this week, Grande got into an argument about it with radio host Ryan Seacrest on his morning show On Air with Ryan Seacrest.

A comment Seacrest made about a photo of the couple that Grande posted on Instagram sparked backlash from the singer.

“If I post something, then that’s what I’m willing to share at the moment. That doesn’t mean that you, Ryan Seacrest, with millions of listeners, are entitled to more information,” Grande said, avoiding Seacrest’s question about whether or not her photo was posted to confirm hers and Miller’s relationship status.

Today’s news media are heavily preoccupied with Hollywood couples. Just ask Brangelina.

It seems as if the news media need to know who is dating whom at all times, which poses the question: are celebrity’s relationship statuses public information? Or does Grande have a point?

The evolution of the thigh

Posted on September 22, 2016 by Claudia Brown

By CLAUDIA BROWN

In today’s society we see articles about appearance, health, style and, especially, weight. These articles range from how to be skinny, to healthy, to look like a model, look rich, look famous, look “cool” and look “chill.”

There are other topics within health and beauty that are discussed, but those listed above seem to be the most common.

The way the news media talk about body image is proven to cause body image problems in America such as anorexia, bulimia, body dysmorphic disorder and binge eating to name a few.

In America, our news media focus on what is in style. The popular body part that young women are focusing on now is their thighs. The style of thighs haa evolved from the thigh gap, to the thigh brow, to the mermaid thigh.

A young girl is considered to have a thigh gap is when standing up straight with their ankles touching, there is a visible gap between the thighs.

A thigh brow is when a young woman is sitting down and a crease in the leg forms between the hip and thigh. This is considered sexy because it shows a woman’s thinness while still having the typical woman curves.

The newest trend is called the mermaid thigh. This is when a woman puts their thighs together and the size of the thigh decreases from top to bottom, the look is accomplished looking like a mermaid’s tail.

This concept is harmful to young girls because the shape of a persons thighs is genetic, not how skinny they are or how much they work out.

Dr. Gill Rosalind discusses the news media’s effect on women and men around the country. “One of the most significant shifts in advertising in the last decade … has been the construction of a new figure: a young, attractive, heterosexual women who knowingly and deliberately plays with her sexuality.”

Rosalind explained that this new woman is slowly changing the way the news media represents women.

The news media’s way of portraying body types does not just affect women but men as well. Focusing on women’s bodies however, men then develop an inaccurate image of what women’s bodies are supposed to look like.

This may cause them to in fact be attracted to something that doesn’t naturally exist.

The news media, however, have the power to change this. Rosalind goes on to explain, “If more advertisements take on the view of the new stronger female, we will start to see a change in the way our culture defines women. This new women could potentially change how women feel about themselves and how they need to dress.”

An allegation through social media

Posted on September 21, 2016 by Marissa Vonesh

By MARISSA VONESH

Appalachian State’s color guard is accusing the University of Miami’s football team of assaulting some of its members.

The claim is that the UM football players ran out after the half-time performance and aggressively knocked into and inappropriately groped some of Appalachian State’s color guard members without any apology.

The university’s athletic director, Blake James, said the investigation provided no evidence to the allegation and the university does not tolerate any suggestive or violent behavior.

The alleged incident was elevated by color guard member Sophie Randleman’s Facebook post.

Randleman’s social media post emphasizes disrespect she felt from the football players and describes, in detail, her experience of the event.

The investigation of the case has not confirmed Randleman’s claims; however, her post accurately demonstrates the use of new media in news.

News sites reference Randleman and use her as a source in their articles and broadcasts. Most of the sites only quote Randleman and did not gather information from UM’s football team or other color guard members.

Furthermore, some news sites did not investigate beyond her physical Facebook post and simply quoted from her posting.

The social media post is an effective method of receiving initial information and gathering sources, yet it is concerning to see that events could be blown out of proportion and that some news sites will not investigate past social media. Without more sources and accurate information, news will then falter to being mere gossip.

As social media become more dominate in the news gathering field, it will be important for reporters to react in a professional manner and balance being timely with being accurate.

New York City blast raises questions

Posted on September 21, 2016 by Francesca Ciuffo

By FRANCESCA CIUFFO

On Saturday, Sept. 18 at 8:30 p.m., one of New York City’s most popular neighborhoods, Chelsea, was rocked when a bomb exploded.

The first blast was believed to be the result of a home-made, pressure-cooker, flip phone and Christmas lights. Another bomb that looked similar to this was found on 27^thStreet but did not detonate. Officials say that these bombs were intentional and appeared designed to create maximum chaos and deaths.

These bombs were filled “fragmentation materials.” The bomb that exploded at 23^rd Street was packed with small bearings. The bomb that did not explode appeared to be filled with the same materials.

On Saturday morning, a bombing took place in New Jersey at a marathon for marines. In New Jersey, three pipe bombs were tied together, placed in a trash can and also employed a flip phone as a timing mechanism.

“There is no evidence of an international terrorism connection with this incident,” Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo said Sunday, but many experts believe it could be international terrorism.

Experts proved that the explosive material was similar to a compound called tannerite. Tannerite is made by combining ammonium nitrate and aluminum powder and has hardly been used in improvised bombing strategies in the United States. An expert on unplanned explosive devices used by terrorists worldwide said that a device constructed as intricate as this one indicates a higher-than-average competence than what people in the United States can create.

Ahmad Khan Rahami, a 28-year-old naturalized U.S. citizen, was charged for the Saturday night blast in New York’s Chelsea neighborhood, an explosion in Seaside Park on Saturday morning and a foiled bomb attack Sunday night near a train station in Elizabeth, NJ.

Rahamj’s most recent address is in Elizabeth, NJ. This city is where investigators discovered five skeptical devices, one which exploded near a train station on Sunday night.

Rahami had been on the radar of federal agents two years ago, when his father told the police that he suspected his son to be involved in terrorism. They checked him for almost two months and said that he was not a terrorist. Now, the FBI says he is a terrorist. After Rahami was captured during a shootout on Monday, the police found a notebook with a bullet hole in it. The notebook expressed jihadist beliefs, and wrote of killing the “unbelievers.” It also praised Anwar al-Awlaki, once Al Qaeda’s leading propagandist who died in a drone strike in Yemen.

Rahami is linked to 10 explosive devices found in the region. The investigation of whether he worked alone, or was part of a terrorist organization is still ongoing. They believe he worked alone.

It is important for the news media to cover stories like this because terrorism and public safety are huge topics today. The United States is going through a period of time that terrorist attacks are happening at least once every few months. Bombings are important for the news media to cover because the public wants to know what is going on and if people are safe or were killed because of these attacks.

Say goodbye to Brangelina

Posted on September 21, 2016 by Elizabeth Gelbaugh

By ELIZABETH GELBAUGH

After more than a decade together, celebrity power couple Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie separated on Sept. 15. According to CNN, Jolie filed for divorce, citing irreconcilable differences.

Though the pair were only married for two and a half years, they share six children, three biological and three adopted.

Brangelina fans around the world were shocked and craved more insider information. Millennials feed off of the latest celebrity gossip and entertainment news, but where should entertainment news media draw the line when it comes to delving into the relationships and breakups of celebrity families?

Whenever children are involved, divorces always seem to be messier. But how will constant publicity and prying eyes play a factor in the couple’s ability to divorce peacefully?

Many celebrities go to great lengths to keep their children out of the spotlight and give them a “normal” childhood. However, the Jolie-Pitt children will have even more difficulty coping with their parents’ divorce than ordinary kids with headlines plastered on every front page and media website, from tabloids in supermarket checkout lines to media alerts and twitter feeds.

“I am very saddened by this, but what matters most now is the well-being of our kids,” Pitt said Tuesday in a statement to CNN. “I kindly ask the press to give them the space they deserve during this challenging time.”

Unfortunately, I doubt reporters and paparazzi will take the pleas of this concerned father to heart.

So why do tabloids and even reputable news organizations, such as CNN and the New York Times, continue to report on celebrity divorces, regardless of the strain placed on the families, especially children, involved?

The answer is simple: money. News media organizations need revenue to survive and more eyeballs mean more ad revenue.

The news media are driven by the public’s voyeuristic interest, but coverage of private lives, even of public figures, seems incredibly invasive. In the case of Brangelina, not only are the media dragging the private details of a celebrity relationship out into the open, but they are taking innocent, and potentially unwilling, children along for the ride.

With this breed of celebrity news taking over, it’s easy to forget that the media’s original role is to act as a watchdog on government and serve the needs, not merely the wants, of the people.

Campaign stretches health privacy limits

Posted on September 20, 2016 by Nyah Tennell

By NYAH TENNELL

In light of Hillary Clinton’s recent health scare at the 9/11 Memorial site’s 15-year observation, there has been increased pressure on the presidential nominees to release their medical records.

In an effort to promote the transparency both candidates speak so frequently on, both Donald Trump and Clinton have both made some degree of information regarding their health public.

While it is interesting to note Trump’s slight battle with obesity and his genetic link to Alzheimer’s, and Hillary’s bout of pneumonia and previous blood clots; elected official or not, would you want your medical records made public for the world to judge?

Although the health and medical condition of our elected officials is essential in regards to their capacity to handle their position, it is similarly important to preserve their right to privacy and individual liberty as human beings and, despite their status, I believe matters of health are quite personal.

“Trump plays chicken on health records” read the headline of the Sept. 15 Time Magazine politics page. While the headline mockingly accuses Trump of being scared to release the one-page medical report done by his physician, Harold Bornstein, Trump did in fact make his medical records public on Wednesday, Sept. 14 during a taping of “The Dr. Oz Show.”

The issue has now become the extent to which he has informed the public, as Trump’s one-page summary was not an extensive review of his health.

CNN’s Brian Stelter and MJ Lee refer to Trump as a “master showman,” claiming that “the TV appearance gives the appearance of transparency, but the summary by Bornstein will fall far short of experts’ calls for detailed information about Trump’s health and medical history.”

The New York Times agreed, stating that “the information Mrs. Clinton has made public is more extensive than the details and assessments” given by Trump’s physician, Bornstein. Although Clinton’s records can be deemed as more “extensive”, her physician, Lisa Bardack, failed to include basic information such as her weight and height.

CNN also refers to Bornstein as “hyperbolic,” in saying that, if elected, Trump would be the healthiest president in history and, according to The New York Times, David Plouffe, a former senior adviser to President Obama, tweeted that the Republican nominee would rival William Howard Taft in terms of portliness.

While I am not a supporter of Donald Trump, nor his campaign or policies, I am a firm believer in morality and The Golden Rule. I don’t think that is appropriate to weight-shame, and I think we’ve witnessed a slight double standard; would Plouffe have made the comment if the Republican nominee was an obese woman?

I don’t think so.

So, more importantly, Mr. Trump … where are your income tax records?

Aleppo gaffe hinders Johnson campaign

Posted on September 16, 2016 by Daniel Lloveras

By DANIEL LLOVERAS

In an election year with two major party candidates who have historically high disapproval ratings, Libertarian Gary Johnson sees an opportunity to send a third party to the White House.

As Johnson, who appeals particularly to young voters, has climbed to nearly 10 percent in national polls, the news media have been hesitant to give much attention to his campaign. Instead, news organizations have focused on issues that Americans are all too familiar with, such as Hillary Clinton’s e-mails and Donald Trump’s insults.

However, Johnson received a significant amount of coverage last week after an MSNBC interview during which he expressed his unfamiliarity with Aleppo, a war-torn Syrian city.

Johnson was chastised by several news organizations, including The New York Times, for his lack of foreign policy knowledge.

Criticism for the Aleppo gaffe was arguably the most attention the Johnson campaign has received from the news media.

The tendency of news organizations to focus coverage on the two major party candidates has made it difficult for the Johnson campaign to garner positive attention.

For Johnson, participation in the presidential debates would provide the perfect opportunity to receive good publicity and attract voters.

The Aleppo gaffe was a major setback for Johnson, who must average at least 15 percent in national polls to participate in the debates. With the first debate coming up on Sept. 26, Johnson must quickly recover from his error if he hopes to be a major contender come election day.

NCAA to relocate North Carolina events

Posted on September 16, 2016 by Madison Brown

By MADISON BROWN

The NCAA announced Monday that it will relocate all of the seven scheduled championship events from North Carolina due to the state’s controversial transgender bathroom law that prohibits citizens from using bathrooms that match a gender other than what is listed on their birth certificates.

North Carolina Gov. Pat McCrory passed the law, known as House Bill 2, in March.

The NCAA’s relocation announcement will affect the Division I men’s basketball tournament, commonly referred to as March Madness, in which six games were scheduled to occur in Greensboro, N.C., this coming March.

“We believe in providing a safe and respectful environment at our events and are committed to providing the best experience possible for college athletes, fans and everyone taking part in our championships,” Mark Emmert, NCAA president, said regarding the decision.

The NCAA has not yet announced where the relocated games will be played.

According to The New York Times, an NCAA spokesman said that North Carolina is the state which has hosted the most men’s basketball tournament games. This makes the relocation decision even more significant.

McCrory has faced harsh backlash from the media and the public since signing House Bill 2, and the NCAA’s recent decision is only making it worse.

Chris Sgro, Equality North Carolina executive director and a Democrat in the North Carolina House of Representatives, has been an outspoken adversary of House Bill 2 and Governor McCrory.

Sgro took to Twitter to express his frustration after the NCAA’s announcement.

Sgro is not the only one upset by the governor’s stance on LGBTQ rights and the NCAA’s feelings on the issue are not helping his popularity.

NBA’s Iverson changed the norm

Posted on September 16, 2016 by Zachary Stubblefield

By ZACH STUBBLEFIELD

Alen Iverson, former superstar NBA point guard, was inducted into the basketball Hall of Fame last week. He was one of the most feisty players the league has ever seen, both on and off the court.

He was brash and unapologetic. He said whatever was on his mind during his career. He oozed style and swagger.

Iverson did not fit the cookie cutter mold that the media had created for pro basketball players. He dressed like a “thug,” he did not care about being politically correct and he was quite the trash talker on the court.

The media crucified him for these traits while he was playing, but now they turn around and applaud him for these very traits while he gets inducted into the Hall of Fame.

This change in perspective from the press is due in large part to social media. The way news media cover athletes has come a long way since Iverson first started playing. When Iverson was playing, there were not many ways for a player to show his personality outside of the court. And it was not accepted either. But things like Twitter and Instagram have allowed athletes to express themselves and be individuals.

Now it is almost an expectation from the press for athletes to express themselves on social media and show themselves to people on these platforms. Showing a personality is almost as important to their brand as being good players in their perspective sports.

Iverson was a vital piece in normalizing the idea that athletes have opinions and lives too outside of their perspective sport. He accelerated the process of the press seeing an athlete as an individual and for that alone he deserves to be a Hall of Famer.

Bosh ‘ready’ to begin new NBA season

Posted on September 16, 2016 by Nicholas Bruens

By NICHOLAS BRUENS

Chris Bosh is one of the NBA’s best big men and was on his way to another amazing season. He was averaging 19.1 points per game and 46.7 percent shooting. Sadly, his season was cut short when he was diagnosed with blood clots and forced to end his 2015-16 season.

That was eight months ago. Since his diagnosis. Bosh has been doing everything in his power to rejoin his teammates for training camp. He believes he has done so.

“I’m ready,” Bosh told the Bleacher Report podcast, “Uninterrupted.” “I’ve done all my work. I’ve done what I need to do working with the doctors.”

Bosh, who had the previous two seasons cut short by blood clots, plans to attend the Miami Heat’s training camp in Nassau, Bahamas, when it opens on Sept. 27.

The story presents an interesting choice for the news media and how they will follow it. They can continue to portray it as a mystery or they could make this an uplifting comeback tale of an athlete overcoming odds.

Until this point, sports journalists have presented Bosh’s story as a “will he or won’t he” story about whether or not he could return or forced to retire. This angle is warranted considering the severity of the condition and that he has had multiple occurrences.

But now that he has stated he is back and “ready to play,” the news media have a chance to change their angle to a more positive view. Bosh could be represented as a hero type character or role model as some who represents the notion that people shouldn’t let the issues be handicaps. Or, we could see the other, more pessimistic, view, asking if he will be forced to end his season again.

That’s what makes this story interesting, it allows for the news media to look at how they wish to present it and make a decision based on how they want to portray Bosh as central figure of the story.

Hurricanes to take on App State

Posted on September 16, 2016 by Michael Franca

By MICHAEL FRANCA

The Miami Hurricanes football team will head to Boone, N.C., on Saturday, Sept. 17, to face notorious underdogs, the Appalachian State Mountaineers.

Appalachian State is famous for its stunning upset of then fifth-ranked Michigan on the opening weekend of the 2007 season. At the time, the Mountaineers were still part of the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS).

Now, though, they are a Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) team who play in the Sun Belt Conference.

While they have moved up in the college football hierarchy, they are still not on par with the likes of Miami, which is in a Power Five conference, the ACC.

You wouldn’t know it from the pregame coverage, however.

The national narrative surrounding this game seems to suggest that the Canes should be on upset alert. They are only slight favorites in Vegas (-3.5), and have been singled out by writers and pundits as candidates to be dethroned.

USA Today, for example, published an article calling the game a “huge test” for 25th-ranked Miami. The piece highlights all the potential pitfalls in the match-up for the favorites.

It mentions how App State started this season by taking No. 9 Tennessee to overtime in Knoxville. The article also points out that it will be a home game for the Mountaineers; offering fans of the team a rare opportunity to see a major team come into town — something that will surely rile them up.

While these are indisputable observations, many key factors are being ignored. For one, the Hurricanes are the major team for a reason: talent.

The growing narrative sweeping people up is a result of the love of a good underdog story, nostalgia for 2007, and the national distaste for the Miami football program.

Unfortunately for everybody else, the Hurricanes are the superior team — something they will set out to prove on Saturday.

Nowhere to hide for Stockton’s Silva

Posted on September 16, 2016 by Alex Goldman

By ALEX GOLDMAN

Mayor Anthony Silva (R) of Stockton, Calif., has had one interesting run as mayor.

Pending the results of the upcoming November election, that run has the potential to continue.

Anyone privy to Valley politics is aware of Silva’s tenuous term as mayor. Perhaps none more so than Stockton Record columnist Michael Fitzgerald.

Silva’s bad rap has only been brought on by Silva himself. He has a laundry list of boneheaded decisions and proposals to his name.

What’s on that list, you ask? Bear in mind that this is an abridged version…

There’s the time he walked around town putting up campaign posters. At 2 a.m., In his bathrobe…

At a city council meeting, he declared himself Stockton’s first black mayor. Silva is Hispanic.

He proposed a vision he called “Stockton Proud” that would bring in cruise ships, mini golf, “fun rides,” and a space needle to Stockton’s port. It’s not as if Stockton was the largest American city to declare bankruptcy before Detroit.

When Carrie Underwood came to Stockton and had the misfortune of performing on the night of a city council meeting, Silva moved his agenda to the beginning of the meeting, declared a 10-minute break after some time and skipped the rest of the meeting to attend the concert.

After partying one night, he got into a drunk fight in his limo with a friend after a dispute about his wife.

Then there’s his Aug. 4 arrest while at his Mayor’s Youth Camp in Silver Lake, Calif., for providing alcohol to minors, playing strip poker with nude teenagers and recording conversations during last summer’s camp.

At every turn, Fitzgerald has been there to call the mayor on his bull. Or his weirdness. Sometimes it overlaps.

Fitzgerald’s responses have made an impression on me.

There’s something that tickles me in the right spot when I read one of his intelligently written articles or comments on Silva’s latest inane exploit. It must be the juxtaposition of idiocy and brains.

Such as what Fitzgerald had to say when Silva bounced from the city council meeting to see Underwood.

“It’s ironic that Silva postured as a Public Safety candidate,” Fitzgerald said. “Because one of the votes he skipped out on was the new health plan for city employees. Exit interviews with departing police cited unsatisfactory health insurance as a prime reason for quitting. The new health plan is therefore the most important step the city can take to retaining police hires.”

He proceeded to finish Silva off.

“A mayor sincerely concerned with law enforcement would want to vote on that,” Fitzgerald said. “A mayor who knows only how to campaign and to party would not.”

I had a good chuckle when reading about what Fitzgerald thought of Silva’s “half-baked” homeless plan.

Sometimes all Fitzgerald needs is a few words to get his point across.

I love Fitzgerald’s reporting. He doesn’t let Silva off the hook for anything, nor should he. Yet he’s able to do it with a comedic tone that I simply eat with a spoon.

Or maybe it’s just that juxtaposition.

Forgiveness is the answer

Posted on September 16, 2016 by Marissa Vonesh

By MARISSA VONESH

Rodney King, an African-American man, was severely beaten in 1992 by Los Angeles police officers. After the officers’ who beat King were acquitted, massive riots were triggered in the LA area, leaving many killed and buildings looted, damaged and burned.

Despite the violence and racial tension, King became known for his forgiveness and encouragement of forgiveness.

Today, his daughter, Lora King, is promoting the same thing. Lora King, along with members of the LAPD, spoke with young adults from the Los Angeles Conservation Corps, an organization dedicated to serving at-risk youth through job opportunities, education and training.

Lora King spoke on not generalizing all police officers and building bridges between the community and the police force.

In the past few years, racial tension in America has become the forefront of news especially concerning police and civilian contact.

Because of the newsworthy elements, often media report on shootings, beatings and other unjust actions that occur out of police civilian relationships. With the negativity that is commonly in news feeds, it is difficult to have a perspective of hope. Reporters will not comment every time people serve at a soup kitchen or open a door, but they will cover stories of violence and crime.

However, by reporting Lora King’s ability to stand side by side with members of the same police department that beat her father close to death, a necessary model of forgiveness is sprinkled among the heavy news of crime and disaster.

Sources in the greater California area, such as the San Bernardino County Sun and the SFGate tastefully decided to talk about the event. Not only was Rodney King a figure in the 1990s for racial tension and pardon, but his daughter serves as an effective symbol for combating the continuing issues the country faced 24 years ago.

DIGITAL NEWS REPORTING

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