Award shows need reporters, too

Posted on February 19, 2015 by Madison Cramer

By MADISON CRAMER

As many people probably know, the Oscars are this weekend.

This means plenty of gold statues, film talk and fancy red carpet looks. But what about the people on the other side of the red carpet? Reporters will flock to the ceremony, looking to land interviews with the year’s biggest stars.

While the focus will be on the actors and actresses gracing our screen that night, film industry and entertainment reporters play an important role, despite what some may believe. It may not be “serious journalism,” but what these reporters do is still important. Millions of people tune in to these award shows every year, so there’s clearly interest in what these stars do and say. Who is going to deliver this information to those watching at home? These reporters.

The content of their reporting may not be all that critical, but that doesn’t make it completely useless. There’s an audience for this type of reporting, so while it may be less important than the serious news of the day, it’s useful nonetheless. These reporters are doing what reporters do: they’re delivering information about a certain subject to the public. Again, while many may consider the subject to be questionable, it’s necessary based on the high viewership of these award shows.

So, when you’re watching the Oscars Sunday evening and rolling your eyes at the reporters bombarding the stars with questions, remember that they’re your source of information for the night. They may seem unimportant and trivial, but you wouldn’t learn anything new without them.

Student assaulted at Lynn University

Posted on February 18, 2015 by Shakira Molet

By SHAKIRA MOLET

About a week ago, the Boca Raton, Fla., police reported that an intruder was somehow able to sneak into a freshman dorm at Lynn University and assaulted young women.

According to police, the man walked into rooms of female students and grabbed them in inappropriate ways while trying to kiss them. He also tried to force himself on top of another girl while pinning her down on her bed.

Though the victims were able to escape and were uninjured, the students are still on edge about the incident and as a result, many are beginning to question the security at Lynn University. If a man who lives close to campus was able to just ride his bike and enter the premises without question from dorm security, what would stop another intruder from coming in and causing a more serious incident?

Once the intruder was captured, he was issued a no trespassing warning, which means he is banned from entering the campus, and was charged with burglary, assault and battery.

When asked for a comment on how the school is dealing with this situation, a Lynn University spokeswoman released this statement:

“We are working closely with Boca Raton police, who responded quickly to our request for assistance. We immediately cited the individual with trespassing which bans him from campus.The university has and will continue to provide support services to anyone who was impacted. Resident Assistants are working with residents to provide training and information about intruder prevention measures.”

What is the buzz about?

Posted on February 16, 2015 by Diya Vasudevan

By DIYA VASUDEVAN

Buzzfeed, a name I am sure you have heard of before, is a name I see everyday. As a journalism student I have always aimed of writing in a way that is both entertaining and informative and I feel that Buzzfeed encompasses just that.

If you have not heard of Buzzfeed, it is essentially an American Internet news media company, created and founded by CEO and co-founder Jonah Perreti. Although Buzzfeed originally seems just entertainment oriented, at the root of it, it is an extremely multi-faceted Website where you can either take fun quizzes like ‘Which “Which ‘SNL’ Icon Are You?,” look up articles based entirely on cats “17 Extremely Helpful Cats” alongside articles about ISIS “U.S. Condemns ‘Despicable’ And ‘Cowardly’ ISIS Beheading Of Egyptian Christians In Libya.”

What makes Buzzfeed so buzz worthy is that it is one of a kind, audiences can interact with the website by clicking buttons like “OMG” or “LOL” depending on the article. In addition comments by viewers are taken seriously and Buzzfeed take the extra step to acknowledge the readers for noticing these errors.

Recently, Buzzfeed uploaded a video involving President Obama “Things Everybody Does But Doesn’t Talk About, Featuring President Obama.” Buzzfeed managed to not only provide an entertaining video featuring the most powerful man in America but editors also managed to inform the public about ObamaCare.

In an age where media are merging, so are the aims of articles. In today’s world, you do not need to choose between CNN and ENews. Buzzfeed is a one-stop shop to newsworthy stories whether its entertainment or serious news. It is all about latest the buzz.

Double standards exist in coverage

Posted on February 13, 2015 by Hanya ALKhamis

By HANYA ALKHAMIS

Deah Shaddy Barakat, Yusor Mohammed Abu-Salha, Razan Mohammed Abu-Salha, are you familiar with these names? Or are they names of random strangers to you?

These three “random” names were victims in a very strange and cruel racist act. They are three American Muslims who have been shot dead near the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. By who and why? Their racist white neighbor shot these three Muslim students. The sister of one victim, Deah, stated that they have seen numerous acts of verbal harassment that have come from that very same neighbor. Sadly, the reason behind the shooting was a stupid parking spot.

It is even more depressing to know that the media did not give them the attention that was deserved. Being shot dead for no legitimate and lawful reason is not a merciful act. And what is even more disturbing is that this crime was not discussed. The social media platform, Twitter, had a famous hashtag that went viral in all of social media for #jesuisCharlie, which was a massacre in which 12 people were killed at the offices of the French satirical weekly newspaper, Charlie Hebdo.

Media did not direct the attention to this vicious crime, a crime that is so pathetic and hateful that it revealed racism towards the Muslim society in America. Within two days of the Charlie Hebdo attack the #jesuisCharlie slogan had become one of the most popular news hashtags in Twitter history. Unlike the Chapel Hill shooting, which gained recognition throughout social media only, however not even close to the Charlie Hebdo shooting. This reveals the racism towards the Muslim community as opposed to what would happen if the victims were of another religion.

At some point, writer’s block strikes

Posted on February 13, 2015 by Chelsey Sellars

By CHELSEY SELLARS

Writer’s block. At some point in every journalist’s career, they will run into some kind of writer’s block.

Quite the agonizing experience, truthfully. We want to write but the words are just not presenting themselves onto the page. So where does this condition come from?

There are a few possible symptoms that come from this diagnosis. Sometimes a topic for the article is hard to find. Other times, we do not have enough information to write a thorough story. Or maybe the topic is so captivating, that we just cannot find the proper way to start the article. And then there are times when we just do not have the motivation to write, which leads to procrastination; but that is a different story.

Whatever the reason may be, writer’s block can be caught by an innocent writer at any given time. However, there is hope.

To cure said writer’s block, a journalist can look at what is popular in the news or pop culture to get a topic idea. He or she could also re-interview their subjects or conduct more research to add to their article. If you are overzealous about writing your article, come up with an outline and brainstorm the skeleton of the article

Ironically enough, I experienced writer’s block creating this post. I have typed up and erased all of these sentences countless times, to the point that I reached a minor level of anxiety. My cure was simple: Get up, walk away and come back to it later. Once I returned, the hindering writer’s block disappeared … until next time.

NBC reveals much in Williams’ case

Posted on February 13, 2015 by S. Molly Dominick

By S. MOLLY DOMINICK

If I was reporting even a low-profile story in my town and fabricated a piece of information, I would be fired. For that matter, if I’m on the job under any circumstances and I fabricate information, I better start packing up my things. It’s a gross violation of the journalistic code, no questions asked.

But for some reason, when NBC anchor Brian Williams does it — with multiple instances of the crime, and in high-profile situations to boot — the network doesn’t know what to do with him.

He hasn’t been fired, yet. Instead, he’s been suspended for six months without pay, and that suspension was only announced once the popular anchor’s television ratings dropped following the outbreak of scandal.

The decisions made regarding Williams’ job, as well as the timeline of those decisions, are revealing. What separates me and Brian Williams (other than his wry smile, iconic silvery slicked-back hair and practically everything else) comes down to clout, and thus, money. Being the anchor of the number one evening news program, this even separates him from other big name anchors. And that appears to be why he’s receiving special, or lenient, treatment.

But there should be no room for special treatment regarding matters of journalistic integrity.

In this same vein, the coverage of the Williams scandal is also disproportionate. With article after article speculating the fate of his job, it is easy to forget that while in that helicopter in Iraq and while reporting on Hurricane Katrina, Williams was not alone. He was with a news team. People witnessed the truth, and their silence contributed to the cover-up for years until the scandal only recently broke.

Their crimes were just as severe as those of Williams, yet I’ve heard next to nothing about the state of those jobs. Since they aren’t the big name money-makers for NBC, it seems the media don’t regard their company-wide breach in integrity as too important, judging from the amount of media coverage they’ve received since the scandal.

As a journalist-hopeful, it’s troubling that our priorities are so out of line.

Ignorance about public records

Posted on February 12, 2015 by Nadia Bacchus

By NADIA BACCHUS

This week, the topic of public records and the information people can gather by looking at these documents came up in not just one but two of my classes. By just logging in online, a person can find out if you own a house, if the house is paid off, what kind of car you have, your tag number, any criminal charges against you, whether you own a gun and much more.

The thought that so much of your personal information is available online for anyone to see can be a little daunting. I know I think it is, even though I know I have nothing to hide.

The uses of these tools for a journalist are invaluable to finding out basic background information before delving further into a story. Some people just fail to realize that this is all public information and become upset when certain information, such as a map of all the gun permits in their area, is published.

Despite the fact that it’s scary to think your information is open to anyone, I think the use of public records to gain more knowledge on a story is a great tool. It can lead to new information in a story that you wouldn’t be able to find otherwise and can give a great background toward any kind of story.

Media need to stop talking about Kanye

Posted on February 12, 2015 by Madison Cramer

By MADISON CRAMER

Sure, journalists have to keep the public informed. But when does it become too much coverage? The media so often spend days covering the same topic, but it can quickly become uninteresting, at least in my opinion. My attention span is only so long. I don’t want to hear the same story, even with some variation, for weeks on end.

Cue the disaster that is Kanye West. Luckily, up until this past weekend when the Grammys took place, talk of Mr. West had been minimal. Then, he, of course, had to ruin this peaceful period of time by causing a scene at one of the biggest nights in music. And now, the media can’t stop talking about him.

It’s only been a few days since the awards show aired and I’m already sick of hearing about him. This just shows how fast the media need to move. When journalists linger on a topic for too long, interest diminishes. Sure, this mess of a human was interesting to read about at first, but now it’s time to move onto different news.

The media seem to be picking at anything they can to keep Kanye in the news. “Kanye West will simulcast the introduction of his new sneakers in movie theaters across the country;” “Kanye West blames Grammys stunt on ‘voices in my head’;” “See Kanye West perform for free this week” — the headlines go on and on. It makes sense — journalists are taking advantage of the Kanye hype. But there’s a point where it all becomes too much and that point is now.

Journalists need to keep the media moving; in my mind, there isn’t much that’s worse than a slow news day. And thanks to Kanye and the journalists that are seemingly infatuated with him, this week has been full of slow media days.

If you have bias, at least admit it

Posted on February 6, 2015 by S. Molly Dominick

By S. MOLLY DOMINICK

One of the primary tenets of journalism is impartiality. In an ideal world, all news sources would be perfectly objective and never speak a word out of turn. But this is the real world, with news sources run by real people, so remaining completely impartial is easier said than done.

Some news sources seemed to have abandoned this notion of impartiality. From what I’ve heard from most people, the first examples of this that come to mind are MSNBC and Fox News. These news organizations have been known to report news containing obvious biases.

But I don’t have a problem with them.

As stated, the biases are obvious. Although the company motto of Fox may be “fair and balanced”—granted—no one there is hiding anything when they publish and broadcast stories about the Benghazi panel when others have moved on. Similarly, no one at the Drudge Report is keeping any secrets when “IRS PAYS ILLEGALS FOR BABIES” is a teaser headline on their homepage.

Source: drudgereport.com

When you come to news sources like these, you should know what you’re getting. No one is trying to fool you; the bias is too open for that.

What I personally find more conniving is when bias is existent, but less apparent. This kind of bias is more sly, attempting to subconsciously sway readers without tipping them off about those intentions. This is underhanded, in my opinion, and thus more reprehensible.

Take CNN, for example. An informal survey of my friends will tell you that many people my age consider CNN to be a reliable source of unbiased information. At face value, I might agree with them — but a closer inspection of headlines reveals something different.

Consider this screenshot at the left from the CNN iPhone application.

That headline regarding vaccines technically says nothing wrong. No journalistic principles were violated.

But the request posed by CNN is worded in a way that psychologists would compare to a leading question. It draws readers’ attention to parents who do not vaccinate their children, pointing the finger at a group that has recently received a lot of flack and inviting messages from their opposition, because opponents of an issue are more likely to respond voluntarily to requests like these than sympathizers, who expect attack, and much more than those who are simply ambivalent.

To gauge an honest reflection of the public’s views, the website could impartially ask readers to state their opinion about the issue of vaccinations in general, very easily. But it did not.

I understand that the sly nature of the bias is strategic from a business standpoint; no currently respected news source wants to become the household name of bias like Fox News or MSNBC. But in that case, you might as well honor the journalistic code and remove your biases altogether.

Half research, half writing, all journalism

Posted on February 6, 2015 by Chelsey Sellars

By CHELSEY SELLARS

Reporting on current events seems very simple from an outside perspective. Ask some questions, write down the answers, and then post the article on a medium: BAM, journalism.

Au contraire, the process of creating a well-saturated news story requires far more work and effort from the journalist. The goal of journalism is to deliver the truth by any ethical means necessary, which may require more than a basic Q&A.

Before conducting an interview, a journalist will usually prepare a list of questions or topics to discuss with the interviewee. Journalists are researchers. These discussion tools are a condensed version of all the research and inquiry the journalist made about the news topic.

Take for instance the recent CNN article about a ‘Hunger Games’ tour in Atlanta. Before writing this article, the journalist probably had to research what the “Hunger Games” was and why they had a tour set in Atlanta. He or she probably had to look up the company that was producing the tour to contact. The journalist may have also had to go to Atlanta and experience the tour for themselves.

Journalistic research can be a simple keyword search on Google or an elaborate voyage to an unknown place just to get a better synopsis of the topic at hand. Perhaps this is part of the reason why journalists, such as myself, fall in love with this field of study. Journalism combines our thirst for knowledge and love of writing than can lead us to an ambiguous quest.

Humans of The White House

Posted on February 6, 2015 by Diya Vasudevan

By DIYA VASUDEVAN

Humans of New York

If you have not heard of it before today, you will know about it soon. Brandon Stanton, the creator of the Facebook pages known as HONY, has forever changed the life of Vidal Chastanet, a young boy from a Brooklyn Middle School.

What was an extremely popular photo series blog created by Stanton, turned into a vehicle for change. Just by sharing a few kind words about a very important person in Vidal’s life, the lives of Vidal and those around him have changed forever.

Stanton’s blog shows ordinary people and gives insight into their extraordinary lives, and that is exactly what this story has become, extraordinary. After Vidal expressed his sentiments for his middle school principle Nadia Lopez on Stanton’s site, the photo went viral, and the viewers of HONY did what they do best which was to offer all they could to assist in the aims of Vidal’s principal, Lopez. With Stanton heading the fundraiser, the school managed to raise $1.2 million — far exceeding their initial aims.

One boy’s kind words helped raise $1.2 million, helped provide the additional support his principal needed to continue fighting for what she believed in and got him to where he was this past Thursday, The White House.

In perhaps the most important of Stanton’s photo stories, he captures President Barack Obama’s words “You don’t do things alone. Nobody does things alone. Everybody always needs support. For a young man like you, you should never be too afraid or too shy to look for people who can encourage you or mentor you,” Obama said. “There are a lot of people out there who want to provide advice and support to people who are trying to do the right thing. So you’ll have a lot of people helping you. Just always remember to be open to help. Never think that you know everything. And always be ready to listen.”

President Obama’s words could not be closer to the truth and Vidal’s story is proof of just that.

Coverage of ISIS crisis varies by nation

Posted on February 6, 2015 by Hanya ALKhamis

By HANYA ALKHAMIS

As I was browsing Tumblr, I came upon a post about ISIS and an argument about why the news media only focus on certain topics more than others. We only read what the media wants us to read.

Muath ALKaseasbeh was burned to death and no attention was given to that horrible news. This left me very irritated and astonished. Not enough coverage was made to report the story. No attention was given to this disgusting act of human torturing! Burning someone to death while they are still alive is brutal, cruel and inhumane. Why do so? Why? Do they want to prove a point? Do they have a certain goal? This is not proper Islam. And the act scene in a video does not represent me as a Muslim.

Terrorism is and will never be connected to Islam; Islam is a religion that is specifically known for its generosity and mercy amongst people. Islam was never set to be this way. No religion or belief strives to kill people and torture them brutally.

CNN only presented the main idea of the story but did not specify what really happened and why. Muath ALKaseasbeh is a Jordanian pilot in the Jordanian Air Force who was held hostage by the ISIS group and killed after his plane was crashed due to unknown reasons in Northern Syria.

The crash determined his fate. He was captured and held hostage at the ISIS headquarters till Tuesday where he was filmed to be inside a cage wearing an orange prisoner’s suit. Burned and tortured to death, Muath suffered a painful end and the American media did not do its job to show their interest and concern about this tragedy, as did the Arab world.

This is just one of many stories and news reports the American media kept quiet about and did not raise any concern and awareness. This should not be the case. All news reports should be vital no matter what the subject was. And since there are many Arabic and Middle Eastern tourists and students the media should also require and include Middle Eastern concerns. The media should also include the difference between actual Muslims and terrorists, because ISIS as an Islamic Organization does not represent me as a Muslim nor as an Arab.

Legislation strikes at LGBTQ community

Posted on February 6, 2015 by Taylor Brotons

By TAYLOR BROTONS

As of this new year, many Florida conservatives were taken aback by the decision made by U.S. District Judge Robert Hinkle. He has made it so each of the 67 Florida counties must issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples. This is a huge step for gay rights, but as with most political happenings in Florida, we take one step forward and then someone decides to take two steps back.

Now a specific group of the LGBTQ community is being ostracized in a vindictive, hypocritical and very invasive way. The most intolerant and bigoted of our state’s legislators have proposed a bill that could have a trans-person charged with a first-degree misdemeanor by using a bathroom that the legislation determines is wrong based on their “biological sex.”

I would like to believe that by this day and age people are starting to be a little more accepting of others and understand that for the most part, gender is a social construct. Yes, you have a biological sex at birth, but what deems someone male or female has very little to do with their sex organs and much more to do with how they feel comfortable presenting themselves to the world.

Unfortunately, those in the state legislature do not see it the same way. This bill would basically put the power in the hands of the bully. If a trans-person is caught using a bathroom not matching their “biological sex” they can be sentenced up to one year in prison. If any non-trans-person finds a trans-person in a bathroom not matching their “biological sex” they can sue. If the business owner of where the bathroom is located does not actively prevent trans-people from using the “wrong” bathroom, they can be sued by customers as well and are liable for a civil suit.

It is as methodically spiteful and malicious as it is frustrating. The icing on the cake is that if sued successfully, the trans-person or the business owner, will have to pay the attorney fees of all parties involved.

This bill is a blatant discriminatory act against trans-people and those who support them. Not only does it condone the harassment of trans-people, but if also impedes on the rights of store owners to be non-discriminatory. The LGBTQ community faces constant violence, discrimination, humiliation and an overwhelming amount of hatred in this county, this bill takes a step even further and leaves them nowhere to hide.

It’s your Internet, use it without limits

Posted on February 6, 2015 by Nigia Greene

By NIGIA GREENE

The creation and development of the Internet has made many people’s lives so much easier. You can find literally anything that you are looking for, with the exception of some private documents held by the individuals or the government. Businesses, organizations and people alone use it for everything.

On Feb. 26, 2015, there will be a debate as to how fast the Internet can be for certain Web sites. It’s kind of like how a cellphone company promises you unlimited data but slows down after you have used a certain amount of LTE, or long term evolution. It basically determines the speed of how fast your phone processes information. Same goes for certain Web sites.

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) will meet to discuss whether the Internet will remain open, or net neutral, and continue to give all Web sites the same speed, or give the Internet providers the right to determine which Web sites are their priorities.

Some members of the FCC will be fighting for net neutrality, which is the open-ended Internet that we all now use and love. The others, including Tom Wheeler, chairman of the FCC, will be arguing for an Internet that is overseen by the government. He wants an Internet that prioritizes Web sites. In other words, Web sites that are used by a lot of people will get the higher speed while others will be slowed down or won’t be able to be used at all.

This change could cause havoc for people around the world. The Internet is not only for business but also for entertainment. Let’s hope for the best and keep the Internet in the hands of the people.

Is media coverage too free?

Posted on February 6, 2015 by Nadia Bacchus

By NADIA BACCHUS

Although freedom of speech and personal expression are undoubtedly celebrated in the media by the wide range of topics covered, the recent execution of Japanese journalist and ISIS hostage Kenji Goto lead me to wonder whether certain topics should be covered?

The late Kenji Goto was a freelance video journalist who covered topics such as wars and conflicts, poverty, AIDS and child education around the world. Goto was captured by Islamic State militants only a day after entering Syria to try and rescue Japanese hostage Haruna Yukawa, despite being warned not to.

ISIL released a video on Jan. 20 demanding $200 million from the Japanese government for the release of Goto and Yukawa. A few days later, another video was released with Goto holding a photo of the decapitated Yukawa and audio saying they would exchange Goto’s life for the return of Sajida Mubarak Atrous al-Rishawi, a suicide bomber. When ISIL realized the exchange would not happen, a video was released of Goto’s beheading.

In another story of a journalist being held hostage, a New York Times journalist, David Rohde, and two of his associates were kidnapped by the Taliban while in Afghanistan doing research for a book in November 2008. Their kidnappers were quick to make contact with many American news outlets including The New York Times. Their ransom: the release of Taliban prisoners being held in Afghanistan and Guantanamo Bay and millions of dollars. The men were held captive for seven months before Rohde and Ludin made an escape.

The difference between the stories of Goto and Rohde were how much the media covered their capture. The capture of Goto was widely publicized on international news outlets all the way down to local station across the world. On the other hand, when Rohde was captured, the media barely covered it.

That is not to say one life was more important than the other. Rhode’s capture was not widely publicized because The New York Times requested a media blackout of the abduction in order to maximize Rhode’s chances of survival.

This difference in story coverage could lead to the question of whether it is ethical for journalist to hide a story when it is their obligation to report timely events. I personally think the difference in coverage really just shows the balancing act and difficult choices the media must sometimes make: informing the public or potentially further endangering the life of someone.

Although each hostage case is different and many factors must be taken in account, it is hard not to wonder whether Goto’s story could have ended differently.

Mexico resorts to torturing police

Posted on February 4, 2015 by Shakira Molet

By SHAKIRA MOLET

A few months ago, students from a local college called la Escuela Normal Rural de Ayotzinapa, were protesting government education reforms that would raise fees, therefore making it nearly impossible for many of the citizens to afford school. The police were asked to handle the situation, which resulted in six deaths and 43 missing students.

Although there is some evidence, such as gang member confessions and identified remains, the case is still open and under investigation. Although reports of the countless protests as well as the Mexican government’s methods of gathering evidence continue to surface, authorities are not much closer to finding those responsible.

It has even been reported by Mexican journalists that, in order to close the case, the government has resorted to torturing police officers in an attempt to gather confessions. In certain medical reports found by journalists, it was said that more than two dozen police officers have been beaten, given electric shocks and “psychologically tortured.”

According to officials, the police abducted these 43 students, then handed the victims to members of the Guerreros Unidos gang. It was suspected that the students were killed and burned at a nearby dump by three gang members and after burning the bodies, the gang members were supposedly ordered to place the remains in garbage bags and throw them in the San Juan River. When searching the river for evidence, one garbage bag was found intact with human remains inside.

Since the disappearance of the students on Sept. 26, protests have broken out all across Mexico. Not only have there been multiple acts of vandalism, but protestors have also blocked roads and tollbooths. The protests have even spread to the capital, where thousands of civilians are demanding that the missing students get the justice they deserve.

The general public has also criticized Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto for not taking action immediately after the news of the students’ disappearances spread. As a result, Pena decided to take a leave of absence, but later returned stating that, “what happened in Iguala was a terrible event that has caused indignation and led us to an introspection because such things should never happen again.”

DIGITAL NEWS REPORTING

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