Kate Upton joins list of #MeToo victims

On Jan. 31, former Sports Illustrated model Kate Upton took to Twitter to join the #MeToo movement.

The #MeToo movement started in October 2017. The hashtag spread through multiple social media outlets to bring attention and shed light on sexual harassment. Paul Marciano is the creative director for the brand Guess. Upton was the face of Guess from 2010-11. Upton stated that her first day shooting Marciano tried to grab her breasts. However, Marciano denied the claims while releasing a statement to Time magazine, saying “I have never been alone with Kate Upton.”

Multiple women have claimed they have been sexually harassed by men in the business industry claiming they use their power to prey on women. Upton was offered to be the face of Guess Jeans in 2014, but couldn’t accept the offer due to her experience with Marciano in 2010.

Yu Tsai, the photographer who was present during Upton’s first photo shoot with Guess confirmed Upton’s claims to Time magazine. Tsai released a statement saying “extremely moved by the strength and courage that it has taken Upton to tell her story and for the countless brave women and men who have already come forward.”

Upton, like many other women have come forward to share their stories against CEOs, executive producers and other men in high positions in business.

Guess declined to comment on Upton’s allegations in an interview with Time magazine. Upton blames her experience with Marciano on her lack of confidence in the modeling industry and said she contemplated quitting. Upton said she hopes coming forward will inform other people on the appropriate behavior in and out of the workplace with one another.

Kylie Jenner anounces baby’s name

By ANDREA ILLAN

On Feb. 4, reality star and socialite Kylie Jenner announced she gave birth to her daughter whose name has been revealed to be Stormi.

Had this been any other celebrity, the reaction of the public would’ve been very different from what was seen on Sunday. This is due to the levels of information that came with the announcement and the dramatization of such.

After nine months of the 20-year-old neither confirming nor denying her pregnancy, Jenner broke the news to her fans on her Instagram account through a post explaining why and apologizing for keeping her pregnancy a secret. She followed this post with an excerpt from a YouTube video following her journey.

On the post she explains, “My pregnancy was one [journey] I chose not to do in front of the world. I knew for myself I needed to prepare for this role of a lifetime in the most positive, stress free, and healthy way I knew how.”

Placed No. 3 on the list of trending videos for YouTube, the video has more than three million views already.

It has received this much attention because the video not only confirmed the rumors of Jenner’s pregnancy but, as noted by the Los Angeles Times, it also informed the public that rapper Travis Scott is the baby’s father.

Additionally, the video is also the first public appearance of Kim Kardashian’s youngest daughter, Chicago West.

The amount of information that the 11:32 video shared is certainly not all it has to offer. It’s dramatic tone and the sentimentality it conveys has caused even the people who don’t necessarily keep up with the Kardashians to be talking about it since it came out.

This, in addition to the fact that the news were released on Super Bowl day, brings to attention the true motive behind a secret pregnancy and whether or not she kept it secret for the reasons she stated.

Having been in the spotlight for more than 10 years, the Kardashians have become masters at playing with the news media to their own benefit of promotion and this situation could be another reflection of this.

Sequel planned for biggest film in history

By KATE JOHNSON

Mel Gibson’s “Passion of the Christ” was released in 2004 and earned a whopping $600 million on a budget of $30 million. It was the highest grossing R-rated film in North America, according to FOX News.

Fourteen years later, Gibson is working hard on the sequel.  Little has been revealed about the sequel, but actor Jim Caviezel, 49, will be reprising his role as Jesus.

Caviezel told USA Today, “I won’t tell you how [Gibson is] going about it…. But I’ll tell you this much, the film he’s going to do is going to be the biggest film in history. It’s that good.”

“Passion of the Christ” ended with the Crucifixion and Gibson confirmed in late 2016 that the sequel will focus on the Resurrection, according to the Huffington Post.

Gibson told USA Today, “The Resurrection. Big subject. Oh, my God.  We’re trying to craft this in a way that’s cinematically compelling and enlightening so that it shines a new light, if possible, without creating some weird thing.”

“Passion of the Christ” was protested by Jewish and interfaith groups.  The film was criticized for fueling antisemitism because it portrayed the Jewish people as responsible for the death of Jesus.

Most major news networks covering the sequel have not mentioned the negative opinions and protesting of the first film, but it was joked about on “The Weekend Update” for “Saturday Night Live.” Most coverage continues to be centered around the hype surrounding the film.

Gibson is no stranger to controversy himself.  In 2006, two years after the release of “Passion of the Christ,” Gibson gained a lot of negative publicity across all major news media outlets after he was caught making anti-Semitic remarks during an arrest.

Gibson later apologized for his remarks.  As time passes, it will be interesting to see how the upcoming sequel will be received by the public and covered by the press in light of this controversy.

Controversial or not, the sequel is highly anticipated, especially after Caviezel’s claims that “[the film] is going to be the biggest film in history.”

The actor also told USA Today, “There are things that I cannot say that will shock the audience . . . It’s great.  Stay tuned.”

Furthering the suspense around the film, Randall Wallace, the screenwriter of “Passion of the Christ,” told the Hollywood Reporter, “The Passion is the beginning and there’s a lot more of the story to tell.”

In an interview on “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert,” Gibson indicated that the sequel may not be in theaters until 2019 or 2020.  As time progresses, given the continued popularity of “Passion of the Christ” and the publicity that the Resurrection sequel is already garnering, I am predicting another major blockbuster.

Real lost and found played on ‘Bachelor’

By ALLIE SIMON

According to CNN, a woman previously classified as “missing” has now been found on ABC’s reality dating television show, “The Bachelor.”

CNN’s classification as “missing” deviates from the true nature of Rebekah Martinez’s status of personhood.

Rebekah Martinez, 22, was marked “missing” by her mother on Nov. 18. Martinez’s mother told local authorities in Humboldt County, Calif., that Martinez was leaving the area to pursue work on a marijuana farm. This type of missing persons report sounds more like a notification of her leaving the area rather than her being unequivocally missing.

The North Coast Journal released an article on Feb. 1 on Facebook titled “The Humboldt 35: Why does Humboldt County have the highest rate of missing persons reports in the state?” showing 35 pictures of people who have been listed as missing in the county to see if any of them could be identified. The same day, Facebook user Amy Bonner O’Brien identified Rebekah Martinez from the recently aired season 22 of “The Bachelor.”

During the time when Martinez was so-called “missing,” she was actually filming for the show, according to ABC spokeswoman Courtney Kugel. Every report of the scenario seems to overlook the fact that Martinez was not missing, but merely at an undisclosed location for filming. Regardless of the fact that Martinez did not tell her mother where she was actually going, she did tell her that she was going to a farm where she would be out of communication.

Season 22 ‘The Bachelor’ contestant Rebekah Martinez as both a TV personality and a missing person.

After confirmation by the Humboldt County sheriff’s department that Rebakah Martinez of Humboldt county was actually “Bekah M” from “The Bachelor,” Martinez took to Twitter to say “MOM. how many times do I have to tell you I don’t get cell service on The Bachelor??”

Martinez insinuated through the sarcastic tweet that she had told her mother before that she would be out of reach for several months.

News sources neglected to shame authorities for doing insufficient research, as Martinez tweeted on Jan. 16 that did not have her phone at the filming site, over 10 days before the North Coast Journal article was published with her face listed as a “missing person.”

With the California authorities aware of her name and face, it is astounding that they were unable to identify Rebekah Martinez as who she was before a viewer of “The Bachelor” did so on Facebook.

Brady upset over radio host’s remark

By PATTY SANTANA

New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady cut short a telephone interview on a Boston sports radio show Monday morning, citing an incident last week in which a host referred to his daughter as “an annoying little pissant.”

“So I’ll obviously evaluate whether I want to come on this show again,” Brady said to the hosts of the “Kirk & Callahan Show” shortly before ending the call.

Brady has appeared on the “Kirk & Callahan Show” every Monday throughout this football season.

Alex Reimer, the host responsible for the derogatory comment, is a frequent guest on the show, which airs on WEEI 93.7 FM. However, when he commented on Brady’s daughter, it was during his Thursday evening show aired by the same station. The comment was prompted by a discussion on Brady’s Facebook documentary series “Tom vs. Time,” in which his daughter appears. Reimer was suspended indefinitely by WEEI on Friday over the comment.

WEEI released a statement Monday evening apologizing to Brady, his family and the New England Patriots organization. The statement refers to Reimer’s remarks as “utterly indefensible” and asserts that “mean-spirited commentary directed in any way at children is wholly inappropriate.”

During the Super Bowl LII opening night event on Monday, Brady seemed forgiving and told reporters that he hopes Reimer does not lose his job.

“We all have careers and make mistakes,” Brady said. “I’d hate for someone to have to change their life over something like that. That was certainly not what he intended.”

Regardless of whether Reimer is allowed to return to the air, the incident serves as a cautionary tale regarding appropriate journalistic boundaries. While Reimer had every right to express his opinions regarding Brady’s documentary, he displayed an extreme lack of professionalism in disparaging a 5-year-old.

Major League Soccer comes to Miami

By AMANDA TORRES

After a “painful” four-year pursuit, David Beckham announced on Jan. 29 that he received approval to create a Miami Major League Soccer team. Beckham and his co-owners, Marcelo Claure, Simon Fuller and Jorge and Jose Mas, are now arranging a site in Overtown to build a $200 million soccer stadium.

The Miami Herald, which has followed the progression of starting an MLS team in Miami, said that the stadium will be ready by 2021. The team will begin playing in 2020 at sites like Hard Rock Stadium, FIU Stadium or Marlins Park until the stadium is ready.

Beckham admitted that he and his business partners are not thinking about who will take up the coveted spots on the new team just yet. Even though there are many people who are interested in joining, Beckham said that he and his business partners have “a lot of work to do” before they decide on who the team’s players will be.

In the months coming up, Beckham and his partners do want to take input from fans to decide on a name for the team, as well as possible options for its official colors and logo. According to The Herald, Beckham said “black” and “white” are a few options they are considering.

Beckham first announced the possibility of having a Major League Soccer team in Miami in February 2014, almost four years ago. Beckham and his team have been persistent throughout the process, even in the moments when it seemed like it would not end up happening.

“Luckily, these four years of pain, at times, has taught me that sometimes you go through certain moments where it’s difficult,” Beckham told The Herald before the ceremony. “I look at the past four years and see the positive. There’s a reason why it’s taken this long. If I hadn’t gone through those times, I wouldn’t have met these guys [pointing to Miami co-owners Jorge and Jose Mas], guys who are passionate about this city and this sport. It’s like the weather.

“You walk out the door and it’s raining, then you walk out another door and its sun. That’s kind of like the journey it’s been the last four years. There have been moments I got off a phone call and I’m excited and it’s happening, and I wake up the next morning and it’s all gone.”

NBC handles Lauer appropriately

By DANNY LAROSE

NBC’s management of the Matt Lauer firing was exceptional; no not just for firing a man who has substantiated sexual assault allegations against him, but for the manner in which they informed the public of his release.

As trust in the news media continues to dwindle, NBC stepped up big time. It was completely candid and honest with the viewer about the actions it took in response to allegations it received against Lauer. Savannah Guthrie, Lauer’s own former co-host, announced his dismissal live on NBC. Difficult and awkward, yes, but effective and trustworthy as well.

Rather than merely release a PR statement that Lauer had been fired and say why, they decided to be totally transparent and announce the firing of one of their own on their station, along with statements prepared by the corporation.

While not entirely necessary, having one of NBC’s own like Guthrie announce the news is a show of openness with the viewer and asserts that no one at NBC is above anyone else.

NBC showed real maturity here; news is news, no matter who is making it, no matter who is the subject of the reporting. The episode reminds me of seeing a CNBC package about General Electric, NBC’s parent company. The package was rather critical of General Electric. I was surprised the reporting would speak so truthfully about its parent company. But, NBC proved then that it (at least a little bit) chose journalism over business interests.

Similar to that CNBC package, NBC’s handling of the Lauer firing with honesty, transparency and maturity is a breath of fresh air in a world of dishonest, self-promoting media.

Fox News bans rock star Gene Simmons

By EVAN ALDO

The frontman of the rock band Kiss, Gene Simmons, has been banned for life from the right-leaning Fox cable channels.

Formally Simmons was a favorite guest on Fox News and Fox Business Network programs, which loved his rock star antics and conservative political views.  However, Fox just could not take him anymore after he insulted female Fox staffers, exposed his chest to them and behaved like the “demon” character that he plays on stage.

As a response, Fox’s management posted Simmon’s photograph to the security entrance of the company’s Manhattan headquarters with a “do-not-admit” stamp.

The incident began when Simmons appeared on Maria Bartiromo’s Fox Business Network show, “Mornings with Maria,” to promote his new book “On Power.”

All went well until Bartiromo asked Simmons his views on the Harvey Weinstein sexual-misconduct scandal.

“Okay, I’m a powerful and attractive man and what I’m about to say is deadly serious. Men are jackasses,” Simmons answered. “From the time we’re young we have testosterone. I’m not validating it or defending it.”

Right after this, Simmons left the interview and barged into a staff meeting in Fox’s entertainment section completely uninvited.

“Hey chicks, sue me!” he shouted, before pulling up his shirt to reveal is chest.  Then, he began to tell pedophilia jokes and insulted the intelligence of the Fox employees in the room.

“It was pretty severe,” said one person who was present in the room.

This story has gained some substantial news media attention.  It was featured on the New York Post. However, the most important question to ask is: Why in the world Fox was having Simmons come on their shows?

The “Fox and Friends” show had previously let Simmons do a weather forecast in their broadcast. Watching the clip on YouTube of this made me feel as if I was watching the “The Jerry Springer Show.”

If the major news media continue to participate in this nonsense for a few extra views, then we are heading to an America that will be far less intelligent.

Although I believe it is justified to have unusual guests who specialize in “shock value” on once in a while, this clearly crosses the line by a mile.

Media giants such as Fox allowing people to blatantly spew ignorance on their shows is something that must go.

Even though Fox News banned Simmons from the network, I am certain another station or network will pick him up and allow him to partake in the same ignorance.

Anything for money.  Anything for views.  We live in troubled times.

Sex scandals, accusations continue

By BEN EZZY

It has been a month filled with accusations of sexual misconduct for many high-profile individuals in the entertainment industry, with multiple scandals emerging. Victims seemed to gain the confidence and will to speak out about the abuses they endured, following a New York Times piece that followed the misconduct of Harvey Weinstein. The article cataloged his trail of abuses and paying off victims for decades, with clear supporting evidence. Weinstein was later removed from his own company, following a public scandal in the wake of the devastating story.

Next came an accusation against Kevin Spacey, star of Netflix’s breakout original series, House of Cards. Actor Anthony Rapp accused Spacey of assaulting him 31 years ago, when Rapp was only 14 years of age. Spacey denied any recollection of the alleged event, releasing an apology for what he says, “would have been deeply inappropriate drunken behavior.” Spacey went on to publicly come out as gay, vowing to live “honestly and openly” and to examine his behavior.

Netflix suspended the star from his show, ultimately deciding to suspend production of the show indefinitely. Since the initial report, multiple men have also come forward against Spacey. Just yesterday, Heather Unruh, a former TV news anchor in Boston, accused Spacey of assaulting her son in 2016, when he was 18.

In the most recent of the scandals, five women are accusing Louis C.K. of various separate incidents of sexual misconduct during the past several years. All of the allegations revolve around the comedian masturbating without their consent, whether over the phone or in person. C.K. or his publicist have not yet commented publicly on the issue, and this story has yet to fully develop.

News media outlets have done a good job covering these delicate issues, being careful with language choices so as not to paint an inaccurate picture of the allegations. The New York Times, in particular, has done an outstanding job keeping information straight and making sure to remain unbiased in the handling of these complex situations.

Violence against women protested

By KAYLA FOSTER

Last Sunday, Miss Peru contestants stood in solidarity as each contestant presented facts on the violence against women in Peru instead of their individual body measurements.

This protest against the violence of women and femicide was pre-planned by former 1987 pageant winner, Jessica Newton, Vanity Fair reported.

All 23 contestants walked the bathing-suit section while news about murdered and assaulted women cycled behind them,and answered questions focused on topics like femicide and gender violence during the question and answer section.

“We definitely had wanted a different Miss Peru,” Luciana Olivares told NPR. Olivares is a content and strategy manager of Frecuencia Latina, the TV network that broadcast the competition.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=63&v=p2keNlHhCuY

The hashtag #MisMedidasSon (“#MyMeasurementsAre”) was trending in Perú Sunday night, during and after the pageant.

“This contest could not be about casting pretty faces,” Olivares said. “We decided that we had the opportunity to turn the pageant around and use it as a platform to mobilize, raise awareness and speak up. We knew the whole country would be watching.”

The topic of violence on social media and the protest fits within a larger movement against femicide and violence against women across Latin America, and in wake of the sexual scandals of high profile Hollywood executives in the US.

Ivanka Trump speaks in Tokyo

By VICTOR GUZMAN BERGER

“TOKYO — As the president might say, the room was half full.”

Ivanka Trump’s appearance at a government-sponsored conference on Friday, during the World Assembly for Women in Tokyo, took place before a half-empty room that motivated clumsy excuses on the part of those in charge of the security and the organizers of the event that put in greater evidence the embarrassment of the moment.

New York Times reporter Motoko Rich wrote, “Yet Ms. Trump spoke to a room with so many empty seats that ushers hustled to move audience members forward several rows in the minutes before she walked to the podium.”

The author limits himself to report in well-structured succession the stumbling blocks of this event.  There was no intention of lecturing and he is so candid in his description of the events that he cannot be labeled as malicious. However, even for the most confused reader, it allows us to glimpse the low popularity and lack of sympathy that Ivanka Trump generates. The author writes in a simple fluent language that engages the reader as if he was following a comedy of situations.

ABC News’ embarrassing reporting

By DANNY LAROSE

When allegations of Kevin Spacey molesting an underage boy in 1986 were all but confirmed by Spacey’s public apology Sunday evening, a news media uproar understandably ensued. However, ABC News seemed to take lightly to the revelation as it released a breaking headline that chose not to point out Spacey’s actions but rather his “coming out.”

Spacey’s apology culminated in his openly declaring his homosexuality, which many have speculated was an attempt to divert attention away from the circumstances behind his actual apology. ABC, however, took the bait. It published a headline that did not mention his apology for molestation, but rather referred to it as a “heartwrenching” coming out story.

Gay people, straight people, famous comedians and actors, and your average Joe on Twitter all responded to Spacey’s “coming out story” with immense backlash. They called the actor out for conflating homosexuality with pedophilia, a bigoted allegation the gay community once had to consistently battle against, and took issue with his attempt to essentially, as one tweeter called it, use his ‘get out of jail free card’ by saying “I am gay.”

ABC News, in avoiding the major story in this apology, which is the apology for the molestation of a 14 year-old-boy, and instead choosing to highlight Spacey’s coming out of the closet, is appalling. First, ABC is allowing Spacey this cop out, affording him the luxury of basically saying “don’t focus on that, focus on the fact that I am gay.” Focusing on Spacey’s homosexuality instead does a massive disservice to both the gay community who criticized Spacey for the manner in which he came out, and the victim(s) of Spacey’s abuse.

Second, ABC is ignoring journalistic standards by highlighting what should be perceived as secondary information. Most news outlets reported Kevin Spacey’s apology most prominently as well as the circumstances that called for such an apology, but ABC made it the main story. The headlining is akin to beginning a news report with a bus crash and waiting until the end of the story to inform the viewer that there was a death.

Finally, ABC’s use of the word “heartwrenching” is simply incorrect. Any decent human being will point out that “heartwrenching” is not the applicable word when reporting on a sex offender. Nothing about Spacey’s actions or apology was heartwrenching because he is not the victim. He is at fault and he does not deserve the sympathy that ABC allots him with this generous phrase and headline.

ABC dropped the ball covering the Kevin Spacey apology in an extraordinarily embarrassing way. Let’s hope they don’t do anything like it again.

Sexual harassment no longer tolerated

By VIVIANNA ONORATO

At the start of October, there was one man whom was in the news for his lewd acts towards women. Harvey Weinstein, a man that used his position of power in the movie business to pressure women towards providing him sexual favors, saw his throne collapse when so many people, both men and women, came out and simultaneously accused him of his acts.

Since then, there has been something of a domino effect, with women from all walks of life coming out to accuse him. This led to his company removing him from his position of power. Now, however, there’s someone else who’s suffering from the same situation: Terry Richardson.

A photographer known for his sexual, sometimes near-pornographic shoots, Richardson has been accused of abuse during his shoots, often using his position to solicit sexual acts from his models. In fact, he himself has appeared nude alongside his subjects, perhaps as a further show of his position of power, with many of these stories publicly known since 2001. While Richardson has insisted that many of these acts have all been consensual in nature, the fact is that he is a man in a position of power over these women and is abusing the trust that they have toward him in order to receive a benefit that was not agreed upon  in their contracts.

It’s worth noting that while these accusations were an open secret in the industry, it’s only recently that Richardson has been fired from his position. As a result, we can see that there has been significant effort towards removing abusive men from positions of power, and returning power towards women. More importantly, it’s a return to form for the industry, an implicit threat that establishes that women will no longer put up with sexual harassment, regardless of who carries it out.

The day that media took Weinstein down

By REGINA SÁNCHEZ JIMÉNEZ

The news story that has most shocked in Hollywood lately has been coveeage of Harvey Weinstein’s harassment.

It was The New York Times that published an article with statements and letters of women that have been harassed by Weinstein on Oct. 5. Journalists Megan Twohey and Jodi Kantor authored the story.

After that, a succession of publications reporting the same crime appeared. For example, Ronan Farrow published in The New Yorker an investigation of 13 sexual harassment instances and three rapes by Harvey Weinstein. The New York Times issued another report with the statement of celebrities, as Angelina Jolie and Gwyneth Paltrow claimed have been harassed as well.

The question that I wondered was: How had something that has been happening for so long not gone public before? Why does everybody want to speak now?

The answer was easy. As articles about more harassment cases were showing up, also other journalists reported that they tried to publish that information before but they were blocked. In some cases, professional colleagues as Matt Damon and Ben Affleck, were involved.

https://twitter.com/rosemcgowan/status/917867520828194816

Thanks to an article, actresses are denouncing Harvey Weinstein, Los Angeles police are investigating Weinstein and the truth has come to light.

Again, we can see the important role that news media play in the world. A newspaper, in this case, The New York Times, could uncover a crime and encourage victims to report it. If it hadn’t happened, as the other articles that were censored, a criminal would be still unpunished, victims muted, the world would ignore the truth, and there could be no justice.

So, that’s why news media have to be independent of external pressures. Because this is the way that they can do their work and function as a “watchdog” in society.

Kid Rock considers run for Senate

By EVAN ALDO

Songwriter and singer Kid Rock expressed interest in running for political office on Wednesday.

“I have had a ton of emails and texts asking me if this website is real … http://kidrockforsenate.com The answer is an absolute YES,” he tweeted Wednesday afternoon.

In another tweet, the Michigan native said, “I will have a major announcement in the near future.”

The website Kid Rock referred to in his tweet features a photo of the 46-year-old wearing a hat, aviator sunglasses and a leather jacket. The website has a logo that reads “Kid Rock ’18 For US Senate.”  There is also sales of stickers, shirts, lawn signs and caps that say “Kid Rock for US Senate.”

The artist has been speculated to be a potential opponent for Michigan Democratic Senator Debbie Stabenow, who is up for re-election next year.

A supporter of President Donald Trump, Kid Rock performed at the 2016 Republican National Convention in Cleveland.

“I’ll bet you he would generate as much excitement as Trump did,” said Wes Nakagiri, a Michigan Tea Party activist.

Considering that the media will do anything for an intriging story nowadays, Nakagiri is probably right.

Similar to President Trump, Kid Rock is a controversial figure.  He enjoys swearing and bashing groups of people that he is against.  In response to the uprising of white supremacists he said, “Nazis. F—ing bigots. And now again the KKK? I say F— all you racists. Stay the hell away.”

I believe that if the news media gives Kid Rock the immense amount of attention that President Trump was able to receive during the election cycle, he will easily be able to win the senate seat.

What reporters seem to be unable to understand is that negative news media attention does not necessarily hurt a candidate.  In fact, in can actually help a candidate by getting his name out to more people. Trump had a much greater amount of news media attention than Hillary Clinton. The fact that a lot of it was negative did not prevent him from winning.

Many other celebrities such as Kanye West, Mark Zuckerberg, Dwayne Johnson and Oprah Winfrey have been talking about running for public office as well.  If the news media decides to give all of these people coverage, they too are not far from the White House.

A 2020 presidential election with Kid Rock on the Republican ticket and Kayne West on the Democratic ticket is not something that far out of reach.

Behind the Weinstein story coverage

By ANAEL GAVIZON

This week, one of the most popular news reports is about Harvey Weinstein. One of the richest, most famous and influential film producers of the 20th century has been accused of sexual assault for more than 30 years.

The Weinstein Company fired Weinstein, its co-founder, on Sunday after The New York Times released an investigation uncovering multiple allegations confirming he had engaged in sexual harassment. For decades, the producer was paying off sexual harassment accusers.

There is extensive coverage of the whole topic by The New York Times. The allegations uncovered by the newspaper came from actresses as well as former employees of the Weinstein Company and Miramax, the previous company that Weinstein and his brother founded. This list includes Angelina Jolie, Rosanna Arquette (Pulp Fiction) and Gwyneth Paltrow (Emma.)

What is most interesting from the article to me, aside from the stories of these brave women and the amazing portraits that illustrate them, is the fact that the newspaper was dealing with a stunning blow to a huge producer. A personality who is known for defining American film and supporting liberal causes. The dilemma: Should we be the first ones to speak up and tell the story? To publish or not to publish.

Even though his alleged behavior became something like a Hollywood open secret and a public rumor, do we think that some of these women would have spoken up if The Times didn’t publish the story? I think that once again, as many of the decisions journalists need to make every day, the issue lies in a matter of principles. So what is our duty as communicators?

A journalist needs to make moral decisions day by day. If we take a look at the Society of Professional Journalists’ Code of Ethics we realize there are some principles every professional communication needs to practice.

As the SPJ mentions in its statement, that “ethical journalism strives to ensure the free exchange of information that is accurate, fair and thorough. An ethical journalist acts with integrity.” However, what is its limitations of the code and who states them?

Certainly, the story on Harvey Weinstein was a tremendous “risk” worth taken. Although it is difficult to release a shocking article on someone that famous and influential, the duty of a journalist is to report the truth to the public.

Eminem speaks out against Trump

By KAYLA FOSTER

Rapper Eminem expressed his distaste for Donald Trump, during a four and a half-minute cypher Tuesday night at the BET Hip Hop Awards.

As part of the BET Hip Hop Awards, every year an array of rappers are selected to perform a freestyle cypher. Usually the selected rappers are those who are up and coming, but this year veteran rapper Eminem used the platform as a way to address the recent actions of Trump.

Titled “The Storm,” Eminem covered a range of topics from racism, hypocrisy and the disrespect of military veterans. Eminem also name drops Colin Kaepernick, Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton. He also calls out his own fans and supporters of Trump, asking which one do fans like more: Eminem or Trump.

Since the release of “The Storm,” the rap has been streamed more than 2.1 million times, and flooded by critics on Twitter. Colin Kaepernick also responded on twitter in support of the rap, along with LeBron James and fellow rapper J. Cole.

Late-night hosts Seth Meyers, Jimmy Fallon, Stephen Colbert and James Corden all opened their Wednesday night monologues with the same statement for viewers: it’s time to choose.

However there has been minor back-lashed as many fans have commented that if this was a black rapper speaking out, there would not be this much momentum.

Either way multiple news media outlets have picked up the story, including The New York Times and CNN. Many outlets praised Eminem for speaking out and encouraged others to do the same.

Power comes from many voices

By NATE DERRENBACHER

Hollywood scandals are nothing new. In today’s society, the attitude of people quickly calling anything “corrupt” is on the rise, and Hollywood has been the subject for conversation about corruption for years.

It seems that every few weeks, a new case of an alleged sexual harassment by news media executives seems to surface. As these stories develop, more people come forward to speak out about their alleged abusers – sometimes exposing misconduct from years in the past.

This has never been more relevant than recently. As seen through the Harvey Weinstein allegations, new platforms allow people to come forward without fear.

The news media have been following the Harvey Weinstein story almost nonstop since the initial announcement. Since the original claim of misconduct by the Hollywood film mogul, many people have come forward describing how they were abused by Weinstein, and many have condemned his actions.

But the media has done something else that wasn’t possible in the past that helps victims expose their abusers and hold them accountable – everyone is able to join the conversation. This open coverage gives people from all backgrounds, everyone from Hollywood A-listers to interns, the ability to enter a “safe-space” online and on-air to share their experiences and have a community to help them through their situation.

The news media have helped victims tell their stories and connect appropriate people to condemn abusers’ actions. A few major actions have influenced this change: social media, more focus on entertainment and opinion TV and the openness of society to engage with strangers.

This engagement can range anywhere from random arguments to a complete support system by a set of strangers. Because of this type of new media and focuses within the media, there are more opportunities to share and expose stories that may have traditionally been kept “behind closed doors.”

Weinstein: Big time violation of our idols

By VIVIANA ONORATO

In recent times, it’s become apparent that there are more than one way to hurt a person. Usually, we understand that a punch to the face or a kick to the chest will hurt badly; however, we will recover from this. The soreness will be gone in a few days and we will forget that it happened.

However, there are sometimes when the physical pain will pale in comparison to the scars in our minds. What we feel in our bodies will never be as bad or as hurtful as what we feel in our spirits; this is why recent revelations have made it so hard to feel human.

It’s in no way possible to see that a single person could be this malicious towards so many peers. Harvey Weinstein, a man in a position of power and influence, used his connections to hurt women, to degrade them, to make them feel like they were less, all while reaping the benefits of his actions.

What makes this matter even worse is the fact that so many people knew about it and no one said anything. Weinstein’s own team has stated that “any allegations of non-consensual sex are unequivocally denied by Mr. Weinstein.” And yet, more than 20 women have come out to attack Weinstein, including actresses Kate Beckinsale, Heather Graham and Cara Delenvigne.

What this story does is show not just the horrors that some women have experienced in their working lives, but also the way in which some people are willfully ignorant to the problems that they observe in their work habits. The fact that 27 women have come out to attack Weinstein means that this was not something that was unknown to the world; people knew that something was going on. They just chose not to act on it; silence, in this case, was not golden.

58 killed in Las Vegas shooting

By NINA GARZA

A gunman opened fire on a country music festival in Las Vegas, killing 58 people and injuring more than 500. This occurred late on Sunday, Oct. 1, 2017.

The shooter has been identified as Stephen Paddock, who was found dead by self inflicted injury in his hotel room. Paddock was staying in the Mandalay Bay Resort. Just past 10 p.m., on Sunday is when Paddock began shooting at people attending the Route 91 Harvest Festival from his hotel room.

Videos of the shooting have been posted on Twitter, showing people running and screaming as the gunfire began. Country singer Jason Aldean had just started singing his last song of the night when the shooting started. He quickly ran off stage to take cover.

Country singer Jake Owen had performed before Aldean but was still at the festival watching Aldean perform before the start of the shooting, He spoke to CNN on the phone and said, “it was ringing off the top of the stage, you can hear it hitting trailers, people scattering, here and there, it was chaos.”

Being that this incident has been the largest shooting in modern United States history, the news media have been very sensitive and respectful. I saw several videos on reporters talking to people who were there and the police officers who were on the scene and they were very considerate towards them. The news media did a great job handling and covering this tragedy, being that it is a very serious and devastating event that occurred.