Tag Archives: Crime reporting

News should report 3-D printing risk

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By ADAM HENDEL

The innovation of 3-D printing and introducing it to the general public raised concern in the news for a while. Reports initially said this it is something about which to be concerned. From the YouTube videos I have seen and posts I’ve read, the capability to make homemade weapons and paraphernalia is easily achievable.

On Nov. 11, CNN doubted the serious risk of introducing 3-D printers to the public in an article titled,  “Texas Company makes metal guns with 3-D printer.”

The article acknowledges the potential for fear that criminals will be able to obtain modern weaponry without leaving their homes. However, the article dismisses the idea by saying that the printers and supplies used to make the 3-D parts are too expensive for the average citizen.

I disagree though, it is only a matter of time before the cost for the process will be affordable and will replace the printers we have in our offices.

The company featured in the article claims to use a very expensive 3-D printer. The basic model printers cost only a few thousand dollars and still produce very accurate printing. It is an amazing innovation and like the article mentions, it is a viable option for commercial use, but it still poses threats.

In May, Cody Wilson, 25, a member of a small non-profit group called Defense distributed posted instructions on how to an exact working replica of a modern handgun. The group also posted a video of a live firing with the homemade gun on the group’s website. The instructions on the Internet were taken down after the US state department sent a cease-and-desist letter. If there wasn’t such a serious concern, why was their group so tightly monitored

These printers will be advantageous to business owners and production of goods, but it still is a scary thing. even though some analysts have dismissed it, there is no denying the use of these printers for crime.

Relentness bad news is difficult to take

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By ADAM HENDEL

The news in general has always been obliged to tell the most relevant content by airing the hard news. Everyday when we turn on our television, we see stories of only serious crime and death because they are informative and attention getting.

After recent reports of the New Jersey mall shooting, a friend on Facebook wrote an interesting statement. The post said, “I can’t tell what is scarier: hearing about another mall shooting on the news first thing this morning, or the realization that over the past three months I’ve become totally desensitized to such news.”

It’s hard not to have similar feelings after watching the news day after day. I turned on CNN news today only to see giant headlines that read, “10,000 Feared Dead.” What a terrible thing to wake up to, but it is important to be informed.

As important as it is to keep up with today’s news, I believe watching the reports day in and day out takes a toll on one’s psyche. Constantly, we are reminded of the terrible things happening in the world and the next day is only a new set of harsh stories.

For online news, the approach to these intense stories can be approached in a less in your face way. For CNN and other network television news websites, the headlines are mostly the same as the television with the blunt presentation. The difference is that the websites do not have the time restraint, which allows for more stories and the ability for the web surfer to pick and choose the stories they want to read or watch.

Sites like yahoo are friendlier to the viewer because they try to weave in collaboration of pop culture, soft news and hard news that may not be featured on more serious sites and networks.

I am not suggesting that the news should stop telling us all the stories that are difficult to hear, but as a journalist or someone who is trying to stay relevant and informed, the constant reminder of negativity can be discouraging.

Miami man falls out of plane

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By ALEXANDRA SILVER

Gerardo Nales fell out of a private plane three days ago and, after an intensive search, it is believed that authorities have found the body.

Gerardo Nales was one of two passengers on board a private plane flown by a sole pilot that took off from Tamiami Executive Airport in Southwest Miami-Dade County. This plane was flying at about 2,000 feet when the pilot of the Piper PA 46 called for help saying “mayday.”

The recording of the pilot was peculiar as he was completely calm when notifying the air traffic controller. The pilot’s name has not yet been released nor has the identity of the other passenger since this is an on-going investigation.

Gerardo Nales is a 42-year-old Miami native who resided in Key Biscayne. Cameras were lined up on the sidewalk near his Key Biscayne apartment complex this past Friday afternoon. It is unclear where the plane was headed at the time, but it was said to be about eight miles from the Tamiami airport.

Authorities still do not know exactly what happened on the plane, but investigators have no evidence of foul play.

This incident is still under investigation as investigators are unsure if Nales jumped out of the plane or was pushed. More information will become available shortly

Toronto mayor takes turn for worst

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By ALEXANDRA SILVER

A current article on CNN.com reads, “ Toronto’s Mayor is Stripped of Some Power”. After openly admitting to using drugs such as crack cocaine “in a drunken stupor” and using offensive and sexual language.

After this stunt, I would have expected to see Mayor Rob Ford leave office, but he claims that he will not be leaving his job any time soon. Despite this, he continues to make more mistakes when speaking to reporters and acting on impulse.

Mayor Rob Ford is clearly not too concerned with walking on eggshells. Although he wants to keep his job, he fires back at reporters with offensive responses that are hardly ever thought out well.

When asked about the sexual relations he had with an escort, he claimed that the woman was not in fact an escort, but rather a family friend. He explained that such “allegations” had “hurt his wife.”

 He is embarrassing the residents of Toronto and refuses to step down or take a leave of absence. According to sources, most members of the city council support the idea that Ford take a leave of absence, but he has refused, leaving the other council members powerless and helpless.

 We can only hope that he gets back on the right path and fixes his mistakes before he destroys his career.

Immediacy in reporting has a price

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By REBECCA COHEN

The immediacy that consumes news reporting is beneficial to viewers and readers.

However, is it beneficial to the reputation of journalism?

Probably not. However, there is no other way to do it – except for the advance-prepared profiles such as death stories and obituaries.

Working in a rush maximizes mistakes — mistakes for which journalists are deeply criticized.

For example, three minor children filed a lawsuit in July against Fox News Channel.

Fox had accidentally broadcast their father’s suicide earlier that year. The children, ages 9, 13 and 15, claim the footage of their father’s suicide caused them to suffer emotional distress.

Their 32-year-old father had allegedly hijacked a car, so the high-speed chase was being streamed in real-time by Fox. However, when the man got out of the car to shoot himself, the cameras were still on him, broadcasting the tragedy.

According to the suit, there were rumors going around the children’s school that day that a man had committed suicide on TV and the video was circulating the Internet.

However, it was not until the children got home and watched the video that they realized they were watching their own father’s death.

Both Fox News and anchor Shepard Smith issued apologies for the broadcast, claiming its broadcast was the result of human error.

Perhaps these mistakes are something we can prevent by hiring more equipped journalists. However, it may just be a terminal flaw of journalism as a result of the pressure for immediacy.

Shooting at LA airport dominates news

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By ALEXANDRA SILVER

Early this morning, Friday, Nov. 1, a lone gunman went on a shooting spree at the LAX Airport in Los Angeles. It dominated national news coverage throughout the day.

The gunman, currently unnamed, appeared in Terminal 3 at LAX with a black shoulder bag. He then proceeded to take out an assault rifle and started shooting near the screening area and in the airport.

It was noted that the airport police acted quickly and tracked down the shooter and took him into custody. Unfortunately one man who worked at the airport was killed while more than 10 others were wounded.

Witnesses said they heard more than 20 shots fired.

This story, once again, brings about the topic of gun control in America. To think that any one person has access to an assault rifle is terrifying, but not knowing whether or not an airport, move theater, or school is safe is debilitating.

Many Americans are living in constant fear or what might occur during their trips to the mall or movie theater and when these incidents continue to happen, this fear grows stronger and prevents us from doing certain activities.

In order to feel safe in our environment, it seems as if drastic safety measures must be taken, such as metal detectors and pat downs. This should not be the case and it is certainly not the best solution. 

There are numerous articles that have been written about random mass shootings that discuss simple measures to prevent these tragedies from occurring in our neighborhoods. Although these articles are helpful and useful, they should not be necessary.

The real concern is the issue with mental health, which I spoke about in my previous post. In order to prevent these mass shootings we must first understand where the motive comes from and start from there. Hopefully the real solution is found and people can stop living in fear.

Glorifying murderers in news reports

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By REBECCA COHEN

In Newton, Conn., at Sandy Hook Elementary School, 28 people lost their lives to a gunman.

Tragic; however, this is only one of the many school shootings that have occurred in recent years. It remains a mystery where or how these people develop the desire to massacre.

However, critic Roger Ebert provided some insight last year to the phenomenon.

“Events like this, if they are influenced by anything, are influenced by news programs like your own. When an unbalanced kid walks into a school and starts shooting, it becomes a major media event. Cable news drops ordinary programming and goes around the clock with it. The story is assigned a logo and a theme song; these two kids were packaged as the Trench Coat Mafia,” said Ebert.

“The message is clear to other disturbed kids around the country: If I shoot up my school, I can be famous. The TV will talk about nothing else but me. Experts will try to figure out what I was thinking. The kids and teachers at school will see they shouldn’t have messed with me. I’ll go out in a blaze of glory.”

These murderers, who would otherwise die unknown, become famous. We all know their names, hometowns and family history. We, as Americans, follow their trials diligently and go over their personalities a hundred times over.

This obsession is lead by the media. The media digs up these stories, the shooter’s history, and conducts interviews with their friends and family — thus giving the shooter what he or she originally intended. His or her voice is now heard. Their message of hate has been broadcast by our own American media.

When the Sandy Hook shooting occurred in December 2012, some media networks started to focus on the children and not the shooter. This was monumental, and is how all tragedies should be approached.

However, the media have since gone back to their old ways – most notably by putting the “Boston Bomber” Dzhokhar Tsarnaev on the cover of Rolling Stone magazine. Although the magazine was boycotted by some drugstores and supermarket chains, it was still heating up newsstands.

The caption read, “The Bomber: How a popular, promising student was failed by his family, fell into radical Islam and became a monster,” framing Tsarnaev as the victim.

Why they would do this remains a mystery; however, according to reports, the controversial cover nearly doubled sales.

If the media would like to help Americans and protect them from more tragedies, it must take a different approach. By being careful not to glorify shooters, the media should focus on the victims and their families – ensuring that the shooter’s message is not heard.

School violence, media, stolen lives

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By AXEL TURCIOS

In less than a week, two U.S. students are accused of murder and two teachers are dead.

Violence around the nation has spread inevitably leaving sorrow among families from both sides. The suspects’ families do not seem to understand why their kids dirty their hands with somebody’s blood. While the victims’ relatives look out for answers to help them build a clear explanation of what really occurred.

Monday, tragedy struck a middle school in Sparks, Nev. A 12-year-old boy opened fire against two other students and killing 45-year-old Michael Landsberry, a popular math teacher and member of the Nevada Air National Guard.

But the brutality does not stop there. Tuesday, two calls reporting two missing people, one a student and the other one a teacher, erupted a massive search. Wednesday morning Danvers Police Department in Massachusetts found the dead body of Colleen Ritzer, a 24-year-old math teacher. Philip Chism, a 14-year-old student remains behind bars accused of manslaughter for Ritzer’s death.

Why is there so much violence in our kids nowadays? How is it that young kids embed their minds with bloody thoughts? Does TV or other news media have an influence on them? Do video games make up a great part of the problem? Could a legislation aimed to restrict gun acquisition ease violence?

Believe as you are reading these questions to yourself, you must also be thinking that most of the answers should call a yes. But unfortunately, the solution does not depend only on us.

For instance, different gun legislation has been battled in the Senate and House of Representatives. However, legislators seem to not find a solution in which all of them agree with.

As a matter of fact, it is not just a legislation aiming for fire gun restrictions that would calm down the nation. It also depends on the parents who buy their kids brutal video games. Kids who are exposed to domestic violence at home are in danger of becoming bullies or bullied by somebody else. As you read this, many young people are still seeking for their inner entity and when they finally find it their parents would not be there.

Why? Ask yourself that question.

Protecting juveniles in the news media

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By DANIELLE COHEN

In a small town in northeast Washington, an 11-year-old boy was convicted of attempting to murder his fellow fifth-grade classmate.

Stevens County Superior Court Judge Allen Nielson supported the statement that this elementary school student devised his murder plot earlier this year with another classmate.

On Feb. 7, the boys brought a knife and handgun to school. Another student spoke up after seeing the students weapons in one of the boys backpacks. Before the boys could carry out their plot the school staff seized both the weapons.

A school counselor named Debbie Rodgers interviewed the older of the two boys. He admitted that his plan was to stab the girl to death because she was “really annoying” and the second boy was going to point the gun at anyone who tried to intervene.

One of the boys also tried to justify their actions by stating, “she’s rude and always made fun of me and my friends.”

The two boys also told authorities they were going to “get,” or murder, six more students at their school, Fort Colville Elementary School.

The convicted juvenile criminal is due back in court on Nov. 8 for a sentence hearing. He was sentenced to three to five years in a juvenile detention facility.

Both of these Juveniles names were not mentioned on news reports and neither were their pictures or anything to give away their identity.

Juveniles have confidentiality protection that adults do not have. Many believe this is the case because the states have a strong desire to rehabilitate the lives of juvenile delinquents and protect their reputation by not reporting their names to the press.

This issue does not prevent newspapers from reporting the stories and certain distinctions are made to decide if releasing the name of a child criminal will defame his/her reputation.

I personally believe that a child who is positively guilty of murder shouldn’t have their identity protected or hidden from the media just because of their age. Anyone who is capable of such a crime should be recognized as a criminal and the public should be aware of his or her identity.

I understand that if your name is in the news mentioning that you are a murderer, your life weather in jail or out of jail is permanently damaged due to your reputation and records.

If you are under the age of 18 and committed a crime you will most likely have a longer life to live with this reputation. I understand the theory behind protecting these children from the media, but I do not agree with it.

For more information on the elementary school case visit: http://panewsmedia.org/legal/publications/newspaperhandbook/juvenile-news-reporting

False news reporting has to stop

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By MATIAS WODNER

I’m having trouble understanding how reporters and journalists can keep putting out false information without any repercussions.

The most recent example of this was in a story about NFL All-Pro Running Back Adrian Peterson. Apparently, his two-year-old son was the victim of a disgusting, inhumane beating at the hands of a 27-year-old man. As reports surfaced, the infant was in critical condition.

The story was initially reported by TMZ on Oct. 11, where it said that Adrian Peterson Jr., the child that Peterson Sr. is always seen with, was hospitalized in critical condition.

With a bit of patience and fact-checking, several other news outlets soon disputed the TMZ report in that the child was, in fact, Peterson’s son, but not the one that he holds so dearly. Apparently, he has no contact with this child or with his mother. The boy might not even be Peterson’s son, as no paternity test was ever conducted.

Despite the weirdness and the murky details, I find it very distasteful that news outlets just throw out information to be first in line. This kind of false information hurts people, both emotionally and mentally.

It happened during the Boston Marathon bombing, where an innocent person was wrongly identified in the news as the bomber. And now it’s happening again.

At some point it will have to stop, though I’m not sure it will soon given the fast-paced, technologically advanced society we live in.

Journalism can damage the innocent

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By DANIELLE COHEN

The Olympic games of 1996 that were held in Atlanta were bombed. One person was killed and more than 100 others were injured. News media outlets swarmed the scene, reporting false information that permanently damaged an innocent man’s life.

Richard Jewell was an innocent security guard who was accused by many media outlets as being the “Olympic bomber.” His name and identity were portrayed in the worst possible light.

A journalist by the name of Kevin Sack now reflects on his experience reporting the Richard Jewell case.

Sack was the national correspondent in the Atlanta bureau of The New York Times. On July 30, 1996, Sack was writing an “extra” edition for The Atlanta Journal trying to confirm that Jewell was the focus of the FBI’s search for the bomber.

As Sack approached the deadline for the article, he was informed  by the paper’s executive editor at the time, Joseph Lelyveld, that he was not to accuse Jewell for “fitting the profile of the bomber,” instead he was to write a modest article. Sack felt it was very hard not to compete against the other papers who were reporting the story on Jewell an with this he wrote a paragraph that might be considered one of Sack’s mistakes.

Sack ended up writing, “Coverage of the investigation of the bombing at the Olympics here was dominated for hours today by a report in The Atlanta Journal naming a local security guard as the leading suspect.”

He also wrote, “ Federal law enforcement sources had confirmed to The Times that Mr. Jewell was among the suspects in the bombing, but cautioned that there were others, and that there was not sufficient evidence to charge him.”

Looking back, Sack regrets writing this.

The article actually stood out for its restraint.

Today, Sack seems to have learned little from his mistakes and understands that the journalism business, through the Internet and social media, has made it more tempting to use unconfirmed information and rush to judgment.

The New York Post’s “Bag Men” cover story reporting the two innocent Boston Marathon spectators is one of the many examples of how the defaming of innocent people through journalism and social media has continued.

For an innocent man’s reputation to be destroyed by the media and for the media to not learn and change from this is mind-boggling. Jewell felt like the media jumped on him “like piranha on a bleeding cow.” He also stated in interviews that he could never get his name back.

It is a tough situation for journalists to be in when they have to do their jobs and inform the public, but also have to keep in mind that the reputation of a possibly innocent suspect is on the line.

To learn more visit: http://www.nytimes.com/2013/10/07/booming/a-bombing-suspect-and-the-rush-to-judgment.html?ref=media.

Shooting shows how news can mislead

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By ADAM HENDEL

Reports on Oct. 3 from multiple sources seemed misleading about the “shootings on Capital Hill.”

Without doubt, security around government buildings should be tight, but the way this story was reported made the situation seem like a terrorist attack.

Those following the news viewed images of civilians rushing to find cover. Video and audio clips focused on gunfire while the main details were initially neglected.

On Oct. 3, CBSNews.com’s video catching the incident was captioned, “Capitol Hill car chase, shooting.” The video showed a black car driving away as viewers could only hear, but not see gunshots.

That day, The New York Times captioned a photo, “Shots fired near the capitol” and in the proceeding article wrote, “By the time the ensuing chase ended, dozens of shots had been fired and two officers were injured.”

It’s plausible that many believed there was a gunfight due to vague videos and captions like these. The warning should have pertained to a reckless driver leading a car chase, not a shooting. The hurt officers sustained their injuries due to the vehicle pursuit, not from bullets.

The following day, CBS announced that there was one fatal victim, Miriam Carey, 34, who was gunned down by police after she “ran her car into a barricade near the white house and led officers on a high-speed chase.”

As it turns out, the only shooting that took place was by the police. According to the Chicago Tribune earlier that day, “All the shooting appears to have been done by police. Law enforcement sources said the suspect did not shoot a gun and there is no indication she had one.”

By Oct. 5, Carey’s image had transitioned from a threat to our government to a depressed mother who didn’t deserve to be killed.

The Chicago Tribune announced that the victim suffered from post-partum depression and was not a harmful person. Valarie Carey, the victim’s sister and former New York police sergeant stated, “Deadly physical force was not the ultimate recourse and it didn’t have to be.”

However, this portion of the story, which defends the victim, was only citing the perspective of her sister, making the story article very subjective.

In situations like this, it is difficult to distinguish the relevant details versus subject matter presented to catch a viewer’s attention. The mixed news coverage makes stories like this confusing. It is important not to make quick assumptions from breaking news; not everything we see is definitive.

Journalism, a career or a death wish?

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By AXEL TURCIOS

The practice of journalism in Central America has become more than a career choice, it is considered more of an attempt to find death in an intellectual way.

My country, Honduras, is not an exception for journalists, who fight for exposé of political corruption as well as other internal problems. While working towards the truth, these professionals put not only their lives, but also the lives of their families, at high risks.

Ramón Custodio, Honduran Human Rights commissioner, expressed his concern about the impunity that keeps the murders of 35 people linked to the news media recorded at their institution between 2003 and so far this year, only two of such cases have come to judgment.

According to the Citizen Council for Public Safety and Criminal Justice (a private organization and part of the Mexican Employers’ Association), for the second year in a row, San Pedro Sula, Honduras, remains at the top spot as the most violent city in the world, with 169 homicides per 100,000 inhabitants.

Such a ranking brings up the question of what is Porfirio Lobo, president of Honduras, doing to address the criminal crisis?

Juan Ramón Mairena, president of the Honduran College of Journalism, mentioned his sorrow towards the incompetence from President Lobo’s government to complete their promises to implement a protection program mainly targeted for journalists.

In the past year, President Lobo has maintained a confrontation with different media outlets, especially with the ones that criticize his administration by pointing out his security, economic and social failures.

One of the main causes for deaths in the Latin America country is the constant fight among the drug cartels and politicians who are related to extortion, corruption and money-laundering schemes.

A mass communication career is very difficult in a nation where drug trafficking has influenced many people to begin campaigns to stop journalists from denouncing the corrupt.

Journalists, in their attempt to portray the reality of things, lose their fear and end up throwing themselves into the enemy’s claws.

Believe it or not, if I had to live in Honduras again, my passion for journalism would still be the same. In other words, I’d still choose to communicate with others regardless the risks to which I would be exposed.

For more information:

Motorcyclists incident caught on video

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By ALEXANDRA SILVER

The concept of sharing the roadway with bikers has always been difficult to grasp for most drivers on the road. Motorcyclists, just like other drivers, must follow the “rules of the road” but we still find many cyclists breaking the law.

On Sept. 29, a man named Alexian Lein was driving on Manhattan’s West Side highway in a Range Rover with both his wife and 2-year-old daughter when they were slowed by hundreds of motorcyclists.

The incident has attracted national and international news media attention because there was video of the incident and it is being replayed countless times as part of coverage of the story. It’s another example of the pervasiveness of video today and how it impacts our ability to see and to understand dangerous moments such as this one.

Lein was waiting patiently as the motorcyclists fooled around, holding up traffic for no apparent reason. As Lein attempted to get past the cyclists, he accidentally hit one of the motorcycles and continued to drive away. This prompted the hundreds of cyclists to follow his vehicle until he was at a red light.

In a matter of minutes, a cyclist bashed the driver’s window with his helmet and proceeded to attack Lein, breaking his leg, but leaving his wife and daughter unharmed.

This situation is particularly frightening, seeing as Lein was simply trying to protect his family and the motorcyclists continued to threaten and eventually injure him. They proceeded to destroy property and cause physical harm in front of both his wife and daughter.

Police are now investigating the incident and two of the cyclists have already been arrested. Another cyclist that was struck by the SUV is now paralyzed and the charges against him have been dropped.

Despite the fact that Lein should have been cautious of the cyclists, he was threatened and any father’s first reaction would be to protect their loved ones when they are in need.

Murder cases a challenge for media

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By AXEL TURCIOS

As some of you may know, last Saturday morning the body of 18-year-old Tiffany Cabreja, was found at a construction site in the 28200 block of SW 144th Avenue in Homestead.

This is a typical local story, a homicide, that the news media would want to cover. Of course, the first clue that popped up was a surveillance video that showed a work truck passing by the scene where the body was dumped.

There were many questions that needed to be answered. However, how would a news reporter approach a victim’s family member in a case like this?

This scenario sounds a little bit disturbing for anyone and especially for reporters. Journalists need to find sensibility, humanity, respect and understanding deep inside, to seek the right way to interview someone who has very recently lost a loved one.

But why is it so hard to ask questions if you are a reporter, a professional who asks people questions every day?

As journalists, we must show compassion for those that might be affected adversely by any type of news coverage. In other words, step on that person’s shoes and think for one second about their sorrow.

Wednesday morning, Miguel Infante and Raquel Delgado, made headlines around South Florida. According to police, they were the main suspects in the murder of the teenage girl.

Investigators questioned the couple for hours, but ended up releasing both due to lack of evidence against them.

This is where the sense of sensibility comes back again; reporters must have to get a hold on any family member of the victim. In this case, the father who had already been interviewed by all local TV stations in Miami.

Would you really ask a father how he feels when what it seemed to be a final clue wasn’t it?

I don’t think we all have the nerve to step up and do it; it takes a lot more than courage. It takes caring and passion for what you love to report these types of stories.

What if the killer is located and this time it is the right person?

Friday was the day everyone was waiting for. 20-year-old Fernando Granados was arrested and charged with second-degree murder in the Homestead girl’s death.

In his confession, Granados stated that he and an unidentified man went with the teen to a park where they smoked crack. Later, they ended up in a construction site where the two men strangled Cabreja.

Despite the fact that the pieces of this puzzle might be difficult to put together, a long investigation is still underway.

The media in this case should follow the story until it’s finished, sending sensitive human beings to obtain needed information gathered in a sensible manner.