Obscure ‘carrot man’ rises to fame

Posted on March 17, 2016 by Roxanne Yu

By ROXANNE YU

There are all sorts of things that social media are capable of, and one of its major strengths is its ability to turn an average middle class individual to an Internet sensation overnight.

On rare occasions, some people who do try to stray from the spotlight get dragged into it without their consent. Nearly a month ago, photos of a charming young farmer were put up online, which spread quickly throughout Filipino news media and gained a considerable amount of attention in the public sphere.

Jeyrick Sigmaton did not expect that his good looks would take him anywhere outside the indigenous community in which he grew up. Born and raised in the northern region of the Philippines, Mountain Province, Sigmaton decided not to attend high school so he could work full-time to help his parents support his six other siblings.

All thanks to Edwina Bandong, Sigmaton’s photos went viral on social media.

Bandong happened to be around the Mountain Province area when she managed to take a photo of a farmer who was carrying a heavy load of carrots onto a delivery truck, hence the nickname “carrot man.”

The news media caught on to the rising hype of carrot man that was going on in the Internet and decided to seek out Sigmaton.

One of the country’s most prominent broadcast journalists, Jessica Soho, made the trip to Mountain Province to get to know more about Sigmaton.

Soho hosts her own news magazine television show that airs every Sunday evening, a show that many Filipino families watch on a regular basis. The fact that Sigmaton was featured on her show made the farmer an even bigger “celebrity,” as it catered to a larger nationwide audience.

“I’m proud that my picture was sought-after. Because of this, a lot of people gained interest in the people who reside in Mountain Province as well as in us, Igorots.” -Jeyrick Sigmaton, “Carrot Man.”

The news media are the source of opening new topics of discussion within a particular issue. In most cases, they do initiate debates and disagreements and they rarely function to unite everyone into one mainstream idea.

In the case of carrot man, Soho was not only able to tell a story behind the man in the photographs, but was also able to inform the public about the culture, struggle and livelihood of Igorots (indigenous tribe members.)

Soho was able to incorporate the timeliness of Sigmaton’s fame and link it to the issues that surround native tribes that still exist around the country. She exemplified great journalism techniques that can be deemed praiseworthy.

An inside look at North Korea

Posted on March 17, 2016 by Grace Bernard

By GRACE BERNARD

This week, a London tourist has illustrated the power a picture holds by giving a face to the people living in the world’s most restrictive country — North Korea.

Amateur photographer Michal Huniewicz posted two sets of photographs on his blog documenting his time in North Korea’s capital city, Pyongyang.

The pictures have been shared on his Facebook, Twitter, a variety of Instagram accounts and new sites such as CNN.

The significance of these smuggled photos comes from the strict rules governing tourist photography in North Korea. The bulk images and videos the public sees are products of the government.

While the majority of Huniewicz’s photos were acceptable, he admitted that some were taken against the wishes of his guides or as he calls them, his “government minders.”

The timing of the photos release could not be more perfect. Recently, North Korea has been receiving more news media attention than usual as it continues to develop its nuclear program and face sanctions from the United Nations. It is crucial now more than ever that the rest of the world grasp that behind Kim Jong-un, there are millions of helpless people.

In a culture where criticism of society’s growing news media dependence is often harsh, Huniewicz’s collection shows how powerful a tool it is, particularly social media. It shows that we cannot take for granted the ability to freely capture and share photos. It is a tool that helps protect against the human rights violations that are rampant in North Korea.

Furthermore, North Korea may be one of the few places in the world where everyday life has been practically untouched by the outside media. Huniewicz’s photographs and his accompanying narrative help to better show the restrictions of life living under a dictatorship. Censorship was rampant during his trip and Huniewicz’s noted that many of the sights felt staged.

“You have to be fast. Soon we noticed that while Pyongyang is meant to be a utopian showcase for foreign visitors … there are more glamorous bits, and there are less glamorous bits. What’s more, our mute driver was perfectly aware of this, so he would conveniently slow down whenever the surroundings were impressive, and speed up whenever they were less pleasant, to make them less pleasant,” Huniewicz wrote on his blog.

The majority of Huniewicz’s photos are scenes from everyday life that have the eerie look of being performed. Tour groups are not allowed to go anywhere, or even be left alone, without their guides. And it seems as though everyone is in on the act.

For more of Huniewicz’s collection of photos from all his travels, visit his website.

Trump defends penis size

Posted on March 4, 2016 by Victoria De Cardenas

By VICTORIA DE CARDENAS

The day has finally come, the day where politicians talk about their privates rather than politics.

Donald Trump assured voters on Thursday that there was “no problem” with the size of his hands — or anything else.

This came after Marco Rubio suggested Trump has small hands, a decades’ old insult from Vice Magazine who called him “a short-fingered vulgarian,” according to John Oliver.

“He’s always calling me Little Marco. And I’ll admit he’s taller than me. He’s like 6-2, which is why I don’t understand why his hands are the size of someone who is 5-2,” Rubio said in Virginia on Sunday. “And you know what they say about men with small hands? You can’t trust them.”

Apparently, Trump has never been able to forget that insult because he seemed so bothered by it.

But what is really upsetting, is the fact that we have grown men arguing about the size of their penises rather than the real problems in politics. And if that wasn’t enough, news outlets are reporting it.

Not to say that journalists are not to report it but don’t give more attention to it than it already needs. Journalists should not be entertaining their inappropriate jokes between presidential candidates as much as they have been.

My personal Facebook account has been flooded with this unusual joke and it makes me wonder why we care journalists are having a field day with it. Maybe it brings in more readers, which I must argue that it is a good way to bring in readers but it shouldn’t be your top priority. This belongs at the end of your broadcast.

Journalists have a job to report things and tell the truth, but this joke is way too revealing.

Colombian journalist airs sex tape

Posted on March 2, 2016 by Etty Grossman

By ETTY GROSSMAN

Last week, Colombia faced a major wiretapping scandal, which led to the resignation of various public officials.

The scandal started when prominent radio host, news anchor and journalist, Vicky Dávila published a secretly filmed video of a 2008 conversation about gay sex between Senator Carlos Ferro and Police Capitan Anyelo Palacios.

She stated that she released the video as an attempt to expose alleged grave sexual misconduct within the National Police, a complaint that has been investigated by other journalists for months.

The content of the video was so strong that it immediately forced the resignation of Ferro, vice minister of the Interior and National Police Director General Rodolfo Palomino, who had already been charged with sexual harassment.

After the scandal, the whole country, including the news media, was divided in two. People joined either one side or the other; there was no neutral opinion in this case.

One side believed that Dávila published the video in order to help the state with the investigation of the “Fellowship of the Ring,” an alleged gay prostitution network in the police force, which cannot be tolerated. People such as Dávila, those who supported the publication of the video, concluded that the information released served as a proof of the prostitution ring.

The other side, the one I support, claimed that the broadcasting and publishing of this extremely intimate video shows zero evidence of any involvement in prostitution; instead, it only publicizes private matters of professional politicians. Yes, the video proved that the former parliamentarian had had a relationship with a policeman, but it also showed that it would have been consensual.

How are we journalists covering things? Should our beliefs affect our objectivity?

Here is where the journalism’s role as the watchdog of the public interests at its heart should be brought into question.

Colombians might be interested to know where and with who their public figures sleep at night, but since this conduct doesn’t interfere with their assigned work, it should remain private. These persons should be judged by their professional performance, what they do for sexual pleasure, as long as it’s legal, should not be considered a public concern.

The pressure and comments from social media were so explosive that the video was removed from the networks and Dávila resigned as well.

So, did she have a genuine public interest in revealing this or was it something more personal? Despite the reason, journalists should be more careful with what they are publishing.

Words are powerful, they can contribute a lot, but they can also destroy; as Ferro, the victim of this whole story said: “I hope that justice can give me back the dignity journalist Vicky Dávila wanted to snatch from me.”

Carson sees ‘no path forward’ in race

Posted on March 2, 2016 by Melissa Cabral

By MELISSA CABRAL

Republican presidential candidate Ben Carson announced Wednesday that he will not be attending Detroit’s Thursday GOP debate and sees “no political path forward” with his bid for presidency after Super Tuesday’s underwhelming results.

Although he will not be attending the debate being held in his hometown, reports confirm that the retired neurosurgeon will not be stepping down as a candidate. In a statement shared on all his social media sites, Carson told his supporters that he would discuss the future of his campaign Friday at the Conservative Political Action Conference in Washington, D.C.

“Even though I will not be in my hometown of Detroit on Thursday, I remain deeply committed to my home nation, America,” Carson said. “I do not see a political path forward in light of last evening’s Super Tuesday primary results. However, this grassroots movement on behalf of “We the People” will continue.”

In recent debates, Carson has been out-shined by fellow candidates Donald Trump, Marco Rubio and Ted Cruz. Carson has said that he has struggled to gain any speaking time during the heated debates. This has caused his numbers to tumble, finishing no higher than fourth in any state during Super Tuesday.

During Thursday’s Houston debate, Ted Cruz and Marco Rubio joined forces with a plan to take down Trump attacking the controversial candidate many times throughout the debate, leaving no room for Carson to put a word in.

At one point, Carson interrupted and jumped in.

“Can someone attack me please,” he said in a plea to get some talk time.

This downfall comes as a surprise to most of us since last fall, during the launch of his presidential campaign, Carson rose to the top among the likes of Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton.

Although he has denied ending his bid for presidency, it is highly likely that Carson will be stepping down from the race within the next coming days.

Kesha’s legal battle causing controversy

Posted on February 25, 2016 by Victoria De Cardenas

By VICTORIA DE CARDENAS

The hashtag #FreeKesha has captured headlines, but the battle of Kesha and her producer Dr. Luke is more complicated than a hashtag.

In 2014, Kesha filed a civil lawsuit alleging Dr. Luke emotionally abused, drugged and sexually assaulted her during her time with Kemosabe Records. Kesha’s legal team was seeking to break her contract with Kemosabe Records and its parent company, Sony Entertainment, so she could continue her career without the producer’s influence.

After a long legal battle, the New York Supreme Court decided a preliminary injunction, sending the pop star into tears and her supporters into a flurry of anger and activism.

Some of her supporters include celebrities, such as Adele, Lady Gaga and Demi Lovato. Many of these celebrities have taken to Twitter to express their outrage.

But it’s Demi Lovato’s tweet which really started the controversy. BuzzFeed broke the story and monitored all of Lovato’s tweets.

Her first tweet showed support for the “Tick Tock” singer.

She then tweeted what seemed to be a jab at Taylor Swift, according to BuzzFeed.

Lovato allegedly liked a tweet that referenced Swift’s silence further fueling speculation.

According to BuzzFeed, Lovato’s rant was 90-minutes long, and concluding with Lovato sending one last tweet that had the hashtag #equalityforALL.

One day after Lovato’s rant, Taylor Swift made a highly publicized move: donating $250,000 to Kesha.

Lovato had one last thing to say.

Many celebrities have praised the bold donation and the media is praising the America’s sweetheart but it’s upsetting to see that they are not showing the entire story.

Credit should be given to BuzzFeed for bringing this to attention, even if there are more important issues to talk about.

News outlets are supposed to tell the full story and to investigate and they seem to have forgotten to do that. Whether or not Lovato was actually calling out Swift, other news outlets should have caught on to the hour and a half rant on Twitter.

It is completely possible that Swift made the donation after feeling pressured from on-again-off-again friend Lovato. It’s also possible she didn’t do because of Lovato but it’s something the media should have at least mentioned when this story first broke out.

It is possible the media was worried about Kesha’s case and made the executive decision to not talk about Lovato’s side of the story but they cannot deny the events leading up to the donation, especially from two self-proclaimed feminists.

Maybe celebrity rants are nothing to talk about. If that is the case, Kanye West shouldn’t receive any more attention then he does but that’s another story.

The chaotic life of Kanye

Posted on February 19, 2016 by Grace Bernard

By GRACE BERNARD

Last week, Kanye West kicked off New York Fashion Week with his revolutionary Yeezy Season Three sold-out fashion show and listening party for his new album, “The Life of Pablo,” in Madison Square Garden. But people all over the world were able to score an inside look at the event thanks to today’s media coverage.

In the aftermath of the over-the-top show, the media have spent the past week proving that technology is making fashion and celebrities more accessible than ever before.

Both fashion and traditional news websites began sharing articles featuring pictures and videos from the show that day. Then, the news media focused on West’s outrageous rule list given to models that was leaked through SnapChat and Instagram. Finally, West himself took advantage of the media’s power by announcing that his album would only be available through his subscription-based website and Tidal.

According to its website, Tidal is a “high fidelity music streaming” service. Tidal was also the only website that had access to a live stream of West’s show.

This past week, West has been unable to stay out of the news media. His notorious Tweets made headlines on websites like CNN.com after he claimed to in $52 million worth of personal debt and pleaded with Mark Zuckerberg to donate $1 billion in order to fund his continuous stream of business ventures.

Most recently, the feud between West and Taylor Swift was resurfaced after headlines reported that Swift responded to a lyric in one his new songs about her as being “misogynistic.”

As of Wednesday, news media, particularly online websites as most traditional gossip magazines aren’t published until Friday, have now been running with a leaked recording of West ranting and calling out Swift backstage at “Saturday Night Live” before his performance for the show.

Mega-celebrities such as West, as well as over-the-top fashion brands, are normally inaccessible to the majority of the population. But with the increasing usage and development of social media, they are now becoming a greater part of our everyday lives.

As the population continues its fascination with these once distant concepts, they are becoming more concentrated in traditional new outlets that used to be reserved only for topics of practical importance.

The news media’s normalization of things that used to be such strong symbols of wealth and success begs the question of what will happen to the notion of exclusivity as it becomes more and more available to not just the American public, but the world.

Kanye West’s $53 million debt

Posted on February 19, 2016 by Sarah Brandt

By SARAH BRANDT

“I write this to you my brothers while still 53 million dollars in personal debt… Please Pray we overcome… This is my true heart…” Kanye West.

Kanye West Tweet

The above-mentioned post came from rapper Kanye West, which he posted on Feb. 13, 2016.

This was just a few days after his “Yeezy Season 3” presentation and his new album release “The Life of Pablo”.

His statement has been publicized all over the news, such as CNN, The Guardian and on Billboard. With this plea, he made himself the target for a lot of Kanye haters. Now hateful memes can be found online, including his comment of his $53 million debt.

West is very popular in the music industry and he had just recently released his brand new, and much anticipated album “The Life of Pablo.” Already, after he presented the world his new record, he received a lot of hate, from viewers and the news, about how his presentation of the album was nothing spectacular and he just simply pressed a button to play his songs. The fact that a few days later he posts this tweet does not make him much liked to a few people.

West had also posted the following, a few minutes later: “Mark Zuckerberg invest 1 billion dollars into Kanye West ideas,” also on Twitter.

This statement is very ironic and funny, as Zuckerberg is the CEO and founder of Facebook and not Twitter, and will most definitely not invest $1 billion for Kanye. The Guardian went on discussing West’s further tweets and pleads to other “tech billionaires.”

Kanye West is a very well known rapper, who just came out with a new “Yeezy” season and a new album, now happens to be in $53 million debt. Hopefully with his tweets, which are very clearly receiving a lot of attention from the media, which is not necessarily always positive, he will soon find someone to relieve and save him from his debt.

‘Elephantizing’ profile pictures

Posted on February 17, 2016 by Etty Grossman

By ETTY GROSSMAN

Have you ever heard about the ivory trade? If you aren’t an animal activist, you probably haven’t.

News media have failed in the attempt of covering this type of issue, maybe because it involves a lot of international legal details or perhaps it is because they know very little about it.

Even though it isn’t covered enough, the ivory trade is still a huge problem for which every single person interested in giving humanity a better name should be interested.

Ivory trade is the commercial, often an illegal exchange of the ivory tusks of animals such as elephants, hippopotamus, walrus and mammoths. Ivory isn’t a necessary material, it is simply used to make decorative items. However, it’s estimated that 33,000 elephants are killed every year just for their ivory; and with the current rate of slaughter, they will be extinct long before the midway point of this century. How ridiculous, how inhuman!

Fortunately for us, social media not only has addressed the situation but has also created a powerful campaign in order to reach as many people as possible around the world.

As a response to the injustice committed against wild and innocent animals, WildAid, an organization that works to reduce global consumption of wildlife products, launched a new campaign last week: #JoinTheHerd and make 2016 the Year of the Elephant, with the intention of making 2016 the year when more elephants are born than killed by poachers.

The idea went viral, few hours after launching it, actors, musicians, authors, athletes and millions of people joined the herd by changing their social media profile picture for one that shows half an elephant and half the person’s face … now you know why your Facebook was full of elephants …

#JoinTheHerd had quite an impact, through it, we are being called to be advocates for change only by circulating information resources about the topic among our networks.

It is all very do-able, so let’s save elephants from extinction.

Snowboarding video gets attention

Posted on February 11, 2016 by Sarah Brandt

By SARAH BRANDT

Casey Neistat is a 34-year-old American film and YouTube content creator. He currently has two million subscribers and 459 million views on his YouTube channel. On an everyday basis he films everyday vlogs, in which he shows his viewers his daily activities and his family.

About two weeks ago, New York City was struck with a gigantic blizzard and snowstorm. News reporters and police were warning citizens not to drive around because it was too dangerous. This, however, did not stop Casey and he got out his truck, attached chains and a rope to the back and decided to snowboard throughout the city.

He had cameras all over, which allowed him to get footage from many different angels. He collected the clips and uploaded the video to his channel. A few days later his video was broadcast all over the world. It was shown on newscasts in Germany, Switzerland, England, Australia and many other countries.

Even news network Web sites such as CNN and ABC did stories on his video. A lot of news media decided to cover Casey and his video, and it was all in a positive light.

The reason for so many news sites covering this specific video was because as you can see in the video that Casey is the only one driving through New York. This is a very rare occurrence, as the city is always full with lots of cars and people.

New York City is also a city known to many other countries around the world, and they were also aware of the big blizzard going on. Therefore, it is no coincidence that various countries decided on reporting on Casey Neistat’s video, which brought much attention and enjoyment to most readers.

With this Neistat has without knowing produced a viral video. The fact that his video was covered by so many news sources boosts his YouTube channel and the video now has 1.5 million views. And, of course, it gave a tremendous boost to his career as a filmmaker .

Questions remain unanswered in murder

Posted on February 5, 2016 by Grace Bernard

By GRACE BERNARD

This week, all major news outlets have kept audiences closely following the case of 13-year-old Nicole Lovell. The story made national headlines after two Virginia Tech students were charged with her murder on Jan. 29.

When the story broke, media focused on college athlete David Eisenhauer due to his immaculate record, school involvement, and young age. Eisenhauer, 18, is now charged with kidnapping and first-degree murder after Lovell’s body was found after an apparent stabbing earlier this week.

The press has focused increasingly less on Eisenhauer’s accomplice, 19-year-old Natalie Keepers, as the story develops. Instead, the media have turned their attention to the alleged romantic relationship between Eisenhauer and Lovell.

But both law enforcement officials and prosecutors on the case have remained firm in their decision to withhold details of the case to the media, especially in regards to the pair’s relationship.

According to theguardian.com, in order to protect the integrity of the investigation, the prosecutor’s office would release no “additional factual information outside of the courtroom.”

The most likely reason for the withholding of details is out of respect for Lovell’s age. But today, messenger app Kik became involved after announcing that the company turned over information to the FBI. The announcement launched a new field of questions that the media have been unable to provide answers to.

Kik is suspected to be how Lovell met her “boyfriend” and alleged murderer Eisenhauer around Jan. 4, according to The Chicago Tribune.

Kik’s involvement has created speculation among audiences in terms of a motive for the killing. Some believe that Lovell was planning to reveal her relationship with Eisenhauer, thus leading to her death.

As the case develops, the public is left wondering critical questions such as Eisenhauer’s motive, details about the victim’s relationship with Eisenhauer, and what led Lovell to sneak out of her room that night.

While new questions are being raised everyday, the amount left unanswered will only continue to grow. Now that the basic information surrounding the murder have been released, it appears as though officials will continue with the trend and only slow the amount information being published.

Dolce & Gabbana releases unique line

Posted on February 4, 2016 by Sidney Sterling

By SIDNEY STERLING

Dolce & Gabbana has released a new fashion statement within its Spring/Summer 2016 line including a stylistic twist on hijabs and abayas (ankle-length robes) designed for Muslim shoppers in the Middle East.

The new line, meticulously designed by Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana, is called The Abaya Collection: The Allure of the Middle East. These pieces can only be purchased on Style.com/Arabia and at select boutiques in the Middle East, Paris, London, Milan and Munich.

These hijabs and abayas contain a neutral hue containing black and beige accents. Other patterns include luminous daisies, crisp lemons and luscious red roses.

CNN’s fashion section reported the line in a positive light calling the hijabs and abayas “a signature sexy silhouettes for something a little more modest.”

Dolce & Gabbana released a statement and said their new line is intended as “an enchanting visual story about the grace and beauty of the marvelous women of Arabia.”

Consumers are criticizing Dolce & Gabbana on Twitter
regarding their new line.

Others, think Dolce & Gabbana is simply “fashionably late.”

Fashion gurus are also raising crucial questions testing the Italian fashion line about the motive of its designs.

Amani Al-Khatahbeh, editor-in-chief of the fashion blog MuslimGirl.net raised the question of whether Dolce & Gabbana is “finally catering to Muslim women, or if they exploiting them?”

Due to social media platforms, word is traveling fast and everyday
consumers, fashionistas and reporters are getting their hands on this groundbreaking story.

When style meets controversial religious issues, we must remember people are entitled to their own opinions and belief systems.

What do you think of Dolce & Gabbana’s latest “haute couture”? Do you agree with Amani Al-Khatahbeh?

Hoverboard grows in popularity

Posted on November 28, 2015 by Katherine Moore

By KATHERINE MOORE

Hoverboards, Rideables, Swagways, no matter the name, they are a new rising fame.

The hands-free, two-wheel model is No. 1 on Amazon’s Best Sellers list. Most boards can be bought online for a cost ranging from $400 to $1,800.

Celebrities like Justin Bieber, Kendall Jenner and Jamie Foxx promote the boards on their social media. It’s the latest must-have gadget and people are riding them in malls, to classes and even on public roads.

The futuristic transportation device is favored by the younger generation, but as parents and retirees begin to show interest, more and more property owners are banning them. Now they are also becoming illegal in certain areas of the world.

The state of New York does not consider them motor vehicles so they cannot be registered. They are illegal, according to the New York City Police Department and the New York State Department of Motor Vehicles. People riding them in public can receive a fine that is up to $500.

The New York Times stated that the police department at the University of California, Los Angeles does not allow Hoverboards on walkways and hallways because people have complained about collisions.

California will have a new law effective on Jan. 1 The electric-powered boards will only be allowed on bike lanes and pathways. The law requires riders to be at least 15 and wear the same protection that is mandatory when riding a bike.

Customs and patrol officers at Los Angeles International Airport handcuffed the American rapper, Wiz Khalifa when he was riding his Hoverboard. On Twitter, he claimed that he was handcuffed because he refused to get off his transporter when zooming around in the airport.

British authorities also declared the boards illegal to ride in public. Legislation considers them vehicles that cannot be driven on sidewalks and the road. The BBC says that they are banned under section 72 of the Highway Act 1835 for use on public pavements and roads in the UK. The only place they are legal is on private property with the owner’s consent.

With Black Friday and Cyber Monday just around the corner, Target is reducing the price of the Hoverboard by $100. However, as more places ban where they can be ridden, will consumers continue to purchase this Christmas list must have?

Outrage for the rest of the world?

Posted on November 20, 2015 by Briana Scott

By BRIANA SCOTT

Last week, late Friday night, reports of terrorist attacks in France killing more than 100 people. Every local, national and international news network covered the story from the moment the attacks happened and every update that has taken place since then.

It seemed as though all of my Facebook friends changed their profile pictures with the semi-transparent overlay of the French flag. Almost four million people, gathered to march in support of France. Several world leaders flew to France to show their support and speak on the issue and express their nation’s solidarity with France.

Support for France and the outcry against the attacks was expressed worldwide via social media, news coverage, and public marches. Many people raised the question: Where is the outcry for the attacks in Nigeria? Where is the support for the people of Syria? Where is the outcry for Lebanon?

In Nigeria, it is believed that Boko Haram orchestrated a terrorist attack killing 32 people and injuring more. Thousands of Syrians are fleeing from their own country in fear of ISIS. In Lebanon, 40 people were killed and left more than 200 wounded victims of bombs at the hands of ISIS.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cqYomFMhoq0

Where are the flags for these countries on people’s Facebook profile photos? Where is the international outcry for the victims of these attacks?

People on social media have called out several Western news networks for the biased coverage of terrorist attacks happening all around the world. In response to the claims presented on social media, CNN responded during a segment of their morning show “New Day.”

Michaela Pereira, a “New Day” co-host, raised the question if the West should be doing more to fight Boko Haram. One of the show’s guest speaker, James Marks (a military analyst and executive dean of the University of Phoenix), stated that the reason the West isn’t doing more or showing support to countries such as Nigeria or Lebanon is simply because, “they are not a priority.”

Marks also stated that, “The United States, unilaterally, could do anything it needed to do to root out Boko Haram. It would be a long-term effort, but it could be done. The U.S. has the capability…but it is not a priority—that’s the problem.

Marks went on to say, “‘Black’ West Africa is not a priority. If we were to see Boko Haram appear in ‘White Africa’, which is North Africa, we would be alarmed.”

But is the mass coverage of Paris in comparison to other countries simply a race issue? The Washington Post thinks so, but they also think several other factors are a part of the issue as indicated in their recent article, “This is why the Paris attacks have gotten more news coverage than other terrorist attacks.”

The Washington Post lists the following reasons contributing to why the attacks in Paris received mass coverage as opposed to other terrorist attacks.

France is an unusual target.
Paris is a top global tourist destination
Random civilians were targeted using shocking tactics
Are we seeing a new battleground for the Islamic State?
This was a complex, coordinated attack. And that’s worrisome.

The Washington Post wrote, “The Paris attack shocked the world for many reasons. It’s true that terrorism in less-developed countries is worth our attention as well. Crises, such as the Syrian civil war, deserve much more media coverage and policy focus.”

To conclude, I agree with The Washington Post. There are several other reasons that contributed to the mass media coverage that the Paris attacks received, other than race and urbanization. However, I do believe that because France is not a Third World country, they received more coverage. The prioritization of what is considered to be news to the West is problematic, because one could conclude that the amount of coverage a nation receives indicates their level of importance and whether or not they, and their lives, matter.

Media coverage of ISIS stokes fear

Posted on November 19, 2015 by Xiao Lyu

By XIAO LYU

Terrorists live among us? According to CBS12, U.S. National Security officials said there are more than 900 active ISIS investigations in 50 states — including Florida. After the terrorist incident happened last week, news coverage was full of ISIS’ s recent status, they said that they were in South Florid, in the Washington, D.C., in the Massachusetts.

“They are amongst us. Believe me, they are amongst us here in South Florida,” Chad Jenkins told CBS12. Jenkins is a former counterterrorism agent with the FBI and a former US Army Ranger who served in Iraq. He also said that the reason terrorists chose South Florida were the weather and international makeup.

Moreover, Emily Miller, the chief investigative reporter for Washington, D.C.’s Fox 5 publicized an internal police document about the Metro Transit Police Department (MTPD) seeking information on four men who appear to be Middle Eastern engaged in “suspicious activity” on D.C.’s rapid transit system on Nov. 18.

The news quickly spread and is drawn attention on internet about danger in the Washington, D.C., area. After then, the Metro Transit Police proved the police just did a routine check and the news sparked unnecessary concerns about danger.

“The kind of document is shared internally with law enforcement every day and that doesn’t necessarily mean there is anything of concern for the public and caution any reporter that the individuals here are not suspected of any criminal activity,” said Dan Stessel, chief spokesman for Washington’s Metro Transit Police.

The latest news from CNN said that new ISIS video warns of attack on United States and makes threats against New York. Mayor Bill de Blasio responded promptly that NYPD was prepared to respond to up to 24 incidents simultaneously and the people will not live in the fear. However, social media spread the attack and raised fear about an Islamist terror attack in D.C. and New York, and even made derogatory comments about Syrian refugees.

Stoking fear is the goal of terrorist organizations, however, some media coverage just abet it.

Governors refuse Syrian refugees

Posted on November 19, 2015 by Meredith Sloan

By MEREDITH SLOAN

According to ABC News, at least half of the country’s governors are refusing to take in Syrian refugees in their states amid heightened security concerns following last Friday’s terrorist attacks in Paris.

ISIS has claimed responsibility for the Paris terrorist attacks, in which 129 people were killed. Since Friday’s attacks, ISIS has threatened to attack Washington, D.C., and New York.

This chilling effect has influenced several United States governors to refuse Syrian refugees. Ultimately the federal government decides on matters of immigration, not the states.

Gov. Asa Hutchinson of Arkansas has taken to Twitter to express his opposition to allowing refugees.

This tweet caused a mostly negative reaction from his followers and media consumers alike.

An individual with the twitter handle @jonvox responded to Hutchinson’s tweet saying, “ You are a horrible man and make me embarrassed to be an Arkansan.”

Likewise, Facebook and YouTube have been flooded with political comics and videos that compare the current refugee crisis to World War II.

Those who support the relocation of refugees in the United States have compared the current government opposition specifically to the opposition towards Jewish refugees.

The dissenting opinion of the U.S. governors is less likely to be accepted by media consumers on social media because of the chilling effect of terrorism.

‘Baby Hitler’ goes viral on social media

Posted on November 13, 2015 by Xiao Lyu

By XIAO LYU

Reuters reported on Tuesday that Republican presidential candidate Jeb Bush said if he had the opportunity to kill Adolf Hitler when the German autocrat was an infant, he would. The White House later tweeted the article featuring his answer with a comment, “Gotta do it.”

In an interview with the Huffington Post series that covers the campaign trail with the candidates running for president, this former Florida governor’s responded “Hell yeah, I would!” to the question: if given the opportunity, would you go back in time to kill baby Adolf Hitler?

“The problem with going back in history and doing that, as we know from the series — what’s the name of the Michael Fox movies? It could have a dangerous effect on everything else. But I’d do it, Hitler,”said Bush.

This odd question was picked via the e-mail address that Bush distributes widely to public audiences, and in fact, it had already become a controversial question when The New York Times Magazine ran a poll over the weekend last month asking readers if they would go back in time and kill baby Hitler. The result showed that 42 percent of respondents said they would, 30 percent said they would not and the left respondents were not sure about it.

The response on social media to Bush’s comments and The New York Times Magazine went viral. Most of them were comical, but it is still a sensitive question involved an adult kill an infant. Therefore, on Wednesday, when Ben Carson was asked the similar question, but there was a slight difference. The question was whether or not he would “abort” a baby Hitler and he responded that he was not in favor of aborting anybody.

In that case, whatever the respond to that question is, it will lead a new roar on the internet.

Yik Yak gets wrong kind of use

Posted on November 13, 2015 by Isabella Mesquita

By ISABELLA MESQUITA

Founded by two college grads in 2013, Yik Yak is an app commonly used by college students to post anonymous jokes and gossip that wouldn’t be shared otherwise. However, what was seen as a fun way to interact, actually turned out to be a mean of verbal abuse and threat to many.

This Tuesday, a student from the University of Missouri was arrested after posting threats and racist commentary on Yik Yak.

Nineteen-year-old Hunter M. Park said he was going to “stand (his) ground and shoot every black person he saw.” Consequentially University of Missouri was able to identify him through his device’s IP address and arrest him on the next day.

This is not the first time Yik Yak faces problems with threats and harassment.

Similar posts happened in the following universities:

Charleston Southern University – threats of mass shooting – November 2015
Emory University – threats of mass shooting – October 2015
American University – racist commentary – October 2015
Florida Atlantic University – threats of shooting – September 2015
Clemson University – racist commentary – January 2015
Kenyon College – threats of violence and sexual assault – October 2014

Whether the app is good or bad, lies on each person’s opinion, however something has to be done about the students that post such comments and what causes them to behave in such manner.

Removing the app from the market or banning from school areas will not decrease harassment, racism and threats. The problem is much greater and concerning than a mere phone app.

Something is wrong, and as bad as it may seem, Yik Yak actually help us realize that something has to be done. Be it good or not, Yik Yak will remain the same, what has to change are the users themselves.