GRAND RAPIDS- Black Friday, the biggest shopping day of the year, did not disappoint the thousands of shoppers at 4 a.m. in front of the Target store at 5120 28th St SE in Grand Rapids.
“I just can’t resist the sales!” exclaimed early bird Connie Ritsema, 44. “I get just about everybody’s gifts today. The prices are just awesome.”
While Target sells most items on anybody’s wish list, electronics were the hottest department for shoppers waiting in the 30 degree weather outside, with great deals on the Nintendo Wii, the new Xbox 360 Kinect console and Garmin GPS systems.
“I’ve seen a lot of kids’ clothes and games come through,” said cashier Tanya Molendyk. “This is my third time working Black Friday, and it’s always the same: crazy.”
While hundreds of customers filled all aisles of every department, Target employees were still able to keep their cool in the chaos and help many find specific items on their gift lists.
“It’s like this every year, so yeah, we know what to expect,” said Target security guard of 8 years, Tom Gill.
Employees scheduled to work on Black Friday plan for weeks in advance, with special store set-ups and sales layouts done the day before in preparation for the crowds.
Extra security is also scheduled for the shopping day as well.
“We always get extra guys out here for the Black Friday. This store’s never had a problem, but you never know what could happen; there’s so many people who come out,” said Gill.
By 6:30 a.m., the shoppers still file into store to stock up on $5 pajama sets and $2 t-shirts, but without the added hysteria of being there as the store opened.
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
Friday, November 19, 2010
fire story, class draft
Today in class we had a "news conference" with Prof. Reisner acting as a fire chief, then a neighbor, about a house fire. Then we had to do a story on it. This is what I wrote in class, the rest of which is to be completed for Monday.
HOLLYWOOD, Fla.- A house fire killed a woman and two children last night around 11:30 p.m.
Firefighters pronounced Cynthia Johnsen, 31, along with her son Edward, 7, and daughter Jessica, 5, dead on the scene in their Hollywood home by around 11:40 last night.
A neighbor called 911 after hearing screams and seeing smoke and flames from 4200 McKinley St. “I ran across the street and heard her open the door and tried to run in after her, but the smoke was too intense,” said neighbor Fred Smythe, 55, of house number 4205.
The fire is under investigation, but police believe the pool pump short-circuited and ignited a stack of wood and palm fronds nearby.
“The house was totally involved by the time we got there,” said Hollywood Fire Chief Jon Daly. “It took a lot of equipment and a lot of firefighters to get it under control.”
The children were found huddled together in their bedroom closet holding their pet dog and pet cat. The mother was found just inside the front door, apparently trying to get inside to her kids.
“It appears the family didn’t have a plan of what to do in case of a fire. The bodies were burned quite substantially,” said Fire Chief Daly.
The sides of the houses on either side were scorched.
Fire Captain Paul Hanson, a firefighter of 18 years, broke down after carrying out the children’s bodies. “He was leaning against the fire truck, sobbing,” said Fire Chief Daly.
Samuel Johnsen, the father, is currently at Memorial Regional Hospital on suicide watch after apparently trying to shoot himself after learning the news of his family.
HOLLYWOOD, Fla.- A house fire killed a woman and two children last night around 11:30 p.m.
Firefighters pronounced Cynthia Johnsen, 31, along with her son Edward, 7, and daughter Jessica, 5, dead on the scene in their Hollywood home by around 11:40 last night.
A neighbor called 911 after hearing screams and seeing smoke and flames from 4200 McKinley St. “I ran across the street and heard her open the door and tried to run in after her, but the smoke was too intense,” said neighbor Fred Smythe, 55, of house number 4205.
The fire is under investigation, but police believe the pool pump short-circuited and ignited a stack of wood and palm fronds nearby.
“The house was totally involved by the time we got there,” said Hollywood Fire Chief Jon Daly. “It took a lot of equipment and a lot of firefighters to get it under control.”
The children were found huddled together in their bedroom closet holding their pet dog and pet cat. The mother was found just inside the front door, apparently trying to get inside to her kids.
“It appears the family didn’t have a plan of what to do in case of a fire. The bodies were burned quite substantially,” said Fire Chief Daly.
The sides of the houses on either side were scorched.
Fire Captain Paul Hanson, a firefighter of 18 years, broke down after carrying out the children’s bodies. “He was leaning against the fire truck, sobbing,” said Fire Chief Daly.
Samuel Johnsen, the father, is currently at Memorial Regional Hospital on suicide watch after apparently trying to shoot himself after learning the news of his family.
Wednesday, November 10, 2010
the media's credibility
Keith Olbermann helps crush media's credibility!
I sent this article out to the listserv- here it is again!
http://www.miamiherald.com/2010/11/10/1917701/the-medias-credibility-is-priceless.html
I sent this article out to the listserv- here it is again!
http://www.miamiherald.com/2010/11/10/1917701/the-medias-credibility-is-priceless.html
Tuesday, November 9, 2010
OBITUARIES.
So we've been doing obituaries in class, and, writing about dead people is pretty stressful.
The other day we discussed what we would do if writing about a "controversial" person, like say, Ted Bundy. Do you write all the bad stuff they did? Try to make them sound like a good person?
How do you get that right balance between the facts of his life, and not be a total bitch about it? It's a fine line, my friend. But, that is the art of writing.
A funny coincidence is that I'm currently reading a book for another class, called Basket Case by Carl Hiassen, which is about an obituary writer! So apropos.
We also did an obit in class for Reisner's father. This is what I did.
Sam Benatan, a lock manufacturer for 69 years, died of congestive heart failure at home yesterday. He was 83.
Benatan worked in the lock and key industry since age 14 and was a lock manufacturer for major homebuilders nationwide.
He also played the “Holiday Elf” at the Boulder Chamber of Commerce holiday party for 20 years, until he was afraid that others might look down upon him having children on his knee.
He also served as the vice president for fundraising at the Temple Sinai of Boulder.
Bill Deahl, president of the Colorado Locksmith Association, of which Benatan was a member, said Benatan could pick locks better than anyone.
“He was always ready to take young locksmiths under his wing and teach them what he knew,” said Deahl.
Benatan also created and patented tools for locksmith and lock manufacturing.
“He was a good businessman, but he really should have been an artist. He loved to make things with his hands,” said his son Howard. “It’s kind of a shame that all his creativity went into his business.”
Benatan loved to draw and sculpt, and a grandfather who loved spending time with his granddaughters. He built them a swing in the garden, took them fishing and “to feed the duckies.”
Sam Benatan is survived by his wife, Elva Benatan, son Howard Benatan of Denver, daughter Marcy Troxell of Bangkok, Thailand, and two granddaughters.
Funeral arrangements are prepared for Hillside Memorial Park, 2 p.m., November 8, 2010. A graveside service led by Rabbi Aaron Halfon of Temple Sinai will follow.
The other day we discussed what we would do if writing about a "controversial" person, like say, Ted Bundy. Do you write all the bad stuff they did? Try to make them sound like a good person?
How do you get that right balance between the facts of his life, and not be a total bitch about it? It's a fine line, my friend. But, that is the art of writing.
A funny coincidence is that I'm currently reading a book for another class, called Basket Case by Carl Hiassen, which is about an obituary writer! So apropos.
We also did an obit in class for Reisner's father. This is what I did.
Sam Benatan, a lock manufacturer for 69 years, died of congestive heart failure at home yesterday. He was 83.
Benatan worked in the lock and key industry since age 14 and was a lock manufacturer for major homebuilders nationwide.
He also played the “Holiday Elf” at the Boulder Chamber of Commerce holiday party for 20 years, until he was afraid that others might look down upon him having children on his knee.
He also served as the vice president for fundraising at the Temple Sinai of Boulder.
Bill Deahl, president of the Colorado Locksmith Association, of which Benatan was a member, said Benatan could pick locks better than anyone.
“He was always ready to take young locksmiths under his wing and teach them what he knew,” said Deahl.
Benatan also created and patented tools for locksmith and lock manufacturing.
“He was a good businessman, but he really should have been an artist. He loved to make things with his hands,” said his son Howard. “It’s kind of a shame that all his creativity went into his business.”
Benatan loved to draw and sculpt, and a grandfather who loved spending time with his granddaughters. He built them a swing in the garden, took them fishing and “to feed the duckies.”
Sam Benatan is survived by his wife, Elva Benatan, son Howard Benatan of Denver, daughter Marcy Troxell of Bangkok, Thailand, and two granddaughters.
Funeral arrangements are prepared for Hillside Memorial Park, 2 p.m., November 8, 2010. A graveside service led by Rabbi Aaron Halfon of Temple Sinai will follow.
Monday, November 1, 2010
hilariousness from prof Reisner
> Goodbye, cruel words: English. It's dead to me.
The English language, which arose from humble Anglo-Saxon roots to become the lingua franca of 600 million people worldwide and the dominant lexicon of international discourse, is dead. It succumbed last month at the age of 1,617 after a long illness. It is survived by an ignominiously diminished form of itself.
> The end came quietly on Aug. 21 on the letters page of The Washington Post. A reader castigated the newspaper for having written that Sasha Obama was the "youngest" daughter of the president and first lady, rather than their "younger" daughter. In so doing, however, the letter writer called the first couple the "Obama's." This, too, was published, constituting an illiterate proofreading of an illiterate criticism of an illiteracy. Moments later, already severely weakened, English died of shame.
> The language's demise took few by surprise. Signs of its failing health had been evident for some time on the pages of America's daily newspapers, the flexible yet linguistically authoritative forums through which the day-to-day state of the language has traditionally been measured. Beset by the need to cut costs, and influenced by decreased public attention to grammar, punctuation and syntax in an era of unedited blogs and abbreviated instant communication, newspaper publishers have been cutting back on the use of copy editing, sometimes eliminating it entirely.
> In the past year alone, as the language lay imperiled, the ironically clueless misspelling "pronounciation" has been seen in the Boston Globe, the St. Paul Pioneer Press, the Deseret Morning News, Washington Jewish Week and the Contra Costa (Calif.) Times, where it appeared in a correction that apologized for a previous mispronunciation.
> On Aug. 6, the very first word of an article in the Winston-Salem (N.C.) Journal was "Alot," which the newspaper employed to estimate the number of Winston-Salemites who would be vacationing that month.
> The Lewiston (Maine) Sun-Journal has written of "spading and neutering." The Miami Herald reported on someone who "eeks out a living" -- alas, not by running an amusement-park haunted house. The Fredericksburg Free Lance-Star described professional football as a "doggy dog world." The Vallejo (Calif.) Times-Herald and the South Bend (Ind.) Tribune were the two most recent papers, out of dozens, to report on the treatment of "prostrate cancer."
> Observers say, however, that no development contributed more dramatically to the death of the language than the sudden and startling ubiquity of the vomitous verbal construction "reach out to" as a synonym for "call on the phone," or "attempt to contact." A jargony phrase bloated with bogus compassion -- once the province only of 12-step programs and sensitivity training seminars -- "reach out to" is now commonplace in newspapers. In the last half-year, the New York Times alone has used it more than 20 times in a number of contextually indefensible ways, including to report that the Blagojevich jury had asked the judge a question.
> It was not immediately clear to what degree the English language will be mourned, or if it will be mourned at all. In the United States, English has become increasingly irrelevant, particularly among young adults. Once the most popular major at the nation's leading colleges and universities, it now often trails more pragmatic disciplines, such as economics, politics, government, and, ironically, "communications," which increasingly involves learning to write mobile-device-friendly ads for products like Cheez Doodles.
> Many people interviewed for this obituary appeared unmoved by the news, including Anthony Incognito of Crystal City, a typical man in the street.
> "Between you and I," he said, "I could care less."
>
> Below the Beltway
(Eric Shansby)
>
> By Gene Weingarten
> The Washington Post
>
The English language, which arose from humble Anglo-Saxon roots to become the lingua franca of 600 million people worldwide and the dominant lexicon of international discourse, is dead. It succumbed last month at the age of 1,617 after a long illness. It is survived by an ignominiously diminished form of itself.
> The end came quietly on Aug. 21 on the letters page of The Washington Post. A reader castigated the newspaper for having written that Sasha Obama was the "youngest" daughter of the president and first lady, rather than their "younger" daughter. In so doing, however, the letter writer called the first couple the "Obama's." This, too, was published, constituting an illiterate proofreading of an illiterate criticism of an illiteracy. Moments later, already severely weakened, English died of shame.
> The language's demise took few by surprise. Signs of its failing health had been evident for some time on the pages of America's daily newspapers, the flexible yet linguistically authoritative forums through which the day-to-day state of the language has traditionally been measured. Beset by the need to cut costs, and influenced by decreased public attention to grammar, punctuation and syntax in an era of unedited blogs and abbreviated instant communication, newspaper publishers have been cutting back on the use of copy editing, sometimes eliminating it entirely.
> In the past year alone, as the language lay imperiled, the ironically clueless misspelling "pronounciation" has been seen in the Boston Globe, the St. Paul Pioneer Press, the Deseret Morning News, Washington Jewish Week and the Contra Costa (Calif.) Times, where it appeared in a correction that apologized for a previous mispronunciation.
> On Aug. 6, the very first word of an article in the Winston-Salem (N.C.) Journal was "Alot," which the newspaper employed to estimate the number of Winston-Salemites who would be vacationing that month.
> The Lewiston (Maine) Sun-Journal has written of "spading and neutering." The Miami Herald reported on someone who "eeks out a living" -- alas, not by running an amusement-park haunted house. The Fredericksburg Free Lance-Star described professional football as a "doggy dog world." The Vallejo (Calif.) Times-Herald and the South Bend (Ind.) Tribune were the two most recent papers, out of dozens, to report on the treatment of "prostrate cancer."
> Observers say, however, that no development contributed more dramatically to the death of the language than the sudden and startling ubiquity of the vomitous verbal construction "reach out to" as a synonym for "call on the phone," or "attempt to contact." A jargony phrase bloated with bogus compassion -- once the province only of 12-step programs and sensitivity training seminars -- "reach out to" is now commonplace in newspapers. In the last half-year, the New York Times alone has used it more than 20 times in a number of contextually indefensible ways, including to report that the Blagojevich jury had asked the judge a question.
> It was not immediately clear to what degree the English language will be mourned, or if it will be mourned at all. In the United States, English has become increasingly irrelevant, particularly among young adults. Once the most popular major at the nation's leading colleges and universities, it now often trails more pragmatic disciplines, such as economics, politics, government, and, ironically, "communications," which increasingly involves learning to write mobile-device-friendly ads for products like Cheez Doodles.
> Many people interviewed for this obituary appeared unmoved by the news, including Anthony Incognito of Crystal City, a typical man in the street.
> "Between you and I," he said, "I could care less."
>
> Below the Beltway
(Eric Shansby)
>
> By Gene Weingarten
> The Washington Post
>
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
What's the point?
ARTICLE: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=130437287&sc=emaf
This "What's the point of Journalism School?" article is something that everyone at SJMC should read. We all talk about it in every class, and while we all agree that the industry is NOT dying (what the heck wold we all be doing here then??) it was nice to read about other people saying the same things.
It's impossible to deny that journalism has had setbacks and maybe become not as prominent or in-demand, but it's also true that the field is in transition and there will always be a need for news. Maybe not all in print, but there's still news on tv and all over the internet.
Sure, you don't necessarily need the degree to be a journalist, but I think it's very important that if you want to be a journalist, you should be professionally trained in order to be the best journalist you can be.
If I were thrown in a newsroom right now and told to writw a story for something I'd be like "whaa?" (0_o) I don't think I'd even know how to start. But like Professor Reisner says, here at J-school,we are still in the parking lot, we're here to learn, so that when we are thrown in a newsroom, we'll know what to do, and how to do it well. :)
This "What's the point of Journalism School?" article is something that everyone at SJMC should read. We all talk about it in every class, and while we all agree that the industry is NOT dying (what the heck wold we all be doing here then??) it was nice to read about other people saying the same things.
It's impossible to deny that journalism has had setbacks and maybe become not as prominent or in-demand, but it's also true that the field is in transition and there will always be a need for news. Maybe not all in print, but there's still news on tv and all over the internet.
Sure, you don't necessarily need the degree to be a journalist, but I think it's very important that if you want to be a journalist, you should be professionally trained in order to be the best journalist you can be.
If I were thrown in a newsroom right now and told to writw a story for something I'd be like "whaa?" (0_o) I don't think I'd even know how to start. But like Professor Reisner says, here at J-school,we are still in the parking lot, we're here to learn, so that when we are thrown in a newsroom, we'll know what to do, and how to do it well. :)
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
Tuesday, October 5, 2010
reading in the meantime
The class has not met since last Wednesday, because Prof. Reisner is in the hospital with serious intestinal blockage! Hopefully he gets all better! In the meantime, we're to be reading our Harrower textbook on reporting and writing news, as well as blogging, so here I am, blogging away on the fact that we need to blog.
Some textbook highlights that I read:
The five W's= WHO, WHAT, WHEN, WHERE, WHY
The inverted pyramid puts all the important facts at the top, with less important ones nearer the bottom.
Martini glass has inverted pyramid on top, followed by a chronology of events, then a kicker.
The kabob starts off with an anecdote, then nut graf, meat, meat, meat, then another anecdote.
Don't bury the lead!
How to write an effective news lead:
1. collect all your facts
2. sum it up, boil it down
3. prioritize the 5 W's
4. rethink, revise, rewrite
the nut graf is the paragraph that condenses the story idea in a NUTshell.
Some textbook highlights that I read:
The five W's= WHO, WHAT, WHEN, WHERE, WHY
The inverted pyramid puts all the important facts at the top, with less important ones nearer the bottom.
Martini glass has inverted pyramid on top, followed by a chronology of events, then a kicker.
The kabob starts off with an anecdote, then nut graf, meat, meat, meat, then another anecdote.
Don't bury the lead!
How to write an effective news lead:
1. collect all your facts
2. sum it up, boil it down
3. prioritize the 5 W's
4. rethink, revise, rewrite
the nut graf is the paragraph that condenses the story idea in a NUTshell.
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
class now
A few class meetings ago, we had a talk in class about the title of the course was changed, so therefore we have not been doing things that we should have been doing.
Or something.
Therefore, ever since then, we have been given assignments, such as writing ledes. These are very good exercises that are teaching us more about actually writing news leads, which are the most important part of a news story because it is the first thing that readers read. The lede either makes them keep reading the story, or not. The end.
Or something.
Therefore, ever since then, we have been given assignments, such as writing ledes. These are very good exercises that are teaching us more about actually writing news leads, which are the most important part of a news story because it is the first thing that readers read. The lede either makes them keep reading the story, or not. The end.
Friday, September 17, 2010
interview #2
S: “Hi, my name is Suray Dieleman and I’m a Journalism student at FIU. Could I ask you a few questions for an interview?”
L: “Sure”
S: “ok, the questions have to do with the Islamic community center being proposed by ground zero in new York City. Are you familiar with this?
L: “Yes.”
S: “Great! Ok, well to start off I’m going to give you a little background.”
L: “ok.”
S: “Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf serves at a mosque in New York City's financial district. He and his wife, Daisy Khan, are trying to build a Muslim community center in Lower Manhattan that has morphed into a heated national controversy about Sept. 11, Islam and freedom of religion. It’s a $100 million dollar project. Ok, first off, are you Muslim?”
L: “No.”
S: “What do you know about or think of Muslims?”
L: “I know the basics and the history of the religion, the 5 pillars of Islam and things like that. I teach geography.”
S: “Great. So, Sarah Palin called it ‘offensive.’ Do you agree with her?”
L: “I feel like if it was actually in ground zero, it would be like rubbing salt into the wound of the whole thing. I’m actually unclear of where exactly it’s going to be.”
S: “I actually did some research on it! It “would rise as many as 15 stories two blocks north of where the twin towers once stood,” says an article in the New York Times.”
L: “Ok, being that it’s actually outside of the area, I don’t think it’s offensive. It’s not like the actual ground zero is hole Christian territory or anything.”
S: “Obama says said that he was not endorsing the project, but simply trying to uphold the broader principle that government should "treat everybody equally," regardless of religion.” Do you agree?”
L: “I agree that government’s political figures and religion should be separate. They can have their own personal religion, but when it comes to policies, they need to step back. I’m sure by him not condemning it, people are calling him a Muslim-lover and anything else they like to say.”
S: former New York Mayor Edward I. Koch, has said the project would be “insensitive.” But he has argued that Muslims have a Constitutional right to build where they please. Is this middle ground more your side?”
L: “I agree with that, yeah. I think the word ‘insensitive’ is true. I mean, does it have to be that close? If you didn’t want to evoke emotions, you would plan it farther away.”
S: New York’s current occupant of City Hall, Michael R. Bloomberg, has passionately defended the project as a matter of religions freedom. Do you think he’s just asking for trouble? Is it a smart move politically?
L: “it’s probably politically a smart move to make yourself seem pro-Muslim just so that he won’t offend the growing Muslim community of New York City, But I think politicians should stay out of promoting religions over others.”
S: “Former Mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani said Thursday that a proposed Islamic cultural center and mosque near ground zero would “horribly offend” families of 9/11 victims and should be built elsewhere. Mr. Giuliani said that rather than inspire religious tolerance, the center would provoke “more division, more anger, more hatred.” Do you think the matter is that extreme?”
L: “I don’t know, because it’s Ground Zero people won’t let it go. 9/11 is not a normal day. You don’t want to do anything on September 11. No one would ever get married on that day.”
S: “Have you ever been to ground zero, before or after 9/11?”
L: “Yes, I was there after, in 2003.”
S: “Did you feel a tension/air of tragedy even then?”
L: “No, definitely, it was like something tragic had happened there. There were black tarps on surround buildings that had been ruined in the explosion. There was also a crossbeam that had split into pieces into the shape of the cross and someone had put it up against a black background. The whole things made you think of what had happened there. It was a memorial.”
S: “So what do you think should happen with this project? Proceed with plans amidst a swirling firestorm of controversy? Or just stop with it all-together?”
L: “I guess I kind of want to know more about what it is about that specific site. Is there a need in that community for the community center? If there is no need for it and they jut want to create controversy, I think they should stop.”
S: “Some [Muslims] said they felt embittered or hurt by criticism of the project, and of Islam in general, yet understood opponents’ misgivings. Others said Muslim-Americans should continue to push for the center’s construction as a means of asserting their full citizenship rights — but not too hard, lest they draw even more resentment. A few said they wished the project had never been proposed in the first place.” Do you think maybe the Muslims are having a harder time with this?”
L: “no matter what anyone says, when it comes down to it, Americans will say they are Christians. If Muslims assert themselves in the community I could see there being more of a backlash.
S: So, the imam, Feisal Abdul Rauf that proposed the whole thing has written a book called “What’s Right With Islam Is What’s Right With America.” In this book he writes: “The truth is that killing innocent people is always wrong — and no argument or excuse, no matter how deeply believed, can ever make it right. No religion on earth condones the killing of innocent people, no faith tradition tolerates the random killing of our brothers and sisters on this earth. ... Islamic law is clearly against terrorism, against any kind of deliberate killing of civilians or similar ‘collateral damage.’ ” What do you think of this?”
L: “Personally, I think there are extremists in Islamic religion who want to kill all infidels in jihad. There are also extremists in Christianity. It’s just that the Muslims that Americans are exposed to are mostly extremists. So that’s all they really see of Islam.”
S: “Is there anything else you’d like to add?”
L: “Actually, I remember when 9/11 happened, I was in 11th grade, and my history teacher showed us this video on YouTube called “operation shock and awe” it was kind of celebrating it, like justice. The point was to kill terrorists, but when you bomb, you always end up killing innocents.”
*[I went online after the interview and looked it up- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3aEvzuA4f0]
S: “ok, I think that’s all. Thank you so much for your time!”
L: “No problem, thanks so much. Bye.”
S: “Bye!”
Interviewee:
Name: Lisa Hamming
Hometown: Martinsburg, Pennsylvania, been in Miami for 3 years
Occupation: high school teacher
Phone number: (814) 931-3669
L: “Sure”
S: “ok, the questions have to do with the Islamic community center being proposed by ground zero in new York City. Are you familiar with this?
L: “Yes.”
S: “Great! Ok, well to start off I’m going to give you a little background.”
L: “ok.”
S: “Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf serves at a mosque in New York City's financial district. He and his wife, Daisy Khan, are trying to build a Muslim community center in Lower Manhattan that has morphed into a heated national controversy about Sept. 11, Islam and freedom of religion. It’s a $100 million dollar project. Ok, first off, are you Muslim?”
L: “No.”
S: “What do you know about or think of Muslims?”
L: “I know the basics and the history of the religion, the 5 pillars of Islam and things like that. I teach geography.”
S: “Great. So, Sarah Palin called it ‘offensive.’ Do you agree with her?”
L: “I feel like if it was actually in ground zero, it would be like rubbing salt into the wound of the whole thing. I’m actually unclear of where exactly it’s going to be.”
S: “I actually did some research on it! It “would rise as many as 15 stories two blocks north of where the twin towers once stood,” says an article in the New York Times.”
L: “Ok, being that it’s actually outside of the area, I don’t think it’s offensive. It’s not like the actual ground zero is hole Christian territory or anything.”
S: “Obama says said that he was not endorsing the project, but simply trying to uphold the broader principle that government should "treat everybody equally," regardless of religion.” Do you agree?”
L: “I agree that government’s political figures and religion should be separate. They can have their own personal religion, but when it comes to policies, they need to step back. I’m sure by him not condemning it, people are calling him a Muslim-lover and anything else they like to say.”
S: former New York Mayor Edward I. Koch, has said the project would be “insensitive.” But he has argued that Muslims have a Constitutional right to build where they please. Is this middle ground more your side?”
L: “I agree with that, yeah. I think the word ‘insensitive’ is true. I mean, does it have to be that close? If you didn’t want to evoke emotions, you would plan it farther away.”
S: New York’s current occupant of City Hall, Michael R. Bloomberg, has passionately defended the project as a matter of religions freedom. Do you think he’s just asking for trouble? Is it a smart move politically?
L: “it’s probably politically a smart move to make yourself seem pro-Muslim just so that he won’t offend the growing Muslim community of New York City, But I think politicians should stay out of promoting religions over others.”
S: “Former Mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani said Thursday that a proposed Islamic cultural center and mosque near ground zero would “horribly offend” families of 9/11 victims and should be built elsewhere. Mr. Giuliani said that rather than inspire religious tolerance, the center would provoke “more division, more anger, more hatred.” Do you think the matter is that extreme?”
L: “I don’t know, because it’s Ground Zero people won’t let it go. 9/11 is not a normal day. You don’t want to do anything on September 11. No one would ever get married on that day.”
S: “Have you ever been to ground zero, before or after 9/11?”
L: “Yes, I was there after, in 2003.”
S: “Did you feel a tension/air of tragedy even then?”
L: “No, definitely, it was like something tragic had happened there. There were black tarps on surround buildings that had been ruined in the explosion. There was also a crossbeam that had split into pieces into the shape of the cross and someone had put it up against a black background. The whole things made you think of what had happened there. It was a memorial.”
S: “So what do you think should happen with this project? Proceed with plans amidst a swirling firestorm of controversy? Or just stop with it all-together?”
L: “I guess I kind of want to know more about what it is about that specific site. Is there a need in that community for the community center? If there is no need for it and they jut want to create controversy, I think they should stop.”
S: “Some [Muslims] said they felt embittered or hurt by criticism of the project, and of Islam in general, yet understood opponents’ misgivings. Others said Muslim-Americans should continue to push for the center’s construction as a means of asserting their full citizenship rights — but not too hard, lest they draw even more resentment. A few said they wished the project had never been proposed in the first place.” Do you think maybe the Muslims are having a harder time with this?”
L: “no matter what anyone says, when it comes down to it, Americans will say they are Christians. If Muslims assert themselves in the community I could see there being more of a backlash.
S: So, the imam, Feisal Abdul Rauf that proposed the whole thing has written a book called “What’s Right With Islam Is What’s Right With America.” In this book he writes: “The truth is that killing innocent people is always wrong — and no argument or excuse, no matter how deeply believed, can ever make it right. No religion on earth condones the killing of innocent people, no faith tradition tolerates the random killing of our brothers and sisters on this earth. ... Islamic law is clearly against terrorism, against any kind of deliberate killing of civilians or similar ‘collateral damage.’ ” What do you think of this?”
L: “Personally, I think there are extremists in Islamic religion who want to kill all infidels in jihad. There are also extremists in Christianity. It’s just that the Muslims that Americans are exposed to are mostly extremists. So that’s all they really see of Islam.”
S: “Is there anything else you’d like to add?”
L: “Actually, I remember when 9/11 happened, I was in 11th grade, and my history teacher showed us this video on YouTube called “operation shock and awe” it was kind of celebrating it, like justice. The point was to kill terrorists, but when you bomb, you always end up killing innocents.”
*[I went online after the interview and looked it up- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3aEvzuA4f0]
S: “ok, I think that’s all. Thank you so much for your time!”
L: “No problem, thanks so much. Bye.”
S: “Bye!”
Interviewee:
Name: Lisa Hamming
Hometown: Martinsburg, Pennsylvania, been in Miami for 3 years
Occupation: high school teacher
Phone number: (814) 931-3669
Sunday, September 12, 2010
Convo With a Stranger
Vanessa Reyes, 25, was born and raised in Miami, Florida as an only child with a Cuban mother and Honduran father. After graduating from Hialeah High, she went to Miami Dade College and received her Associates in Art degree in teaching for exceptional students, then took a full-time job instead of furthering her education.
Now back in school at Florida International University, Reyes is an undeclared major, but intends on majoring in International Relations. She currently works for the government military at Defense Headquarters in Doral, but is not allowed to disclose exactly what she does. She is going back to school now because she says she was “content, but in order to move up in government, you need a degree. A Bachelor’s is the minimum to excel.”
Her boyfriend, 31, is a just-retired Marine who also works for the government now too, with the Department of Homeland Security as an immigration analyst in downtown Brickell. I started a conversation while we were both riding on a bus.
A Conversation:
S: “So what do you think of Obama?”
V: “Well, I think he has a lot on his plate. It’s very challenging, but I think why not give him a fair shot? I’m one of those people that voted for him, and I like what he’s doing.”
S: “Obama is relatively young compared to past presidents, you know, he has young daughters. What do you think about that?”
V: “His youngness is part of the change that we needed.”
S: “What did you think of McCain? Besides the fact that he’s like 97 years old.”
V: “I thought he might not be able to take on someone younger full-throttle.”
S: “Did you think Sarah Palin had a chance in hell?”
V: “Haha, no. There’s so many jokes about her, it’s sad. I don’t even know what to tell you.”
S: “I know, every time I think I think of her I just think of Tina Fey, “I can see Russia from my house!”
V: “Exactly! Ahhahahaha”
S: “You’re an Independent, so in the election, you could have voted for the Democrats or the Republicans. What made you choose Obama?”
V: “Change. That’s what we needed.”
S: “So you were excited about Obama, or just thought he was better than McCain?”
V: “Excited because it was somebody new, something different.”
It was the first time that Reyes had ever voted, despite having been legible in the previous election. She also stated that it would not be her last.
S: “What did you think of Bush?”
V: “Bush was more aggressive with his presidency, things were done more drastically.”
S: “What about your boyfriend, being in the military and all.”
V: “He hated him. He went to Iraq under Bush.”
S: “Would he have hated Obama if it had been him who sent him to Iraq?”
V: “He thinks Obama would’ve given them more opportunities to stay here.”
S: “Did he always want to be a Marine?”
V: “Yeah, he was born in Nicaragua and moved here when he was two, and when he got his residency, he felt like he owed the country something, so he joined the military. Also, his family was military in Nicaragua.”
S: “What do you think about Obama being half-black?”
V: “It’s a good thing. Diversity.”
S: “What do you think about the economy since he’s been in office?”
V: “I haven’t seen a drastic change, I think it’s remained the same. But it’s going to take a long, long time to fix it.
S: “Are you satisfied with the initiatives he’s taken about it?”
V: “Yeah, I mean, I think, maybe he’s moving slowly and cautiously.”
S: “If he ran for re-election, would you vote for him again?”
V: “It depends on where we stand at that point. Is it promising or is it fair to give someone else a chance?”
S: “A lot of people are always saying to ‘bring the troops home’ all the time, what do you think about them saying that?”
V: “They’re fighting a war that’s never going to end.”
S: “Ok, but what do you think the country would’ve been if Bush had not sent troops after 9/11?”
V: “A lot of trash talk. Then again, what he did, I have mixed feelings. Not doing anything would’ve been bad, but I think what Bush did was too much. I’m more neutral.”
Contact Information: (786) 436-1249
Now back in school at Florida International University, Reyes is an undeclared major, but intends on majoring in International Relations. She currently works for the government military at Defense Headquarters in Doral, but is not allowed to disclose exactly what she does. She is going back to school now because she says she was “content, but in order to move up in government, you need a degree. A Bachelor’s is the minimum to excel.”
Her boyfriend, 31, is a just-retired Marine who also works for the government now too, with the Department of Homeland Security as an immigration analyst in downtown Brickell. I started a conversation while we were both riding on a bus.
A Conversation:
S: “So what do you think of Obama?”
V: “Well, I think he has a lot on his plate. It’s very challenging, but I think why not give him a fair shot? I’m one of those people that voted for him, and I like what he’s doing.”
S: “Obama is relatively young compared to past presidents, you know, he has young daughters. What do you think about that?”
V: “His youngness is part of the change that we needed.”
S: “What did you think of McCain? Besides the fact that he’s like 97 years old.”
V: “I thought he might not be able to take on someone younger full-throttle.”
S: “Did you think Sarah Palin had a chance in hell?”
V: “Haha, no. There’s so many jokes about her, it’s sad. I don’t even know what to tell you.”
S: “I know, every time I think I think of her I just think of Tina Fey, “I can see Russia from my house!”
V: “Exactly! Ahhahahaha”
S: “You’re an Independent, so in the election, you could have voted for the Democrats or the Republicans. What made you choose Obama?”
V: “Change. That’s what we needed.”
S: “So you were excited about Obama, or just thought he was better than McCain?”
V: “Excited because it was somebody new, something different.”
It was the first time that Reyes had ever voted, despite having been legible in the previous election. She also stated that it would not be her last.
S: “What did you think of Bush?”
V: “Bush was more aggressive with his presidency, things were done more drastically.”
S: “What about your boyfriend, being in the military and all.”
V: “He hated him. He went to Iraq under Bush.”
S: “Would he have hated Obama if it had been him who sent him to Iraq?”
V: “He thinks Obama would’ve given them more opportunities to stay here.”
S: “Did he always want to be a Marine?”
V: “Yeah, he was born in Nicaragua and moved here when he was two, and when he got his residency, he felt like he owed the country something, so he joined the military. Also, his family was military in Nicaragua.”
S: “What do you think about Obama being half-black?”
V: “It’s a good thing. Diversity.”
S: “What do you think about the economy since he’s been in office?”
V: “I haven’t seen a drastic change, I think it’s remained the same. But it’s going to take a long, long time to fix it.
S: “Are you satisfied with the initiatives he’s taken about it?”
V: “Yeah, I mean, I think, maybe he’s moving slowly and cautiously.”
S: “If he ran for re-election, would you vote for him again?”
V: “It depends on where we stand at that point. Is it promising or is it fair to give someone else a chance?”
S: “A lot of people are always saying to ‘bring the troops home’ all the time, what do you think about them saying that?”
V: “They’re fighting a war that’s never going to end.”
S: “Ok, but what do you think the country would’ve been if Bush had not sent troops after 9/11?”
V: “A lot of trash talk. Then again, what he did, I have mixed feelings. Not doing anything would’ve been bad, but I think what Bush did was too much. I’m more neutral.”
Contact Information: (786) 436-1249
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
"letters to a young journalist"
"Letters to a Young Journalist," by Samuel G. Freedman, gives any aspiring journalist a real-life introduction to the world of journalism. Personal stories about mistakes in his career, positive input and an honest view of this career make the author more accessible to readers.
Throughout the book, Freedman gives many a general statement about journalism, then illustrate it with a story from a real journalist. For example, he makes a broad statement of "to be a moral journalist, you must retain your humanity," and then goes on to illustrate this point with two examples; a photojournalist Nick Ut of the Associated Press, and a freelance photojournalist Nick Carter.
Both of these photographers caught raw, emotional pictures of suffering children while assignment and Freedman tells how they dealt with what they saw, because as he said, "journalism is about channeling emotions, not turning them off."
Freedman is also able to give credibility to his writing by including real news stories of which he speaks of. For example, the story of Diego Lugo, written by David Gonzales of the New York Times. Freedman brings up this story in order to talk about why it was so effective. Not only does he include the actual story in the book, he also discusses its effectiveness. His insight on the stories is very in-depth and beneficial to anyone who wishes to write a better story.
What I personally took away from this book was a view of the journalistic world I had not entered before. Seeing journalists portrayed in movies and TV shows does not give a completely accurate description of the job, but this book did. Freedman, with his 30 years of experience as a journalist, a writer, a journalism professor, author, etc. gives tips and advice that only one with 30 years' experience in all these different areas of the business could give. Reading this book sincerely felt like I was given a backstage pass into a newsroom and was seated in Samuel G. Freedman's cubicle with a pad of paper and a pen in my hand.
Throughout the book, Freedman gives many a general statement about journalism, then illustrate it with a story from a real journalist. For example, he makes a broad statement of "to be a moral journalist, you must retain your humanity," and then goes on to illustrate this point with two examples; a photojournalist Nick Ut of the Associated Press, and a freelance photojournalist Nick Carter.
Both of these photographers caught raw, emotional pictures of suffering children while assignment and Freedman tells how they dealt with what they saw, because as he said, "journalism is about channeling emotions, not turning them off."
Freedman is also able to give credibility to his writing by including real news stories of which he speaks of. For example, the story of Diego Lugo, written by David Gonzales of the New York Times. Freedman brings up this story in order to talk about why it was so effective. Not only does he include the actual story in the book, he also discusses its effectiveness. His insight on the stories is very in-depth and beneficial to anyone who wishes to write a better story.
What I personally took away from this book was a view of the journalistic world I had not entered before. Seeing journalists portrayed in movies and TV shows does not give a completely accurate description of the job, but this book did. Freedman, with his 30 years of experience as a journalist, a writer, a journalism professor, author, etc. gives tips and advice that only one with 30 years' experience in all these different areas of the business could give. Reading this book sincerely felt like I was given a backstage pass into a newsroom and was seated in Samuel G. Freedman's cubicle with a pad of paper and a pen in my hand.
Friday, September 3, 2010
9/3/2010- why is this front page news?
ASSIGNMENT:
JOU3343/REPORTING WORKSHOP: Due Friday, 9/3
Choose a story from the PRINT EDITION of a newspaper that's on the front
page of any section: news, local news, sports, business,
features/lifestyle.
It can be a local daily, a weekly, or a national like the New York
Times.
Please do not all choose the lead story -- the upper right -- because if
you do, we'll have a very boring class.
Think about why the story was run and why it was played the way it was.
Was it important? Was it just interesting? Was it particularly relevant
to all or some readers? What is it about the story or its writing or its
art or anything about it that prompted editors to put it where it is
Post your comments on your blogs and, if possible, a link to the story.
Make sure in your blog posts to describe where the story is on the page
because the online version won't tell us that.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
I chose to pick up my free copy of The New York Times on campus and leafed through some sections. I was immediately interested in the "Weekend Arts, movies and performances" section, and I scanned for which story I liked best and was again immediately interested in a film review for "Going the Distance", the new movie with Drew Barrymore and Justin Long, located on the bottom right of the page. I was immediately interested because I would like to go see that movie this weekend.
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/03/movies/03going.html?_r=1&ref=todayspaper
The article is really not important. This review will not change the world or even my desire to go see it. Whether or not it will sway other people's opinions and in the end cause this movie's box office sales to dwindle, I cannot say. But I doubt it.
It was interesting because I learned more about the movie's background from this article than the previews I've seen. For example, now I know how and where they will meet, that Long plays a music business guy, and that Drew is a newspaper reporter (which increased my need to see this movie like 5-fold). I thought the article was very honest about what they thought, too. My favorite line in the review was, about the two main protagonists, "They are pleasant company: good looking but not too good looking, and funny in the way of real people making jokes rather than comedians doing material." This is one of the most real things I've ever read in a newspaper.
The review is not relevant to all readers, because I'm sure not every male in America is just dying to see this movie. But it is definitely relevant to some, including Drew fans, Justin Long fans, romantic comedy fans and movie fans alike.
No doubt the editors put it on the front page of the section because the movie actually comes into theatres today, and opening day is the perfect time to premiere the story about it.
JOU3343/REPORTING WORKSHOP: Due Friday, 9/3
Choose a story from the PRINT EDITION of a newspaper that's on the front
page of any section: news, local news, sports, business,
features/lifestyle.
It can be a local daily, a weekly, or a national like the New York
Times.
Please do not all choose the lead story -- the upper right -- because if
you do, we'll have a very boring class.
Think about why the story was run and why it was played the way it was.
Was it important? Was it just interesting? Was it particularly relevant
to all or some readers? What is it about the story or its writing or its
art or anything about it that prompted editors to put it where it is
Post your comments on your blogs and, if possible, a link to the story.
Make sure in your blog posts to describe where the story is on the page
because the online version won't tell us that.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
I chose to pick up my free copy of The New York Times on campus and leafed through some sections. I was immediately interested in the "Weekend Arts, movies and performances" section, and I scanned for which story I liked best and was again immediately interested in a film review for "Going the Distance", the new movie with Drew Barrymore and Justin Long, located on the bottom right of the page. I was immediately interested because I would like to go see that movie this weekend.
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/03/movies/03going.html?_r=1&ref=todayspaper
The article is really not important. This review will not change the world or even my desire to go see it. Whether or not it will sway other people's opinions and in the end cause this movie's box office sales to dwindle, I cannot say. But I doubt it.
It was interesting because I learned more about the movie's background from this article than the previews I've seen. For example, now I know how and where they will meet, that Long plays a music business guy, and that Drew is a newspaper reporter (which increased my need to see this movie like 5-fold). I thought the article was very honest about what they thought, too. My favorite line in the review was, about the two main protagonists, "They are pleasant company: good looking but not too good looking, and funny in the way of real people making jokes rather than comedians doing material." This is one of the most real things I've ever read in a newspaper.
The review is not relevant to all readers, because I'm sure not every male in America is just dying to see this movie. But it is definitely relevant to some, including Drew fans, Justin Long fans, romantic comedy fans and movie fans alike.
No doubt the editors put it on the front page of the section because the movie actually comes into theatres today, and opening day is the perfect time to premiere the story about it.
Thursday, September 2, 2010
news
So President Barack Obama has announced that the war in Iraq will end by 2011, or something. I'm not very political or care to be, but I do know that when it comes to our country, people get stupid.
Yes, stupid. Why? because no matter who is in charge or what they do, our country always finds way to bitch and moan about everything that goes on.
If Bush had not declared war after 9/11, everyone would've been PISSED.
Well, he did, and after only a little while, everyone got PISSED.
As soon as troops are deployed, I hear everywhere to "get our troops home!" and are all shocked at all the soldiers who die in combat. Soldiers who willing signed up for the military, navy, army, whatever they signed up for. As in, doing their patriotic duty and their job.
Why is everyone always surprised when US soldiers die? they are SOLDIERS in a WAR. Yes, it's sad when young men/women die for their country, but in reality, that's what they signed up for!
Sure, it turned out there were no weapons of mass destruction, but I know that if they hadn't gone looking for them, there would have been permanent unrest with the government.
I say people should just have a little faith in their government, unless there is a blatant wrong going on, like, I don't know, all of a sudden we get a 25% sales tax on everything so we can go to war with like France. That would not make sense. Declaring war on a country directly connected with terrorist attacks on us, makes sense. Figure it out.
Yes, stupid. Why? because no matter who is in charge or what they do, our country always finds way to bitch and moan about everything that goes on.
If Bush had not declared war after 9/11, everyone would've been PISSED.
Well, he did, and after only a little while, everyone got PISSED.
As soon as troops are deployed, I hear everywhere to "get our troops home!" and are all shocked at all the soldiers who die in combat. Soldiers who willing signed up for the military, navy, army, whatever they signed up for. As in, doing their patriotic duty and their job.
Why is everyone always surprised when US soldiers die? they are SOLDIERS in a WAR. Yes, it's sad when young men/women die for their country, but in reality, that's what they signed up for!
Sure, it turned out there were no weapons of mass destruction, but I know that if they hadn't gone looking for them, there would have been permanent unrest with the government.
I say people should just have a little faith in their government, unless there is a blatant wrong going on, like, I don't know, all of a sudden we get a 25% sales tax on everything so we can go to war with like France. That would not make sense. Declaring war on a country directly connected with terrorist attacks on us, makes sense. Figure it out.
Wednesday, September 1, 2010
about the class
"News reporting workshop" is a workshop designed to teach students about reporting the news. In this class, I expect to learn more about writing news reports, a subject I have not taken for about 3 years now. The last lab that I was enrolled in on this subject was a 3 hour lab on Wednesday nights that I did not find helpful and did not give much time to. This semester, however, I fully plan on learning and retaining information taught in order to actually use it someday in the (near) future. While I don't see myself as a reporter, you never know when there might be a time that somehow I end up in that capacity. So, here's to a productive and worthwhile endeavor in JOU 3343L.
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