Tuesday, April 22, 2008
Off the record
I've been working on this story for awhile about the website RateMyProfessors.com and the online show called Professors Strike Back which gives the professors a chance for a rebuttal. Its been taking so long because I'm finding it hard to find faculty who will go on the record of the story. I really want to do this story, but I don't want to resort to making it more about the students, but if no faculty will go on record, what do I do?
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
Quotes
When working on my quotes for our survey article, I realized a friend of mine would have been a good person to talk to about my question (number 7 - "Do you feel safe walking across campus at night?") Her brother was jumped three weeks into school as a freshman at a larger university (not OSU large, but another public institution in the state). He was pretty badly beat up (nose broken - needed surgery, etc) and he was walking with a group of guys!
He didn't go back to that school for the rest of the semester, but he eventually wound up atOWU because of this incident. I wanted to talk to the girl and use her as a source even though she would be biased (extremely, as anyone would believe) because I was hoping to mention this incident and I was hoping she would compare the two schools (OWU and the other school). I knew her brother would have been a good person to talk to, but the girl didn't even want to talk about it without talking to her brother first (and I got the impression she didn't want me talking to her brother about it - she's a protective big sister). How would I have been able to use her bias quotes without touching on WHY she felt that way?
I know her brother would have been a good person to talk to but since she didn't even want to talk about it, I didn't try to contact her brother at all.
The girl is a good friend and I respect her privacy, but wouldn't that have made a good source? Someone who had been in that situation and someone who was so closely connected to campus violence?
He didn't go back to that school for the rest of the semester, but he eventually wound up atOWU because of this incident. I wanted to talk to the girl and use her as a source even though she would be biased (extremely, as anyone would believe) because I was hoping to mention this incident and I was hoping she would compare the two schools (OWU and the other school). I knew her brother would have been a good person to talk to, but the girl didn't even want to talk about it without talking to her brother first (and I got the impression she didn't want me talking to her brother about it - she's a protective big sister). How would I have been able to use her bias quotes without touching on WHY she felt that way?
I know her brother would have been a good person to talk to but since she didn't even want to talk about it, I didn't try to contact her brother at all.
The girl is a good friend and I respect her privacy, but wouldn't that have made a good source? Someone who had been in that situation and someone who was so closely connected to campus violence?
Tuesday, April 8, 2008
Last week's discussion
I was thinking about our discussion last week in class about the photograph of the soldier at his funeral.
I agree with the photographer and the courts in that it was not an invasion of privacy, etc.
If a family is going to hold a very large public funeral for their son and invite the press to it, there is no way they would believe that no photos of that sort would come out of it. If you want no photos to appear, then don't invite the press.
Or, don't have an open casket. The funeral was attended by (I believe) 1,200 people. I refuse to believe that all of those people honestly truly knew the soldier, and yet they were allowed to get up close and personal with the body as it lay in the casket. Why can't a photographer take a photo of the man and have it published? Now, if the man had been severely disfigured, and the family had still decided to have an open casket (though I don't know who would), I think there might have been more of a decency issue at hand.
I don't know. Things like this bother me. People who invite the press to something and then get mad when the journalists and photographers do their jobs bother me and anger me.
I agree with the photographer and the courts in that it was not an invasion of privacy, etc.
If a family is going to hold a very large public funeral for their son and invite the press to it, there is no way they would believe that no photos of that sort would come out of it. If you want no photos to appear, then don't invite the press.
Or, don't have an open casket. The funeral was attended by (I believe) 1,200 people. I refuse to believe that all of those people honestly truly knew the soldier, and yet they were allowed to get up close and personal with the body as it lay in the casket. Why can't a photographer take a photo of the man and have it published? Now, if the man had been severely disfigured, and the family had still decided to have an open casket (though I don't know who would), I think there might have been more of a decency issue at hand.
I don't know. Things like this bother me. People who invite the press to something and then get mad when the journalists and photographers do their jobs bother me and anger me.
Thursday, March 27, 2008
Unhappy readers
I've received my first angry reader complaint.
In the March 6, 2008 issue of the Transcript, I wrote a column about the popular ABC Family television show, "Greek." I compared the show to the Greek community here, citing that the show it not all that different than our Greek community.
Click here to read the column on my own personal blog/archive.
I did not state which sorority I was a part of, and I didn't badmouth any sororities in general. I merely stated that a fictional setting resembled ours here. I know many times sororities and fraternities are shed in a negative light in fiction, but I felt it was necessary to say that while we do not all go to the outrageous parties and participate in many of the things these TV shows portray, that the basics: extreme amounts of gossip, participation in ridiculous events, etc., do exist. But newsflash, these occur outside of these social circles as well.
I stated facts, that I have witnessed first hand in my own sorority experience, and for the most part, I am certain many others have as well.
And I am pretty sure that many people outside the Greek community might share similar experiences or know someone who has.
While I saw no problem with my article, and neither did some of my friends (even some in the Greek community) I was greeted with a Facebook message this morning from one of my friends and sorority sister that asked me to refrain from writing anymore stories concerning my sorority or sororities in general (though they recognized that I had the right to if I so wished). I was informed that if I did, the image of our sorority and/or sorority life here at OWU would be damaged and we would be forced to attend many more recruitment workshops, etc. to counteract that poor image.
Upon receiving this message, I was kind of happy. I made my first "enemy" in the journalism world. I can't please everyone and not everyone will enjoy my writings or share my opinions. It almost felt great to know that people were offended. I do not intend to write any more columns on the Greek community because I only did that because the television show was returning with a new season on Monday March 24.
The part to this that I find truly funny, is that in the season finale of Greek last fall centered around a journalism student who had pledged a sorority (I am unsure whether she did this purposely to create a scandalous story or not, but ...) and then turned around and wrote an anonymous expose centering on the Greek system as a whole, and the particular sorority she pledged. The story focused on the drinking, partying, bitchy girls, etc. of the Greek system at the fictional university. The article created a large problem for the university and damage control was needed.
The fact that I wrote a simple story stating that some of the very basics happen here in order to simply talk about one of my favorite TV shows happened to make members of the Greek community angry, just like the fictional storyline, makes me laugh.
I know this isn't exactly an ethical question or dilemma, but I wanted to write about it because it was the first time I managed to piss off some part of my readership. And they are telling me not to write anything further about sororities, which in a way is unfair (Even though I have no plans to write anything at the moment). They cannot stop me, and they realized that, but they then are "threatening" me one could say with "punishment." And if you've ever had to sit through boring recruitment workshops, you know that is a rare form of torture.
Course, if they knew I was writing all of this, I might still be subjected to those workshops. Life is funny that way.
I'd still choose journalism any day. My purpose to report and in this case, state my opinion in my own column. I like that I made someone unhappy because that will probably happen more in my career.
In the March 6, 2008 issue of the Transcript, I wrote a column about the popular ABC Family television show, "Greek." I compared the show to the Greek community here, citing that the show it not all that different than our Greek community.
Click here to read the column on my own personal blog/archive.
I did not state which sorority I was a part of, and I didn't badmouth any sororities in general. I merely stated that a fictional setting resembled ours here. I know many times sororities and fraternities are shed in a negative light in fiction, but I felt it was necessary to say that while we do not all go to the outrageous parties and participate in many of the things these TV shows portray, that the basics: extreme amounts of gossip, participation in ridiculous events, etc., do exist. But newsflash, these occur outside of these social circles as well.
I stated facts, that I have witnessed first hand in my own sorority experience, and for the most part, I am certain many others have as well.
And I am pretty sure that many people outside the Greek community might share similar experiences or know someone who has.
While I saw no problem with my article, and neither did some of my friends (even some in the Greek community) I was greeted with a Facebook message this morning from one of my friends and sorority sister that asked me to refrain from writing anymore stories concerning my sorority or sororities in general (though they recognized that I had the right to if I so wished). I was informed that if I did, the image of our sorority and/or sorority life here at OWU would be damaged and we would be forced to attend many more recruitment workshops, etc. to counteract that poor image.
Upon receiving this message, I was kind of happy. I made my first "enemy" in the journalism world. I can't please everyone and not everyone will enjoy my writings or share my opinions. It almost felt great to know that people were offended. I do not intend to write any more columns on the Greek community because I only did that because the television show was returning with a new season on Monday March 24.
The part to this that I find truly funny, is that in the season finale of Greek last fall centered around a journalism student who had pledged a sorority (I am unsure whether she did this purposely to create a scandalous story or not, but ...) and then turned around and wrote an anonymous expose centering on the Greek system as a whole, and the particular sorority she pledged. The story focused on the drinking, partying, bitchy girls, etc. of the Greek system at the fictional university. The article created a large problem for the university and damage control was needed.
The fact that I wrote a simple story stating that some of the very basics happen here in order to simply talk about one of my favorite TV shows happened to make members of the Greek community angry, just like the fictional storyline, makes me laugh.
I know this isn't exactly an ethical question or dilemma, but I wanted to write about it because it was the first time I managed to piss off some part of my readership. And they are telling me not to write anything further about sororities, which in a way is unfair (Even though I have no plans to write anything at the moment). They cannot stop me, and they realized that, but they then are "threatening" me one could say with "punishment." And if you've ever had to sit through boring recruitment workshops, you know that is a rare form of torture.
Course, if they knew I was writing all of this, I might still be subjected to those workshops. Life is funny that way.
I'd still choose journalism any day. My purpose to report and in this case, state my opinion in my own column. I like that I made someone unhappy because that will probably happen more in my career.
Thursday, February 21, 2008
CNN and Castro in cahoots? HAHA
A woman from CNN apparently issued a memo to CNN staff regarding how to report news of Castro's resignation as the leader of Cuba. The memo (which I have copied and pasted below) told reporters to focus on the improvements to health care and education, etc. Oh, and to remember that Latin America sees a revolutionary hero in Castro.
I find the CNN memo ridiculous. I could almost try to consider the possibility of CNN acting this way if Castro had died. They would probably feel bad if they just went on and on about the horrible horrible things the man did (but they would all be true). But he is still alive. He only stepped down.
The U.S. has tried since President Kennedy to take care of the Castro situation. So why on Earth would CNN want to make Castro seem like a wonderful teddy bear when he was a horrible man? (O.K. I might be exaggerating, but still...)
Focusing on health care and education? I have no idea what Castro has done to improve the situation of these two areas (though I intend to research it), and maybe he did improve them and lift them from the horrible state they were in prior to his rise to power, but trying to focus on the two good moves a dictator has made in the past 49 years, does not make it okay to gloss over the atrocities the man committed.
Should we say hey, Hitler was not a bad guy, he improved public moral by making the Aryans feel really special? Oh and the Final Solution? Yeah, let's not mention that at all.
Okay, I' know I am taking things too far. I should not even bring Hitler in to this.
I know other media outlets are having a field day with this memo. I feel like I am ranting, and maybe I am. But what is CNN thinking?
From: Flexner, Allison Sent: Tuesday, February 19, 2008 7:46 AM To: *CNN Superdesk (TBS) Cc: Neill, Morgan; Darlington, Shasta Subject: Castro guidanceSome points on Castro - for adding to our anchor reads/reporting:
* Please say in our reporting that Castro stepped down in a letter he wrote to Granma (the communist party daily), as opposed to in a letter attributed to Fidel Castro. We have no reason to doubt he wrote his resignation letter, he has penned numerous articles over the past year and a half.
* Please note Fidel did bring social reforms to Cuba - namely free education and universal health care, and racial integration. in addition to being criticized for oppressing human rights and freedom of speech.
* Also the Cuban government blames a lot of Cuba's economic problems on the US embargo, and while that has caused some difficulties, (far less so than the collapse of the Soviet Union) the bulk of Cuba's economic problems are due to Cuba's failed economic polices. Some analysts would say the US embargo was a benefit to Castro politically - something to blame problems on, by what the Cubans call "the imperialist," meddling in their affairs.
* While despised by some, he is seen as a revolutionary hero, especially with leftist in Latin America, for standing up to the United States.
Any questions, please call the international desk.
Allison
I find the CNN memo ridiculous. I could almost try to consider the possibility of CNN acting this way if Castro had died. They would probably feel bad if they just went on and on about the horrible horrible things the man did (but they would all be true). But he is still alive. He only stepped down.
The U.S. has tried since President Kennedy to take care of the Castro situation. So why on Earth would CNN want to make Castro seem like a wonderful teddy bear when he was a horrible man? (O.K. I might be exaggerating, but still...)
Focusing on health care and education? I have no idea what Castro has done to improve the situation of these two areas (though I intend to research it), and maybe he did improve them and lift them from the horrible state they were in prior to his rise to power, but trying to focus on the two good moves a dictator has made in the past 49 years, does not make it okay to gloss over the atrocities the man committed.
Should we say hey, Hitler was not a bad guy, he improved public moral by making the Aryans feel really special? Oh and the Final Solution? Yeah, let's not mention that at all.
Okay, I' know I am taking things too far. I should not even bring Hitler in to this.
I know other media outlets are having a field day with this memo. I feel like I am ranting, and maybe I am. But what is CNN thinking?
Something of a strange twist
As I posted last week, I was unsure of covering an event about a man running for my congressional district (David Robinson) since I would later be voting for or against this man. We discussed this is class and I realized I could have been fair if I should have chosen to cover the event.
When I received my absentee ballot in the mail yesterday, I realized this same man (Robinson) is running against a member of my family, my father's first cousin (Russ Goodwin).
Even though the event has happened, if I had known about Goodwin running against Robinson, do you think it would have been ethical to cover the event involving Robinson?
Just because the man is related to me and I have seen him and spoken to him at many family reunions, does not mean I would automatically vote for him. But how would that be perceived by the public? I just thought it was an interesting twist.
When I received my absentee ballot in the mail yesterday, I realized this same man (Robinson) is running against a member of my family, my father's first cousin (Russ Goodwin).
Even though the event has happened, if I had known about Goodwin running against Robinson, do you think it would have been ethical to cover the event involving Robinson?
Just because the man is related to me and I have seen him and spoken to him at many family reunions, does not mean I would automatically vote for him. But how would that be perceived by the public? I just thought it was an interesting twist.
Tuesday, February 19, 2008
A break from ethics
This has absolutely nothing to do with the designated topic of this blog (media ethics), but I felt that as a history major as well as a journalism major, this topic is important to me, and this is my blog after all, so what the hell. You can put up with one non-media ethics related post right now. After all, this post does mention newspapers and world events...
As I was perusing the website for the Columbus Dispatch this morning, it came to my attention that Fidel Castro has stepped down as the leader of Cuba. As an American, I have learned through out my life, that Castro = bad. It is as simple as that.
I know the man was a communist dictator, but the man ruled Cuba for 49 years. That is the longest reign (excluding monarchial regimes) in the history of the world. For the life of me I cannot figure how he managed to stay in power. How has any communist country remained in power when the rest of the world is hell-bent on democracy? All I can say is that I am glad that the United States passed the 22nd Amendment setting the two-term limit for presidents. Because if I had to live another year under George W. Bush, I think I might've had to move to Europe. Not that moving to Europe would only happen if those circumstances arose, because I would love to move to Italy or France or even the always raining United Kingdom, but for right now, I think I want to stay here.
The news of Castro's resignation as the leader of Cuba is strange to me, but it makes me wonder, what about those who have grown up with this regime? Not just for those in Cuba, but for those who were alive during the disasterous Bay of Pigs invasion, etc. I am only 20, but for my parents and grandparents, Castro has been in power for a good chunk of their lives.
And as this post already has had no relation to the topic that is supposed to be addressed, I figure what is a little more off topic news?
The Police will be playing Columbus, Ohio for the first time since 1979. Elvis Costello & the Imposters will open on May 4 at Nationwide Arena. Too bad this is the day before finals week begins, because I think I'd love to go.
I promise next time to post on something ethical.
EDIT: Thanks Frank for sending me the link about journalism in Cuba. I found it very informative.
As I was perusing the website for the Columbus Dispatch this morning, it came to my attention that Fidel Castro has stepped down as the leader of Cuba. As an American, I have learned through out my life, that Castro = bad. It is as simple as that.
I know the man was a communist dictator, but the man ruled Cuba for 49 years. That is the longest reign (excluding monarchial regimes) in the history of the world. For the life of me I cannot figure how he managed to stay in power. How has any communist country remained in power when the rest of the world is hell-bent on democracy? All I can say is that I am glad that the United States passed the 22nd Amendment setting the two-term limit for presidents. Because if I had to live another year under George W. Bush, I think I might've had to move to Europe. Not that moving to Europe would only happen if those circumstances arose, because I would love to move to Italy or France or even the always raining United Kingdom, but for right now, I think I want to stay here.
The news of Castro's resignation as the leader of Cuba is strange to me, but it makes me wonder, what about those who have grown up with this regime? Not just for those in Cuba, but for those who were alive during the disasterous Bay of Pigs invasion, etc. I am only 20, but for my parents and grandparents, Castro has been in power for a good chunk of their lives.
And as this post already has had no relation to the topic that is supposed to be addressed, I figure what is a little more off topic news?
The Police will be playing Columbus, Ohio for the first time since 1979. Elvis Costello & the Imposters will open on May 4 at Nationwide Arena. Too bad this is the day before finals week begins, because I think I'd love to go.
I promise next time to post on something ethical.
EDIT: Thanks Frank for sending me the link about journalism in Cuba. I found it very informative.
Friday, February 15, 2008
Thursday, February 14, 2008
Politics are always an issue
I read a few days ago that a candidate for Ohio's 12 Congressional District, David Robinson, was coming to speak at OWU tonight at 8 p.m. The district encompasses Columbus and some of the outer lying suburbs, including Delaware.
Today at our meeting for The Transcript we needed someone to cover the event.
As a constituent of Ohio's 12th district (my home address is in Reynoldsburg, Ohio - a suburb of Columbus), I thought it would be unethical if I were to cover the story because I will be forced to vote for him or against him in the upcoming election.
Today at our meeting for The Transcript we needed someone to cover the event.
As a constituent of Ohio's 12th district (my home address is in Reynoldsburg, Ohio - a suburb of Columbus), I thought it would be unethical if I were to cover the story because I will be forced to vote for him or against him in the upcoming election.
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