A New Jersey middle school principal has called for a ban on all social media networks for students at his school. Read the article linked below. Leave a thoughtful comment here. Do you agree with the policy or not? Why? If the use of social networks is a potential problem what might be a solution to the problem?
Be sure to read the ENTIRE article as the principal's email is at the bottom and he gives his rationale for the request to ban social media networks.
New Jersey Principal Asks Parents To Ban Social Networking
Be sure to leave your comment today, April 29, no later than 5 pm.
You may have heard that Gizmodo broke a story about the new G4 iPhone. They admit to obtaining the prototype from an individual who 'found it' in a bar in Redwood City. Now, Gizmodo is coming under fire for buying the iPhone and reporting on it. Keeping journalistism ethics in mind, read the articles, then leave a thoughtful comment about how Gizmodo should have handled this situation.
Gizmodo blogger's computers seized
Gizmodo article (check out the links within the article)
Your comment is due by 5pm TODAY, April 27.
Gizmodo blogger's computers seized
Gizmodo article (check out the links within the article)
Your comment is due by 5pm TODAY, April 27.
The Supreme Court has thrown out a suit by a student who was refused the right to play "Ave Maria" at her high school graduation. Justices have said it was reasonable for administrators to ban the song since it is overtly religious and since previous performances had been challenged by parents.
Your assignment: Read the various articles above and leave a comment here. Do you think this case could have lasting implications for student speech? Does this case, in any way, compare to the graduation controversy here at HHS last year? If so, how? Please be sure to leave your first name (and last initial if you share the same first name with someone else in class).
This assignment is due today by the end of 5th period (either lunch or class).
- Read the article from the Seattle Times here.
- This Wikipedia entry gives you a bit of background on the lyrics of the song and its various arrangments.
- As expected, the Student Press Law Center weighed in on the Court's refusal to hear the case.
Your assignment: Read the various articles above and leave a comment here. Do you think this case could have lasting implications for student speech? Does this case, in any way, compare to the graduation controversy here at HHS last year? If so, how? Please be sure to leave your first name (and last initial if you share the same first name with someone else in class).
This assignment is due today by the end of 5th period (either lunch or class).
What are facts? We think facts are something that is true or provable. We believe that intellectual debate on the issues of the day is reasonable with both sides presenting relevant facts to bolster their point of view. We believe that even if a media outlet is unabashedly biased (I know some of the seniors have discussed the bias in Fox News and MSNBC), reasoned argument will win the day.
Unfortunately, that is NOT what is happening. Over the past few years, I have seen an alarming trend where people simply ignore fact and stick to their argument anyway. This might not be so bad when you're discussing the relative merits of a particular store at the mall and whether or not the sales people are rude, but when you have people in positions of power spouting off, it's a problem. How do you know what to believe?
Leonard Pitts, in his column yesterday, describes his recent encounter with a reader who simply did not believe the facts. The documented facts, according to the reader, were wrong. The reader knew, without a doubt, the real story and accused Pitts of lying to the public. Pitts charges that we are in trouble.
Getting to the bottom of a story does not require you to become a professional journalist. Having access to information presented in a factual way is vital to democracy. Leave a comment discussing how you will inoculate yourself against unreasonable arguments and get to the heart of real issues. How will you preserve our democracy?
Unfortunately, that is NOT what is happening. Over the past few years, I have seen an alarming trend where people simply ignore fact and stick to their argument anyway. This might not be so bad when you're discussing the relative merits of a particular store at the mall and whether or not the sales people are rude, but when you have people in positions of power spouting off, it's a problem. How do you know what to believe?
Leonard Pitts, in his column yesterday, describes his recent encounter with a reader who simply did not believe the facts. The documented facts, according to the reader, were wrong. The reader knew, without a doubt, the real story and accused Pitts of lying to the public. Pitts charges that we are in trouble.
To listen to talk radio, to watch TV pundits, to read a newspaper's online message board, is to realize that increasingly, we are a people estranged from critical thinking, divorced from logic, alienated from even objective truth. We admit no ideas that do not confirm us, hear no voices that do not echo us, sift out all information that does not validate what we wish to believe.Read the entire column here.
Getting to the bottom of a story does not require you to become a professional journalist. Having access to information presented in a factual way is vital to democracy. Leave a comment discussing how you will inoculate yourself against unreasonable arguments and get to the heart of real issues. How will you preserve our democracy?
Sometimes a journalist gets in a hurry and fails to do enough research on a story. Sometimes said journalists gets the information very, very wrong. I think this could be classified as an epic fail on the part of NBC's Olympic Coverage.
Watch the video clip here.
With that being said, these television personalities roasting marshmallows most likely had someone ELSE do the research (yes, there are paid researchers) and they quite possibly could have just been given a briefing on the subject rather than looking into it on their own.
Watch the video clip here.
With that being said, these television personalities roasting marshmallows most likely had someone ELSE do the research (yes, there are paid researchers) and they quite possibly could have just been given a briefing on the subject rather than looking into it on their own.
Bugged by Buzz? Yes, you can turn it off. Read this article from Lifehacker to learn how. Others are writing about the privacy concerns they have about Buzz. Check out this article that is making the rounds this morning (the article, by the way, was sent to me by a non-journalism student last night). What are your thoughts on Buzz? Like it? Hate it? Don't see the point when you have Facebook or Twitter? Media analysis and thoughtful use of media tools is part of the job of a journalist. Look at both of these articles and leave a comment here. This assignment is due not later than the end of lunch on Friday, February 12.
Last week, I read this column by Ruben Navarrette, a columnist who appears in the Contra Costa Times (you've read some of his work before). It brought to mind the recent essay assignment in class where you had to write on why it's important to have a free and independent media. For years, journalists around the world have faced danger because of their reporting, but frequently that reporting brings about public awareness and great change.
In a thoughtful comment, discuss the pros and cons of reporting in dangerous situations. Is it imperative that journalists continue to report on issues vital to public health and safety even if they put their own lives at risk? Why or why not?
In a thoughtful comment, discuss the pros and cons of reporting in dangerous situations. Is it imperative that journalists continue to report on issues vital to public health and safety even if they put their own lives at risk? Why or why not?
You may have read about the teacher in Brentwood arrested for allegedly soliciting a student for sex. This is one of those situations that a student journalist (or any other journalist) wants to report on or likes to report. However, given the circumstances, it is newsworthy.
Read the article from the Contra Costa Times, linked above. Suppose you have a student journalist friend at Heritage High School. Your friend calls you for advice. You see, she is the one who has been tasked with writing a brief story about this incident and it must be done today to get in the paper being distributed on Monday. She's not sure how to cover the story. What is your advice, as a responsible journalist, to your friend?
Leave a comment here with your advice to your friend.
Read the article from the Contra Costa Times, linked above. Suppose you have a student journalist friend at Heritage High School. Your friend calls you for advice. You see, she is the one who has been tasked with writing a brief story about this incident and it must be done today to get in the paper being distributed on Monday. She's not sure how to cover the story. What is your advice, as a responsible journalist, to your friend?
Leave a comment here with your advice to your friend.
No, you're not. Yes, we are! NO, you're number 26. No, we're NUMBER 1!
So what does it mean to be number one? We've been hearing that "Avatar" is set to be the #1 movie ever, but what makes that so? Yesterday, BBC reported that "Avatar" was the top-grossing film EVER. Is it really? The Hollywood Reporter begs to differ.
Do you need to love "Avatar" or even love movies to find this interesting? No, this is more about the information you are being fed every day. I'm sure you could think of countless ways to measure the success of a movie. Should there be a standard that removes the hype (i.e. LOTS of money being taken at the box office)? Should media consumers have immediate access to a variety of comparative stats on a movie (or sporting event, or other newsworthy event)? How do we break through the cacophony of voices to find out what is true?
So what does it mean to be number one? We've been hearing that "Avatar" is set to be the #1 movie ever, but what makes that so? Yesterday, BBC reported that "Avatar" was the top-grossing film EVER. Is it really? The Hollywood Reporter begs to differ.
Do you need to love "Avatar" or even love movies to find this interesting? No, this is more about the information you are being fed every day. I'm sure you could think of countless ways to measure the success of a movie. Should there be a standard that removes the hype (i.e. LOTS of money being taken at the box office)? Should media consumers have immediate access to a variety of comparative stats on a movie (or sporting event, or other newsworthy event)? How do we break through the cacophony of voices to find out what is true?
As journalists, part of our job is to question everything that is around us. Why is it this way? Why do things that way? What does this mean when...? How do I know this to be true? You get the idea.
Another part of the job is to present all sides of a story, not just the side that everyone agrees to be Truth. We listen to the dissenting voices and present the evidence to our audience.
This Opinion piece from the NY Times, filmed here in the Bay Area, flies in the face of what we "know to be true" here at HHS. Watch it. Think about it. Leave a comment telling us your thoughts on the Advanced Placement culture. Is it worth it? Do the dissenting voices have a point? If so, what is it? What is your biggest take-away (the think you'll think about) from this story? Read the comments of your classmates as well. They will have something to say.
The video is about five minutes long. Watch it, ponder it, leave a comment on this blog post. This assignment is due no later than end of lunch on Wednesday, January 27, 2010.
Another part of the job is to present all sides of a story, not just the side that everyone agrees to be Truth. We listen to the dissenting voices and present the evidence to our audience.
This Opinion piece from the NY Times, filmed here in the Bay Area, flies in the face of what we "know to be true" here at HHS. Watch it. Think about it. Leave a comment telling us your thoughts on the Advanced Placement culture. Is it worth it? Do the dissenting voices have a point? If so, what is it? What is your biggest take-away (the think you'll think about) from this story? Read the comments of your classmates as well. They will have something to say.
The video is about five minutes long. Watch it, ponder it, leave a comment on this blog post. This assignment is due no later than end of lunch on Wednesday, January 27, 2010.
It has been hard to miss the "news" about the ongoing scheduling conflicts between Jay Leno and Conan O'Brien. While pundits have endlessly commented on the outcome of this titanic battle, few have talked about integrity or the apparent sense of entitlement in this dust-up. Yesterday's Contra Costa Times included this thought-provoking commentary from Ruben Navarette. Read the commentary and do any additional review necessary to bring yourself up to speed on the battle between NBC, Jay Leno and Conan O'Brien. After you've had a bit of time to think about the issues involved, leave a comment on your thoughts about the integrity of the people and corporations involved. Be sure to include your real name in your comment and check to see that it's there. Your first name is all that is necessary unless you have the same first name as someone else.
As you might have heard, there was a 6.5 magnitude earthquake on the northcoast of CA Saturday afternoon (1.9.10). Of course, since my mom lives in the area, I was concerned when I found out about it and called to find out if she was safe and to find out what other news she had about the event. While on the phone, I booted up the computer and checked local news outlets. There were cursory stories about the fact that the earthquake had happened, but, other than an animated graphic of where the earthquake was centered, there wasn't much. Frustrated, I turned to...Twitter.
Now, I know you're thinking that Twitter isn't a news outlet. Clearly it is not. However, what I did find is that if I did a search using the hashtag #earthquake hundreds of tweets popped up. For the next four or five hours I watched what was happening. Initially, most of the posts were pretty serious where individuals and organizations seemed to want to just get the news out there. The "Ferndale Enterprise," a weekly print paper, came through as the go-to news outlet through their Twitter account, @Frndenterprise. By the way, local TV stations were off the air for hours following the quake.
Later, posts became less serious and eventually tapered off. The one video that claimed to be of the earthquake might, in fact, have been from an earlier earthquake in another part of the state. (FYI: you will not be able to click through on the link above at school. The article is at Mashable which monitors social media. Social media outlets are blocked by the school district).
So, here's what you need to think about: How is the way we get our news changing and what does that mean for journalists? We are a print driven publication. Do we need to seriously start thinking about how or whether we need to get involved with social media? Why (or why not) do we need to get online in a more directed fashion? How will this impact us as a staff? Do we need to have staff members whose sole job it is to explore the possibilities of social media? Leave a thoughtful comment here. Please make sure you put an identifiable name with your comment so you get credit. Check the comments to make sure that yours is there!Your comment is due by noon on Tuesday, January 12, 2010.
Now, I know you're thinking that Twitter isn't a news outlet. Clearly it is not. However, what I did find is that if I did a search using the hashtag #earthquake hundreds of tweets popped up. For the next four or five hours I watched what was happening. Initially, most of the posts were pretty serious where individuals and organizations seemed to want to just get the news out there. The "Ferndale Enterprise," a weekly print paper, came through as the go-to news outlet through their Twitter account, @Frndenterprise. By the way, local TV stations were off the air for hours following the quake.
So, here's what you need to think about: How is the way we get our news changing and what does that mean for journalists? We are a print driven publication. Do we need to seriously start thinking about how or whether we need to get involved with social media? Why (or why not) do we need to get online in a more directed fashion? How will this impact us as a staff? Do we need to have staff members whose sole job it is to explore the possibilities of social media? Leave a thoughtful comment here. Please make sure you put an identifiable name with your comment so you get credit. Check the comments to make sure that yours is there!Your comment is due by noon on Tuesday, January 12, 2010.
Yesterday, a commentary by Thomas Peele took to task Supreme Court Justice Kennedy for requesting prior review of an article that would have been published in the student newspaper at the Dalton School in New York. Peele says that despite Kennedy's support for First Amendment rights for all members of the press, he has violated those rights by requesting a review of student work prior to publication. Peele also questions the integrity and motives of the student reporters who failed to put up an adequate fight on the issue.
One possible reason for this alleged lack of 'fight' might be that a recent study found that most students, indeed most Americans, believe that First Amendment rights as they have been traditionally held, could harm the country.
Read Peele's commentary here, then leave a comment on your thoughts on First Amendment rights. Though your comment does not have to be long, I want to see evidence of thoughtful contemplation on First Amendment rights and student journalists.
One possible reason for this alleged lack of 'fight' might be that a recent study found that most students, indeed most Americans, believe that First Amendment rights as they have been traditionally held, could harm the country.
Read Peele's commentary here, then leave a comment on your thoughts on First Amendment rights. Though your comment does not have to be long, I want to see evidence of thoughtful contemplation on First Amendment rights and student journalists.
- Read the commentary linked above. Please feel free to do additional reading on the First Amendment.
- Write a thoughtful comment and post it here. If you have your own blog or Tumblr, you may post there, then leave a comment here with a link to your blog post. Please feel free to read the comments of others and respond to the words of your classmates.
- Please use the following naming convention to make sure that you are correctly identified. Joe Schmoe in A period would leave his name as JoeS A.
- Please check back to make sure that your comment is there.
- You will have until the end of lunch on Tuesday, December 1 to leave your comment.
What are your thoughts on Balloon Boy? No, seriously. Now that the family has been exposed as having lied about Falcon being in the balloon in order to gain fame, what are your thoughts on our seeming insatiable desire for celebrity?
Read the stories below to give yourself some background on the story. There are also links to what other people are saying about the incident over Colorado. After you've digested the issue, please leave a comment. What can we take from the Balloon Boy incident? What does it say about our love affair with the media?
Balloon Boy reminder that TV is full of shams
Bay Area's Balloon Boy (this is a different perpective)
6-year-old boy found alive in attic...
Balloon Boy charges...
Commentary: Balloon Boy...
Commentary from NPR (includes video from CNN)
Read the stories below to give yourself some background on the story. There are also links to what other people are saying about the incident over Colorado. After you've digested the issue, please leave a comment. What can we take from the Balloon Boy incident? What does it say about our love affair with the media?
Balloon Boy reminder that TV is full of shams
Bay Area's Balloon Boy (this is a different perpective)
6-year-old boy found alive in attic...
Balloon Boy charges...
Commentary: Balloon Boy...
Commentary from NPR (includes video from CNN)
When my great-grandfather came to the United States in the early 1900s, his last name was altered (at least one letter was dropped) either because the immigration agent couldn't spell the name correctly or thought it was too "ethnic." Later, my great-grandfather considered changing his last name all together to something more "American" so that his machine-shop business would be more successful (the family story goes that he was told Wojinski was just too "ethnic" to be placed on a business and then expect that business to be successful).
When I was a senior in high school one of my teachers had difficulty pronouncing my last name, so she shortened it to Wojo and the name has been with me ever since. Even my first name was unusual as I never encountered another Natalie in 12 years of public education. I went to school with Kate, Kim, Jenny, Brenda, Renee, Patricia, Janice, Cindy and the like. Oh, how I wished for such an elegant name. For a few years I lived down the street from Maj and Kaj (sister and brother, prounounced 'my' and 'kye'). Their mother was of Norwegian descent and she wanted to celebrate her family heritage. Those were the most unusual names I came across before adulthood.
Individuals aren't given names for no reason at all. Perhaps you're named after an ancestor or someone famous (i.e. I'm Natalie in part because my mother really liked the actress Natalie Wood in the movie West Side Story). Perhaps your parents argued over what your name should be, couldn't decide and ended up combining two names into what you have today (i.e. the daughter of David and Victoria is Dava). Maybe you're named after a parent's best friend from kindergarten or the nurse in the hospital where you were born. Maybe your parent knew for years that their first child, first son, first daughter would have a certain name. Perhaps your name celebrates your family's heritage.
Sometimes we hear names that are unfamiliar to us and we laugh. One video I have shown in my history classes has frequently generated giggles from students because the names of the people are unfamiliar. I am frequently asked how they could get such weird names (think Temujin, Zheng He, Mansa Musa, Ibn Battuta, Lothair, Hildegard). My response is usually something along the lines that those historical figures would probably find OUR names very strange and worth several laughs. But really, what does it mean when we laugh at someone's name? Are we being disrespectful to that person as well as their families? Do we form opinions about people based on their names and whether or not WE find them to be 'normal'? What if we or someone we meet has a name that is usually associated with the opposite gender? Think about these names: Stacy, Leslie, Tracy, Brett, Morgan. Are those girl's names or boy's?
As journalists we must think about our own assumptions and biases when it comes to names. Would you take a source named Temujin less seriously than an Alex or Matthew or Katherine?
What do you think? Leave a comment here describing the story of how you got your name or, if you have an uncommon name, how you feel about having a name no one else has. You could also leave a comment about our responses to names. Is it fair to laugh at someone's name because it's different from our own? Or look up what your name means and let us know. You can try the Concise Dictionary of First Names or Behind the Name to get started.
This post was originally published at mygeographynews.wordpress.com
Where should photographers, reporters, editors and publishers draw the line in altering content? We generally think it's okay to crop photos to better frame our subject, but what if you crop a photo in such a way that makes a reader form a particular opinion about a subject? Is that fair?
Read one photographer's thoughts about his photo of former vice-president Dick Cheney and the cropping job that went wrong (in his opinion). What are your thoughts? Leave a comment below.
Read one photographer's thoughts about his photo of former vice-president Dick Cheney and the cropping job that went wrong (in his opinion). What are your thoughts? Leave a comment below.
I've changed the comment settings on this blog. From now on you will not be able to leave anonymous comments and will be required to fill in one of those annoying random-word verifications before submitting your comment. Should it become necessary, I will also set comments to be moderated so that inappropriate comments are not posted for public view.
The change was prompted by an anonymous user posting the text of the email that all Journ II, Journ I and Yearbook students received on Friday night. In short, the text was rude and disrespectful to all of us AND the journalism programs at our school.
This brings me to the point of this post: create a positive digital footprint.
Let's break this down.
First, once something is posted on the internet it never completely goes away. Even if your blog post, MySpace photo or tumblr is removed it's still out there somewhere. Recent polls of employers show that 45% (up from 22% in 2008) are now asking for social networking account information to check you out online. If your digital footprint is not in line with the company's goals and values, you won't be hired. Worse yet, if an employer gets wind of something inappropriate online, you can be fired. Free speech can only get you so far. It doesn't give you the right to be rude or inappropriate without possible consequences.
Second, in 2008 the WCCUSD School Board adopted a policy that holds students accountable for what they say and do online. Practically speaking, that means that if you are threatening or harassing someone there can be consequences (i.e. suspension, expulsion, notification of the police, etc). The policy clearly covers student activity outside of school.
Back in the day, if you wanted to harm someone's reputation you started a rumor that passed from mouth to mouth. A rumor took awhile to get around and often fizzled out before it did any real damage. Today you send a bulk text message or email or write a blog post and within minutes hundreds of people have access to what you're saying. Harm is done within seconds and you can't unring the bell. Deliberate harm to someone's reputation is NOT protected speech. Ever. So, in the moment of anger or disappointment that you feel, you can do harm to someone else AND yourself.
I'm sure some of you are thinking something along the lines of "so I can only write about rainbows and ponies? I can't write about the stuff that bugs me?" Of course you can write about stuff that bugs you. However, you want to do it out in the open using your name, not a handle you hide behind. You also want to provide reasoned arguments about why you are not happy and never stoop to petty attacks against individuals. Your reputation AND theirs will be harmed.
Use this checklist to make sure that your posts move conversation forward, rather than harm others and yourself:
The change was prompted by an anonymous user posting the text of the email that all Journ II, Journ I and Yearbook students received on Friday night. In short, the text was rude and disrespectful to all of us AND the journalism programs at our school.
This brings me to the point of this post: create a positive digital footprint.
Let's break this down.
First, once something is posted on the internet it never completely goes away. Even if your blog post, MySpace photo or tumblr is removed it's still out there somewhere. Recent polls of employers show that 45% (up from 22% in 2008) are now asking for social networking account information to check you out online. If your digital footprint is not in line with the company's goals and values, you won't be hired. Worse yet, if an employer gets wind of something inappropriate online, you can be fired. Free speech can only get you so far. It doesn't give you the right to be rude or inappropriate without possible consequences.
Second, in 2008 the WCCUSD School Board adopted a policy that holds students accountable for what they say and do online. Practically speaking, that means that if you are threatening or harassing someone there can be consequences (i.e. suspension, expulsion, notification of the police, etc). The policy clearly covers student activity outside of school.
Back in the day, if you wanted to harm someone's reputation you started a rumor that passed from mouth to mouth. A rumor took awhile to get around and often fizzled out before it did any real damage. Today you send a bulk text message or email or write a blog post and within minutes hundreds of people have access to what you're saying. Harm is done within seconds and you can't unring the bell. Deliberate harm to someone's reputation is NOT protected speech. Ever. So, in the moment of anger or disappointment that you feel, you can do harm to someone else AND yourself.
I'm sure some of you are thinking something along the lines of "so I can only write about rainbows and ponies? I can't write about the stuff that bugs me?" Of course you can write about stuff that bugs you. However, you want to do it out in the open using your name, not a handle you hide behind. You also want to provide reasoned arguments about why you are not happy and never stoop to petty attacks against individuals. Your reputation AND theirs will be harmed.
Use this checklist to make sure that your posts move conversation forward, rather than harm others and yourself:
- Do my comments harm someone's reputation? In other words, am I unfairly disparaging a person's work or taking potshots at their person? Or, do my comments discuss my dissatisfaction with a policy and offer solutions to the problem?
- Am I using curse words? If so, do they indicate that I am not thinking rationally about the topic? Better yet are these words appropriate or do they diminish my argument because they are just there for effect?
- Do my words make me look bad? Could these words be used against me later? Or, do my words clearly show that I am not happy BUT explain why and propose ways to make things better?
- Will my words and actions (sending an email, writing a blog post, etc.) create a hostile working environment? Or, while my words might make some people uncomfortable, do they open up the possibility of discussion?
The mystical forces of nature have aligned and Beatles Rock Band has been released into the wild. Speaking of alignment...after some research, Athena has come up with an excellent name for the online paper:
Arke or Arce (ahr-see)
During the Titan Wars, the goddess Arke, was the messenger for the Titans, while her twin sister was the messenger for the Olympian Gods. "News Arke" or "Arke News" would be a fitting name for the online newspaper because that's exactly what we'll be doing delivering news to the Titans.
Other suggestions have included Titan Voice, Titan Tabloid, Titan Template Online.
During the Titan Wars, the goddess Arke, was the messenger for the Titans, while her twin sister was the messenger for the Olympian Gods. "News Arke" or "Arke News" would be a fitting name for the online newspaper because that's exactly what we'll be doing delivering news to the Titans.
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