Truth and Loathing in the Newsroom

The question of what is broken in the newsroom is at the least a complex one, and at best a conundrum.  

The fifth and final season of the HBO series The Wire depicts much of this, and gives the unaware an idea of how the news system works.

They will be disappointed to find out that it too, is a world of money and politics.  Many are only concerned with how many readers they have and how much money they are making, as opposed to the responsibility they have to the people to bring them strong, reliable news that is both relevant and important, a pair that is sometimes hard to find having drinks together.

In the beginning of Episode 1, "More With Less", The Baltimore Sun City Editor Gus Haynes discusses with Bill Zorzi and Roger Twigg the recent buyouts, and the situation of experienced reporters being replaced by younger reporters who "can't write a lick."  When Haynes goes inside, Twigg says to Zorzi, "Someday, I want to find out what it feels like to work for a real newspaper."  Managing Editor Thomas Klebanow talks to the staff about their need to "do more with less."  This is similar to what Brian Stelter from The New York Times described in our online class interview.

Haynes says to an associate, "You know what a healthy newsroom is?  It's a magical place where people argue about everything all the time."  I felt this to be a particularly important quote, because when the information we receive is controlled by few, the importance of news and the institution and responsibility of journalism is threatened, therefore we all suffer.

Scott Templeton is a journalist who is frustrated with his lack of recognition and what he perceives as a lack of respect from Haynes.  He sees The Baltimore Sun as nothing more than a steppingstone to a major newspaper like The Washington Post or The New York Times.  This frustration leads him to exaggerate and even make up stories, such as one he creates in Episode 2, "Unconfirmed Reports", about a young boy in a wheelchair named "E.J.", who was outside Camden Yards, unable to afford a ticket from the scalpers.  Haynes questions the thin details that Templeton gives him, and begins to investigate him.  When nothing can be found about the boy, Haynes confronts Templeton.  When Executive Editor James C. Whiting III comes up and congratulates Templeton on the story, thus overruling Haynes questioning about the facts of the story.

In a meeting about the school system, Templeton says, "You don't need a lot of context to examine what goes on in one classroom," to which Haynes replies, "Oh really, I think you need a lot of context to seriously examine anything."  When Executive Editor Whiting agrees with Templeton, Haynes argues that they are choosing between "addressing the problem or winning a prize."  

I agree with Haynes' belief that much context is needed to completely analyze an issue.  Many pieces of media can be watched by an unsuspecting viewer, who will not receive the message that the media is trying to give.  Seeing only a sex scene from a movie may cause the viewer to see the entire film as indecent.  However, if they were to see what led up to the sex scene, perhaps a wedding followed by a romantic candlelit dinner in paradise and then the sex scene, the same viewer may see it as beautiful.

In the last scene of Episode 2, Detective Jimmy McNulty makes a found dead body look like a murder scene in order to get more funding for the drug empire they are investigating.  Templeton becomes wrapped up with a "serial killer" who does not exist.  Eager for the attention and possible fame, Templeton goes along with the story, exaggerating information and even lying outright, though he is unaware that the story is being created and strung along by a few members of the police department itself.

This behavior and desire to be famous is not unrealistic, especially in recent times.  People such as Jayson Blair from The New York Times, Stephen Glass from The New Republic and Janet Cooke from The Washington Post have all been found guilty of plagiarism, exaggerations and complete fabrications of stories.

This is one of the biggest problems in the newsroom today.  Accuracy.

A once coveted quality, it has fallen by the wayside at times when it is all that is desired by the public.  Pressure could lead to falsities, whether it is from outside sources such as an editor or boss, or pressures from within that can cause people to do things they might not ordinarily do.  

The quest to stand in the almighty spotlight has hurt the true spirit and nature of journalism, and must be remedied if journalists hope to retain the trust of their readers and remind the readers that they are there to serve the people's interest. 

If History Repeats, McCain Will See Defeat

According to the results of past elections, John McCain's deficit in the polls may be too much to overcome.  

An article by John Harwood in The New York Times has brought this issue to my attention.  The article states that Barack Obama is ahead in the Gallup poll, leading 50% to McCain's 43%.  Coming back from this large a deficit has only been achieved by Ronald Reagan in 1980, when he also trailed Jimmy Carter by seven points.

The article also discusses how other candidates have overcome large deficits, but have ended up losing the election, with the most recent being Al Gore in the 2000 election, in which he lost the electoral college vote, but actually won the popular vote.  Though McCain has almost no chance of taking away the popularity Obama has among minorities, his campaign has said that among undecided voters, it sees 20% of whites as a group that can be convinced of McCain's ability and that should be focused on.  This group apparently includes single, younger voters as well as female voters and those who have little education.

I began reading this article, but was shocked when I read this campaign target strategy.  It bothers me that it has come to such the point that candidates see voters as sheep: easy to herd and categorize, not to mention capable of being coaxed into walking into an area with no walls all while thinking its a good idea.

Though the government basically needs to hit the reset button, or somehow create a way to both bring Franklin Roosevelt back to life and give him immortality, our society is also to blame for the way things have become.  We have lost sight of the things that matter, and harp on the things that don't.  We have forgotten Abraham Lincoln's words from the Gettysburg Address, "...a government of the people, by the people, and for the people, shall not perish from the earth."  It has become a government of the people who worry about few or are known by many, supposedly by the people though the people don't always get who they chose, and is for the people who make enough money to benefit the government.  

Since history often repeats itself, perhaps we should study and try not to our lose our notes.

An Apology In The Rough

I apologize to everyone for the sabbatical that I have taken in my posts.  I have been having some personal issues pertaining to family and friends, as well as myself.  My work has also interfered with my life, and is something I shall deal with accordingly.  Because of these reasons, I was unable to complete the first assigned story to report, which is something I shall also have to deal with the consequences of, and find a way to fix. I hope that out of my small audience, that I haven't lost any readers, as connecting with people and having them either agree with or simply look at something from another perspective gives me great joy.  I ask that you keep reading and do not forget me, and if I haven't posted, it is not because I have forgotten you.

What is news?

In today's society, the answer to this question is buried deep in the quicksand of our culture. There are so many stories that are reported on that leave us wondering "Why is this important?" Many are not, and have not only dumbed down society, but have bastardized the definition of "news". We are bombarded with stories of celebrities' misfortunes, often caused by their own actions.

News could be loosely defined as anything reported on that has occurred and has an audience. However, there are many stories and issues that are not reported on that are far more relevant and newsworthy than the crap that rains upon us.

Stories that were actually newsworthy that I found on the Baltimore Sun's website included one about a fatal shooting in East Baltimore, with one fatality and six victims total. The shooters sped away in a gray Nissan Altima, and were not identified. This story is actually newsworthy because it deals with a problem that Baltimore, and many other cities, have been facing for quite some time now. The extremely high amount of random (or not so random) acts of violence in the inner city, especially Baltimore, have plagued several major cities for many years. The proximity of this crime also lends to its' newsworthiness, as someone in Atlanta is much less likely to hear about this crime, or even give it a second thought.

Another story posted on the Baltimore Sun's website was about the damage and direction of Hurricane Ike. It has already killed four people in Cuba and seventy-four in Haiti, and had caused over a million people to be evacuated from their homes. The hurricane is headed toward the Gulf of Mexico, and Texas is planning on taking a big hit. This story is newsworthy because of the conflict value; the pitting of man against nature. It also touches on the timeliness aspect, as people have not forgotten about Hurricane Katrina and the death and destruction that it caused.

A story that I also found newsworthy on the Baltimore Sun's website was a story about rapper Lil' Wayne, who is being charged with illegal gun possession after an officer pulled over his tour bus after she reported "smelling marijuana." She apparently boarded the bus and found Lil' Wayne trying to hide a gun in a bag. This story, though it does not affect the community or society at large, has newsworthiness because it deals with a celebrity. Celebrities, and their lives, have always been extremely interesting to the public since the beginning of celebrities. When celebrities are having personal problems or get into legal trouble, the public's interest increases ten-fold, which you can decide for yourself what that means.

Backpack Journalism

A backpack journalist is someone who is always ready for a photograph, story or any interesting situation that they may encounter. They carry all the essentials needed for reporting, recording and remembering an experience. Jared Silfies, a journalism student, carries a backpack with a laptop and power adapter, digital camera, iPod, several USB drives, an SD card reader, headphones, a notebook and pencils, an Internet-capable phone and copies of The Associated Press Stylebook and The Elements of Style. I have not read this book, but the fact that Silfies carries it with him at all times signifies to me that there is most likely some valuable information in it. It also means that it has many applications and is very useful if you need to reference something in the field.

One of the impressive websites I saw by a student was by Nick Trost. He is a journalism student in Seattle, Washington. His site and the amount of experience he has are impressive for a twenty year old. I'm sure he carries a laptop computer with him, as well as a digital camera and/or video camera, digital voice recorder and notebook, as he has done work with photography, audio and video, as well as uploading them to the site. I hope to have a website that I can be proud of when I gain more experience and publish more work.

The Start of The Beginning

This will be the first time I have published anything online, or anywhere for that matter.  I don't know why, but starting this blog has made me excited, like the feeling you get when you find money in your pocket; not enough to buy anything but just a few dollars that you didn't know you had.  I guess it's just the thought of having my ideas in a place where there is a chance they may be read by others, and if I'm really lucky, relatable, helpful or at least enjoyable.

I'm not really sure how to start this, so here goes...I'm a Taurus, I enjoy long, moonlit walks on the beach, I...wait, that's not right.  I'm a 22 year old student at Towson University and I'd have to get back to you on whether I'm a junior or senior, as I am unsure myself.  

This is my second semester at Towson, having transferred from Harford Community College after getting my associate's degree.  I have realized that here you have to sign up for classes as soon as possible, as I was left to choose from a class selection that looked like a sale bin on the final day.  I did take Writing Poetry; a class I was extremely skeptical of, and not particularly looking forward to.  Even if you have never written, read or even have not found yourself interested in the past, as I had not before the class, I actually would recommend taking the class, solely because of the professor Clarinda Harriss.  She is a great teacher who made the class fun, and was happy as long as you tried, even if your poems had nothing to do with the assigned basic idea.  

I am now a Mass Communications major focusing on Journalism; writing is something I have enjoyed my entire life. I also plan on having a minor in photography, of which I am an avid enthusiast.  I have mostly done pictures of flowers and animals, as well as other nature shots, though I am really interested in portraiture and street photography, which I would like to do more of.  I'll post some of my personal favorites soon.  

I really like to paint when I have time; some of my favorite artists being Jean-Michel Basquiat, Jackson Pollock and Wassily Kandinsky. I'm also a very big fan of underground street artist Banksy, who if you have not heard of, I suggest taking a look.  I also love the styles of comic book artists Rick Griffin, Frank Miller and Robert Crumb.  I'm a big muscle car fan; I have a 1990 5.0 Mustang that wouldn't quite be called a diamond in the rough, but perhaps a rough diamond.  It's quick and loud, and has set off its' fair share of car alarms in the parking garages, which leaves me content for the moment.  

I was born in Philadelphia, and I root for the Ravens, but I'm an Eagles fan all the way.  All I know is that Kyle Boller can't lead a team, and if Donovan McNabb can stay healthy all season; the Eagles are always contenders.  I've also lived in Maryland and Atlanta, seeming to move about every five years, having lived in Maryland twice.  

Although this class seems like it may be a lot of work, I am looking forward to some of the assignments and skills we will be gaining.  Tangents aside, I'm not positive how to end this either, as many works are often felt unfinished by the author or artist.  So I suppose I'll just leave you with request and a promise, that you will keep reading and I will give you at least one of those Arsenio Hall "Things That Make You Go "Hmm"? moments.