U.S. v. Matthews case

My mother has always told me to at least tell one person where I’m going in case something bad happens. I suppose future journalists will have to follow this motherly rule to stay on the safe side of journalism. But how fair is that? What if he really was covering a freelance story that he was about to break? Or what if this reporter knew exactly what he was doing and using his profession as a cover to look at child pornographic images? I think these questions bring light to how the Web has changed journalism.

The Local ‘Election Connection’

I chose to analyze an Asheville, North Carolina newspaper Web site, Citizen-Times.com. The site’s homepage has the word ‘Election 2008′ typed across in bold American colors of red, white and blue. To the right there are two prominent titles reading, ‘Election Headlines’ and ‘Election Media.’ The second headline caught my eye. I thought that the media section was going to be filled with videos of local election coverage.

Denton County votes ‘yes’

Denton County voters passed a $495 million dollar bond package that would go towards road and bridge construction and technology and facility updates. The package was broken down into two propositions. The first one passed with flying colors and the second one passed, but not by a landslide.

Aired: Nov. 5, 2008

Meeting Online Standards

1.) Newsman Bob Casey’s depiction of journalistic ethics and  ”The 10 Commandments of News” clash like fire and water. The “anything for the story” motto bleeds through his of portrayal of journalistic standards during the 1920’s. Here’s how:

• Pretending to be a coroner over the phone in order to further a news story
• Acting as the Governor of Illonois
• Threatening or bribing a source
• Reading private mail and stealing evidence
• Kidnapping a main “character”
• Wire tapping a phone coversation

The system Casey describes breaks all of “The 10 Commandments of News”. Journalists have the unique opportunity of stepping into the lives of people they video, interview and photograph. Casey’s depiction of1920’s journalists didn’t use this position to their advantage. Instead, they took the lazy journalists’ route by threatening sources and reporting lies.

Today, knowingly misleading the audience causes a journalist to lose their credibility both in the newsroom and in the publice eye. Unlike Casey’s journalism era, stealing a photograph wouldn’t be necessary today when there’s computers to create and/or alter photos. However, altering photographs is also a direct violation of rule one.

Wire tapping a phone to gain information for a story is unethical and in some states against the law. A reporter must ask all parties for their permission before recodoring a phone call. If not, the information is unverified and can’t be reported. Kidnapping a character of a main story seems absurd, unless your reading a fictional book. The term character is generally used to describe fictional people in stories. The term person is used to describe real people in real news stories. Not to mention kidnapping is illegal.

There’s a great amount of pressure to meet a deadline or find a great story. That pressure doesn’t excuse Casey’s system. All of the 10 rules had one purpose: tell the truth.

In journalism, truthtelling is stoytelling.

Old People Vote, Young People Don’t?

Young people have their own ideas and opinions concerning the upcoming 2008 election. The difficult part is getting them to the polls, so perhaps one day those ideas, dreams and opinions can be implemented into American society.

“You can’t just convince college students and 18-year-olds that it’s cool to vote because ‘we can make a change’. You have to convince them that it’s their duty as an American citizen. It’s not just a cool thing to do,” said Graham Rainer, a political science major at the University of North Texas.

Flashes of the 2004 “Rock the Vote” campaign comes into hindsight as political analysts predict this year’s poll demographics.

The 2004 national campaign carried a lot of hype, but didn’t quite make the mark in the poll numbers as anticipated. Rainer said the college demographic is one of the hardest votes to get out and it’s one of the most inconsistent.

“Another reason college students don’t vote is because they look at their vote as simply one vote and that it doesn’t matter, but that’s not true,” he said.

Looking at the structure of the voting process, it can get kind of complicated. The electoral system is set-up to where each state gets a number of electors equal to its own number of members in the U.S. House of Representatives plus one for each of its two U.S. Senators. While state laws determine how electors are chosen, they’re generally selected by the political party committees within the states.

“In predominantly Republican states like Texas, Democrats might feel discouraged and not vote. And Republicans might not vote either because Texas is a red state. And then no one’s voting,” said Rainer.

Justina Beagnyam, a student at UNT, also thinks in terms of ‘red’ or ‘blue’ states.

“Voting in Texas I really don’t think it’s (vote) going to count that much because I pretty much know who’s going to win Texas,” she said.

Despite Beagnyam’s assumptions that John McCain will win the Texas vote, she said she’s still going to vote, just not for him.

Beagnyam’s fears she won’t be able to pay back her college loans with today’s economy, and feels that Barack Obama’s education plan will help future students.

“Strictly speaking, a single vote is not likely to be noticed across the electorate (not even in Florida in 2000),” said Dr. Philip Paolino, political science professor at the University of North Texas.

Based upon surprising voter turnout in the primaries the early voting polls are expected to be significantly higher in this election than in 2004. The question still lingers will young people, like college students shock previous statistics by making it to the polls this year.

“It would not surprise me if a greater percentage of younger people voted this year than did in 2004, but I would be surprised if turnout among younger people is as high as it is among people over 35,” said Dr. Paolino.

Dr. Paolino said the more important thing for people to do is to try to also encourage other people to vote, either individually with friends and acquaintances or through a political campaign.

Rainer helped support the Barack Obama campaign by doing a little campaigning of his own.

“I called people in swing states, like Colorado, and asked them if they could volunteer time,” he said. 

Rainer found how to volunteer for the Obama campaign through moveon.org.

Katie Sanders, a student at UNT, believes every vote counts.

“If everyone said, ‘oh my vote doesn’t matter’ then no one would go out and vote,” she said.

 

Story Topic

I want to do a feature piece on a person who’s a seasoned volunteer at the voting polls in Denton. I will tell this person’s story through still images, video and multiple sound bites.

Analyzing Pegasus News

This niche news source allows viewers to get personal with a click on the “Your Neighborhood” tab at the top of the homepage. The site takes it a step further with the ‘Daily You.’  If you register and provide an address, you can mold a homepage with specific news and information from your backyard.

The customized features makes Pegasusa unique site to obtain news and information. The site also offers a variety of entertainment ideas as well. I think the site also embraces those new to the DFW metroplex with the side bar features of restaraunts, movies, event, etc. Newcomers could literally find out everything from where to grab a drink to what’s going on in their child’s school. This is a perfect site for the modern, impatient news seeker/junkie.

Topix.com has similar concepts as Pegasus, but the site lacks clarity and functionality. I compared the sites by trying to find similar information and it took me half the time to find it on Pegasus. The site’s format is easy to follow and not overwhelming to the eye.

Overall, I was impressed with Pegasus. It’s a site that I would definitely recommend to others, and one I would use on a daily basis as long as I live in the DFW metroplex. But then again, under the site’s ‘About Me’ section, it says Pegasus will soon reach other major cities.

Comparing Campaign Web sites

Presidential hopefuls Barack Obama and John McCain each take a different approach when it comes to appealing to the American eye through their campaign Web sites. 

Although the main-stream candidates’ Web sites differ in design and functionality, both sites are relatively easy to navigate. 

Generally speaking, Barack Obama’s camp attracts a younger audience. Perhaps that’s why his campaign Web site applies modern technology to appeal to his supporters. Obama’s site caters to “on-the-go” Americans with easy access to mobile updates, as well as links to social networking tools like Facebook, MySpace and Twitter. 

In terms of typography and design, I noticed the font on Obama’s site is smaller than McCain’s type. The “Issues” tab on Obama’s site drops-down into several, specific issues. That element makes it easy to find what his policies are on each issue.

McCain’s Web site layout is clean and usable. Perhaps the site’s larger text and tabs might appeal to an older audience. McCain’s site does integrate social networking tools such as YouTube to reach his younger audience.

All in all, both sites are well-developed and user friendly.

The future of America’s economy

The first Presidential debate kicked off with each candidate’s financial plan.

Sen. Barack Obama said America’s slowing economy had to do with the lack of oversight from the Bush administration the past eight years. Sen. John McCain blames Wall Street’s melt-down on greed and corruption.

Both candidates did agree on the need for a recipe on financial stability. 

Sen. Obama said leaders must act wisely to undo the problems Wall Street has spilled over to Main Street America. 

Sen. McCain said he if he were elected he would take control of America’s finances by vetoing every spending bill.

Ike flooding sabotages Haiti

The rain might be over in Haiti, but Hurricane Ike’s structural and economical damage is just setting in. Ike’s torrential floodwaters sent thousands of Haitians adrift and a count of 58 people dead.

U.N. peacekeepers said they will help the stranded country overcome logistical difficulties. With sky high food and fuel prices, Haitians are relying on relief food.

Ike’s flooding could lead to lasting damage to Haiti’s “rice bowl,” which feeds majority of the starving country.