C Kyle's Class

Journalism Abroad

2007-07-13T18:16:00.000-05:00

Hey guys,
I know it's been ages, but my summer has been hectic with study abroad and now job searching. I HIGHLY recommend a journalism study abroad to all of you. Visiting newsrooms in the British Isles, and seeing how the news is covered in other countries is fascinating. The opportunity to write about another country as a foreigner and visitor is a challenging, exciting, and unique experience. I wrote about the Royal Ballet in London, music in Belfast, Northern Ireland, and an old theatre house in Edinburgh, Scotland. It was great. That's all the time I have for right now. Best of luck to everyone! Take my advice and peruse the study abroad website.

Two Weeks In

2007-06-11T13:25:00.001-05:00

I loved reading your post, and wish you greatest luck! Keep on writing and let me know how your summer is going. And where's the link to your personal blog?

Internship - Two Weeks In

2007-05-29T08:22:00.000-05:00

After two weeks as an intern at the Daily News in Greenville, I would have to say I have done a little bit of everything, as far as reporting goes that is.

On my second day on the "job" I attended an Oakfield Township meeting with Daily News senior reporter Ryan Jeltema. My instructions from my editor were to simply observe how Ryan worked and read his article in the newspaper the following day, taking note of what he wrote about, and in what style.

Ryan thought differently.

We each took notes on the meeting, and as I peered onto his laptop to see what he planned on writing about, I chose to focus on another aspect of the meeting.

Ryan asked me to go ahead and write an article on it, and so I did. I finished it the next day, and my Editor said "lets put it in."

So, I had my first article printed as an intern, 3 days in on the job. I was excited.

Then I attended a city council meeting, got two stories out of that, which were both printed the following day. Four days in and three stories printed. Things are looking good! (I was initially told I wouldn't have anything printed until three WEEKS in.)

Since then I have had two other stories printed, both front page articles - One of them the feature piece in the Saturday morning edition for Memorial Day weekend. This was really cool, as all front page articles are posted on the Daily News' website (http://www.thedailynews.cc).

So, in two weeks, I have had five articles printed, not to mention doing the police reports, obituaries, meetings in brief, and gas surveys......all with outdated NewsEditPro software! Needless to say, it has been a busy two weeks.

And all of it without seeing a dime!

But that has worked to my advantage.

If I have any advise for anyone in the middle of their college career,
looking for an internship at a newspaper, this has worked great for me - choose a newspaper that is understaffed, can't pay you, and is starving for writers and stories. You will find yourself sitting at your own desk, and basically taking over the role as a staff writer. You'll be on assignment in no time, with potential to have many front page stories printed over the course of your internship.

The only thing that seems to separate myself from the "official" reporters, is the paycheck that comes on Friday.

If you would like, you can check out my two front page articles thus far on the Daily News website for free -

Memorial Day story - This story was at the top of the paper and was printed with a picture that I took personally while interviewing the woman I spoke to.

- http://www.thedailynews.cc/main.asp?SectionID=2&SubSectionID=2&ArticleID=15316

Other front page story -

- http://www.thedailynews.cc/main.asp?Search=1&ArticleID=15288&SectionID=2&SubSectionID=11&S=1

And that's about it so far. With graduations coming up soon, I am sure to be very busy the next two weeks. I hope everything is going great for the rest of you. Enjoy your summer and keep us posted on whatever it is you are doing.

Cory -

Radio Ga Ga

2007-05-25T09:29:00.000-05:00

I must let you all know I thought of you while I was writing my first press release.

First and foremost, I’m really happy with my summer internship. While it’s for a group of radio stations, there are so many media aspects involved that I’ve never experienced. I’m definitely becoming more well rounded. I work primarily in the marketing department right now, so I do a lot of event planning and public relations. That said, one moment I’ll be tearing food/drink tickets for Harley Fest with a DJ and the next I’ll be writing a press release about a coming listener golf outing.

Keeping Ms. Kyle’s advice in mind with that press release, I tried to make it sound like I was familiar with my topic. I’m a geek, so I Googled “golf lingo.” I attempted to channel Allison or Craig because “knee knocker?” Can you use that in a sentence please? I did my best to wiggle in some appropriate rhetoric, but it was certainly a challenge.

I hope you’re all enjoying summer as much as I am. And if you ever need a laugh, try picturing me, that odd sorority girl, all dressed up and surrounded by bikers at Harley Fest.

Pentwater This Week

2007-05-09T14:03:00.000-05:00

Hi everyone! Okay so I am well into the first week of my internship. My editor, which I told you all about when I did my "good writing" piece, is going to Mayo Clinic for up to 3 months this summer for a stem cell transplant. Please keep her in your thoughts and prayers. So in light of her absence she has dubbed me the "project coordinator" of a new weekly news magazine entitled "Pentwater This Week". In case you are not familiar with Pentwater, it is a top tourist spot over here in West Michigan rivaled only by Silver Lake. So I am going to be running the show for the most part on this and I was hoping that some of you could offer any insight or ideas that could be helpful in my quest. This project is a such large undertaking and because of this I will not really have my hand in the regular newspaper (Oceana Herald-Journal) until probably July.

My project begins tomorrow with a trip to the Pentwater Historical Society to dig up some "gems" for locals and tourists to enjoy reading about/seeing in this little town. Then I am off to interview the asparagus queen (not joking). She is very nice, a lawyer with five kids, I just have to find out what her plans to help the community are. That is another one of my tasks, to layout and design the "Asparagus Advocate". It's a special section that runs the Thursday prior to the National Asparagus Festival which will be in my hometown of Shelby this year, about a mile and a half from my house.

Hope all of your summers are going great, I am looking forward to any suggestions you could give me or what your internships/study abroad/ jobs are like so far.

Not to muddy the waters......

2007-05-04T20:31:00.000-05:00

but we've celebrated the last class... turned in our last stories... said our good-byes.... and started packing up for our next adventures. It was my privelege to spend the semester with you... my thrill at your learning... and my delight to meet you and get to know you and your hopes and dreams for the future. This site invites you to share your summer experiences at home and abroad, and to give advice and counsel to J300 students of the future. Good luck to all of you, and above all, don't forget to keep writing!

Muddying the Waters

2007-05-01T14:37:00.000-05:00

The above-linked AP article underscores a sad, yet profound reality about the American political landscape. We’ve come to expect pomp and circumstance to dominate political news in the months leading up to a presidential election. But factor in an endless stretch of primaries, rallies, and lucrative “appearances” and the candidates’ schedules begin to match CNN’s programming schedule well over a year in advance of November 4, 2008.

When the opportunity arises for a candidate to roll up his or her sleeves and debate an issue, more often than not it’s time to run to the closet for those faithful tap dancing shoes. Today’s politicians put Fred Astaire to shame.

John McCain took a much-publicized trip to Iraq last month. He surveyed the scene outside the Green Zone and visited a market. The spectacle of McCain and several Congressmen perusing the streets in bullet-proof vests under the safeguard of Blackhawk helicopters made headlines, but what was really accomplished? Did McCain and his fellow tourists do much to improve our relations with the Iraqi everyman? Or did he resemble some affluent businessman on a junket to a foreign locale, the type who plays a round of golf between bouts of patronizing the natives?
More generally, political talking heads continue to make a point of Hillary Clinton’s chances of being the first-ever, honest-to-God, really-has-a-shot-somehow woman to take a seat in the oval office. Likewise, Barack Obama’s ethnic roots have been explored ad nauseum.

Fascinating as the crop of presidential candidates may appear from their various bios and flashy, jet-setting ways, we seem to have lost track of the issues at stake. For instance, where do the fickle firm of McCain, Clinton and Obama stand on immigrant rights? It’s a tricky problem to address, a topic of conversation that could earn you more alienation at a dinner party than Borat. Should we favor a guest worker program as suggested by President Bush, among others? Should we build a wall (and hire illegal immigrants to do it)? How about a moat? Pat Buchanan advocates troops at the border. Others argue that our ancestors all immigrated to America at one time or another and thus should be more tolerant of the newest wave of immigrants.

On his website, johnmccain.com, the Arizona senator stays mum about immigration policy. A link under the “Issues” tab mentions “Human Dignity & the Sanctity of Life”, but that turns out to be a commentary on the merits of overturning Roe v. Wade.

McCain is, of course, a proponent of a guest worker program, as past public comments and his voting record tend to support. In this bloated election cycle, though, McCain would rather talk about issues that don’t offend his conservative base. He’s become the man making a mad dash for the middle, the lukewarm milquetoast that McCain circa 2000 would have overrun in his Straight Talk Express with nary a thought as to what made that “thump” noise.

Hillary Clinton fares no better at confronting the complex immigration issue. Sebastian Mallaby, a Washington Post columnist, recently implored Clinton and fellow potential White House contender Rudy Giuliani to “stop avoiding the issue on the campaign trail.”

Saying that politicians flout the real issues is akin to saying plumbers have a propensity to let their pants ride low. We all know it, why talk about it? The jokes aren’t even funny anymore.
On the other hand, how long can these candidates ignore the 12 million protesters united yesterday to bring the immigration problem to light in Washington? What will it take to get their attention about an issue that affects us all – from the sub-minimum wage employee to the mogul…

Hey, did you hear Rudy Giuliani’s wife worked for a company that killed dogs to demonstrate a surgical procedure?

Sorry, what were we talking about anyway?

In Jesus' Name

2007-04-29T11:07:00.000-05:00

Last night, after a long day of studying, I decided to reward myself with a movie called Jesus Camp that had been holding up my NetFlix queue for about two months. I was apprehensive about watching the film because I knew it would probably just infuriate me, and I was right.

Directors Heidi Ewing and Rachel Grady document an evangelical Christian summer camp for kids run by Becky Fischer, a woman bent on reclaiming America for Christ. There's a lot of talk about all the terrible "stuff" going on here in "God's Country," and it's up to the next generation of Christian kids to fix it. Fischer compares her practice of indoctrinating kids at a young age to Muslim countries arming their kids with AK-47s. What's chilling is that she speaks in reverance, almost in envious tones, of Middle Eastern countries' determination to set their kids on the right path.

Then we get to see the kids Fischer preaches to. Here they're talking in tongues and proclaiming that they were "saved" at age 5. The film tells us that 75% of homeschooled children come from Evangelical backgrounds, and we see one such mother asking her child if he's gotten to the part in the textbook yet about science never doing anything good for society. Mind you, this is in their kitchen filled with electronic appliances, next to the family room where the kid was just watching a Christian DVD.

What's really disturbing about the documentary is the constant and deliberate erosion of the boundary between church and state, at least with this evangelical crowd. Before heading off the camp, one family "prays allegiance to the Christian flag of America." Once they get to the camp, the sermons aren't about love, forgiveness or any issue related to the Bible (although this could be due to selective editing on the filmmakers' parts), but rather political talking points like abortion and Harry Potter. At one point, the kids are told to pray to a cardboard cutout of George W. Bush for bringing morals back to America. Seriously.

What makes this documentary great is that it is surprisingly even-handed. The film never tries to allude that all religious folk are this fanatical, but it does make a point that the evangelical movement is growing in size, and they are determined to combine church and state for the good of the country. The directors mention that they've received complaint from only one subject regarding the way they were represented, meaning that everyone else, including Fischer, is fine with how the film depicts them.

The one complaint? You might remember a little scandal involving Ted Haggard, an evangelical leader who preaches against homosexuality in the film but later admitted to buying meth from a gay prostitute in an impromptu TV interview. He claims that the directors shot hours of footage of his sermon but only used snippets that would discredit him.

Overall, it's an eye-opening look at an increasingly popular and powerful religious group that one day could, as the film suggests, determine the policies that run this country. It's an honest, urgent and important film to see, and clocking in at a slim 85 minutes, it's actually possible to find time for this one.

Can Hometown Spartan Restore Lions' Roar?

2007-04-29T06:35:00.000-05:00

After the Lions drafted wide receiver Calvin Johnson with the second overall pick in the 2007 NFL draft, it was pretty obvious as to who the Lions would draft with their second pick...or so it seemed.

***

Passing on offensive tackle Joe Thomas for Johnson meant the Lions still have many holes to fill (wide receiver was NOT one of them). This leaves the Lions with a decision that should come at no surprise – it’s time to fill some holes.

Since the Lions drafted offensively in round one, they undoubtedly have to draft defensively in round two. The Lions desperately need to fill the hole left by Pro Bowl cornerback Dre’ Bly after Detroit traded him to the Denver Broncos. The Lions also released two safeties, need a star middle linebacker, and could use some help on the defensive ends.

The draft enters the second round and Lions fans are waiting in anticipation. After taking the “best player in the draft” the Lions couldn’t possibly disappoint their fans with the next pick. Could they?

Could it be Paul Poslusnzny, the star outside linebacker out of Penn State? Maybe Eric Weddles, a safety out of the University of Utah? Or maybe even Chris Houston out of Arkansas, the best cornerback still left on the draft board?

It wasn’t long before the Lions made their decision…to trade the pick. Detroit traded their second round pick for Buffalo’s second and third round picks.

40 minutes and nine picks later, Detroit was back on the clock.

Poslusnzy? … Gone.

Weddles? … Gone.

Houston? … Gone.

All three are on their way to other teams, buts that’s OK. The Lions need a star inside linebacker, and who else on the board but the University of Michigan’s own David Harris! Detroit has their future defensive star sitting right in front of them! This is someone they can build around and count on for years to come!

On mlive.com’s live draft chat room fans are going crazy for Harris! His name floods the computer screen and everyone is praising the Lions for trading down and acquiring a star inside linebacker!

As the Lions get ready to select their next pick, ESPN switches their coverage over to none other than Michigan State Quarterback Drew Stanton - who happens to be on the phone. A nervous and uncertain Stanton suddenly breaks into a big smile that stretches from cheek to cheek - pearly whites and all.

The atmosphere of the chat room has changed. Everyone knows what is coming. David Harris will not be the next player to put on a Lions jersey.

- With the 43^rd pick in the 2007 draft, the Detroit Lions select Drew Stanton, quarterback, Michigan State University. -

The Lions have done it again. They found a way to waste another draft pick. Alright Lions fans, time to pack it in…

…Or is it?

With veteran quarterback John Kitna running on little fuel left in the tank, the young Dan Orlovsky without a snap in 2006, and Josh McCown on his way to Oakland, Stanton has the chance to step in (in 2008) and take hold of the reigns in Detroit – he will certainly have the weapons available to get it done.

Stanton played on a team with little to no support around him. You could call it average at best. A group of receivers who seemed to have more drops than catches and an offensive line that left Stanton scrambling for his life on nearly every other play were about all the support he had.

But at least Stanton is familiar with Detroit’s offense. Their receivers like to drop balls too, and the offensive line allowed more sacks than any other team in the NFL last year. It should be like playing for the same team, only Lions coach Rod Marinelli doesn't slap himself during interviews.

However, that could all change in a year’s time (minus the slapping). The Lions will have what could be the deadliest wide receiver core of all time (this was also said when the Lions drafted Roy Williams in 2004 – oops!) and a trio of running backs who, when healthy, are all very deadly scoring threats.

With Offensive Coordinator Mike Martz controlling the offense and quarterback John Kitna showing Stanton the ropes for a year, Lions fans can only hope that Drew Stanton is the next Carson Palmer. Palmer was mentored a full year by Kitna before replacing him a year later and eventually taking the Cincinnati Bengals into the playoffs.

Something to consider is that this was not a strong draft for quarterbacks outside the first round. The Lions took Stanton as the fifth quarterback off the board. So anyone who says the Lions could have drafted Stanton later in the draft, it wouldn’t be worth the risk. Harris would have been a nice pick, for this year, but the Lions weren’t drafting for this year. When you only win three games in a season you have too much rebuilding to do to look just one year into the future.

The Lions demonstrated today that they are drafting for the road ahead. The next two picks went defensively, but unless you went to the university of Hawaii or Boise State you probably have no idea who the Lions drafted. (Defensive end, Ikaika Alma-Francis and safety, Gerald Alexander – I’ll let you guess which one is from Hawaii)

Stanton has the skills and the weapons around him to turn Detroit around. The fact that most people attending Lions games can’t remember the last time Detroit had a steady, reliable quarterback will place the bar very high for Stanton. Don’t expect him to be given the same treatment that quarterback Joey Harrington received. University of Michigan fans will be the harshest critics of all, and they make up about half of Detroit’s fan base.

When the 2008 season comes around Stanton should be ready to step in, familiar with the offense. For now this is still Kitna’s team. He will take the weekly beating, eating turf as Stanton watches from the sidelines. Hopefully when it’s Stanton’s turn to lead the huddle the Lions won’t be drafting for the future, but for the playoffs and beyond.

COMING SOON: The JumboTron of golf.

2007-04-29T00:32:00.000-05:00

Just when you thought golf couldn't get any more intense... it goes digital.

These 7'7" tall and 20'2" wide scoreboards will soon be a common sight amongst the trees of golf tournaments where PGA tour events are commonly played (think Augusta National, TPC, Pebble Creek).

What's next?... songs such as "Eye of the Tiger", the Rocky theme song, being played as players like Tiger Woods walk up the 18th fairway?!

Wait no longer...professional women's "football" is back in the US

2007-04-26T18:40:00.000-05:00

I just finished reading a very good article titled "Another Go at a Women’s League, but Not Going It Alone " by Jack Bell.

Basically, this article is about how there will once again be a professional women's soccer league. The Women’s United Soccer Association ended after the 2003 season, having raced through $40 million in seed money — which was supposed to last for five years — in only one season.

This is very exciting for me, as I love soccer. Soccer was my life growing up (this was before I discovered my love for golf), and to this day I love a good competitive game of soccer. Mia Hamm (a former player of the Washington Freedom and US National Team) was my favorite player, as with every other soccer playing pre-teen in the nation. Hanging in my room were numerous posters of Hamm and other women's soccer players frozen forever in intense soccer action on my walls.

I remember watching the 1999 Fifa World Cup finals-- United States vs. China with my soccer jersey on with the rest of my soccer team. I also remember twisting my fingers with anticipation and excitement as the game went into a shootout, and screaming and shouting as Brandi Chastain scored the cup winning penalty shot and ran to the middle of the field ripping off her jersey.

So when the US decided to discontinue their professional women's league, I was upset to say the least... especially because women's soccer was just about the only women's sport I loved watching (I'd watch women's soccer over men's soccer any day).

Once 2008 rolls around, women's soccer can once again be a part of my daily sports intake, and even though Michigan won't have a participating team (at least not as of yet), I'm loving it.

Who knows... maybe I'll be lucky enough to write articles for the WUSA one day...

Site Meter

2007-04-25T16:20:00.000-05:00

I added a site meter to the bottom of the page. It will allow us to keep track of site views. Just click that snazzy little Rubik’s cube logo and you’ll be swept off to a page of web-stalkery.

Try clicking “By Location” on the left toolbar to see where our visitors are from. “By Referrals” tells you how they found our site. You can also find out what browser is being used, the resolution of the monitor, the operating system, the length of visit and the exact latitude and longitude. Creepy much?

Enjoy!

And with the first pick...

2007-04-25T14:19:00.000-05:00

Pro football fans are drooling over this Saturday's NFL draft.

It's interesting to me that year after year, promising draft prospects end up becoming duds and fans wonder, years later, "What was that team thinking?"

Take Charles Rogers, left, for example. He was drafted by the Detroit Lions in 2003 and ended up having a short career that consisted of more drug use than touchdowns.

Yahoo.com has an interesting list of the best and worse first-round picks of all time. Rogers, a former Spartan, made the list as one of the worse.

PBS Broadcast "Buying the War"

2007-04-24T18:39:00.000-05:00

Now I know none of us have time to watch television.

However, there is a 90 minute special on PBS tomorrow (Wednesday, April, 25) with Bill Moyers, who is accusing the news media of selling the Iraq War to the American public prior to official U.S. involvement.

Greg Mitchell of Editor and Publisher previewed it, you can read the article by clicking on the above title. It sounds pretty interesting.

Has Our Focus, as a Community, Shifted?

2007-04-23T14:36:00.000-05:00

The headline of the sports section of the State News' Sports section reads "Green Team Pounds White". Below this headline is a photo of reciever T.J. Williams diving over a pair of defenders for a few extra yards in the teams annual spring, green and white game.

I am questioning the focus of people because, not only was the white team pounded by the green team in saturday's game.
A MSU student was allegedly "jumped" by a group of males who have been named as members of the MSU football team . The incident took place late Friday night, early Saturday morning outsde of the L&L grocery across the street from Carriage Hill apartments which was the location of a house party.

There was an incident in which one of the football players was involved in a fight while inside the party. After the fight the player left the party and came back with friends to seek revenge for what just happended to him. The "jumpee" and four friends were arriving the party when he was ambushed.

He eventually walks away after being struck in the face and the back of the head. He was also thrown to the ground and was "stomped". Though he walked away from the situation, and drovev himself back to his room in Hubbard Hall, when he went to the hospital the next day, he found out that his kneecap was broken. He will forever walk with a limp, and there has been no coverage of this incident.

What is GOING on? Is the spring game of MSU's HORRIBLE football program more important than the safety of a student?

Fat and Gay in America, AKA a "Double Winner"

2007-04-17T22:02:00.000-05:00

I too have found a really great article on The New York Times website that offers a different perspective of the Don Imus controversy.

In "Our Prejudices, Ourselves" Harvey Fierstein writes about his feelings of second-class citizenry due to prejudice he has experienced in a country where hate speak against homosexuals seems to be the norm (Fierstein is a gay man).

So, is hate speech against ethnic groups taken more seriously than that against homosexuals?

After reading Fierstein's article, I would say yes.

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/04/13/opinion/13fierstein.html?_r=1&oref=slogin

As if you haven't heard enought about Imus

2007-04-17T18:06:00.000-05:00

I know, I know, you're sick of hearing about the Don Imus story. I know I am.

However, I read a great article today by Todd Boyd, a media commentator and a professor of critical studies at USC.

My first post on this blog was about hip hop. The Imus debacle has resulted in a lot of public leaders attacking this genre of music recently. While I am a big fan of hip hop, I didn't know how to defend it or some of the words you find in its lyrics that resemble what came out of Imus' mouth. This article cleared up a lot for me.

Experimenting with Video

2007-04-16T22:57:00.000-05:00

I have recently put a good amount of time towards my sports blog, which has a strong focus on the Detroit Tigers, and have now incorporated video highlights directly into my blog. If you would like to check it out, pay a visit via the link on the blog role on the right column of this site. I think it adds a whole new element to the visual experience a reader may encounter while viewing someones blog.

I haven't found any videos that are worthy of adding to this particular blog as of yet, but by experimenting with my own blog I have already learned a great deal about adding video to blogs and dealing with HTML.

I'm still in the developing stages of adding video, but I feel I can only improve the quality of my blog with my continued efforts in working with video.

This is what gives journalists a bad name

2007-04-15T21:21:00.001-05:00

The following article is why people don't trust journalists:

http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070415/NEWS07/70415004&imw=Y

After reading this article, I first thought what is the point of taking trees and anonymous people out of photos, and why are people so upset about it?

Then I realized it wasn't what he took out of the pictures that was the issue, it was the integrity of journalists. The editing of the photos gives journalists a bad name, and makes people think that if they aren't seeing the real picture, maybe the whole story isn't there either.

Administrator VS. Contributer

2007-04-12T01:15:00.000-05:00

So, just a quick observation here. I was trying to mess with the template design of the site, and I realized...I can't do anything to the design...period. I would assume this is because Craig is the lone "administrator" while the rest of us are just "contributers." I don't know if Craig can alter that or not...but I would like to see what designs the site has to offer. That, and Ms. Kyle sorta asked us to mess around with the settings and have a little fun with it from the beginning.

New Vu

2007-04-06T08:50:00.001-05:00

Cool new look! How about adding a "blogroll?"

STRATEGY ASSIGNMENT!

2007-04-03T09:23:00.000-05:00

For a daily assignment grade, take a look at the Time Magazine cover piece that Alesa recommended, then consider this scenerio....

You are the editor of a weekly newspaper in the community you are covering. You want your general assignment reporter to localize the Time Magazine story.

Now, write a one-page strategy outlining:

What might be the story you want your reporter to cover?
Who might your reporter talk to about that story? Who would be good sources, why would they make good sources and how easy are they to contact?
Are there any video elements to this story that could be added to a website or blog?
What sort of questions would you, as editor, want your reporter to ask, and what sort of questions might your community want that reporter to answer in the story?

An example of gritty writing

2007-03-27T11:07:00.000-05:00

I am fond of alternative weekly news publications and the city of Detroit. This article from the Metrotimes has both elements and is an example of gritty writing with a beat to match. What do you guys think?
http://www.metrotimes.com/editorial/story.asp?id=10306

When I'm not indulging in that YAF story...

2007-03-22T23:46:00.000-05:00

I'm really fascinated by this First Amendment vs. separation of church and state business right now.

Check out the cover story in next week’s Time Magazine. The media also seems to be on a Prothero kick.

Go on, take the money and run

2007-03-20T21:54:00.000-05:00

I’m a bit late in reporting this, but an intriguing Dateline NBC special aired earlier this evening. The piece, titled “To Catch a Con Man”, highlighted various small-time confidence games employed by Internet grifters. See here for a typical example.

Bogus emails promising recipients the opportunity to get rich quick inundate inboxes, just waiting for a naïve, trusting victim to fall for them. Most people see through the thinly-veiled scam tactics, simply deleting the emails. Not so in the case of a few unlucky souls spotlighted in the NBC piece.

As Dateline correspondent Chris Hansen notes, successful scammers leech about $5,000 per victim, on average.

Enter Thomas Katona, the former Alcona County treasurer who stands accused of embezzling more than $1.2 million from county coffers. He allegedly invested and lost most of that money in a fictitious Nigerian net scam. The county had planned to use those funds to upgrade its police cars, among other things.

I’m trying to track down a tape of this Dateline special to see if the Alcona County story is featured, and for how long. I know MSNBC sent a correspondent to Harrisville a few weeks ago and interviewed the principals.

(Full disclosure: my dad has the unenviable task of defending Katona in court. The prosecutor insisted on taking the case to trial, which one might point out will end up costing the county even more than would a simple settlement.)

Has anyone gotten any good scam emails lately? Did any of them seem promising, if only for a second?

"Gritty?" ... could you use it in a sentence please?

2007-03-20T20:52:00.000-05:00

Here are my results after a valiant attempt at tackling the "Class challenge and Personal Stretch Exercise."

Now, as much I still don’t quite understand what is meant by an “urban, gritty writing style” that reflects a community with a beat to match, I have done my best to find an example that I believe comes relatively close to “urban” and “gritty.”

I started with a search for an urban newspaper, heading in the direction of the nearest “gritty” city I could think of. I didn’t have to look far - Detroit is just an hour away.

The only time I can claim Detroit came off as an appealing city was during a visit when Ford Field hosted the super bowl. Vacant buildings were lit up with visions of star football players and team logos, beams of light shot up into the empty sky, and buildings besides the Renaissance Center seemed to come alive. For once, Detroit shined brighter than the lights that illuminate the Windsor casino across the Detroit River.

Since then, the only lights I see shining are those that light up the empty lots filled with cranes and construction workers.

In a city that is struggling to survive in a constantly changing world, it is the perfect fit for a “gritty” writing style.

Mitch Albom of the Detroit Free Press is a prime example.

Albom is a columnist at the Detroit Free Press who usually writes on professional and collegiate athletics in Michigan, though he doesn’t limit himself to writing on sports alone. Albom has won the Associated Press Sports Editors national column-writing contest 13 times. He is the only columnist to win the award, the highest in sports journalism, more than once.

Albom hasn’t limited himself to just his column, as he has written several books as well. His latest book, “For One More Day,” has been on the New York Times’ best-seller list since September.

His first novel, “The Five People You Meet in Heaven,” has sold more than 8 million copies in hardcover since its September 2003 release. It also debuted at No. 1 on the New York Times’ fiction list and became the most successful first novel in U.S. history.

The article by Albom that I have chosen as an example is titled “Judge should be above zany case.” It is focused around the current trial involving the now deceased celebrity Anna Nicole Smith.

Considering Bonnie Bucqueroux just lectured to our journalism class this past Monday on criminal cases, and we will be writing on court cases relatively soon, what better example to use than that of Anna Nicole Smith (a heavy topic of discussion during Bonnie’s visit)?

Albom’s writing is both aggressive and straight to the point – a very opinionated point, but it is his column after all. In his article Albom even claims that his writing may be considered “priggish” which is defined as “A person who demonstrates an exaggerated conformity or propriety, especially in an irritatingly arrogant or smug manner.” – I’ll accept that definition as borderline “gritty.”

Just to demonstrate some of Albom's “gritty” vocabulary, his article puts to use such words and phrases as “deadbeat gold digger,” “glitzy,” “spotlight-seeking vultures,” “sick and bizarre,” and many others that express his disapproval with the overall progress of the trial.

I’m at a loss as of how to continue to describe how the article can be any more “urban” or “gritty” than with the vocabulary that is used. Much of the "gritty" style is portrayed in Albom's opinions, as he writes with frustration and disgust toward the judge and trial itself. Albom writes with a bias, as much of the article surrounds his own opinions, but I think that in order to make something seem "gritty" you have to get your own point of view across. You must write something that is a reflection of what you are writing about, who you are writing for, and of yourself.

Read his article and see for yourself. If you’re sick of the Anna Nicole Smith story, as I am, then you will love it, as I did.

His style of bashing and criticizing sports teams goes right along with the style of play that teams such as the Detroit Pistons and Michigan State Spartans have to offer. Brutal and agressive – no one messes with ‘em. This is exactly like the city of Detroit, which is about as tough a place to live as you can find in the entirety of the United States.

Albom’s style is very reflective of Detroit's culture, a city rich in professional sports. The city and Albom's sports beat make the perfect match to create a "gritty" writing style that residents of the city can continue to enjoy.

Oh, and as far as relating Albom's article to public affairs is concerned, this court case can relate closer to both social and political issues than anything else you can find on TV right now.

Try it for yourself. Turn on the TV, flip through a few channels, and you will probably find at least one network still covering the issue.

And they will be, for a long, long time.

It's MySpace... or is it?

2007-03-20T19:42:00.000-05:00

In light of our love for the first amendment, I read the following article by Brad Stone in the New York Times:

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/03/20/technology/20myspace.html?ref=technology

I think it's about time that myspace.com regulated it's content. I do not think it is a violation to the first amendment at all, because when you sign up for the site, it's like signing an agreement. The agreement when signing up for MySpace.com includes the fact that they are allowed to regulate your site, and decide if the contents are appropriate or not.

Companies like YouTube.com got their fame from MySpace.com, which is also stated in the article. People would post videos from YouTube.com onto their MySpace.com pages, and people would click to view them, making YouTube.com more and more popular as time went on (eventually leading to it's recent purchase by google.com for $1.65 billion).

The new regulations make it so that widgets no longer work on personal pages, as well as any form of advertisement (unless advertising FOX, who owns MySpace.com , of course). MySpace.com's biggest concentration is music, and is responsible for a handful of artists' fame. So on MySpaceMusic sites, one cannot have advertisements for their record companies or anything else of that nature. If they do do this, MySpace.com has the right to take them down.

In short, I personally don't like MySpace.com and think it's a criminal hotbed. I am glad that they are regulating their site somewhat, but they also have a long way to go.

Half of high school seniors believe Sodom and Gomorrah were married

2007-03-19T21:55:00.000-05:00

In response to Stephen Prothero’s Los Angeles Times editorial, “We live in a land of biblical idiots”:

Sixty percent of Americans can’t name five of the Ten Commandments. This should be a tad disconcerting for a country that occasionally feuds over whether or not they should be displayed outside a courthouse.

On this, I absolutely agree with Stephen Prothero. Americans are truly “more focused on loving Jesus than on learning what he had to say.” The United States is a primarily Christian nation and we should be well versed in the motivations of our legislators and ourselves.

To mend this flaw, Prothero proposes that every public high school student in the country takes one class on the Bible.

Anyone who has ever taken an impartial religion class should know how valuable the experience can be. Religion is at the root of politics, education and nearly every aspect of modern culture. Religion gives humanity purpose and goals. To know what drives others can clarify conflicts, political and otherwise.

The problem with this suggestion is that it does neglect diversity and the author acknowledges this. Yes, we have a religious majority that deserves recognition. But what about Muslims, who are often framed as THE Middle Eastern opposition? How does their religion drive them? Why should we care? Perhaps this is even more important to our modern politics than an understanding of Christianity.

I don’t think Prothero’s is a terrible idea. I believe, though, that public religious education cannot overlook the religions that built up to Christianity, the religions that our laws are based on and the religions that hold different views. As long as religious texts are taught as literature and nothing more (is this possible?), their public teaching could be a constructive step toward tolerance and understanding.

P.S. One of my favorite blogs has compiled an amusing list of things Americans don't know about their religion.

First Amendment Warrior

2007-03-19T13:55:00.000-05:00

I am behind in sharing this with you, but you must take note of this great man's contribution to your world, and mine....http://media.www.bsudailynews.com/media/storage/paper849/news/2007/01/08/News/Louis.E.Ingelhart.Leaves.Behind.Legacy-2601634.shtml?norewrite200701080710&sourcedomain=www.bsudailynews.com

Great story, greater photo.

2007-03-16T14:24:00.000-05:00

"Starr 2 Argue 4 School Rules"

Here's a First Amendment story worth checking out in the Wall Street Journal's Washington Wire. A high school kid’s absurd statement has gone all the way to the Supreme Court.

2007-03-14T09:40:00.000-05:00

OK.... Class Challenge and Personal Stretch Exercise...

Show me a newspaper or magazine writer with an urban, gritty writing style reflective of the community with a beat to match.

And then tell me... what DOES this have to do with public affairs writing?

Then.... suggest two stories in your community and your beat reflective of Craig's post. For example, are there any very colorful characters to profile in your community? Any controversial characters who are living a life outside the bounds, and willing to put themselves up against the majority views?

R.I.P. B.I.G.

2007-03-11T20:27:00.000-05:00

Friday marked the 10-year anniversary of the murder of Christopher "Notorious B.I.G." Wallace.

Wallace, also popularly known as Biggie Smalls (a name inspired both by Wallace's size and by the character in the 1975 gangster film Let's Do It Again), remains a hip hop icon a decade after his untimely death.

Wallace's classic debut album Ready to Die was one of the first hip hop records I listened to. My cousin, who was four years older than I, had what I would still call a great taste in hip hop. She started me on other artists like Jay-Z and The Fugees when I was young, probably only around 10 years old.

At that age, I had no business listening to Wallace's graphic lyrics. To see what I mean, you need not look any further than the lyrics of the robber's anthem "Gimme the Loot" or the shoot-em-up "Machine Gun Funk."

But Wallace's gritty and explicit lyrics were reflections of the streets he grew up on in the Bedford-Stuyvescant section of Brooklyn, New York.

Growing up during the peak years of the crack epidemic that swept through Brooklyn in the 1980s, Wallace dropped out of high school to sell drugs at age 17. Within a year after dropping out, he was arrested on weapons charges in Brooklyn and sentenced to five years' probation. A year later, he was arrested on a violation of his probation.

Wallace recorded his first demo after he was arrested on a drug-related trip to North Carolina where he was selling crack cocaine. Wallace vividly portrayed these times of his life in his music:

"I make music about what I know. If I'd worked at McDonald's, I would've made rhymes about Big Macs and fries and stuff like that. In Brooklyn, I see hustling, I see killing, I see girls, I see cars — that's what I rap about, what's in my environment. Everything I did on the album was all about me. Me and Brooklyn."

The demo tape ended up in the hands of Mister Cee, who at the time was a DJ for the legendary Big Daddy Kane. In 1992, Wallace featured in The Source magazine's "Unsigned Hype" column. His demo was then heard by producer Sean "Puffy" Combs (shown right with Biggie), who met with Wallace and signed him to his upstart label, Bad Boy Records, later that year.

Ready to Die was released in September of '94 and sold more than 4 million copies. It was the only solo album released before Wallace was shot four times and killed a decade ago. However, this album and projects like Life After Death released after his death produced hip hop classics.

In just the 25 years he was alive, Wallace generated a career that most hip hop critics would rank him as one of the top rappers all time. DJ Collective of local radio station Impact 89FM's Cultural Vibe, a weekly hip hop show, devoted the first 20 minutes of Saturday night's show to playing some of Wallace's greatest hits.

While I wish I were older when Wallace was alive to better appreciate his talent, I feel fortunate to have grown up listening to him. One online biography summed up my thoughts when I listened to Saturday's broadcast:

"Wallace was a gifted storyteller with a sense of humor and an eye for detail, and his narratives about the often violent life of the streets were rarely romanticized; instead, they were told with a gritty, objective realism that won him enormous respect and credibility. The general consensus in the rap community was that when his life was cut short, sadly, Biggie was just getting started."

Welcome!

2007-03-05T13:08:00.000-05:00

Welcome to the BLOG of Journalism 300 at Michigan State University. This is intended to become a website where everyone in class can contribute/edit/administrate/share ideas/share thoughts and gain experience with blogs. Good writing is the rule. Pictures and video are yet to come! Share your examples of good writing, what you are reading and what you are hearing and seeing and experiencing about journalism as we embark together on this unique adventure!