Interesting how people respond to you when you produce the tape recorder...you know?
It's like this.
"Hello my name is Nathan Childs ' I'm a repoter for the Independent '? " I'll say.
"Well hello nathan I'm 'so n so' " they'll say.
"I would like to know if you will make your self available for comment about these 'such n such' topics." I'lll say.
"Of course ask away!" they'll say.
"I will be tape recording our conversation in order to get the quotes right." I'll say.
Then I ask them to spell and announce their name. Usually the conversations go very well. Athletes love the mic or hate it. Admins love the mic or hate it. Common students love and hate. Journalists love and hate the mic.
I haven't decided wether or not I love or hate the mic... So I thought I would break down the positives and the negatives.
Positives.
I get the spelling of names, acronyms, pronounciations, etc.
Negatives.
The tapes malfunction and I go nutz, pulling hair out of my head.
Postives.
you capture candor and emotion.
Negatives.
Transcribing is a chore.
Positives.
Archival reference and evidence.
Negatives.
Maintainance.
It seems to be a fair and equal match.
I don't know how much tape recording helen thomas was doing. I haven't had any time to read her book... I have been stumbling through this quarter trying to not trip over my own tongue. I think that there are many issues and many fronts. They all need to be addressed and addressed in the proper way... I guess that all this calling my character into question is a heat to temper not destroy. I haven't done anything wrong. I have the right to know and to ask questions and to get to the bottom of things.
Veils are meant to be lifted by the press. We aren't the tailors of the curtain. We climb up into the rafters and focus the lights on the tears in the fabric. Some times when we glimpse on to the other side of the curtain and see Oz in his humility, we are forced to decide. Do we pull the curtain back and expose his frailty to the wind? or do we coddle him and extort the power of his loud speakers?
Tuesday, May 22, 2007
Blog HW #5
Catch up work. All the better to get it done instead of slide it under the bed. I don't really know if Helen Thomas is worth the time right now?
I have been reading snips of her book. Progress is hard to come by. At the beginning of the quarter I could devour a chapter in an hour. Now my mind wonders back to the task at hand. Thomas is an interesting woman. I can't help but think that by the time the book wraps up things will make better sence. I guess that is why I have to read the book? no?
Around the time this was originally due I imagine I was working on some aspect of the Fire extinguisher story, even the security task force meetings. Either way I was up to my ears, boiling with the tirelessness of my day. The days are long. I spend them wrangling the facts, devouring them, dividing the numbers, scouring the opinions, editting the editting...
Some how my reputation got thrown into the mix. I have to balance my ego, knowledge nad zeal to unravel the ravelling. Hal Dengerink the chancellor of WSUV pinned me to the wall with an assumption. Some how I projected a misunderstanding. It is the hard lessons that mold one self, I'll clear up the misunderstanding in the article I wrote.
Nathan Childs
Gina McIlvenny
News
May 18, Graffiti scrawled on a men’s restroom at Washington State University Vancouver (WSUV) forced administrators and campus security personnel to heighten measures in attempts to quell any supposed threats.
“WSUV’s response to the current threat is to increase police presence on campus,” said Lt. Dave Stephensons of campus security WSUV.
The heightened security measures are in response to the threats written in the men’s bathroom.
“This response level matches the level of the threat,” said Stephenson.
Information about the threats and whom they are directed to are not available.
“Just like before, investigation content, results, and data are subject of police investigation,” said Stephenson.
This is not the first time threats have been scrawled in restrooms at WSUV.
The April 25th issue of The Independent covered a news story about an evacuation on the WSUV campus.
At that time it was unclear who wrote the threat at WSUV.
Chancellor Hal Denrink said, “Prank or not it is against the law, we will prosecute,” according to a quote in the April 25th issue of The Independent.
“The threat level was analyzed as somewhat less this time, because it wasn’t in the immediate time of the Virginia Tech events, which it was last time,” said Sheri Byrd Communications Coordinator at WSUV.
The events at Virginia Tech were referenced in the original threats that caused a campus wide evacuation. The specifics of the most recent threats are still under investigation, yet the response was measured by campus security.
Lori Brockman-Torres, Director of Marketing and Communications at WSUV mentioned the relationship between the events at Virginia Tech and the graffiti being scrawled in WSUV restrooms.
“Basically, when you’ve got a threat that’s referencing a previous incident like the Virginia Tech event,” said Brockman-Torres, “… and the threat occurs further away from the date or the anniversary date of the Virginia tech shootings or the Columbine shootings, the level of the threat is a lot less as if it were to occur right around the time of the Virginia tech shootings or the Columbine shootings.”
Ami Ahern-Rindell an associate professor of Biology at the University of Portland uses the research library at WSUV where the original graffiti was discovered on April 17. Ahern-Rindell sees the measures being put in place.
“Someone has to make the decision as to whether this is a false alarm or not,” said Ahern-Rindell, “ From a certain standpoint, we always want to lean towards being overly conscious.”
Ahern-Rindell also sees the importance of transparency surrounding these issues.
“I think people should be made aware of the threats and to be told what is in place to protect them. They need to know specific details, or anything that jeopardizes the actual process of protecting them,” said Ahern-Rindell.”
WSUV student Sue Ann McWatters was on campus at the time of the heightened security.
“I think that someone just has an exam and doesn’t want to take it, that’s like really main thing. I’m trying to convince myself, that that’s what it is because if it’s not I’ll be scared out of my mind,” McWatters said.
I have been reading snips of her book. Progress is hard to come by. At the beginning of the quarter I could devour a chapter in an hour. Now my mind wonders back to the task at hand. Thomas is an interesting woman. I can't help but think that by the time the book wraps up things will make better sence. I guess that is why I have to read the book? no?
Around the time this was originally due I imagine I was working on some aspect of the Fire extinguisher story, even the security task force meetings. Either way I was up to my ears, boiling with the tirelessness of my day. The days are long. I spend them wrangling the facts, devouring them, dividing the numbers, scouring the opinions, editting the editting...
Some how my reputation got thrown into the mix. I have to balance my ego, knowledge nad zeal to unravel the ravelling. Hal Dengerink the chancellor of WSUV pinned me to the wall with an assumption. Some how I projected a misunderstanding. It is the hard lessons that mold one self, I'll clear up the misunderstanding in the article I wrote.
Nathan Childs
Gina McIlvenny
News
May 18, Graffiti scrawled on a men’s restroom at Washington State University Vancouver (WSUV) forced administrators and campus security personnel to heighten measures in attempts to quell any supposed threats.
“WSUV’s response to the current threat is to increase police presence on campus,” said Lt. Dave Stephensons of campus security WSUV.
The heightened security measures are in response to the threats written in the men’s bathroom.
“This response level matches the level of the threat,” said Stephenson.
Information about the threats and whom they are directed to are not available.
“Just like before, investigation content, results, and data are subject of police investigation,” said Stephenson.
This is not the first time threats have been scrawled in restrooms at WSUV.
The April 25th issue of The Independent covered a news story about an evacuation on the WSUV campus.
At that time it was unclear who wrote the threat at WSUV.
Chancellor Hal Denrink said, “Prank or not it is against the law, we will prosecute,” according to a quote in the April 25th issue of The Independent.
“The threat level was analyzed as somewhat less this time, because it wasn’t in the immediate time of the Virginia Tech events, which it was last time,” said Sheri Byrd Communications Coordinator at WSUV.
The events at Virginia Tech were referenced in the original threats that caused a campus wide evacuation. The specifics of the most recent threats are still under investigation, yet the response was measured by campus security.
Lori Brockman-Torres, Director of Marketing and Communications at WSUV mentioned the relationship between the events at Virginia Tech and the graffiti being scrawled in WSUV restrooms.
“Basically, when you’ve got a threat that’s referencing a previous incident like the Virginia Tech event,” said Brockman-Torres, “… and the threat occurs further away from the date or the anniversary date of the Virginia tech shootings or the Columbine shootings, the level of the threat is a lot less as if it were to occur right around the time of the Virginia tech shootings or the Columbine shootings.”
Ami Ahern-Rindell an associate professor of Biology at the University of Portland uses the research library at WSUV where the original graffiti was discovered on April 17. Ahern-Rindell sees the measures being put in place.
“Someone has to make the decision as to whether this is a false alarm or not,” said Ahern-Rindell, “ From a certain standpoint, we always want to lean towards being overly conscious.”
Ahern-Rindell also sees the importance of transparency surrounding these issues.
“I think people should be made aware of the threats and to be told what is in place to protect them. They need to know specific details, or anything that jeopardizes the actual process of protecting them,” said Ahern-Rindell.”
WSUV student Sue Ann McWatters was on campus at the time of the heightened security.
“I think that someone just has an exam and doesn’t want to take it, that’s like really main thing. I’m trying to convince myself, that that’s what it is because if it’s not I’ll be scared out of my mind,” McWatters said.
Monday, April 30, 2007
HW #4 a day late and a counrty short.
This book agrivates me more and more. It is a laundry list of excuses and jobs half done. In chapter 6 "Hail to the Heroic Leakers and Whistle-Blowers- and the Journalists who Protect Them" Thomas underscores her expose on the more informative of the press secretaries and insiders who buck the system and do what is right for the american people.
She describes the cloak and dagger envirnment of the D.C. press core. She explains how D.C. is a bedlam of dis, mis, ommit, lie, lie, lie for the myth spinners and enemies of the people. She explains the different levels of background and their importance. She describes how journalists bite the bullet and stand before grand juries to suffer humiliation at the expense of the american people and their right to know. How can journalists stand around and protect the first ammenment and feel so self righteous when it would be the suspecting public that admonishes guilt on the press?
It isn't the journalists responsibility to protect crony capitalists, career liers, cheaters, war mongerers, and haters of everything democratic. Journalists get their hands stomped on for telling the truth, you know why? Because the truth has power.
America is bursting at the seems, sick of the lies and the deciet. I am glad now that we were required to read this mish mash of soaporatic daytime drama. It has lead me to the source of our crumbling empire.
I can't determine if Helen Thomas is a cynic, a groupy, or a tattle tail but to end this chapter with the words of Thomas Jefferson out of contect was a spit in the face to this reader.
Perhaps she would have been better served representing Jefferson's real motives to protect the power of the people and our right to know. These quotes from Jefferson are more compelling and shine a brighter light on the issues at hand.
" The Anti-republicans consist of
1. The old refugees & tories.
2. British merchants residing among us, & composing the main body of our merchants.
3. American merchants trading on British capital. Another great portion.
4. Speculators & Holders in the banks & public funds.
5. Officers of the federal government with some exceptions.
6. Office-hunters, willing to give up principles for places. A numerous & noisy tribe.
7. Nervous persons, whose languid fibres have more analogy with a passive than active state of things.
The Republican part of our Union comprehends
1. The entire body of landholders throughout the United States.
2. The body of labourers, not being landholders, whether in husbanding or the arts.
The latter is to the aggregate of the former party probably as 500 to one; but their wealth is not as disproportionate, tho' it is also greatly superior, and is in truth the foundation of that of their antagonists. Trifling as are the numbers of the Anti-republican party, there are circumstances which give them an appearance of strength & numbers. They all live in cities, together, & can act in a body readily & at all times; they give chief employment to the newspapers, & therefore have most of them under their command. The Agricultural interest is dispersed over a great extent of country, have little means of inter-communication with each other, and feeling their own strength & will, are conscious that a single exertion of these will at any time crush the machinations against their government."
Let's examine that Jefferson quote by Hellen Thomas in it's true context and we will discover that those comments were intended to protect the people not "reporters privilege".
"The interposition of the people themselves on the side of government has had a great effect on the opinion here. am persuaded myself that the good sense of the people will always be found to be the best army. They may be led astray for a moment, but will soon correct themselves. The people are the only censors of their governors: and even their errors will tend to keep these to the true principles of their institution. To punish these errors too severely would be to suppress the only safeguard of the public liberty. The way to prevent these irregular interpositions of the people is to give them full information of their affairs thro' the channel of the public papers, & to contrive that those papers should penetrate the whole mass of the people. The basis of our governments being the opinion of the people, the very first object should be to keep that right; and were it left to me to decide whether we should have a government without newspapers or newspapers without a government, I should not hesitate a moment to prefer the latter. But I should mean that every man should receive those papers & be capable of reading them."
Helen Thoams is a Manipulator of public opinion not a journalist. She actually give us great insight into her own complacencey and unwillingness to be dutiful in the face of tyranny.
"Asked why hte president speaks only to his supporters, White House press secretary Scott McClellan said Bush's intention it to "educate" the people." Thomas then goes on to apply her cynical aproach to wagging the tail by editorializing this monstorous statement, "He preobably meant "indoctrinate."
We are doomed.
GOEBBELS' PRINCIPLES OF PROPAGANDA
Based upon Goebbels' Principles of Propaganda by Leonard W. Doob, published in Public Opinion and Propaganda; A Book of Readings edited for The Society for the Psychological Study of Social Issues.
1. Propagandist must have access to intelligence concerning events and public opinion.
2. Propaganda must be planned and executed by only one authority.
a. It must issue all the propaganda directives.
b. It must explain propaganda directives to important officials and maintain their morale.
c. It must oversee other agencies' activities which have propaganda consequences
3. The propaganda consequences of an action must be considered in planning that action.
4. Propaganda must affect the enemy's policy and action.
a. By suppressing propagandistically desirable material which can provide the enemy with useful intelligence
b. By openly disseminating propaganda whose content or tone causes the enemy to draw the desired conclusions
c. By goading the enemy into revealing vital information about himself
d. By making no reference to a desired enemy activity when any reference would discredit that activity
5. Declassified, operational information must be available to implement a propaganda campaign
6. To be perceived, propaganda must evoke the interest of an audience and must be transmitted through an attention-getting communications medium.
7. Credibility alone must determine whether propaganda output should be true or false.
8. The purpose, content and effectiveness of enemy propaganda; the strength and effects of an expose; and the nature of current propaganda campaigns determine whether enemy propaganda should be ignored or refuted.
9. Credibility, intelligence, and the possible effects of communicating determine whether propaganda materials should be censored.
10. Material from enemy propaganda may be utilized in operations when it helps diminish that enemy's prestige or lends support to the propagandist's own objective.
11. Black rather than white propaganda may be employed when the latter is less credible or produces undesirable effects.
12. Propaganda may be facilitated by leaders with prestige.
13. Propaganda must be carefully timed.
a. The communication must reach the audience ahead of competing propaganda.
b. A propaganda campaign must begin at the optimum moment
c. A propaganda theme must be repeated, but not beyond some point of diminishing effectiveness
14. Propaganda must label events and people with distinctive phrases or slogans.
a. They must evoke desired responses which the audience previously possesses
b. They must be capable of being easily learned
c. They must be utilized again and again, but only in appropriate situations
d. They must be boomerang-proof
15. Propaganda to the home front must prevent the raising of false hopes which can be blasted by future events.
16. Propaganda to the home front must create an optimum anxiety level.
a. Propaganda must reinforce anxiety concerning the consequences of defeat
b. Propaganda must diminish anxiety (other than concerning the consequences of defeat) which is too high and which cannot be reduced by people themselves
17. Propaganda to the home front must diminish the impact of frustration.
a. Inevitable frustrations must be anticipated
b. Inevitable frustrations must be placed in perspective
18. Propaganda must facilitate the displacement of aggression by specifying the targets for hatred.
19. Propaganda cannot immediately affect strong counter-tendencies; instead it must offer some form of action or diversion, or both.
She describes the cloak and dagger envirnment of the D.C. press core. She explains how D.C. is a bedlam of dis, mis, ommit, lie, lie, lie for the myth spinners and enemies of the people. She explains the different levels of background and their importance. She describes how journalists bite the bullet and stand before grand juries to suffer humiliation at the expense of the american people and their right to know. How can journalists stand around and protect the first ammenment and feel so self righteous when it would be the suspecting public that admonishes guilt on the press?
It isn't the journalists responsibility to protect crony capitalists, career liers, cheaters, war mongerers, and haters of everything democratic. Journalists get their hands stomped on for telling the truth, you know why? Because the truth has power.
America is bursting at the seems, sick of the lies and the deciet. I am glad now that we were required to read this mish mash of soaporatic daytime drama. It has lead me to the source of our crumbling empire.
I can't determine if Helen Thomas is a cynic, a groupy, or a tattle tail but to end this chapter with the words of Thomas Jefferson out of contect was a spit in the face to this reader.
Perhaps she would have been better served representing Jefferson's real motives to protect the power of the people and our right to know. These quotes from Jefferson are more compelling and shine a brighter light on the issues at hand.
" The Anti-republicans consist of
1. The old refugees & tories.
2. British merchants residing among us, & composing the main body of our merchants.
3. American merchants trading on British capital. Another great portion.
4. Speculators & Holders in the banks & public funds.
5. Officers of the federal government with some exceptions.
6. Office-hunters, willing to give up principles for places. A numerous & noisy tribe.
7. Nervous persons, whose languid fibres have more analogy with a passive than active state of things.
The Republican part of our Union comprehends
1. The entire body of landholders throughout the United States.
2. The body of labourers, not being landholders, whether in husbanding or the arts.
The latter is to the aggregate of the former party probably as 500 to one; but their wealth is not as disproportionate, tho' it is also greatly superior, and is in truth the foundation of that of their antagonists. Trifling as are the numbers of the Anti-republican party, there are circumstances which give them an appearance of strength & numbers. They all live in cities, together, & can act in a body readily & at all times; they give chief employment to the newspapers, & therefore have most of them under their command. The Agricultural interest is dispersed over a great extent of country, have little means of inter-communication with each other, and feeling their own strength & will, are conscious that a single exertion of these will at any time crush the machinations against their government."
Let's examine that Jefferson quote by Hellen Thomas in it's true context and we will discover that those comments were intended to protect the people not "reporters privilege".
"The interposition of the people themselves on the side of government has had a great effect on the opinion here. am persuaded myself that the good sense of the people will always be found to be the best army. They may be led astray for a moment, but will soon correct themselves. The people are the only censors of their governors: and even their errors will tend to keep these to the true principles of their institution. To punish these errors too severely would be to suppress the only safeguard of the public liberty. The way to prevent these irregular interpositions of the people is to give them full information of their affairs thro' the channel of the public papers, & to contrive that those papers should penetrate the whole mass of the people. The basis of our governments being the opinion of the people, the very first object should be to keep that right; and were it left to me to decide whether we should have a government without newspapers or newspapers without a government, I should not hesitate a moment to prefer the latter. But I should mean that every man should receive those papers & be capable of reading them."
Helen Thoams is a Manipulator of public opinion not a journalist. She actually give us great insight into her own complacencey and unwillingness to be dutiful in the face of tyranny.
"Asked why hte president speaks only to his supporters, White House press secretary Scott McClellan said Bush's intention it to "educate" the people." Thomas then goes on to apply her cynical aproach to wagging the tail by editorializing this monstorous statement, "He preobably meant "indoctrinate."
We are doomed.
GOEBBELS' PRINCIPLES OF PROPAGANDA
Based upon Goebbels' Principles of Propaganda by Leonard W. Doob, published in Public Opinion and Propaganda; A Book of Readings edited for The Society for the Psychological Study of Social Issues.
1. Propagandist must have access to intelligence concerning events and public opinion.
2. Propaganda must be planned and executed by only one authority.
a. It must issue all the propaganda directives.
b. It must explain propaganda directives to important officials and maintain their morale.
c. It must oversee other agencies' activities which have propaganda consequences
3. The propaganda consequences of an action must be considered in planning that action.
4. Propaganda must affect the enemy's policy and action.
a. By suppressing propagandistically desirable material which can provide the enemy with useful intelligence
b. By openly disseminating propaganda whose content or tone causes the enemy to draw the desired conclusions
c. By goading the enemy into revealing vital information about himself
d. By making no reference to a desired enemy activity when any reference would discredit that activity
5. Declassified, operational information must be available to implement a propaganda campaign
6. To be perceived, propaganda must evoke the interest of an audience and must be transmitted through an attention-getting communications medium.
7. Credibility alone must determine whether propaganda output should be true or false.
8. The purpose, content and effectiveness of enemy propaganda; the strength and effects of an expose; and the nature of current propaganda campaigns determine whether enemy propaganda should be ignored or refuted.
9. Credibility, intelligence, and the possible effects of communicating determine whether propaganda materials should be censored.
10. Material from enemy propaganda may be utilized in operations when it helps diminish that enemy's prestige or lends support to the propagandist's own objective.
11. Black rather than white propaganda may be employed when the latter is less credible or produces undesirable effects.
12. Propaganda may be facilitated by leaders with prestige.
13. Propaganda must be carefully timed.
a. The communication must reach the audience ahead of competing propaganda.
b. A propaganda campaign must begin at the optimum moment
c. A propaganda theme must be repeated, but not beyond some point of diminishing effectiveness
14. Propaganda must label events and people with distinctive phrases or slogans.
a. They must evoke desired responses which the audience previously possesses
b. They must be capable of being easily learned
c. They must be utilized again and again, but only in appropriate situations
d. They must be boomerang-proof
15. Propaganda to the home front must prevent the raising of false hopes which can be blasted by future events.
16. Propaganda to the home front must create an optimum anxiety level.
a. Propaganda must reinforce anxiety concerning the consequences of defeat
b. Propaganda must diminish anxiety (other than concerning the consequences of defeat) which is too high and which cannot be reduced by people themselves
17. Propaganda to the home front must diminish the impact of frustration.
a. Inevitable frustrations must be anticipated
b. Inevitable frustrations must be placed in perspective
18. Propaganda must facilitate the displacement of aggression by specifying the targets for hatred.
19. Propaganda cannot immediately affect strong counter-tendencies; instead it must offer some form of action or diversion, or both.
Monday, April 23, 2007
Homework #3 Helen Thomas
Thomas seems to be turning her novella around. In the fifth chapter she describes the LBJ administration. the light that she casts over this president has a different hugh than I expected.
the sixties were a trans formative era for the united states. the Vietnam war was prosecuted illegally, Kennedy was assassinated, we landed on the moon, us soldiers fired on and killed four middle class students on the campus of Kent State during a war demonstration.
The United States is spiralling down this same path. Absolutism rules the political humorous and the cynics get all the ratings. We murder ourselves indiscriminately and sponsor "days of silence" in order to grieve.....
Thomas and her homies dropped the ball in the sixties and now we're dealing with it. I don't say that to blaim her generation or the generation she baby sat. I say that because I have the utmost confidence in my generation to backward engineer. We will fix the problems we inhereted.
the sixties were a trans formative era for the united states. the Vietnam war was prosecuted illegally, Kennedy was assassinated, we landed on the moon, us soldiers fired on and killed four middle class students on the campus of Kent State during a war demonstration.
The United States is spiralling down this same path. Absolutism rules the political humorous and the cynics get all the ratings. We murder ourselves indiscriminately and sponsor "days of silence" in order to grieve.....
Thomas and her homies dropped the ball in the sixties and now we're dealing with it. I don't say that to blaim her generation or the generation she baby sat. I say that because I have the utmost confidence in my generation to backward engineer. We will fix the problems we inhereted.
Friday, April 20, 2007
Revisions and Visions
Last week in the Arnada neighborhood, a new community bulletin board was installed on the corner of D street and 22nd ave.
The Arnada neighborhood is located next to the Clark campus.
The bulletin board is an experiment in community activism. It was constructed with the efforts of Clark College students who reside in Arnada.
“We are trying to create community gathering spots,” said Jennifer Corieo.
Corieo and Seanette Corkill are residents of Arnada who attend Clark College for continuing education and had a part in organizing the efforts to have the bulletin board put in place.
“It is called the gathering place or gathering places,” said Corieo. “This is our first one.”
Traffic in the neighborhood is what gave rise to the idea of a neighborhood “Gathering Place”.
“It is about creative ways to calm traffic,” said Corieo. “This is a main thorough fair, there is a lot of traffic and a lot of kids, we are concerned about that.”
The bulletin board is, “A place to communicate and connect with your neighbors,” said Corkill.
The bulletin board was made possible through contributions from the community and a grant from the City of Vancouver.
“Much of it was donated from the neighborhood,” said Corkill.
“We worked with the city to do this,” said Corieo. “It is part of our neighborhood action plan.”
The gathering place was designed with the neighborhood aesthetic in mind.
“Architecturally the style is in the turn of the century craftsman home,” said Corkill.
Ahren Geilenfeld is an Arnada resident and Clark student who discovered the bulletin board this week. “I guess it is a spot for bulletins and community awareness,” said Geilenfeld. “Which is good because people walking by can check out what is going on in the neighborhood.”
Geilenfeld can see the impact traffic has on the Arnada neighborhood.
“I think that people who live in the neighborhood are respectful but people who are cutting through from Fourth Plain to Mcloughlin? I would say that the traffic is moderate for a neighborhood,” said Geilenfeld.
The proximity of the Arnada neighborhood makes it convenient for residents who are also Clark students.
“I think that there are several people who live in the neighborhood who go to the college,” said Corieo, “I take welding and sculpture classes, my child goes to the preschool.”
“I like being around college campus. It adds to the vitality of a community when you have a strong educational center near by,” said Corkill.
“I have lived in that neighborhood now for three years,” said Geilenfeld.
“It has been great for easy access to school,” said Geilenfeld, “I can go home for lunch.”
The Arnada neighborhood is located next to the Clark campus.
The bulletin board is an experiment in community activism. It was constructed with the efforts of Clark College students who reside in Arnada.
“We are trying to create community gathering spots,” said Jennifer Corieo.
Corieo and Seanette Corkill are residents of Arnada who attend Clark College for continuing education and had a part in organizing the efforts to have the bulletin board put in place.
“It is called the gathering place or gathering places,” said Corieo. “This is our first one.”
Traffic in the neighborhood is what gave rise to the idea of a neighborhood “Gathering Place”.
“It is about creative ways to calm traffic,” said Corieo. “This is a main thorough fair, there is a lot of traffic and a lot of kids, we are concerned about that.”
The bulletin board is, “A place to communicate and connect with your neighbors,” said Corkill.
The bulletin board was made possible through contributions from the community and a grant from the City of Vancouver.
“Much of it was donated from the neighborhood,” said Corkill.
“We worked with the city to do this,” said Corieo. “It is part of our neighborhood action plan.”
The gathering place was designed with the neighborhood aesthetic in mind.
“Architecturally the style is in the turn of the century craftsman home,” said Corkill.
Ahren Geilenfeld is an Arnada resident and Clark student who discovered the bulletin board this week. “I guess it is a spot for bulletins and community awareness,” said Geilenfeld. “Which is good because people walking by can check out what is going on in the neighborhood.”
Geilenfeld can see the impact traffic has on the Arnada neighborhood.
“I think that people who live in the neighborhood are respectful but people who are cutting through from Fourth Plain to Mcloughlin? I would say that the traffic is moderate for a neighborhood,” said Geilenfeld.
The proximity of the Arnada neighborhood makes it convenient for residents who are also Clark students.
“I think that there are several people who live in the neighborhood who go to the college,” said Corieo, “I take welding and sculpture classes, my child goes to the preschool.”
“I like being around college campus. It adds to the vitality of a community when you have a strong educational center near by,” said Corkill.
“I have lived in that neighborhood now for three years,” said Geilenfeld.
“It has been great for easy access to school,” said Geilenfeld, “I can go home for lunch.”
Tuesday, April 17, 2007
The Arnada neighborhood bustles as lawnmowers clip the lawn, children ride their bikes in the streets and household pets dart about the yard playing fetch.
Arnada is home to many Clark College students and alumni. Now it is home to a new idea in community activism.
Freshly installed last week the “Gathering Place” is a community bulletin board.
The bulletin board was the brain child of several community activists seeking to develop a more dynamic community.
Jennifer Corieo is the community activist and Clark College student who organized the “Gathering Place”.
“I am active in the neighborhood I attend the neighborhood meetings and have a voice,” said Corieo.
The “Gathering Place” serves as a central gathering place were neighbors can communicate and inform each other about community issues.
“It is called the gathering place or gathering places we are trying to create community gathering spots this is our first one,” said Corieo
“Beyond a gathering place it is also about creative ways to calm traffic,” said Corieo
The Arnada neighborhood is a residential neighborhood located directly across I-5 from the college campus.
Traffic from Clark College spills into the Arnad neighborhood via Fourth Plain and McCloughlin.
“Instead of cars zooming by and not seeing anybody and acting like they own the roads we hope more pedestrians come out,” said Corieo.
Other neighbors in Arnada agree.
Seannette Corkill who is a Clark student and Arnada resident participates at the “Gathering Place”.
“It is a place to communicate and connect with your neighbors,” said Corkill.
The “Gathering Place” was constructed out of donated materials.
“Much of it (Gathering Place) was donated from the neighborhood and it is always a work in progress,” said Corkill.
The work in progress is not without design.
“The architectual style is keeping with the turn of the century craftsman style home,” said Corkill.
Ceramic tile decorated by artists adorn the “Gathering Place”.
“The community contribution was the colorful tiles they represent the history and the future of the Armada neighborhood,” said Corkill.
Arnada is home to many Clark College students and alumni. Now it is home to a new idea in community activism.
Freshly installed last week the “Gathering Place” is a community bulletin board.
The bulletin board was the brain child of several community activists seeking to develop a more dynamic community.
Jennifer Corieo is the community activist and Clark College student who organized the “Gathering Place”.
“I am active in the neighborhood I attend the neighborhood meetings and have a voice,” said Corieo.
The “Gathering Place” serves as a central gathering place were neighbors can communicate and inform each other about community issues.
“It is called the gathering place or gathering places we are trying to create community gathering spots this is our first one,” said Corieo
“Beyond a gathering place it is also about creative ways to calm traffic,” said Corieo
The Arnada neighborhood is a residential neighborhood located directly across I-5 from the college campus.
Traffic from Clark College spills into the Arnad neighborhood via Fourth Plain and McCloughlin.
“Instead of cars zooming by and not seeing anybody and acting like they own the roads we hope more pedestrians come out,” said Corieo.
Other neighbors in Arnada agree.
Seannette Corkill who is a Clark student and Arnada resident participates at the “Gathering Place”.
“It is a place to communicate and connect with your neighbors,” said Corkill.
The “Gathering Place” was constructed out of donated materials.
“Much of it (Gathering Place) was donated from the neighborhood and it is always a work in progress,” said Corkill.
The work in progress is not without design.
“The architectual style is keeping with the turn of the century craftsman style home,” said Corkill.
Ceramic tile decorated by artists adorn the “Gathering Place”.
“The community contribution was the colorful tiles they represent the history and the future of the Armada neighborhood,” said Corkill.
Monday, April 16, 2007
The peek a boo puppies of Democracy
The whit house sit on top of the largest open air free masonic temple in the world. It is part of the 200,000 acres that comprises the district of columbia. The enitire central (downtown) area of washington D.C. is a perfect square set on its side. When veiw from a street map (randall-mcnally) you can clearly see the lines that deliniate the temple and its ritualistic components. Some people call this the "Talisman of the United States". The stones were laid by George Washington himself way back in the 1790's George bought the land and forced the capital to be moved from philidelphia to a more sacrosanct and pure place.
When the corner stones of D.C. were set in place, free masonic rituals performed by Washington took place. Several talismanic or iconic symbols were included in the layout of D.C.'s streets. these symbols include pentacles, truancated pyramids, 33.3 degree angles to mark the sulstice, Horus depicted on his throne (an owl like image standing on top of a pyramid), a skull and cross bones and several other notable symbols of a ritualistic secret society.
That same secret society graduates men into places of power. Very little research, research that could be performed by a ten year old can lead the interested person to countless offerings about the topic of secret societies and how they influence global events. It is beyond circumstancial evidence the amount of coincidences that exist between the suspected reasoning behind administratioon policy and the edicts of these same secret societies.
Whether the United States public is willing to admonish any sincere questioning of the practices and suposed goals of these societies is shortsighted by the journalist. To often the intensity in which "conspiratorial" questions get rebuked by the press is astounding and seems counter intuitive to my journalistic mind....
I wonder if Helen Thomas and her cronies ever felt compelled to not ask certain important questions for fear of sounding like a crazy?
From reading the third and fourth chapters I was able to ascertain that Helen Thomas is heavy on the who's who and giving them just credit for their roles in what she paints is a game of charades. I don't want to read a book of accolades and downfalls of the press seceratary. Waxing poetically about how it used to be is nice and all, but don't disclaim an entire chapter of your book by saying that your not concerned with being nostalgic and then you unload a dumprtuck of acadamy awards for those who cheated the public out of a presidential office (from a jeffersonian anti-federalist perspective).
Back in the day when law was law they used to convict anyone who was aware of conspiracy to commit a crime, this is called cooberation. I wonder when and where and why we stopped protecting ourselves by living by the law? I don't wish to persecute, tri and convict my brother journalist.... no I would hope that editors and peers of these people would just fire them like they did to Linus.
If Helen Thomas' was trying to clear the air on the role of the press corp. or "thundering herd" (as she claims kennedy called them) then she failed. To be completely honest this book reads like a treatise on complacency and conformaty. If "the truth, rather than an agenda, should be the goal of a free press" then you failed, your friends failed, your president failed. The example you set and this load of nostalgic apologetics is only going to breed more failure.
About press secerataries.
"Faced often with this dilemma and with job survival at stake, most press secretaries have opted for political rule: to get along is to go along with whatever the president or his top aides want publicly said-whether it is right or wrong.
Unfortunately, too few who have served that exalted office have risen to the occasion and been willing to defy the Oval Office in the interests of honesty. Integrity,credibility, perhaps a good conscience, and definately a sense of humor are the qualities that make a great press secretary, in my opinion. That is why there have been so few."
I got some questions for this sycophantic worshipper of the iconoclast.
If you are the journalists... you and your buddies, who are employed by the editors of magazines who are intentured to the advertisers and the public... and you know the press secretariy is a lier or dishonest or imorral or a politico. Then why do you attend his briefings? why don't you circumvent him and go straight to the president? why don't you hold him more accountable by asking him harder questions? Is there not some sort of colaberation occuring if the press secretary delivers a load of bullshit and you turn around and write about how noble a posiion the press sec. is and how you just adore those cute ties he wears and "oh yeah I met him at a ball once he really is a sweet heart".
Helen Thomas is an interloper not a journalist.
When the corner stones of D.C. were set in place, free masonic rituals performed by Washington took place. Several talismanic or iconic symbols were included in the layout of D.C.'s streets. these symbols include pentacles, truancated pyramids, 33.3 degree angles to mark the sulstice, Horus depicted on his throne (an owl like image standing on top of a pyramid), a skull and cross bones and several other notable symbols of a ritualistic secret society.
That same secret society graduates men into places of power. Very little research, research that could be performed by a ten year old can lead the interested person to countless offerings about the topic of secret societies and how they influence global events. It is beyond circumstancial evidence the amount of coincidences that exist between the suspected reasoning behind administratioon policy and the edicts of these same secret societies.
Whether the United States public is willing to admonish any sincere questioning of the practices and suposed goals of these societies is shortsighted by the journalist. To often the intensity in which "conspiratorial" questions get rebuked by the press is astounding and seems counter intuitive to my journalistic mind....
I wonder if Helen Thomas and her cronies ever felt compelled to not ask certain important questions for fear of sounding like a crazy?
From reading the third and fourth chapters I was able to ascertain that Helen Thomas is heavy on the who's who and giving them just credit for their roles in what she paints is a game of charades. I don't want to read a book of accolades and downfalls of the press seceratary. Waxing poetically about how it used to be is nice and all, but don't disclaim an entire chapter of your book by saying that your not concerned with being nostalgic and then you unload a dumprtuck of acadamy awards for those who cheated the public out of a presidential office (from a jeffersonian anti-federalist perspective).
Back in the day when law was law they used to convict anyone who was aware of conspiracy to commit a crime, this is called cooberation. I wonder when and where and why we stopped protecting ourselves by living by the law? I don't wish to persecute, tri and convict my brother journalist.... no I would hope that editors and peers of these people would just fire them like they did to Linus.
If Helen Thomas' was trying to clear the air on the role of the press corp. or "thundering herd" (as she claims kennedy called them) then she failed. To be completely honest this book reads like a treatise on complacency and conformaty. If "the truth, rather than an agenda, should be the goal of a free press" then you failed, your friends failed, your president failed. The example you set and this load of nostalgic apologetics is only going to breed more failure.
About press secerataries.
"Faced often with this dilemma and with job survival at stake, most press secretaries have opted for political rule: to get along is to go along with whatever the president or his top aides want publicly said-whether it is right or wrong.
Unfortunately, too few who have served that exalted office have risen to the occasion and been willing to defy the Oval Office in the interests of honesty. Integrity,credibility, perhaps a good conscience, and definately a sense of humor are the qualities that make a great press secretary, in my opinion. That is why there have been so few."
I got some questions for this sycophantic worshipper of the iconoclast.
If you are the journalists... you and your buddies, who are employed by the editors of magazines who are intentured to the advertisers and the public... and you know the press secretariy is a lier or dishonest or imorral or a politico. Then why do you attend his briefings? why don't you circumvent him and go straight to the president? why don't you hold him more accountable by asking him harder questions? Is there not some sort of colaberation occuring if the press secretary delivers a load of bullshit and you turn around and write about how noble a posiion the press sec. is and how you just adore those cute ties he wears and "oh yeah I met him at a ball once he really is a sweet heart".
Helen Thomas is an interloper not a journalist.
Wednesday, April 11, 2007
Yeah so this thing is supposed to be about the helen thomas book. So I'll bore you with all the other goings on in my journalisms. I headed out to WSU vancouver for a forum on social justice. It was sponsored by the Center for Social and Environmental Justice Research Series
(CSEJRS).
I had difficulty finding the room where the forum was being hosted so I arrived late and only caught the last twenty minutes of the presentations. Fortunately I have done some research into the topics that were being covered. I was able to identify several people attending the conference as potential interveiws. The speaker was presenting an oral version of her dissertation of free medical clinics and social programs that provide free medical care for the poor and homeless.
More specifically the dissertation was a case study on the actual activists that pursued the civic discourse and proccess that aloud these programs to come into fruition. She highlighted their personal experiences that lead them to this particular course of action and asked the attendees to draw conclusions and relate those experiences to todays world.
There was a question answer period and then open format dialogue. I was able to conduct interviews with: Desiree Hellegers, she is the Chair for the CSEJRS, I also spoke with "" who is a professor of socialogy at WSU and a student who attended the forum Amy Burton.
Desiree Hellegers strikes me as someone who is very compassionette and driven to preserve social justice. she provided me with several quotes and relinquished information freely.
"" was more focused and calcualated in his response. He was willing to conduct interveiws but was looking to qualify his answers.
Amy Burton is a concerned citizen and is specific to our readership. she provided me with a very good interview from a student perspective.
Hellen Thomas...fuck the fuckin pulitzer prize.
(CSEJRS).
I had difficulty finding the room where the forum was being hosted so I arrived late and only caught the last twenty minutes of the presentations. Fortunately I have done some research into the topics that were being covered. I was able to identify several people attending the conference as potential interveiws. The speaker was presenting an oral version of her dissertation of free medical clinics and social programs that provide free medical care for the poor and homeless.
More specifically the dissertation was a case study on the actual activists that pursued the civic discourse and proccess that aloud these programs to come into fruition. She highlighted their personal experiences that lead them to this particular course of action and asked the attendees to draw conclusions and relate those experiences to todays world.
There was a question answer period and then open format dialogue. I was able to conduct interviews with: Desiree Hellegers, she is the Chair for the CSEJRS, I also spoke with "" who is a professor of socialogy at WSU and a student who attended the forum Amy Burton.
Desiree Hellegers strikes me as someone who is very compassionette and driven to preserve social justice. she provided me with several quotes and relinquished information freely.
"" was more focused and calcualated in his response. He was willing to conduct interveiws but was looking to qualify his answers.
Amy Burton is a concerned citizen and is specific to our readership. she provided me with a very good interview from a student perspective.
Hellen Thomas...fuck the fuckin pulitzer prize.
Saturday, April 7, 2007
The beginning of spring quarter ushers in the softball season for the Clark Penguins. Last Friday on the 6th of April Clark took the home field to play the Chemeketa Storm.
The weather was clear on this warm spring day and a large home crowd was in attendance.
The double header started with a flurry of hits by the Storm as the rolled in the runs against the Clark defense.
Clark’s fielders looked to be shaking off the cob webs. In the first game Clark struggled to be in position and came up short several times when running down ground balls and pop flies.
The Chemeketa pitcher Stephanie Albrecht mowed down the Clark hitters with serious heat and a blistering pace.
Albrecht spent little time on the mound as she retired the side in lumps of three and four batters.
In the bottom of the fourth inning Clark could score a runner when the bases were loaded, but Albrecht preserved her shutout with a commanding performance.
“I have been pitching since 11.” said Albricht.
The Chemeketa bench maintained a rhapsody of chants from the dug out during the entire match.
“Our team chants are based in tradition,” said Albricht.
Lindsey Braun the Chemeketa Storm Coach said “I played for the storm 2002 through 2003 we learned the same chants then.”
Clark Coach Kasey Powers hopes to start traditions at Clark 1% at a time.
“If we improve 1% each day of practice then in thirty days we’ll be thirty percent better” said Powers.
The season mantra was printed on the back of his t-shirt and could also be seen on other players not eligible to play but in the dug out.
“We are still looking for players,” said Powers “the roster could grow.”
In the season opener Clark had to forfeit their second game due to injuries.
Kelsey Scanlan, who play with a visible niggling injury is a team leader.
“We are happy to be here,” said Scanlan “we have worked hard and coming up short is too bad, Kellie Preheim moved here from Kalama to play for Clark.”
Clark team leader and returning sophomore Scanlan is happy to be coached by Powers.
“He is very positive and good about keeping the girls focused,” said Scanlan “He wants us to know that college is about academics and our careers.”
Jamie Perdew a freshman from Camas pitched for Clark in the first game to a 0-12 loss.
Stephanie Robey a sophomore from South Albany pitched for Clark in the second game for a 0-16 loss.
Martha Perdew relieved in both games.
Coach Powers said “We haven’t had a chance to warm up our pitchers and give them time to pitch, some of the girls are playing new positions because of the short roster.”Clark has a losing record of 0-4.
The weather was clear on this warm spring day and a large home crowd was in attendance.
The double header started with a flurry of hits by the Storm as the rolled in the runs against the Clark defense.
Clark’s fielders looked to be shaking off the cob webs. In the first game Clark struggled to be in position and came up short several times when running down ground balls and pop flies.
The Chemeketa pitcher Stephanie Albrecht mowed down the Clark hitters with serious heat and a blistering pace.
Albrecht spent little time on the mound as she retired the side in lumps of three and four batters.
In the bottom of the fourth inning Clark could score a runner when the bases were loaded, but Albrecht preserved her shutout with a commanding performance.
“I have been pitching since 11.” said Albricht.
The Chemeketa bench maintained a rhapsody of chants from the dug out during the entire match.
“Our team chants are based in tradition,” said Albricht.
Lindsey Braun the Chemeketa Storm Coach said “I played for the storm 2002 through 2003 we learned the same chants then.”
Clark Coach Kasey Powers hopes to start traditions at Clark 1% at a time.
“If we improve 1% each day of practice then in thirty days we’ll be thirty percent better” said Powers.
The season mantra was printed on the back of his t-shirt and could also be seen on other players not eligible to play but in the dug out.
“We are still looking for players,” said Powers “the roster could grow.”
In the season opener Clark had to forfeit their second game due to injuries.
Kelsey Scanlan, who play with a visible niggling injury is a team leader.
“We are happy to be here,” said Scanlan “we have worked hard and coming up short is too bad, Kellie Preheim moved here from Kalama to play for Clark.”
Clark team leader and returning sophomore Scanlan is happy to be coached by Powers.
“He is very positive and good about keeping the girls focused,” said Scanlan “He wants us to know that college is about academics and our careers.”
Jamie Perdew a freshman from Camas pitched for Clark in the first game to a 0-12 loss.
Stephanie Robey a sophomore from South Albany pitched for Clark in the second game for a 0-16 loss.
Martha Perdew relieved in both games.
Coach Powers said “We haven’t had a chance to warm up our pitchers and give them time to pitch, some of the girls are playing new positions because of the short roster.”Clark has a losing record of 0-4.
Week on reflections
Well after spring break I'm ready to get back to the ol' books. I'm stoked for this spring as it will give me the opprotunity to write a whole bunch more. This is the newest series of writings I suppose I'll be doing for my advanced journalism class.
Advanced journalism looks to be a productive experience. Rylan Sorenson is in the class along with several other people who are on the Indepenedent with me. It is a small class in numbers but I'm sure it will be a big class in learning. Ms. K. has got the opprotunity to really impress upon us some good tenets of investigative journalism, considering the size of the class I can't see why we all won't come up with some interesting things to talk about and write about.
Two texts were assigned for reading this quarter and I'll critique the learning proccess I'm undergoing here. I'll post about what we are discussing in class and also respond to the readings as well.
In class we have been discussing the importance of the news media and how it functions as an essential partner in the democratic experiment. We discussed the importance of a well informed public and their dependence on the news to infrom them so they can make the best possible choices for our democracy. In order for the news to do this well and with good reason there are the nine creeds that journalist adhere to in order to preserve their principles.
Most of this is review of the "rich" text that we covered in 101. Although it seems boring to go over it again it is good to base our selves in the philosophy and morale apptitude of good journalism. It is also nice to see what other contributions are made to the discussion by my piers.
I would outline the nine principles of journalism and cover them individually, but that would take to long so instead I'll take from my favorite and share my oppinions about them. The first principle is the best. Journalists must always do their best to tell the truth and be held accountable for the truth.
The pursuit of the truth is an honorable course, at times it can even be dangerous. It is important that attention is payed to honor the truth when reporting the news because this is what the reader most expects. It is a wonder to me how much is reported in comparison to how much the reader actually believes the accounts to be true. The paradox of news reporting in comparison to what it attempts to achieve is astounding.
I have had the opprotunity several times to whitness accounts that had later been portrayed by the news. I never can quite believe that the small box through which the reader obtains the information is a reflection of the actual accounts. This I think is what made me so interested in studying journalism. How can we shape the events of the real world into representations that truly reflect what happened? I imagine that the road to the truth will be a troubling one.
-some notes on Helen Thomas-
I have read through the intro and first couple of chapters and am real interested in finding out how exactly the press corp and the major media organizations have stumbled. It seems that Thomas has got quite the concionse about how the media has turned out. She harkens back to the twentieth century as being the greatest for her profession. Could this be because this is the era she lived in and is overcome with ego and pride? Or does she have a truly historical context to which she could apply these comments?
I don't know but I'm sure that as the book progresses we will find how she was involved, but not responsible for the break down of journalistic ethos in the latter half of the century.
I think it is funny that in the last eigth years the media has become fataly flawed, every journalist is aware of the flaw, many jounalists are publishing books about how it's not their own fault, but the problems persist... we'll see how Thomas tried to tell the truth but in the end the truth continues to be suspect.
-Houston-
This text looks tremendous. It is like the repair manuel for a car! It is a refined reference for the serious investigator. As I read through it I was filled with a kind of suttle power to become the uber journalist who will save the world from every conspiracy imaginable.
Early in the introduction it primes the reader to learn a "documents state of mind". It outlines strategies for the reporter to think more abstractly and followe paper trails and secondary sources who can provide missing information and alternative routes toward the investigators role. Everything that happens should have a paper trail, this paper trail can be used to obtain critical information to help along an investigation.
The intorduction also place importance on the curiousity and ability to think through the conventional wisdom. I'm excited to be studying a topic that encourages critical thought and critical questioning of the norm.
The text continues to attribute much of the ideas of investigative journalism to the "Paul Williams Way" and shortly summarizes his work.
The last portion of the Intro covers several other readings that give the student a chance to see how investigative joiurnalists have employed these tactics in real investigations.
From the outside in is the philosophy of the first chapter. This chapter outlines how the investigator can us several secondary sources available to him in order to develope stories. The idea is for the journalist to continue to use sources such as newspapers, cable news, magazines and reference books to help him in stages of the investigation. These sources are the most available. Although they are less specific in information these sources paint a more general percpective that crucial information can be obtained.
This chapter emphasizes that a regular regiment of looking and reading and curiosity, coupled with unconventional wisdom can open doors to investigations.
The text discusses how to use search engines in libraries and the internet to "Dig" or "Mine" the information you are seeking. This text seems to be a never ending list of good places to look and helpful hints on how to look when you get there. Along with all the good adivise and sound navigation techniques it also supplies the reader with accounts of how other journalists empoloyed these tactics in real investigations.
The second chapter covers Primary Documents. Primary Documents are typically produced by the governement or there friends and are typically the most dificult to refuit. This is another step by step guide on how to effectively "mine" these sources for an investigation.
The chapter covers the social security number and how it can give you greater access to the information you are seeking.
Databases are organized by the government and commercial sources. Commercial databases are a means trhough which the investigator can access critical information about people under investigation and can lead to other info.
Advanced journalism looks to be a productive experience. Rylan Sorenson is in the class along with several other people who are on the Indepenedent with me. It is a small class in numbers but I'm sure it will be a big class in learning. Ms. K. has got the opprotunity to really impress upon us some good tenets of investigative journalism, considering the size of the class I can't see why we all won't come up with some interesting things to talk about and write about.
Two texts were assigned for reading this quarter and I'll critique the learning proccess I'm undergoing here. I'll post about what we are discussing in class and also respond to the readings as well.
In class we have been discussing the importance of the news media and how it functions as an essential partner in the democratic experiment. We discussed the importance of a well informed public and their dependence on the news to infrom them so they can make the best possible choices for our democracy. In order for the news to do this well and with good reason there are the nine creeds that journalist adhere to in order to preserve their principles.
Most of this is review of the "rich" text that we covered in 101. Although it seems boring to go over it again it is good to base our selves in the philosophy and morale apptitude of good journalism. It is also nice to see what other contributions are made to the discussion by my piers.
I would outline the nine principles of journalism and cover them individually, but that would take to long so instead I'll take from my favorite and share my oppinions about them. The first principle is the best. Journalists must always do their best to tell the truth and be held accountable for the truth.
The pursuit of the truth is an honorable course, at times it can even be dangerous. It is important that attention is payed to honor the truth when reporting the news because this is what the reader most expects. It is a wonder to me how much is reported in comparison to how much the reader actually believes the accounts to be true. The paradox of news reporting in comparison to what it attempts to achieve is astounding.
I have had the opprotunity several times to whitness accounts that had later been portrayed by the news. I never can quite believe that the small box through which the reader obtains the information is a reflection of the actual accounts. This I think is what made me so interested in studying journalism. How can we shape the events of the real world into representations that truly reflect what happened? I imagine that the road to the truth will be a troubling one.
-some notes on Helen Thomas-
I have read through the intro and first couple of chapters and am real interested in finding out how exactly the press corp and the major media organizations have stumbled. It seems that Thomas has got quite the concionse about how the media has turned out. She harkens back to the twentieth century as being the greatest for her profession. Could this be because this is the era she lived in and is overcome with ego and pride? Or does she have a truly historical context to which she could apply these comments?
I don't know but I'm sure that as the book progresses we will find how she was involved, but not responsible for the break down of journalistic ethos in the latter half of the century.
I think it is funny that in the last eigth years the media has become fataly flawed, every journalist is aware of the flaw, many jounalists are publishing books about how it's not their own fault, but the problems persist... we'll see how Thomas tried to tell the truth but in the end the truth continues to be suspect.
-Houston-
This text looks tremendous. It is like the repair manuel for a car! It is a refined reference for the serious investigator. As I read through it I was filled with a kind of suttle power to become the uber journalist who will save the world from every conspiracy imaginable.
Early in the introduction it primes the reader to learn a "documents state of mind". It outlines strategies for the reporter to think more abstractly and followe paper trails and secondary sources who can provide missing information and alternative routes toward the investigators role. Everything that happens should have a paper trail, this paper trail can be used to obtain critical information to help along an investigation.
The intorduction also place importance on the curiousity and ability to think through the conventional wisdom. I'm excited to be studying a topic that encourages critical thought and critical questioning of the norm.
The text continues to attribute much of the ideas of investigative journalism to the "Paul Williams Way" and shortly summarizes his work.
The last portion of the Intro covers several other readings that give the student a chance to see how investigative joiurnalists have employed these tactics in real investigations.
From the outside in is the philosophy of the first chapter. This chapter outlines how the investigator can us several secondary sources available to him in order to develope stories. The idea is for the journalist to continue to use sources such as newspapers, cable news, magazines and reference books to help him in stages of the investigation. These sources are the most available. Although they are less specific in information these sources paint a more general percpective that crucial information can be obtained.
This chapter emphasizes that a regular regiment of looking and reading and curiosity, coupled with unconventional wisdom can open doors to investigations.
The text discusses how to use search engines in libraries and the internet to "Dig" or "Mine" the information you are seeking. This text seems to be a never ending list of good places to look and helpful hints on how to look when you get there. Along with all the good adivise and sound navigation techniques it also supplies the reader with accounts of how other journalists empoloyed these tactics in real investigations.
The second chapter covers Primary Documents. Primary Documents are typically produced by the governement or there friends and are typically the most dificult to refuit. This is another step by step guide on how to effectively "mine" these sources for an investigation.
The chapter covers the social security number and how it can give you greater access to the information you are seeking.
Databases are organized by the government and commercial sources. Commercial databases are a means trhough which the investigator can access critical information about people under investigation and can lead to other info.
Wednesday, April 4, 2007
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