Just when..

Just when residents of Amity Island thought they were safe once again, a third shark attack sent the island back into terror.
James Parks, a 30-year-old resident of Oaks Bluffs was attacked and killed at about 1:30 p.m. on July 4th. 
Many details of the attack are not clear yet, but police believe that Parks was killed when his rowboat was attacked and he was thrown into the water.
So far, a severed leg is the only remain that has been found.
Just after the joyous reopening of the island's beaches, the police department has once again ordered them closed until further notice. 

Shark update

Just when residents of Amity thought the danger of shark attacks was behind them, a fun-filled day at the beach turned to a terrifying event that sent beachgoers shooting for shore.  A local was enjoying herself in the water when she spotted a shark fin swimming beside her.  Her piercing scream alerted swimmers around her, who immediately began to flee the water.
It was determined shortly after that the fin was not that of a real shark, but of two young children playing some sort of prank. 

Caught

This year, the usually warm and fun-filled month of June was taken over by the presence of an unwelcome and vicious sea creature.
After the shark gruesomely claimed the lives of two of Amity Island's young residents, townspeople held a meeting on July 3rd to discuss what would be done about the vicious beast.
During the meeting, a townsperson cried out, "Are you going to close the beaches?"
This question brought a sudden silence over the room as all eyes turned to Police Chief, Martin Brody.
"Yes," Brody sighed.  "We are."
The small room remained silent as residents of Amity let the words of their Police Chief sink in.  For an island that thrives on tourism and the beauty of it's many beaches, this news was difficult to process.
Fortunately for the islanders, the killer shark was unexpectedly caught the following day by a local fishermen just one mile southwest of Amity.
The beast was brought to shore and immediately inspected by Matt Hooper, a marine biologist from the Ocenographic Institute in Woods Hole, Mass.
Hooper, an expert on sharks, determined it to be a Nurse Shark.
According to National Geographic, Nurse Sharks are not usually dangerous to humans.  However they can be very large in size and are known to have very strong jaws.  Although they do not commonly attack humans, they sometimes bite defensively if stepped on or bothered in some way.
Although it is still not clear what provoked this particular shark to gruesomely kill two of Amity's residents, Brody issued a press release in response to the shark's capture, in which he stated, "of course all the beaches will throughout our beautiful island will reopen immediately."
While there will be shark spotters stationed on the beaches, Brody has assured the press that "they are simply a safety precaution," and "islanders and guests alike should not be alarmed."
Nothing can be done about the two lives claimed in this tragic event, islanders hope to move forward and eventually put this all behind them.  As Brody put it in his press release, "we believe we can safely say that the danger of further shark attacks has probably passed.  Amity's darkest days are behind us."

Woah

It just sort of dawned on me that I am almost done with my first college news writing class.  It's crazy to think that just a few short months ago, I walked into Hamilton Smith with nothing but a dream of becoming a journalist, and now I really feel like I am on my way to achieving that dream.
Obviously I know I still have a long road ahead of me, but it has been so rewarding to see myself grow and improve over the past semester.  I went from having virtually no idea how to even begin a news story, to being able to crank out 600 pretty decent words in a short amount of time.
I know I still have a lot to improve on, but if I was able to learn this much in one semester, I have a lot of hope for what the next couple of years could hold for me.
Whether I became a writer for the New York Times, or end up being an anonymous internet blogger for the rest of my life, I am grateful for this experience and for all I am taking away from it.

What happened to Thanksgiving?

Yesterday while I was enjoying eating, drinking, and celebrating Thanksgiving with my family, I realized something about the holiday.  I know the Friday after Thanksgiving, or "Black Friday", has been a huge event for awhile now, but it seems to me that it is slowly taking over Thanksgiving.  I kept seeing ads on TV for stores that were opening at midnight and staying open all night, and even some that were planning to be open earlier than that.  In addition, I received about a hundred E-mails from different stores advertising online sales they were having "Thanksgiving Day only."  It just made me sad to think that we as Americans are slowly turning a holiday that is supposed to be about family, sharing, and being thankful into another excuse to be consumers.  Don't get me wrong, I love shopping as much as the next girl, and I have fun taking part in the Black Friday deals.  But I just think it is important to remember what the day of Thanksgiving is really about, and not get caught up in savings and coupons and new televisions.

Still a Little Flustered

I know the elections are over, but I still find myself getting frustrated over the extremism that I've heard surrounding both Mitt Romney and President Obama.  Obviously it doesn't apply to everyone, but so many people I've spoken to have said things to the effect of "well Obama won, so I guess I'll never have a job."  Or, "I'm glad Romney didn't win, I like having rights as a woman."
I know that these things have been the punchline of many political jokes, and not everyone who makes the reference actually believes that it's true.  In addition, I personally believe that both these statements have some amount of truth in their roots.
However, I wonder how many voters may have actually made their choice based solely on these two things.  It angers me because after all the research I did prior to the election, I know that there is so much more to the issues than these two extremes.  It just seems almost ignorant to me to make such sweeping statements, regardless of one's personal opinion on the two men.

How do they do it?

Although I do feel like I am becoming a much stronger news writer, the thing I still really struggle with is keeping my own opinions out of the things I write.  I am a very opinionated person to begin with, and writing about certain issues really sets me off.  Sometimes when reading over my stories, I notice that I slip my opinion in without even realizing.  Usually it's in a pretty sneaky way, if I do say so myself.  However I know that this is a habit that I really need to get myself away from.
I'm wondering how professional journalists keep from doing this in their own stories.  Do most journalists have this problem when they first start out?  Is it just something that you get better at over time? Or maybe I'm just much too opinionated of a person to really be successful at this, (although I'm hoping that's not the case).  I'm going to try and challenge myself these next couple weeks, by writing about things I feel strongly about, and seeing how well I can keep my opinions to myself.

Still a Victim

Ever since the somewhat skeptical release which stated that Lizzi Marriott may have been killed during an orgy, I have noticed a bit of a change in people's attitude towards her death.  It seemed before that everyone was incredibly sympathetic and viewed Lizzi as a poor and innocent victim.  However, I feel like the possibility that she could have been involved in something like an orgy, has made people view her as less of a victim.
This is upsetting to me because I personally believe that Lizzi is a victim no matter what the circumstances surrounding her murder were.  Whether or not she was involved in sexual activity really isn't the business of anyone else, and shouldn't give anyone the right to judge her.
I hope that this observation is incorrect, but it is definitely something that has been hard for me to ignore.

Exciting Night

I just felt like I couldn't blog today without talking about the thrilling and incredibly close election that went on last night.  This presidential election was particularly exciting for me because it was the first one that I was able to vote in.  I'll keep my own personal views out of here, but I will say that I felt very strongly about the candidate I selected and watching the projected winner change back and forth was both exhilarating and incredibly nerve-racking.    In addition, this election particularly interested me because I felt that the candidates were very very different from one another, and almost, if not all Americans felt pretty strongly about the winner.
I was actually planning on doing a blog during the last hour of the vote counting, just to practice covering a large and important event.  However, once it began getting close, I found myself much too absorbed to tear my eyes away from the television screen.
I'm incredibly grateful that I got the opportunity to witness and be a part of this event and I hope there are many more exciting elections in my future.

Bias in the news?

Just like millions of other Americans, I have been following the election updates since the polls opened early this morning.  While doing so however, I've noticed some interesting things about the tendencies of certain news stations.  I've been looking at a few different news websites including MSNBC, CNN, and FOX.  It seems to me that while CNN is heavily focused on Obama, MSNBC and FOX are more interested in what is going on with Romney.  In addition, some of the language used in discussing the election seems like it may have a hint of bias towards one candidate or another.  For example, the headline of a recently published story on MSNBC.com reads "As voters head to the polls, Romney Ryan keep campaigning." 

It's just a personal opinion, and I could be wrong, but it seems to me that these news organizations may be reporting and publishing in a somewhat biased manner.  This is interesting to me because I know we've talked about how important it is for journalists to stay neutral in their reporting.  I'd love to know if anyone else noticed this as well.

Full of Excitement

I know this blog doesn't have much to do with news, but I just couldn't help myself.  The past couple weeks I have finally felt myself improve in my news writing.  I've been struggling a lot this year trying to convert the creative and opinionated writing style I have become so accustomed to, into proper news story language.  It's been frustrating and a little discouraging for me, especially because I've always been so excited to go into journalism.  But with the last couple stories I've written, I've really noticed the improvement not only in my writing itself, but in my ability to contact sources and gather information.  I feel as if I am slowly becoming a real journalist!  Even though I still have a long way to go, it feels great to be heading in the right direction.

Libel

After reading the section of Chapter 7 on Libel, I had a couple of thoughts on it.  I understand what Libel is for the most part, but I'm wondering to what extent a liable suit can be made for it.  Suppose a journalist prints a direct quote from someone that defames someone else; can the defamed group or individual make a case for libel against the journalist for printing the quote?  Or would he or she have to file a suit against the quoted individual?
Or what if a journalist receives false information from a source that he or she thought was reliable? Could he or she potentially use this as a defense in a libel suit, or would the judge rule that the journalist should have done better fact checking?
Scenarios similar to this were discussed in the "Print it or Pull it?" section in the chapter, but no direct answer was given.
Either way, I'm glad I now have a more extensive knowledge of what libel is and how to avoid it.

Truth and Trust

After doing some of the reading, I've really begun to realize how important truth and trust are in the world of journalism.  It seems that without these two things, the whole world of reporting would completely crumble.  Journalists have to be able to trust that their sources are good and reliable, editors have to trust that their journalists are doing good and honest reporting, anonymous sources have to trust that journalists will keep their names and information confidential.  And last but certainly not least, readers have to be able to trust that the information they are getting from their news sources is reliable and accurate.

Of course there is fact checking, double checking, and editing, to ensure that trust is not the only thing being relied on; but I believe that having the ability to trust is a key ingredient in being a successful and honorable journalist. 

This also made me think about my previous blog, where I referenced the idea that a journalist's reputation is his or her most important tool.  Thinking about the importance of truth and trust in journalism really makes me understand why this is true.  If you can't be trusted, you're nothing but dead weight to the world of journalism.

Shield Laws

Shortly after beginning Chapter 7, I came across something that really interested me.  Shield Laws.  I didn't have much prior knowledge about these, and to some degree I always assumed that federal courts had more power than the media.  I think it is a great thing that we live in a country where laws like this can exist, even if they are not in affect in all 50 states.  I think there is danger in giving too much power to any one group, and laws like this help to balance things out.
I did a little research and discovered that New Hampshire is not one of the 39 states with Shield laws.  This got me thinking about how nerve-racking it must be to be a journalist or reporter in a state where you are not protected under these laws.  Although it is probably very rare for a journalist to find himself or herself in the position where they would need this type of protection, it is somewhat frightening to think of.  As a potential future journalist, I am not sure what I would do if I found myself in such a position.  Obviously I would not want to go to jail, but revealing confidential information and sources could very likely ruin one's career in the media.  I've often heard that your reputation is the most important thing you have as a journalist, and I can't imagine watching it shatter right before my eyes.  Definitely something to think about when deciding what state to apply for jobs in.

"Facts"

I know in the past I have run into trouble with my stories because I've gotten some of my information from other news sources.  I know this is dangerous considering that there is no way to verify that this information is true, however it hadn't fully hit me until now.
I am still very interested in the Lizzi Marriott case, and I have been searching every online news database I can find in search of new information.  While I haven't had much luck in coming across anything I didn't already know, I did notice something else.  The so called "facts" regarding the case vary slightly from story to story.  For example, while some sources say that Lizzi has been pronounced dead, others say that it is simply an assumption.  In addition, some sources refer to the suspect, Seth Mazzaglia, as a friend of Marriott's, while others say that the two did not know each other.
I know that there is usually some inaccuracy, especially surrounding murder cases, but some of these things seem pretty important.  Noticing this really made me realize just how risky it is to depend on other news sources to provide you with accurate information.  Even well-known news sources such as CNN don't always have their facts straight, and I don't want to end up paying the price for someone else's sloppy reporting.

Hurricane Sandy

I didn't realize how big of an impact Hurricane Sandy is having on the country until earlier this weekend.  After receiving the UNH alert that classes would be canceled Monday and Tuesday, I decided to do a little more research into the storm.
Among other things, I discovered that both presidential candidates have had to severely modify their schedules in anticipation of the hurricane.  Not only did Romney have to cancel his scheduled appearances in Haymarket, VA and Virginia Beach, VA. but first lady Michelle Obama canceled her scheduled visit to Durham, due to the curtailed operations announcement.
Maybe it's just me, but I always find it crazy that one thing can have such an impact on so many other aspects of our lives.
What is even more interesting to think about is whether or not the hurricane will have an affect on the actual presidential election.  While the changes in the candidate's schedules may be too small to really change much, it is hard to know for sure what might impact voters; especially with the election just around the corner.

Balancing Act

After watching the final presidential debate, and reading a story about Mitt Romney and Richard Mourdock, I realized this week just how delicate of a balancing act a campaign is.
I've always known that a campaign takes a lot of effort and careful planning, but it had never occurred to me in the past just how much even one small comment can affect voter's opinions.  I can't even imagine how many hours must be spent planning and practicing before each debate, just to guarantee that there aren't any slips or misunderstandings.  In addition, the candidates must have to be so incredibly good at thinking on their feet, in order to deal with questions or comments they may not have been expecting.
This realization made me respect both of the candidates so much more.  I don't think I would ever have the ability or the patience to manage such a delicate balancing act.

Change of Opinion

I wasn't sure if this was blog worthy or not, but lately I've been thinking a lot about the upcoming presidential election.  The candidates and their campaigning teams put so much time, money, and effort into selling people on their ideas so that they will in turn be elected.  While this makes sense in some ways, I can't help but wonder how many people really have their views changed during the campaigning.  It seems to me that the majority of people I know who are either Pro Romney or Pro Obama, have been that way from the very beginning.  It is rare for me to encounter someone who says, "well, I used to be for Obama, but now I've switched to Romney", or vice versa.
I know that campaigning is an important part of any election, but I can't help but wonder if it is really as important as we make it out to be.  Most voting Americans appear to be set in their beliefs, and it doesn't seem like something like a bad performance during a debate will have much influence on opinion.

Romney's changing views

After watching last night's debate, I found it interesting that Romney's views on contraceptives, abortions, and women in general seemed to have changed slightly from when campaigning first began.
One of my biggest concerns about Romney has always been his views regarding women's access to birth control, abortions, and planned parenthood services.  I believe that these things are important for many American women, and it seemed that Romney was not on the same page.  However, during the debate last night, he seemed to have somewhat changed his views on this topic.  Not only did the debate end with a commercial which stated that Romney did not oppose contraception, but the former governor stated it himself.  His exact words during the debate were “Every woman in America should have access to contraceptives.”

Although I could have misunderstood Romney's stance on these issues in the earlier months of the campaign, it seems to me that he has altered his position.  Whether this is out of personal belief, or simply to gain the votes of more women, it is something that I found hard to ignore.

Elizabeth Marriott Murder Investigation

I'm sure I'm not the only one who has been vigorously keeping up with news on the murder of Elizabeth Marriott.  The case fascinated me partly because I am very interested in crime stories, and partly because it seems so out of the ordinary for this part of New Hampshire.  In addition, there are so many aspects of the case that don't seem to add up, and I am eager to find out more.
When writing my news story on this event, I had so much trouble seeking out the information I needed, simply because 9 out of 10 people refused to even comment on any aspect of the case.  While I do understand that many of these people are not at liberty to release information, it was frustrating to not be able to get the answers I so desperately want.  I was hoping that if I kept digging, I would be able to uncover at least something that would put some of my many questions to rest.  However most of my potential leads turned out to be dead ends.
I decided to blog about this this week because writing on this event really gave me a glimpse into the world of journalism that I had never seen before.  I realized just how difficult it can be to obtain the answers you need for a hard-hitting story, when almost no one will agree to talk to you.
While it was quite a frustrating experience, it's one that I'm glad I was exposed to early on.  I still hope to be a journalist some day, and I'm glad I've seen the difficulties of the job as well as the rewards.

Obama and Romney's campaign sites

I thought it would be interesting to explore both presidential candidate's official campaign sites to see some of the similarities and differences between them.  While doing this however, I noticed something that I never had before.
It seemed to me that both candidate's websites focused primarily on discussing the things that are "wrong" with the opposing candidate.  Mitt Romney's website even had entire sections that were labeled "Obama's Failure" in red.  Obama's site had links labeled "The Reality Behind Romney's 5 Point Plan".  It seemed like the website's are almost more geared towards convincing voters why the other candidate is the wrong choice, rather than why the said candidate is the right one.  It occurred to me that perhaps it is equally, if not more important in any election to convince one's voters why they shouldn't go for the competition.
By making potential voters see things they don't like about Romney, Obama is guaranteeing himself not only the votes of those who are in favor of him, but also of those who will vote for him out of default simply because they do not like Romney.  The same is true with Romney regarding Obama.
I'm not sure why I found this to be of interest, but it is something I may want to look into further at some point.

Small Towns and Big Cities

I realized that although I have been pretty good about keeping up with national and world news, I have neglected to keep myself informed of things happening right here in Durham.  I vowed to visit the website of the town of Durham at least 3 times a week.  Today, while browsing through the town news, I came across something very interesting. 

The "featured article" was simply a two line announcement that Trick-Or-Treating in Durham will be held on Tuesday, Oct 30, from 5:00-7:30 PM.  The announcement didn't mention anything about why it would take place then instead of on the actual holiday of Halloween, but that wasn't what struck me about it.  I grew up in a big city, and am still adjusting to living in a small town and learning to take in all the many differences.  I find it quite amazing that it is possible to not only set a specific time for trick-or-treating, but to make it on a day other than Halloween.  Something like this would be impossible to do in a big city because of the large amount of people and the lack of communication between them.  My family has always been close with our neighbors, but I doubt we would even have the manpower to set up a specific time for trick-or treating within our neighborhood; there are simply too many people.  

I have noticed that people who live in small towns tend to be much closer to one another than people who live in big cities.  I am curious as to whether this is simply because of the difference in amount of people, or if it is something deeper than that.  The thought crossed my mind that perhaps people who enjoy interaction and connection with others migrate towards small towns, while people who prefer to keep to themselves migrate towards bigger cities.  It is simply a hypothesis, but it is one I am interested in looking into further.

Frank Schubert and gay marriage

I read a story in the New York times today, that definitely came as a bit of a shock to me.  I know that the controversy against gay marriage has been in full swing for some time now, but I was surprised to discover that there are people going to such extremes to keep it from being legalized.  Frank Schubert believes that gay marriage is wrong for many reasons, and in 2008, he ran a 40 million dollar campaign in California, in support of Proposition 8.  After the election, he continued to head million dollar campaigns in many other states including, Maryland, Minnesota, and Maine.

Personally, I believe that marriage is a right that should be granted to any two people who love each other, regardless of their sex.  Although I do respect that there are many people, such as Schubert, who do not agree with me, I am surprised that people have such a problem with it that they are willing to devote part of their lives to keep it from being legalized.

In addition, this story made me grateful once again to live in a country where we are each entitled to our own opinion, and given the right to express it freely.

Saturday Detentions

Tom and Jerry is blasting through the otherwise calm house, as a teenage boy slings his backpack over his shoulder and angrily heads for the car.  His mother switches off the television and follows closely behind him.  It's a Saturday morning, but these two are headed to school.  
This scenario could end up being a reality for many New Hampshire students if a petition for Saturday School is approved by the Portsmouth School Board.  The idea was proposed last night by School Board member, Tim Steele, who believes that it will result in a reduction of in-house suspensions and make students think twice about misbehaving.
The proposal outraged a large number of parents who feel that the new policy will be ineffective as well as inconvenient.  "I work six days a week--including Saturday Morning--and it's bad enough to get my son off to school Monday through Friday, " said Peggy Bacon, a parent.  "I just don't think it's going to make any difference, and the parents are going to pay for it."
Parents were not the only group upset by the proposal.  Students who attended the meeting seemed to have similar feelings of skepticism.  "I don't like this idea," said high school senior, Lisa Gallagher.  "I think it's just being done to make life easier for the faculty, so they don't have to deal with detentions during the week."
Despite the uproar regarding the proposal, there were a select few attendees who appeared to support Steele.  "Parents can whine all they want about this," said Bob Farley, a town resident.  "But maybe it's time parents in America were made to take a little responsibility for their kids."
Steele addressed some of the concerns raised by parents, explaining that students who skipped their Saturday sessions would not be allowed to return to school until they served their detention.

Woman raped in Tunisia, then charged with indecency

On Sep. 3 in Tunisia, a young woman was raped by 2 police officers in the back of her car.  While this was taking place, a third officer forced her fiancé from the car and took him down to the street to an ATM where he extorted money from the young couple.   Shortly after the incident, the woman filed a complaint against the 3 officers, who retaliated by claiming that they had found the couple in an "immoral position" in the car.  Although it is not clear exactly what is meant by "immoral position", the couple has been charged with "intentional indecent behavior."  A crime which is punishable by up to six months in jail.  

This past Tuesday, hundreds of angry Tunisians protested the charges against the young couple. 

Reading this story made me incredibly grateful to be an American, and to live in a society where we are (for the most part), protected from such barbaric treatment.  In addition, it made me think quite a bit about the upcoming elections.  As Americans we are incredibly grateful to have the right to vote and choose the president of our country.  Although many of us have different opinions regarding the two candidates, I think it's important to take a moment here and there to be grateful for the fact that we live in a democratic society, and more importantly, a free country.

California bans "Gay Cure Therapy"

I read a recent story regarding Governor of California, Jerry Brown banning therapy that is geared towards changing a child's sexual orientation.  Brown told the San Francisco Chronicle that the therapy has been statistically proven to lead to depression and suicide.  California has become the first state to ban this type of therapy. 

This story first caught my eye because it mentioned California, and being from there, I like to keep up with what's going on.  Once I started reading it however, I became incredibly interested in the topic.  I had no idea that these types of therapies even existed, much less that they were previously legal in all 50 states.  Although I find it incredibly wrong and dehumanizing to attempt to change someone's sexual orientation, I am quite interested in finding out more about what goes on in these so-called "therapy" sessions.  This article really peaked my curiosity and I hope to find out much more about this topic.

Underage drinking and our society

Earlier today I read a news story about the wide acceptance of underage drinking in our country's military.  It was written by a man who had served in the military himself, and in it, he discussed how common and even accepted it was to see 19 year old men taking shots and funneling beers on any given Friday night.  He also discussed how alcohol is easily attainable at very low prices, and the fact that many of the men end up using it to self medicate.  Although it is not always so much of an issue, it does bring to light the health risks associated with alcohol; particularly in the military when men and women need to be at their physical bests.
Reading this story made me think quite a bit about underage drinking in other areas of our society.  I feel that the military is not the only place where it is common and even almost accepted.  At UNH, as well as most other college campuses, it is hard to find a place on the weekends where there isn't underage drinking going on in some way, shape, or form.  Although the police do seem to make an effort to control it, most goes on behind closed doors and is out of their reach.  In addition, I've noticed from personal experience that it is not at all uncommon for police to look the other way whenever possible.
Overall, I feel that underage drinking is slowly becoming more and more acceptable in many different areas of our society.  Although I personally don't think it is much of a problem as long as it is mildly controlled and done in moderation, I do understand the concern by others.

Heroic Rescue at Old Orchard Beach

Early this morning, an elderly man was saved from a gruesome death when his stalled vehicle was pushed from the train tracks near Old Orchard Beach by a heroic female police officer.  The combined efforts of the police officer and a young Maine resident led to the discovery and rescue of 80-year old Francois Truffaut, who fell unconscious as his car passed over the railroad crossing.

"Are You Better Off?"

Apparently this question has become a central them of the upcoming presidential elections; however the way it is interpreted varies greatly depending on who you are.  Presidential candidate Mitt Romney has stated that “this president cannot tell us that you are better off today than when he took office,” referring, of course, to President Obama.  This statement made me think quite a bit about both candidates and whether or not I feel "better off" now then I did four years ago when President Obama took office.  I also found it interesting that this simple statement can be taken in so many different ways.  Although many commentators have applied it to the financial aspect and unemployment rate, I thought about it in a different way.  Obviously the economic situation of our country is incredibly important, but I feel that as Americans, our emotional feelings towards our president are equally as important.  As a citizen, I want to feel as if I can trust my president to do more than just financially stabilize our country. I want to know that I can trust whoever is in office to make ethically good decisions that benefit more than just one group of people.  I think that this is an important thing to consider when deciding who to vote for and I hope that when it comes time to vote, Americans will be able to look at more than just the financial situation in our country.

Rosa Jimenez: Trouble With our Justice System

Yesterday I read a very interesting story regarding the American Justice System.  About 6 months ago, Rosa Jimenez, an illegal immigrant from Mexico, was charged with choking and killing a young child in her care.  Ms. Jimenez claims that she did not commit the crime and has been falsely imprisoned, but her case deals with much more than a question of guilt or innocence.  At her trial, the prosecutor remarked about Ms. Jimenez, “Despite being from Mexico, she’s very intelligent.”  This comment infuriated the mayor of her hometown and contributed to her becoming "a symbol of the inequality of the American criminal justice system."  In addition to this comment, the medical witness provided by the defense was determined to be an amateur in the areas of pediatrics and choking.  Although the U.S. Supreme Court is currently reviewing Ms. Jimenezs' request for a retrial, she still will have spent at least a year in prison for a crime she may not have committed.  

Whether or not Ms. Jimenez committed the crime, her story really makes me wonder about our country's criminal justice system.  I can't help but wonder if the suspect had been an American citizen, would she have been given a better attorney, better treatment, and a more knowledgeable medical witness.  In a country where we pride ourselves on acceptance, freedom, and equality, it seems wrong to me that an immigrant, illegal or not, would be treated in such a dismissive and unfair manner.

Interrogation Techniques Taking a Turn for the Worst?

Recently, I read an article in the New York Times regarding the current and future interrogation techniques permitted in the United States.  The article discussed the idea that the upcoming elections will likely determine whether or not torture, or "enhanced interrogation techniques" will eventually be legalized.  As of now, President Obama has issued an executive order banning any form of physically abusive interrogation techniques, which he plans to uphold should he be re-elected.  On the contrary, however, presidential candidate, Mitt Romney has been urged by his advisors to "rescind and replace President Obama's executive order".  Although Romney has said that if he were to do this, all interrogation techniques will remain safe, legal and effective in generating intelligence to save American lives,” I can't help but question Romney's true intentions, as well as his character.

As someone who is already quite skeptical of Romney, this story definitely did not help him out a lot in my book.  I firmly believe that any form of physically abusive interrogation is barbaric and wrong, and should definitely not be legal in our 21st century American society.  In addition, the fact that Romney is being so vague about what these "enhanced interrogation techniques" would involve, makes me very nervous.  All I can hope is that enough Romney supporters read this story and hopefully question the character of the man they want to run our country.

Juveniles and Life Sentences

Recently, I have been following the news on the Steven Spader trial and thinking a lot about whether or not I believe that juveniles should ever be given life sentences.  Although in most cases, I think life sentences are a bit harsh and unfair for juvenile offenders, there are certain cases in which I see no other   options.  Some crimes are so mind-blowingly horrible that it seems almost unconstitutional to ever consider letting the offender walk the streets again.
There are cases in which I believe juvenile offenders are troubled and can be helped.  In situations like these, I think all possible efforts should be made to help the young offenders turn their lives around and give them another shot at adulthood.
In the case of Steven Spader, I don't believe his life sentence should be revoked simply because of his age at the time.  The crime he committed at 17 years old, was incredibly sadistic and clearly shows his need for either intense psychological help, or a lifetime behind bars.  Either way, he should never be allowed to roam the streets as a free man.

News Stories

While exploring downtown Durham for story ideas, I came across a number of very interesting things.  My team and I begun our search by focusing on the new businesses that have opened up in the area.  We spoke to employees at Aroma Joe's Coffee, and discovered that they don't seem to be very concerned with other competitors in the area, and are very confident in their ability to satisfy customer needs in a way that other coffee shops don't.  We also spoke to an employee at the Candy Bar, and learned that one of the ways they are increasing business is by partnering with Hayden Sports.  Customers who spend over $25 at Hayden Sports receive a $5 gift certificate to the Candy Bar.  After gathering information about new businesses, we had some time left over and decided we would visit a local liquor store to inquire about the fake ID problem on campus.  We spoke to an employee who told us that there has been an influx of fake IDs since the beginning of the school year, and even had a couple that had been confiscated.  I realized that the problem is much larger than I knew, and that the consequences are becoming quite extreme.
I discovered just how important it is to go into a search with questions already in your head, and to ask as many as you can to as many people as you can get in contact with.  Sometimes you uncover things that you never expected and meet people you didn't think you would.

So far, I think that the following story is the most interesting one I have come across.

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/09/18/health/research/using-the-body-to-incubate-replacement-organs.html?_r=1&hp

To Lead or to Be Led: Different Types of Leads

"President Obama, under renewed fire from Mitt Romney for not standing up to China on behalf of American workers, used a rally in this battleground state on Monday to announce a new trade case against Beijing. " 

I found this lead to be very interesting as well as effective, because it managed to incorporate the who, the what, and the when.  Although it technically begins with "the who", it gives readers a small preview of the main point of the story, without being too wordy or confusing.  I think that a lead like this would be most effective when writing longer, more detailed pieces.  This way readers have a good idea of what they will be reading about, and might be more likely to commit to a longer piece.  

"Despite a well-documented increase in the abuse of alcohol and prescription medications among military personnel over the past decade, the Defense Department’s strategies for screening, treating and preventing those problems remains behind the times, a major new report finds." 

I thought that this lead was also quite effective.  By starting with "the what", it cuts right to the chase and leaves little room for confusion or questions.  I think that a lead like this would be most effective when used with a shorter, informative, and less creative piece.  It gives readers the information they want very quickly and without any extra detail. 

 "Justice Clarence Thomas has not asked a question from the bench in more than six years, and he seldom appears in public in Washington, a city he says is full of cynics, smart alecks and people who have agendas rather than convictions." 

Personally, I did not find this lead to be as effective as many of the others I came across.  After reading the lead in this story, I found myself already losing interest in the piece.  I think that leading with "the who" is a bit risky and should be saved for stories revolving around more well-known names, and much larger events.  

Obama Erases Romney's Edge on Economy

Last night I read a very interesting news story regarding the upcoming presidential election.  Prior to a recent poll conducted among potential voters, it was widely believed that presidential candidate, Mitt Romney held a large advantage over President Obama.  Many Americans, have been consistently unhappy with President Obama's efforts to fix our plunging economy, and Romney's fresh approach on achieving economic greatness seemed to pull in a large number of voters.  However, a recent poll among potential voters revealed that Romney may not actually have an advantage over Obama at all.

This story was quite shocking to me, because up until reading it, I was beginning to have quite a bit of doubt that President Obama would be able to achieve another win.  It was also very interesting to me to learn that the poll was conducted earlier this week.  The story touched briefly on the fact that this past week has been very "turbulent" in the political world; with violent attacks taking place not only in Libya, but also in Egypt and Arabia.  In addition, American televisions were flooded with new campaign ads, all encouraging voters to choose Romney and save the economy. I am curious as to whether or not these events affected the results of the poll, and would they have been different had it been conducted at another, less hectic time?

Deadly Embassy Assault in Libya

This morning I read a story in the New York Times about the attack that occurred in Benghazi, Libya early yesterday morning.  The American Ambassador, as well as three other diplomats were killed in this vicious attack, and officials are now beginning to suspect that the attack, once believed to be an unfortunate accident, may have actually been strategically planned.
While reading this story, I was very impressed with the level of detail and care that seems to have gone into the reporting.  Not only was the piece incredibly descriptive and informative, it also incorporated direct quotes from President Obama, Mohammed Magarief (the president of Libya's national assembly) , and other Libyan officials who were present during the attack.  In addition, the story was covered from not only Washington D.C, but also Cairo and London.
Although I do know that much effort and careful detail usually goes into reporting, this story seemed particularly well covered and I was very impressed with it.
I was wondering however, how would a reporter for a newspaper like the New York Times go about getting direct quotes from President Obama? And making sure that they are completely accurate?

My News Diet

To make sure I stay informed and fully exposed to the news, I constructed a news diet that I hope will work out well with my somewhat hectic schedule.  Part of the problem I've had with keeping up with the news in the past, is that I rarely have the time to sit and read the newspaper, or scroll though online sources.  I did realize however, that I spend a great deal of time scrolling through Twitter and other social networking sites on my phone throughout the day.  Because of this, I downloaded both the New York Times and the CNN News apps for the iPhone.  Together, these apps give me access to current news stories both in the U.S. and beyond.  This way, I can check easily throughout the day without needing to be behind a newspaper or in front of a computer.
In addition, I started following NPR News and the San Francisco Chronicle on Twitter.  San Francisco is my hometown, so I really enjoy being informed of things going on there.  Although these don't give me access to full news stories, they tweet important headlines which often peak my interest and inspire me to go online and do more research later on.
For the last part of my diet, I changed my internet's homepage to the New York Times official website. I almost always check my E-mail and Facebook accounts over breakfast, so I thought this would be a convenient way to start my day off with current events.

What is "News"?

                A story, a thought, an event, an idea.  News is what we are all talking about.  As its name suggests, it typically centers on new and noteworthy content that, for whatever reason, holds a certain amount of interest to the general public.  News catches our eye and fires up our minds; everything else is just information.