Thursday, January 12, 2012

Funny Stuff

Get a whole "NEWS" experience! Really? We actually go to school to learn? That's news to me. LOL

Enjoy this little video clip.





Wednesday, December 28, 2011

Saturday, November 12, 2011

Should the lines between journalism and government be crossed?

The credibility and trustworthiness of news media is very important. I like to know from what point of view they are writing. Are they a strong supporter of the subject or issue on which they are writing? It helps me to know that because I can then make a formed decision as whether or not the information I am reading has any bias to it. If it does, I may want to seek another point of view before forming my opinion on and issue.

"In 1997, an organization then administered by PEJ, the
Committee of Concerned Journalists, began a national conversation among citizens and news people to identify and clarify the principles that underlie journalism. After four years of research, including 20 public forums around the country, a reading of journalism history, a national survey of journalists, and more, the group released a Statement of Shared Purpose that identified nine principles. These became the basis for The Elements of Journalism, the book by PEJ Director Tom Rosenstiel and CCJ Chairman and PEJ Senior Counselor Bill Kovach." (PrinciplesofJournalism.org)

it is important to me that our news media in their various forms do not become puppets of the government. What news messages did the people of Germany have available to them before and during Hitler's reign? The John and Molly Pollock Holocaust Collection shed some light on this with translated articles from German papers during the 1930's.

"Successful police raid on the Kurfuerstendamm This lead story from the front page of the June 1 edition describes police raids on two cafes that resulted in 339 people being arrested, including 317 Jews. In typical style, the story disputes anti-Nazi reports that Jews are oppressed. It suggests instead that they are thriving in criminal nests, and that the public needs to be protected from them." (
John and Molly Pollock Holocaust Collection)

The German people had no idea that they were being misled. I believe this is one reason that I find it extremely important for journalism to be separate from government. Our found fathers made it a point to do that with the
first Amendment to the constitution. Our freedom of speech is priceless.

Freedom of speech enables us to keep our government in check. To bring to light wrongs that needs to be righted. Take for example the
"Harvest of Shame" done by Edward R. Murrow back in the 1960's.

"The Harvest of Shame" was a very powerful piece of journalism. That story brought about necessary changes to our countries laws. The public's eyes were opened to a subject that needed to be attended.


Tuesday, September 13, 2011

Social and Cultural Media Changes

What will be the tipping point and what will the long term effects be?


Amazing, is what comes to mind when comparing the events in the 50’s to the events of today.  Looking at the power of one’s voice on a simple blog and the far reaching effects of influence it may have on society not just locally but globally.
There is such a delicate balance right now, but little by little I feel the power of influence returning to the consumer.  People are rejecting the idea that they are little more than a product to be molded, shaped and sold to the highest bidder.
As more and more people break the mold the balance in power and influence will shift causing the information age as we know it to crash to the ground busting into millions of pieces.
Just as society weathered the storms of the past it will take its shattered pieces and create a beautiful mosaic.  A system of communication that will far surpass today’s outdated system.