Polygamist hearing turns into a circus

Hearings began to (hopefully) settle the case regarding the removal of 416 children from a polygamist ranch. Unfortunately, it also turned into a circus. The site was definitely out of a movie. Big city lawyers in suits and women in 19th century dresses packed the courtroom. The judge was not really able to get much done considering all of the chaos. I hope that thi gets figured out and that the children are put into good homes and that their mothers receive treatment.

Elections Controversy at CU

A week after it was released, an e-memo from the winners of the UCSU elections, the Drive ticket, is still being criticized and could lead to a change in university policy regarding the content of e-memos sent to students.

Last Wednesday the Drive ticket, one of three tickets running in the UCSU election, sent out a student e-memo titled "Urgent: Vote DRIVE for UCSU," urging students to support them in their run for office. The e-memo drew criticism from members of both of the opposition tickets, One and Solidarity. Their criticism centered on a university policy banning e-memos from promoting political viewpoints.


Members of the Drive ticket are maintaining they did nothing wrong and they followed university guidelines when they sent the message.

Drive funded the message through a student group they created called Go. Farivar paid the fee to start the group as well as its fee to send out the e-memo. He also paid to register the drivecu.com Web site, which Go used to send the message.

When asked why he set up the group, Farivar said it was created to pay for expenses for the Drive campaign on campus.

The office of the registrar is responsible for screening e-memos before they are sent to students. The CU registrar, Barbara Todd, said the policy on political content only applies to state or federal politics, not campus elections.

I don't think they did anything wrong...

Pope beings the healing process...

Pope Benedict XVI has been in the United States for a few days now. His first stop was the White house where he visited with the President, attended a formal ceremony in his honor and was even sung happy birthday!

One of the most important stops was a private visit with some of the victims of the sexual scandal that rocked the Catholic Church. The victims all said that they left the meeting with a new found hope and are very optimistic that the catholic church could be turned around.

Fruity Cocaine

I know you are probably saying "What the?!!" Yeah, that's right, candy-flavored cocaine has recently emerged in California. Federal drug agents are hoping to keep it from spreading across the country.

Drug rings have occasionally sold cocaine mixed with candy powder, but investigators said the new product was significantly more sophisticated and lucrative. Cocaine cut with an added flavoring is less potent, but the 1½ pounds seized last month were a full-strength powder into which strawberry, coconut, lemon and cinnamon flavoring had been chemically synthesized.

I mean, what are they going to come up with next?? From what I read, flavored cocaine can have a street value that ranges from $1,100 to $1,400 an ounce where as the regular stuff runs between $600 and $800. Since when does it matter how it tastes?!! This is so scary. My main fear is the how this may lure younger clients...

Families Torn Apart

The story of the polygamist ranch hit the airwaves like a ton of bricks. CNN was one of the first to break this story coming out of El Dorado, Texas. The ranch is the compound that was once led by Warren Jeffs. The main reason for the case is that a girl inside the compound called the authorities to file a rape. This gave the authorities all that they needed to go into the compound. Authorities removed approximately 416 children and their mothers from the camp and into legal custody. I am amazed that it took this long for this to take place. However, I am happy that it has been put into the spotlight.

I am done!

Barack Obama made a statement that he does not feel that it necessary for him to partake in any more debates versus his Democratic rival, Hillary Clinton. Obama stated that he has already done twenty some odd debates and enough is enough. I agree.

Celebrate the Earth!

Earth Day is April 22 and the environmental center is celebrating with a big bash called Earth Day 2008: Save the Planet, Save the People. The events will take place all day long on the Norlin Quad and the UMC Fountain. Activities will include a social action station, a biodiesel bus on display and many green vendors. For more information, check out the ecenter website.

But although we celebrate earth day once a year, it does not mean that you should neglect it for the rest of the year. You could simply turn off the water while you wash your hands and brush your teeth, you could bring your own bags to the grocery store rather than using plastic or paper and you could just choose to walk rather than drive. There are many simple ways that you can help the earth throughout the year. Try one out!

OKC

The 13th anniversary of the Oklahoma City bombing is around the corner. I ran into the website that has been built in honor of those who passed in this horrible tragedy, the survivors and the convicted. I urge you to view the website and remember those that have passed.

Sometimes you must find out for yourself...

Have you ever given it thought to whether or not you should just listen to what is being told to you by journalists? Click on the link below:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=Xsoc4-QnplY

Ehics Week

It's our duty as journalists to practice ethics at all times. What a better time ti refresh than Ethics Week? Ethics week will be observed from April 21-April 27, 2008. Visit SPJ's ethics page and get refresh your memory on the code of ethics. Apply these ideals now and throughout your career. It is your obligation.

What is wrong with people?!!

So I just ran into an article that really blew my mind. Apparently an Ohio highway patrolman was photographed in a handmade Ku Klux Klan costume while on duty the day before the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday.

Craig Franklin, a 12-year veteran of the Ohio Highway Patrol, is pictured in the Jan. 20 photo with a white cone on his head, white paper mask and a white cloth covering his shoulders, according to a highway patrol report.

Highway patrol officials began an investigation after the patrol’s Administrative Investigative Unit received an anonymous letter that included two photographs of Franklin in the outfit, an interoffice memo said.

The officer stated that it was supposed to be a joke based on a skit done by comedian Dave Chappelle.

Honestly, I don't care who copied who, but doing something like this is just stupid. In the end, the guy got demoted and had to attend diversity class. At least it's something, but definitely not enough.

Making good Ethical Decisions

One of my old professors suggested that in order to make good ethical decisions when working on stories, I should ask myself the following questions:

1. What do I know? What do I need to know?

2. What is my journalistic purpose?

3. What are my ethical concerns?

4. What organizational policies and professional guidelines should I consider?

5. How can I include other people, with different perspectives and diverse ideas, in the decision-making process?

6. Who are the stakeholders -- those affected by my decision? What are their motivations? Which are legitimate?

7. What if the roles were reversed? How would I feel if I were in the shoes of one of the stakeholders?

8. What are the possible consequences of my actions? Short term? Long term?

9. What are my alternatives to maximize my truthtelling responsibility and minimize harm?

10. Can I clearly and fully justify my thinking and my decision? To my colleagues? To the stakeholders? To the public?


This is some of the best advice I have ever received.

Black in America

On the eve of the 40th anniversary of the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., CNN begin its series Black in America. In the first installment of this series, Soledad O'Brien investigates how James Earl Ray, an armed robber and escaped convict, had already spent an uncommon year on the run just a month before his path collided with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in Memphis, Tennessee.

I had the opportunity to watch one of the broadcasts and was really impressed at how well it was made. I have had the opportunity to visit the Lorraine Motel. The museum is in a somewhat run down area of Memphis, however, it looks very similar to how it looked on that fateful day.

I am really happy that a network finally took the time and really researched the background on this murder. I have to agree with many people when I say that James Earl Ray did not work alone. Although we may never really know, we have had the opportunity to be in the presence of a great person like MLK.

Journalism Ethics and Children

The method of how cover news in which at the center are minors and rape is the crime, has always been controversial within the journalism community. Although ethical policies are in place, local news agencies across the country still report these stories using their own policies as well. Some newspapers will not say publish the name of the child unless it is in the crime report and thus public record. Other papers will not publish the name without the consent of the victim and their family.

in my opinion, the dilemma is not whether to name them or not, but how to treat them in the news media.

Race is still an issue in this country

The April cover of Vogue magazine features LeBron James and Gisele Bundchen in what has become a very controversial pose. Many people are criticizing the cover stating that it is perpetuating racial stereotypes. Some have even linked the image to King Kong and Fay Wray. This is just amazing to me. People think that we are in a time when race relations are fine and they just aren't. How can anyone expect a nation to recover from so many years of racism. The civil rights movement just happened a little over 40 years ago people!

I mean I just wonder if this cover was on Ebony magazine, would it be such a problem? Or if Lebron was carrying a black woman, would it such a stir?? I think not, what do you think?

420, The Annual Smoke Out

So I was surfing through YouTube the other day and ran into some video of something called 420. Now, I am new to Boulder and all, but this is nuts! Apparently, 420 is an annual event that began several years ago. What happens is that thousands of students converge on the center of the CU-Boulder campus and basically smoke marijuana in plain view. Now police do show up, but as you will see in the video, they don't do much:




I will make sure to not be anywhere near campus for this year's event. Why can't we just legalize it so that we don't have to deal with all of these ridiculous acts.

Have you ever wondered...

...why so few reporters at national, regional and local news outlets are specifically assigned to the diversity beat or the race beat?

Tell me if you agree (or disagree) and why.

Stand By Your Man or Let Him Fly Solo?

So as you probably know, Governor (now ex-governor) Elliot Spitzer was found guilty of soliciting from an escort service. He was known simply as "client #9." The "escort" that he paid for services went under the alias "Kristen." The NY TIMES broke the story in releasing "Kristen's" real name. Her name is Ashley Alexandra Dupre and she is a 22 year old aspiring singer living in New York City.

Anyhow, the new spin that the media is giving it is looking at Spitzer's wife, Silda. The question that has been posed is should she stay there and why would she stay although her husband has obviously cheated on their relationship. According to reports, this is woman who had her own career as a lawyer and left it in order to support her husband. In my opinion, now I do not have children and have never been married, however from my point of view I think she should leave him and take her girls. I don't, however, think that the media needed to have given this angle so much focus. Slow news day, I guess...

YourHub.com -- UPDATE!

As I mentioned in a previous blog, I submitted a story in hopes that it would get some good reviews. I recently received an email from a staffer stating that my story was chosen to be printed! You can pick it up on newsstands on March 13.

Although this is a small publication, I am very proud of the fact that one of my stories was given such great compliments. I am especially happy that the woman who I profiled was pleased because I was accurate with the information that she so graciously shared. Journalists should not print or broadcast pieces simply for the approval of other, but rather with honesty, balance and accuracy. That is what I strived for with this story.

YourHub.com

In an attempt to contribute my articles to other outlets, I tried uploading to yourhub.com. It was surprisingly easy. I simply set up an account, clicked on stories and then simply uploaded my article onto the website. Soon after, I received a notice that my article was being reviewed and if approved it would be posted on the from page of yourhub.com. In the meantime, you can find my story at:

http://denver.yourhub.com/Boulder/Stories/Faces-of/Story~438064.aspx

I'll keep you posted...

Si Hablo Ingles!

Never in my right mind, could I have imagined that I would be attending an anti-racism rally. Especially in the year 2008! And worst of all, it is stemming from a set of opinion articles that read worse than an essay from a primary school student.

The first article, No Hablo Ingles, was written with the intent to make the point that immigrants to the United States would live a better life if they learned the language. The author, however, displayed her immaturity by stating that she does not like the Spanish language because her teacher "wore this horrendous smelling perfume, which I can still smell to this day. By the end of class, I would sit there with a pounding headache, hoping the punishment would end. She spoke with this heavy Spanish accent that I couldn't even understand. How the hell am I supposed to learn Spanish if I can't even understand the teacher?" Are you serious?!

The other article insinuated different steps that the author, along with anyone that would follow, would make all Asians more "americanized." The author outlines steps that he would take including "hog-tying." The article was labeled satire by the author and the publication, but once again I state...are you serious?!

At the end of the day, my main argument goes against the editors that allowed such garbage to be published. I completely understand that there is such a thing as freedom of speech and the press, however, these points could have been made in a more responsible fashion. Journalists have the OBLIGATION to be responsible with their words and when presented with articles like these, publications should exercise gatekeeping.

USHLI & CMA

This past weekend, I had the opportunity to attend the United States Hispanic Leadership Institute's annual conference held in Chicago, IL or Chi-Town, as some like to call it...

For the past 15 years, the Center for Multicultural Affairs here at CU has offered a course the nationally recognized course called Collegiate Leadership Development Program (CLDP). The mission of CLDP is to cultivate diverse students including ally leaders through greater activism on campus and in their community. This 7 week seminar series is designed to promote and facilitate constructive dialogue and interaction between underrepresented students and key university officials. A national certificate and recognition is awarded upon completion. In addition, a trip to the USHLI Conference is covered by CMA.

USHLI was originally a grassroots movement whose mission was and is to promote empowerment and civic responsability. USHLI has developed into one of the most powerful, nationally and internationally recognized Latino organizations in the country.

This year's convention featured key note speakers like Rev. Jesse Jackson and Anthony Romero, the Executive Director for ACLU. This year's convention also bestowed the National Hispanic Hero Award upon Raul Yzaguirre who founded the National Council for La Raza. The convention also offered a variety of workshops that ranged from motivational speakers to leadership and beyond. After leaving the conference, one could not help but feel empowered to make a difference in society. It was really amazing.

Words we shouldn't use

Semantics (study of word meaning) is extremely important to minority communities. The words we use in stories to describe people can have a positive – or devastating - effect on them.

Latinos

Perhaps the one ethnic community that is hurt the most by the words that journalists use is Latinos.

HISPANIC: Here’s a government-invented word that is considered a “white word” by many Chicanos.

Historically, it became popularized decades ago by the Census Bureau on its forms to categorize Latinos because it – the bureau – didn’t want to separately list all the many nations in Latin America. It is almost universally disliked by those Latinos who have not become totally Americanized, and still are proud of their cultural heritage.

Even in a border city like San Diego, the white-dominated TV newsrooms unfortunately use the word Hispanic regularly.

ILLEGAL ALIENS: Here is an ugly phrase used consistently by the anti-Latino, Minutemen vigilantes; conservative politicians and many in the news media.

As a kid, an alien in my mind was some little green weirdo with three eyes who came from another planet. My Webster’s dictionary says the word refers to someone who is so different that they are “incompatible.”

Add “illegal” to that incompatibility and you have someone who is really, really bad. Yet, I find that phrase in many newspapers and news magazines in referring to Latinos.

The phrase preferred by many Chicanos is “undocumented immigrant,” but you rarely see it used in news stories or by politicans.


Gays

The word “homosexual” is still being used in news stories even though it is very, very outdated. Back in the 50’s, the popular word to describe Gays was “homophile.” It was a scientific term and, because homosexuality was then universally unlawful in most states, the only way to write about that lifestyle was to put the story into the format of a scientific article.

In the 60’s, the word homophile gave way to the word “homosexual,” in both the alternative press and the mainstream media.

After the Gay Liberation movement took hold in the 70’s, the word Gay became the preferred term. The phrase “Gay Community” referred to both Gays and Lesbians. The word homosexual was, and still is, disliked by gay leaders because of its emphasis on sex, which is really a very small part of the gay experience.

In the 80’s, as Lesbians became more vocal and outspoken, they insisted that separate identity was necessary and the phrase “Gay and Lesbian” became popular. Still uncomfortable with their so-called, second-place position in that phrase, Lesbians gradually insisted that the community be called the Lesbian and Gay Community. That placed Lesbians in the forefront, even though they are numerically a minority in the Gay Community.

There is still today a huge controversy over the prominence of the word Lesbian in identifying that minority community. While many Lesbian-dominated, community organizations are now called LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender) groups, gay males are almost universally unhappy with that designation.

To use the word homosexual in a news story is as improper and out-of-date as referring to an African-American as a “negro.”


Asian-Americans

When writing a story about someone from Japan, Viet Nam, Thailand or another country in the Far East, how does a journalist refer to them, generically?

I asked that questions of a Chinese friend of mine. Should I write the word “oriental,” for example?

He responded firmly that it is more proper to say “Asian-American.”

Indeed, in San Diego, we have a solid organization called the Asian-American Journalists Association.

The history of the blog...

So as my first blog, I have thought for the longest time "what would I write about?!" So I decided to start off by talking about what a blog is, what the controversy is all about and a little time line.


Dictionary.com defines a blog as :
n. an online diary; a personal chronological log of thoughts published on a Web page; also called Weblog, Web log


Blogs began to take form in the mid-90's. However, they originally were thread conversations which we now see as comment pages. Usenet was the primary medium which allowed all posting in a newsgroup to be under the control of an individual or small group. The modern blog eventually evolved from an online diary and can be controlled by anyone.

Now the current controversy is whether or not blogs should be considered journalism. Most people feel that blogs are just opinions and are not news. I agree.