Jeremy Scahill Strikes Again

When Jeremy Scahill visited the college last year, not only did he give some insightful tips on journalism, but he also brought up the importance of Blackwater.

But it seems Blackwater hasn't quieted down just yet.

Scahill once again proves what a great journalist is.

Oh, Michael Moore

I forgot just how much Michael Moore amuses me.

An Open Letter to President Obama

Peaceful protesting?

A protest in Geneva over the WTO meetings broke out into arrests and some violence

Geneva Protests

The protesters, obviously upset with the the current global ecnonomy (and who isn't"?), demonstrated outside the meetings.

Though it is difficult to say who is at fault, what I found to be the most compelling part of this article was the photos.

I will argue again and again that there are times when photos tell the story more than words can. And I think this is one of those instances.

In the wake of Thanksgiving ...

I've been thinking lately about the economy (and maybe it's because I'm a college student making very little and wondering how I'm going to pay all my bills) but especially during the holidays when the gap between the rich and the poor seems even more drastic.

I found this commentary on the Huffington Post that I found really spoke to how I felt.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/marian-wright-edelman/a-thanksgiving-prayer-to_b_367464.html

Poor Michelle

Google was experiencing some problems recently when a racially offensive photo of the First Lady would pop up in its search engine after typing in
Michelle Obama"

Google apologizes

Google is unsure of how this happened but to me, that seems to be a question that should be answered. Besides the photo of Michelle, a search query for the First Lady also brought up "Jew." Google has since removed these hits from its site saying it violates Google law but it is now up on another search engine Web site.

It may be time to establish some universal rules for most search engine Web site. When there are different rules — or no set rules — an incident like this happens.

I'm all for Free Speech and I do think limitations on the Internet is a bad idea, but when an incident turns offensive and ends up hurting someone, then it's time to sit back and wonder what can be done differently.

We should all listen to Whitney and believe in the children

That seriously is such a bad song by Whitney. But regardless, children are something that Americans should care about (no matter how ugly and disgusting they are as babies). They are our future (and I can just see Whitney belting that out).

Which is why this article on the Huffington Post, Hungry Children, left me feeling pretty cold. It's not so much that I felt bad for the teachers who were using their own money to buy their students food. It's that this truly shows and represents just how terrible the economy is right now. If parents can no longer send their children to school with full stomachs, then what's going on?

And it's not just a handful of students in classrooms that are not being fed. Sixty-three percent of the teachers surveyed said they bought food for their entire classrooms. What this shows is that parents can no longer afford to give their children the necessities they need. And this ultimately proves that something needs to get done about the economy in this nation.

Journalism and Business

I'll be the first person to admit it that I have absolutely no business skills. So after reading Jeff Jarvis's Entrepreneurial lessons, I started to wish I took a class in business. And not just in business but how to deal with the business side of journalism.

Throughout my education at Ithaca College, I have been told that journalism is changing and that to stay in the journalism world, I must learn different trades. This has consisted of me trying to hold a video camera and trying to learn the different shots that I hear all those film majors talking about. At heart, I am a writer but I feel OK trying to produce multimedia.

What I need, however, is knowledge of the business side of journalism. I highly believe that the journalism department at the college needs to be analyzed once again. And I do think that a business class teaching journalism students how to pitch ideas and how to keep a float in the careers they choose, needs to be a part of that curriculum.

End of an Era

... or so Oprah says. I've never been a huge Oprah fan (I do, however, find Gayle to be extremely entertaining.) but I do have to admit that Oprah has had a tremendous impact on American culture in the last 20 years (besides the fact that I can remember all great American milestones with what size Oprah was around).

But in all seriousness, Oprah should be respected for the media mogul she is. She knows how to sell. Look at the influence she has had on Americans concerning James Frey, Obama and of course weight loss. As Joyce McFadden notes The Cultural Importance of Oprah, the lady has made a lot of significant points in her years on television.

What I'm looking forward to, is seeing how she does on cable television — a completely different ballgame than basic cable.

As long as she keeps those trips with Gayle, I'll be happy.

The problems Obama inherited

There is no doubt that when Obama became president, so many of us thought he would be able to solve all the problems of the Bush administration in the snap of his fingers. One of Obama's 'failures' is the dilemma of Guantanamo Bay.

Obama's Failure to Close Guantanamo Bay

While I do agree that the problem of Guantanamo Bay needs to be fixed, I don't have a solution nor do I place the blame on Obama. During the election, Obama was seen as this savior that could save us all from the 8 years of Republican nightmeres. But that hasn't happened so far. Mostly, because it's still pretty early in his presidency.

So, I suggest we do stop placing the blame on Obama and give him time to focus on some other issues, such as the economy, health care and the wars. W. and Cheney left a lot for Obama and sweet Joe Biden to handle.

Hey Billy

J.D. Lasica's A Cybersleaze Timeline illustrates just how ridiculous the media was concerning Bill Clinton. Throughout the Clinton years, Drudge just accused Clinton of affairs that he did not even have proof for. Drudge finally lucked out with one but the others? fabrications.

What also strikes me as comical is how The Washington Times printed a story about rumors that Clinton fathered a boy. But its only sources were the Star and the Drudge Report, not exactly the most reliable sources. Then again, what does one really expect from a conservative newspaper?

The Philosophy of Journalism

I recently stumbled upon this article in the Chronicle of Higher Education

We need 'philosophy' of journalism'

A comical part in the article to me was the stereotypical thoughts about philosophers being out of touch with the world (which is how I've honestly viewed them) and journalists being pompous with an 'in-you-face' personality.

Though I have never been a huge believer in philosophy, I did agree with the article. Both subjects constantly aim to seek the truth. We both cling to the facts that we do know of.

After reading the article, I thought to myself an interesting course that could be added to IC's department — if, of course, it is taught by someone who knows what he is talking about — could be the philosophy of journalism. And I'm sure at a place like IC, it'd be a popular course.

Hanging with the girls

According to the Huffington Post, Hillary Clinton says she would like to meet Sarah Palin.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/11/15/clinton-happy-to-talk-to-_n_358277.html

Clinton made the comment after Palin said in her new book that the two women probably disagree on a whole lot of issues but she'd be willing to meet with her to find out why.

After seeing this, however, I was reminded of the election and how politicians thought that Palin wold be able to grab the female votes that Clinton had. When you think about just how different the two female politicians are, you should be offended that politicians would think so little of voters.

Anyway, it'd be interesting to see what Hil and Sarah have to talk about. That's one coffee-talk I'd love to be at.

Since it's almost Vets Day ...

The Huffington Post recently posted a photo gallery that showed the progress of one young American soldier.

http://blogs.denverpost.com/captured/2009/09/10/ian-fisher-american-soldier/

What I found to be the most compelling about this photo gallery was that it did not go into the politics but instead showed the true side of the soldiers. In other words, the human side that often gets lost in the media. It also showed just how young and how much of a child the soldier still is, making it seem almost surreal.

And to add a bit more ...

Not that I like to plug The Ithacan but this article by an Ithacan writer about Huffington did end up on the Romenesko site ... pretty cool.

http://www.poynter.org/column.asp?id=45

Arianna Huffington

Say what you want about Arianna Huffington, the lady can give a speech. One thing that really stood out in my mind when Huffington spoke at Ithaca College Tuesday evening was the idea that though journalism is changing, it is not dying. This quote from Huffington pretty much sums up her message:

“The future of journalism is not the same as the future of journalists,” Huffington said. “Our [goal] is not just to save journalism but to strengthen journalism.”

In other words, yeah, print journalism is not as big as it once was. But that does not mean journalists will be without jobs. Instead, if journalists only adapt and learn other forms of media, they will be fine. In fact, it will only benefit them to have more than one way of storytelling.

While many people say journalism is a dying field and it's dumb for college students to want to pursue a journalism degree, Huffington disagreed, calling this age the "golden age" of journalism. And with new multimedia, social networking and blogging, Huffington is correct. This truly is the golden age for journalism.

Finkelstein Time

Conservative blogger Mark Finkelstein has his own Public Access show called Right Angle in Ithaca, which basically seems like a paradox. Conservatism in Ithaca? But yesterday Finkelstein brought up an interesting topic. In one of the latest editions of the Ithaca Times, Right Angle was named one of the best public television shows in Ithaca. Though this may bring some laughs from others, I was quite pleased. To me, it shows that even if viewers identify themselves as being "liberal," they are not just receiving their news from media outlets that they politically agree with. Whether or not Ithacans are listening to Finkelstein because they agree with him or want a good laugh, they are still giving his views some consideration.

On a similar note, that is why I admire Jeremy Scahill. Unlike other writers, he is able to get away from the "conservative" or "liberal" stereotypes and write about what he actually sees.

College, expensive? Who knew?

I often find myself checking out the education section of the New York Times. And it's no surprise that top stories for the past few months have been really Debbie Downers. "Costs for college increases," "Students find it harder to acquire loans," "Employment remains low for college grads."

Today the newspaper published another article about the rising costs of colleges. College Costs Keep Rising, Report Says

Prices at private colleges, like IC rose 4.4 percent. A source in the article raises the question that given the financial hardships of so many people, shouldn't colleges be more understanding?

But there are financial difficulties for colleges as well.

What the article fails to do — and it would, of course, be the most beneficial for both parties — is explain how colleges and students can work together to afford an education. More scholarships, grants or work-study jobs? Any advice like that would be better. So instead of articles reporting on the gloom all college students are facing, an article giving some suggestions would be more beneficial.