From NPR:
Media Should Tread Carefully In Covering Suicide
by Michelle Trudeau
Scientists define a suicide cluster as three or more suicides in a specific location that occur over a short period of time. On average, there are five suicide clusters each year in the United States, according to psychiatric epidemiologist Madelyn Gould at Columbia University in New York City.
Gould has found that suicide clusters are a relatively rare event, accounting for fewer than 5 percent of all suicides in teenagers and young adults. The most distinctive feature about suicide clusters is that they occur almost exclusively in teenagers, she says.
"Suicides following the exposure to someone's death by suicide, was about two to four times higher among 15- to 19-year-olds than [in] other age groups," Gould says.
So what is it about teenagers that make them particularly vulnerable? For one, Gould says, adolescents are intensely focused on other teenagers and on imitating the behaviors of other teens. It's a developmental phenomenon that scientists call "social modeling."
And for adolescents, says Gould, "it's the peer group members who often serve as models. So during this age it's the peers that replace family members and other adults as the most influential group. And suicide is another behavior that can be modeled, unfortunately."
Another characteristic typical of teenagers that puts them at increased risk of suicide is their tendency to act impulsively. This behavioral inclination is a function of a still-maturing brain. Neuroscientists have found that complex cognitive functions — such as inhibiting impulsive behaviors, planning ahead, and problem solving — occur in the prefrontal cortex, a brain area that continues to develop throughout adolescence and well into young adulthood.
So until an adolescent's brain is more fully mature, he or she will tend to behave impulsively, neglect future consequences, and perhaps view suicide as an immediate solution to problems, especially if a friend or acquaintance has taken that route.
The Biggest Risk Factor
But the most significant and critical red flag that predicts adolescent suicide risk, according to Gould and other researchers, is the presence of an underlying mental health problem. In teens, that's most commonly depression, anxiety and alcohol or drug abuse.
“Even in the context of someone else's suicide, without that underlying vulnerability, they're not going to go on to attempt suicide or die by suicide," Gould says.
Community Parents Stand Guard After Teen Deaths
Gould is currently studying 50 suicide clusters that have occurred in the United States over the past decade, comparing the cluster suicides to young people who died by suicide but not in a cluster. She is doing what's called a psychological autopsy on each suicide: interviewing family, friends, teachers; checking school records, the teens' e-mails, phone calls.
"We want to try to understand why you have the tragedy of a suicide in one town but it does not lead to additional suicides. Yet in another town, it might lead to two, to three, or four more suicides," says Gould, whose research team is trying to identify what might initiate a suicide cluster.
Type Of Media Coverage Plays A Role
In preliminary findings, Gould reports that there is no one type of community that is more susceptible to suicide clusters than another. "Every community is vulnerable," she says. Gould has also identified a crucial characteristic that seems to play a critical role in suicide clusters. If the first suicide gets media attention, then it's more apt to trigger other suicides. So, Gould cautions, the way the media cover a suicide can be critical.
"We know from studies that have looked at the impact of the media that there is something called the 'dose-response association.' So the size of the increase in suicides following a suicide story is proportional to the amount, and the duration, and the prominence of the coverage."
There are ways that the media can cover a suicide that can actually help mitigate the risk of additional suicides, says psychiatrist Paula Clayton, medical director of the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, who regularly advises the media on how to report on a suicide. For example, they should report on the many complex factors that may have led up to the suicide and emphasize that 90 percent of people who kill themselves have mental health problems.
Clayton cautions, though, that using details about a suicide can increase the risk of suicide clustering. "Don't talk about the method, or show the place where the suicide occurred. And don't glorify it," she says.
Preventing More Deaths
In terms of prevention, one of the most highly effective deterrents to suicide, says Clayton, are physical suicide barriers. These can prevent access to deadly locations and have been shown to effectively prevent suicides.
"If you build barriers for bridges or put nets up, the suicide rates go down at the bridge, and [they] don't go up at the nearby bridges. If you build railroad barriers, the suicides go down."
Gould agrees barriers can prevent suicides, especially in impulsive teenagers. "If you can make it that much harder, at least you're buying time. And we have found that to be effective because the motivation to [commit] suicide is not constant. It waxes and wanes. And so you might get them past that impulsive urge."
In addition, suicide screening of all the teenagers in a community where a suicide has occurred is also effective in identifying kids with depression, anxiety or substance use. A new study by Gould, to be published in the December issue of the Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, confirms the value of schoolwide suicide screening. Her study shows that identifying teens at risk for suicide and offering them help does result in the teenagers' getting treatment for their mental health problems.
Resources For Suicide Prevention
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 800-273-TALK (8255), A Free, 24-Hour Hotline
TeenScreen National Center For Mental Health Checkups
American Foundation For Suicide Prevention
American Association Of Suicide Professionals: Upcoming Meeting
Monday, November 30, 2009
Zondervan Pulls Book After Backlash
Zondervan pulls book after backlash
After encountering a backlash for what critics called its insensitive use of Asian themes, Zondervan has pulled from store shelves Deadly Viper Character Assassins: A Kung Fu Survival Guide for Life and Leadership by Mike Foster and Jud Wilhite.
"There is no need for debate on this subject," said Moe Girkins, Zondervan president and CEO. "We are pulling the book and the curriculum in their current forms from stores permanently."
Released Oct. 1, the leadership book came under fire from Soong-Chan Rah--author and associate professor of church growth and evangelism at North Park Theological Seminary in Chicago--on his blog for promoting an "offensive" stereotype against Asians. The book featured martial arts, ninjas and Chinese symbols "in a non-essential manner that does not honor the heritage or culture of Asians," Rah wrote.
Girkins has named Stan Gundry as editor-in-chief of all Zondervan products "in order to avoid similar episodes in the future" and emphasized the company's commitment to products that promote spiritual growth. She also expressed support for Foster and White for a "valuable" message in the book concerning personal integrity, which the company hopes to present in a "better" format in the future.
On his blog, Rah called the move to pull the book a "tremendous act of repentance" and wrote that Zondervan "acted in the best interests of the body of Christ and for Christian witness above ego and profits. I am personally humbled by the actions of the authors and the publishers to take this radical step."
Foster and Wilhite have shut down their Web site, which now includes the message: "Due to an unfortunate conflict that arose around our use of Asian American themes, we have decided to close this chapter of Deadly Viper Character Assassins. This decision has been a very difficult one for us and one that we did not take lightly."
Quote of the Day from Christian Century
Quote of the Day:
"Neither new nor old models of news reporting can survive without the revenue to support them. We the people should demand high-quality reporting from news organizations. But we may also have to demand something of ourselves: the willingness to pay more for journalism. The future of democracy and the common good may depend on it. "
--The editors of Christian Century magazine, in an editorial in the Dec. 1 edition.
"Neither new nor old models of news reporting can survive without the revenue to support them. We the people should demand high-quality reporting from news organizations. But we may also have to demand something of ourselves: the willingness to pay more for journalism. The future of democracy and the common good may depend on it. "
--The editors of Christian Century magazine, in an editorial in the Dec. 1 edition.
Struggling Publishers Try Customization
From DMNews:
Struggling publishers try customization
Chantal Todé
One of the newer applications for digital print is in the beleaguered magazine and newspaper publishing segments, where both circulation rates and advertising revenues have taken a dive. Publishers seek new ways to deliver content that are more efficient than traditional mass-produced printed products, and digital print — with its ability to manipulate text and images for a personalized consumer experience — is gaining traction. The venue also enables publishers to customize both editorial content and ads.
Time Inc., along with American Express Publishing and Lexus, tested a customized magazine called Mine in March. Recipients of Mine were able to influence the content and the ads that appear in each issue. They also chose the delivery mechanism: print, online or smartphone. Content was drawn from Time Inc. magazines.
Examples of recent customized magazine covers range from putting the recipient's name on the cover to allowing them to upload their own image, but Mine allows consumers to influence content across an entire publication.
Wayne Powers, president of Time Inc. Media Group, said customization, "strengthens our relationships with advertisers and consumers."
At the Mine Web site, consumers choose which of eight different Time Inc. magazines they want to read. They also answer questions about their interests to help customize the ads, Time has a technology platform that aggregates content from the magazines chosen.
"There was a lot of development work done on our side to create the distribution mechanism," said Powers.
The printed version of Mine was distributed to 31,000 consumers every two weeks. While there are no other customization projects at the press currently, Powers insists the idea has legs.
A customized magazine like Mine "can work under a lot of different scenarios," he says. "It can be designed for a new product" and the content "might be more aligned with the interests of the consumer."
Early results from Mine show that recipients spent 45 to 46 minutes with the 36-page printed product. This is equal to the amount of time consumers typically spend with a 75-page to 100-page newsweekly, Powers says.
It is too early to tell whether this sector will grow. "Everybody is trying to figure out the economic model and the end-user experience," says John Conley, VP, publishing at Xerox's global business group.
One of the issues publishers face is cost, says Conley: "It is going to be expensive." In addition, publishers either need to know enough about their subscribers via a sophisticated CRM platform or they need to be able to give end users the ability to build content themselves.
"The user experience has to be very simple but very robust - that is a bigger issue today than the actual printing," says Alon Bar-Shany, VP and GM of the Indigo press division for HP's graphics solution business.
While the software to build these publications is already available and digital presses can handle this work, finishing is still an issue. Once these customized publications come off the presses, they need to be assembled precisely so that the pages for each recipient stay together.
"To really enable mass customization, you need to be able to customize the finishing as well," says Bar-Shany. "People are working on this, but there is currently still a lot of manual work done on the finishing side."
Other media companies are exploring customization as well. The Tribune Co., which publishes the Chicago Tribune, Los Angeles Times and operates several Web sites and local TV stations, sees potential in customization, says Paul Lynch, manager, commercial sales and logistics, at the Chicago Tribune.
The goal is to leverage Tribune's assets - which include content, customer data, a distribution network and relationships with marketers - "to create customized products that consumers and advertisers will be willing to pay for," he continued.
The company is using digital technology to improve efficiency and give consumers control over content. Trib Local is a digital product that uses the Web to gather content and printers to create and distribute it. It was launched to reach local markets in an economically feasible manner.
Using Kodak's reverse publishing software, Tribune Co. created a Web platform enabling members of each local community to upload articles and photos. Advertisers were able to pick a display ad template, add a headline and body text and pay for it with a credit card. The content is automatically aggregated and laid out into templates for specific community products and electronically sent to the printer.
There are now 80 Trib Local community Web sites and 19 distinct print products. Each print version represents 3 or 4 towns.
"Most people think the Web will kill print, but Trib Local is an example of the Web driving print," says Lynch.
Struggling publishers try customization
Chantal Todé
One of the newer applications for digital print is in the beleaguered magazine and newspaper publishing segments, where both circulation rates and advertising revenues have taken a dive. Publishers seek new ways to deliver content that are more efficient than traditional mass-produced printed products, and digital print — with its ability to manipulate text and images for a personalized consumer experience — is gaining traction. The venue also enables publishers to customize both editorial content and ads.
Time Inc., along with American Express Publishing and Lexus, tested a customized magazine called Mine in March. Recipients of Mine were able to influence the content and the ads that appear in each issue. They also chose the delivery mechanism: print, online or smartphone. Content was drawn from Time Inc. magazines.
Examples of recent customized magazine covers range from putting the recipient's name on the cover to allowing them to upload their own image, but Mine allows consumers to influence content across an entire publication.
Wayne Powers, president of Time Inc. Media Group, said customization, "strengthens our relationships with advertisers and consumers."
At the Mine Web site, consumers choose which of eight different Time Inc. magazines they want to read. They also answer questions about their interests to help customize the ads, Time has a technology platform that aggregates content from the magazines chosen.
"There was a lot of development work done on our side to create the distribution mechanism," said Powers.
The printed version of Mine was distributed to 31,000 consumers every two weeks. While there are no other customization projects at the press currently, Powers insists the idea has legs.
A customized magazine like Mine "can work under a lot of different scenarios," he says. "It can be designed for a new product" and the content "might be more aligned with the interests of the consumer."
Early results from Mine show that recipients spent 45 to 46 minutes with the 36-page printed product. This is equal to the amount of time consumers typically spend with a 75-page to 100-page newsweekly, Powers says.
It is too early to tell whether this sector will grow. "Everybody is trying to figure out the economic model and the end-user experience," says John Conley, VP, publishing at Xerox's global business group.
One of the issues publishers face is cost, says Conley: "It is going to be expensive." In addition, publishers either need to know enough about their subscribers via a sophisticated CRM platform or they need to be able to give end users the ability to build content themselves.
"The user experience has to be very simple but very robust - that is a bigger issue today than the actual printing," says Alon Bar-Shany, VP and GM of the Indigo press division for HP's graphics solution business.
While the software to build these publications is already available and digital presses can handle this work, finishing is still an issue. Once these customized publications come off the presses, they need to be assembled precisely so that the pages for each recipient stay together.
"To really enable mass customization, you need to be able to customize the finishing as well," says Bar-Shany. "People are working on this, but there is currently still a lot of manual work done on the finishing side."
Other media companies are exploring customization as well. The Tribune Co., which publishes the Chicago Tribune, Los Angeles Times and operates several Web sites and local TV stations, sees potential in customization, says Paul Lynch, manager, commercial sales and logistics, at the Chicago Tribune.
The goal is to leverage Tribune's assets - which include content, customer data, a distribution network and relationships with marketers - "to create customized products that consumers and advertisers will be willing to pay for," he continued.
The company is using digital technology to improve efficiency and give consumers control over content. Trib Local is a digital product that uses the Web to gather content and printers to create and distribute it. It was launched to reach local markets in an economically feasible manner.
Using Kodak's reverse publishing software, Tribune Co. created a Web platform enabling members of each local community to upload articles and photos. Advertisers were able to pick a display ad template, add a headline and body text and pay for it with a credit card. The content is automatically aggregated and laid out into templates for specific community products and electronically sent to the printer.
There are now 80 Trib Local community Web sites and 19 distinct print products. Each print version represents 3 or 4 towns.
"Most people think the Web will kill print, but Trib Local is an example of the Web driving print," says Lynch.
Friday, November 27, 2009
Should an Algorithm Determine Content?
From Beta Daily Finance:
Making online media pay: Demand Media vs. The Texas Tribune
Bruce Watson
This has been a tough year for the media business: as august newspapers and magazines like the Seattle Post-Intelligencer and Gourmet have closed their doors for good, other outlets are scrambling to develop strategies that will guarantee long-term economic survival while allowing them to continue producing quality content.
This month, Rupert Murdoch entered the fray, going toe to toe with Google (GOOG) over advertising revenues and access to News Corp.'s (NWS) online newspapers. As he tries to work out a revenue-sharing scheme with Microsoft's (MSFT) Bing, it will be interesting to see how the Internet's low-cost distribution structure ultimately affects the production of news and other media.
Traditional newspapers and magazines use three revenue sources -- subscriptions, newsstand sales, and advertising -- to fund highly expensive news-gathering, writing, and editing operations. While some publications like Murdoch's Wall Street Journal have managed to make paid content work, most Internet sites provide content for free, which puts funding solely into the hands of advertisers. The question is whether Internet ads can generate enough revenue to fund media production.
Make It Cheaper and Make Lots of It
Demand Media, a company based in Santa Monica, California, offers one solution to this problem: lower the cost of producing content until it becomes profitable. It works like this: Demand uses an algorithm to scour the Internet, focusing on ads, keyword searches, and other publishing platforms, in order to determine the topics that people want to read about. A second algorithm then generates story ideas, predicts how much ad revenue they will generate, and determines how much they are worth. Freelance writers and videographers write or film the pieces for either a one-time payment, generally in the $10 to $15 range, or a cut of the ad revenue.
According to Wired, the Demand system currently produces somewhere in the neighborhood of 4,000 articles and videos per day; by next summer, it hopes to reach 1 million per month. This massive array of articles and videos -- and the resulting advertising -- has allowed Demand to achieve the holy grail of online content providers: it is profitable. In 2009, its owners anticipate revenues of $200 million.
As someone who has made a living from freelance writing, I tend to view Demand the same way that a cow views McDonald's. For a while, I looked into working for the Demand Studios: seduced by the possibility of getting on one of their premium sites, I considered the economics of churning out articles on relationships and personal finance for eHow. I soon realized that, at $10 to $15 per piece, I would need to work something like twelve hours per day to finance my irritating addiction to food, shelter and clothing.
Given that kind of schedule, I would have to forego things like organizing, proofreading, and editing my work. While I might get a lot of bylines, none of them would be pieces that I'd want prospective employers to see; more important, the breakneck pace wouldn't really give me much time to look for something better. In short, I could easily see a future in which my work for Demand would transform me into a sort of Internet serf, cranking out work on the Demand treadmill in the hopes of one day getting an assignment to something more prominent.
To be fair, Demand isn't quite the low quality content machine that its critics sometimes make it out to be. While eHow is jam-packed with slapped-together articles on topics like "How to select Mickey Mouse bath toys," "How to chew gum," and "How to tie your shoes," Demand also hosts premium sites -- like Trails.com and Golflink.com -- that feature well-written, well-edited articles. And Demand's Cracked.com transcends its namesake magazine, offering an endless stream of thought provoking lists about pop culture.
The End of the Cheap Road?
For writers, the real terror isn't Demand itself, but rather sites like GetAFreelancer.com that suggest where the cheap content road may ultimately lead. On Get a Freelancer, reverse-auctions pit writers from around the world against each other in a fight for the lowest possible price. Right now, for example, there is an open auction in which a company is trying to get a writer to produce forty 200-300 word articles about marriage. The current low bid, $93, means that the auction winner will make roughly $2.32 per article, or between $0.007 and $0.01 per word.
Apart from the steel-cage-match motif of Get a Freelancer, there is the question of value. At these prices, the site can't hope to produce articles that are fresh, new, or creative. While many are search-engine-optimized and highly clickable, they aren't the sorts of things that readers are likely to spend a lot of time on. Adding little to the sum of human knowledge, they are the writing equivalent of bubble gum: bright and shiny, but possessing no nutritional value.
Pay for Highly Focused Quality
On the other hand, Demand Media is highly profitable, which is more than one can say for The Texas Tribune. If Demand represents the scattershot, market-driven, profit-based end of the online content spectrum, the Tribune represents the other extreme. Very narrowly focused -- it only covers Texas politics at the state level -- the site has a staff of sixteen well-paid writers, editors and Web developers producing the kind of incisive, thoughtful, well-researched journalism that is generally associated with print newspapers.
The trouble is, this sort of well-written, vitally important content doesn't pay all that well. The Tribune, for example, is a nonprofit, largely funded by donations and sponsorships. In Texas, where state loyalty and identity borders on obsession, it seems like the Tribune model might work; in less affluent, less cohesive states like West Virginia or Michigan, it might be less effective. In general, the nonprofit model of news seems as inadequate an answer as the profit-driven model of content.
Comparing Demand and The Texas Tribune is admittedly problematic. After all, Demand is profit-driven, while the Tribune is nonprofit; Demand employs thousands of freelancers, while the Tribune has a small, cherry-picked staff; and Demand is designed to answer every question under the sun, while the Tribune covers the comparatively microscopic topic of Texas state politics. Perhaps most importantly, the Tribune is a news source, while Demand focuses solely on general-purpose content that doesn't have an expiration date.
While relevant, these differences obscure a more basic similarity: Demand and the Tribune are both focused on providing intriguing, eye-catching content that will inspire clicks. And, while their respective models are miles apart, they offer two possible solutions to the problem of profit and quality. The lingering question is if there is a way of navigating these two goals to produce information that is valuable to readers, scalable, and profitable enough to survive.
Making online media pay: Demand Media vs. The Texas Tribune
Bruce Watson
This has been a tough year for the media business: as august newspapers and magazines like the Seattle Post-Intelligencer and Gourmet have closed their doors for good, other outlets are scrambling to develop strategies that will guarantee long-term economic survival while allowing them to continue producing quality content.
This month, Rupert Murdoch entered the fray, going toe to toe with Google (GOOG) over advertising revenues and access to News Corp.'s (NWS) online newspapers. As he tries to work out a revenue-sharing scheme with Microsoft's (MSFT) Bing, it will be interesting to see how the Internet's low-cost distribution structure ultimately affects the production of news and other media.
Traditional newspapers and magazines use three revenue sources -- subscriptions, newsstand sales, and advertising -- to fund highly expensive news-gathering, writing, and editing operations. While some publications like Murdoch's Wall Street Journal have managed to make paid content work, most Internet sites provide content for free, which puts funding solely into the hands of advertisers. The question is whether Internet ads can generate enough revenue to fund media production.
Make It Cheaper and Make Lots of It
Demand Media, a company based in Santa Monica, California, offers one solution to this problem: lower the cost of producing content until it becomes profitable. It works like this: Demand uses an algorithm to scour the Internet, focusing on ads, keyword searches, and other publishing platforms, in order to determine the topics that people want to read about. A second algorithm then generates story ideas, predicts how much ad revenue they will generate, and determines how much they are worth. Freelance writers and videographers write or film the pieces for either a one-time payment, generally in the $10 to $15 range, or a cut of the ad revenue.
According to Wired, the Demand system currently produces somewhere in the neighborhood of 4,000 articles and videos per day; by next summer, it hopes to reach 1 million per month. This massive array of articles and videos -- and the resulting advertising -- has allowed Demand to achieve the holy grail of online content providers: it is profitable. In 2009, its owners anticipate revenues of $200 million.
As someone who has made a living from freelance writing, I tend to view Demand the same way that a cow views McDonald's. For a while, I looked into working for the Demand Studios: seduced by the possibility of getting on one of their premium sites, I considered the economics of churning out articles on relationships and personal finance for eHow. I soon realized that, at $10 to $15 per piece, I would need to work something like twelve hours per day to finance my irritating addiction to food, shelter and clothing.
Given that kind of schedule, I would have to forego things like organizing, proofreading, and editing my work. While I might get a lot of bylines, none of them would be pieces that I'd want prospective employers to see; more important, the breakneck pace wouldn't really give me much time to look for something better. In short, I could easily see a future in which my work for Demand would transform me into a sort of Internet serf, cranking out work on the Demand treadmill in the hopes of one day getting an assignment to something more prominent.
To be fair, Demand isn't quite the low quality content machine that its critics sometimes make it out to be. While eHow is jam-packed with slapped-together articles on topics like "How to select Mickey Mouse bath toys," "How to chew gum," and "How to tie your shoes," Demand also hosts premium sites -- like Trails.com and Golflink.com -- that feature well-written, well-edited articles. And Demand's Cracked.com transcends its namesake magazine, offering an endless stream of thought provoking lists about pop culture.
The End of the Cheap Road?
For writers, the real terror isn't Demand itself, but rather sites like GetAFreelancer.com that suggest where the cheap content road may ultimately lead. On Get a Freelancer, reverse-auctions pit writers from around the world against each other in a fight for the lowest possible price. Right now, for example, there is an open auction in which a company is trying to get a writer to produce forty 200-300 word articles about marriage. The current low bid, $93, means that the auction winner will make roughly $2.32 per article, or between $0.007 and $0.01 per word.
Apart from the steel-cage-match motif of Get a Freelancer, there is the question of value. At these prices, the site can't hope to produce articles that are fresh, new, or creative. While many are search-engine-optimized and highly clickable, they aren't the sorts of things that readers are likely to spend a lot of time on. Adding little to the sum of human knowledge, they are the writing equivalent of bubble gum: bright and shiny, but possessing no nutritional value.
Pay for Highly Focused Quality
On the other hand, Demand Media is highly profitable, which is more than one can say for The Texas Tribune. If Demand represents the scattershot, market-driven, profit-based end of the online content spectrum, the Tribune represents the other extreme. Very narrowly focused -- it only covers Texas politics at the state level -- the site has a staff of sixteen well-paid writers, editors and Web developers producing the kind of incisive, thoughtful, well-researched journalism that is generally associated with print newspapers.
The trouble is, this sort of well-written, vitally important content doesn't pay all that well. The Tribune, for example, is a nonprofit, largely funded by donations and sponsorships. In Texas, where state loyalty and identity borders on obsession, it seems like the Tribune model might work; in less affluent, less cohesive states like West Virginia or Michigan, it might be less effective. In general, the nonprofit model of news seems as inadequate an answer as the profit-driven model of content.
Comparing Demand and The Texas Tribune is admittedly problematic. After all, Demand is profit-driven, while the Tribune is nonprofit; Demand employs thousands of freelancers, while the Tribune has a small, cherry-picked staff; and Demand is designed to answer every question under the sun, while the Tribune covers the comparatively microscopic topic of Texas state politics. Perhaps most importantly, the Tribune is a news source, while Demand focuses solely on general-purpose content that doesn't have an expiration date.
While relevant, these differences obscure a more basic similarity: Demand and the Tribune are both focused on providing intriguing, eye-catching content that will inspire clicks. And, while their respective models are miles apart, they offer two possible solutions to the problem of profit and quality. The lingering question is if there is a way of navigating these two goals to produce information that is valuable to readers, scalable, and profitable enough to survive.
Gerson on the Long, Slow Death of Journalism
From today's Washington Post:
Journalism's slow, sad death
By Michael Gerson
Like the nearby Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History, the Newseum -- Washington's museum dedicated to journalism -- displays dinosaurs. On a long wall near the entrance, the front pages of newspapers from around the country are electronically posted each morning -- the artifacts of a declining industry. Inside, the high-tech exhibits are nostalgic for a lower-tech time when banner headlines and network news summarized the emotions and exposed the scandals of the nation. Lindbergh Lands Safely. One Small Step. Nixon Resigns. Cronkite removes his glasses to announce President Kennedy's death at 1 p.m. Central Standard Time.
Behind a long rack of preserved, historic front pages, there is a kind of journalistic mausoleum, displaying the departed. The Ann Arbor News, closed July 23 after 174 years in print. The Rocky Mountain News, taken at age 150. The Seattle Post-Intelligencer, which passed quietly into the Internet.
What difference does this make? For many conservatives, the "mainstream media" is an epithet. Didn't the Internet expose the lies of Dan Rather? Many on the left also shed few tears, preferring to consume their partisanship raw in the new media.
But a visit to the Newseum is a reminder that what is passing is not only a business but also a profession -- the journalistic tradition of nonpartisan objectivity. Journalists, God knows, didn't always live up to that tradition. But they generally accepted it, and they felt shamed when their biases or inaccuracies were exposed. The profession had rules about facts and sources and editors who enforced standards. At its best, the profession of journalism has involved a spirit of public service and adventure -- reporting from a bomber during a raid in World War II, or exposing the suffering of Sudan or Appalachia, or rushing to the site of the World Trade Center moments after the buildings fell.
By these standards, the changes we see in the media are also a decline. Most cable news networks have forsaken objectivity entirely and produce little actual news, since makeup for guests is cheaper than reporting. Most Internet sites display an endless hunger to comment and little appetite for verification. Free markets, it turns out, often make poor fact-checkers, instead feeding the fantasies of conspiracy theorists from "birthers" to Sept. 11, 2001, "truthers." Bloggers in repressive countries often show great courage, but few American bloggers have the resources or inclination to report from war zones, famines and genocides.
The democratization of the media -- really its fragmentation -- has encouraged ideological polarization. Princeton University professor Paul Starr traced this process recently in the Columbia Journalism Review. After the captive audience for network news was released by cable, many Americans did not turn to other sources of news. They turned to entertainment. The viewers who remained were more political and more partisan. "As Walter Cronkite prospered in the old environment," says Starr, "Bill O'Reilly and Keith Olbermann thrive in the new one. As the diminished public for journalism becomes more partisan, journalism itself is likely to shift further in that direction."
Cable and the Internet now allow Americans, if they choose, to get their information entirely from sources that agree with them -- sources that reinforce and exaggerate their political predispositions.
And the whole system is based on a kind of intellectual theft. Internet aggregators (who link to news they don't produce) and bloggers would have little to collect or comment upon without the costly enterprise of newsgathering and investigative reporting. The old-media dinosaurs remain the basis for the entire media food chain. But newspapers are expected to provide their content free on the Internet. A recent poll found that 80 percent of Americans refuse to pay for Internet content. There is no economic model that will allow newspapers to keep producing content they don't charge for, while Internet sites repackage and sell content they don't pay to produce.
I dislike media bias as much as the next conservative. But I don't believe that journalistic objectivity is a fraud. I was a journalist for a time, at a once-great, now-diminished newsmagazine. I've seen good men and women work according to a set of professional standards I respect -- standards that serve the public. Professional journalism is not like the buggy-whip industry, outdated by economic progress, to be mourned but not missed. This profession has a social value that is currently not reflected in its market value.
What is to be done? A lot of good people are working on it. But if you currently have newsprint on your hands, thank you.
Journalism's slow, sad death
By Michael Gerson
Like the nearby Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History, the Newseum -- Washington's museum dedicated to journalism -- displays dinosaurs. On a long wall near the entrance, the front pages of newspapers from around the country are electronically posted each morning -- the artifacts of a declining industry. Inside, the high-tech exhibits are nostalgic for a lower-tech time when banner headlines and network news summarized the emotions and exposed the scandals of the nation. Lindbergh Lands Safely. One Small Step. Nixon Resigns. Cronkite removes his glasses to announce President Kennedy's death at 1 p.m. Central Standard Time.
Behind a long rack of preserved, historic front pages, there is a kind of journalistic mausoleum, displaying the departed. The Ann Arbor News, closed July 23 after 174 years in print. The Rocky Mountain News, taken at age 150. The Seattle Post-Intelligencer, which passed quietly into the Internet.
What difference does this make? For many conservatives, the "mainstream media" is an epithet. Didn't the Internet expose the lies of Dan Rather? Many on the left also shed few tears, preferring to consume their partisanship raw in the new media.
But a visit to the Newseum is a reminder that what is passing is not only a business but also a profession -- the journalistic tradition of nonpartisan objectivity. Journalists, God knows, didn't always live up to that tradition. But they generally accepted it, and they felt shamed when their biases or inaccuracies were exposed. The profession had rules about facts and sources and editors who enforced standards. At its best, the profession of journalism has involved a spirit of public service and adventure -- reporting from a bomber during a raid in World War II, or exposing the suffering of Sudan or Appalachia, or rushing to the site of the World Trade Center moments after the buildings fell.
By these standards, the changes we see in the media are also a decline. Most cable news networks have forsaken objectivity entirely and produce little actual news, since makeup for guests is cheaper than reporting. Most Internet sites display an endless hunger to comment and little appetite for verification. Free markets, it turns out, often make poor fact-checkers, instead feeding the fantasies of conspiracy theorists from "birthers" to Sept. 11, 2001, "truthers." Bloggers in repressive countries often show great courage, but few American bloggers have the resources or inclination to report from war zones, famines and genocides.
The democratization of the media -- really its fragmentation -- has encouraged ideological polarization. Princeton University professor Paul Starr traced this process recently in the Columbia Journalism Review. After the captive audience for network news was released by cable, many Americans did not turn to other sources of news. They turned to entertainment. The viewers who remained were more political and more partisan. "As Walter Cronkite prospered in the old environment," says Starr, "Bill O'Reilly and Keith Olbermann thrive in the new one. As the diminished public for journalism becomes more partisan, journalism itself is likely to shift further in that direction."
Cable and the Internet now allow Americans, if they choose, to get their information entirely from sources that agree with them -- sources that reinforce and exaggerate their political predispositions.
And the whole system is based on a kind of intellectual theft. Internet aggregators (who link to news they don't produce) and bloggers would have little to collect or comment upon without the costly enterprise of newsgathering and investigative reporting. The old-media dinosaurs remain the basis for the entire media food chain. But newspapers are expected to provide their content free on the Internet. A recent poll found that 80 percent of Americans refuse to pay for Internet content. There is no economic model that will allow newspapers to keep producing content they don't charge for, while Internet sites repackage and sell content they don't pay to produce.
I dislike media bias as much as the next conservative. But I don't believe that journalistic objectivity is a fraud. I was a journalist for a time, at a once-great, now-diminished newsmagazine. I've seen good men and women work according to a set of professional standards I respect -- standards that serve the public. Professional journalism is not like the buggy-whip industry, outdated by economic progress, to be mourned but not missed. This profession has a social value that is currently not reflected in its market value.
What is to be done? A lot of good people are working on it. But if you currently have newsprint on your hands, thank you.
Nightly Newscasts Tailored to Your Interests
From the Los Angeles Times. To see a short video on the subject, click here:
A twist on broadcast journalism and sports writing
What if the nightly newscast you watched were tailored to your interests, and the broadcasters only spoke about the movies you wanted to see, the teams you cared about and the news you deemed pertinent.
Researchers at the McCormick School of Engineering at Northwestern University in Evanston, Ill., have created a computerized newscast called "News at Seven," which scours blogs, articles, photographs and videos on the Internet and compiles multimedia broadcasts that are delivered by avatars.The project is funded by the National Science Foundation.
"News at Seven" even has the capacity to generate opinion-based discussions about movies. The avatars use quotes from movie reviews to coherently "debate" the films. Researchers are currently in the process of trying to give the avatars human-like personalities.
Professor Kristian Hammond and his team are also working on a sister project called "Stats Monkey," which composes baseball-game stories by looking at box scores and play-by-plays. After analyzing the data, the program instantaneously writes a story that captures the essence of the game and its key plays and players. Hammond's team is aiming for the program to include all sports.
" 'Stats Monkey' does a little bit better of a job at writing a game story than the initial short AP story," Hammond said. He added, "We're hoping by next year we're able to write a genuine story with images and quotes for every high school football game that's playing in this country."
Hammond said "Stats Monkey" could even be used for financial and political news. "If there are numbers and the numbers are interpretable," he said, "we can write a news story."
A twist on broadcast journalism and sports writing
What if the nightly newscast you watched were tailored to your interests, and the broadcasters only spoke about the movies you wanted to see, the teams you cared about and the news you deemed pertinent.
Researchers at the McCormick School of Engineering at Northwestern University in Evanston, Ill., have created a computerized newscast called "News at Seven," which scours blogs, articles, photographs and videos on the Internet and compiles multimedia broadcasts that are delivered by avatars.The project is funded by the National Science Foundation.
"News at Seven" even has the capacity to generate opinion-based discussions about movies. The avatars use quotes from movie reviews to coherently "debate" the films. Researchers are currently in the process of trying to give the avatars human-like personalities.
Professor Kristian Hammond and his team are also working on a sister project called "Stats Monkey," which composes baseball-game stories by looking at box scores and play-by-plays. After analyzing the data, the program instantaneously writes a story that captures the essence of the game and its key plays and players. Hammond's team is aiming for the program to include all sports.
" 'Stats Monkey' does a little bit better of a job at writing a game story than the initial short AP story," Hammond said. He added, "We're hoping by next year we're able to write a genuine story with images and quotes for every high school football game that's playing in this country."
Hammond said "Stats Monkey" could even be used for financial and political news. "If there are numbers and the numbers are interpretable," he said, "we can write a news story."
Tips For Clergy To Deal With the Media
Here is an interesting look at how clergy should deal with the media, from the "other side:"
Tips for clergy who must deal with media
By Terry Mattingly, FOR THE LEADER TIMES
The Sunday service had just ended and the Rev. Larry Kroon couldn't believe what he was seeing.
A journalist was chasing Wasilla Bible Church members in the aisles, trying to convince somebody, anybody, to dish about his flock's most famous church lady. The craziness had started as soon as Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin became the GOP's nominee for vice president.
Suddenly, there were satellite dishes out front and worshippers were trapped inside, trying to escape to the safety of their cars in the parking lot.
Kroon tried to control the chaos, telling journalists they were free to participate in worship services, but not to film or interrupt them.
The pastor also asked them not to fish for interviews as members arrived or departed. He thought these rules were enough. He was wrong.
"We can look back and say, 'Whoa. We really should have done this or that differently,'" said Kroon. "I was naive enough to think this wasn't going to affect us -- but it did. We ended up scrambling to get from day to day. We had that deer in the headlights look for quite a while."
Wasilla Bible Church encountered professionals from The New York Times, CNN, Time, Fox, the major TV networks and just about everyone else -- from America and around the world. Flocks of alleged journalists arrived from every corner of the World Wide Web, as well.
After hurricane Palin, Kroon met with management consultant James Stamoolis and prepared some tips for clergy who struggle with media attention -- wanted or unwanted. Some of those tips are relevant again in Wasilla, since Palin's faith plays a big role in her new "Going Rogue" memoir. Here's a sample, drawn from a talk with Kroon.
-- Never accept an interview without confirming a reporter's identity and his or her current employer. Just because someone has written for the Associated Press doesn't mean that he isn't currently a blogger for PalinIsAWitch.org or something like that.
-- Help reporters understand that private communications between clergy and the faithful are, in fact, privileged and guarded by the same kinds of laws that shield reporters and their sources.
-- Keep contact information for community leaders -- such as telephone numbers and e-mail addresses for church elders -- in a firewall-protected section of your congregation's Web site. Post contact information for staffers who are prepared to handle media requests in a timely manner.
-- Ask whether reporters or producers have experience covering religion news. Some journalists sincerely want factual information that will help them cover a story fairly and accurately, while others "are in a hurry and they simply want what they want. You may think you're helping them understand who you are and what you believe, but they just want a good quote and then they're moving on," said Kroon.
-- It may help to post information about your denomination or tradition, including frequently asked questions about worship, media relations, how the congregation is governed and the meaning of unique terms (such as "born again" or "charismatic") that newcomers will encounter.
-- Understand that a two-hour interview may be reduced to 20 seconds and that the journalist decides what goes in that sound bite. So avoid lectures and focus on the key points that you need to make to explain your congregation's point of view. It's also important to remember that silence is the reporter's problem, not your problem.
-- In the Internet age, there is no reason that a pastor cannot -- as a condition for talking to a reporter -- insist on the right to record and transcribe an interview. That way, the professionals on both sides of the transaction know that they are on the record and the results, if needed to clarify a point, can be posted online or e-mailed to a publisher.
Kroon stressed that he was impressed by many of the journalists, especially with their commitment to accuracy and fairness. They wanted to get the story right. But others arrived in Wasilla with their minds clamped shut. They came to get the story that they already knew they wanted to write.
"Pastors need to understand that there are really good reporters and there are some really bad ones, too," he said. "You also have to understand that even the really good ones are going to push you to your boundary lines. That's what they do."
Terry Mattingly is director of the Washington Journalism Center at the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities and leads the GetReligion.org project to study religion and the news.
Tips for clergy who must deal with media
By Terry Mattingly, FOR THE LEADER TIMES
The Sunday service had just ended and the Rev. Larry Kroon couldn't believe what he was seeing.
A journalist was chasing Wasilla Bible Church members in the aisles, trying to convince somebody, anybody, to dish about his flock's most famous church lady. The craziness had started as soon as Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin became the GOP's nominee for vice president.
Suddenly, there were satellite dishes out front and worshippers were trapped inside, trying to escape to the safety of their cars in the parking lot.
Kroon tried to control the chaos, telling journalists they were free to participate in worship services, but not to film or interrupt them.
The pastor also asked them not to fish for interviews as members arrived or departed. He thought these rules were enough. He was wrong.
"We can look back and say, 'Whoa. We really should have done this or that differently,'" said Kroon. "I was naive enough to think this wasn't going to affect us -- but it did. We ended up scrambling to get from day to day. We had that deer in the headlights look for quite a while."
Wasilla Bible Church encountered professionals from The New York Times, CNN, Time, Fox, the major TV networks and just about everyone else -- from America and around the world. Flocks of alleged journalists arrived from every corner of the World Wide Web, as well.
After hurricane Palin, Kroon met with management consultant James Stamoolis and prepared some tips for clergy who struggle with media attention -- wanted or unwanted. Some of those tips are relevant again in Wasilla, since Palin's faith plays a big role in her new "Going Rogue" memoir. Here's a sample, drawn from a talk with Kroon.
-- Never accept an interview without confirming a reporter's identity and his or her current employer. Just because someone has written for the Associated Press doesn't mean that he isn't currently a blogger for PalinIsAWitch.org or something like that.
-- Help reporters understand that private communications between clergy and the faithful are, in fact, privileged and guarded by the same kinds of laws that shield reporters and their sources.
-- Keep contact information for community leaders -- such as telephone numbers and e-mail addresses for church elders -- in a firewall-protected section of your congregation's Web site. Post contact information for staffers who are prepared to handle media requests in a timely manner.
-- Ask whether reporters or producers have experience covering religion news. Some journalists sincerely want factual information that will help them cover a story fairly and accurately, while others "are in a hurry and they simply want what they want. You may think you're helping them understand who you are and what you believe, but they just want a good quote and then they're moving on," said Kroon.
-- It may help to post information about your denomination or tradition, including frequently asked questions about worship, media relations, how the congregation is governed and the meaning of unique terms (such as "born again" or "charismatic") that newcomers will encounter.
-- Understand that a two-hour interview may be reduced to 20 seconds and that the journalist decides what goes in that sound bite. So avoid lectures and focus on the key points that you need to make to explain your congregation's point of view. It's also important to remember that silence is the reporter's problem, not your problem.
-- In the Internet age, there is no reason that a pastor cannot -- as a condition for talking to a reporter -- insist on the right to record and transcribe an interview. That way, the professionals on both sides of the transaction know that they are on the record and the results, if needed to clarify a point, can be posted online or e-mailed to a publisher.
Kroon stressed that he was impressed by many of the journalists, especially with their commitment to accuracy and fairness. They wanted to get the story right. But others arrived in Wasilla with their minds clamped shut. They came to get the story that they already knew they wanted to write.
"Pastors need to understand that there are really good reporters and there are some really bad ones, too," he said. "You also have to understand that even the really good ones are going to push you to your boundary lines. That's what they do."
Terry Mattingly is director of the Washington Journalism Center at the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities and leads the GetReligion.org project to study religion and the news.
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
GBIM Hiring Communications Intern
Communications Intern
Grace Brethren International Missions is seeking to hire a Communications Intern for the Spring Semester. Use your communications skills for the Kingdom!
You will assist GBIM's Communication Officer in mobilizing men, women and children to the Great Commission through web, video and print media. You will help with major projects, develop some projects on your own and assist the IMC team in other areas as needed.
This paid internship lasts through the Spring semester. We will work with you to plan your work hours with your class and break schedule. View the ministry description or download an application
jchristenberry@gbim.org
www.gbim.org
Grace Brethren International Missions is seeking to hire a Communications Intern for the Spring Semester. Use your communications skills for the Kingdom!
You will assist GBIM's Communication Officer in mobilizing men, women and children to the Great Commission through web, video and print media. You will help with major projects, develop some projects on your own and assist the IMC team in other areas as needed.
This paid internship lasts through the Spring semester. We will work with you to plan your work hours with your class and break schedule. View the ministry description or download an application
jchristenberry@gbim.org
www.gbim.org
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
100 Things Journalists Should Never Do
From PoynterOnline:
100 Things Journalists Should Never Do
by Julie Moos at 10:07 AM on Nov. 17, 2009
Inspired by The New York Times' stories listing 100 things restaurant workers should never do, we wondered what 100 things journalists should never do.
By journalist I mean anyone -- inside or outside a newsroom -- who aspires to provide an accurate account of something. It could be an account of parenthood, or what happened at the World Series, or whether the swine flu vaccination is available where you live.
We'll be publishing on Twitter these 100 things journalists should and should not do. We hope you'll tweet your own suggestions there, using the hashtag 100Things (#100things), or you can post them as comments to this article so we can all track the ideas.
The most retweeted of the 100 things will be part of the 100 "should"s and "should never"s we'll publish below.
As of Monday morning, we've seen about 450 tweets to #100things, including some new favorites and some old standbys. Here's a selection of the most retweeted so far:
A journalist should never do: Wonder how to rewrite a press release before wondering how to fact-check it. (@JoshHalliday)
A journalist should never do: confuse impartiality with decontexualised he said-she said reporting. (@paulbradshaw)
A journalist should never be a friendly dog when reporting and then go snake at the keyboard. ABC. Always Be Congruent. (@carr2n)
Some familiar favorites
Give voice to those who cannot make themselves heard. (@paulbradshaw)
Afflict the comfortable and comfort the afflicted. (@lkorleski)
Actually follow rule of "If your mother says she loves you, get a second source." (@ddt tweets a variation on "If your mother says she loves you, check it out.")
And of course, there are always going to be some...
Don't be a slave to any rule, including these 100. (Michael Booth)
A journalist should never do: make lists of 'never dos.' (@dbanksy)
Journalists should never take part in hokey social networking gimmicks. (@smartelle)
Here's what Poynter has tweeted
#1 Know the audience, what information they want/need & how they want to learn & share it. News is an activity, not a product.
#2 Always be willing to let any answer -- including one on deadline -- completely change the story's direction.
#3 Journalists should be available. Let people know how to e-mail you, call, IM, DM or otherwise get in touch.
#4 Journalists should be active community members. If you aren't of the people, you aren't by the people or for the people.
#5 Get out of the office & out of the house. Don't hide behind your job or computer. Rediscover the "local" in "hyperlocal."
#6 Remember your purpose. The best stories lead to well-informed people who make better decisions for a better democracy.
#7 Be responsive. When a reader gets in touch, listen & follow up. Without an engaged audience, you're talking to yourself.
#8 Journalists should never stop learning. Even 15 minutes a day helps; learn a new skill or sharpen an old one.
#9 Journalists should be comfortable with silence during interviews. You'll hear & learn more if you're not talking.
#10 Journalists should never plead ignorance about the business of news, who pays, how & why. It's not purist, it's irresponsible.
#11 Journalists should follow the facts where they lead, especially if that's somewhere unexpected & uncomfortable.
100 Things Journalists Should Never Do
by Julie Moos at 10:07 AM on Nov. 17, 2009
Inspired by The New York Times' stories listing 100 things restaurant workers should never do, we wondered what 100 things journalists should never do.
By journalist I mean anyone -- inside or outside a newsroom -- who aspires to provide an accurate account of something. It could be an account of parenthood, or what happened at the World Series, or whether the swine flu vaccination is available where you live.
We'll be publishing on Twitter these 100 things journalists should and should not do. We hope you'll tweet your own suggestions there, using the hashtag 100Things (#100things), or you can post them as comments to this article so we can all track the ideas.
The most retweeted of the 100 things will be part of the 100 "should"s and "should never"s we'll publish below.
As of Monday morning, we've seen about 450 tweets to #100things, including some new favorites and some old standbys. Here's a selection of the most retweeted so far:
A journalist should never do: Wonder how to rewrite a press release before wondering how to fact-check it. (@JoshHalliday)
A journalist should never do: confuse impartiality with decontexualised he said-she said reporting. (@paulbradshaw)
A journalist should never be a friendly dog when reporting and then go snake at the keyboard. ABC. Always Be Congruent. (@carr2n)
Some familiar favorites
Give voice to those who cannot make themselves heard. (@paulbradshaw)
Afflict the comfortable and comfort the afflicted. (@lkorleski)
Actually follow rule of "If your mother says she loves you, get a second source." (@ddt tweets a variation on "If your mother says she loves you, check it out.")
And of course, there are always going to be some...
Don't be a slave to any rule, including these 100. (Michael Booth)
A journalist should never do: make lists of 'never dos.' (@dbanksy)
Journalists should never take part in hokey social networking gimmicks. (@smartelle)
Here's what Poynter has tweeted
#1 Know the audience, what information they want/need & how they want to learn & share it. News is an activity, not a product.
#2 Always be willing to let any answer -- including one on deadline -- completely change the story's direction.
#3 Journalists should be available. Let people know how to e-mail you, call, IM, DM or otherwise get in touch.
#4 Journalists should be active community members. If you aren't of the people, you aren't by the people or for the people.
#5 Get out of the office & out of the house. Don't hide behind your job or computer. Rediscover the "local" in "hyperlocal."
#6 Remember your purpose. The best stories lead to well-informed people who make better decisions for a better democracy.
#7 Be responsive. When a reader gets in touch, listen & follow up. Without an engaged audience, you're talking to yourself.
#8 Journalists should never stop learning. Even 15 minutes a day helps; learn a new skill or sharpen an old one.
#9 Journalists should be comfortable with silence during interviews. You'll hear & learn more if you're not talking.
#10 Journalists should never plead ignorance about the business of news, who pays, how & why. It's not purist, it's irresponsible.
#11 Journalists should follow the facts where they lead, especially if that's somewhere unexpected & uncomfortable.
Thursday, November 12, 2009
Campus Beat Assignments
Campus Beats – Fall, 2009
Beginning Monday, November 16, you are responsible for one article per week from the beat which you draw. Refresh yourself on beat coverage with pages 90 and 91 in the Harrower text. Your article may be coverage of a past event, promotion of an upcoming event, a trend or wrapup article, a personality feature, or other format as approved by instructor. No columns, no editorials, no op/ed pieces. News coverage only.
This article will be in addition to other assignments. Articles are due November 16, Nov. 23, Nov. 30, and Dec. 7 (none on Dec. 14 as major papers are due that evening).
The purpose is for you to form relationships with your news sources, and to cover anything of interest to the campus in your area. You may use these articles for any other purpose (Sounding Board, hometown papers, campus communications office) but stories are due in class 6 p.m. each Monday.
1. Men’s & Women’s Sports – Chad Briscoe, Andria Harshmann, Michael Voss –Jessica
2. SAB/Student Clubs – Ashley House -- Kaitlen
3. Music Department – Dr. Kraft, Dr. Kavanaugh, Dr. Sanborn -- Zane
4. Campus Safety/Health&Food, Physical Plant – Glenn Goldsmith, James Bloemendaal -- Brooke
5. ResLife/Student Affairs/Diversity – Aaron Crabtree, Jim Swanson/Carlos Tellez, Dan Huber -- David
6. Administration/OSI, Academic News – Elma Sherman, Jeff Gill, Tim Ziebarth, Kathy Allison, Jim Swanson, Dr. Katip - Ethan
7. Chapel – Scott Feather, Zach Hess -- Leah
8. Seminary/Ministry Studies – Dr. Gill, Dr. Soto, Dr. Rata, Dr. Harmon -- Emma
9. School of Arts & Sciences/Liberal Arts – Dr. Lesko, Dr. Yocum, Dr. Prinsen -- Annie
10. Student Government -- Christi
11. Missions & SERVE – Mu Kappa – Amy Keith - Dani
12. Student Leadership/leader development – Aaron Crabtree, Dan Huber, RDs -- Sarah
Beginning Monday, November 16, you are responsible for one article per week from the beat which you draw. Refresh yourself on beat coverage with pages 90 and 91 in the Harrower text. Your article may be coverage of a past event, promotion of an upcoming event, a trend or wrapup article, a personality feature, or other format as approved by instructor. No columns, no editorials, no op/ed pieces. News coverage only.
This article will be in addition to other assignments. Articles are due November 16, Nov. 23, Nov. 30, and Dec. 7 (none on Dec. 14 as major papers are due that evening).
The purpose is for you to form relationships with your news sources, and to cover anything of interest to the campus in your area. You may use these articles for any other purpose (Sounding Board, hometown papers, campus communications office) but stories are due in class 6 p.m. each Monday.
1. Men’s & Women’s Sports – Chad Briscoe, Andria Harshmann, Michael Voss –Jessica
2. SAB/Student Clubs – Ashley House -- Kaitlen
3. Music Department – Dr. Kraft, Dr. Kavanaugh, Dr. Sanborn -- Zane
4. Campus Safety/Health&Food, Physical Plant – Glenn Goldsmith, James Bloemendaal -- Brooke
5. ResLife/Student Affairs/Diversity – Aaron Crabtree, Jim Swanson/Carlos Tellez, Dan Huber -- David
6. Administration/OSI, Academic News – Elma Sherman, Jeff Gill, Tim Ziebarth, Kathy Allison, Jim Swanson, Dr. Katip - Ethan
7. Chapel – Scott Feather, Zach Hess -- Leah
8. Seminary/Ministry Studies – Dr. Gill, Dr. Soto, Dr. Rata, Dr. Harmon -- Emma
9. School of Arts & Sciences/Liberal Arts – Dr. Lesko, Dr. Yocum, Dr. Prinsen -- Annie
10. Student Government -- Christi
11. Missions & SERVE – Mu Kappa – Amy Keith - Dani
12. Student Leadership/leader development – Aaron Crabtree, Dan Huber, RDs -- Sarah
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
Taylor Journalism Student Wins Top Award
BP journalism contest draws 20 schools
By Erin Roach
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP)--In its ninth year, the Baptist Press Collegiate Journalism Conference drew contest entries from 20 colleges and universities as nearly 100 awards were distributed, including the President's Award for Excellence in Student Journalism.
The awards presentation, streamed online for the first time from Union University in Jackson, Tenn., Oct. 29, recognized students mostly from Baptist-affiliated schools after more than 500 of their entries were judged by nearly 20 professional journalists.
Before the presentation, students and faculty members from more than a dozen schools interacted with two featured speakers by submitting questions via Twitter.
Jennifer Rash, managing editor of The Alabama Baptist, told students that Christian journalists should excel at their work and give non-believers reason to consider the Gospel, and Gary Fong, founder of the Genesis Photo Agency, encouraged students to be prayerful in all things, because "sometimes God will have things happen before you."
In years past, Baptist Press has hosted the conference in Nashville, Tenn. In a different format this year, Union hosted the conference in its television studio and broadcast the speakers and the awards presentation online.
"Students could log on for a few hours to listen to a few top-notch professionals speak about journalism, hear and see questions by other students and faculty members, and finally, listen to and watch a presentation of nearly 100 awards of excellence," Joni Hannigan, managing editor of the Florida Baptist Witness newspaper and coordinator of the awards competition, said.
Students vied for awards in seven categories encompassing newspapers, yearbooks, photojournalism and broadcasting.
"As with each year, in this ninth year of competition, I am very thankful for the outstanding judges who give of their time to evaluate our student entries," Hannigan said. "I have seen vast improvements I know are directly linked to the valuable feedback given our entrants."
Hannah Beers, a student at Taylor University in Indiana, received the president's award this year, an honor reserved for a student who has shown sustained excellence in scholastic journalism.
Unlike the individual entries that comprise the rest of the awards competition, the president's award is based on a portfolio of work as well as academic performance, leadership and service in a school's journalism program.
The award is presented by Morris H. Chapman, president of the Southern Baptist Convention's Executive Committee, and his selection follows a screening by a panel of five judges.
"There were several strong candidates this year, but Hannah's entry was conspicuously special," Will Hall, executive editor of Baptist Press, said. "The scope and depth of her work was impressive, her technical execution was superb and her writing was compelling. On top of that, her essay was one of the best I have read in the nine years that we have given this award."
The two-page, single-spaced essay asks the candidate to share about career goals, why he or she should receive the award and how faith plays a role in the candidate's journalism pursuits.
In her essay, Beers noted that journalism, like most professions, is flawed because it suffers from a lack of Christian influence. She referred to the Apostle Paul's confession in 1 Corinthians 2 that his message and preaching "were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit's power, so that your faith might not rest on men's wisdom, but on God's power."
"These words, I believe, are the answers to journalism's problems," Beers wrote. "Indeed, these words are the answers to humanity's problems. As Christians and as writers, it is our responsibility to recognize the glorious gift we've been given through Christ.
"Like a great journalist uncovers corruption and indicates a need for change, a Christian thinks, speaks, writes, and lives as someone sent into the world to advocate truth," she wrote.
Upon receiving the award, Beers said the entry process was "a huge affirmation for me as I decide what it is I want to do" after graduation. She thanked one of her professors, Donna Downs, for encouraging her to seek the president's award, as well as her newspaper staff, friends and faculty who have been "a huge part of me growing as a writer."
By Erin Roach
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP)--In its ninth year, the Baptist Press Collegiate Journalism Conference drew contest entries from 20 colleges and universities as nearly 100 awards were distributed, including the President's Award for Excellence in Student Journalism.
The awards presentation, streamed online for the first time from Union University in Jackson, Tenn., Oct. 29, recognized students mostly from Baptist-affiliated schools after more than 500 of their entries were judged by nearly 20 professional journalists.
Before the presentation, students and faculty members from more than a dozen schools interacted with two featured speakers by submitting questions via Twitter.
Jennifer Rash, managing editor of The Alabama Baptist, told students that Christian journalists should excel at their work and give non-believers reason to consider the Gospel, and Gary Fong, founder of the Genesis Photo Agency, encouraged students to be prayerful in all things, because "sometimes God will have things happen before you."
In years past, Baptist Press has hosted the conference in Nashville, Tenn. In a different format this year, Union hosted the conference in its television studio and broadcast the speakers and the awards presentation online.
"Students could log on for a few hours to listen to a few top-notch professionals speak about journalism, hear and see questions by other students and faculty members, and finally, listen to and watch a presentation of nearly 100 awards of excellence," Joni Hannigan, managing editor of the Florida Baptist Witness newspaper and coordinator of the awards competition, said.
Students vied for awards in seven categories encompassing newspapers, yearbooks, photojournalism and broadcasting.
"As with each year, in this ninth year of competition, I am very thankful for the outstanding judges who give of their time to evaluate our student entries," Hannigan said. "I have seen vast improvements I know are directly linked to the valuable feedback given our entrants."
Hannah Beers, a student at Taylor University in Indiana, received the president's award this year, an honor reserved for a student who has shown sustained excellence in scholastic journalism.
Unlike the individual entries that comprise the rest of the awards competition, the president's award is based on a portfolio of work as well as academic performance, leadership and service in a school's journalism program.
The award is presented by Morris H. Chapman, president of the Southern Baptist Convention's Executive Committee, and his selection follows a screening by a panel of five judges.
"There were several strong candidates this year, but Hannah's entry was conspicuously special," Will Hall, executive editor of Baptist Press, said. "The scope and depth of her work was impressive, her technical execution was superb and her writing was compelling. On top of that, her essay was one of the best I have read in the nine years that we have given this award."
The two-page, single-spaced essay asks the candidate to share about career goals, why he or she should receive the award and how faith plays a role in the candidate's journalism pursuits.
In her essay, Beers noted that journalism, like most professions, is flawed because it suffers from a lack of Christian influence. She referred to the Apostle Paul's confession in 1 Corinthians 2 that his message and preaching "were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit's power, so that your faith might not rest on men's wisdom, but on God's power."
"These words, I believe, are the answers to journalism's problems," Beers wrote. "Indeed, these words are the answers to humanity's problems. As Christians and as writers, it is our responsibility to recognize the glorious gift we've been given through Christ.
"Like a great journalist uncovers corruption and indicates a need for change, a Christian thinks, speaks, writes, and lives as someone sent into the world to advocate truth," she wrote.
Upon receiving the award, Beers said the entry process was "a huge affirmation for me as I decide what it is I want to do" after graduation. She thanked one of her professors, Donna Downs, for encouraging her to seek the president's award, as well as her newspaper staff, friends and faculty who have been "a huge part of me growing as a writer."
Journo Information Site
Here is a very rich site for journalists who are on the search for information:
http://topics.nytimes.com/top/news/technology/cybertimesnavigator/index.html/index.html
http://topics.nytimes.com/top/news/technology/cybertimesnavigator/index.html/index.html
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
Will Palin Memoir Pay Off?
Sarah Palin's memoir: Why the math might not add up for HarperCollins
Sarah Weinman
Love her or hate her, Sarah Palin, the former Alaska governor and Republican vice presidential candidate, is always a hot topic of conversation in the media. Her memoir, Going Rogue: An American Life, slated for release by News Corp.'s (NWS) HarperCollins next Tuesday, November 17, is no exception; it's been making news since the ink dried on the deal made last May.
Going Rogue was one of 10 books selected for massive discounting by Amazon (AMZN), Walmart (WMT), and Target (TGT) in their ongoing price war. Palin made headlines last month when she revealed that HarperCollins had paid her a $1.25 million "retainer" sometime between January 1 and July 26, the day she stepped down as Alaska governor. Oprah Winfrey has her booked on her show next Monday, which the author will follow with a bus tour to far-flung corners of the country (or as she famously called them during the 2008 campaign, "the real America"). No less than three books about Palin are slated for publication around the same time, including a parody called Going Rouge: An American Nightmare.
So all signs seem to point to a season-saving bestseller for HarperCollins and for the book business: Pre-orders are rumored to surpass 40,000 copies, with more added to the estimate each day. But look past the top ranking on Amazon and the reported first printing of 1.5 million copies -- and the math may not add up in Palin's favor.
The $7 Million Woman?
The conventional wisdom on Palin's payment for Going Rogue is that she received a $7 million advance from HarperCollins (which hasn't commented). But what did she really get?
Until recently, publishers have long split writers' advances, paying half upon signing a contract with the writer, and the other half upon a book's publication. But with the complicated financials of conglomerates in the equation, many publishers now pay out advances in quarters: upon signing, upon delivery and acceptance of the manuscript, upon hardcover publication, and finally a year later, upon publication of the paperback.
The only HarperCollins contract that's been made public -- the original deal for O.J. Simpson's If I Did It, originally slated for publication in 2006 by Judith Regan's imprint (before it was shut down) -- suggests that HC pays authors in quarterly installments. For Going Rogue, the $1.25 million paid to Palin seems to account for her signing and her delivery and acceptance. That would mean Palin's getting two more payouts, with her cut of the final advance, minus fees to her literary attorney, Robert Barnett, somewhere between $2.5 million and $5 million.
Breaking Even at 400,000 Copies
O.J. Simpson's contract also broke the advance further -- it accounted for fees paid to ghostwriter Pablo Fenjves. Lynn Vincent, a senior writer for Christian World, is widely reported to have done the gruntwork on Going Rogue -- proving so efficient that Palin's manuscript was delivered early and allowed HarperCollins to move the publication date from spring 2010.
Vincent is not getting a byline on Going Rogue, and she's not disclosing her fee. But Andrew Crofts, who literally wrote the book on ghostwriting, has some insight on her fee, based on his own experiences ghosting fiction and non-fiction in the U.K. "It's possible that she is on a percentage deal," he says, "but I would think it more likely that someone of Palin's wealth would want to pay a fee, or get the publishers to pay one. If it was England, I would imagine she would be getting somewhere between £100,000 and £150,000" -- between $168,000 and $252,000. "In America, that figure might be higher."
The ghostwriting fee will likely come out of Palin's payday. But that's still a significant outlay of money by HarperCollins, which the publisher may never recoup. If Palin's advance is as high as $5 million, then HarperCollins wlll need to sell more than 400,000 copies of Going Rogue to cover the advance and expenses for marketing and overhead.
WIll HarperCollins Get Paid Back?
The late Sen. Edward Kennedy got a reported $8 million advance for his memoir True Compass, published by Hachette Book Group's Twelve Publishers in September. Twelve sold foreign rights to True Compass for three countries and has published a limited leather-bound edition for $1,000 a copy. That gives Twelve a better chance of earning back its advance than HarperCollins on Going Rogue, which won't have a similar limited edition and as of yet has not been signed for any editions outside the U.S. (although Barnett sold world rights to HarperCollins).
Within the industry, figures for both print runs and pre-orders are notoriously inaccurate. Publishers inflate print-run figures -- a good rule of thumb is that the actual print run is half of what's reported -- so the 1.5 million-copy press run of Going Rogue is likely closer to 750,000. The Amazon-Target-Walmart price war has made cheap copies plentiful, but their sites' "bestseller" rankings indicate high velocity, not necessarily high sales; if several hundred copies of Going Rogue were rapidly pre-ordered, the book would shoot up in the rankings.
For Going Rogue to go big, she must attract her contingent through bulk sales to the Christian right -- an audience long ignored by The New York Times Bestseller List, and by publishing in general, until Tim LaHaye and Jerry Jenkins's Left Behind series about the Rapture proved too big a cash cow to ignore. But a year after her failed candidacy as Vice President, Palin is no longer the great hope of her party. Her image is tarnished by gossip media's fascination with her and her family -- especially Levi Johnston, the teenage father of her infant grandson, who has proved indiscreet with reporters eager for sordid details.
First Serial Rights
For Going Rogue, no publication has publicly stepped up to claim first serial rights -- running the juiciest excerpts before the book comes out, which either kindles or extinguishes public anticipation for it. Such an excerpt deal may have been struck for The Oprah Winfrey Show, which features Palin in an interview the day before the book's release; the public will find out on Monday.
Either way, it may not be in HarperCollins's interest to bank so much of its fall projections on Going Rogue. The publisher had a huge bust this year in Jonathan Littell's massively hyped thousand-page novel The Kindly Ones, for which it paid $1 million that it didn't come close to earning back. (Bookscan, which accounts for as much as 70 percent of all book sales, last summer reported a disappointing 17,000 copies sold.) And until recently, the company's 2009 earnings have been brutal, in line with sales of hardcover books, which have plunged 12.3% from last year, according to the Association of American Publishers.
Of course, the stars could still align in Palin's favor. She could produce the hit she and her publisher are looking for. But the math suggests that it may be the readers who go rogue on Palin -- and on HarperCollins's plans to right the wrongs of its dismal book sales.
Times-Union Monday
Gary Gerard has rescheduled our visit to the Times-Union for this coming Monday, November 16.
We'll meet at 6 in the classroom and depart shortly thereafter.
We'll meet at 6 in the classroom and depart shortly thereafter.
Wash. Post: Dunn Leaving White House
Dunn leaving White House, Pfeiffer takes over
White House communications director Anita Dunn will step down from her post at the end of the month and Dan Pfeiffer, her deputy, will take over, according to sources familiar with the move.
Dunn, a longtime Democratic media consultant, took over the job on an interim basis earlier this year when Ellen Moran abruptly left the post to take a job at the Commerce Department. Dunn will return to Squier Knapp Dunn, the consulting firm where she is a partner, but will remain as a consultant to the White House on the communications and strategic matters.
The move will be formally announced later today.
On Oct. 11, speaking on CNN, Dunn attacked Fox News as "a wing of the Republican Party." Her comments sparked a fresh battled between the White House and the network. In response to the criticism, Fox News executive Michael Clemente said in a statement that Obama's aides had decided to "declare war on a news organization."
A source inside the White House, who was not authorized to speak about strategy meetings, said at the time that Dunn went out front against Fox first and foremost because it was her job, but also because it potentially gave the administration the opportunity to distance itself from the flap with the Roger Ailes-led news channel once she leaves the communications job.
Pfeiffer began working for Obama in 2007 following Sen. Evan Bayh's (Ind.) decision not to pursue the presidency. He served a stint as the traveling press secretary for Obama's presidential bid but eventually took a slot overseeing the campaign's communications operation.
Prior to Obama, Pfeiffer worked for Sen. Tim Johnson's (S.D.) re-election race in 2002 and on then Sen. Tom Daschle's (S.D.) unsuccessful bid in 2004.
The passing of the baton from Dunn to Pfeiffer had long been expected within White House circles as she had made clear when she took the job that the "interim" in her title was meant to be taken literally.
Unlike when Moran left, the transition should be somewhat seamless as Dunn and Pfeiffer are longtime confidantes -- having worked closely in Daschle's political orbit for years.
The turnover in the communications director slot is the only change in Obama's senior staff with 10 months (or so) of his presidency having passed.
Rahm Emanuel, Obama's chief of staff and former Illinois Congressman, has made clear he would like to return to elected office at some point in the not-too-distant future and, if past presidencies are any guide there will be some further turnover in the senior staff over the next year or so.
Eyebrows were raised recently when David Plouffe, Obama's campaign manager, was asked in a live chat with the Washington Post about why he had not joined the Administration and responded: "I needed to take a couple years to re-balance and spend time with my family, knowing that perhaps in the future my life will need to get unbalanced again."
White House communications director Anita Dunn will step down from her post at the end of the month and Dan Pfeiffer, her deputy, will take over, according to sources familiar with the move.
Dunn, a longtime Democratic media consultant, took over the job on an interim basis earlier this year when Ellen Moran abruptly left the post to take a job at the Commerce Department. Dunn will return to Squier Knapp Dunn, the consulting firm where she is a partner, but will remain as a consultant to the White House on the communications and strategic matters.
The move will be formally announced later today.
On Oct. 11, speaking on CNN, Dunn attacked Fox News as "a wing of the Republican Party." Her comments sparked a fresh battled between the White House and the network. In response to the criticism, Fox News executive Michael Clemente said in a statement that Obama's aides had decided to "declare war on a news organization."
A source inside the White House, who was not authorized to speak about strategy meetings, said at the time that Dunn went out front against Fox first and foremost because it was her job, but also because it potentially gave the administration the opportunity to distance itself from the flap with the Roger Ailes-led news channel once she leaves the communications job.
Pfeiffer began working for Obama in 2007 following Sen. Evan Bayh's (Ind.) decision not to pursue the presidency. He served a stint as the traveling press secretary for Obama's presidential bid but eventually took a slot overseeing the campaign's communications operation.
Prior to Obama, Pfeiffer worked for Sen. Tim Johnson's (S.D.) re-election race in 2002 and on then Sen. Tom Daschle's (S.D.) unsuccessful bid in 2004.
The passing of the baton from Dunn to Pfeiffer had long been expected within White House circles as she had made clear when she took the job that the "interim" in her title was meant to be taken literally.
Unlike when Moran left, the transition should be somewhat seamless as Dunn and Pfeiffer are longtime confidantes -- having worked closely in Daschle's political orbit for years.
The turnover in the communications director slot is the only change in Obama's senior staff with 10 months (or so) of his presidency having passed.
Rahm Emanuel, Obama's chief of staff and former Illinois Congressman, has made clear he would like to return to elected office at some point in the not-too-distant future and, if past presidencies are any guide there will be some further turnover in the senior staff over the next year or so.
Eyebrows were raised recently when David Plouffe, Obama's campaign manager, was asked in a live chat with the Washington Post about why he had not joined the Administration and responded: "I needed to take a couple years to re-balance and spend time with my family, knowing that perhaps in the future my life will need to get unbalanced again."
Gingrich No Longer Conservative About Religion
From Dana Milbank's column in the Washington Post:No longer conservative about his religion
By Dana Milbank
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
It says much about the transformation of the Republican Party that even Newt Gingrich is now carrying the cross.
When Gingrich came to power 15 years ago, his Contract With America was a document of fiscal conservatism that mentioned God only in passing. When he led the impeachment of Bill Clinton a decade ago over the Monica Lewinsky affair, Gingrich was involved in his own longtime extramarital relationship with a former aide, who is now his third wife.
"Newt," Christopher DeMuth put it gently as he introduced the former House speaker Monday to a forum at the American Enterprise Institute, is "a politician who in his private life is a seriously religious man but who does not make religious belief an upfront part of his political platform."
His first two wives might have quibbled with the description of Gingrich as a seriously religious man in private. But after Monday's performance, nobody will ever again say that he "does not make religious belief an upfront part of his political platform." His talk was titled "The Victory of the Cross: How Spiritual Renewal Helped Topple the Berlin Wall."
The former speaker, his eye on a 2012 presidential run, said that as he thought more about the felling of the Wall 20 years ago Monday, he began "to understand a message of faith, a message of salvation, the centrality of the cross in this whole fight."
And it wasn't just about 20th-century Europe. "I am tired of secular fanatics trying to redesign America in their image," he announced. Further, he said, "I believe the most important question in the United States for the next decade is: 'Who are we?' Are we in fact a people who claim that we are endowed by our creator with certain unalienable rights?" Or, are we "just randomly gathered protoplasm -- and lucky for us we're not rhinoceroses -- but that in the end our power is defined by politicians and their appointees? Once you decide on this, almost everything else gets easier."
Gingrich is calculating that everything will get easier for him politically as a religious conservative.
He has never been particularly close to the religious right. The iconography in his office was more paleontological than prayerful. He followed the New Age philosophy of Alvin and Heidi Toffler. And though a promoter of traditional values, he didn't push the point, in part because doing so would invariably cause people to remind him that he had sought a divorce from his first wife while she was recovering from cancer surgery.
But as his presidential aspirations swelled in recent years, Gingrich took the road to Damascus. He went on James Dobson's radio show to talk about his adultery. He spoke at Jerry Falwell's Liberty University. He appeared on GodTV. He converted to Catholicism. He wrote a book, "Rediscovering God in America," and produced two related films. He's at work on a documentary about Pope John Paul II's role in defeating communism.
But he still has a way to go to convince religious conservatives that he has changed. At this fall's "Values Voters Summit," a straw poll found Gingrich in the single digits, well behind fellow potential candidates Mike Huckabee, Mitt Romney, Tim Pawlenty and Sarah Palin.
Gingrich's piety hasn't changed his style, thank God. He was still talking Monday about the "stunningly wrongheaded" elites, about his wish to shut down the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit, and about President Obama's decision not to attend the ceremony commemorating the 20th anniversary of the Berlin Wall falling: "It doesn't involve embracing Hugo Chávez, it doesn't involve appeasing Ahmadinejad. . . . It doesn't involve any of the patterns of appeasement and avoidance which are the heart of this administration."
But Gingrich, a historian by training, supplemented the insults with nuggets about faith. Lech Walesa "wears an icon of the black Madonna every day." A novena by the late Polish cardinal Stefan Wyszynski created "a countervailing culture of belief to offset the secular culture of the dictatorship." He spoke of a television tower in East Berlin that, during certain hours, appeared to show a cross because of the sun's reflection.
From there, the speaker turned from faithless communists to godless liberals. "There is a secular-left model of reality which cannot tolerate the thought that state control fails, that tyranny is evil and that a liberated human being whose rights come from God is the centerpiece of the human future," he said. In fact, he added later, he felt so strongly about this that "I'm trying to get a poster done. It's going to have a series of Polish crosses that form a cross."
A man in the audience stood up to say that over the past nine months, the Berlin Wall "is being reconstructed right here" by Obama and congressional Democrats. "At the end of four years, is it not likely that a lot more people will be rediscovering God through tyranny?"
"The underlying move toward a secular socialist worldview has been going on now at least since the early '90s," Gingrich answered. "The great Reagan Revolution defeated communists overseas, but it didn't defeat the left here at home."
Of course, now that Newt and God have joined forces, that could all change.
Monday, November 9, 2009
Campus Beats
Campus Beats – Fall, 2009
Beginning Monday, November 16, you are responsible for one article per week from the beat which you draw. Refresh yourself on beat coverage with pages 90 and 91 in the Harrower text. Your article may be coverage of a past event, promotion of an upcoming event, a trend or wrapup article, a personality feature, or other format as approved by instructor. No columns, no editorials, no op/ed pieces. News coverage only. This article will be in addition to other assignments. Articles are due November 16, Nov. 23, Nov. 30, and Dec. 7 (none on Dec. 14 as major papers are due that evening).
The purpose is for you to form relationships with your news sources, and to cover anything of interest to the campus in your area. You may use these articles for any other purpose (Sounding Board, hometown papers, campus communications office) but stories are due in class 6 p.m. each Monday.
1. Men’s & Women’s Sports – Chad Briscoe, Andria Harshmann, Michael Voss –Jessica
2. SAB/Student Clubs – Ashley House -- Kaitlen
3. Music Department – Dr. Kraft, Dr. Kavanaugh, Dr. Sanborn -- Zane
4. Campus Safety/Health&Food, Physical Plant – Glenn Goldsmith, James Bloemendaal -- Brooke
5. ResLife/Student Affairs/Diversity – Aaron Crabtree, Jim Swanson/Carlos Tellez, Dan Huber -- David
6. Administration/OSI, Academic News – Elma Sherman, Jeff Gill, Tim Ziebarth, Kathy Allison, Jim Swanson, Dr. Katip - Ethan
7. Chapel – Scott Feather, Zach Hess -- Leah
8. Seminary/Ministry Studies – Dr. Gill, Dr. Soto, Dr. Rata, Dr. Harmon -- Emma
9. School of Arts & Sciences/Liberal Arts – Dr. Lesko, Dr. Yocum, Dr. Prinsen -- Annie
10. Student Government -- Christi
11. Missions & SERVE – Mu Kappa – Amy Keith - Dani
12. Student Leadership/leader development – Aaron Crabtree, Dan Huber, RDs -- Sarah
Beginning Monday, November 16, you are responsible for one article per week from the beat which you draw. Refresh yourself on beat coverage with pages 90 and 91 in the Harrower text. Your article may be coverage of a past event, promotion of an upcoming event, a trend or wrapup article, a personality feature, or other format as approved by instructor. No columns, no editorials, no op/ed pieces. News coverage only. This article will be in addition to other assignments. Articles are due November 16, Nov. 23, Nov. 30, and Dec. 7 (none on Dec. 14 as major papers are due that evening).
The purpose is for you to form relationships with your news sources, and to cover anything of interest to the campus in your area. You may use these articles for any other purpose (Sounding Board, hometown papers, campus communications office) but stories are due in class 6 p.m. each Monday.
1. Men’s & Women’s Sports – Chad Briscoe, Andria Harshmann, Michael Voss –Jessica
2. SAB/Student Clubs – Ashley House -- Kaitlen
3. Music Department – Dr. Kraft, Dr. Kavanaugh, Dr. Sanborn -- Zane
4. Campus Safety/Health&Food, Physical Plant – Glenn Goldsmith, James Bloemendaal -- Brooke
5. ResLife/Student Affairs/Diversity – Aaron Crabtree, Jim Swanson/Carlos Tellez, Dan Huber -- David
6. Administration/OSI, Academic News – Elma Sherman, Jeff Gill, Tim Ziebarth, Kathy Allison, Jim Swanson, Dr. Katip - Ethan
7. Chapel – Scott Feather, Zach Hess -- Leah
8. Seminary/Ministry Studies – Dr. Gill, Dr. Soto, Dr. Rata, Dr. Harmon -- Emma
9. School of Arts & Sciences/Liberal Arts – Dr. Lesko, Dr. Yocum, Dr. Prinsen -- Annie
10. Student Government -- Christi
11. Missions & SERVE – Mu Kappa – Amy Keith - Dani
12. Student Leadership/leader development – Aaron Crabtree, Dan Huber, RDs -- Sarah
Minneapolis Star-Trib Cuts 100 More Jobs
Star Tribune to cut about 100 jobs
About 30 of the job cuts will come from the newsroom, company officials said.
By JENNIFER BJORHUS, Star Tribune
The Star Tribune is cutting another 100 jobs companywide to further shave costs after bankruptcy. The company's operating committee announced the cuts this morning, saying that the "cracking of our historical economic model and the current Great Recession have forced us to move quickly to make meaningful and difficult adjustments over the next few months."
About 30 of the cuts will come from the newsroom and editorial staff -- about a 10 percent reduction -- Star Tribune Editor Nancy Barnes said. The company said most of the cuts would be completed by the end of the year, but that the 30 cuts to come from the newsroom may take a little longer.
The Star Tribune exited bankruptcy Sept. 28, eight months after falling circulation and ad revenue drove the company's previous owners to seek protection from creditors.
About 30 of the job cuts will come from the newsroom, company officials said.
By JENNIFER BJORHUS, Star Tribune
The Star Tribune is cutting another 100 jobs companywide to further shave costs after bankruptcy. The company's operating committee announced the cuts this morning, saying that the "cracking of our historical economic model and the current Great Recession have forced us to move quickly to make meaningful and difficult adjustments over the next few months."
About 30 of the cuts will come from the newsroom and editorial staff -- about a 10 percent reduction -- Star Tribune Editor Nancy Barnes said. The company said most of the cuts would be completed by the end of the year, but that the 30 cuts to come from the newsroom may take a little longer.
The Star Tribune exited bankruptcy Sept. 28, eight months after falling circulation and ad revenue drove the company's previous owners to seek protection from creditors.
Times-Union Trip Cancelled
Gary Gerard has cancelled our Newspaper Journalism trip to the Times-Union this evening. We will be working to reschedule it.
Class, as usual, at 6. You would do well to refresh yourself on the textbook reading for this week, current events, and the blog content.
See you then. Sorry for the last-minute change.
Class, as usual, at 6. You would do well to refresh yourself on the textbook reading for this week, current events, and the blog content.
See you then. Sorry for the last-minute change.
Friday, November 6, 2009
Sheckler to Indianapolis
CHRISTIAN SHECKLER, a junior at Grace College, will intern with the Indiana Republican Senate caucus from January to approximately mid-March 2010. Sheckler, who wants to go into political writing after graduation, heard about the internship from Dr. Paulette Sauders, chair of the Department of English and Journalism at Grace.
Sheckler interviewed at the State House in Indianapolis in October and was offered an internship four days later. As an intern, he will write news releases, radio feeds, podcasts, guest columns, newsletters, and other items. Sheckler is a journalism and communication major from Goshen, Ind.
Sheckler interviewed at the State House in Indianapolis in October and was offered an internship four days later. As an intern, he will write news releases, radio feeds, podcasts, guest columns, newsletters, and other items. Sheckler is a journalism and communication major from Goshen, Ind.
Thursday, November 5, 2009
Is This a Good Time to Start a Magazine?
Is this a good or a bad time to start a magazine?
Roy Reiman, founder of Reiman Publications (Country and Taste of Home among many others) and current publisher of Our Iowa magazine, was the keynote speaker for the 26th annual Fall Journalism Week at the University of Mississippi’s School of Journalism and New Media. He spoke about the Gloom, Doom and Zoom in the media industry.
He was asked after his presentation what will he tell someone who asks him what does it take to launch a new magazine in today’s marketplace. Click on the video to hear his answer.
Roy Reiman, founder of Reiman Publications (Country and Taste of Home among many others) and current publisher of Our Iowa magazine, was the keynote speaker for the 26th annual Fall Journalism Week at the University of Mississippi’s School of Journalism and New Media. He spoke about the Gloom, Doom and Zoom in the media industry.
He was asked after his presentation what will he tell someone who asks him what does it take to launch a new magazine in today’s marketplace. Click on the video to hear his answer.
Reader's Digest Drops Rick Warren Magazine
Purpose Driven Club Fails to Connect With Members' MoneyReader's Digest Drops Rick Warren Title; Content Moves Online, for Free
by Nat Ives
NEW YORK (AdAge.com) -- Maybe membership clubs aren't the paid content model of the moment after all.
Rick Warren's membership club -- which charged $29.99 a year for a quarterly magazine, four spiritual DVDs, four workbooks and access to a social networking site -- is dropping the fees, abandoning the magazine and going online-only.
Mr. Warren, pastor of Saddleback Church and a best-selling author, and Reader's Digest Association introduced the Purpose Driven Connection club and magazine last January, guaranteeing paid circulation of 500,000 but projecting a rate base of 1 million by the third issue this fall. But takers proved far fewer than they had anticipated; the fourth issue, shipping this month, will be the last in print.
The magazine didn't seem to catch on with mainstream advertisers. The first issue included a mix of ads from Christian organizations, ads promoting Mr. Warren's own products and a two-page spread from one major marketer, Procter & Gamble. Later advertisers included Oriental Trading and Big Idea, which produces "Veggie Tales" books and videos.
Both Mr. Warren and Reader's Digest Association described the project as a net positive. "For RDA's part, we learned a lot about the dynamics of serving a community like this with a multiplatform communication, and we may use those learnings going forward with other, potentially larger projects of this type," a Reader's Digest spokesman said by e-mail. "For Saddleback's part, they found that their community loved the content but paying for it was an issue."
Mr. Warren said the web turned out to have some crucial advantages. "From our viewpoint," he said in a statement, "an online magazine allows us to minister to more people internationally, provide more content and features than we could fit in a print magazine, create interaction and two-way dialogue, and offer it for free."
Reader's Digest, which has been in Chapter 11 since the end of the summer, said the shutdown won't lead to any layoffs. One full-time staffer already left after editing the fourth issue; the website editor is continuing in that role during the transition, which will see Reader's Digest exit the project and Saddleback Church assume full control. Reader's Digest will refund any unused print subscriptions.
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
Times-Union Monday Night
Newspaper Journalism class will be going this Monday evening, November 9, to the Warsaw Times-Union offices for a brief tour and talk by the editor of the paper, Gary Gerard.
Those of you who said you could drive, please have your vehicles in the general vicinity of the Philathea back door.
We'll gather in our classroom at 6 and I'll collect the assignments. Then we'll go downtown, until Mr. Gerard is finished with his talk to us about community journalism. Please come prepared to ask him questions and to interact with him on the reporter's life, how he handles beat assignments, etc.
Then we might--just might--find ourselves stopping at Courthouse Coffee to talk about the experience and to debrief (coffee's on me).
The Times-Union newspaper office is located at the corner of Indiana and Market streets in downtown Warsaw
-TW
Those of you who said you could drive, please have your vehicles in the general vicinity of the Philathea back door.
We'll gather in our classroom at 6 and I'll collect the assignments. Then we'll go downtown, until Mr. Gerard is finished with his talk to us about community journalism. Please come prepared to ask him questions and to interact with him on the reporter's life, how he handles beat assignments, etc.
Then we might--just might--find ourselves stopping at Courthouse Coffee to talk about the experience and to debrief (coffee's on me).
The Times-Union newspaper office is located at the corner of Indiana and Market streets in downtown Warsaw
-TW
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
Grisham: 'Printed Books Are Endangered Species'
Grisham: Printed books are endangered species
By Vidya Rao
He’s sold more than 250 million books around the world — but even John Grisham is worried about the future of the printed word in the wake of deep discounting of best-sellers by major retailers and the advent of e-book readers like Amazon’s Kindle.
Grisham’s latest book, “Ford County,” is among those being sold for $12 at Amazon.com, and it is also deeply discounted at Wal-Mart and Target as part of a price war that has erupted between the competitors
“Truthfully it doesn’t affect me — in the short term,” Grisham told Matt Lauer on TODAY. “But it’s a disaster in the long term.”
Bleak future
“Ford County,” which is suggested to retail for $24, is one of 10 books that are being deeply discounted. Books by Stephen King, Sarah Palin and James Patterson that are supposed to sell for between $25 and $35 are among the titles now being sold by the companies for $8.98 and $9.
Paying full price for the books is essential to keep publishers, booksellers and writers in business, Grisham said.
“That enables me to make a royalty, the publisher to make a profit and the bookstore to make a profit,” he said. “If a new book is worth $9, we have seriously devalued that book.”
In response to the discounting, the American Booksellers Association wrote a letter to the Department of Justice on Oct. 22, asking that it investigate the companies’ practices, calling them “illegal predatory pricing.” But Grisham, who was a practicing attorney before becoming a writer, says that there’s not much that can be done to fight the discount pricing in court — even though he calls the practice “short-sighted.”
“It’s a free market — there’s no legal case,” he explained. “I’m not itching to sue Amazon or Wal-Mart … they sell a lot of books. But the future is very uncertain with books.”
Widespread adoption of e-book readers like Amazon’s Kindle will “wipe out tons of bookstores and publishers” and make it hard for aspiring writers to get published, John Grisham predicts.
E-books eat away
And the price war is not the only challenge the publishing industry faces nowadays. E-books sold for the Amazon Kindle and the Sony Reader have eaten into profits of publishers and booksellers — and Grisham says the future looks bleak.
Regarding reading books electronically, he told Lauer: “If half of us are going to be doing it, then you’re going to wipe out tons of bookstores and publishers and we’re going to buy it all online.
“I’m probably going to be all right — but the aspiring writers are going to have a very hard time getting published,” he added.
Grisham’s book “Ford County,” released today, is a departure from his usual fictional legal thrillers. The book is comprised of seven short stories set in a small town in Ford County, Miss.
Monday, November 2, 2009
The Christian Journalist's Dilemma
From WorldMagBlog:
The Christian journalist’s dilemma
by Andrée Seu
“Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them. For it is shameful even to speak of the things they do in secret” (Ephesians 5:11-12).
This Bible passage is bound to increasingly have Christian journalists in a bit of a double bind. Which is it—do we expose the works of darkness (verse 11)? Or is it shameful even to mention them (verse 12)?
I’m assuming that since the verses are back to back in the chapter, we need to figure out a way to comply with both somehow. So I will hazard to mention a recent deed of darkness and do it in the least shameful way possible, hoping to expose the act while avoiding the potential prurient pitfalls.
One good thing about not being a TV watcher is that I am impervious to the “frog in the pot syndrome.” Everything shocks me because the last I tuned in was to the 1960’s Bonanza.
So when my friend told me about the Sunday, October 25 episode of HBO’s Curb Your Enthusiasm, I suffered a genuine Alvin Toffler “future shock.” The plotline involves Larry David, who plays a caricature himself on the show, going to the bathroom in the home of a Catholic woman where there is a painting of Jesus on the wall next to the toilet. The David character somehow manages to spray a drop of urine onto the icon, and it lands on Jesus’ cheek, below his eye.
Later the woman emerges from the loo and announces that a miracle has happened: The Jesus picture is crying. The audience has a good laugh at the stupid Christian’s expense.
The German population of the 1930s didn’t wake up one morning and decide to kill Jews. The relentless poisoning of the atmosphere through media softened them up. For instance, Julius Streicher’s Der Sturner magazine ran cartoons featuring characters with large noses, engaged in immoral acts. Ridicule is the passport into the violence to come.
The Christian journalist’s dilemma
by Andrée Seu
“Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them. For it is shameful even to speak of the things they do in secret” (Ephesians 5:11-12).
This Bible passage is bound to increasingly have Christian journalists in a bit of a double bind. Which is it—do we expose the works of darkness (verse 11)? Or is it shameful even to mention them (verse 12)?
I’m assuming that since the verses are back to back in the chapter, we need to figure out a way to comply with both somehow. So I will hazard to mention a recent deed of darkness and do it in the least shameful way possible, hoping to expose the act while avoiding the potential prurient pitfalls.
One good thing about not being a TV watcher is that I am impervious to the “frog in the pot syndrome.” Everything shocks me because the last I tuned in was to the 1960’s Bonanza.
So when my friend told me about the Sunday, October 25 episode of HBO’s Curb Your Enthusiasm, I suffered a genuine Alvin Toffler “future shock.” The plotline involves Larry David, who plays a caricature himself on the show, going to the bathroom in the home of a Catholic woman where there is a painting of Jesus on the wall next to the toilet. The David character somehow manages to spray a drop of urine onto the icon, and it lands on Jesus’ cheek, below his eye.
Later the woman emerges from the loo and announces that a miracle has happened: The Jesus picture is crying. The audience has a good laugh at the stupid Christian’s expense.
The German population of the 1930s didn’t wake up one morning and decide to kill Jews. The relentless poisoning of the atmosphere through media softened them up. For instance, Julius Streicher’s Der Sturner magazine ran cartoons featuring characters with large noses, engaged in immoral acts. Ridicule is the passport into the violence to come.
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