Shooting for the Moon

This weekend I spent a lot of time reflecting on personal achievements. On Saturday, I watched the NFL Hall of Fame induction. It was amazing to see the players inducted and hear their acceptance speeches.

While each of the players was honored for personal achievements, all of them recognized the players and coaches who helped get them there. Troy Aikman commented that "a quarterback is only as good as his receivers." Reggie White's widow, Sara, gave an acceptance speech on behalf of her late husband. She recognized that Reggie (AKA the minister of defense) was so committed to being part of a team, that the individual awards were secondary to him.

But mostly, it was the induction of Warren Moon that brought tears to my eyes. I remember watching Moon play football and I remember hearing how rare it was for an African American to play the quarterback position. On Saturday, Moon became the first African American quarterback to be inducted into the Hall of Fame.

During his induction speech, Moon recalled that even though his University of Washington football team won the Rose Bowl, he wasn't invited to the combine. It was suggested that he change positions to wide receiver if he wanted to join the NFL. So Moon ended up playing his first years of professional football in Canada. His return from exile was marked by the Houston Oilers making him the highest-paid player in the league. Six years earlier, no one wanted him and then he becomes the highest-paid player? It's poetic justice.

Sometimes personal achievements are not that personal, but can have a lasting impact. Consider what would have happened had Moon switched positions and ended up at wide receiver. What would that mean for future African-American quarterbacks? Would Michael Vick be a running back instead of quarterback?

The NFL Hall of Fame induction was fun to watch and it inspired me to achieve some of my personal goals – one in particular: Riding my bike up Vail Pass, which I did on Sunday. As I shared in my last post, I was more than a little nervous about attempting this ride. It seemed to be a little out of my league. But I dug in and did it! When I made it to the summit of the pass, I was actually surprised. I thought I had more to climb! As I flew down the hill on my bike, I was thrilled with the possibility that I could really do this!

Thanks to those special people in my life who encouraged me to shoot for the moon and the stars.

Lean into it

After taking most of the summer to decompress and celebrate sunshine, I've decided to post again.

And I'm switching gears. I don't think this will be as focused on journalism as it was before.

So to get started:

I'm planning on riding my bike up Vail pass this weekend. I'm nervous and I've almost called the whole thing off. But sometimes in life you have to just lean in and do things - even when they are intimidating. Sometimes it's cool to listen to your inner alarm, but mostly I need to not let worrying about life stop me from living it.

I'll let you know how the ride goes. Wish me luck!

Confessions of a first time blogger

For the past 13 weeks, I've maintained this blog for my digital newsroom class. It was almost poetic justice. I've spent a great deal of time personally criticizing a number of personal blogs that are more like online diaries.

My favorite site to make fun of and post snarky comments to is Lifebycandlelight.

This semester, it became my turn. And it's harder than it looks.

Given that this was a class assignment, I didn't have the burden of coming up with a theme. My instructor gave us the broad topic of "anything journalism." Okay, that's enough to stump me.

But I got over it and started getting in the swing of blogging. Part of the difficulty for me was writing about topics that hardly anyone will read. Okay, maybe some friends, classmates and, of course, Doug, my instructor. It really made me realize how important writing to your audience is.

Then Blogger shut me down. Called me names like spammer. Sheesh, that was hard. I had to prove my innocence. Please, blogger, let me post again.

Then I was granted a stay of execution. Blogger let me back online.

So the posts continued and, eventually, I developed my own rhythm and found my voice.

I'm not sure if I'll continue this blog as it exists today or if it will take the form of the dreaded online diary. Stay tuned.

YourHub.com

The Rocky Mountain News runs YourHub.com, a local community Web site that covers more than 40 different communities. The Web site began last spring and features stories, events listings, calendars, photos and personal profiles post by folks in the community.

YourHub is a great example of citizen journalism, but it has recently received criticism for political postings.

Howard Rothman of New West, wrote a piece about YourHub allowing politicians using the Web site to promote their campaigns or attack opponents.

Read the story.

John Temple, editor of the Rocky, posted a reply on Romenesko's Web site defending the format of YourHub.

One of the tricky points of the site is that although folks have to register, just about anyone can post to the site. There's not a lot of information provided about the source. You can check out people's biography information, but who really does that?

It's not just politicians taking advantage of the loose policies of the Web site. Public relation firms, travel agencies and other companies offering services have used the site to promote their clients business. Meanwhile, budget-strapped non-profit organizations have embraced the forum as well.

But something is missing from the site: community news. Most of the content on the site seems promotional. There's not a lot debate about community issues.

While YourHub is a great step in promoting citizen journalism, there is still a ways to go. Establishing standards about content is a needed step.

L.A. Times Blog Suspended

The LA Times suspended Michael Hiltzik's Golden State blog earlier this month after learning that he posted comments to the paper's site and other sites under names that weren't his. The postings violated the Times' ethics policies.

Check it out.

Hiltzik received a Pulitzer Prize in 1999 for his investigative piece on corruption in the music business.

Now, he's been accused of being dishonest on his blog, posing as readers who frequently come to his defense when other readers question his opinion. He was uncovered by a rival blogger who started to piece things together and eventually tracked the comments to Hiltzik's IP address.

This apparently isn't the first time that Hiltzik has been in trouble at the times. More than 10 years ago, he was busted for hacking into his co-workers' email while working at the paper's Moscow bureau.

But what are the standards for blogs? By their nature blogs are more intimate and sardonic and Hiltzik is a columnist. He doesn't pretend to be an unbiased reporter.

As newspapers rush to join the blogosphere, there needs to be more thought put in place about what is acceptable and what's not acceptable.

But one thing is for sure, when you're hiding your identity, that doesn't just skim the edge, it's a bad side of town.

Covering the Duke Story

The newspapers and television newscasts have enthusiastically covered the allegations of sexual assault surrounding the Duke lacrosse team. Read about it on CNN.

Sexual assualts can be a difficult subject to cover for reporters and editors alike. For example, many news agencies have long-standing policies about not identifying the victim.

The News & Observer granted the alleged victim anonymity to share her side of the story. She shared many details that simply weren't verified. Because there wasn't an arrest at the time of her interview, her story could be construed as a smear campaign against the lacrosse team.

But how do you report the story while ensuring fairness for all parties involved?

Privacy on the Web?!

The News & Observer in Raliegh, N.C, recently published comments residents had posted to a Yahoo Web site about a local controversy surrounding a night club. The papers published three messages posted to the site, along with the authors' names.

It poses the question: Is it right for the newspaper to user personal information posted on the Internet? A growing number of people use the Internet as a way to communicate, especially through user groups and other forums.

Should a newspaper establish standards or "best practices" regarding how it uses the Internet as a reporting tool? Should there be different standards when the online research leads to private citizens?

The Internet is commonly considered a public domain and the items posted to the Yahoo! message board were easy to find.

In publishing the comments, the editors and reporters forgot the first rule of reporting. Verify the facts. Did the reporters take the time to ensure that the posts were actually posted by authors? Could they have been posted by someone posing as the authors?

Fairness and accuracy are the foundations of good reporting. Newspapers should inform private citizens if their Internet posts are going to become part of a news story. It will help maintain a reputation for solid journalism practices.

Are blogs succeeding?

After more than 80 days after her kidnapping from the streets of Baghdad, Jill Carroll was freed. Finally. Given all of the bad news coming out of Iraq, it's a relief to see a happy ending. Sort of.

Before her release, her captors demanded that she make anti-U.S. remarks that were subsequently video recorded. The recording was posted on jihadist Web site that has also shown beheadings and attacks on American forces.

Following her release, Carroll denounced the video, saying that she was forced to make the statements.

Seems reasonable enough. Do what your captors tell you to do or risk dying. Arizona Sen. John McCain seems to agree. He would know, given his experiences as a prisoner of war during Vietnam.

Many people were stunned and shocked about Carroll's comments, but a surprisingly large chunk of the blogosphere reacted to the news with a torrent of scathing hatred.

Orrin Judd at the BrothersJudd.com declared that Carroll "may as well just come right out and say she was a willing participant." Debbie Schlussel labeled Carroll a "spoiled brat America-hater" and a commenter at RedState.com asserted, "she was anti-America when she went over there and I say the kidnapping was a put up deal from the get go."

Remember, they were saying this about a woman who had been kidnapped and held hostage for months. Videos of her crying and pleading for her life had been shown.

Carroll renounced the statement a day later, stating, "fearing retribution from my captors, I did not speak freely. Out of fear I said I wasn't threatened. In fact, I was threatened many times."

At their best, blogs can pressure established news organizations (mainstream media) to produce their best work. But, when blogs stop checking the facts and start declaring that Jill Carroll faked her tears on her hostage tape, this is not progress.

Evolution of TV over the Internet

Do you read a newspaper online? How about listen to your favorite radio station? Are you ready to watch "Desperate Housewives" over the Internet? For free?

ABC's parent company, Walt Disney Co., announced that some of its more popular programs will be available online for free for a couple of months.

Disney isn't breaking new ground here. Internet television has become more and more popular over the past year, with so many companies offering the option to watch shows online or download them to your iPod.

But Disney's offer of free video content offers proof that traditional television business models are changing. Offering free programming directly to viewers over the Internet threatens existing television business. But it is encouraging to see the evolution happening.

Hot Zone Reporting

Kevin Sites is used to attracting a large audience - especially when he was on the evening news. But that's changing for him now. For a few months now, Sites has reported from dozens of war zones around the world and posts his stories online at Yahoo's news Web site.

Read his stories here.

His audience size may have shrunk, but Sites' stories tell the stories about human lives caught in these conflicts. Sites has traveled to Somalia, Congo, Columbia, Iraq, Uganda and Afghanistan as part of this gig.

Sites operates as a solo journalist - creating the copy, video and photos himself. His backpack is filled with two digital camcorders, digital camera, an Apple laptop, a couple of phones and a satellite modem. Plus he has a team of producers in Yahoo's California offices helping him.

As part of the evening news, he had to compete with other reporters to get his stories aired. But, that's a thing of the past. He's not restricted on time or format. His stories receive the prominence they deserve.

News Corp. buys stake in jobs search engine

Watch out Monster.com and HotJobs, Rupert Murdoch's New Corp is investing in a jobs search engine company called Simply Hired. This is just another example of Murdoch's growing interest in online classified job ads.

Simply Hired is a bit different than Monster or HotJobs. Employers can't post job postings on the site. Rather, it's an advertising-supported Web search engine that lets folks looking for jobs search other sites like CareerBuilder.com, Monster and Craigslist.

Given News Corp's foundation in the newspaper business, it's understandable that they want to reclaim revenue generated by classified ad sales. Over the years, Murdoch has tried to get more and more newspapers to change their business models to survive the recent digital convergence.

Don't expect News Corp to go silent after this investment. Company executives claim to have $1.4 billion reserved for future Internet investments.

Affiliates Benefit from Fox's Media Deal

Television stations are grappling with the effects of the availability of current TV shows online. The relationships between broadcast networks and their affiliates are strained, to say the least.

But Rupert Murdoch's Fox TV is attempting to heal the wounds. Fox Television has signed a deal permitting 150 affiliates to share in revenue generated from online downloads. Industry analysts claim this example could serve as the business model for other television networks.

The agreement by Fox would allow stations to get a portion of the extra revenues for up to a year after they air a program. The exact percentage isn't known.

It's a big win for affiliates, letting them be able to participate in revenues from reruns shown on platforms other than the stations.

Other industry analysts view Rupert Murdoch's News Corp as one of the most aggressive media companies on the Internet.

Stay tuned. There's bound to be ripple effect to this financial change.

Google Local Hires Classified Ad Veteran

Google Local recently hired Sam Sebastian to help the search engine form, er, improve relationships with newspapers.


Seems to make sense. Bring the guy who knows the ins and outs of newspaper classified ads to the search engine. But, it's a slipperly slope. Sebastian's knowledge could end up threatening newspapers instead of building bridges.

Sebastian's hiring isn't the first time an Internet portal or search engine have hired newspaper veterans. Yahoo! made the news years ago when it picked Dan Finnigan to run Hot Jobs. Formerly with Knight Ridder Digital, Finnigan went to Hot Jobs after rebuilding Career Builder.

Other professionals have made the shift from newspaper industry to the online world. Unfortunately for newspapers, the reverse doesn't seem to be true. You don't see a lot of search engine folks lining up at newspapers.

Bashing Bush on Company E-mail

John Green, ABC's executive producer of Good Morning America (weekend version), was suspended at the end of March of a couple of e-mails he sent out disparaging President Bush and former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright. Green's suspension was for a month without pay.

The Drudge Report uncovered a copy of the e-mail message.

ABC Executive Producer James Goldston claimed the lesson learned:

What we can learn from this is: Watch what you write in your e-mails,” Goldston said.

Another lesson: Don’t use your corporate e-mail to say that the President “makes me sick” or the former Secretary of State has “Jew shame.”

And yet another lesson as Green’s colleagues search through their own outboxes to see what e-mails they might have sent that could lead to endangering their jobs, is: Watch whom you write your e-mails to.

Apparently, one of Green's recipients didn't like the e-mail and allowed the message to go public, igniting the scandal. Turning themself into a leak.

Television news divisions have always been tough on leakers, yet the network hasn't clarified how hotly the executives may be pursuing the leak.

So long Chef…

Anyone who has caught only a couple of episodes of South Park knows that nothing is sacred in the small Colorado town.

But Chef has had enough.

Isaac Hayes, the voice of Chef, has quit the show following an episode where Scientology is poked fun of. Hayes is a Scientologist.

Hayes said in a statement that the show's parody of religion is part of what he sees as a "growing insensitivity toward personal spiritual beliefs" in the media generally."

It will be a loss for the show. Hayes' character Chef served as the voice of reason for the four little boys of South Park.

It's a shame that for more than 150 episodes, Hayes was all right with ridiculing other religions and political topics; understanding that no subject was protected or taboo.

Hear it in his own words.

Could it be as some people think? That fellow Scientologists persuaded Hayes that he needed to stand up for his religion?

Trey Parker and Matt Stone, the show's creators also issued a statement: Stone and Parker "feel that it's a bit disingenuous (for Hayes) to cite religious intolerance as a reason for him pulling out of the show" because the series has lampooned religion since the start, dating back to the short film, The Spirit of Christmas, on which the series is based.

The Smartest Guys in the Room

The Enron trial has made the headlines during the past couple of days with the former CFO testifying, followed by the chief whistle-blower in the case.

It's been easy to follow the trial. The scandal and the coverage are fodder for a number of online media sites.

Take MSNBC for example. If you follow the bread crumbs from MSNBC.com, you can find anything you want to know about the energy giant and its legal troubles, including who the key players are, what the crimes are, key witnesses, the prosecution team, the defense team. You name it.

MSNBC's coverage is a great example of why convergence journalism works so well. Using various multi-media elements, a first-time visitor to the site can pick and choose how much information they want to learn about Enron. They can become an Enron expert or just get the gist of the story.

The story reaches so much farther than running a story in a daily newspaper.

Accuracy in Cyberspace

Wikipedia has become the de facto research resource for so many people. It's an easy place to turn when pondering life's questions, like who is Proust or where is the Southern Ocean?

Some news reports claim it's as accurate as Encyclopedia Britannica, which is amazing considering it's user edited. That's right – anyone with a computer and an Internet connection can edit or write about any topic they choose. It's part of the lure of the Web site. An individual expert on any given topic can create an entry to make Wikipedia the best online resource. See for yourself. It's such a great idea, what could go wrong?

Just ask John Seigenthaler. No not the NBC Nightly news host, the 78-year-old former assistant to Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy. He's a long-time defender and advocate of First Amendment rights. In fact, he started First Amendment Center to "preserve and protect First Amendment freedoms through information and education."

So why would someone write a fraudulent biography on Wikipedia about Seigenthaler that links him to the assassinations of both John F. Kennedy and Robert F. Kennedy?

Check out the USA Today article about the "biography."

Is this just par for the course? Should Seigenthaler not mind the implication and just consider the source – an open-content encyclopedia? But a large number of people do consider Wikipedia a reliable source for information.

After the firestorm of media coverage, the original creator of Seigenthaler's bogus biography admitted to writing the biography as a joke.

Some virtual citizen journalist have minimized the impact of the biography and have encouraged Seigenthaler to post a rebuttal. But that's not the point here.

This example of a joke gone wrong reminds us that accuracy still matters in cyberspace – even if it is Wikipedia.

Who is Craig and why does he have this list?

U.S. newspaper publishers may hate Craig Newmark. Some may blame him for destroying their business model, which relies on classified ads as a large source of revenue.

Who is Craig Newmark? He's the founder of Craigslist. He started a simple Web site in San Francisco in 1995 to e-mail events to friends and colleagues. He probably never expected his Web site to become the downfall of American newspapers.

Craigslist allows anyone to post an advertisement on their site for free. It's an amazing phenomenon that receives 3 billion page views each month and runs more classified ads than every U.S. newspaper combined.

With a staff of less than 20 people and sites localized for most of the major cities across the United States, Craigslist earns its millions in revenue by charging employers to post job openings. That's it. Every other post on the site is gratis, zippo, free, on the house, no charge, complimentary…

Newmark's business model is causing daily newspapers to reconsider their sources of revenue.

But Craigslist is about so much more than just making money. It serves as a symbol of how people want to get their information...faster and cheaper. And newspapers are slowly recognizing the trend.

But, signal one round to the newspaper folks. Chicago just filed a lawsuit against Craiglist for violating federal housing laws with its rental ads. Apparently, "Neighborhood predominantly Caucasian, Polish and Hispanic" might be discrimination.

What happens on MySpace…

MySpace and Facebook have become the place to be seen – it's a simple way for people, particularly students, to record their lives and connect with friends. It's a virtual hangout that has expanded across the United States – where students can post pictures, comments, online journals and other items to connect with each other.

And the hangout is going to get even bigger. According to MySpace CEO Chris DeWolfe, MySpace has plans to expand into Europe, Australia, and maybe even China. China currently has the one of the fastest growing Internet markets, particularly because of the wide accessibility to wireless, Internet-enabled devices.

Rupert Murdoch's News Corp bought MySpace for close to $600 million last year and the site's popularity has been unstoppable. In January, MySpace was second to Yahoo in number of page views, according to comScore Media Metrix. More than 23 billion Internet users in the United States looked at MySpace pages.

But as MySpace looks to expand, the site's users are beginning to recognize the dangers of posting personal information online – available for anyone to see.

Facebook requires an e-mail address ending in .edu – it's geared toward college students, but is beginning to market to high school students as well. More than 6 million college students from more than 2,000 colleges and universities have profiles or personal Web pages on Facebook. Since it began marketing to high school students, almost 1 million high-schoolers have created profiles.

MySpace, on the other hand, is available to anyone, although a large percentage of its user base is teenagers. Sixty-one million registered users post pictures, comments, create personal blogs and more.

And colleges and prospective employers are using the freedom of the site to check up on each other. Students are reportedly being reprimanded by school officials for some postings while recent college grads are losing out on job possibilities for the same reason.

It might sound like a high price to pay for posting social pictures and comments in an open forum designed to connect people. Why does interacting in an open Internet, multi-media forum like these have to put so much at risk?

These sites were never intended to be viewed by authority figures. Where do the school house gates end? What happened to free speech?

Apparently the ramifications and consequences of posting a picture of yourself guzzling from a beer bong may have unintended effects.

Protecting Citizen Journalism

What is citizen journalism? And why is it so important?

Wikipedia offers up a pretty straightforward explanation:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Citizen_journalism

Writing letters to the editors are a traditional example of citizen journalism – it's getting the opinion of the people into the publication.

Blogs are a more contemporary take on citizen journalism. The conversation may start with a simple post, but it doesn't end there. By opening the publication up to public comments ensures that the conversation doesn't have to end with just one opinion.

Gathering the opinion of others – especially those who exist on the margins whose voices may not always be heard is admirable, but difficult.

Daily Camera's My Town is another example of citizen journalism. My Town recruits public contributions and lets the public dictate the content of the site. It empowers Boulder County citizens to participate in the news process. It helps highlight local issues and stories that the Camera is unable to cover.

Podcasts – for here or to go?

Daily Camera podcast listing comes complete with instructions on how to download the recording directly to a computer. The instructions also include a slightly snarky comment – "If you fear change and would rather not venture into the world of podcasting, just click the MP3 icon to download a standard MP3 file."

Apparently, podcasts are here to stay.

It seems that every news outlet offers at least a few podcasts, but how many podcasts are out there? And who is listening?

Anyone can create a podcast. In fact some of the available recordings don't sound very professional. But does that matter? In the age of Internet delivery, podcasts seem like the right approach. In this age of using the Internet as an information delivery system, it seems like providing information the readers want – when they want it – is critical.

While some organizations are starting to see an additional revenue source – NPR's podcasts are supported by Acura – it's difficult to track how frequently a podcast is viewed.

It's even more troublesome to track how many online viewers are using podcasts to receive their information. But the technology will soon catch up and will paint a picture about who is using this resource. Until then, it's essential to stay the course.

Closing the door on Baghdad

The Boston Globe decided to shut its Baghdad office, while maintaining foreign offices in Beirut, Beijing and Johannesburg.

Don't be fooled. This doesn't mean the war is over. It just means that that budget strapped newspaper can't afford to staff an office in a war zone.

The Boston Globe isn't alone. Foreign bureaus are on the chopping block for a number of high-profile papers.

Newsday, which is owned by Tribune, cut its Mexico City office at the end of 2005. And there is a budget proposal pending approval that will close Newsday's Beijing office. Sadly, Newsday was a pioneer when it opened the Beijing office more than 30 years ago.

While this is hardly a pandemic, foreign coverage, particularly in a war zone, is important to the folks back home. Turning to a limited number of sources for news coverage just seems sketchy.

Cutting Stock Listings Cuts into Circulation

In early February, the Rocky Mountain News announced its plans to reduce its stock listings to a single page. Business editor Rob Reueteman received a firestorm of complaints from long-time readers upset at the change. The majority of the complaints came via Ma Bell instead of AOL. It seems that most of the people frustrated with the change aren't big Internet users.

It's too bad too. The extensive stock listing is available online, but that doesn't help the folks who pay an annual subscription rate to receive this information the old fashioned way.

According to a story available on www.westword.com, the Rocky Mountain News received more than 150 complaint calls following the announcement. They also received about a dozen or so e-mails objecting to the reductions. Fifty four of those complaining canceled their subscriptions.

Although many readers are turning to the Internet as their primary source of news, an older generation hasn't and most likely won't adapt. Many of these readers have already adapted a great deal over the course of their lives. We're talking about a group of people who have made it from the outhouse to the .com. Is reducing the content they desire really necessary? If so, what's next to go?

As convergence continues between print newspapers and their online counterparts, maintaining loyal readers (translation: the ones who pay the bills) is essential.

What's the fine for shooting a lawyer?

Late night talk show hosts, comedians and political cartoonists can't let the Cheney shooting saga die. It's just too easy to crack jokes.

Consider this political cartoon from the San Francisco Chronicle.

But is the event deserving of all this attention? Are Americans addicted to controversies?

In recent years, the news has been filled with sagas – verging on the beginning of tabloid fever. Is this just another one of those cases? Why all of the coverage?

This story should be covered for a couple of reasons, but none less evident than the obvious. It wasn't just a hunting accident – it was the vice president of the United States shooting his friend. Unlike previous administrations, many historians argue that Cheney is one of the most powerful vice presidents of all time.

http://www.usnews.com/usnews/news/articles/031013/13cheney.htm

Even more shocking is the way the story found its way into the media. The shooting occurred on a Saturday. But the incident wasn't revealed until Sunday. And then it wasn't by a press conference or a White House representative. The owner of the ranch called a local newspaper to explain the shooting.

In the midst of when Americans are questioning anti-terror domestic spying techniques, the administration shows that it will continue to operate in secret. But in doing so, Cheney may find himself at the center of controversy more often.

Narrowing the Digital Divide

According to the International Telecommunication Union, 14 percent of the world's population is online. However, in the United States, more than 62 percent of the population is connected to the Internet.

In chapter one of Digital Journalism, Kevin Kawamoto discusses the growing number of media outlets that have emerged since the late 1990s. As a result more and more people are turning to the Internet as their source for news. This has dominoed into falling circulation rates for print newspapers and other publications. To meet the demands of their readers, some newspapers are using the Internet as a primary resources for distributing the news. .

Considering that so many Americans have access to the Internet, some people would argue that the so-called "digital divide" is a thing of the past. But is access to this information really equitable? What happens to the people who can't afford a computer with Internet access or live in a rural area without broadband coverage?

And on an international level, what happens to countries that don't have IT infrastructure in place to develop and promote Internet access?

Many news organizations are aware of this divide and have implemented programs to help narrow the gap. For example, BBC has set up the The iGeneration to help bridge this gap, bringing hope that this gap will eventually be eliminated providing equitable access to information for all.

Lines on a Paper

In the words of Robert Crumb, "they are just lines on paper," but cartoons seem to be causing a lot of disruption in the world these days.

The unflattering or offensive pictures of Prophet Mohammed set off a firestorm of violent protests as Europe and Middle East argue over freedom of speech and religious viewpoints.

Check out the cartoons for yourself: http://cagle.msnbc.msn.com/news/blog/bloggifs/Mohammed-cartoons.jpg

Many American newspapers are refusing to air the cartoons, but are covering the resulting controversy. Is it possible to get a sense of the outrage without viewing the cartoons?

Political cartoons are designed to raise eyebrows and get people to think. Just ask Washington Post cartoonist Tom Toles.

Toles recently landed in hot water for a cartoon depicting a soldier in a hospital bed as having lost his arms and legs, while Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld, in the pretext of a doctor, says: "I'm listing your condition as 'battle hardened.' "

See what the outrage is about.


The chairman of the Joint Chief, Gen. Peter Pace, the vice chairman and the service chiefs of the Army, Navy, Marines and Air Force wrote a letter to the paper declaring that cartoonist and the newspaper were making light of the sacrifice American soldiers made in fighting the war in Iraq.

The letter charges that the six military leaders "believe you and Mr. Toles have done a disservice to your readers and your paper's reputation by using such a callous depiction of those who have volunteered to defend this nation, and as a result, have suffered traumatic and life-altering wounds. ... As the Joint Chiefs, it is rare that we all put our hand to one letter, but we cannot let this reprehensible cartoon go unanswered."

The cartoonist has issued a statement that he meant no offense toward American soldiers.

Maybe they are just lines on paper, but symbols, whether addressing a war or religious beliefs, are powerful things.

Are pit bulls victims of media myopia?

It seems no city wants them. Around the country, cities and towns are banning pit bulls, citing their dangerous behavior as the primary reason for this exile.

It's happening in Colorado too. Denver has had a ban against the breed for ages (although it was lifted briefly recently). Aurora and Louisville want nothing to do with the same dogs that most owners assure make good family dogs.

Read about it:
http://www.denverpost.com/search/ci_3372494

Are these dogs really dangerous or is this just an example of media myopia? Why are these dogs continuing to make the headlines?

Reports around the globe illustrate the trend to debate the breed. msnbc.com, usatoday.com, CBS News and Canada's CBC news all recently told stories about towns planning to ban pit bulls

Pit bulls aren't the only dogs that bite. In fact, it was a Labrador retriever who mauled a lady in France so badly that she needed a face transplant.

One grassroots organization pleads with people to voice their opinion on pit bulls, based "on their own experience, not what you hear on the news."

Are the news reports wrongs? Is it just a few bad apples spoiling the bunch?

Could it be as Malcolm Gladwell claims, that it's the owners fault and that it's just sensational news at work again?

http://www.newyorker.com/printables/fact/060206fa_fact

Telling War Stories Isn't Easy

For the past week, the news has been filled with updates on ABC co-anchor Bob Woodruff's status following his injury from a roadside bomb in Iraq.

Read about his injuries:
http://www.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/meast/01/29/iraq.main/

Woodruff and his cameraman aren't the first reporters injured in the war in Iraq, but they are driving home a reality. Journalism can be a dangerous profession.

In a recent announcement, the International Federation of Journalists declared that in 2005, journalist deaths hit a record high. The report identifies 89 journalists murdered as a result of their profession, but the total number of deaths was 150 in 2005.

The annual report, entitled "Targeting and tragedy – journalists and media staff killed in 2005," reveals that there is a growing trend to assassinate journalists.

Get the full report:
http://www.ifj-asia.org/files/ifj2005killed_list.pdf

According to the report, a large number of the deliberate killings occurred in the Middle East, with all but three of the deaths occurring in Iraq. It seems to make sense: Covering a war is dangerous business.

Woodruff's injuries are just another reminder and serve a symbol for not only how dangerous it is for U.S. soldiers, but also for reporters trying to tell the public what is happening in the war. Telling war stories isn't easy.