more court stuff

these chapters did a lot for me...such as reaffirm my decision that i do not want to do reporting within the world of law. some of the 'stuff' i just don't get.
although i don't get it, reading these chapters was, and will be beneficial. i like to have some knowledge about a subject, no matter what it is.
i actually remember asking my parents a few days ago what the difference between a misdemeanor and felony was. they couldn't really tell me except that one was worse than the other. now i know that with a felony, you have a minimum of one year in jail, while with a misdemeanor, it is a maximum sentence.
something else that caught my attention were the two different aspects of news found in court reporting: 1) when parties are known to the public, 2) when factual and legal issues are of public interest. yet, it makes me wonder, where is the line between what is and what isn't public interest? and who decides that?
as was the case with chapters 1,5, and 7, there are just so many things in these chapters that i never knew before. like the differences between circumstantial evidence and direct evidence (which is something i felt like i should know, but definitely didn't). or what a closing and opening argument really are. also the different ways a suspect can be charged of a crime. but most of all, i am strangely drawn to a certain part of the court system. the jury.
the jury can have so much power over a case (rarely used in civil court, however). there are so many aspects to a jury. such as the process to how each juror is selected, (how they all should be combined to make the most objective jury possible), or how the media is not allowed to talk to any jurors until after the verdict is announced. as from my previous blogs, i have an opinion on the media being involved with the court. how they should not be too involved, because it could affect the case, and prevent the court system from being fair.
lots to soak in, especially when its just words on a page. but even though i don't want to be a beat/court reporter. it is still very important to have knowledge in the area.

reading, reading, and more reading

chapter 1 "The Crime Beat"
I'm not surprised that the crime beat suffers from a high turnover rate. it's tough. the people who succeed move up to higher positions, and the people who don't do well probably end up getting replaced. that is why it is the "sink-or-swim" test for newcomers.
i found it interesting how much different terminology there is. such as the difference between civil cases and court cases. the difference between a felony and misdemeanor. and how robbery, larceny, burglary and theft are similar, but very different, and easily confused.
it's always important to have a base understanding of any story you are writing about, and beat reporting is as - if not even more - important to have a basic knowledge of.

chapter 5 "Covering Crime and It's Victims"
Covering a story where people's emotions are involved is very difficult. I think that i would make a terrible reporter in this case because i am very much aware that i am a human being first, and would have problems maintaining that journalistic face interviewing a woman who's son just died in a fire. it reminds me of Oprah, who was told in the beginning she couldn't do news because she would cry on camera if reporting on an emotional story. hey, she's one of the richest people in the world now, so i wouldn't mind comparing myself to her in any way.
Judging the state of a victim before approaching them might be one of the most important things a journalist can do at the scene of a crime. what kind of information you get from them totally depends on the state of mind you are in. that's why i really like the suggestion to hand them your card and write on it "when you're ready to talk, please call. anytime."
being sensitive to the victim yet getting the story for the public at the same time makes me think about the reporting on the California wildfires going on right now. watching hundreds of people get interviewed who just lost everything, i don't know how they do it. there has been some controversy on the interviewing techniques of reporters covering the wildfires. yet, there will probably always be.

chapter 7 "Covering the Courts"
wordiness. i hate it. this is a reason why i would be a horrible court reporter. they say that court documents are the journalists best source for reliable, libel proof information. yet, those things are usually hundreds of pages long, and full of law jargon. i would not have the patience to sit down and try to decipher all of that crap.
but that's why the world has reporters. to break down all that mumbo-jumbo for the common individual, who didn't spend half of his/her educational life in law-school. just because i said i wouldn't want to be the person doing the breaking doesn't mean i don't think that it is a necessity in the media to have people like that.
there is so much new terminology in this chapter, it's difficult to sort through it all. there are two basic court systems: federal and state. these court systems have different levels of function: trials, intermediate appeals, and fine appeals. there are two players in every court system: the administrative personnel and the judges and juries. etc. etc. etc.
basically if you're going to be a court reporter you should have a background in law, or be able to learn quickly. maybe i should take a law class...?

fellow classmates' blogs

http://lizzyswickedsweetblog.blogspot.com/ "the 22 Washingtons"

http://lizzyswickedsweetblog.blogspot.com/ "pimp my ride election bus"

http://the23yearoldsophomore.blogspot.com/ "debating over nothing"

http://archanatalk.blogspot.com/ "clinton encore?!"

http://seagullatemycheetos.blogspot.com/ "NY Times' Campaign Map"

http://newsreportingicjessg.blogspot.com/ "selling books = getting votes?"

http://lvpdnews-lara.blogspot.com/ "Gore for president?"

http://man-o-man-journalism.blogspot.com/ "the possible first ladies...and the possible first man"

news reporting and writing ch. 13

Other Types of Basic Stories

while learning how to report on crimes/fires/accidents/court proceedings is all very important and interesting, the thing that really popped out at me in this chapter was the free-press/fair-trial controversy. i was really young when the O.J. Simpson trial was taking place, but the one thing i really remember about it was it being on the television in the cafeteria at my elementary school.
the court definitely should put some restrictions on the media in certain cases. sometimes it is the issue of safety for the people involved in the case. despite being on the side of the media in most cases, i don't side with it on this issue. i believe that the court is its own area where private things happen, and then it is up to the media to get its information based upon briefings, documents, and press conferences. especially in higher profile cases, or when there is, as the book says 'overriding interest".
i don't know much about the process of law, but i am realizing there are many mistakes that can easily be made when reporting it. and the consequences can be high. accuracy is definitely very important when it comes to court reporting.

Fred Thompson

Fred Thompson, actor/politician (a title that decreases his credibility and increases his "teasability" instantly) was expected to "razzle dazzle" the crowd in the republican debate on the economy. with his on-stage presence and his political background, the spotlight was on Thompson. and while he didn't do badly...he didn't do well either. i don't think Thompson will be a very strong candidate in the 2008 presidential election. he will get attention because of his background, but nothing too out of the ordinary otherwise. what is it with actors becoming politicians now? how many actors are involved directly in national politics?...that would be interesting to find out.
yet in all sincerity...i did enjoy his role as a politician in 'O Brother Where Art Thou?'

to wear or not to wear?

obama doesn't wear a pin. he's not a patriot, he doesn't love his country.
these are just some of the accusations circling around obama because he doesn't wear a dinky american flag pin on his lapel like the rest of the politician's in washington.
why do we care? i think he stated his counterargument beautifully: i'm less concerned about what you are wearing on your lapel than what's in your heart...you show your patriotism by how you treat your fellow americans, especially those ones who served."
so please people, stop wasting your time on what the presidential candidates are wearing, and more on where they stand on important issues. let the man be.

Three Mile Island

truth. the one unifying factor in all news stories. cold hard facts. it helps us to believe that our news could be objective. in the case of the three mile island nuclear power plant accident, the news had nothing but the facts to tell. the public received much more objective journalism because of the way the story was laid out in all its confusion. reporters had to dig down deep for outside sources. they had to totally rely on their journalistic instincts to take them where they needed to go in the story - especially in the early hours - because the majority had no idea what they were reporting on. newspapers and television stations just sent out whoever could go. one guy got assigned to the story because he was the first one back from his lunch break.
once the impact of the accident was realized, companies hit the ground running. one reporter from CBS was told he had a 'blank check' to report on the story. it was a big deal.
in all it's confusion, real journalism shown through in this story. the art of finding the story, following it, gathering as much information - from the inside as well as the outside - along the way, and reporting in a manner that best serves the public. i think the journalists really stepped up to the plate. (there i go with the metaphors)
kudos.

Politics and the English Language

i read this article, and immediately thought of my media and politics class with Marty B. throughout all the papers we wrote for his class, he always took off points for vagueness, generalization, and any rhetorical questions. i almost thought of emailing him this article, actually.
honestly, i've never really seen a problem with the English language. besides academic writing (which i try to avoid reading at all costs), i don't have a problem reading what is produced today.
one thing that i have to agree with him on though, is the use of metaphors and similes. i know i hear them all the time, but i don't really notice it. common metaphors like "shooting a fish in a barrel" have lost meaning to me, and have become a part of the English language.
perhaps it is laziness that keeps us writing and speaking the way we do. yet i can't help but think when i hear someone talk with the 'pretentious diction' described, how smart they are. in all reality, it's impressive.
but i stand by K.I.S.S (keep is simple stupid). for that seems the easiest way to me. in both reading and writing. i'm all about minimizing.

news reporting and writing ch. 8, 22

chapter 8 - writing to be read
i think that this is the most important skill that writer can have. being able to write something that people will generally enjoy reading. the book goes through many aspects of what makes writing good to read.
- good reporting (taking notes on not only the facts and quotes but specific details by observing)
- having writing be precise, clear and concrete (keeping writing simple is a huge factor in readability)
- knowing the rules of grammar (duh)
- be coherent (knowing how to put your ideas together in an organized manner is more difficult than it sounds. you must know how to properly compose a sentence, and how to use transitions and parallelism in the correct way)
- concrete details (this coincides with good reporting. not only do you have to have the facts but the writing should also appeal to some of the five senses)
follow these rules, and you can't go wrong.


chapter 22 - media law
sometimes it is scary to think that maybe someday, i could be sued or put into jail for writing a story. you never think that there is so much riding on a story in a newspaper, but ever detail has to be exact or else there could be huge consequences. while journalists do have more legal rights than many other occupations, it is mostly for their protection. i feel that as long as a journalist sticks to the truth, double checks his sources, and keeps to the standard code of ethics there shouldn't be problems.
every journalists knows his rights and his limitations, its part of the job. you know that you can't trespass on property, or video tape someone without their consent unless it is a public figure.
just use common sense, and don't get caught up in the chase of getting a story. to be a good journalists you have to be able to remain level-headed and make good decisions. or else perhaps you should find another field of work.

The Colbert Report

Hillary Clinton is set-up in this debate at Dartmouth University.
Now all i can do is laugh at this video. seeing as i am not a strong supporter, or rather just not a supporter of Clinton whatsoever, i do find this clip of her caught off guard in the middle of a debate comical. i love the initial reaction on her face when she finds out it was something her husband said that she just so strongly disagreed with, then how she quickly recovers and snaps back. of course, the commentary by Colbert adds to the comicality of it all.
It seems as though Hillary cannot escape the shadow of Bill. At first she tried, but it seems she has given in. Perhaps she realized that it was more of a political advantage for her campaign to have her husband be a former (and somewhat successful) U.S. president. i don't know why she shied away from it for so long, but now she just needs to make sure she doesn't get hidden underneath it. there is a delicate balance.

News Reporting and Writing Ch. 11, 12

Chapter 11 - News Releases

News releases contribute to a lot of the news stories in newspapers. A lot have been taken from the AP wire, others straight from companies or spokespersons.
One reoccuring theme that i noticed throughout this chapter is that, although you receive this news release with it's information, a lot of the stories require extra reserach. Either the news releases did not give enough information, or a source needs to be double checked. Also, outside articles or research can contribute a lot of new information that wasn't included in the release. It seems that the news release is just a piece of the information that when combined with lots of other things makes up the entire (and more accurate) story.


Chapter 12 - Speeches, News Conferences and Meetings

It may have been helpful to read this chapter before writing our stories on the city meetings. yet, it is a learning experience. after reading these chapters i notice things that i could have done differently when at the meeting, in my note taking, and in taking in the overall setting instead of just focusing on the content of the meeting itself.
Out of the three, i enjoy reporting on news conferences the most. at least, out of our practices in class, because i have never actually reported on a real-life conference. i find it the easiest way to get information, and in return, makes it easier to write. because there a lot of reporters asking questions, sometimes someone will ask a question that you didn't think to, perhaps taking the story in a different direction.
i think that i enjoy news conferences the most because they are the most like interviews, which is one of my favorite parts of being a journalist.