Archive for September, 2009

September, Fall Semester ’09: A Pithy, Early Report

Wednesday, September 30th, 2009

Feature writing class has been learning that this instructor’s course  — taught as an in-depth writing course — does not match the description of feature writing described by their basic reporting instructor of spring semester 2009 who told them that a feature story was “light” and that features didn’t use summary news leads. Uh oh!

And D:F/M’s journalism effort is back in the stone age. Should the students be told? Should prospective applicants be warned? Colleagues zonked on Zombie Juice? Uh Oh!

A Pithy But Soft Rant About the Value of Real-World Journalism Assignments for Students

Sunday, September 27th, 2009

A former WORD writer is a Deputy Press Secretary for the Manhattan Borough President. She was introduced to politics via an advanced reporting class assignment several years ago when she was a student at Hunter and was required to contact her elected officials for her article. She was persistent about getting her phone calls returned and being treated with respect. She eventually visited the office of a New York State senator to accentuate her seriousness. It’s not easy being a serious student journalist.

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Free the Hikers!

Saturday, September 26th, 2009

VIGIL-LA@freethehikers.org

Appealing for the quick release of Josh Fattal, Shane Bauer and Sarah Shourd who are being unfairly held in Iran.

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BREAKING NEWS An Alert from the Center for Constitutional Rights

Friday, September 25th, 2009

“Right now, thousands of activists who have gathered in Pittsburgh to protest at the G20 summit have been met with what we have come to expect: Overreaction by authorities and illegal preventive tactics by law enforcement officials at all levels. A secret communications hub with “electronic eyes” has been established by the Secret Service …

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Action Alert – FAIR

Friday, September 25th, 2009

USA Today, AP Mislead on Honduran Coup - 9/24/09: This week, ousted Honduran President Manuel Zelaya returned to Tegucigalpa – though not to office. Unfortunately, press accounts are still misreporting the story behind his ouster, relying on those who supported the coup to supply the explanation for their actions.

More here.

A Call for Proposals: State of Higher Education

Tuesday, September 22nd, 2009

June 9-12, Washington, D.C.:The goal of the conference is to provide a faculty perspective on critical issues in higher education presented in a format accessible to the general public.”

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Eight Things Journalism Students Should Demand from Their Journalism Schools

Monday, September 21st, 2009

September 18, 2009 – “The new semester is well underway at almost all the nation’s journalism schools. Students have received their syllabi, explaining exactly what the school expects from its students during their courses. But what should students expect from their schools?

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A Commute Tale

Sunday, September 20th, 2009

Students in the instructor’s feature writing class have been assigned to write about their commuting experiences to and from campus. The instructor will be providing pedagogical tidbits from time to time. Mostly images.


ACLU Petitioning for an Important Cause

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Jimmy Carter. Jimmy Carter. Jimmy Carter.

Friday, September 18th, 2009

Said what was needed to be said no matter what the right of center, far right and fringe right have to say and bitch (as news media, pundits, whatever) about what he said. Like the New York Daily News – the only major urban daily ever to lose a federal discrimination lawsuit because of the way it treated its journalists of color – said what was to be expected, it’s headline: “Jerky Jimmy’s junk: Carter’s cries of racism are both wrong and destructive.” [Destructive?!?]

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Commute, the Assignment

Monday, September 14th, 2009

Students in feature writing have to produce a “Commute” as the final assignment, a journalistic narrative about their commuting to and from the campus for the semester. Words and pictures. The instructor has been warming up for this assignment also. And two encounters on the subway indicate his reflexes need to be revived.

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