Archive for the ‘News/Commentary/Opinion’ Category
Monday, October 4th, 2010
By Jonathan Mena
As I sat listening to Obama’s phone conference call with the WORD and 114 other student journalism organizations last week, I wondered if any of my other student journalism colleagues from around the country were ready to bite his head off (figuratively speaking, of course) with tough questions. Sadly, only three were selected – perhaps, dare I say, pre-selected — and they seemed trapped in the Obama vortex and were star struck, to say the least. The representatives of the age groups that got recognitions for coming together and helping the President trounce McCain, failed to take a risk and grill him.
Jonathan Mena, a former WORD Senior Editor-Producer, posting information on Facebook during the September 27, 2010, conference call. ICIT's Distance Learning, for whom Mena now works, made possible the WORD's participation. Mena officially graduates this semester.
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Tags: Education, ICIT, Obama Conference Call, Pell Grants, Student Journalism
Posted in Journalism, News/Commentary/Opinion, Student Journalism | Comments Off
Monday, September 6th, 2010
I have no idea.
My two news writing and one journalism ethics/responsibility courses were given assignments inquiring about the economy’s dire effects on families, friends, neighbors and, indirectly, of course, themselves. Otherwise, I’m not sure how much and what they are referencing.
I can hardly wait to see what they bring turn in. Except for one student who said she believe that the assignment was seemed, in so many words, intrusive, there were no other responses from the three classes.
Yet …
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Tags: Economic Stimulus, FDR, Great Depression, New York Times Op Ed, Obama, Paul Krugman, recession
Posted in Journalism, Journalism Education, News/Commentary/Opinion | Comments Off
Sunday, August 29th, 2010
By Mark Green, Huffington Post
Host, ‘Both Sides Now w/ Huffington & Matalin’,Columnist, the New York Observer
*Posted: August 4, 2010 09:21 A.M. — I know this isn’t exactly news but … neither is Fox. If the FTC could theoretically apply deceptive advertising laws to television content, there would be an hourly disclaimer on Murdoch’s network, “Video ads brought to you by the RNC” (e.g., Palin, Gingrich, Huckabee are employees). For professional reasons, I watch a lot of Fox News. And it’s not easy to fully convey its nightly mendacity.
Read entire column here.
* Playing catchup but catching up is happening.
Tags: Fox News, Huffington Post, Nightly News
Posted in Journalism, News/Commentary/Opinion | Comments Off
Sunday, August 29th, 2010
By Michael Fauntroy, Huntington Post
Professor, Author, Columnist, Commentator at MichaelFauntroy.com.
*Posted: June 14, 2010 11:01 P.M. — I have heard a number of false allegations leveled against President Barack Obama – socialist, communist, illegal immigrant, terrorist sympathizer, etc. Iowa Congressman Steve King (R-Limbaugh/Coulter/Palin) took things to a new level when he said on G. Gordon Liddy’s radio show that “the President has demonstrated that he has a default mechanism in him that breaks down the side of race – on the side that favors the black person.”
Read entire column here.
*Yes, June 14 is a long time ago but it’s been a busy summer for other matters and this writer is playing catchup.
Tags: Ann Coulter, Barak Obama, Congressman Steve King, racism, Russ Limbaugh
Posted in Journalism, News/Commentary/Opinion, The Beast | Comments Off
Saturday, August 28th, 2010
This editor/writer was interested, sort of, about the turnout and the karma for this Beck rally in D.C. today. Sort of, as in sometimes the editor watches the Super Bowl and sometimes the World Series and the NBA* finals on occasion. And, of course, how the news media would give it play and review, was of interest, probably more than watching the main event (which, because of the Internet, could be reviewed easily). Also: This could be interesting, the size of the rally.
Hundreds of thousands were expected but early news reports, though not providing estimates that made sense, reported that tens of thousands had shown up or were showing up for not only Beck’s but one organized by The Reverend Al Sharpton.
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Tags: Al Sharpton, Ed Kent, Glenn Beck, mainstream news media, Restoring honor, Washington D.C. rallies
Posted in Journalism, News/Commentary/Opinion | Comments Off
Saturday, August 21st, 2010
So reporteth the Times:
LONDON — Julian Assange, founder of the whistle-blower Web site WikiLeaks who has been embroiled in a fight with the Pentagon over the recent release of classified documents, briefly became the focus of new attention on Saturday when Swedish prosecutors sought him for questioning on rape allegations — then quickly said the accusations were unfounded. — Full story here.
Wikileaks said in a blog post earlier than the Times’ breaking story:
On Saturday 21st of August, we have been made aware of rape allegations made against Julian Assange, founder of this project and one of our spokespeople.
We are deeply concerned about the seriousness of these allegations. We the people behind WikiLeaks think highly of Julian and and he has our full support.
While Julian is focusing on his defenses and clearing his name, WikiLeaks will be continuing its regular operations.
The WORD to Wikileaks: Release the Kracken, all 15,000 tenacles.
Tags: Eric Schmitt, John F. Burns, Julian Assange, Kracken, New York Times, Wikileaks
Posted in Journalism, Journalism Education, News/Commentary/Opinion, Student Journalism | Comments Off
Monday, July 26th, 2010
This story, especially as it was reported – lurid in that tabloid style that minces facts to disseminate the squalid because the reporter is too dumb or lazy to plumb the facts – for days and days and days by New York Daily News, could be straight out of a Stephen King novella, novel, TV Series Movie of the Week, Cable Special, Hollywood cinema. Someone tell me that it’s not to fantastical to image that C. J. Whose Real Name Was Romoy Raymond hasn’t been crying out from his grave.
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Tags: Ellen Borakove, Inquiry Into Staten Island Fire Shifts to Mother, kids on death row, kids who killed their parents, matricide, NYC Medical Examiner's Office, parricide, patricide, Romoy Raymond, the kids next door: sons and daughters who killed their parents, unspeakable acts: the ordeal of Thomas Waters-Rimmer
Posted in Commentary, Journalism, News/Commentary/Opinion | Comments Off
Wednesday, July 21st, 2010
07/13/2010 by Julie Hollar/FAIR Blog
No, that’s not a typo: Only 1.6 percent of sports coverage on L.A.’s three major network affiliates went to women’s sports. On ESPN Sportscenter, it’s 1.4 percent. It’s just slightly higher when you add in ticker-tape coverage. And it’s getting worse, not better: Those numbers are down from about 5 percent in 1989.
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Tags: ESPN, FAIR, Fred Rogan at KNBC, Jim Hill at KCBS, Michael Messner, women's sports
Posted in Journalism, News/Commentary/Opinion, Student Journalism | Comments Off
New York Observer Appreciates Former WORD Senior Editor’s Reporting in Bushwick
Saturday, October 23rd, 2010The Observer picked up on story originally reported by Jonathan Mena for Bushwickbk.com in Brooklyn about this checkerboard building on Palmetto Street between Bushwick and Evergreen Avenues. Mena formerly wrote articles and columns and produce YouTube mini-docs and broadcast reports for the WORD. He has been stringing for Bushwickbk.com in Brooklyn for many moons.
Picture by Jonathan Mena originally for bushwick.com
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Tags: Bushwick Brooklyn, New York Observer
Posted in Journalism, News/Commentary/Opinion, Student Journalism, Where Are They Now: Former WORD Writers | Comments Off