Final class session

In regards to news photos, altering a photo's general composition is unethical. Only tighter cropping that does not omit essential subjects in the photo with the intention of eliminating space, or minor tonal curve adjustments for printing purposes are ethical practices. Video editing to change the understanding of what happened is also unethical.

The second portion of the video talked about media hype. Funneling audience interest into articles aimed at drawing in attention through fear or hype built up by media, is unethical as it works to sell articles, but editorializes to the extent of potentially giving audience members an unhealthy perspectives with low validity.

In the third section of the video, discussing junkets, the issue of influencing journalists by car companies was talked about. My belief is that junkets, though sometimes seen as a "necessary evil," are not necessary, and unethical.

In regards to media hoaxes, I believe that news organizations that pick them up reveal their work ethic as sensational reporting oriented, and show a lack of investigating facts thoroughly. The hoaxes in the video lead me to believe that internet hoaxes will be just as prevalent in internet news media. Because citizen journalism is becoming more technically refined and advanced, in respect to new media technology and editing software that enable changing the meaning of visual content, manipulation or fabrication of stories can be made even easier, as attention to blog-type and Web 2.0 media seem to be weighted heavily.

Linden Lab announces new virtual meeting platform for businesses

Nov. 16, 2009 – The virtual world is becoming the new corporate conference room--at least that is what one internet company is offering customers through their new Beta program centered around secure, online meeting scenarios.

Linden Lab, creator of the Second Life virtual world, announced the release of their new, more corporate-friendly version of the less-secure, more public program on Monday, called Second Life Enterprise.

With the release of the of the Beta program, the company revealed the $55,000 price-tag for the product, as well as a plans to launch a platform for virtual goods exchange and an enterprise application marketplace.

According to the company’s product website, customers of Linden Lab’s new “behind-the-firewall” product are entitled to features not available in the original Second Life platform, including security and privacy per world grid, the ability to create regions and the option of creating custom names or using real names for avatars.

Among some of Linden Lab’s clientele using the Second Life Enterprise product are IBM, Northrop Grumman, Case Western Reserve University and Naval Undersea Warfare Center.

Brett Atwood, a web content strategist for Linden Lab, said some of the attractions to the product can be traced to reduced travel expenditures by companies flying representatives to distant conferences.

“We’re in an environment with a high cost of travel,” Atwood said. “This is a significantly cheaper way to bring people together in real-time.”

Atwood said the uses of Second Life Enterprise extend past virtual meetings into other uses, including holding socializing “water-cooler” activities, company recruiting, new-hire orientations, scenario-based training and multimedia and 3D presentations.

Other features, Atwood said, like Telepresence, the phenomenon of how we perceive simulated presence, are unique attributes of the Second Life server.

In the company’s press release, Linden Lab also reported that the up-and-coming Second Life Work Marketplace virtual environment will boast new features, including giving the customers the ability to browse, test and purchase content from third-party developers.

According to the announcement, the Second Life Work Marketplace is set for a 2010 launching.

Flu shots on campus

October 16, 2009

While other students were passing by to visit the bookstore or chatting with friends on their way to class, Mike Turi sat down and began to fill out all the necessary medical paper work attached to the clipboard -- the first step after expressing interest in getting vaccinated for the seasonal flu virus.

Representatives and graduate student volunteers of the Student Health and Wellness center advertised and administered seasonal flu vaccinations in the lobby area of the CUB as part of a flu vaccine outreach.

Erika Miller, a second year pharmacy student helping with the immunizations, talked to students walking through the CUB about the vaccine.

Miller said some of the students taking advantage of the Student Health and Wellness tables were attracted by the convenience of the location.

Turi, a third-year computer engineering PhD student, was one such student who signed up for the vaccine at the tables.

Turi said he usually gets the vaccine, and with there being a convenient location from where he could receive the shot, there was little reason not to get it again. “The earlier, the better,” Turi added.

While some students in the CUB took the opportunity to get the vaccine, others chose not to.

David Rayfield, a freshman criminal justice major, said despite the attention given to the current flu season and the H1N1 flu virus, he chose not to get a flu shot.

“I don’t get them, and I’m usually fine,” Rayfield said.

Despite the differing viewpoints on the seasonal flu vaccine, Miller said that students were appearing at the outreach table in numbers average in comparison to last year.

Miller also addressed some of the concerns that students expressed to her.

“Some people are worried about it being uncomfortable,” Miller said. “It’s not just for your self, though. It’s looking out for your community.”

People interested in the seasonal flu vaccine should also consider the H1N1 flu vaccine, which is offered separately and targets the respective virus only, she added.

According to the CDC vaccine information statement sheet that is required literature handed out to all students receiving the shot, those considering the shot should be aware of the risks involved in receiving the protection.

The CDC paper states that though the vaccine could cause serious problems including allergic reactions, the risk of a vaccine inducing severe reactions is rare and any reaction is usually within minutes of vaccination.

For any severe reaction, signaled by symptoms like difficulty in breathing or high fever, Miller advises that recipients of the vaccine call or get to a doctor immediately.

Miller, who as a pharmacy student in Washington State can administer the shot, said the vaccine takes about two weeks to protect the patient from the seasonal flu.

The Student Health and Wellness services are offering the vaccine on campus at the health and wellness center and various locations like the CUB for $25 to students.

Frontline analysis

The Frontline documentary exposing journalism and news in the contemporary offered some very interesting angles. I took a particular interest in how the documentary took a "backstage" perspective, interviewing leading names in news presenting.

The segment covering the Los Angeles Times took me by surprise. With a huge profit margin, greater than that of fortune 500 companies, the argument for the LA Times to be making budget cuts, to my shock, was to appease share-holders. I guess I didn't realize the business well enough or was too naive to realize why papers were having cuts in scenarios like that of the LA Times.

The discussion about "citizen journalism" was also interesting. I've heard a good deal of arguments concerning who owns journalism (the professional or the average citizen) and it was good to hear boht sides of the argument presented next to one another.

Hate crime statistics: how Pullman measures to other Washington cities

According to the data found on the US Department of Justice Hate Crime Page, Pullman's most frequent hate crime is sexual-orientation based in nature, with four reported cases in 2006, the same number as Seattle. In 2007, the hate crime reports that Pullman saw three fewer sexual-orientation-motivated hate crimes, but a switch from having no racially motivated hate crimes in 2006, to having four reported cases.

In checking out the Follow The Money website, I learned that Christine Gregoire raised the most, raking in $12,002,778. For the gubernatorial candidates, Gregoire received her largest contribution from anonymous donors, and the same with Rossi, contributing a total of $10,736.

Video Recorder Link: http://www.google.com/patents/about?id=Qh5aAAAAEBAJ&dq=Digital+Video+Recorder

Social Networking: http://www.google.com/patents/about?id=EYASAAAAEBAJ&dq=Social+and+Networking

Automobile: http://www.google.com/patents/about?id=N_VhAAAAEBAJ&dq=Automobile+Frank+Duryea

Example of a quote lead -

New York Times

"Still Fragile, Haiti Makes Sales Pitch"

The writer used a quote lead to show the reaction of the business-elite upon seeing Haitian poverty, drawing in the reader through an almost juxtaposed image that is painted of the rich and poor separated only by the doors and windows of a vehicle. This lead is hard to follow until the story unfolds further down the page, but is still effective. The lead probably could be improved. A summary lead may not be the best fit as a substitute, however. A narrative lead might also accomplish the same objective as the quote lead that is given.

Example of a narrative lead -

New York Times

"Fight Nights and Reggae Pack Brazilian Churches"

The lead uses narrative and observation to gain interest from the reader, while not fully divulging all of the information. A nut graph follows the lead in the fifth paragraph to tie the narrative into the hard news. The lead seems to be the best fit for the story. Improvements don't seem necessary. A summary news lead would not be fitting for the story, as the environment depicted in the story appears to require more initial attention than the basic who, what, where, and when. A quote lead could also be effective if a solid quote was present.

Second-day lead example

Police are continuing their search for a four-year-old girl who went missing from her home Tuesday evening while in the care of a babysitter.

WSU Greek councils hosted hazing prevention week

WSU Greek councils hosted National Hazing Prevention Week on campus from Sept. 21 to Sept. 25, featuring events spreading the message of a nation-wide call to stop hazing.

The week of activities, including a remembrance walk, hazing prevention programming, and a wall of posters memorializing victims of hazing, focused on spreading awareness of the realities of hazing and promoting hazing prevention, both within and outside the Greek community on campus.

“Greek organizations are taking the lead in educating all students at Washington State University about the dangers associated with hazing,” Interfraternity Council President Ben Wagner said.

“There are better practices and more effective methods that can be used to create bonds between people,” Wagner added. “We are challenging student organizations to rethink their practices and find ways to attain that bond without the dangers of hazing.”

Wagner stressed that hazing is not specific to the Greek community.

“Hazing is not just a Greek issue, and this week was intended to serve any student organization that wants to find alternatives to hazing,” he said.

Washington is among 43 other states that have hazing statutes, as listed in a document available on Hazing Prevention’s website. Ray Cuthbert, the interfraternity council director of policy and procedure, said WSU has a “zero-tolerance” policy.

According to WSU policy, hazing is defined as "any activity expected of someone joining a group (or

maintaining full status in a group) that causes or is likely to cause a risk of mental, emotional and/or physical harm, regardless of the person's willingness to participate."

Hazing Prevention’s website states that 47 percent of students come to college already having experienced hazing, and an estimated 55 percent of all college students belonging to student organizations, clubs, or teams experience hazing.

The national statistics of hazing incidents show that hazing still remains embedded in the culture of an array of organizations across the country.

For those heading up Greek standards positions, the message is clear that any cases of hazing should be reported, regardless of which group or organization the hazing is carried out in.

Khalie Janes, the Panhellenic vice president of policy and procedure, said an anonymous report form found on the WSU website is the easiest way to bring attention to acts of hazing.

“No matter what, I think an individual from any club or organization or team really has to have the courage to stand up and speak out against hazing, and there are many different ways they can do that,” Janes said.

Janes said the form is accessible by searching ‘report hazing’ on the WSU website and following the first link.

Cuthbert said one of the most important actions to take, specifically for members of the Greek community experiencing hazing, is to inform those in executive positions in their organization of the hazing incident.

“We don’t do guilty or not guilty – we do responsible or not responsible,” Cuthbert said. “So, if it’s a really big case of hazing, that’s out of our hands and the school will take that over.”

In the remembrance walk on Thursday from Bryan Hall to Chi Omega sorority, the massive line of students remained silent, highlighting solidarity in working toward hazing prevention while remembering victims of hazing. Participants of the walk wore T-shirts with the words “Learn – Prevent – Change” printed on the front of them.

Janes said she created the slogan to embody the theme of the week.

“I think learning and trying to help prevent hazing are some of the easier parts, but actually making that change is probably the hardest part,” Janes said.

Following the walk, students listened to a speech by Milton Lang, the senior associate vice president of the division of student affairs, equity and diversity, enjoyed refreshments and talked about the importance of the events during the week.

Senior communication major Avery Berschauer said the wall of remembrance helped show that hazing affects lives in very painful ways.

“It brings it home that it’s real,” Berschauer said. “Seeing those kinds of things reminds you that this is a serious issue and that we need to remember the past.”

Al Jazeera on Livestation.com

With a general opposition of the inclusion of Al Jazeera English in American television line-ups, the only real appeal that the channel seems to have is an internet audience from which to try to garner support. The degree of effectiveness to which the channel can build an audience is up to viewers identifying the station as credible, fair, honest, and unbiased, in accordance with their own ethical code.

In analyzing the reporting on Al Jazeera, I did not notice anything anything profoundly different, with the exception that there was, in the sampling I did today of Gaddafi's speech, somewhat less commentary. Gaddafi's speech was full of ramblings, and the commentators mentioned that this was fitting of his style. With just one viewing today, however, it's difficult to see a profund difference from US news channels.

From my review of the code of ethics of Al Jazeera, it appears as though the channel follows the items on its list closely, but more viewing is required to get a better sampling and make a more sound report on it.

Example of a summary news lead

A New York Times article concerning unrest in the capital city of Uganda features essential elements of a a summary news lead -- summarizing the "who," represented by rioters who swept through the city; the "where" component, as represented by Kampala, Uganda; "when" as being Friday, and "what" as being 10 people killed, according to witnesses, in unrest sweeping through the city.

Three Pitches

(1) National Hazing Prevention Week at WSU (Sept. 21-25)

WSU Greek councils will be putting on events throughout the week to educate about hazing. The story will focus on how the WSU Greek community has worked toward the goal of abolishing hazing practices or has had hazing cases recently that work away from that progress. Interviews could be with representatives of the IFC, Pan-Hellenic, Greek Life, and also associate members of various fraternities/sororities with semester long associate periods that have yet to go through initiation. The intended media outlet is the Daily Evergreen.

(2) Peace Corps: a possible trend in after-graduation plans?

Another "overheard" in Pullman: WSU students weighing the options for what to do after graduation and the possibility of the Peace Corps. Has interest in the Peace Corps become a popular trend? Has interest grown nationally according to recruiting numbers? This story would look at what the Peace Corps is doing currently in the area of recruitment on college campuses and would introduce the stories of students on campus who are planning to go into the organization upon graduating. Interviews would be of students planning on serving after graduation, as well as a possible telephone interview with the recruiter in Seattle. The intended media outlet is the Daily Evergreen.

(3) Cricket at WSU

In over 30 years of existence at WSU, the WSU Cricket Club has participated in regional competition and has offered a sport unlike more popular US college athletics. My story would be to investigate the club: facilitating the sport on campus with larger NCAA sports, how it's survived as a club and what the sport offers students looking outside the edges of stereotypical American sports. Interviews would be of players, the faculty adviser, and WSU students no affiliated with the club and their ideas on the sport. The story would run in the Daily Evergreen, as the student newspaper is ideal for sharing the story to the target audience (WSU students).

Chevron, the Amazon, oil, lawsuits, and the "Murrow Standard" of traditional journalism

The two videos offered very different approaches on the same story. From the 60 Minutes special report, one can gather a better understanding of the various perspectives on the issue. The reporter focused on interviews from the major players: indigenous people affected by the oil within the region, the judge who will determine how much of the multi-billion dollar lawsuit might be paid by Chevron, the man who assessed the damages done by the oil contamination, the key players within Chevron, and other voices from both sides of the lawsuit. Though the special report by 60 minutes offered a wider array of voices than the second video, the focus on the side of the plaintiffs, by sheer, greater frequency of coverage, left me feeling that a larger agenda was behind the story's reporting. Such a gut-feeling helped me to decide that somewhere within the report, the precedent set by Murrow's reporting was abandoned (or it was never really adopted in the first place.)

Similarly, the second video, offering Chevron's take on things, really did just that. Language such as "Anti-Chevron protests" was adopted by the reporter over using language like "people protesting Chevron gathered in the streets of such and such a place," as an example. When I hear "anti" used when talking about two specific, opposing parties, I often associate "anti" with "antagonist." I've seen enough movies to know that the good guy is typically the protagonist and the bad guy fills the other role. Instincts and random schema aside, the second video touched mainly on how Chevron was the victim, showing ways that the company should be considered innocent rather than focus on both sides of the lawsuit. This is contrary to the example of the "Murrow Standard" of traditional journalism, which requires utmost dedication to seeking the truth in all ways, rather than taking sides. Though the second video did not exemplify the values of Murrow's legacy, in my opinion, the 60 Minutes special report did not either.