Mechanics & Mammoths: What will be the Delay? ORIGINALLY FROM FIRST GROUP BLOG: FEBRUARY 8TH

BIOLA 6.4 million dollar Talbot school of Theology; an impressive structure built to house the students of BIOLA pursuing knowledge of God. Started on June 1st 2010 the structure is still in its infancy yet has already faced obstacles of varying natures. There have been the expected delays and the road blocks of suburban construction but there have also been potential delays stemming from more ancient roots.
A broken bobcat mini dozer stood in the way of progressed today with its broken backup alarm. The crew of Crew Incorporated had to wait today for a repair man to arrive and mend the dozers broken safety feature. Greg the awaited bobcat repair man spoke of his love of BIOLA and the many years he has lived across from the school.
While the many years Greg has lived across from BIOLA and problems he fixes to further the progress of the new building there is a potential setback that not even this La Mirada long time local could remedy if encountered, a woolly mammoth. BIOLA already home to a resident mammoth is a potential site for new fossil discoveries. This is a potential source of major excitement or anxiety for the students of BIOlA. As Stewart Hall resident and film major Issac Svennson expressed some students here “we half expected to run into fossils and if they had the operation would have been called off.”
Fortunately for the hopeful future Talbot students no major obstacles in the form of fossils have been run into yet. So for now the days of Greg the repairman will have to be contented with problems of daily mechanics and not the problems of a woolly mammoth.

Journalism: Fiction vs. Reality

After watching clips from both State of Play and the Pulitzer prize documentary about Tom Kelly there are several main points of difference I identified between journalism as portrayed in fiction and as occurs in reality.

In State of Play the situation and unfolding story is intensely intriguing and mysterious. The events that take place are situations that are rather graphic in nature and significant in their implications however these attributes become muted by the fiction of the story.

Unlike State of Play the documentary about Pulitzer prize winning photographer Tom Kelly does convey the true sense of grotesque inhumanity and moral degradation.

In State of Play the deaths of two men by shooting and a women by collision with a metro rail liner are treated with a matter of fact and almost caddy attitude by many involved excluding the romantically involved senator. The emotions displayed by the senator for the death of his mistress do not convey a true sense of sadness as it is fiction.

In the Pulitzer prize documentary the emotional effect of the situation could be felt through all involved and took on more humanity. To see the faces of people in the pictures during their moments of intense shock and sorrow bring to life the gravity of life and death and how it should be portrayed and handled.

The way in which Tom Kelly approached the situation was with an ere of humanity. He choose not to photograph the little girl who had been cut up by her father and in not doing so he choose to respect the life of the girl and the importance of her humanity.

This however is not shown in State of Play or in fictional depictions of journalism. They opt to show all the excitement and intrigue yet without the real world emotional of physical consequences.

Associated Press

Bin Laden Son Says U.S. Violated International Law

By Hector Tobar

Bin Laden son says U.S violated international law.

Analysis of Watergate Story and Journalistic Practice

The story of Watergate was one of great national significance. It was necessary and important that this story be brought to light however the methods used by Bod Woodward and Carl Bernstein were highly questionable and in some instances outright unprofessional. 

Carl Bernstein exemplified this unprofessional ethic in his use of a countdown to confirm a fact from a source. Furthermore the confidence with which he informed his editor about this confirmation was less than truthful and a breach of what I believe should be the reporter editor relationship. 

The methods used by Woodward and Bernstein were understandable with the knowledge that these were two young and enterprising journalists. Additionally a story such as this would cause any journalist to clamor for confirmation no matter their age or experience.

However I believe that the methods used by Carl Bernstein and Bob Woodward were poor and unprofessional. It is the fact that their story proved true which vindicated their use of questionable methods of journalism. 

If I had been in the place of Woodward or Bernstein I would not have used the same methods. With that said I believe I may not have acquired the story as they did. Woodward and Bernstein took a huge risk and did what they had to in order to succeed but in the process they sacrificed their journalistic integrity. 

The nature of politics and the government organization however was also responsible for the manner in which Woodward and Bernstein conducted their journalism. Surrounded by secrecy and protection Woodward and Bernstein used their sources to the fullest in order to circumvent the bureaucratic wall.

Instances such as Woodward's utilization of his source, Deep Throat for leads, and Bernstein's persistence with and FBI agent are what allowed the pair to uncover the story. Had they not been under the intense pressure for time and the fear of their own safety perhaps Bernstein and Woodward could have successfully written their story while avoiding the risks of shady journalism. 

All the President's Men

The methods used by Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein in their investigation of the Watergate scandal were highly effective and produced results.

Bernstein's aggressive and assertive actions were key in the investigation and eventual fulfillment of the story. His initial action of taking Woodwards article and polishing it is an example of the personality necessary for investigative journalism. Bernstein again proved his assertive and determined approach to journalism when he bypasses the sectary at an office in order to obtain a meeting that proved critical in completing the story before the New York Times. The methods and tactics of Bernstein were effective however in some instances bordered on unprofessional and aggressive. 

Bod Woodward the journalist who initially began the investigation for the Washington Post into Watergate has a noticeably different style. His ability to work the phones and illicit answers from interviewees plays to his advantage as it allows him to gain trust. This trust is evidenced through his contacts  with people such as Deep throat who provide him with critical leads and guiding information. His use of persistence separates him from the methods of Bernstein and in turn allows him to wear down tough sources and wade through long and tedious paper trails. The methods of Woodward were far more professional and equally as effective. 

Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein had differing methods yet together their styles allowed them to uncover the truth and break the story of Watergate. 

Media Reflection Week: PRSSA Metting

For my media reflection week I attended the PRSSA meeting on April 7^th at 7:00pm in White 46. PRSSA as I learned stands for Public Relations Student Society of America and is essentially a club for all students either majoring in or interested in public relations. The meeting was led by three members of the PRSSA attended by about ten to twelve other students. The meeting was part an informative session about what PRSSA is and does and then three examples of what current members have been doing. The three speakers for PRSSA who detailed the recent experiences with PRSSA were Charissa Soltz who spoke about here time at a Knott’s Berry Farm PR event, Jessica Aerie who attended the PRSSA’s national assembly in Seattle, and Melissa Operman who attended “so you want to be a PR professional?” weekend.

Since this was a PR meeting there was no deadline work occurring rather it was a time about informing us what PRSSA is about and what they do. This began with Charissa Soltz who shared about here time at the Knott’s Berry Farm PR event about Knott’s Berry Farm’s Halloween festival Knott’s Scary Farm. She shared with us the tips and insights into PR that she learned from attending this event. She spoke about things such as the need to publicize early and often, how to utilize every step of the advertising process, and how everything in PR revolves around the Internet and social media now. She shared numerous stories and emphasized how being a member of PRSSA allows for opportunities to attend such events and network with PR professionals and other PR majors.

Then Jessica Airey shared about her experience at the PRSSA national assembly in Seattle Washington. She spoke of how over two hundred other colleges were in attendance along with the director of communications for Starbucks and Xbox. She shared with us how she learned about social media and tips on how to effectively use it. Additionally she shared a story she heard at the assembly about how employers now employ their interns to use social media in order to stalk potential hires and what this means for personal and professional use of social media tools for PR and journalism professionals.

Lastly Melissa Operman spoke about her time at the “so you want to be a PR professional?” weekend. She detailed the importance for aspiring PR professionals to make business cards for themselves now and to use those cards when they network. She gave examples of this talking about the people she met such as Disney’s head PR man Matt Prince and PR professionals from Target. She made clear that if one wishes to succeed in PR networking is everything.

My analysis of this time was that although it was not an immediate experience with journalism of PR it provided an invaluable resource into what it will take in order to succeed. It also showed me how many opportunities are really out there and broadened my scope of what is possible with a degree in journalism. Additionally I learned about PR and what it really entails as well as its relationship to journalism. My perspective on media was definitely expanded as this showed me the other side of journalism and the people journalists work with and perhaps even against at times in order to convey information to a greater audience. After this meeting my thoughts as to what my potential part in the realm of journalism was expanded as now I can see there are many niche markets and topics in which to operate as a journalist. Rather than seeing journalism limited to the scope of national or international news now I see there are opportunities in various markets dealing with companies and nonprofits. Overall this was a great meeting and I am glad I attended. 

Why Journalists Should Talk About Difficult Topics.

It is important for journalists to talk about difficult topics because difficult topics are part of reality. A journalists job should not be to pick and choose what stories he or she wants to cover because of money or power but because they are simply the facts of reality.

For the most part reality is difficult and if journalists shy away from such topics they will be misrepresenting the world as it is. Journalist’s job is to convey to the greater audience what the nature of their world is and to do so in an accurate and truthful matter no how difficult the topic may be.

With that said journalists have an immense responsibility, especially with difficult topics, to be accurate in their telling of the story. Furthermore they have a great responsibility to not stray into sensationalism or intentionally play with the emotions of their audience for personal or corporate gains.

Stories of horror need to be covered by journalist because only then can people become aware and be called to action. If things need to be changed people must know first in order to do something. This holds true more so with difficult things than with the mundane everyday things. Journalist’s role in covering difficult topics is necessary for the progress of society and the world at large if people ever wish to solve any problems.