Quote

  "I became a journalist because I did not want to depend on the newspaper for information," is a quote by Christopher Hitchens, and I'm in complete agreement.  Newspapers can easily become biased, and they sometimes leave out information in their articles to sway you to one side.  At times they misinform the public.
   When you're working at a newspaper you see everything before it gets edited, or changed into something the paper would prefer to let the public know.  If you work for a newspaper, you get the information you want, without having to rely on other people to tell you what you want to know.  I don't enjoy being dependent on people I don't trust, and I don't trust the newspaper.  Whose to say they aren't lying to me?
   I didn't get into journalism for the reason stated in the quote, but it is something that I can see cementing my beliefs that is you want the real news, you have to be the one getting it.

State of Journalism

   I have a few issues with the state of journalism currently, but there's one issue that stands out to me.  Lately, news hasn't really been seeming like news.  We hear about celebrities far more than we should, especially when most of what they do has nothing to do with news at all.
   People aren't that interested in real news anymore, so journalists cater to the desires of the public.  The Daily Show makes news comedic, which takes away from what news is really about.  It isn't supposed to make you laugh.  News is supposed to inform the general population of the serious issues happening around us.
   It seems that most people don't even watch the news anymore, or read it form a newspaper.  Instead, they see it on the Internet.  A newspaper or a news show is less likely to be biased while reporting, because they could lose their jobs.
  

Be Accountable

   There are four ethical principles that journalists should follow.  They are seek the truth and report it, minimize harm, act independently, and be accountable.  All of them are equally important, but I'll be focusing on the last one, be accountable.
   To be accountable basically means to take responsibility for one's article.  You wrote it, if there's something wrong with it, you deal with the consequences.  There's no one else you can blame.  If someone gave you wrong information, you should have investigated more.
   In life people are always telling you to take responsibility for your actions, and it carries over to almost everything.  If you messed up, own up to it.  There are only four ethical principles, so follow them.  It's the right thing to do.

Money For News

   So, your editor accepts money from a politician to reveal some wrongful actions by another politician, which caused them to be removed form office.  It's a good thing that the public found out ,but it isn't right that the editor accepted money to publish it as news.  What do  you do?
   It's wrong that the editor accepted money, but it is a good thing that the politician was exposed before he could do any more damage.  I'd be forced to admit that the editor might not deserve to lose their job.  I would probably confront them and ask them to return the money.  If they agreed then I'd just pretend it never happened.  If they disagreed, I'd have to go to the publisher or another editor about it.
   It's difficult to decide on issues like this because, although the means were less then moral, the end may have justified it.  The results helped people in the end, so how can you say it was entirely wrong?

Same Sex Marriages

   I have never gotten why same sex marriages are an issue.  Our country is supposed to be the land of freedom, right?  Well, it isn't if people can't marry whoever the heck they want.  It's basically an equivalent of racism only with your sexuality.

   The arguments people have against gay marriage don't even make any sense.  Some people say that it destroys the sanctity of straight marriages.  You do realize that some people divorce over and over again. 

Some say that a gay couple's children will become gay.  That makes no sense.  Not all children of a heterosexual couple are end up heterosexual.

   It just seems impossible to me that people would try to take away someone's right because of what gender they prefer.  I'm hoping that people will actually come to their senses, and realize that being against it is just as bad as being racist or sexist.  We've gotten over those ridiculous views, so why can't we get over this?

Dinosaur Gas

   Some scientists believe that dinosaur farts could have warmed the Earth.  This is of course only if you buy into the green house gases warming the Earth.  Could this have actually caused the dinosaurs' extinction?
   You may know something about cows producing methane.  This gas warms the Earth, and scientists got the idea about the dinosaurs' gas from them.  People say that farming cows in such a large number affects the Earth in a negative way, and that we need to stop it.
   I doubt that the farming of cows is going stop, so how do we deal with this problem?  I guess we could put the cows in some sort of bubble that has an air purifier in it.  Then, the methane would be filtered out of the air in the bubble before it could hurt the atmosphere.  It does sound a little ridiculous, but I'm not sure how else we could help.

Obama's Over Celebrating?

  Obama's opponents have been claiming that he is "over celebrating" the death of Osama bin Laden.  I'm just not seeing it.  I agree with the fact that you shouldn't celebrate the killing of someone, but where exactly is the proof that he's doing it.
   There's nothing wrong with appreciating that a man who killed over 3,000 citizens is no longer around to hurt people anymore, but there's no way we should throw a party over it.  That's what I'd call over celebrating, and I'm not seeing that from anybody.
   I think this is probably just Obama's opponents trying to make him look bad.  I don't even support Obama, but I never support slandering someone for your own agenda.  A huge amount of politicians do that now.

Mac Security Behind

   Mac security is ten years behind Microsoft, and it isn't that hard to figure out why.  More people have PCs than macs, and the virus wants to target as many computers as possible.  So, it is safe to assume, that most viruses target PC computers.
   That doesn't mean that I approve of Apple's lack of development in security.  Maybe they didn't get many viruses, but it is better to be safe than sorry.  They should have looked into the future to see potential problems and prevent them.  That's a reasonable thing to ask of people who create computers.
   Macs and PCs are different in many ways, but the quality of security shouldn't be.  I want to feel safe from viruses on my computer, and I'm sure most people want it too.

Robberies

   There are two types of robberies that I'm going to address.  One is a planned robbery, the other is a crime of opportunity.  Which is worse?  I am inclined to believe that planned robbery is worse.

   When you see an opportunity to commit a crime, such as a person dropping money, and you want it, it's hard to resist the temptation.  Most people would consider taking the money for themselves, and at least half will actually take it.  It is hard to resist.

   A planned robbery shows that you really want to do this.  It isn't about temptation.  You know what you're doing, and you don't really care about the other person.  It shows that you believe that you are above the law.  So, planned robbery is worse.

Penguin Nips Gingrich

   Recently, there was an article about Newt Gingrich getting nipped by a penguin, and getting a band aide.  I'm not going to pretend that I think this belongs in a newspaper at all, but if I had to choose a section for this article it would be a print feature.
   This article could never be in news, as it isn't important enough.  It had nothing to do with sports, and it isn't a puzzle or comic.  I can't see how it could be an opinion, as there's no one I can think of that would bother forming an important opinion about it.
   Honestly, this article should never have even made it into a newspaper in the first place.  It's irrelevant to everyone, and no one really cares.  People need band-aides all the time.  Just because it's Newt Gingrich doesn't make it entertaining or important.

Profanity on a Computer

   A student was expelled for using profanity on a school issued laptop.  Is this right, or is the student allowed to do whatever they want with the laptop?  I think that it depends on whether or not the school told  the students they couldn't use profanity on their laptops.  If they didn't the school doesn't really have the right to punish the student.
   That's not to say I approve of the student's actions.  It was idiotic to do something like that on a school issued laptop.  It is pretty obvious that the school would be tracking what you are typing, so I don't know what he was thinking.  This student is a high school senior, so he should be smart enough to realize this.
   It just shows that you have to be careful about what you post on the Internet with.  It's possible that expelling the student was a little extreme, but he if he was stupid enough to curse using a school issued laptop then he probably deserves it.

Technology in Journalism

   Journalism has developed along with technology.  We used to use a typewriter and a printing press, but now there's so much more we use to report the news.  So, what's the most important technology we use these days?
   The computer is a no brainer.  It allows us to report faster, and it allows more people to see it, which is the point of journalism.  There's also the video camera for the news stations.  It also allows more people to see the news.
   I think one of the most important is the iPhone.  You can take notes, pictures, and videos.  It's easy to get an interview with Facetime, and you can email it to your editor.  It makes everything faster, and easier to do.  You don't have to carry any heavy microphones or recording devices, and notebooks are a thing of the past.  There's nothing I can think of that's more important than this piece of technology.  Journalism is so much simpler to do now that we have such advanced technology to help.

Thomas Jefferson's Quote

   What Thomas Jefferson means is that the newspaper is biased.  You are given information form only a certain perspective, and sometimes they leave out some the facts so that you're inclined to agree with the writer.  Someone who doesn't read at all would be able to information that was most likely less biased.
   The real way to make sure you can form your own opinions is to read everything, not just newspapers.  The ones that read everything are more informed than the people who only read the newspaper, and those who don't read at all.  At least you'll get more than one point of view on the subject.
   Thomas Jefferson is completely correct when he said that.  The only way to make those who only read newspapers more educated is if the newspapers tell us everything without allowing their opinions to be involved.  That's difficult to do as it is human nature to want people to know what you think and take it into consideration.

State Grade

   Our states have been graded on their corruptibility.  Unfortunately, the highest grade is a B+.  There isn't anything wrong with getting a B+, but there is a problem when that's the highest grade.  A large amount of states have scored an F, and that's just sad.  It needs to change.
   What we need to do is to target the specific issues in each states and address each individually.  Delaware   was scored a C- because of many things, but they scored an F on public information access and lobbying disclosure.  If we raise the grade on both of these, they'll probably have a B overall.
   If we fix the states our country will be better for everyone, and we won't feel so embarrassed about the state of our country.  Some countries could be graded all As, and it's awful that we don't even have one state that aced the assessment.  It is not acceptable ,and everyone needs to work towards raising those scores.

Is it News?

   Ashton Kutcher is the 500th person to sign up to be a "private astronaut."  In case you are unaware,  Virgin Galactic is a service that basically provides private space travel.  I don't think this is even close to news.
   Ashton Kutcher is a celebrity, and almost anything to do celerities ends up in print features.  It could possibly be considered news if they were just covering the program, but Kutcher doesn't really matter enough to be real news.
   News is the information that everyone should know.  Nobody needs to know Ashton Kutcher's going on a "private astronaut" program.  I can honestly say that plenty of people don't want to know because they don't care.   He doesn't affect the world, the country, or local areas, so the information is unnecessary.  It can't be news if that's the case.

Bob Seger

   My father loves Bob Seger, an American rock and roll singer/songwriter/pianist/guitarist.  I'm inclined to agree with his opinion about this artist.  He's a roots rocker with a loud, raspy voice.  He's in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and still performing and recording today.
   His music means something to people, and is still fun to listen to.  Some of his best songs, in my opinion, are Like a Rock, Old Time Rock and Roll, Night Move, and We've Got Tonight.  They are all pleasurable to listen to, although some are more light-hearted than others.  
   Despite the fact that Bob Seger isn't a very modern artist, he's still very skilled.  I like his music, and so does my dad.  We both listen to his music in the car when we're going somewhere farther away.  While some may not like his music, he's still considered a very impressive artist.

Invasion of Privacy

   You may think that your Facebook account is private, but you'd be wrong.  Recently, certain companies and schools are asking for your account password, so they can see if you're right for them.
   All they have to do is look back, and they see all your comments.  What if you were trying to get a job, but you insulted the company on your Facebook.  Say goodbye to your chances at getting that job.  It's basically the same thing with schools.  Insult the school, and don't expect to get in.
   The issue is that it's an invasion of privacy.  What right do they have to see anything about your personal life?  Your personal life always differentiates from your professional life.  A school or company should only be concerned with your professional one.
   This is one of those times when I'm sincerely glad that I don't have a Facebook.  If I have to give up my privacy and lose a job, it's best not to give them the chance.

Hacktivism

   Hacktivism is basically using hacking to perform activism.  Hacktivists hack into websites and cell phones to give a social or political point.  There has been debate about whether or not this is a crime, or an acceptable form of protest.
   I think that hacktivism is probably a crime.  It isn't right to hack into people's phones just because you don't agree with them.  Sabotaging their business or website ins't really going to do anything but make the hacker look like the bad guy.
   Hacking is illegal, and the motives have never mattered to the law before.  Why should hacking be allowed because of a new motive?  A murderer is still a murderer, whether or not the person had good intentions.  
   Hackers could easily decide to start hacking for revenge against a company, and claim that what they were doing was hacktivism.  It's too easy to go unpunished if we consider hacktivism legal.

Electromagnetic Railgun

   The U. S. Navy has recently tested an electromagnetic railgun prototype.  It shoots 5-inch projectiles up to one hundred miles, and requires no explosives to fire, so it is quiet.  The question is whether or not it's a good thing.
   I believe that guns are dangerous in general, and that certainly carries over to this new weapon.  I also believe that guns are tools, and that tools aren't bad or good.  It all depends on how you use a weapon.  A knife, for example, can be used to cut vegetables, or murder someone.  It all depends on who has the weapon.
   The railgun is definitely scary.  It has the capabilities to shoot from the top of Delaware to the bottom with accuracy.  It isn't exactly a pleasant thought to know someone one hundred miles away from you could kill you if they wished.  That is why the guns and where they go must be carefully monitored.  With the correct precautions this weapon has an impressive potential to help people.
  

Quote

   I think that the French president's quote is definitely something that everyone should consider.  I believe that it refers to importance of journalism, and the risks that journalists take.  It is an important topic.
   Journalists go into the field knowing that someday they may go to another country, or just be ordered to do an article or report in a dangerous situation.  They take high risks all because they need to reveal the truth to people.
   The reporting of the truth is very important.  Without the truth being reported the public wouldn't know about anything going on in our world.  Everyone would be left in the dark, and we'd have to depend on our government to be truthful to us, which doesn't always happen.
   Journalists are heros for risking their lives just to inform us.  We should remember the people who went and found out the information whenever we read an article.  They deserve it.

Public Schools

   According to Santorum we should get rid of public schools and everyone should be taught at home.  He says that schools are basically factories, and that they shouldn't be run by the government.  Personally, I think that's rather stupid.
   If you consider all the drawbacks of an arrangement such as this, you'll note how horrible it would be.  When you are home schooled you're taught by your parents, but what if your parents aren't well educated you won't be either.
   Another thing Santorum said about home schooling was that the children would grow up with the same beliefs that their parents had.  Imagine if this was applied to Civil War times.  If we did this then no one would ever adapt to the fact that all people are created equal no matter what color their skin.
   I can't imagine it would be very interesting if all children ended up as carbon copies of their parents in their beliefs.  It's a foolish idea, and I can't imagine it working well.
    

John Belsuhi

   John Belushi was a man of pleasure.  He was rumored to partake in drugs, binge eating, partying, and alcohol quite a lot.  Belushi was reported to use heroine, take pills, and he was frequently drunk.
   He was found dead at Chateu Marmont after Catherine Smith injected him with a speedball (a mixture of heroin and cocaine).  Bill Wallace found the body, and attempted to revive him.  Unfortunately, it didn't work, so they called a coroner.
   They found out later that he had asked Catherine to inject him with a speedball, and when she admitted that she injected it she was arrested because she had administrated the speedball to Belushi.
   Smith was originally arrested for first degree murder, before being convicted of involuntary manslaughter instead.
   Belushi was buried in Massachusetts, and his tombstone reads "I may be a=gone but rock and roll lives on."  If only he had been a little more cautious with his life, Catherine may have never have given a speedball shot to him.

Hoax News

   The issue with rumors is that they spread so fast, especially now that we have computers.  Whitney Houston died recently and a rumor went around that Keanu Reeves had also died.  He didn't die.  He is actually very much alive.
   We need to figure out a method to stop hoax news before it ends up hurting someone.  What if a rumor spreads about something serious like a bombing?  People would go into a panic.  Things need to change.
   My plan to stop the spreading of hoax news is to appoint people to monitor computers for hoax news that isn't identified as such.  If these monitors do this and delete them, or  clearly state that it is fake the spreading of it will decrease dramatically.  Unfortunately, it would be difficult to catch every rumor.  The plan still needs to be revised and edited.
   I'm sure none of us appreciate hearing lies, so we should all check out information for ourselves before spreading it.  That would definitely cut back on the speed faux news spreads.


 

Phantom Photos

   I think it's rather disturbing that the pictures that you delete off Facebook are still in the Facebook computers.  I don't even use Facebook, and I think it's a violation of privacy.  If you delete a photo it sends a clear message that you don't want anyone to see it.
   If I had a Facebook I'd probably end up not putting up pictures ever again.  If you can't truly delete something you need to carefully consider the pros and cons of putting them up.  For people who can drink alcohol, they can could get intoxicated and post an embarrassing photo that could never truly be removed.
   Facebook has never really appealed to me.  I like having a large amount of privacy.  Facebook doesn't allow that, and now that I know about the phantom photos I'm even more turned off by the whole site.  I'll be avoiding Facebook for as long as I can.

The First Amendment

   The First Amendment says that we all have a right to free speech.  Unfortunately, our right for free speech is limited.  Students may get the brunt of the limit, but adults suffer from it as well.
   For students, as soon as you enter the school you give up certain rights.  We give up some of our free speech, because we agree not to disrupt the class.  We may not speak against any teachers, even if they are wrong.  Instead we are forced to ask our parents to complain, and even then you may be ignored.
   For adults they give up a smaller amount of free speech when they enter their workplace.  The adults can say whatever they want, but if they do they're in danger of getting fired.  You need money, so you need a job to get income.  An adult gives up some of their freedom of speech when they decide their job is worth more.
   I think the only real difference between the way students lose their freedoms and how adults lose their freedoms is that the children lose more of it, and it isn't the students' choice.

Sport Apps

   Sport apps are going to revolutionize the way we watch sport games.  They give you more background information, and it give you a new insight into the games.  You can now see the stats changing throughout the game, and while Superbowl commercials may be special now if we can see them on an app whenever we want will they still be.
   The question is whether or not this is good or bad.  On one hand, we get to see games in a new way, and now we can know what the players are thinking while they're in the middle of a game.  On the other hand, I can see these apps causing issues.  What if we become so absorbed with the apps that we start to ignore the actual game?  The Superbowl would be forgotten, leaving only the apps behind, and you might not even notice.
   I suppose this could end up going either way.  It's how we end up using it that will determine the bad and the good just like with all technology.  

Allergies

   A large portion of Americans have allergies of some sort.  Allergies are when your immune system becomes overly sensitive to a substance and causes an unpleasant reaction.  You usually become allergic to something during infancy or early childhood.
   A child from any family can get allergies, but you're more likely to have them if your family has a history of allergies.  Allergies can appear as skin rashes, asthma, food allergies, and what we call "hay fever."  Congestion can also be caused by allergies.
   If congestion is bad enough a person may a child may have to breathe through their mouth.  Untreated, it can affect the development of your facial structure.  It can also affect the way your teeth grow.
   Allergies are something that plagues children everywhere.  It causes uncomfortable reactions, and children miss school because of the symptoms.  To deal with allergies you can get allergy shots, or just take allergy medicine.  Just use whatever works for you.

The Moon Colony

  One of the candidates running for president, Gingrich, has promised us that he will get a moon base up and working.  It is supposed to end up being our 51st state.  He's going to offer "prizes" so that people will decide to volunteer to go to the moon.  I'm not quite sure how I feel about this.
   On one hand, a moon colony does sound like a cool idea.  We could use it as a space port, and it might improve our economy, as I'm sure other countries would like to visit the moon colony as tourists.  It could end up being the ultimate vacation spot.
   On the other hand,  presidential candidates always promise thing, but many of them never deliver.  If the moon colony is the only reason we elect him into office we'll have problems.  Not to mention the negative effects living on the moon could cause us.  We could easily end up adjusted to the moon, and, if we were there long enough, we wouldn't be able to return to Earth.
   There are pros and cons to this idea, and without more information I won't be able to really decide whether or not this will work well.  I guess I'll have to wait and see.

What's Forbidden in Journalism?

   In Journalism there is one thing that you cannot do as a journalist.  You do not write about your views on a religion.  It can and will offend people, no matter how you put it.  It's the kind of thing you can't do without putting your job in danger.
   Most people avoid talking about religion with people who don't share their religion.  It causes conflict, just like writing about it does.  No one likes being told their wrong in their beliefs, and that's usually what happens when you address religion in the news.
   If you displease the readers you displease your boss.  You could ruin the newspaper's reputation, and don't expect to not be fired if it's your fault.  The customer is always right, and all that jazz does apply to almost every business.  To make money you have to please the reader, and to do that you don't write about religion.  Ever.  
    

Pros and Cons of Reading

   Many people hate or love reading.  It's something that you can't help but consider because of the fact that you read something everyday, whether it's a book or just a traffic sign.  Reading is everywhere.  There are many pros and cons of reading.
   The pros of reading includes that it builds up vocabulary, can be used as an escape, and it's a way to acquire knowledge.  Vocabulary is something that you use everyday, and having a good vocabulary can improve the first impression that people have about you.  Reading lets you leave the real world and everything that stresses you.  It's relaxing.  Acquiring knowledge is always important, because if we didn't our brain would all still be as developed as caveman's.  Reading also improves your concentration.
   There are also cons.  Reading can take up a lot of time, and cause you to neglect other things that are just, if not more, important.  It can cause you to replace what you think with the author's views.  Reading may make you antisocial, and unable to create long lasting relationships, as you'll be to busy reading.

Invasion of Privacy

   All journalists need to carefully consider whether they're invading someone's personal privacy.  No one enjoys people invading their privacy.  How would you feel about it?
   If you're going to do something that amy invade someone's privacy you get them to give permission, and sign a waiver.  That way you could be sure that you wouldn't be offending anyone, and if you did, you could simply say that they gave you permission.
   For example, if you use a photo of someone who never gave you permission to do so that is an invasion of privacy.   It's just wrong.  Everyone will know their face, and I bet they don't want their face to be known.
   Another example is writing about a person who doesn't want people to know about their personal life.  Their personal life is just that, personal.  Why should you share something that they aren't comfortable about sharing?  It is against my morals, and it should be against yours.

What We Need in a President

   I believe what we need in a president is someone who isn't just looking for power over people, but honestly wants to help the country.  We need someone who will step down from office if he/she is incompetent.  A president who has strong morals, and is a good leader should be our leader.  Someone with those traits would try their hardest to never hurt the country.
   The president needs to be strong, not weak-willed.  A president represents our country.  Do we want to be thought of as weak?  He/she needs to be honest as well.  If you hide things from the public then how are we to know whether you're a good president.  In fact, people distrust a leader who hides things from them.
   One of the most important things we need in a president (and all leaders) is for them to keep their personal lives and their work lives separate.  I don't need to hear gossip about the leader of my country.  It's his business what he does with his life, not mine.
   I'm not really sure if we'll ever find a president that amazing, although some have come very close.  I guess I can only hope that some day a man (or woman) that has these traits will be elected into office.
      

Good vs. Evil

   Since the dawn of time good and evil have supposedly worked against each other.  I don't believe, however, that a human can be completely good or evil.  Most people in fact are in the gray area.  Everyone does things that are considered evil, but that doesn't mean that they're bad people.
   You also have to think from the point of view of the person committing the good deed or the bad deed.  If someone murders your parents, is it evil to kill them?  What about if they kill everyone you care about?  Putting them in jail isn't going to bring the loved ones back, but neither is killing to one responsible.  Questions like these are what causes me to believe that no one is completely bad or good.
   If you got rid of evil there wouldn't really be good anymore.  It's the same thing if you switch it around.  If there was none of evil then everyone would be perfectly behaved.  Not only would that be kind of boring; it would also undermine the value of being a good person.  If there was no good evil would be normal, and chaos would reign supreme.  I think we need both to live in balance.