Journalists in Trouble

I know that we are out of class, but I thought this article depicts the dangers journalists face well. Indeed, a new study showed that 262 journalists are currently behind bars, with 87% of those journalists covering politics.

Some food for thought....

Here is a article showing a different perspective than the coverage of this now viral video of a man saving a wild rabbit from the California Wildfires. 

Mr. Lauer, whose annual salary was 25 million dollars and has been part of NBC News 20 years, is now fired after 35 hours of investigation. He claimed that some of the allegations are "untrue or mischaracterized" but "there is enough truth in these stories to make [him] feel embarrassed and ashamed."

Vide and Article- http://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/matt-lauer-responds-allegations-inappropriate-sexual-behavior-nbc/story?id=51482044

Southern California Fires

Fires are spreading all over  Sourther California being a threat to Hollywood and other prominent areas in LA

California Statewide Map
 http://www.fire.ca.gov/current_incidents/incidentdetails/Index/1928

The End

Tips for Activists

A slightly out-of-date (see the references to faxes) checklist for action

Finishing the list

• Never assume that reporters will have the same understanding of "off the record" or "background" as you do.  Unless you have years of experience, just take it for granted that every single thing you say to the reporter (including "casual" conversation) is on the record.
• Wherever possible, do favors for reporters.
• When doing opposition research, make sure that there is primary-source documentation for everything.  Double-check and triple-check.
• Do self-research and vulnerability studies.
• Proofread all written material that you put online or send to the press.  Errors will count against you.
• Never post anything (text, video, photo) that you would hesitate to defend in the future.
• Never post anything while drinking.
• It is okay to spin, but never lie.

LA Weekly's Attempt to Adapt to a Changing Media Landscape

This article discusses LA Weekly's difficulty adapting to having less resources,  fewer employees, and new ownership. In particular, there is a lot of backlash against the way in which the new ownership is running the newspaper, even highlighting the new ownership group's involvement with the Claremont Institute!

News You Can Use

Courtesy of POTUS, some stylistic suggestions:

The apostrophe, capitalization, and parallelism structure:

Democrats refusal to give even one vote for massive Tax Cuts is why we need Republican Roy Moore to win in Alabama. We need his vote on stopping crime, illegal immigration, Border Wall, Military, Pro Life, V.A., Judges 2nd Amendment and more. No to Jones, a Pelosi/Schumer Puppet!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 4, 2017

Spelling:

How low has President Obama gone to tapp my phones during the very sacred election process. This is Nixon/Watergate. Bad (or sick) guy!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 4, 2017

Consuming Media:  Breaking News

The Future of Journalism

• Polarization
• A digital media crash?

A supercut of bad interviews

Advice

• Think before you tweet.
• If there is a microphone nearby, assume that it is on. -- especially when you are talking to world leaders.  In fact, there might be a microphone nearby even if you do not know it.
• Remember that you are in an exchange relationship:  you want something from the reporter, and the reporter wants something from you.
• Mind the clock. Return phone calls and emails promptly.  Be on time.
• Mind the calendar.  Know when other stories are most likely to eclipse yours.  Know when there is a vacuum that our story can fill.
• Whenever possible, learn something about the reporter and news organization before the interview.
• For important interviews and press conferences, rehearse with people who are willing to pose tough questions.
• Decide what you want to say.  Write down two or three key points that you want to get across. Pivot to them whenever you can.  "But the real issue is...
• Prepare sound bites (not bytes) ahead of time.
• Know your stuff.
• On TV, use gestures that complement your ideas.
• For phone interviews (either for radio or TV), it is not cheating to use crib sheets.
• Never get angry, except on purpose.
• Listen carefully to the question, but never repeat the interviewer’s words unless they reinforce your message.
• Make your language as simple as possible.  Avoid jargon.
• If you don’t know the answer, just say so. If possible and useful, tell the reporter that you will provide the information shortly.
• Deflect if you must, but never say the words "no comment."
• Never assume that reporters will have the same understanding of "off the record" or "background" as you do.  Unless you have years of experience, just take it for granted that every single thing you say to the reporter (including "casual" conversation) is on the record.
• Wherever possible, do favors for reporters.
• When doing opposition research, make sure that there is primary-source documentation for everything.  Double-check and triple-check.
• Do self-research and vulnerability studies.
• Proofread all written material that you put online or send to the press.  Errors will count against you.
• Never post anything (text, video, photo) that you would hesitate to defend in the future.
• Never post anything while drinking.
• It is okay to spin, but never lie.

International Coverage of Travel Ban Decision

Yesterday, the U.S. Supreme Court allowed implementation of Trump's travel ban. American news sources like The Washington Post and POLITICO included discussion of previous rulings, specific justices, and other political implications of the decision.

RT's coverage had a negative tone, quoting the ACLU's critical tweets and the Solicitor General's accusation that some foreign governments do not properly screen individuals entering the U.S.

The first thing you see in Al Jazeera's coverage is an image of a protester holding a sign that says "no ban no wall #heretostay." The article also declines to mention that some individuals from North Korea and Venezuela were recently included in the ban until the very end of the article.