Sloppy Journalism

Thursday, February 28, 2008

I’m tired of sloppy journalism. Flat out sick of it. What is sloppy journalism you ask? Being an irresponsible journalist: not researching, being bias, not providing information for some reason, coming to a conclusion to quickly, etc.

I am disappointed to say that Winthrop’s student publication, The Johnsonian, fueled my fire against this. An opinion column was written about the Bible Study, Lady in Waiting, led by a former Winthrop student held near campus. The writer discovered the group on Facebook.

Now, the statements the writer made in the column were completely opposite of what the Bible Study stands for. In fact, everything the writer criticized about the study was exactly what the study isn't.

I know it’s an opinion column, but I also know, and have learned through my classes at Winthrop, that the most important job of a journalist is to research and interview so that he or she can correctly inform the audience of the facts. And this opinion column did not do that. A wise mentor told me that opinion columnists can interpret the facts differently, but the factual information is the basis of all journalism. And that clearly wasn’t done.

Quite a few people wrote letters to the editor in response and a few were printed. The writer responded by sticking behind what she wrote. The writer claimed she had done her research because she looked up the leader, the Bible study and the group on Facebook. Are you kidding me?

Since when does Facebook qualify as an accountable source of information? I've been taught here at Winthrop, that all articles, stories and columns need at least one "real" source. A real source is someone you don't know beforehand, not just interviewing a friend, and is not from the internet, but it's a living, breathing person.

I’m not in any way saying this writer is not capable of writing wonderful, factual stories. I’m sure she is. I know she is from past articles. I just know this particular opinion column is an example of what irks me.

I hope this one example does not and will not represent our generation of writers. Being in the mass communication department, I hope that our generation will not get too accustomed to Facebook and online sources so much that we don’t get out there and do the interviews. Having all the readily available sources online are helpful, but also could be a hindrance.

Tite Terrific Tune Tuesday

Tuesday, February 26, 2008

Go.

Song: Won’t Back Down
Artist: Mat Kearney
Album: Nothing Left to Lose

This is a complex song that has a simple meaning; a meaning that we should be reminded of everyday.

I think this song talks about someone who is struggling in life. Maybe even considering suicide:

The longest fight I've seen
Here goes a chance I know
Cashing in on all my chips
Let all my ships come fly
These days, a little bit longer than the last…

But for someone reason, this person was given another chance to live:

And all of your ways, a little bit stronger than the past
And your light, found my bottle in the night
Kept me in this fight and gave me second life…

And because of this new view and excitement of life, is recharged and ready to stand strong, find their purpose, and make a difference:

And I won't back down
I won't turn around and around
And I won't back down
Doesn't matter what comes crashing down
I'm still gonna stand on solid ground.

Kearney ends the song with Hallelujah, praising God, for this new outlook.

I love Mat Kearney’s songs because he so artfully tells of God’s huge and majestic powers. I’m sure I’ll touch on some more of his songs.

End.

Terrific Tune Tuesday

Tuesday, February 19, 2008

I think I’ll add a new T-word each Tuesday…we’ll see how long that lasts. Comment with any t-words, I’m sure I’ll run out soon.

Go.

Song: Life is Wonderful
Artist: Jason Mraz
Album: Mr. A-Z

This is probably one of my favorite albums, if not #1. And Jason Mraz has been a favorite of mine for quite a few years. Mraz’s brilliant writing skills, wit, humor, and obvious musical abilities are incredible and show wonderfully on this CD.

“Life is Wonderful” is the first track on the CD and Mraz uses his elegant voice to express common thought-provoking questions, like which came first the chicken or the egg…

It takes an egg to make a hen
It takes a hen to make an egg
There is no end to what I'm saying

But then lead into new questions that get the listener to think outside of the box…

And it takes no time to fall in love
But it takes you years to know what love is
It takes some fears to make you trust
It takes those tears to make it rust
It takes the dust to have it polished

I had to listen over and over to those last three lines, but the meaning is inspiring.

In this song, Mraz moves smoothly across musical styles to represent just what the lyrics state—life can be a string of turns and twists and highs and lows; but in the end, life is wonderful.

Mraz uses the technique of different musical styles throughout the whole CD with a touch of opera, love ballads, insane piano solos, 70’s vibe, bluesy, Latin, and even a classic sound like the Beatles. All of these styles and “Life is Wonderful” convey a common theme, that life is complex, full of emotions, joy, and pain, but in the end is wonderful.

End.

Tune Tuesday #1

Tuesday, February 12, 2008

Welcome to the first Tune Tuesday. You like the alliteration right? I just love it.

So, basically, I love music, all types, all forms, so I’m just going to highlight one of my favorite songs every Tuesday. It’s intended to encourage you to check the band out, look at the lyrics a little closer, or just listen to the song because it’s good (I know it’s good because I like it and all things I like are good, if not great). :)

I hope you enjoy and please leave any comments on the songs; I’d love to hear what you think!

Go

Song: Nothing in My Way
Band: Keane
Album: Under the Iron Sea

The British band Keane is one of my favorites, ever. I adore how they have no guitar and use the classical piano to create such modern music. They had a few big hits last year with “Somewhere Only We Know” and “Sunshine” and I fell in love with them.

“Nothing in My Way” has a kicking beat created with the hammering on the piano that will encourage you to work out in the gym like you never thought possible. The optimistic sound will prompt and encourage you to actually say and believe:

"It's just another day, nothing in my way."

I think the song is actually about two people who were together, but weren’t happy and wouldn’t acknowledge that they weren’t happy. So don’t be in denial and let things fall apart, there’s nothing in your way…get going.

(For complete lyrics, see a video, or listen to the song, just click the name of the song at the top).

End

My future book!

Friday, February 8, 2008

One of my favorite speakers, Clayton King, has a book called Journals of a Madman. It’s a collection of stories he wrote about the most insane, crazy, God-driven moments that have happened to him. Some of them you will not believe unless you see the pictures that go along with them.

Anything from hearing a song he wrote for a wrestler on John Boy and Billy’s national radio broadcast to running from the KPG in Moscow to becoming a king of a country for a day. I mean, these stories are just crazy, even more so because they all happened to one man.

I have decided I want to write a similar book. Except mine won’t be as eccentric, but still filled with some silly, small stories and moments I’ve had thus far. I hope that as I start this new decade of my life (I turned 20 yesterday), that God continues to bring more of these moments because I absolutely love them.

So here are a few brief moments that I will feature in my book. No title ideas yet.
• Yesterday I was serenaded for my birthday at a restaurant. Nothing special right? Well this unique birthday song just happened to be in complete Italian and opera style. It was so pretty and unexpected that I even blushed.

• While in Amsterdam, Netherlands on a very crowded tram last summer, I met a girl that is best friends now (at Clemson University) with some of my closest high school friends. She was studying abroad for a month, I was passing through, she was wearing a Clemson shirt, and I said hello. Small world.

• Witnessing a deathly car accident in which probably changed my spiritual life forever.

• When I tried to persuade our youth minister on a ski trip that one of our “adult chaperones” actually jumped off a snowy hill into a snowy mound but actually landed on some wooden thing and crushed her heel in the process. He didn’t believe me and thought I was enticing them for a snowball fight. It took a good ten minutes to get someone out there and meanwhile the “adult” was in a bit of pain.

• I own a one inch square piece of property in North Pole, Alaska at Santa’s workshop. No joke, I’ve got the paperwork to prove it.

• When I was at an Atlanta Braves’ baseball game, during batting practice I stood in the home-run section in hopes of getting a ball hit to me. Well, I did. One came at me, bounced a few feet before the fence and I guess I judged it all wrong. It bounced up and hit me directly in the chin giving me a good scuff mark and NO BALL because the guy next to me took it!! What a souvenir. But I have gotten several, like when former 3rd base coach Ned Yost asked me if I could catch and threw me one and when former pitcher Jason Marquis threw one at me and when the big guy next to me took it, Marquis pointed at me and made the guy give it to me. Thank goodness I was a cute little girl with her face painted completely red and blue.

So those are just a few of the ridiculous, wonderful stories. I might share some more throughout the blog. :)

Clayton’s stories are so comical, but most of them (except for the moment he was mistaken for Garth Brooks) have some relation with the workings of God. Mine do not…yet. Maybe I just haven’t figured out the meaning yet.

You’ve got to read Clayton’s book, it’s just so amazing and encouraging to see how God can move in crazy ways. I hope it continues in my life!

Let me know if you have any title suggestions.

Worry Free

Tuesday, February 5, 2008

I’m a worry-wart. I always have been, but this past year or so, I’ve really gotten better with it. I always ask myself in a stressful situation, “Is worrying going to help anything?” Usually the answer is no…and I just try to keep my mind off it.

Well I’ve been without a roommate so far this semester, until yesterday. I literally woke up to my RA knocking on the door telling me I was getting a roommate…today, like within the next few hours. Luckily, Gabi was with me to help move some stuff around so that she would have some space.

As I look back on it, I only had about 2 hours to wonder what this girl was like, why she was moving in on a Monday, and if we would be able to get along. Now, if I had been told a few days before, I know it would have been a nightmare. I would have worried myself sick trying to figure out what this girl was like, even though I have absolutely no control over it.

So, God was telling me again, even though He has showed me several times but I’m just too hard-headed to figure it out, that worrying solves nothing.

Look out for a little series I'll call Tune Tuesday coming next week. haha.