Author Archives: comm5775

Students Attend Forum on Political Reporting

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Story by Katie Andrus

Students Attend Forum on Political Reporting
With the creation of blogs, opinion pieces and online newspapers, Americans have constant access to the news.
On Friday Susan Tolchin, John Daley, and Matt Canham led a political forum titled “Political Reporting and the Fourth Estate: Who Watches Government?” at the Hinkley caucus Room.
An important topic covered by the panel was the use of social media by citizens to comment and report on political news and how this is affecting the world of journalism
When asked by a student about citizen involvement in journalism by using blogs and other social media Tolchin stated, that the changing of media can be dangerous as  “no one is checking facts” because as she puts it “anyone with a camera is a photojournalist.”
Contrary to Tolchin’s view Jon Daley thinks that citizen participation can be a good thing. He said, “ How quickly we can make connections (with the readers) is really fabulous.” He said he believes that technology only adds to the stories, and can provide the American citizens with live action news.
To conclude the discussion Canham stated that because of the growing involvement of citizens in news reporting that ‘‘readers need to be more media savvy … (and) it is always important to read the other side.”
“I never realized just how much new outlets of media are effecting journalism,” said Max Lennardt, a student who attended the discussion.
Katie Christensen, a student who really liked the forum added, “ They did a really good job of giving insight about how it is important as a journalist to report the right information to the readers.

Evaluating Ethics

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Story by Lyndsay Frehner

 
Morals help to guide lives and ethical decisions.   In a recent lecture for the Introduction to Newswriting class, Jim Fisher, a professor in the Department of Communication, informed students on ethics and journalism.
“Ethics is a process of making decisions,” said Fisher.  When people get together to make decisions, the process is a continual circle of deciding which morals and ethics will get the best results.  Once that choice is made, the next step is to evaluate where to go with that decision.
Ethics help to govern the decisions that are made.  Student Kylee Mecham said, “I like the way he could show both sides of the story.  He makes you evaluate the whole situation by going full circle.”
As a part of the lecture, Fisher illustrated an anecdote about ethical journalism.  Journalism is full of interesting choices for reporting the news.  Fisher also stated, “If you aren’t accountable, then you aren’t doing journalism.”
To report the news, one must seek out the relevant information and account for it.  There will be a decision to post a fact or not depending upon the importance of the fact.  Pertaining to releasing the relevant facts, Fisher told students, “Everyone is willing to let things go until there is a victim involved.”
As the lecture drew to a close, student Megan Hulet said, “I liked the way he wasn’t afraid to lay out the way it is.”  Every situation that needs resolution depends on the ethics and morals that govern behavior; especially in journalism. (251)

Do Ethics Exist in Journalism?

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Story by Mitch Waite

“I have a feeling that by the end of my talk, you’ll decide that no one is ethical,” said Jim Fisher, a professor in the Department of Communication.

Fisher gave a lecture to a class on Monday about moral and ethics in journalism and guidelines to follow when writing a story.

Fisher also stated “ethics is a process of making decisions.”  Sean Gustafson, a student who was present during the lecture, said, “It got me to think about what ethics really is. I’ve taken some philosophy classes so it was a good reminder of what really is ethics and morality.”  Aside from ethics, Fisher explained the purpose of a journalist.

Fisher further said, “journalism says that this is where I got the information, now you decide.”  He further stated that purpose of a journalist is to comfort the afflicted and to afflict the comfortable.  Also, Fisher emphasized the importance of the full story and getting the accurate truth.

Fisher explained that, “Nine times out of ten, weak-ass journalism is the result of presenting only two sides of a story.”  He stressed the importance of seeking the truth and properly gathering and reporting the right information.

Students who heard the lecture, such as Megan Hulet, felt that the overall goal of the lecture was to teach proper ethical journalism.  Fisher gave a guideline sheet to each student for their future story writing.

Jim Fisher’s view of Morals and Ethics

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Story by Kaitlyn Christensen
“Ethics is the process of making a decision and morals is what we have been told is right by our church and mothers,” said Jim Fisher, Associate Professor Lecturer in communication.
Oct. 03, 2011, Jim Fisher lectured a class of journalism students at the University of Utah about morals and ethics.
“Most of us are ethical people,” said Fisher, but would any one push that aside to get ahead and print the story of a journalist’s career?
Fisher wanted the students’ input in different scenarios and to see if it was right or wrong to send an article to the press that could potentially ruin the reputation of the people behind it.
These scenarios had students questioning what they would do in this situation.
Callie Mendenhall, a journalism student at the university, said, “His lecture was great; his talk about ethics made me question between what was right and what was wrong.”
Is it write to say something that could potentially hurt someone in the end?
“Community standards, if you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say it at all.” Fisher said about towards when considering one’s morals in a story.  The lecture opened another door for students when it comes to journalism.
Katie Andrus, a journalism student from the University of Utah said, “The lecture gave such great insight on what the difference was between ethics and morals.”

Americans Learn More About Government Tax Increase

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Story by: Laurie Carlson

“People who claim to be the most patriotic tend to hate the country or government at least, because of taxes,” said Floyd Norris, chief financial correspondent of the New York Times.

 
Rachel Thomas, a student journalist at the University of Utah, commented on what Norris said.

 
“The people who hate the government the most are the people who are putting time and loyalty into the government. Any time the government lets those loyal people down, they are obviously going to be the people who are the most hurt,” she said.

 
Another student journalist at the University of Utah, Marquis Newman also had something to say about Norris’s remarks.

 
“I think no matter who is in power, people hate the government and that’s because the government is so slow and problems take months or years to get fixed. People definitely can be patriotic but criticize the government at the same time. Maybe if the government leaders were more sympathetic to the voters over their power, then we would be happier citizens over being patriotic. I think then our government would be a lot better.

 
Norris went on to say the American people might respond better if they have joint sacrifice. Americans need to have a love for this country and a want for helping America which will have to come through a great sacrifice.

 
“Everyone will need to sacrifice, being proud to pay taxes, it proves I am successful and I wouldn’t mind paying more to help us get out of this mess,” Norris said.

 
“People definitely can be patriotic but criticize the government at the same time,” said Marquis Newman.

 
“American people also need to have an attitude of pride and ideology. Being a U.S. citizen you should be proud to be in the U.S. We have a great country and a democracy, which makes our country great. Plus we have politics that are of the people and for the people. The political side is slow moving but we should be proud to be Americans who have a free country,” said Norris.

 
The same ideology that created the Great Depression is upsetting efforts to pull out of the current recession. “Why should college students be concerned about the economy?” Question asked by a University of Utah student journalist, Sean Gustafson, to Floyd Norris commenting on the recession.

 
Floyd Norris commented back by saying, “The obvious answer which all the seniors would know is that some point you are going to be out in the real world looking for jobs.”

 
This process would be a whole lot easier if people were hiring.

 
“I think people sometimes assume that we are a well operated economy and if we assume that won’t always help us.” Some people don’t have to worry about the economy if they have somehow found a job that could be their career now, and the vast majority of Americans are working now.

 
The United States never fought a war without raising taxes to pay for it. It seems as if this can be done for free. If the government keeps raising taxes more people are going to have to somehow try to find jobs in this recession. That problem can bring more people to hate the government. As Floyd Norris mentioned earlier, “You should be proud to pay taxes because it proves you are a successful American.”

 
On Oct. 26,2011 this event took place at the University of Utah, Marriott library.

The Politics of Journalism

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Story by Kaitlyn Christensen
When a new issue in the world arises, many use the media as a resource to understand what is going on. The media are how information gets circulated to people around the world.
On Oct. 28, a panel discussion was held at the Hinckley Institute of Politics at the campus of the University of Utah about political reporting. This event was open to the public and gave the audience the opportunity to get insight from a panel with experience in government and journalism.
The three panelists included John Daley, a reporter for KSL; Susan Tolchin, a professor at George Mason University; and Matt Canham, a reporter for the Salt Lake Tribune. Each of the panelists was able to give his or her knowledge and input as to how the media is a valuable resource to its consumers.
“The media is the watch dog of the world,” Tolchin gave her thought as to why the media is needed. It is the media’s job to get any vital any information to the consumers.
“Citizen involvement is a plus, because we do it for the readers,” explained Daley as to why the consumers are the most valuable part of media.
“Readers have ways to point out mistakes, as a consumer it is their responsibility to point out errors because it becomes incorrect facts,” Canham explained how that he loves the feedback from his audience about his work.
“Who watches the media?” Tulchin questioned the credibility of the media, “Nobody is checking the facts. Anyone can write an opinion.”
When consumers of the media point out any mistakes made, it helps from continually putting out false information to the public.
The seminar gave great insight as to how helpful the media are and how they help the country. Those who attended the seminar found all information given very useful and interesting.
“As a political science student, this event was a great incite as to how the media helps the government. Sometimes the media can fall short and give information that may not seem as important, but I become more aware of our governments issues because of our media and their ability to report,” said Whitney Smith, a political science major at the University of Utah.
Katie Andrus, a journalism student at the University of Utah, gave her insight as to what she thought about the seminar.
“I like how they came from different backgrounds and had different perspectives on how journalism and the government work with each other to relay the information to US citizens,” she said.
Without the media, getting vital information circulated to the public would be completely impossible. The world of journalism has evolved so much over time. One can find information in more sources than just the newspaper.
”News journalism is very exciting; I hope media corrects our government,” said Daley about the evolution of the media and journalism in the world.
The media will continually remain to be a vital resource as the world progresses.

The Natural History Museum of Utah opens new state-of-the-art museum

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Story by Chris Washington

After several years of construction and planning, the Natural History Museum of Utah’s (NHMU) new facility is finally open to the public.

Construction on the Rio Tinto Center, as it’s called, dates back to around 2005 and didn’t officially open until Saturday.

Many of the people involved have high hopes for the new museum.

“I think we put together a great museum in a great location,” said Patti Carpenter, director of public relations for the museum. To celebrate its grand opening, admission was free for the entire first day.

NHMU, which is located at the University of Utah, is a major research institution that focuses primarily on both the natural and cultural history of the Great Basin Region.

A unique aspect of the museum is its ability to display multiple forms of information in one given area.

“One of our goals was for families to be able to experience the museum together and so in each area you’ll find something to look at, something to listen to, something to smell we have smells, and something to do,” said Randy Irmis, the curator of paleontology for the museum.

The new Rio Tinto Center is 163,000 square feet, with a staggering 51,000 feet as public gallery space. Todd Schliemann, the design architect for the building said that his goal was to “symbolize the beauty and magnitude of the state’s unique landscapes.”

Not only is the new facility state of the art, it is also highly energy-efficient with radiant cooling and heating systems, as well as water-efficient landscaping and plans for a solar-paneled roof that could power more than 25 percent of the museum. The facility also used recycled materials for more than 25 percent of the structural and architectural resources. If that wasn’t enough, over 75 percent of the museum’s construction waste was recycled.

Trust in the Media is at an all time low

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By: Callie Mendenhall

Americans are relying less on the media for their news because many feel that the information reported to them is either inaccurate or biased and one sided.

According to a survey of 1,501 people done by the Princeton Survey Research Associates International, media accuracy is at an all time low in the eyes of Americans.  Whether the media are trying to be biased or not, the viewers are getting their voices heard. In the recent survey polltakers say that in 2011, 77 percent of Americans feel that the media is one sided compared to only 53 percent in 1985.

The survey shows that there is a difference in the views of Americans according to their political views, but in any political party it still shows the same trend that people are becoming more and more intolerant of the media. Between Independents, Republicans and Democrats, 30 percent of them believe that stories are often inaccurate.

According to Rene Woody, a mass communication major at the University of Utah, “the news is definitely biased even if they don’t mean to be.”
Media may be hitting a low when it comes to accuracy, but there is still hope to bounce back. Madison Allred, a business finance major at the University of Utah, said, “I don’t notice it [the media] being biased and I think it’s pretty accurate.”

According to another University of Utah student, Lucas Falk, the media is “in general mostly accurate.”

There are two sides to every story and the consensus of America is that they would like to hear both and accurately.

New Interactive Museum Opens to the Public

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Story by Kylee Mecham

SALT LAKE CITY – The new Rio Tinto Center, at the Natural History Museum of Utah (NHMU), opened its doors to the public on Nov. 18, after six years of construction.  It features 10 new galleries of exhibitions, which are oriented to all ages.
According to Randy Irmis, curator of paleontology for the museum, “One of our goals was for families to be able to experience the museum together and so in each area you’ll find something to look at, something to listen to, something to smell, and something to do.”
The new building, which is located in the foothills of the Wasatch Mountain Range, features Utah’s history, artifacts and objects from every county in the state.  With the use of new interactive programs, each of the new galleries takes advantage of the surrounding environment.
“This is a place where we can inspire that curiosity early on and get kids trying their hand at observation, at study (and) at really trying to figure out things on their own,” said Becky Menlove, exhibit director for the museum.
“I think we put together a great museum in a great location,” said Patti Carpenter, director of public relations for the museum.
NHMU is a research institution that focuses on the natural and cultural history of the region.  For more information on the new Rio Tinto Center and its galleries visit the museum’s website at http://www.nhum.org.

Greek City Grill

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Story by Rachel Thomas

If you’re in the mood for authentic Greek food at an affordable price, Greek City Grill is the place for you.  Bob Daskalakis opened the restaurant in 2009 and can usually be found at the restaurant energetically turning out orders.
Although the restaurant may be small, the menu is anything but lacking with traditional food from gyros, spanakopita and souvlaki, to the not so traditional pastrami topped burger and halibut and chips. However, you can confidently order anything from the menu and not be disappointed.
To get this great tasting food you may have to look twice.  The restaurant is located on the corner of a small strip mall right off the freeway. Most Greek restaurants are noticeable by their blue and white colors representing the Greek flag.  Greek City Grill has no traditional Greek markings and is in turn often missed. Don’t let its location stop you from going, because once you get there the food is well worth the confusion.
Greek City Grill may be most famous for their gyros. In 2009 they were selected “Best of the Best” Gyros by the Salt Lake Tribune. Not only is Greek City Grill getting recognition by Utah food critics, it’s also caught the attention of some prominent figures in the community.  Dereon Williams, the former Utah Jazz player, is a big fan of the restaurant and even has a gyro named after him, the D-Will special. The D-Will was customarily created by Williams himself, and if you’re in the mood for something not on the menu just ask and the cooks are usually willing to put together just about anything.
The meat at Greek City Grill is freshly carved, perfectly seasoned and unbelievably moist.  One of the best parts about the restaurant is that the kitchen is so close you can watch your meal being prepared right before your eyes. Although the meaty gyros and souvlaki are considered the stars of the restaurant, the sides deserve to be spotlighted as well.
Greek City Grill offers you a variety of sides with your large portioned entrees. The sides you can chose from are fries, lemon rice, traditional Greek salad, fresh cooked zucchini and a cup of flavorful hummus. Each side is a delicious additive to an already perfect meal, but the standout of them all has to be the lemon rice.  People often return to Greek City Grill just to get an order of this fluffy strong lemon-flavored rice.
If the food descriptions haven’t convinced you, maybe the pricing will.  A gyro itself costs less than $5.00, and the largest combo meal costs less than $9.00.  If you’re looking for big flavor and low prices go check out Greek City Grill located on 6165 Highland Dr Salt Lake City, UT 84121.

In the Age of Twitter, Audience is Becoming Journalist

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Story by Justin Bailey

As a crowd of college students began to fill the caucus room at the Hinckley Institute of Politics, RadioWest host Doug Fabrizio stood at the front of the room and quietly prepared for the broadcast, sipping bottled water, going over his notes, and adjusting his microphone to the ideal distance from his mouth. As the producer audibly counted down from ten the chatter in the room slowly died down and turned to complete silence just moments before the countdown reached one. “This is RadioWest, I’m Doug Fabrizio…”
The topic of discussion for the day was “the future of journalism,” with a prominent theme being the instantaneous and pervasive nature of “new age journalism” or the use of modern technological tools such as facebook and twitter, as well as personal blogs and how those tools affect the way in which news stories and opinions are reported and disseminated.
Four panelists joined Fabrizio in the discussion: Mathew Ingram, Senior Writer at GigaOM.com; Holly Mullen, a writer and former reporter; Matthew LaPlante, a journalism instructor at Utah State University; and Holly Richardson, a member of the Utah House of Representatives and active blogger.
LaPlante had the first word, making the point that, with the Internet becoming so widely accessible, almost anyone has the ability to play the role of reporter.
“Journalists are increasingly becoming the audience and the audience is increasingly becoming journalists,” LaPlante Stated.
Rep. Richardson elaborated on the issue of roles changing by bringing up the fact that she currently acts as both journalist and legislator, a combination that she says, “never used to be.” Richardson uses her blog “Holly on the Hill” to not only report the news, but also to state her personal opinion, placing the responsibility on her readers to decide how to utilize the information.
The idea of journalistic roles shifting and changing was a recurring concept in the discussion. With the advancements in technology that provide everyone with a voice, more and more responsibility falls to the readers to filter through the ideas and information they are provided and decide what is important and what is not. “The media is all of us now” said LaPlante, “so all of a sudden, you have more opinions…more details…more facts, and more pressure.”
With the instantaneous nature of new media tools like twitter, journalists have been forced to change the way they report the news, as LaPlante stated, journalists must “Get to the information, get it quickly.” No longer can reporters sit on a story for any amount of time before breaking it, because seconds after a newsworthy event takes place someone else has already tweeted the story, dozens of others have re-tweeted it and it’s no longer relevant. “You have a 24 hour news cycle,” stated Richardson “you have (stories) that are always evolving.” Stories are no longer finite products; they have become self-sustaining narratives that don’t necessarily have a beginning or an end.
“In this age when anyone can tweet…and anyone can publish a blog or post on a facebook page,” stated Matthew Ingram, “journalists need to filter (the information) and make sense of it and then tell people… why it’s important.”

Trust in Media Accuracy is Declining

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Story by Steven Blomquist

Trust in news media has changed over time according to a recent poll by Pew Research Center published in Sept. of 2011
In 1985, 34 percent of people believed stories published in the media were inaccurate. Today, 66 percent of people believed that stories are inaccurate.
Local news organizations tend to be the most trusted of the news media, as 69 percent of people trust their local news organizations. The survey showed that large organizations such as Yahoo and Google tend to be most common where people get their information.  These national organizations tend to only have 59 percent trust approval.
“Google and Yahoo have… so much news information that it makes it a one stop shop,” said Alex Rasmussen, at student of communication at the University of Utah.
Receiving information from national organizations such as CNN and FOX News is the second most common form. According to the survey 77 percent of the people surveyed believe that those press organizations tend to favor one side of a point of view.
Tyson Phillips, a mass communication student, said he believes, “It’s good to get information from multiple sources to receive your news.”
The percentage of people who believe that the press is influenced by powerful people is up from 53 percent in 1985 and is now 80 percent in 2011.
Bryant Jacobson, a Democrat, US Army veteran and current student at the University of Utah, said, “News organizations have their own agendas, thus making it hard to trust what they say.”
The Pew Research Poll has shown throughout their study of many different aspects trust in media has changed over the past 25 years. People tend to not trust news media as much as they once did.

New Museum Brings Science to Life

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Story by Katie Andrus

New Museum Brings Science to Life
After beginning construction in 2005 the Natural History Museum of Utah is finally open to visitors and scientists alike.
This new 51,000 square foot museum features 10 exhibitions that were designed by Ralph Appelbaum Associates along with the help of some of the museum staff members. They were able to bring together an interactive atmosphere that features cutting-edge science in which people can learn about the state of Utah and its very long history.
“You feel a little small, but maybe you also feel like you’re in a cathedral and the space is beginning to lift you up and getting you ready to learn, to receive information,” stated Todd Schliemann, the design architect for the building.
The 10 exhibits provide families with information on the weather, indigenous people, geography and biological features of the state of Utah.
“One of our goals was for families to be able to experience the museum together and so in each area you’ll find something to look at, something to listen to, something to smell we have smells, and something to do,” said Randy Irmis, a curator for the museum.
The museum also provides a place for children to have fun learning and discovering by conducting their own research. It can also be a place in which children can become inspired by science and begin to develop their own interest in what it takes to be a scientist.
Becky Menlove, an exhibit director for the museum, stated, “The opportunities for kids to explore science here are endless.”
For more information on what visitors can learn at the new museum, please visit the museum’s website at http://nhmu.utah.edu/.

New York Times’ Chief Financial Correspondent Feels the Government Needs To Step In

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Story by Makaylee Pettit
Floyd Norris, New York Times’ chief financial correspondent said that the government is following 1920s secretary of state Andrew Mellon’s philosophy. Because of this the government is backing away from the economy’s problems instead of trying to fix them.

Norris said during the Great Depression in 1929, Mellon’s advice was, “The government should keep its hands off and let things work out by themselves.”  The solution was to, “liquidate labor, liquidate stocks, liquidate the farmers and liquidate real-estate.” He thought this would make people work harder and live a more moral life.

In Mellon’s eyes it was a persons own fault if they were wiped out by the depression, explained Norris as he spoke at the University of Utah in October about what’s wrong with the economy.

University of Utah student Stephen Blomquist said he agreed with Mellon’s advice. He said, “I think that capitalism and the free market is what made America what it is today, and that the government should not get involved and just allow the market to play out.”

Presidential candidate Herman Cain has similar views. He recently said, “Don’t blame Wall Street, don’t blame the big banks, if you don’t have a job and you’re not rich blame yourself.”  Norris said, “That attitude that it is the fault of the poor that they are poor has never gone away completely, even through poverty programs and the creation of the unemployment service.”

Utah Valley University student Krista Shipp does not agree with Cain’s statement. She said, “[The government] can’t blame anyone but themselves. So I think it’s their fault.” She feels they should be responsible for cleaning up the mess.

 
Norris said that while many still have the belief that if the government can get their own spending under control it will restore confidence in the rest of the nation, the Mellon view has caused the willingness of the government to pull away from trying to deal with problems. We used to take for granted that the government should try and improve the economy.

Norris said, “There are signs that at least some governments are backing away from the Mellon philosophy, and the idea of letting things work themselves out.” But on the contrary, “We really don’t have a lot of faith in government right now. That lack of faith may have been earned.”

According to Norris only 10 percent of people in the United States that think the government can always be trusted, or at least trusted most of the time. When asked about her trust in the government, University of Utah student Laurie Carlson said, “I trust our government, not a ton I don’t think, but I do trust them.”

Norris said, “Part of the problem is the government is focusing on what they thought they learned from the Great Depression. His theory is, “Knowing what they did wrong is not the same thing as knowing what would have happened if they had tried something else.” He, like Shipp, said the government needs to find a solution, but there is a stumbling block with only 10 percent of the nation trusting them.

Evolution of Journalism in the Digital Age

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Story by Meish Roundy

“You don’t need a license to align yourself to a media source anymore,” Holly Richardson, Utah state legislator and blogger said Thursday, Oct. 27 at a broadcast for KUER’s “Radio West.” “We can convince people to leave things out (of the news) no longer.”

Mathew Ingram, writer for GigaOm.com, talked about a time when there was no public feedback unless someone wrote a letter to the editor.

“Twitter and Face book feedback have become a part of the job now,” Ingram said.

“Things are changing,” Mathew LaPlante, former journalist and high school teacher, said at the event. “The audience is become journalists and journalists are becoming the audience. The internet has turned the world into a small town.”

Despite these changes in journalism, a panel of experts including Holly Mullen, former reporter for The Deseret News, denied the collapse of the profession but rather a transformation.

The panel discussed that the Internet, specifically Twitter and Facebook, has made everyone a type of journalist. Richardson recalled how Osama Bin Laden’s capture was tweeted a half-hour before the media’s breaking news.

“But there is still a need for traditional journalism,” LaPlante said, “People are thirsting for a referee!”

Ingram agreed that with the amount of information available online Americans have become trained skeptics and will still search for articles from trusted journalist.

The panel also talked about how the news has improved. “News stories have evolved,” Ingram said, “Before they had a beginning middle and end. Now . . . a story shifts and feeds itself based on opinion or what someone else posts or saw.” LaPlante continuing with this idea said, “The media is all of us now.”

KUER’s Doug Fabrizio asked, “Does it matter if someone is good at writing (to be a journalist)? Answering Ingram said, “Education is good. But you don’t have to be trained to commit random acts of journalism.” Richardson agreed, “In order to twitter you don’t need and education.” Mullen on the other hand told Twitter users “You are all journalists” in that “the point of the media is to be human,” but warned that, “We cant outsource our brains to a cloud.” She said her university training was a necessity in that it helped her, “learn hot to write quickly and use active words.” LaPlante agreed stressing that with the amount of current opportunities people have now to blog, tweet and Facebook that, “there is not a lot of journalism training in our education and there should be more.”

The panel touched on the issues of online libel and payment.

Kourtney Mather, a public relations major at the University of Utah who was at the broadcast, said the meeting was, “Interesting. I have never taken Twitter seriously as a social tool of journalism.” Jim Kroe, also a University of Utah student, said he was. “Happy to know journalism is evolving and that the news will be more about the people and what they want to hear.”

The New Watchdog of Journalsim

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Story by Kylee Mecham

The state of journalism is changing as of late.  More people are now turning to search engines, Facebook and even Twitter to gather information and news.  Therefore, many are concerned about who is watching over the media.
Matt Canham, Susan Tolchin and John Daley came together at the University of Utah on Oct. 28 to discuss how journalism has changed and who is watching over it.  Today, reporters are under a lot of pressure to get the stories of the moment out as soon as possible.  However, there is no specific group checking the media and all of the news going out to the public.
Daley, a reporter for Deseret News and KSL, pointed out that “the audience is now the fact checker.”  The media consumer has a responsibility to tell the reporter and news outlets of any errors.  According to Daley, they need all the help they can get.
Tolchin, author of “The Angry American – How Voter Rage is Changing to Nation,” discussed that the media are the best watchdog over government by keeping politicians honest.  Therefore it is the citizens who need to watch over the media and make sure that the reporters stay honest.
However with all of this citizen involvement, citizen journalism has become more popular over the past few years.  Many more people are blogging about the news and putting it out there for others to read.  Therefore it is even more important for the public to be aware of where the news is coming from and any errors that might appear.
Canham, a reporter at the Salt Lake Tribune, said, “It is important to think of the mind-set of the reporter, when searching for information.”  With all of the information that is out there, one should keep in mind what the reporter’s views on the subject are.
Several audience members took interest in what the panel had to say about the changes in journalism and citizen participation.  Megan Hulet, a junior at the university, said, “It was really interesting to hear their views on the subject, and it made me realize how self-reporting really is increasing.”
Sarah Vaughn, a sophomore at the university, said, “I want to do journalism and it’s interesting how much reporting is struggling with Facebook and Twitter.”

Who Watches Government and Media?

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Story by Max Lennardt

According to a trio of media panelists, the media is the watchdog of the Government. But in today’s economic times the decline of newspapers and layoff of news reporters makes it tough for the media to be the government watchdog. Susan Tolchin, professor in the School of Public Policy at George Mason University; John Daley, reporter for Deseret News/KSL; and Matt Canham, Salt Lake Tribune Washington correspondent gave the message to students on who watches the government and the media.  “It is a relationship with tension in some times. We are the watch dog of the politics by asking tough questions, we confront them,” said Canham.
John Daley added: “There is a constant rise in government money, but there are less reporters than 10 years ago. But is more money always better, is it always legal, or is there maybe corruption involved? It will be hard to find out because there a fewer watchdogs than ever before.“
Tolchin said, she is really excited how it will turn out and she personally hopes for a better government. Also she stated, “that it is an interesting time to be in business.“
But who watches the media? How can the people trust what the media tells the readers about the government?
“Nobody checks facts, reporters make mistakes everyday. There are no check factors. It worries me. Blogs and Wikipedia have so many mistakes,” said Tolchin.
Because of the Internet it is easier to upload or post things. Everybody is a journalist today. People own cameras or have camera phones. According to the panelists, a journalist must be more careful than ever before.
“As a reporter you are a figure today. It is important that you check what you write because readers point out when you do something stupid, and they have ways to do that. It is so easy for people to find out your email address, “said Canham.
Because of the technology, more engagement of people is good and bad. But all three agree that there is no direct or official fact checker of the media. The only ones who can point things or mistakes out are the people.
“It is your responsibility. Once something is posted it is gospel and will be repeated by others. If it is not right, we need the help to point it out”, said Canham.
The audience judged the feedback on this topic positive.  Katie Andrus, a communication student at the University of Utah liked how they highlighted the role of journalism: “It was interesting to hear who the media is the watchdog over the government and how important is that the readers check facts on the stories.“
“They did a really good job of giving insight about how it is important as a journalist to report the right information to the readers”, said Kylee Mecham, a mass communication student.
More information about the event can be found at the Hinckley Institute of Politics webpage: http://www.hinckley.utah.edu.

ABLE Pilot Program Helps Veterans With SCI Learn to Paraglide

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Story by: Laurie Carlson

“ABLE Pilot is an organization committed to getting people with spinal cord injuries, amputations and neuromuscular diseases safely into the air, piloting and flying with the minimum amount of assistance,” said Mark Gaskill, director of the training.

 
In Sun Valley, Idaho, this weekend, five veterans with spinal cord injuries (SCI) will learn how to paraglide.  They will learn how a paraglider works, functions and how to pilot it.

 
The veterans will use two flight chairs named Phoenix 1.0 and Phonenix 1.5. The original flight chair Phoenix 1.0 was built under the direction of Don Bloswick, a professor of mechanical engineering at the University of Utah. The chair was built by four mechanical engineer undergraduates at the University.

 
Gaskill is the developer of the ABLE pilot program and is the developer of many paragliding-training programs for people with disabilities. Gaskill is the person who initially came to the U of U team with the idea to develop the adaptive flight chairs.

 
The veterans will train all weekend long Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Monday. During the first day of training they will learn about paragliding. They will also learn how to paraglide 3 feet off the ground. They veterans will then take several tandem flights with ABLE Pilot’s certified instructors. Finally by Monday they will be able to fly solo.

 
For more information about the ABLE Pilot program visit http://ablepilot.com/

Journalistic Change In The New Day

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Story by Lyndsay Frehner

There are many outlets that let people share their views and thoughts about subjects.  According to Matthew LaPlante, “The audience is becoming the journalist.” The world is evolving into a media synched society and that is how most people are reporting the news.
Matthew Ingram, Holly Mullen, Matthew LePlante and Holly Richardson came together for a radio broadcast on Oct. 27, 2011, at the Hinckley Institute of Politics, to discuss their views on the future of journalism.
Members of society are being bombarded with information from news sources.  In order to decipher the meaningless and sometimes redundant information, citizens must report the facts back in their own opinions.  This is fast becoming a popular trend because many people are becoming their own, self employed, reporters.  Others actually turn to them for the latest facts and even gossip on even the most controversial subjects.
For many, blogging is an activity that let opinions and viewpoints be stated without any fear of judgment.   Blogging is a form of journalism for the “new age social journalist,” said Richardson.  Richardson is a blogger who talks about the conservative view of politics.  She said, “Opinions make it more interesting.”
In many instances, the people are getting the first whiff of a new story and will “tweet, post or text: the information to real journalists.
These stories don’t just appear out of nowhere though.  There will always be a beginning, middle and end.  Ingram said, “News stories evolve; not just start and end.”  There will always be events that incite crowds to be receptive and open to interaction.  When the crowds appear, journalists or new reporters know that they will have something to report on.  This is proof that stories evolve.  They don’t just appear out of thin air.
Journalists have been deemed to report only the facts.  The only problem is that journalists are becoming more accustomed to the worldly standards of not verifying the information they report.  News reporters of this day aren’t taught or educated in the proper ways of writing.  “Education is good,” said Ingram.  Unfortunately there aren’t many schools or institutions that offer proper training in the ways of journalistic writing.
Richardson said, “Traditional journalism doesn’t require training, but practice.”  There is only one sure way to accomplish the goals of writing properly; write everyday.
Meg Sanders, a blogger columnist for the Standard Examiner, said, “Writing everyday is very important.”
Keeping up the skills of writing proficiently is extremely important if one is to help the journalistic society.  Probably the most important thing to learn is how to report the sources correctly and accurately attribute everything.  Mullen inspired journalists to do such because of “libel and privacy” issues.  People will recognize the words they say and if they are attributed to a different person.
People have changed the ways of how news is reported.  It used to be just the journalists who were the reporters.  Now, anyone can be a journalist.  “The audience is becoming the journalist,” said LaPlante.

Floyd Norris Speaks On The American Economy

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Story by Mitch Waite

“We used to take for granted, that the government should try and improve the economy, and that there were things that it could do,” said Floyd Norris, chief financial correspondent of the New York Times.

Norris gave a lecture addressing the question, “What’s wrong with the American economy?”  He offered reasons for the cause of the recent recession, and possible solutions for what can be done to improve the economy.

Norris addressed the current issues with the nation’s economy, and what he believed to be the primary reason for the financial woes of the United States.  He mentioned the main reason as to why the economy is in its current poor position.  “A lot of the suffering that we are undergoing now, and that is affecting your lives was brought on by people who bought homes that they never should have purchased, and paid more than they could possibly afford,” he said.

Norris further mentioned that as much as there is little sympathy that exists for the people who borrowed. Also, there is great hostility towards the banks that made those loans.  As Norris put it, “They reduced the lending standards and in some cases, they helped borrowers lie about their income or assets to qualify.”  Citing these reasons, Norris offered solutions that could help in reviving the economy.

One solution that is heavily debated is that of stimulus spending.  Through 2008 and 2009 there was a period of stimulus spending that the Federal Reserve implemented.  By 2010 it appeared to be working with huge gains, but ultimately, those gains were lost.  However, Norris stated, “It seems to me that the analysis is since stimulus didn’t work, we shouldn’t try it.  It’s similar to the analysis that a student who studies for a test does poorly and thinks, ‘well there is obviously no point in studying’.  There is another conclusion.  You could read which is perhaps to do more.  To me, that is the answer on stimulus.”  Norris said that stimulus could work, but it isn’t the only answer.

Actually, Norris said that inflation could help as well.  Though the majority of people feel that inflation is a bad thing, Norris said that “good” economists are lobbying for inflation.  In an interview after the presentation, Norris further explained that inflation could help reduce debt burden by counteracting deflation.  Simply put, if a person owed $2,000 in the 1940s, it would take maybe a year to pay it off, but today, they could pay it off in a matter of weeks.  Norris outlined one other option for combating the poor economy and a way of getting rid of debt.

Norris said he wishes that the practice of mortgage cramdown had been adopted.  Last year this would have given judges the ability to reduce what is owed on a loan for those declaring bankruptcy.  One attendant to the conference, Brad Toone, mentioned having heard that mortgage cramdown was aggressively fought against due to the belief that it would create even more uncertainty in the value of mortgages.

Individuals who heard the lecture, such as Shandi Beckwith, said she felt that Norris was able to narrow the scope of such a broad subject as the economy in America.

Economic expert speaks to University of Utah students

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Story by Chris Washington

The economic recession is something that many Americans felt very close to home. However, very few really understand what caused it and what can fix it. Floyd Norris is one of those people.

Norris is the chief financial correspondent for the New York Times. He has a wealth of knowledge regarding economics as a whole and particularly the current state of the economy. The economic situation is more to him than just a bunch of graphs and numbers; it is something that has affected millions of Americans directly.

“I love this country”, said Norris, “I’m proud to pay taxes and wouldn’t mind paying more if it helped us get out of this crisis.”

Economists tend to try to let things work themselves out regarding the economy. However, Norris believes that it is time to start taking action in order to fix what is happening in our economy. According to Norris, despite many people believing that the recession ended in 2010, it is actually still going on.

“People saw the light at the end of the tunnel, but were wrong.” explained Norris.

In Norris’ opinion it is both the American people’s and the banks’ fault for the economic crisis. He believes that a lot of the suffering that is affecting American lives, was brought on by people buying houses that they cannot afford. Many people borrow these great sums of money that they can’t pay back. The banks are partially responsible for this because they enable these people to make these decisions even though it wasn’t always expected to work out.

Many people believe that the crisis could have been avoided. Steven Blomquist, a University of Utah student, agreed.

“Regarding our economy, you can’t expect to go up forever and keep prospering more and more, eventually you will peak and then you begin to spiral downward, which is the phase we are in right now,” he said.

Norris said that people could see the recession coming in 2006 and 2007. When Americans can borrow a lot of money and credit is easy to come by, the country grows a lot like it did in the 1920s. However, much like The Great Depression, there is a price to pay after such a large amount of growth. Norris thinks that if economists would have paid more attention during America’s most recent episode of economic growth, that this could have been predicted and possibly prevented.

Norris understands the power of money and the importance of a good economy. When speaking about a past treasury secretary, Norris stated that in all actuality three presidents served under him. Although that is an exaggeration it is an example of just how important and how powerful the people who control and understand American money can be.

“Money makes the world go ‘round, if you don’t have it you really stand no chance.” said Rachel Thomas, a student and cheerleader for the University of Utah.

Although the economic situation American’s are in is something that cannot be mapped out perfectly, people like Floyd Norris exemplify the importance of a good base of knowledge and how being aware can empower Americans.

Norris Covers Economic Issues

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Story by Steven Blomquist

Norris Covers Economic Issues

“Capitalism messes with a lot of things up but it’s better than the alternatives” said Floyd Norris.
An audience of eager students packed the Marriott Library’s Gould Auditorium to discuss the challenges with the US economy with Floyd Norris, chief financial correspondent for The New York Times.
Norris began by remembering one of the most influential men in American government Andrew Mellon, who served as Treasury secretary in the early 1900’s. Who is said by many “three Presidents served under him.” according to Norris. Mellon was supporter of free-market ideas, urging government to refrain from getting involved.
Quoting Herman Cain, Norris said “Don’t blame Wall Street, don’t blame the big banks, if you don’t have a good job blame you.” There is a lot of talk lately about the struggling job market and expectation for the government to provide jobs for the people.
“While we don’t really have a lot of faith in government now, that lack of faith may have been earned” through a stimulus plan that hasn’t fulfilled on its promises and bad regulation, according to Norris.
This country needs more stimulus, Norris said, comparing it to a student who studied for an exam and did poorly on it doesn’t mean the student shouldn’t study.  The student may need to take the next step and study a bit more or in this case of the economy it may need more stimulus.
“Bad regulation and lack of regulation got us into this mess,” Norris said. “The financial crisis would not have happened if either the financial system or the government regulators had performed better.”
Norris said that the banks are also partly to blame for the today’s economic issues, for allowing people to purchase houses knowing they wouldn’t be able to pay back the loans. Norris said, “We should have intervened before the foreclosures happened.”
Norris also said that it is time to extend a helping hand. One thing Norris mentioned was to give lower interest rates. That would make it so the American people can begin to dig us out of economic downturn.  He said we the economists/American public don’t know how long it is going to take to bounce back but went on to say bounce back could take an upward to seven years from the time economy blew up.
Norris began to close the forum by saying “I love this country… proud to pay taxes and wouldn’t mind paying more to help us get out of this crisis.
“Norris also went on to say, “ (while) capitalism messes… a lot of things up but it’s better than the alternatives.”
Rachel Thomas, a communication major, said it was a good opportunity to learn about the complicated issue of the economy.
“There is so much going about the state of the economy its hard to follow with all the homework we have,” said Thomas. “Opportunities like this allow for college students to take a brake and get informed on what’s going on in the economy.”
Makaylee Pettit, a communication major, said “It was very informative and a great opportunity to hear a national financial journalist take about the current state of the economy.”
“Norris’s presentation was great opportunity for college students to understand why we are in this economic downturn. For college age students don’t have time to focus on todays issues as they are so busy studying textbooks.” Thomas.

Floyd Norris Speaks to University of Utah Students about the Great Depression II

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Story by Rachel Thomas

Floyd Norris, the New York Times chief financial correspondent, spoke to a group of University of Utah students on November 3, 2011 about the economy and ways to recover it.
Floyd Norris likened today’s economy to the economy during the Great Depression.
Norris said, “There was never really a consensus about what caused the great depression it didn’t seem right that the world should dive into a depression, and this is critical on what has gone wrong recently”
If the authorities had known what to do a lot of unnecessary suffering could have been avoided. A lot of the suffering that is affecting American lives was brought on by people buying houses they couldn’t afford and borrowing money they couldn’t pay back because they didn’t have the money to pay back, according to Norris’s speech.
Banks are also partly to blame for people purchasing houses they can’t afford. The government should have intervened before the foreclosures happened. In Norris’s column, “Time to Say It: Double Dip Recession May Be Happening,” in the New York Times, he refers to the current times as the Great Depression II. He reasons that this new era is considered a depression, because of the commonalities in the economy during both times. In each case the first recession was caused in large part by a sudden withdrawal of credit from the economy. The recovery came when credit conditions recovered.
“The unavailability of credit caused a decline in world trade volumes of a magnitude not seen since the Great Depression, and nearly every economy went into recession,” Norris said.
However, Norris believes there is a solution to the plummeting economy. He says the U.S. economy is showing the same signs it did when on the rebound from the past two recessions. Most politicians are embarrassed by the current disaster which is why they continue their negativity towards the steadily increasing economy.
During his lecture, Norris said, “Take seven years from when the economy blew up to have it fixed.”
Norris said he believes that informing students in college is important, because they are the next generation to be affected by the economy.
Norris said, “College aged students are going to be getting jobs and getting interviewed and they need jobs to be available. People assume that it is a well operating financial system, but when you assume then you stop paying attention to it. If you can still find a career then it doesn’t really affect you.” In today’s economy finding a well paying job isn’t that easy, so most people will run in to dilemmas because of the financial instability in America.
Chris Washington, who’s an Intro to News Writing student and attended the lecture, said, “I think becoming informed about the economy at an earlier age can help make a change, a smoother recovery for the future, and possibly push students to attend college so they have a greater chance at getting a stable job.”
When asked on his final thoughts about Norris’s lecture Steven Blomquist, a University of Utah student, said, “It was very informative and interesting to be able to hear his perspective on what is going on in the economy.”