Category Archives: Student-Journalists

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.

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.

Utah Museum Opens and Astonishes

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By Stephanie Graves

Utah History Museum Opens and Astonishes

The Natural History Museum of Utah at the Rio Tinto Center officially opened to the public today after years of planning and construction.

Construction for the museum began in 2005 in the foothills of the Wasatch Mountain Range. The museum incorporates many green features including radiant heating and cooling systems, water efficient landscaping and plans for a solar-paneled roof. This roof will provide more than 25 percent of the energy needed to power the museum.

Todd Schliemann, the design architect for the building, said he wanted the museum to “symbolize the beauty and the magnitude of the state’s unique landscapes.”

Not only did he accomplish this through the museum’s location in the scenic foothills, but also through his efforts to construct a sustainable museum. With more than 25 percent of the structural and architectural materials made from recycled resources, and more than 75 percent of the museum’s construction waste being recycled, the museum expects to be awarded an LEED Gold Certification.

As well as being an eco-friendly building, the museum also boasts 10 new galleries detailing the different land features, history and people of Utah.

“The opportunities for kids to explore science here are endless,” said Becky Menlove, the exhibit director for the museum.  She described the children’s experience at the museum as one where they will be exploring more than just one aspect of science.

“ You are not just learning about rocks at a particular time, but also plants, about paleontology, about hydrology and all the forces that go together.”

The museum is open daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. with extended hours on Wednesdays to 9p.m. The museum is closed on Thanksgiving and Christmas.

Adults: $9 (An increase of only $2 from the prior location)

Seniors, 65+: $7

Youth, 13-24: $7

Children, 3-12: $6

Children, 2 and under: Free

Museum Charter Members: Free

Large groups with 12 individuals or more will be admitted for $5 per person with advance notice.

Journalists are the Best “Watchdogs” of Government

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Story by Lacy Jamison

Many analysts are stressing the importance of watching government as the current elections progress, and according to Matt Canham, Susan Tolchin and John Daley, journalists are its main watchdogs.
Canham, Tolchin and Daley spoke during a Hinckley Forum at the University of Utah on Friday, Oct. 28. Canham works as a print reporter, Tolchin is a professor and Daley is a journalist.
The speakers recognized that the state of political journalism is in transition of finding new roles. However, according to Tolchin, who teaches public policy at George Mason University, “Journalism is the best watchdog over the failings of government. Media is terrific-it reveals government flaws.”
Journalists who work in politics are expected to explain to voters who the politicians are, what they believe in and what their actions are. Often this relationship between the politicians and journalists is fraught with tension. According to Canham, who works as a Washington correspondent, “We are one of the only people that confront them [politicians].”
Tolchin said she worries about the demise of print media in cities because this form of media often keeps politicians more honest.
The speakers also had strong views on what material should be emphasized in watchdog reporting, heading into an election year. Recently, most of the coverage has been of the polls and not anything else.
“Horserace politics and horserace political coverage does a huge disservice,” said Daley, who covers stories in the Deseret News and KSL. He claimed the coverage should not be about the polls, but about the policies that will affect millions of people.
Canham said the issue of horserace politics is overblown. He argued that news is more diversified in today’s day and age, and reporters have to find creative ways to get what the audience wants and needs. Each story can only be written once, so the reporter must pick his or her focus and determine which stories create the highest voter interest.
Tolchin said she believes that horseraces must be covered. She brought up the strong correlation between the debates and the money candidates raise. It is important to expose these events because money raising has a strong connection to who wins and who loses.
In reaction to the recent explosion of audience involvement in the journalism field, the speakers agreed that this participation helps journalists become better watchdogs. Reader participation is very important in guiding how journalists give their readers news. Any type of involvement is very important because it could have direct effects on how government is chosen, said Daley.
Audience participation is not always reflected in the polls. Daley said he believes many people do not value their democracy anymore because there has been a significant decrease in voter turnout. Issues and decisions in politics are important, but the public is less involved than it used to be, he said.
Other issues of audience participation include the fact that most people do not research both candidates.
“I always read the other side. Most people don’t like to see the other side and I really hope they do,” said Tolchin. It is important that people participate according to their beliefs, but it is also important that people research the opposing side in order to better understand it, she said.
Audience members of this Hinckley Forum claimed to have very valuable insights from the speakers.
“I think it’s interesting to hear the perspective of current journalists. Journalism, media and politics are intertwining more than they ever did before,” said Laura Schmitz, a senior at the U. of U. who will graduate with a degree in journalism.
Sheena McFarland, a reporter at the Salt Lake Tribune, also gained insight.
“I think what was most interesting to me was to hear the audience questions. People care about the source and credibility of things right now and we need watchdogs,” she said. (640)

The Death of Newspapers?

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Story by Connor Wallace

Due to advances in technology the idea that there isn’t a need for newspapers has become a common perception.  On Monday, Oct. 24, a panel of experts at the Hinckley Institute of Politics discussed the changes in technology and how those changes will affect journalism.

The guests speaking were Nancy Conway, Mark Jurkowitz and Clark Gilbert.  Conway is the editor of the Salt Lake Tribune, Jurkowitz is part of the Pew Research Center and Clark Gilbert is a publisher for Gilbert of Deseret News Publishing.  Conway responded to a question regarding the importance of online newspapers by saying “more information is better. We’d be hypocrites if we didn’t think that.”

Clark Gilbert did say that it’s going to be harder for newspapers to do the same amount of work with fewer resources.  He explained that people are “a click away from the best.”
His meaning with this statement is that for the longest time newspapers tried to do many things well in reporting or covering stories in many areas; however now with the Internet people are one click away from finding a story that is more in depth and has more information and resources to cover a certain story. The reason being is there are sites that specialize in a specific topic.

According to Mark Jurkowitz, legacy media are producing the majority of the content because they have bigger newsrooms and more reporters.  The problem is that smaller websites and newspapers are providing the content and reporting the story.  This means that these smaller companies are doing all of the work and not getting paid for it.  This has spurred a debate for whether these smaller media companies should start charging people for the information that they provide.

It was also brought up that not only should the companies that retrieve the content charge their readership but also the legacy companies that are taking the story and putting it on their website.  On the other side these smaller companies also realize that the legacy companies are putting their stories on a larger stage.

Conway pointed out that “the newspaper itself is far from dead.”  She continued to say that the Salt Lake Tribune is gaining readership not only through the online medium but also in print as well.  Conway explained the increase in readership is because the Tribune does have a legacy and people trust the content that the paper puts out.  According to Conway, “The Salt Lake Tribune is serving more readers now than it ever has.”

While there has been a drop off in the number of people relying on print media, journalism is thriving and reaching new readership through online newspapers and by maintaining their older readership through print news.  According to Jurkowitz, “The media doesn’t have an audience problem, it has a revenue problem.”  He explains that the problem is how to “monetize” the online aspect of newspapers.  While the medium may change, people reading the news won’t.

Media watch politicians, but who watches the media?

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Story by Shannon Hunter

“Our audience is the biggest fact checker we have,” said reporter John Daley referring to the role of citizens in journalism.
This was one of many topics discussed during a panel at the University of Utah’s Hinckley Institute of Politics on Friday, Oct. 28.
The panelists included: Matt Canham, Washington correspondent for the Salt Lake Tribune; John Daley, a reporter for KSL and Deseret News; and Susan Tolchin, a professor at George Mason University.
The importance of reader participation was emphasized throughout the discussion. All three panelists agreed that journalism is different today. The pressure to publish things daily, even hourly, has created a lack of fact checking, thereby increasing the amount of mistakes.
“When you as a reader see a mistake it is your responsibility as a media reader to tell us,” said Canham.
The panelists also talked about the importance of the corrections the readers send in. They also mentioned the effect that mistakes can have on a piece, even when a correction is made. Tolchin confronted the matter of how few people read the corrections, including herself among those who don’t.
Canham said there are different kinds of errors that can be made, not only factual errors. He explained that a mistake can be made in the way a reporter words things in his or her writing and that it can have just as much, if not bigger, of an effect on the piece. According to Canham, this is one of the many ways journalism has changed in this generation.
Canham believes this is an “interesting time to be in the business,” and that the upcoming generation can accomplish the role of journalists.
“It’s the best of times (and) the worst of times,” said Daley when referring to the difficulty in finding jobs while new technology helps reveal more information.
For example, journalists now not only compete with other journalists but also with citizens who can download information or videos from their cell phones to the web and post stories before reporters do. Sarah Vaughn, a member of the audience, considered this an “important issue.”
Tolchin expressed that she’s excited for the current state of the media. She hopes that the future of journalism will correct government issues and keep politicians honest.
Canham said he disagrees with how politics are being reported and that in his reporting he wants to spend his time most effectively and find a way to give his readers both what they need and want.
“It’s like you’re watching coverage for the NFL (and) who’s going to get that touchdown… It’s a big problem,” said Daley, referring to the current trend of reporting about polls and standings instead of proposed policies from the candidates.
Canham agreed, pointing out the importance of the media in elections by influencing what the voters do or don’t know going into the booths. He emphasized that they “are part of this process.”
Laura Qualey, a member of the audience, found the distinction between “reporting relevant things” from irrelevant topics to be the most important issue discussed by the panelists.
When coming to an end, it was clear that all three panelists agreed that while the media needs to keep an eye on politicians citizens need to keep an eye on the media.

Modern Political Reporting “Snowballing toward dysfunctionality.”- Susan Tolchin

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Story by Laura Qualey

University of Utah’s Hinckley Institute of Politics hosted a panel discussion on political reporting and modern media, Friday, Oct. 28.

From the loss of factually driven data to the demise of print media, Susan Tolchin, John Daley and Matt Canham discussed issues regarding political reporting. Panelists discussed the changes in political reporting since technology has made it possible for immediate news updates, civilian reporting and private life exploitation.

John Daley, a KSL/ Deseret News reporter, mentioned that with the pressure of producing for today, journalism is becoming increasingly, “challenging,” adding that with the continually shrinking staff at many news source outlets, the amount of regulation and fact verification has decreased, leading to the releasing of inaccurate information.

Susan Tolchin, a professor in the School of Public Policy at George Mason University, addressed political reporting as the “watchdog over the failings of government,” mentioning that it is the duty of political journalists to confront politicians and be a voice for citizens.

Panelists discussed the growing conundrum of media watching government and who watches media. Political reporting has transitioned into a personal-professional hybrid. With the emergence of technology, politicians’ personal lives have become increasingly more public. With blogs, social media and sites such as YouTube, “a man’s character is his fate,” Tolchin added.

Matt Canham, a Salt Lake Tribune correspondent, discussed that “it is our responsibility as a consumer to point out media errors.” As more interaction between news outlets and consumers develops, the reader can now affect the reporting.

Millions of dollars are invested in political campaigns each year, leading to the unfortunate fact that “money wins,” said Canham.  However despite how much money is invested in a campaign, many politicians’ hopes are destroyed through investigative political journalism. This new-age way of investigating into the personal lives of politicians has led to countless scandal discoveries and numerous YouTube videos that have gone viral.” U. student Sarah Vaughn said she “had no idea there was so much money in politics,” which brought to light a new way of viewing politics.

As political journalism has become more interactive, similar to that of social media sites, many political journalists believe they are in a sense competing against social media. It seems as though it is now just as easy for a reader to receive news from a friend on Facebook, as it is to log onto a news source website to receive information.

“This discussion has made me question how I determine a news source is trustworthy,” Said U. student Shannon Hunter.

As we embark on this new age of political reporting, Susan Tolchin says she is “very excited.” However panelists noted that without regulation and boundary establishment modern political reporting could very well be “snowballing toward dysfunctionality.”

For more information on events held at the Hinckley Institute of Politics visit: www.Hinckley.utah.edu

Learn From The Past. Change The Future.

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Story by Avery Mills

Learning from and not repeating the mistakes made yesterday can help to create a better world for everybody tomorrow.

That was the message during Wednesday’s speech entitled, ‘What’s Wrong With the American Economy?’ presented by Floyd Norris, the chief financial correspondent for the “New York Times.” Fisher stated that he believed that the problems within the U.S. economy at the present time could be traced back to what actually caused the Great Depression.

“The fact that we never reached a consensus then, is critical to what happened recently,” he shared, after summing up what exactly has happened recently.

He placed a great amount of the blame on the banks that had been handing out loans left and right without much thought for how or when all of the money was going to be paid back.

When the banks began to fail and the government issued bailouts to help, that money didn’t go to the people who needed it most, it went right back into the banks. This has made it harder to get a loan, refinance homes and has put even more people into an economic crisis.

Norris explained that the banks are “profiting at the expense of people who can’t refinance.”

At this point, most people realize that the government is not going to be able to save the economy on its own, as Floyd referenced the recurring CBS poll featured in the “New York Times.”

It was asked if the reader “trusted the government to do what is right” with 10 percent answering “almost always,” the lowest percentage answering in the affirmative since the 1970s.

Although this number doesn’t reflect a very positive attitude amongst American citizens, Norris seemed confident that something like this would never happen again, as far as the situation with the banks go.

“A cat won’t jump on a cold stove after jumping on a hot one,” he stated.

It’s not all negative though. Norris sees this as an opportunity for Americans to exercise what he calls “joint sacrifice.” This term can be translated to mean that Americans may have to pay a little more in taxes right now, but it will be the most beneficial option in the long run.

The problem is, people don’t want to sacrifice now, they want results now, and as far as Norris is concerned, he doesn’t see an “easy fix” anytime soon.

At the end of his speech, Norris was asked why all of this information should be important to the audience, as a majority of the crowd was made up of college students for some of whom, the current economic crisis, including home loans and refinancing, isn’t really a major concern at this moment in their lives.

Norris answered, “At some point you will need a job, that is assuming there will be one available with the current state of the economy.”

This affected several people in the audience who quickly realized that if the mistakes of the past continue to be repeated over and over, the future of the economy and everybody’s individual future would be defined by errors that should have and could have been fixed a long time ago.

Citizens Help Correct Errors in Newspapers

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Story by Elysia Yuen
The role of common people in finding and correcting errors in newspaper writing is essential to provide accurate information for the public.
This theme was discussed by Matt Canham, Salt Lake Tribune Washington correspondent; Susan Tolchin, professor at George Mason University; and John Daley, reporter for the Deseret News and KSL at an academic forum.
Meeting on Oct. 29, 2011, at the University of Utah, the event was open to students. The title of the panel was “Political Reporting and the Fourth Estate: Who Watches Government.”
A high point interest for the panelists was regarding the discernment of correct information and citizen involvement in media avenues. A plethora of resources are available where one can get information, like Facebook, blogs, friends and newspapers.
Canham said, “I would hope that when you read the news page you would know where the information is coming from.”
With so much information, it is sometimes hard to understand and know which sources are credible.
Canham explained that journalists are currently working in a fast-paced and demanding environment. They are liable to making mistakes. In newspapers there are sections that correct any mistakes that have been discovered from previous issues. How are these mistakes found?
“The audience is the biggest fact checker out there,” said Daley, a specialist in political and investigative news.
Often people will notice a mistake in the media and send corrections to the newspaper agency.
“[When a correction is sent in] we review what they tell us with what we wrote and judge based on the error (or lack thereof) whether to do a correction or not,” stated Brandon Beifuss, editor-in-chief of The Daily Utah Chronicle.
Because the corrections are so important for accurate news reporting, Canham said that every person should be engaged in citizen journalism.
“It is your responsibility as a media consumer to point that [corrections] out,” Canham said.
The panelists said that they felt a degree of pressure to get their facts straight. With the understanding that reporting has changed dramatically in the past several years, with the emergence of new media and ample information resources, journalists feel immense strain. Articles are needed to be written faster and better.
Daley reiterated the anxiety comes from the need of people wanting information at their fingertips.
He also said, “There are fewer people to cover everyday stories, fewer people to dig into stories that need investigating.”
Canham expressed that a positive attribute of the fast-paced environment is that it is relatively easy to fix a mistake. Especially with the age of digital, one can go online and change it instantly.
Nenad Cuk, a mass communication student who attended the forum realized, “I need to be more critical where I get my information from and analyze the information and the sources they use to get the information.”
Junran Jia thought the forum was valuable information.
“I think it is very good because each one gave their own opinion between mass communications,” Jia said.

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Polls Suggest that United States Citizens Mistrust their News

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Story by Lacy Jamison

A recent poll suggests that the majority of United States citizens do not trust the news they receive and believe that most of the stories news organizations report are often inaccurate.

The Pew Research Center published a poll on Sept. 22 that determined whether Americans trust their news and how much they believe politics can affect it. The poll claims that 66 percent of Independents say the stories they read are inaccurate, 64 percent of Democrats say the stories they read are inaccurate and 69 percent of Republicans say the stories they read are inaccurate.
In general, only about 25 percent of those who were surveyed believe that news organizations get the facts straight.
“I feel like people say what we want to hear. I also feel like it’s not 100 percent the truth. I always take it [news] with a grain of salt and pick apart what it’s saying,” said Junaid Sial, a sophomore at the University of Utah.
Only when the survey participants were asked whether the news they use personally seems to get the facts straight, did 62 percent of them respond with a positive confirmation.
“A lot of times I read things from my phone applications. I like to read CNN, BBC and MTV. I don’t think they are always accurate though,” said Nicole Procida, a sophomore at the University of Utah.
The poll also suggests that people tend to trust their local news organizations more than their national news organizations. About 69 percent of the survey participants trust their news a lot, versus the 59 percent who trust their national news organizations.
“I read the local newspapers because I feel they reflect the most truth in what is happening in my nearby community,” said Anna Chuprova, a freshman at the University of Utah.
This survey was conducted under the direction of Princeton Survey Research Associates International. Most of the data in the report is from telephone interviews that were conducted from July 20-24, 2011. About 1,501 adults 18 years of age or older, who were living in the United States, were randomly selected. (347)

Norris Give No One Right Answer To Economy

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Story by Stephanie Graves

Norris Gives No One Right Answer to Economy

“The recession officially ended in 2009” said Floyd Norris to a packed room of University of Utah faculty and students.  So if the recession has officially ended then why is the government still actively bailing out banks and companies?  “We can hope that the government has learned its lessons with bailouts.” Said Norris

This is just one of the points that Norris touched upon in his Oct. 26 presentation in the Marriott Library on the U. of U. campus.

With the crowded auditorium of anxious college students and professors, many of who were looking for guidance in this unpredictable job market, Norris summed up how Americans found themselves in a recession.

“When credit is easy, it is a lot of fun” Norris said.  It is no wonder that with banks granting loans of all kinds that the average person would rather take the money now and worry about the consequences later.

80 years ago, the United States was so fiscally conservative that the economist and Secretary of Treasury Andrew Mellon recommended “liquidate labor, liquidate stocks, liquidate farmers, liquidate real estate… it will purge the rottenness out of the system,” to the present day bailout by the government of big companies.  So what has changed?

Norris argued that by setting up the Central Bank in 1913 in the United States, suddenly the Federal Government felt like it was responsible for the well-being of iconic American companies such as Ford, Chrysler and General Motors.

Norris said, “The good news is that Central Bank has learned a lesson.” He affirmed that it would be wise that the government not get involved on such a large scale again.  To this assertion, student Bonnie Adison said, “The government must have some plan for the average citizen, whether it be a bailout or something else.”

Adison was not the only frustrated student after the presentation had concluded.  Shawn Christophson said, “So personal ethics and self-control are the answers to the recession. I just thought there would be more.”

Although the presentation was brief, Norris did drive home his point that “Ethics are not being taught as well as they should be” and there are two parties involved on all loan defaults.

Investors need to do their homework, and if that is not possible, hire someone you can trust,” Norris said.

It is up to the American people to be responsible for their own financial decisions, and while not all newly established laws concerning the economy benefit everyone, it is still those individual’s duty to do their own research, balance their own expenses and ultimately make the decision on what they can afford.

Norris said, “When capital is wasted in a massive way there (are) consequences.”  Whether he meant the government wasting the millions of dollars on the bailout of big businesses or the American population spending recklessly on non-necessities is unclear.

The point that Norris did make quite clear was that it is not wise to wait around for the government to bail out its citizens or solve their problems. One must weigh their own circumstances and make things work to the best of their ability to survive during this recession. (512)

Veterans Will Fly Solo

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Story by Sarah Vaughn

Five injured veterans will return to flight with the help of mechanical engineering students at the University of Utah and ABLE Pilot.

Sun Valley, IDAHO- Training will begin and will continue until Monday in Sun Valley, Idaho, for five veterans with spinal cord injuries (SCI) who are learning to fly in adaptive chairs, Phoenix 1.0 and improved flight chair Phoenix 1.5.

The first day of training, the veterans will be trained in paragliding.
They will be taught the functions of the flight chairs and how to pilot it. Furthermore, they will be taught how flight chairs work and experience the paragliders about 3 feet off the ground.

Mark Gaskill, from ABLE Pilot, is working with the veterans; he has been working in the area of flight chairs for injured persons with spinal cord.

“ABLE Pilot is an organization committed to getting people with spinal cord injuries, amputations, and neuromuscular diseases safely into air, piloting and flying with the minimum amount of assistance,” said Gaskill. Gaskill initially came to the U. of. U. with the idea to develop adaptive flight.

Citizen Journalist The Future of Journalism

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Story by Brenda Mandujano

In the current society blogging has become the thing of the future. Information and stories are passed through social media and blogs and distributed to thousands in just seconds. The issue is that no one needs a journalist license or be backed by a major media source. A panel of guests joined Doug a Host/Executive Producer of Radio West on Thursday, Oct. 27, 2011, to discuss ‘The Rise of the Audience”. This session concluded Future of Journalism Series at the Hinckley Institute of Politics.  The following information is main points in the future of the society with blogging and social media.

 
Holly Richardson, a member of the Utah House of Representatives from Pleasant Grove and active blogger, stated “Everyone is legitimate to the point where people see them legit.”

 
Those who write about what they know become legitimate and have followers who trust what they write.

 
People today want to read short and to-the-point stories. They use social media to get their information and to repost. As things are changing they need to adjust and “help people raise their media IQ in a way,” as Doug stated.

 
Journalists are responsible for filtering and gathering the information and putting it together in a way that it is easy to read. When the information is released, citizens take it and spread it over the world web through blogs, tweets or Facebook as the information is spread faster.

 
Matthew La Plante, a journalism instructor at Utah State University and a former national security reported for the Salt Lake Tribune, discussed that a reporter and columnist he felt disconnected and felt like he was shooting into the dark. They never see a reaction or comment unless it comes from their editor or they come across someone who read the article. Those who blog or tweets are able to receive immediate feedback from the audience. The responses may not always be positive but they are available.

 
For the future of journalism an education is not required. Blogging, tweeting and using Facebook is accessible by anyone who owns a computer or Smartphone. Taking information from a news story or other post and reposting, instantly make that person a writer.

 
If anyone can be a writer the next step is education citizen journalist. Citizen journalist can also be involved in lawsuits including libel and privacy issues. Which means everything that is written needs to be thought through before being posted. Journalism classes have discussions in the use of privacy, when to use the names in stories or when to stay anonymous.

 
Morgan Heath, a mass communication major, said, “Education is not needed for present journalism, but I feel more prepared by taking the time to learn.”

 
Being prepared in media is important and even if an education is not present one can take the time to learn by reading books or receiving help by others in the profession. In present journalism anyone who writes about something they know whether it is blogging or tweeting becomes trusted sources.

Citizens Stop Bank Robbery

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Story by Connor Wallace

Bank couriers Dennis Boushie and Willie Moore aided the police in capturing three bank robbers.

Two men helped police officers capture three bank robbers in Pevely, Mo.

Dennis Boushie and Willie Moore are bank couriers for Boatman’s Bank of Pevely, Mo.  Boushie and Moore were at the bank when the robbery transpired.  The two decided to chase after the robbers because of “just common sense,” according to Boushie.
According to captain of the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Department Ed Kemp, “This is beyond the call of duty.  They acted more like police officers than private citizens or bank couriers.”

The robbery began when according to Kemp a man entered the bank and screamed, “Give me the money or else.”  After the man took the money and ran, Boushie trailed the man on foot until he entered the getaway car.  Boushie then signaled to Moore to track the car via the bank van.  While Moore trailed the getaway car, Boushie went with the police to help track the car.

The police stopped the car on Interstate 55 and arrested two men and a woman.  The police found thousands of dollars in the car, and are pursuing federal warrants for bank robbery.

“Police have booked three people on suspicion of drug possession.  These three were found in the getaway care and being held in the jail at Pevely,” said Kemp.

National poll reveals public’s preferable sources for news

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Story by Shannon Hunter

Have new communication technologies, such as the Internet, made the world a better place? Recent reports show that most people, including almost half of nonusers, believe they have.
According to polls, 66 percent of Internet users and 49.3 percent of nonusers believe that new communication technologies have benefited the world.
More than half of the people polled also believe that stories are often inaccurate, with 63 percent of people preferring that their news does not come from a source with a political point of view.
“Reading news on the Internet is always a good way to kill time, but I usually only believe a story once I’ve seen it from multiple sources,” said Hannah Skarsten, a third-year student at the University of Utah.
Her father, Mike Skarsten, also said that the convenience of the new communication technologies does not out weigh his doubt that sources are offering non-biased news. However, he said he is thankful that he has multiple options to go to.
“It may be silly, but I rarely believe a story until I see it reported in a reputable newspaper, but the different technologies let me pick where I look for it,” said Matthew Yessick, a second-year student at the University of Utah.
Out of the people polled, 21 percent, the largest number of people, go to Google to search for news. The largest percentage of people who depend on broadcasts or reporting sources for their news is 13 percent, who go to CNN for their news.
While some people hesitate to believe what they read on the Internet, there is a dominant trend of people who turn to the web for news before reading or watching news from reporters.

Economic Growth Without National Loyalty

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Story by: L. Wylie Shepard

The University of Utah and the Hinckley Institute of Politics welcomed Floyd Norris as part of the fifteenth annual Siciliano Forum, which confronted American’s concerns in a series of events called “Considerations on the Status of the American Society.”

As the Chief Financial Correspondent of The New York Times for over 10 years, Norris caught the attention of many University of Utah students and faculty on Wednesday, Oct. 26, with his presentation, “What’s Wrong with the American Economy?”

Norris centralized his speech around the shortage of government support during the current economic crisis while utilizing humor to painlessly discuss a comprehensive range of ongoing economic uncertainties. Norris holds an esteemed and credible presence in the business journalism field, prompting a remarkably large turnout at the event.

During his presentation, Norris expressed his belief that there are actions the United States government can and should take to improve its economy. He said that many Americans have suffered and are continuing to suffer because the U.S. government did not know how to handle economic fallout correctly. He also placed blame on the central bankers, stating that they were unaware that their role is to provide the nation with financial security while promoting the consistent growth and functionality of the nations economy. Norris connected this suffering to the exponentially growing lack of trust that Americans have in their nations leaders.

In a New York Times poll released the morning of October 26, Americans were asked, “how much of the time [they] trust the U.S. government to do what is right.” The choice of “always or most of the time” had hit an all-time low of 10 percent, decreasing from the 2008 national low of 17 percent.

“I never would’ve expected Americans to have so little faith in their government,” said Tyson Phillips, a senior at the University of Utah. “I can’t imagine our economy will improve until that percentage improves as well.”

The use of markets to allocate capital, taxes and the “mess in Europe” were also discussed as key points to understanding the problems with the nations current economic state.

Norris provided ample time for questions from his audience, who were eager to apply his knowledge to their individual financial woes, before concluding his speech.

The event had an apparent impact on many of its viewers. “[Norris] emphasized the importance of receiving financial advice you can trust. I plan on reading his weekly New York Times financial column and continuing to learn from an expert in economics,” Spencer Peters, another Utah senior, said of Norris at the end of his speech.

The Siciliano Forum, held throughout the last week in October, featured presenters who focused on the American government, its economy and the important role of journalism. According to a brochure offered to attendees by the Hinckley Institute, the yearly event was designed to offer “an open, non-biased forum for students, faulty and the citizenry to focus their energies and attentions on the most important, current and long-range public issues facing America today.”

Discussion of Journalism Ethics

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Story By Montana Peterson

Professor discusses journalism ethics in university class

Jim Fisher, a professor of communication, discussed the ethics of journalism with a newswriting class on Monday, September 26.

Fisher led into the lecture with the difference between morality and ethics. Fisher defined “ethics [as] a decision making process.”

“It’s not measured against any law book, it’s not measured against any moral code, it’s measured against ourselves,” said Fisher.

According to the Code of Ethics by the Society of Professional Journalists, on which Fisher is a board member, ethical journalists and ethical decisions are based on seeking truth and reporting it.

Reporting the truth may not always be the easiest thing to do when gathering information and reporting it, but it is essential to be a honest and fair journalist.

Reporting the truth can be hard because it is not the only concern of reporters.  According to the SPJ Code of Ethics, it is a reporter’s job to minimize the harm that could potentially come from publishing an article; however, sometimes the harm is unavoidable.

“Journalism ethics is almost always about to publish or not to publish,” said Fisher.

Many of the students found Fisher’s lecture very insightful and helpful.
“Reporting the truth is what you have to do,” said Brenda Mandujano, a student of the newswriting class.

“Fisher’s lecture was extremely useful,” said Scott Stuart, a student of the newswriting class.  “It helped me distinguish the difference between morals and laws and how to make an ethical decision.”

Ethics of Newswriting 101

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Story by Joape Pela

Ethics of Newswriting 101

SALT LAKE CITY- In a University of Utah newswriting class last Monday a guest speaker, Professor Jim Fisher, spoke about ethics in newswriting.

Fisher gave a few pointers to the class on how to be a better newswriter.

“He used and illustrated his examples of being a better newswriter clearly,” said Kent Ava.

A few of his examples were to be accountable, minimize harm ,act independently, seek the truth and report it.

In newswriting there are always two sides to a story right? Well not so fast, as Fisher stated to the class, “Every story has multiple sides.”

To some people they might think that every story has two sides. As Brenda mandudujano stated, “We tend to think that every story has a right and a wrong side.” A newswriter  has to get all sides of the story to be as accurate as possible.

As Fisher spoke to class it seems like the class got a good grasp of the ethics of newswriting. (168)

 

Family-Friendly Natural History Museum Opens

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Story by Elysia Yuen
The new Natural History Museum of Utah is a place of interactive learning and growth for people of all ages.
The museum opened on Nov. 18, 2011. It displays 10 new galleries including three learning labs to enhance learning opportunities for its visitors.
“This is a place where we can inspire that curiosity early on and get kids trying their hand at observation, at study, at really trying to figure things out on their own,” said Becky Menlove, exhibit director for the museum.
Randy Irmis, curator of paleontology emphasized that a goal of the museum was to encourage families to enjoy the experience together.
“In each area you’ll find something to look at, something to listen to, something to smell and something to do,” said Irmis.
The museum connects visitors to several branches of science instead of focusing on only one subject. It also focuses on informing patrons of Utah’s natural surroundings and Native people.
The new exhibits include: Utah Sky and View Terrace, Native Voice, Life, Land, First Peoples, Lake (Great Salt Lake), Past Worlds, Utah Futures, Minerals and Our Backyard. Each display emphasizes the unique characteristics and history of the Utah area.
The design of the building also reflects Utah’s history. Todd Schliemann, the building’s architect, spent many years studying the geography of Utah.
Schliemann said he wanted the space to “symbolize the beauty and magnitude of the state’s unique landscapes.”
All of the displays and architecture are an integrated effort to enhance learning and interactivity among its visitors.
For those on a budget wanting to visit the museum, free admission days will be offered during the 2012 season. The dates are as follows: Jan. 9, April 9, July 9 and Sep. 22. More information can also be found on the museum website, http://nhmu.utah.edu/.

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Natural History Museum Offers New, Interesting Exhibits

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Story by Kourtney Mather

After years of planning and much anticipation, the Natural History Museum of Utah opened to the public this weekend at the Rio Tinto Center.
The NHMU has many new exhibits in the 51,000 square foot center ranging in topic from the ancient Lake Bonneville that covered most of the state of Utah, to a storytelling area featuring Utah’s Native American tribes and their histories.
The broad spectrum of topics and exhibits at the museum, however, was no accident. Becky Menlove, the exhibit director for the museum, explained that they wanted to “create very interdisciplinary exhibits so that you’re not learning about rocks at a particular time, but also about plants…paleontology…hydrology…because that’s really how we learn when we’re out in nature ourselves.”
Of course, no natural history museum would be complete without a dinosaur exhibit. The display features “one of the largest duck-billed dinosaurs to be mounted anywhere in the U.S.,” explained Randy Irmis, the curator of paleontology for the museum. “We’ve tried to lay it out as it was found in the field to give people a sense of what it’s like when you find these fossils.”
Todd Schliemann, the design architect for the building, spent years studying the geography of Utah to create the perfect design for the building in relation to the unique landscapes of Utah.
“When you walk into it, yes you feel a little small,” Schliemann explained, “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…”
The museum is open every day from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. with special extended hours on Wednesdays when it is open until 9 p.m. For more information visit http://www.nhmu.utah.edu.

Utah’s Natural History Museum Opens New Center

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Story by Kent Ava

SALT LAKE CITY—Utah’s Natural History Museum (UNHM) opened its new Rio Tinto Center to the public on Friday after years of preparation and construction. UNHM, located at the University of Utah, is a leading research center that focuses on Utah’s natural and cultural history.

The museum’s new exhibit galleries were developed by some of the world’s leading scientists, educators and exhibit designers. The new center provides more room for newly dedicated exhibits that range from Utah’s ecosystem to pioneer contributions to genetics and biogeography.

Patti Carpenter, director of public relations for the museum, said about the new space, “I think we put together a great museum in a great location.”

Todd Schliemann, design architect for the center, spent several years studying the landscape and geography of Utah for inspiration.

Schliemann wanted it to “symbolize the beauty and magnitude of the state’s unique landscapes.”

Becky Menlove, who is the director for the exhibits, said that those who visit the exhibit “especially kids” would find that inspiration came from their curiosity.

“Kids who imagine themselves as archeologists or as scientists because this [museum] is a place where we can [help] inspire that curiosity,” said Menlove.

To celebrate opening day, admission is free. The Natural History Museum of Utah is open daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., with hours extended to 9 p.m. on Wednesdays to offer special programming.