Perfect example of taste and sensitivity

A fatal shooting took place at a Wendy's restaurant in West Palm Beach, FL, on March 3, 2008. The indicident was captured on the restaurant's security surveillance video. A judge ruled on July 25 that the video can be viewed by the public if they choose to go to the sheriff's office, but the video can not be copied or distributed. View the full story here.

Fire Lt. Ray Vazquez was killed in the shooting, along with the gunman, Alburn "eddie" Blake. Four others were also wounded.

The Associated Press and The Palm Beach Post filed a lawsuit against the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office after it refused to release the evidence video. An attorney for the news-media outlets, said the video was a public record that could not be withheld. An attorney for the sheriff's office said he feared if the video was released, that it would appear in tabloids, on TV, the Internet and YouTube.

The judge asked for what purpose disseminating the video would serve. The news-media outlets' attorney answered that Florida law does not require people to state a purpose when asking for a public record.

As we discussed in class on Monday, this case is a perfect example of taste and sensitivity within journalism. In determining whether to publish an article (or in this case a video tape), we were told to ask three questions:

1. Is it accurate? Well, surely in this case the tape is accurate. It shows in detail the events of that day.
2. Who's your audience? I'm assuming the audience would be the readers of The Palm Beach Post, local residents who, more than likely, would have heard about the shooting in March.
3. Do a little bit of math - is it worth it? In my opinion, this is the deal breaker here. Hasn't the victim's family suffered enough? Yes, it's public record, but what good is going to come of allowing the public to view this video? Do viewers really want to see a local firefighter gunned down in a senseless act of violence? I would imagine not.

If I were the editor of The Palm Beach Post, I would not have requested a copy of the video tape. I just don't think the general public is interested in viewing it and I would have been more respectful to the victim's family.

Print or Online - thought two

Times are hard, we all know that. The economy is struggling, unemployment rates are up and prices for necessities such as gasoline and groceries are reaching all-time highs. The newspaper industry is taking it hard too. Major publishers, including New York Times Co., Gannet Co. (parent company of the Des Moines Register), McClatchy Co., Lee Enterprises Inc. and E.W. Scripps Co., are reporting profits cut in half as compared to the second quarter of last year.

So, as to continue on the thought of my previous blog, perhaps more readers are turning to the internet for their news. Maybe in these increasingly tough economic times, readers are choosing to forego the cost of printed news and opt to use computers more. After all, you can receive the same information, almost always for free, on the internet.

How are the newspaper companies going to survive this downward turn? Some of the recent ideas we have heard in class could surely help. By compressing story size, being more selective about the information being printed, reducing the actual size of the paper used and reducing or eliminating ads are all seem to be excellent ways of reducing costs. However, advertising is a large part of the newspaper industry's revenue; reducing or eliminating ads could also cut revenue, driving up the cost of the paper for consumers. So the newspaper industry has their work cut out for them if they are to survive this nation-wide budget crunch, just as we all do.

Print or Online - What's Your Choice?

According to a survey completed by the Readership Institute at NorthWestern University, newspaper Web sites continue to have limited penetration in most communities. Some might be surprised at this claim; I, however, am not. Personally, I would much rather pick up the Des Moines Register and read it cover to cover versus having to try to navigate my way through their Web site. I have to admit it's probably because I'm not as comfortable with the Web site as I am the good old fashion printed version; I'm simply unfamiliar with the Web site and familiarizing myself with it would take more time and energy than I am willing to give that task at this point in my life.

There are some mind-numbing facts in the survey yet one of the more interesting facts is: 62 percent of respondents have never visited their local daily newspaper’s Web site. The percentage is higher than I expected but again, I'm not surprised.

I am married to one of those individuals that prefers to read news online. I chalk that up to the fact that he has relocated so many times; he finds this as the best way to keep up on local news in the most recent cities he has lived in.

So, whatever medium you receive it in, print or online, I continue to urge everyone to read the news. Read it daily and stay in touch with what's going on around you.

First Amendment? - Yeah Right

The First Amendment - freedom of speech right? Well, evidentially unless you're a college newspaper publishing derogative information about the college itself. The editors of The Inkwell are suing Armstrong Atlantic State University, saying administrators cut the paper’s budget to punish it for stories and editorials criticizing the university.

The newpaper took a more aggresive approach to reporting on college activities and events in the past year which angered the administrators. The editors are alleging the administrators cut the newspaper's budge for next year by $4260 forcing the editors to lower staff wages and leaving them unable to pay freelancers. The editors claim the budget cuts violated their freedom of speech.

Okay - I agree, initially with what the editors are saying. However, as we discussed in class, one essential element of writing is to stop and think about what you're writing and the potential consequences of your works. Don Imus for example, said what he wanted to say and yes, legally he can do that thanks to the First Amendment, however, he also lost his job over the statement.

So go ahead, say (or print) what you want, but as the old saying goes, better to "Not bite the hand that feeds you."

Netflix-like magazines?

Are you familiar with Netflix? The movie rental program where, for a monthly fee, you can rent and return as many movies as you please. It's all done through the mail, no more trips to the movie rental store and no more late fees. When you're finished with a movie you simply mail it back, then Netflix sends you the next one on your "wishlist".

Well, evidentially the concept has caught on with magazines as well. Maghound is a new service from the publishers of Time, People and Sports Illustrated where, yep - you guessed it, you can receive your monthly magazines, read them, then send them back for another title(s). Now I think I've heard it all. I don't know about you, but most magazines that enter my household are not in any condition to be read by another person after my family is done with it. By the time everyone has ear-marked just about every page at one time or another, at least three beverages have sweat probably more than their weight in content all over the cover after using the magazine for a coaster, and my cat is done using it as her latest scratching post - trust me, these magazines are in NO shape for readers outside of my home!

Now granted, if you knew you were going to be returning the magazine for someone else's reading enjoyment, perhaps you would be more careful than the average household and be sure to keep it in mint condition. But honestly, how many of us read the magazine from cover to cover within a timely manner of receiving it? I mean, I'm sure there are magazines around my house that are well past their prime and I can guarantee you that I have yet to read the entire thing.

So, is this what magazines have come to? Share, share alike? I just don't think so. I think it's a noble idea, it has definitely worked for the movie industry, however I don't believe that we have the same urgency to read a magazine and return it as we do to watch a movie and return it for the next one.

Click here if you're interested on the full story on Maghound.