Newsy Bits Next To The Giblets: Posts I read during Thanksgiving

The Monday following the Thanksgiving holiday is always busy. Some people are taking part in the Cyber Monday insanity, but me personally, I’m trying to get caught up on my blogging while still trying to do my job as a paraeducator.

I missed a few days of blogging during the break, especially Friday and Saturday. Two days in a row kills me.

Fear not, though, I’m catching up by posting a few briefs about the news items I found most interesting during the break but didn’t have a chance to opine about.

Here they are:

Legal aid scheme for online journalists launched in US

On Nov. 24, Journalism.co.uk posted a story about a new service debuting in the United States.

It is a free, legal-aid service for online journalists, and I think it is really cool.

With more online, news entrepreneurs popping up every day, this service is much needed. No journalist is immune from error or the need to pursue an important, albeit sensitive, story, and if that error or necessary risk results in legal repercussions, these digital journalists need help since they don’t have the backing of a big news corporation to help fight the court battles, which require incredible amounts of resources.

The project is called the Online Media Legal Network, and it is a project of Harvard University’s Berkman Center for Internet and Society. It is being funded via a John S. and James L. Knight Foundation grant.

Very cool stuff.

Facebook friend turns into Big Brother

Now this is ridiculous.

The La Crosse Tribune in La Crosse, Wis., reported on Nov. 19 that 19-year-old University of Wisconsin-La Crosse student Adam Bauer got ticketed for underage drinking due to a photo of him on Facebook that depicted him holding a beer.

What?

A Facebook photo got the kid caught? That’s not right. Since when can social media images used retroactively to enforce a law such as drinking age laws?

The cops weren’t there. For all they know, the kid didn’t drink and was just holding it. When it went to court, the kid denied any wrongdoing, but he did plead no contest and paid a $227 fine.

So how did Bauer get caught? Well, that’s the really shady part about this whole ordeal. He reportedly got a random Facebook friend request, and since it was an attractive female, he accepted. Then he got called down to the police station.

The cops posed online to catch the underage drinker as if he were a child predator being lured to meet with an underage boy or girl.

That’s not right, and it destroys any trust the college students might have had of the police. Now the jobs of the police officers are going to become even more difficult because the students aren’t going to feel comfortable turning to them for help.

Bauer wasn’t the only one to get into trouble either. The story said at least seven others also got busted. A couple of the people who got into trouble and had to go to court to plead no contest didn’t even post the incriminating photos on Facebook. Someone else did and simply tagged them.

Wow. Big Brother is watching, and it is infringing upon our rights.

Magazine publishers to build an online newsstand

On Nov. 24, the Media Decoder blog on The New York Times Web site said several magazine publishers and banning together to attempt to come up with a solution to their woes of how the online world is nibbling away at their businesses.

They are developing an online magazine stand from which to sell their products in digital formats.

Conde Nast, publisher of my favorite magazine Wired, is involved in the project. Conde Nast has already proved this is doable by offering a Gentleman’s Quarterly application for the iPhone. It was approved by the Audit Bureau of Circulations, according to the Media Decoder post, because it allows the magazine to keep track of who downloads it, which must be factored into the month’s circulation.

I really like holding Wired in my hand while I’m at home, but it might be nice to just pull it up on my BlackBerry and give it a read while traveling instead of dragging the hard copy all over the place with me.

Controversial Stevenson High student newspaper released

High school journalists are being bullied again, and this time it is near Chicago.

The Daily Herald, which is billed as “suburban Chicago’s information source,” reported Nov. 25 that Stevenson High School journalism students were first censored and then forced to print a paper they didn’t feel was a product of their toils.

First the administration prevented the students from publishing a story that contained anonymous sources discussing illegal activities. Other stories were also targeted, according to the story.

Then, when the student journalists tried caught wind of all this, they proposed simply not printing the November issue, but the administration once again got involved and forced them to produce the paper because of “an educational obligation” since the paper is part of a course and not an extracurricular activity.

So the student journalists tried to withhold their bylines, which is what professional journalists do as a sign of protest, but the administration again forced the students to sign their names on work that they didn’t feel was theirs.

The Illinois Journalism Education Association and the Student Press Law Center have both spoken out against this event.

This is appalling, and a clear violation of the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. Free press is being crushed by the uninformed administrators in our country’s high schools. This needs to be curbed before the damage can’t be recovered from.

Students launch online magazine

Now this is just neat.

Goldsmiths, University of London has a cool class. It consists of 18 postgraduates who have started an online magazine, called EastLondonLines.

The magazine is, according to Guardian reports, covering courts and local council meetings of south and east London, and by all indications, they are doing better than some full-blown news organizations could.

I’m jealous of this. I wish I was involved. I miss not working with other journalists who are fired up and eager to do cool work.

I’ve bookmarked EastLondonLines on my computer. I’m going to keep an eye on this project, even if it is in London.

Louisiana joins ‘technophobia’ craze with restraints on teacher-student communications

People from the south are nuts.

On Nov. 16, the Student Press Law Center reported on its blog that a law has been passed in Louisiana that bans teachers from communicating with students via personal avenues, such as personal cell phones or personal e-mail accounts.

Now, communication can only occur via school-sanctioned e-mail addresses and phone numbers.

This might make sense on the surface because it can conceivably prevent inappropriate relations between students and teachers.

However, it greatly harms students journalists, who might need to communicate with teachers under the radar about sensitive stories.

Again, the First Amendment rights of high school journalists are being trampled. This isn’t a direct attack, but it will have a chilling affect on both journalists and whistleblowers recognizing the need to expose a wrongdoing.

College football is a roller coaster of emotion

I had two college football games to watch.

One was the University of Nebraska versus the University of Colorado. Nebraska won, and it made me quite happy.

The other was the University of Kansas versus the University of Missouri. If KU won, they would be bowl eligible, despite the controversy swirling in Lawrence right now.

KU didn’t win. I wasn’t happy, and I know this could spell the end for the Jayhawks’ head coach. Stay tuned for more on that here at The Voice. I will be posting later today or tomorrow about the KU situation.

Closing time . . . .

Well, like I said, this was just a sampling of what I read. The above posts were the ones that fired me up the most.

I would have blogged them throughout the holiday, but between Thanksgiving with family and being a pallbearer at a relative’s funeral, I just didn’t have the time.

I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving, and as always, thanks for reading!

Christmas decorations comes to Ransom

From

My roommate, Western Plains U.S.D. 106 second and third grade teacher Travis Schafer, and I are getting into the Christmas spirit.

On our way back home today from visiting family for Thanksgiving, we stopped at Walmart and purchased a few decorations for our Ransom home.

I already had the fiber-optic Christmas tree, and we bought a couple stockings and a few other indoor decorations. We also got outdoor lights to adorn our house with.

We don’t have ornaments on the tree yet, but we’ll take care of that later. The important thing is we have the holiday spirit and gingerbread-scented candles.

Masses support Mangino

Kansas University wide receiver Bradley McDougald greets fans who showed up after practice to show their support for the Jayhawks. About 150 fans turned out Wednesday. (Photo by Mike Yoder from KUSports.com)

Even as University of Kansas Football Head Coach Mark Mangino’s termination seems eminent, people are still supporting the coach who is accused of poking senior linebacker Artist Wright in the chest during a practice.

Coaches from throughout the Big 12 have come forward to support Mangino, even Kansas State University’s Bill Snyder.

Texas Tech coach Mike Leach has publicly stated he thinks the Mangino investigation is a “witch hunt.”

Leach is completely correct. This is a bogus investigation that is nothing more KU Athletic Director Lew Perkins wanting to get rid of Mangino.

The Jayhawk coach has denied the allegations and he continues to run the team as “business as usual.”

And that’s the way it should be. Mangino is above the garbage and rumors being spread about him by Perkins and the former players that are his lemmings.

Despite all the negativity swirling about, one man rallied the troops in an impressive pep rally in preparation for Saturday’s Border War in Kansas City’s Arrowhead Stadium against the Tigers of Missouri.

Don Fambrough, a prolific former KU coach who, according to KUSports.com “who annually relays some of his anti-Missouri sentiments to team members in the days leading up to the game,” organized a rally Wednesday following the Jayhawk’s practice.

More than 150 people turned out to show support for the Jayhawk players and Mangino, who’s future still hangs in the balance.

Fambrough told KUSports.com how ridiculous he thought the entire situation was:

“(Players have) been down in the dumps because of all this commotion going on about what they started up there on the hill,” said Fambrough in the article, referring to athletic director Lew Perkins’ recent announcement that KU was launching an investigation into football coach Mark Mangino’s treatment of players. “That was the dumbest damn thing. Why the hell didn’t they wait until after the season? That’s what anybody with any damn knowledge of the game of football would do. If you got something to gripe about or something to be upset about, come see me after the season. Not with two games left. That’s the dumbest damn thing I ever heard of, and I don’t give a damn who hears me say that.”

This show of support should be proof that KU needs Mangino, but we won’t know how this story is going to end until after Saturday’s game.

I wish Mangino and the Hawks the best of luck in the Mizzou game and in this on-going saga. I also congratulate the team for having 15 of its players be named to the Academic All-Big 12 Team. And Mangino has done nothing for the team off of the football field, right? Give me a break.

Mangino should also be applauded for taking care of his team on Thanksgiving.

According to a KUSports.com article, “in-state players, Mangino said, are encouraged to take out-of-town players home with them for holiday dinner.

“‘No player spends the holiday alone,’ Mangino said. ‘If other families do not bring them in, our coaching staff and myself, we bring them to our homes to have holiday dinner so that no player spends the holiday alone.

“‘That’s the worst thing that could happen to a young guy.’”

Now that is cool. Even in the face of these allegations, Mangino is still taking care of his team. Mangino has class, and Perkins shouldn’t be gunning for him.

Sure, some might criticize the fact that Mangino hasn’t communicated much with Perkins since the investigation was launched, but why should he? Perkins has already made up his mind.

I hope Perkins’ turkey is extra dry today as punishment for what he is doing to Mangino and the KU football program.

Doris M. Fensky Shaw, 86

Doris Marjorie Fensky Shaw died unexpectedly the morning of Nov. 21 at her home in Moundridge. She was 86.

Funeral services took place at 11 a.m. Wednesday at Immanuel Lutheran Church in rural Canton.

Pastor Seth Meyer officiated. Organist was Barbara Vogts. Soloist providing music was Lory Cross. Pallbearers were Todd Vogts, Stacy Vogts, Luke Fensky, Steve Fensky, Brion Fensky and Rick McNutt. Ushers were Bruce Otte and Lloyd Otte.

Interment took place in the Immanuel Lutheran Church Cemetery.

Doris was born Jan. 6, 1923 on the home place in rural Moundridge, the daughter of Carl and Mary (Vogts) Fensky. She grew up with her brothers and sisters there and attended a country school nearby.

On Dec. 16, 1945, Doris was united in marriage to Robert Shaw at Immanuel Lutheran Church in rural Canton. Their first home was in the church parsonage at Mounridge. Doris and Robert were blessed with two children, Duane, who lives in Cape Canaveral, Fla., and Debra, who lives in Moundridge.

They later moved to Canton where Duane and Debra attended school. After Duane’s graduation in 1969, Doris, Robert and Debra relocated to Emporia. While in Emporia, Doris worked as a cashier at the Student Union of Kansas State Teachers College (now known as Emporia State University). After her retirement in the mid 1980s, they moved back to Canton. Almost two years ago, Doris moved to Moundridge in an assisted living apartment at Memorial Home. There she made many new friends whom she truly adored. She had a strong faith in the Lord and always looked forward to attending chapel, particularly when Pastor Seth Meyer was going to be preaching.

Doris thoroughly enjoyed crocheting and working in her flower gardens. She loved to read, especially inspirational love stories. She also treasured her collection of music boxes and bud vases. Doris was an excellent cook. Her specialty, according to Duane, was fired chicken and all the trimmings.

Most of all, Doris dearly loved her family. She was a devote wife, a loving mother and a loyal friend to others. Doris had a great relationship with each of her children and welcomed their close friends as children of her own. She adored spending quality time with Duane and his children and seeing all the sights of Florida. She also shared a special bond with her daughter, Debra. Along with being mother and daughter, they were friends as well. Many happy times were spent together shopping, visiting and eating Diary Queen ice cream for a late-day treat.

Survivors include her husband Robert, of McPherson; her son, Duane; her daughter, Debra; two grandchildren, Jay and Nichole Shaw; a brother, Lowell Fensky, of Hudson, Kan.; two sisters, Edit Sellers, of Moundridge, and Evelyn Steinle McCune, of Blairstown, Mo.; and a host of other relatives and friends. She was preceded in death by two brothers, Myron and Ralph.

Political Editor makes song about copy editor layoffs

Nowadays all you hear is about how print journalism is dying, and though I don’t necessarily buy that notion (I think it is just changing, but I don’t claim to know what that change will result in), I follow such news closely, mainly via Romenesko.

Christopher Ave, the political editor at the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, wrote a song about layoffs, specifically about copy editor layoffs because they are so valuable to news organizations in helping keep both embarrassing and serious errors out of print.

It is a lovely homage to the word mavens who regularly bail reporters out by correcting their errors.

You can read the story about it here.

The song is funny and quite poignant. It really hits on what is going on and how valuable copy editors are.

Here is the song for your enjoyment:

If you liked this, I urge you to check out his blog. He is a musician and a journalist, and he wants journalists to understand how music can help multimedia productions. It is very interesting stuff.