YELLOW JOURNALISM

 

I work as a part-time journalist as well as a romance author and am I aware that scintillating stories and descriptions allegedly sell books and papers… but I totally detest the concept of “Yellow Journalism”.

 

“Yellow journalism and yellow press are American terms for journalism and associated newspapers that present little or no legitimate, well-researched news while instead using eye-catching headlines for increased sales.^[  Techniques may include exaggerations of news events, scandal-mongering, or sensationalism.” (Wikipedia)

 

I want to read or watch the news for facts, details and not just to see people crying or in misery. The recent tragedy in Miami was used by media to attract viewers and readers. It is horrible and sad news about all the people who perished, but very little, if any, news was shared about the heroes who combed through the piles of what was once a building to rescue LIVING beings. Crews came from many places in our nation, they combed through the rubble for, in some cases, people they had never even heard of. Others provided food and shelter to those who lost their home.

 

We heard very little, if anything, about the efforts of rescuers, those who came to offer aid, and tales of families who were fortunate enough to be reunited. I scoured several articles and while I know I didn’t get to all of them, there wasn’t a single mention of the people who were actually saved by heroes. Yes, the tragic facts were that people died, it was unexpected and heartbreaking and by all means important. BUT people also survived and helped others to survive and that is news too.

 

How many times have TV reporters shown up, reported on the “story” and then lengthened their broadcast by thrusting the microphones at crying witnesses and simply asking, over and over again, “How do you feel?” As a former first responder I can tell you that seeing someone die in a tragic accident NEVER feels good… so why keep pressing those who are emotionally hurting to boost ratings with their despair? Stick to the facts, good and bad, to me that’s news.

 

A few decades ago my husband was working as a news photographer for a local newspaper. Part of his job was to listen in on emergency channels and photograph news events as they were happening. There was the one day he came across a devastating house fire. The family, including children and pets, all made it out alive thanks to the heroic actions of the responding firefighters. The house and everything they owned, in the material sense, was gone. 

Mark took dramatic photos of the parents hugging their children with tears running down their faces. He had shots of firefighters covered in soot and still entering the house to save whatever and whoever they could. When he got his photos back to the newspaper editor, the first question the man asked was “Did anybody die?” Mark answered, “No the firefighters saved them all.” The editor gave a simple answer which absolutely stunned my husband, “Too bad. That won’t sell.”

 

Please, News Editors for newspapers and TV media, give us news and facts, not sensationalism. We have enough soap operas and TV dramas to fill our appetites for scandals and tears. Let’s celebrate some of the good that happens, the heroes that come through for us, and the tragedies that “could have been worse” if not for the quick actions and selflessness of others.

 

How to read a newspaper…

In reality I guess I have many pet peeves, but one that truly annoys me is when people read a simple headline or re-post a Facebook meme and repost without bothering to test the truth of the content. Now this flaw really has little to do with politics, religion or lifestyle choices — I honestly think it is simply a matter of reading or hearing ONLY WHAT YOU WANT TO HEAR and then being so determined to prove that you couldn’t possibly be mistaken.

First of all, and I’ve told this story before, I had a Junior High School teacher who taught his class a very valuable lesson; The ONLY way you could truly be sure of your beliefs was to understand other viewpoints. He said that if you couldn’t even listen to another opinion there was no real way you could be sure that you were “right”. Basically every time you close yourself off to other people’s thoughts, you really don’t have anything to back up your own way of thinking. It is only when you have a lot of information at hand that you can make an informed decision.

Everything you read on the Internet is NOT necessarily true, and neither is any one “news source” guaranteed to present honest reporting. There are also many who go only as far as a headline and never bother to actually read the content of the article. And of course there are folks who limit themselves to a sole source of “news” and never check-out IF that source is reliable or not. I am not trying to get you to agree or disagree with me, or to choose one candidate over another — I only want you to look at multiple sources, review the facts and THINK FOR YOURSELF.

I certainly am not perfect, sometimes it is difficult to get ALL of the information you might need to understand what really is going on, and there are a few times I’ve made mistakes. If you spend time on a site like FaceBook I am sure you have seen those popular memes that keep getting reposted only to be followed by a litany of corrections and complaints. This can certainly be avoided (you’ll probably never avoid all the complaints) if you take the time to check the info. If you come across a meme or headline that has Chicken Little shouting that “the sky is falling” take the time to search for that information. If you are online simply Google the phrase, how many other sources are reporting the same thing, or, how many sources are saying exactly the opposite? Based on your findings it may be easier to believe one way or the other.

Many of us tend to become complacent and comfortable listening to just one radio station or read one newspaper and while limiting yourself to just the one source of news if by itself dangerous, how do you really know that you can trust that information? After getting into a political debate with a friend I learned that her sole source of info came a single news broadcast channel so I looked the channel up. No, it wasn’t the stories I was interested in, I wanted to know WHO was behind this newen channel. Imagine my surprise when I found corporate info that told about an owner who had been accused of an actually indicted on a few charges of illegally terminating his employees if they dared to report any negative news about the owner’s favorite politician! And just to be sure of what I had found, I looked up another source and found very similar information!

What I am trying to say is always check your facts. If you find multiple sources that agree with your original point of view, terrific! Whether I agree with you or not I can respect your opinion because you’ve taken the time to educate yourself and make up your own mind. Maybe, just maybe, the information you found will change your mind and that is good too. We are all entitled to our personal views, so long as we really understand why we feel the way we do. And if you really want to convince others to believe the way you do then understanding their side will help you present facts and possibly even change their mind. But above all, we all have to be willing to hear other viewpoints and respect other opinions.

Here’s to a little less arguing and a little more progress down the road.

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What is religious freedom? ~ #MondayBlogs

The subject has been all over the news – a government official refuses to issue marriage licenses for gay couples; a flight attendant won’t serve alcoholic beverages to passengers; a hobby store refuses to carry any merchandise from all but the owner’s chosen faith; there are stores that won’t open on the Sabbath; holiday displays on public property are considered taboo; one person wants school prayer and another one doesn’t; religious head coverings are questioned; and so many more topics such as is it insulting to some to have the words “in God we trust” on our paper money?

At what point does it become enough? What does it mean to have religious freedom? And is it always persecution if someone loses a job if that religious belief isn’t allowed to be practiced? It seems it’s become too easy to yell religious discrimination when someone doesn’t get their way. There are many factors to consider.

First of all, let me be clear, this is an OPINION piece, MY opinion – there will be people who will disagree and I respect your right to another opinion; however I expect my right to be respected for my beliefs, so please read on…

If you are doing a job with specific responsibilities and tasks and you fail to abide by those rules, is it religious persecution to fire you? I believe that if you took the job with a clear understanding of expectations or if you took a vow to uphold things like, well, like the United States Constitution, then I feel it is not persecution to expect you to do your job. A refusal to do your job should be cause for dismissal or impeachment. Obviously if your boss makes a new rule after you’ve signed on and it would cause you to violate sincere and sacred beliefs, I do think he or she (the boss) needs to make accommodations. By the way, an oath to uphold the constitution is the same even if a new amendment is added. If you are still vehemently opposed to the assigned tasks then it is up to you to give notice and find another job.

In the case of the flight attendant refusing to serve alcoholic drinks, conversion to her faith was made by her choice after already being employed in that position. Although I think it is an unfair burden to ask other attendants to do that part of your job, I do think the individual should sit down with both management and then co-workers to see if there is a solution that would work for all; however, like I said, it does place an unfair burden on other attendants and they should not be penalized if they refuse. The best solution might be to sit with management and find out if there are any positions in the company where this responsibility is not required. Once again since the choices that were made that changed the circumstances belonged to the flight attendant, the ultimate responsibility to correct the situation should be on the shoulders of the attendant.

Head coverings are a different situation. Is there a dress code or uniform it violates? Does the head covering change your physical appearance significantly as in a photo ID? Or is your boss simply concerned that your head covering might offend customers or co-workers? Deciding on whether a head covering is permitted should be considered by individual cases and circumstances. If you’ve been wearing this garment since you took the job and the boss has a sudden change of heart, then this can indeed be discriminatory if you are fired (or in many cases not hired). In the case of official uniforms (it varies between a store clerk uniform or a military officer for example), if the head covering drastically alters the uniform and the uniformity is necessary (such as military) then it might be refused and may be perfectly legal and non-discriminatory.

If you observe the Sabbath and have made it clear during the hiring process that you cannot work that day, if the employer still hires you it would seem to be an understanding that you will not be held responsible; however when a busy holiday season arrives and the boss now demands you put in that specific extra day, if you refuse and you are fired, that sounds to me like discrimination. Many schools allow their students to take off, or might even close for the day, if there is an observance of a religious holiday. If the school is not closed, important and mandatory tests shouldn’t be scheduled on days where observant students would be forced to choose between failing the test or violating their religion. Federal laws require schools to make reasonable accommodation to the religious needs of students and employees in observance of holy days.

According to the Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America “Federal law requires an employer to "reasonably accommodate" an employee's religious observances, practices and beliefs unless the employer can show that accommodation would cause an "undue hardship" to the employer's business. What constitutes "reasonable accommodation" and "undue hardship" depends on the facts unique to a particular situation. Essentially, an employer must attempt to create a structure permitting employees to practice their religious beliefs while still maintaining their jobs. In some cases, accommodation may not be possible.” Reasonable accommodations and undue hardships may be interpreted differently between individual, but I think the key phrase maintaining their jobs is important.

I really like the way this Reverend explains the meaning of religious freedom: "Religious liberty is guaranteed in this country. But that does not mean that every job needs to bend to your particular interpretation of your faith," United Church of Christ's Rev. Emily C. Heath writes. "If you really believe doing your job is violating your faith, then stepping aside would be a small price to pay for the love of the Gospel."

In the meanwhile, let’s try respecting one another and value both our differences and our commonalities.

Positivity ~ #MondayBlogs

It seems like the world is "going to hell in a hand-basket"

It is frightening, mind-boggling, despairing and frustrating to hear of tragedy upon tragedy in our country and abroad. Just about every news report contains scenes of grieving families, funerals, anger,and so much more negativity.

Whatever feelings you have about alleged perpetrators or police officers - who is right or who is wrong - it cannot be denied that when ANY parent/family is left to mourn a loss, it is a tragedy.

When a local legislator receives a threatening picture where his head is superimposed over an ISIS beheading... it's unbelievable. And when we hear of journalists and aid workers being kidnapped and beheaded, it's appalling.

What kind of world are our children growing up in? They worry about terrorism, disturbed individuals with weapons (guns, knives,cars,etc.) causing massive damage. Of course there are the natural (and unnatural) disasters such as weather/storms,fires, floods, quakes and sinkholes to add more uncertainty to our daily existence.

Where is the innocence that a child should be able to enjoy?

Have we reached a point where we should just throw our hands up in surrender? I don't plan to.

Too often we've seen strangers pulling together in times of despair, Even young adults have formed organizations to offer help for worthy causes. Professional first responders, police, fire, and EMS (both paid and volunteer) are heroes who answer our calls for help. Medical science has made advances to treat many conditions that once were considered death sentences and research continues in other serious conditions.

I once heard someone say that every morning the sun rises is a sign of hope. It is. Every day we begin with a fresh start, and new chance to get something positive done. Make it your daily focus to offer a hand, make someone smile, feed a soul, pray or wish for something good to happen for those around you, to offer a compliment...

Make every day you have count - make your life a reason to do something good for our world.