What I've Learned from Journalism!

I can honestly say that I've learned a lot from print journalism over the course of this semester.

I would even go as far to say that print journalism was one of the toughest courses I have ever taken at AACC.  

Print Journalism has taught me the importance of extracting facts, analyzing information, and presenting information to readers in which they can easily understand.

The main goal of enrolling into print journalism was to improve my writing skills and communication by asking questions.

I found this class to be very difficult (and often times stressful) because of the requirement of interviewing people.

I would often interview a dozen people. Often times, I would receive one worded answers.

Other times while interviewing people I would ask all the wrong questions or would forget to write information.

Do I want to continue with Journalism as a career?

Probably not....

I am happy with being a Business major and a Chinese minor.

Even though the subjects of Journalism, Business, and Chinese seem different.

The subjects share one common similarity.... They all require you to talk to people and extract information from them.

I believe that print journalism has given me interview experience.

I have always been in interviews were I had to answer questions for a job.

However, I never had experience conducting an interview until print journalism forced me to preform interviews.

Do I want to continue Journalism as a hobby?

Yes, I do plan on making my own blog (and website) in the future.

Print Journalism has taught me some of the basics.

I believe that creating a blog is a good way to obtain new skills as well as developing myself professionally.

234 women and children saved from the grasp of Boko Haram

Who should we blame for Baltimore Riots? (summary of an interesting article)

Forbes has issued an article early this morning on who is the real culprit to blame for the Baltimore Riots. 

Dan Diamond, Forbes Contributor, suggested that the real problem in Baltimore is social and economic inequality among different parts of the city.

Diamond said that the whole mystery behind the Baltimore Riots is driven by the unemployment rate in the city.

Currently, an estimate of 1/4 of Baltimore's population lives under the poverty line.

He attributes unemployment rates towards failing schools in Baltimore that have a drop out rate of 60%.

Diamond also compares Baltimore to other cities in the United States.

I have found this news article to be an interesting piece of journalism.

I like how this specific journalist wrote this news story. The story brings fourth interesting facts and draws quite an array of emotion while reading.

His paragraph that stuck out to me the most was "Broken Schools. Bad Jobs. No opportunities. These problems need to matter to all of us. Inequality needs to matter to all of us."

I found that the way this journalist wrote this news story was interesting and fascinating because he used a different angle.

However, I still do not think that vandalizing a whole city is the answer to solve under lying economic problems. The riots for the most part are not good for local businesses and the citizens of Baltimore a like.

ANARCHY in Baltimore

Under Dressed? (AACC Job Fair)

Last Thursday, I had the fortunate opportunity in covering AACC's annual spring job fair.

During the event, I brought many problems upon myself. 

I feared of not reaching my goal of 10 tweets and interviewing employers and job seekers. 

I was nervous and jittery; My first couple interviews suffered due to juggling my note pad and phone while asking and answering questions.   

I botched a couple interviews with Aflac insurance and the NSA. 

I learned threw out the job fair that good interviews are a result of how you look and conduct yourself as a journalist. 

I got the vibe from a few employers that I was a tad under dressed. 

The result being that the employers didn't take me seriously and didn't give me the information that I was seeking.

The morning of I rolled out of bed, threw on a pair of jeans and a sweater t-shirt not thinking of how I looked.

I was tired from the previous night and did not give a second thought of how I looked.

I wished I would have worn at least a collared shirt and combed my hair.

I also felt a little embarrassment when the whole class interviewed Veronica Boreland.

I was struggling to keep up with my notes because of the questions and answers where coming to fast.

I made the mistake of assuming that I could record her.

When in reality I should have asked her first.

Covering the AACC job fair has taught me a lot and  has given me a new appreciation for Journalism writing.

I struggle a lot with writing notes while interviewing someone; to me it is very unnatural to try to maintain a conversation, write, and have my next question maintain relevancy to the interview.

My Tweets:

pic.twitter.com/dVEzhBmuh8
— Com102 AACC News (@NewsCom102) April 16, 2015 

Class mates tweets:

Children's world learning center taking interviews in the nice weather. #AACCfair #mm pic.twitter.com/LnHAvqGxjS
— Com102 AACC News (@NewsCom102) April 16, 2015

You might end up on 1430 WNAV here at the #AACCfair #nk pic.twitter.com/C24AUu2ASb
— Com102 AACC News (@NewsCom102) April 16, 2015

Justin Bieber in trouble with Argentine Court officials

Photo taken by Associated Press

Justin Bieber was issued an arrest warrant after he failed to answer questions regarding a rumored assault in Argentina.

Recent rumors suggest that a local Argentine photographer blamed Bieber for commanding his bodyguard to attack.

The photographer was allegedly attacked while he was taking a picture of Bieber exiting an Argentine Club in 2013.

 

@justinbieber I loved it #BieberRoast Greetings from Argentina. Do not know how you could hold all those charged  I love you :)
— Marty Belieber (@MartiRevainera) April 2, 2015

I am not a big fan nor do I hate Justin Bieber. I find Bieber to be annoying because of his fans. I remember about 2 years ago when Justin Bieber was in the limelight for drinking and driving, drag racing, and even smoking marijuana.

His fans would get crazy hashtags trending such as #cutforbieber or #StandwithBieber. #cutforbieber emerged after his fans read claims that Bieber allegedly smoked marijuana.

Bieber fans would cut their wrists and upload a pictures to twitter; his fans tried to use this hashtag to show that they didn't support bieber smoking marijuana.

Anyways, I am quite surprised that his fans haven't really trended this story on social media.

Mayweather v.s. Pacquiao Breaks Pay-Per-View Price Record

Boxing fans will be paying an arm and a leg on May 2nd when Mayweather and Pacquiao collide in the boxing ring on Pay-Per-View.

Official promotional
fight poster for Mayweather v.s. Pacquiao 2015

Showtime and HBO has set an official price for the biggest boxing event of the 21st century.

The confirmed price for the Mayweather v.s. Pacquiao bout will cost fans $89.95 for standard definition.

Most boxing fans will pay up to $99 for a premium high definition pay-per-view stream.

The fight has set an official record by being the most expensive pay-per-view in boxing history.

The previous record was set by  Mayweather v.s. Canelo Alvarez in 2013. The pay-per-view costed fans $64.95 for standard definition and $74.95 for high definition. 

Projections have concluded that this bout will sell more than 2.5 million ppv buys. Also, this fight is expected to rake in more than $152 million.

Both fighters are projected to make over $100 million/ each regardless of winning or losing the fight.

Boxing fans voice in there opinions on twitter:

My buddy asked me if I was going to pay the $100 to get #MayweatherPacquiao on PPV. I said "no, but I plan on finding someone who will."
— b-mart (@iHellaRaise) April 4, 2015

I would pay $300 for the #MayweatherPacquiao fight. I don't know why people are upset at $100.
— H.E. Pennypacker (@mikeloftis27) April 3, 2015

Almost a 100 bucks to watch the #MayweatherPacquiao fight... You have got to be kidding me! smh
— Semir (@Semir_k) April 4, 2015

Man, I feel like I gotta get my credit score right just to watch this #MayweatherPacquiao fight!
— Aaron Sturgis (@SonOfRhythm) April 4, 2015

I think boxing has shot itself in the foot. Who can afford to buy a $99 pay per view? #MayweatherPacquiao
— Patrick J. (@PatAttack90) April 3, 2015

$1 Million Powerball bought in Maryland

Photo Taken by cbslocal.com

A winning lottery ticket was bought in Howard County, Maryland.

 The Powerball ticket was bought at Weis Market near Birmingham Way.

The store that sold the ticket will get a $2,500 royalty for selling the winning lottery ticket.

The ticket matched all of the numbers drawn except for the powerball.

The numbers thatwon were 2-4-6-12-38 and a Powerball of 17.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I find this news story to be interesting because the person who had the winning lottery ticket became an instant millionaire.

I also find this to be interesting because people have better odds of being struck by lightning than actually winning the lottery!!

Prominent Professional Wrestler Dies after In-Ring Performance

Taken by the Associated Press

A "Lucha Libre" wrestler dies in a Tijuana hospital early Saturday morning after receiving a deadly kick during a wrestling match.  

Pedro Aguayo Ramirez, also known by his wrestling ring name as Hijo Del Perro Aguayo was knocked unconsciously after receiving an aerial kick by professional wrestling superstar Oscar Gutierrez, also known as Rey Mysterio Jr.. 

After the delivery of Mysterio's famous signature wrestling move called "The 619"; Aguayo laid unconsciously inside of the wrestling ring until the match concluded.  

The referee and the ring side doctor tended to Aguayo while the match continued on for 2 minutes after he was knocked out. 

Paramedics were abruptly called down to the ring after the match concluded to attempt to resuscitate Aguayo. 

Mysterio stayed inside of the ring to show respect to his  fallen opponent by leading the crowd with "Perro" chants. 

Aguayo was quickly rushed to a hospital less than one mile away from the stadium where he died around 1:30 a.m. . 

Aguayo, 35, is famous among professional wrestling fans in Mexico, The United States, and Japan. 

Aguayo is the son of the lucha libre legend  Pedro "Perro" Aguayo, who is a member of the Aztec lucha hall of fame. 

The height of Aguayo's wrestling career was when he led a wrestling stable called "Los Perros de Mal." (The Bad Dogs) He held many prestigious championships in Mexico from winning the National Heavyweight Championship to the National Pairs (Tag Team) Championship.  

Rey Mysterio posted a photo on instagram respecting Hijo Del Perro Aguayo and his family: 

Picture taken from Professional Wrestler Rey Mysterio's Instagram.

  
"I had the privilege to share a ring for the first time with Hijo Del Perro Aguayo in his debut as a professional wrestler & an Honor to be in the Ring with this great Legend for the last time! You will be missed Perro:: RIP Perro Aguayo Jr." said Rey Mysterio on the photo's caption.

WWE Professional Wrestlers Triple H and Mark Henry also took to twitter saying: 

 

A video surfaced on youtube from a fan who attended and recorded Aguayo's last professional wrestling match.

Senate Bill could Destroy Federal Ban on Medical Marijuana

Photo taken by sciencedaily.com

The United States Senate has introduced a new bill on Tuesday that could legally protect medical marijuana patients and health care providers from federal persecution. The bill is going to take effect in states that have passed legislation in favor of decriminalizing medical marijuana. 

The bill will force the United States Drug Enforcement Administration to reclassify marijuana from a Schedule 1(has no medical benefit) drug to a Schedule 2 drug (has medical benefit). The bill will make medical marijuana accessible to patients that qualify for prescriptions. However, the bill is not going to permit recreational use of marijuana by the general public.  

I hope that the introduction of this new bill will enable scientists to do more research on certain marijuana strands that could possibly aid patients with cancer and autism. 

"Hungry Hungry Hippos" received an Epic Reboot

The now classic board game "Hungry Hungry Hippos" has recently received an extreme update for risk takers and adrenaline junkies. The old children's board game featured up to four playable hippos; in which the objective was to collect the most marbles by grabbing them with the hippo's mouth.

Photo Taken From ThinkGeek.com

A Youtube User by the name of Tanner Nielson has adapted the game into a life sized version inside of a empty gym.

The video shows four players on top of dollies collecting balloons with laundry baskets. Once the player arrives in the middle they are pulled away by bungee cords.

The game is considered dangerous because all of the players dive into the middle head first. Most of the players in the video are wearing helmets.    




The Youtube video has gone viral and was featured in various news articles on Yahoo.com, Buzzfeed, and sourcefed.com to name a few news media outlets.

Kim Jong-Un's new haircut entices Media Criticism

Kim Jong-Un, the sole leader of North Korea has recently fascinated the western society with his new rectangular haircut and lack of eyebrows. Un made an appearance at a politburo meeting rocking a hair cut with completely shaved sides, half shaved eyebrows, and a slicked back top that resembles a trapezoid.

Un's haircut has been a recent target for criticism by news media outlets and political satirists. Un's old hair cut was considered a symbol by many North Koreans; portraying his connection with the former dictator Kim Il-sung. News media outlets analyzed and speculated the deeper meaning to Un's new hairdo.

People magazine compared Un's wild hairdo to Will Smith's wacky rectangular haircut back in the 1990's.On the other hand, Vox news proposed 12 satirical questions that we should ask about Un's new hair cut.

I found this news story interesting because of the different approaches used by the news organizations that I have chosen. One news topic generated three totally different news stories.

Competitive Baseball is Surpassing Lower Income Kids

Andrew McCutchen, a center fielder for The Pittsburgh Pirates commented on a Little League controversy for The Players Tribune on Friday. An inner city Chicago team of the Jackie Robinson Western Conference recently had their championship title revoked. The reason being that the Chicago team had players from other areas of the country outside of the Western Conference's proximity.

McCutchen stated that Little League baseball has become a rich kid sport due to the amount of money being used for equipment, tournament entries, and travel. He also stated that due to increasing expenses, lower income kids cannot keep up with Little League Baseball.

The last comment McCutchen issued to The Players Tribune was that these  kids were not taken advantage for their talent in Baseball. The kids were given an opportunity to play competitive baseball and to showcase their talents to a wider audience.

I like this article because of how it showcases Andrew McCutchen away from the playing field. McCutchen has had a lower income background before he became a professional baseball player. McCuttchen has put himself into the lime light by commenting on this Little League controversy and has brought a different perspective to the table. The news story also talks about how he is an advocate for youth sports in inner cities. I think that it is refreshing to see professional players giving back to their communities of were they have grown up.

Michigan Man Cries After Recieving A New Car

James Robertson has walked 21 miles to work for the past 10 years. A few people set up an internet campaign after hearing about his long trek to work everyday. The campaign raised over $320,000 for Robertson to buy a new car.


Robertson received a pleasant surprise when he was invited to a Ford Dealership to test drive cars. However, what Robertson did not expect was to roll away in a brand new Ford Taurus. See the Full Story via Detroit Free Press.


I love this specific news story because of the their are several layers to the story. The story made me feel good because of the man's determination to get to work, the generous people donating over $320,000 to his internet campaign, and the man being so surprised that he cries after receiving the new car. The story is heart warming compared to many of the other stories covered in the news. The story portray's a narrative of hope in a time of uncertainty.

I initially found a simplified version of the news story on AOL.com.

Marshawn Lynch Pranks Interviewers at NFL Superbowl XLIX Pressday!!!

 The NFL is left in a wake of controversy after Seattle Seahawks running back Marshawn Lynch pokes fun at news reporters. During Tuesday's Super Bowl XLIX press conference, Lynch repeated the same answer to every question asked by news reporters. 

He stated "I'm just here so I won't get fined."  

Marshall Lynch would have been fined $500,000 dollars if he failed to make an appearance at the media day. The NFL has a pending fine against Lynch because he did not answer enough questions. According to ESPN.com

I believe that the NFL is wrong for fining players that do not want to have media exposure. I think that team franchise's need to have players available for the media. I think that franchise's should either rotate their player's every week or choose players that have a high importance in leadership and play making. ex. Coaches, Quarterbacks, ect. However, I do not think that The NFL should dictate of how players react to questions asked by the media.

What I want to learn from COM-102!!!

I decided to enroll into News Writing with the intent of improving my writing and to learn how to develop a blog. Recently, I have been fascinated with the overwhelming amounts of content that people post onto the internet daily through blogs and videos. The diverse spectrum of opinions and new ideas that emerge from navigating the internet is intoxicating. The internet is allowing our generation of people to express their opinions and ideas with the world. I am genuinely excited to see the process of how good news articles are produced. Most importantly, I hope this class helps me to be less shy in my personal life. Being able to talk to people and relaying information is a crucial skill to have in the world of business.