Now time for a little Q & A...

On Journalism: 

1. Now, tell me again, what is your definition of journalism?
To me, journalism is the reliance of current events to the public through means of various outlets. Journalism is a way of relaying information to the general public in the most unbiased and truthful way possible.

2. How many different models of journalism exist today?
Today, three different models of journalism exist. These three methods are traditional elite journalism, advocacy journalism, and public and civil journalism.


On Democracy: 


3. What is your definition of democracy?
I define a democracy as a system of government that is run by the people, for the people. In a democracy, citizens of a country are given the right to vote on various issues pertaining to the well-being and function of the state as a whole. This includes the election of public officials and laws that make the state run smoothly. 

4. What is the difference between "election politics" and "public politics"?
The difference between "election politics" and "public politics" is that election politics represent the ability of a politician to convince the public that their views are right and the views of the opposition is wrong. On the other hand, public politics involves a politician's ability to influence the public on a series of issues. Public politics happens the most often once an elected official is already in office and is trying to please the public by taking all viewpoints into account, including those they do not personally favor. 


5. What was the Lippmann vs. Dewey debate?
The Lippmann vs. Dewey debate occurred in the 1920s between writer Walter Lippmann and philosopher John Dewey. These two men had opposing beliefs when it came to the responsibilities of journalists. Lippmann believed that American journalists should serve as a middleman between the general public and the government. On the other side of the issue, Dewey believed that the public was not capable of understanding the decisions and discussions of those who ranked high in the democratic government system. Dewey believed that journalists should weigh policies being enacted instead of just making the decision to automatically pass on important government information to the public. Dewey's belief system became the more popular in the case, and the concept of "community journalism" was developed after his arguments. 

John Dewey

On the First Amendment: 


6. What does the First Amendment say exactly?
The first amendment says "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances." This means the freedom of religion, speech, press, assembly, and petition. 


7. Are any of those protections important in your life?
Just like every American, my First Amendment rights are some of the most important rights I have as a citizen of this country. It is very important to me to be able to freely practice my Christian religion and talk to others about what I believe. I also enjoy learning about the beliefs of those different than me and this would not be possible without First Amendment rights. 

On Diversity


8. Everybody keeps talking about diversity: Why is diversity in religion, speech, press, assembly and petition so important to a democracy?
Diversity in all of these aspects of the First Amendment are very important to a democracy because without a diverse population, there would be no reason to have these rights. If all the citizens of a democratic nation had the same set of beliefs, there would be no reason for the the freedom to practice individuality and express personal beliefs to exist. The First Amendment was created so that each member of a population has an equal right to happiness. In order for our country to be led successfully, there must be a plethora of different beliefs represented in citizen population and in leadership. 

9. How do journalists and the First Amendment ensure that people hear diverse voices in the marketplace of ideas?
Journalists and the First Amendment ensure that people hear diverse voices in the marketplace of ideas by appealing to many various media outlets. Journalists know that the more media outlets they appeal to, the more citizens they reach. Talk shows and programs work to represent varying opinions so that viewers can watch and chose which side of every issue they agree with the most. American journalists see it as their responsibility to inform citizens of every view of religion and opinion available, and they do it through the system of community journalism. 


10. Can you speak from personal experience about how diversity, protected by the First Amendment or championed by journalist, made a difference in your life?
I can speak from personal experience on this issue because if it weren't for First Amendment rights, I would not have the pleasure of learning about the different religions of my friends and those close to me. I would not be able to share my beliefs with others or speak about what I believe in. Without First Amendment rights, the world I am used to living in would be much less rich with diversity. There would be so much less to learn about and to explore, and it would not be nearly as exciting!

Why Does a Democracy Need Journalism and the First Amendment?

Photo by Melissa Batke, July 2009

Freedom of speech and of the press is one of the most unique and successful qualities of democracy today. Without their first amendment rights, journalists would not have the power to properly and accurately distribute the news. The importance of the First Amendment is that it protects journalism and allows it to regulate democracy. Journalism is very important to democratic nations because it provides a connecting point between the government and the citizens. There are three main instances in which democracy needs journalism and the first amendment the most. The first example of these instances is in times of war. In times of war and violence, it is up to the journalists and their First Amendment rights to relay accurate information to the citizens of the countries involved in conflict. In a previous blog I have explained the importance of information to military families in particular. Without information provided by journalists who risk their lives to cover the news, military family members would have virtually no information about their loved one overseas. 

CNN video clip >> Journalist Lara Logan under fire

“I’m absolutely, absolutely committed to this. I see this as my responsibility that if you’re going to send soldiers to war in other people’s lands, you have a responsibility for the people of this country and for the people around the world to know what it is that they’re being subjected to and to know how that’s going. If you don’t have people out there reporting on this,  then anyone can say anything they like about it and you don’t know whether it’s true or not.”

-Lara Logan, Journalist and war correspondent, talks about the importance of journalistic coverage in times of war

The second of the three examples is journalism in times of corruption. During a period of time in which a government is corrupt, it is the job of the press to regulate the constant stream of information. The third and final example of journalistic regulation is during times of governmental elections. During major government change, the press is entrusted with communicating accurate information to the public. The main reason journalism is needed is so that the citizens of a country can see the transparency of a government’s actions. Just like a fourth branch of government, journalism is responsible for monitoring the separate branches of democracy and keeping them in line. Without their First Amendment rights, journalists would not be able to correctly do their jobs because they would not be able to get to the bottom of government stories, they would only be able to report on what the government gives them permission to. Journalism and the First Amendment of the Constitution are two of the most crucial staples in the process of shaping a successful democratic system of government. Without journalism and the journalistic style of writing, the United State government would have no way to communicate with its citizens in the times in which communication is the most crucial.

Photo courtesy of Molly McMahon, July 2008

Photo courtesy of Molly McMahon, July 2008

Ey!

What a boring Saturday this is. At least it's Saturday, though, and this will be the last weekend that I'm in Lexington before Thanksgiving break. Knowing that I will have things to do and keep me busy in the upcoming weeks makes me excited because I know the time will go faster. I'm so ready for a break, I know everyone is right about now. There's so much coming up to be excited about, too! Next weekend I'm going home for my brother's play (he's playing the lead role of Atticus Finch in Gahanna Lincoln High School's performance of Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird!!), and the weekend after that I'm off to New Orleans for a friend's fraternity formal. I'm beyond excited about that. Not only have I never been to New Orleans, I have never been someone's date to a fraternity formal before. I guess I should start getting familiar with Greek Life now that I'm Greek myself. That's right, I've done the unthinkable...I've joined a sorority. I've only been to one meeting so far and I hardly know what's going on yet, but I am a pledge for Alpha Phi...set to initiate on the 15th of this month..ah. I'm hoping I like it and the girls are nice, so far they seem to be. We'll see I guess. Well, not really a whole lot more to say..I guess I'll just share this photo I took this summer in San Francisco while walking across the Golden Gate Bridge. Just cool to this of the back story behind this one..who wrote it there and who did they write it for? What are those people doing now? Are they still in love? That's the kind of thing I think about when looking at this photo. Anyway, have a nice day and GO CATS! :)

For anyone, ANYONE who needs something to inspire them to go out and do something they think they can't, watch this video. This is one of the most amazing things I have ever seen.

Team Hoyt- I CAN

In other news, we sent a package to Austin today! Just a bunch of his favorite little things (candy, treats, pictures, notes, etc.), but it's so exciting to know that something is in the mail on it's way to him finally! It feels like it's taken this whole week to put the package together because we've kind of just worked on it whenever we have the time, but it's all done now and he's going to love it! The experience of sending my first military package overseas definitely made my day today :)

That's all for now, I hope everyone had a good day today! I don't know about many other places, but it's was a little warmer in Lexington today than it has been the rest of this week..and the sun was out too! For everyone who reads I just want to remind you that this IS a project and I need as many comments as I can get...so COMMENT if you can! I appreciate all of them. Thanks :)

One of my best friends in the world is overseas right now serving the US Army in Afghanistan. I miss him a lot but dealing with him being away has helped me to appreciate and learn from the incredible strength of military families. The ability to carry on while a loved one is away for long periods of time is something that I think is extremely admirable. Most of the time, the family members of military know very little about where their soldier is or what they are doing at any given time, because they are unable to release very much information. Deployments can last anywhere from four or five months to fifteen months, and the ability to communicate during this time is limited to say the least. Writing letters back and forth to your soldier can be fun, but it usually takes about a month from the time you send your letter to the time you get one back, and that can be a  long time to wait for a response to old news. But any communication is better than none, and military families will take whatever they can get. Some soldiers have the ability to use email and Skype, while others don't have such luxuries. Depending on where they are and what missions they are assigned, their ability to call home varies as well. Sometimes they are out on missions for days at a time and don't have access to a phone, while other days they are given time off to rest (they usually take this opportunity to sleep for hours and hours on end), and make phone calls home. On these days, it is not uncommon for a soldier to spend the entire day on the phone, making call after call to people that they miss at home. Sometimes they only have a few minutes to talk, but just knowing that someone is OK and saying hello makes all the difference in the world.

I usually hear from Austin about twice a week now as he has more down time now and is able to use the phone more, and all he usually wants to talk about is the familiarity of home. He doesn't like discussing the things around him and it's gotten to the point where I hate to even ask because I know for him, calling friends and family back home is a way for him to escape what's going on around him for a little while. For this reason, I usually find myself babbling about every little insignificant detail of everyday life that I can think of, just to keep the conversation light and focused on home. Austin is one of the most positive, happy people I have ever met and his ability to keep his sense of humor while doing his job inspires me. Sometimes I feel like I'm the one struggling to hold myself together when we talk, even though I know that I have nothing to worry about concerning my safety here at home.

He comes home for leave in January, and it will be his first time back in the states for 9 months. One of our favorite topics of conversation is what he's going to do first when he comes back. He always makes me laugh when he says he's going to roll into Lexington and head straight to Qdoba to get a chicken queso burrito. Knowing him, he's probably not even lying. I can't wait to see him, and I know none of our friends can either. When you're missing someone, the difference is finding people you can rely on for good support. For the thousands of military mothers, fathers, siblings, wives, husbands, and children, who go on with living their lives each and every day never knowing what will come next for them and for their family, I applaud you. Loving someone in the military is a full time job, but I believe it's one of the most true and loyal kinds of love out there. For me, just being in Lexington and around the people that know and miss Austin right along with me, helps a lot. For his 21st birthday in September, we worked together to create a video monologue to send him and I know how much it meant to him to see all the people he loves the most wishing him a happy birthday over video camera. It's a video he will be able to watch again and again when he's missing home and the people he's left behind. Having people who understand what you're going through and will always be there to talk, is the best way to get through any adverse situation. Austin will always be our most adventurous friend, and we just have to do all that we can to keep up with him and support him and all the others over there with him. Support our troops. Come home safe Austin, and SOON!

Who's a fan of Jack's Mannequin? Well, in case you didn't know, here's a little bit of a history. Jack's Mannequin is the solo project of Something Corporate's lead singer, Andrew McMahon. I find Andrew to be extremely inspiring because he is a leukemia survivor who has fought to get to where he is today. The leukemia even changed his singing voice, but he continued to pursue his dreams all the same. Andrew even used what he learned from his experience to start his own foundation for leukemia research and write inspiring hit songs like "Caves," "The Resolution," and "Swim."  Here's a clip from the documentary "Dear Jack" that Andrew has out about his amazing journey. I think after watching this anyone will feel inspired from Andrew's strength and music. Enjoy!

"Dear Jack"

Kudos to Amy Slaven for showing me this awesome film!

Sorry for the lack of entries over the past few days, I've had quite the hectic week. I'll try and do better this week, promise! 

Anyway, on Thursday I went to a Jason Derulo and B.o.B. concert. Now, I don't consider myself a "super fan" of either of these guys, but I felt that it was important for me to experience my first "on campus college concert,"  so I proceeded to jump on the bandwagon and go ahead and buy tickets like everyone else. I guess I didn't know much much of a commitment following the crowd was, because when my friend Bryan and I showed up the morning the tickets went on sale, we had no idea the line of students was going to wrap around the entire student center.  Long story short, we stood in line for about 2 and a half hours so that we could get floor tickets for ourselves and three friends. We ended up being pretty close..

Not the best of pictures, and at a little bit of a zoom, but still...not bad! Anyway, the concert was great but the thing that really made an average show into a great one, was the people I shared it with. I have the best friends in the world! The people you meet throughout your life and experience things with really do make the biggest difference there is. Without friends, experiences mean so much less.