Balancing Independence, Objectivity, and Humanity

WHAT IS THE PROPER WAY FOR JOURNALISTS TO BALANCE WHAT THEY DO?

Should they be objective? Independent? Humane? Passionate? Should they care about the topic?

These seem to be raging philosophical questions in journalism. 

Ideas are potent. Journalists SHOULD NOT get close to the people they write about. They SHOULD be friends with the people they write about. They SHOULD NOT be subjective. They CAN be subjective. They should be humane...ohhh, but not too humane. 

 I don't get it.  And I disagree with the views of most journalists. I disagree with it all, really.

Why is it that journalists concur that independence from a subject is what creates decent journalism? 

For, in their opinions, how could a truly great journalist ever refrain from a shoddy viewpoint of something if they are connected, interwined with the "subject"?

I don't feel that way at all. I believe that voices that are emotionally connected explain the TRUE truth better than those that aren't. I agree with the ancient monks that were debunked in the beginning of my readings for claiming that literal truth is at the bottom of the pyramid. 

Yes, not being independent may reflect one side more. But the reflection is immense and powerful and moving!

I think that heart is what matters. A woman whose daughter died in a fire can write with greater insight about the fire. 

I mean, I do believe that people deserve to hear  reality. They do deserve to hear the truth, without bias. They do deserve open minds. 

But I'm biased. I'm passionate. I'm connected with the things I write about. I'm subjective. I'm opinionated.

Perhaps, I am not meant to be a journalist. Maybe I should try fiction. 

EFY, Experience For Years

EFY, an Experience For Years

By Amy Staker

PROVO--Amaria Grajales sat playing a black and white piano in the Wilkinson center, talking excitedly and beaming because of the experience she was having. 

She explained that she now has more friends than ever before. These friends were made in a matter of two days.

Amaria Grajales is one of the many EFY attendants on BYU campus.

“It rocks!” Amaria said.

Amaria is not alone in her opinion. In fact, many others share the same zest for the program.

Yes, there are some feelings of nuisances, noise, and nuttiness. Still, for counselors, attendants, and even BYU students, EFY is a program that is worth the time and effort put into it.

For youth participating in the Especially For Youth program, the experience allows them to build memories and grow spiritually.

“It’s been a real relief to be able to build my testimony,” said Max Gilmore an EFY attendant from New York City.

He expressed his belief that the organization matters. He has been able to feel accepted and to have fun.  He even related a humorous story about being amazed by a card trick, a memory that he had gained in his two days of being at EFY.

“We were all laughing,” Gilmore declared.

The youth are not the only ones who have received blessings because of EFY.  Counselors have been able to gain new experiences also.

“I had no idea I could be such an influence,” said Sergio Blanco an EFY counselor from Chicago.

He indicated that his testimony of service has grown due to the experience.  He has faced challenges of sleep deprivation and understanding teenagers. Still, he has enjoyed himself.

“I think it’s great. I wasn’t expecting personally to grow,” Blanco said.

Some people think that BYU students do not appreciate having the youth around on campus. After all, the youth get in the way. They make the lines longer. They block the paths to class.

They serve as reminders for memories that many BYU students share. 

In truth, some students did agree that EFY participants can be immature and noisy, but they actually felt like they could relate to the EFY participants. They liked the memories the youth invited back into their minds.

“I like it cause I went to EFY twice in Provo,” said Bryce Churchill a BYU sophomore majoring in exercise science.

He said that seeing EFY kids around reminds him of the good times he had going there.

For youth, counselors, and BYU students, EFY blesses lives.

Amaria's life has been blessed by EFY. Still, her experience isn't secluded. 

Though the participants in the program may seem like nuisances at times, EFY does not stand for Enduring Freaky Youth.

Rather, Especially for Youth is a program that endures for years.

Steadman's, A Family of More Than Just Lineage

We were told to post this for a school assignment.

Steadman’s, A Family of More Than Just Lineage

By Amy Staker

 Russell Steadman, manager of an ATV store called Steadman's, sat at a wooden decorated desk, reminiscing of memories and reciting the history of a store filled with both hardships and blessings.

His voice recorded the legacy of his family bygone-- a grandfather’s humble recapping business turned into a motorcycle store by his two sons and continued by other members of the family.

His surroundings noted the liveliness of his family present—a photo of his three smiling platinum-haired children embracing each other to his right, as well as notes lining his computer stating things like  “Rhett is thebomb.com” in front of him. 

There is no doubting that Steadman’s  is a family store.

In 1946, the store began as a little recapping (tire) business in Tooele County. Albert Steadman, the store's creator, didn’t intend to remain in such a small town. He had big plans--plans to move his business to Salt Lake. 

Instead, the store became a place for ATV vehicles and other recreational items.

Albert’s sons were the ones who first came up with the idea of selling recreational vehicles at the store.

“My father went out and rode a little motorcycle and said they’re pretty fun,” Russell Steadman stated.

After this, Russell's father went out and decided to buy motorcycles. In 1972, the property where the store now sits was purchased.

Hard times followed and in the next ten years their business struggled.

Even today, the Steadman family faces challenges because of the economy.

“We sell toys,” Todd Hinton said, accountant and brother-in-law to Russell Steadman.

According to him, in times of economic crisis, toys are not people’s first priorities.

 Still, Steadman’s has been able to survive in the face of bad times, perhaps because of the family attitude carried by the employees.

Natalie, a woman from Granstville standing in the store, spoke about the friendship she’d had with the Steadman’s and their caring attitude.

“When I think Steadman’s, it’s like a smile on your face,” she said.

Russell Steadman sat at his desk, talking about the memories he’d had of the store. He pulled out a little book written by a young boy. This boy had been given an ATV vehicle, donated by Steadman’s, until he died of a brain tumor shortly after.

Inside the book, a simple note was written from the parents, thanking the business for what Steadman’s had done for their child.

“That was my most memorable experience,” Russell Steadman said.

Employees, customers, friends—are all part of the Steadman family, a family of more than just lineage. 

My Code of Ethics For Journalism, But Also Life.

1. BE HONEST.

Okay, I know...This is the first rule that basically every journalist actually agrees with--or at least claims to agree with. Irony, right? Still, it's a good one. Basically, honesty is a good policy when it comes to journalism, and also life.  I want to get the word out.  I want to make a difference. I want to change lives. I don't want to change lives by writing falsehoods about people. 


2. BE PASSIONATE.


I won't be a boring journalist. I refuse to be a boring journalist. I ADAMANTLY refuse to be a boring journalist.


3. DO GOOD THINGS WITH THE WRITTEN WORD.


Some things need to be heard. They aren't pretty. Or sweet. Or tender. Or heartwarming. They are horrifying and devastating and depressing. But they are things that are often hidden. People need to hear stories that will make them change things--Good things that will want to make them do good things and Bad things that will make them do good things. I want to address things, positive and negative, that make life more positive.

4. WORK HARD.
People don't really deserve a shoddily done job. They deserve a person who checks the facts, asks great questions, tries to hear both sides, and puts out a quality article. I need to put my best effort into what I do.

5. BELIEVE HARD.

I should believe that I can make a difference. I should believe that I can go far in journalism...or whatever I choose to do with my life. I should believe that I can do it. I need to be able to believe in myself, my power as an individual, but also the community's ability to hear and react to what I say.

Being a Journalist AND remaining truthful AND remaining unbiased AND being interesting

 HOW WELL DO MODERN JOURNALISTS TELL THE TRUTH?
Easily, it's pellucid to claim that people have opinions. As unbiased as a human being would like to be, society has been dictating views upon us from the moment we were born. As AMERICANS, we believe that some things are absolute truths just because of our culture(and likewise someone in any other culture believes the same thing).

These ideas of life have been pounded into us. Any person writing a news article in modern society in the USA would assume that everyone(or most people) agrees with concepts such as democracy, the ability to practice various religions or no religion at all, the wrongness of slavery as well as the deprivation of female rights, and...the freedom of the press.

 Ironically, the press is NOT supposed to hold opinions. Which would make sense because people deserve the opportunity to come to terms with their own beliefs. Which would make sense because biased opinions could drive thousands(or more) to come to improper conclusions(or very biased conclusions) about something because of an article.

Which would make sense if the press were computers, imputing statistics of absolute knowledge and dealing with no feelings of emotions. Which they are not.


The press will make mistakes. No matter how hard they try, they will not be able to fit every single person's point of view into an article, they may mess up on some fact or statistic(even after being fact checked), they may produce something even accidentally that isn't perfectly truthful.

Sadly, some journalists of "modern" times don't quite implement the tactics of honesty. They care about how INTERESTING something is. Obviously, no one wants boring articles that don't sell, don't get read, and honestly don't get the point across. Soooo, some people write to sell, be read, and get a point across. This is sad if it leads to the making up of facts, ya know.

Anyways, I think People. Should. Be. Allowed. To. Have. Opinions. Even the press. Truthfully, I'd be okay if there was a newspaper called The Opinion Editorial, as long as people understood that that was what it was. However, since it was decided that newspaper writers should remain unbiased...then,

WHAT CAN WE DO? HOW CAN WE IMPROVE?

We can be good and honest and wholesome people. We can do our best to put quality out there and if we fail to sell, then we can just keep keep on keeping on.

If we, as journalist, have ethics then eventually the public will see us as ethical people. And if they don't, it doesn't really matter.

Love.

My Cuz made this video about her little brother.
L.O.V.E is it a mystery?

As A Potential Future Journalist.

What is Journalism?

As a potential future journalist, it makes an immense amount of sense that this would be a question lurking somewhere in the back of my mind, or possibly in the front, or possibly consuming the entirety of my brain.


Or maybe not. 

Really though, journalism's something you can spend a plethora of time considering. In truth, people for ages have been relying on the written word to get them places--implemented to beat the unbeatable country in a war of ridiculous odds, declared to assure humanity of better times to come midst major economic downturns,  recorded to plates of gold with the promise that people thousands of years in the future would need its echoing truths.

You get the picture. 

Soooo...what is journalism? If you were to look at this with a narrow mind, you might just say that journalism is recorded news...and a profession. WELL DUH. However, if you were to look at this with a less narrow scope, you would come to realize that journalism encompasses a broad amount of ideas. Sometimes, journalism isn't very much like journalism. Yes, you wouldn't think that hearing about how multiple so-and-sos were seen walking with their mini chihuahuas down the street would be very newsworthy, but sadly it can seen that way. Also, you would think that hearing about how thousands of people died in some country because of such-and-such would be utterly newsworthy, but sadly some people are more aware of the chihuahuas than the needs of their fellow mankind.

Basically, to me, journalism is speech. Words. Declarations. News Stations. Blogs. Politics. Sports. World issues. Conversations. Scriptures. History. Diaries. Yes...and even FACEBOOK.

Journalism should capture truth for those in the present,should  preserve memories of those in the past, and should record events for those in the future. It doesn't always do this, but it should. Really....journalism is a lot of things. And.....

WHO ARE JOURNALISTS? 

Journalists are people who record the news. I'm a journalist. YOU are a journalist. Most people that spread the word are journalists in some way or another. It's just that some journalists write because they want to to be heard and they care and some journalists write because they get paid....a measly amount.

 And some journalists write because they care and they get paid a measly amount.

P.S. Really, I think the news about the Daily Universe is sad, but I wasn't really reading it...And sometimes, you gotta do what you gotta do.