News, news, news

My life this quarter has revolved around the news. I've got just about every news app available on my phone and follow every news source on Twitter. I've noticed many similarities and a few differences in comparing one story over several different news sources. The New York Post told me 12 people died in the Boston bombing while CNN was saying it was only 3. It's also come to my attention what news sources like to be first to break the story, and which ones like to be first to break an accurate story. 

For an assignment we were told to take one story and compare how it's reported between a U.S. news source and an international news source. While clicking back and forth between tabs on my computer  as I write this blog post (I have some serious ADD when it comes to doing homework) I saw a tweet pop up from The Associated Press.

 BREAKING: Female US soldier pleads guilty to desertion after fleeing to Canada to avoid Iraq deployment -RJJ

Since I was to compare a U.S. news source (AP) to an international one, I decided to go check out BBC since the story has to do with Canada. I was curious to see if they knew about this and would have it on their page as breaking news. I follow them on Twitter but I hadn't seen any tweets from them about this news. I went to their website and still didn't see anything.

This brought me to the conclusion that what a news source in the U.S. might see as breaking news, might not be what a news source in Canada or elsewhere would see as breaking news.

While looking at the story about the recent athlete to come out as the first male homosexual professional athlete, BBC and U.S. seemed to report the story in very similar ways.

When Pigs Fly

We've all heard the phrase, "I'll believe that when pigs fly." (If you haven't heard it you live under a rock and I don't know how you're reading this blog.) Well, that's how many people felt about there ever being an openly gay professional athlete continue to play after coming out.

Jason Collins, who played for the Celtics this past season, came out today and became the first U.S. athlete in a major professional sport to do so. Many athletes have come out after they have retired from the sport, however Collins is planning on continuing his basketball career. 

When asked why he chose to come out now, Collins said he was partly inspired by the events that recently took place in Boston. Adding, "Things can change in an instant, so why not live truthfully?"

"I've endured years of misery and gone to enormous lengths to live a lie. I was certain that my world would fall apart if anyone knew," he writes. "And yet when I acknowledged my sexuality I felt whole for the first time. I still had the same sense of humor, I still had the same mannerisms and my friends still had my back."

 I wrote a blog awhile ago about the potential of an athlete coming out soon and how many felt the league would be accepting. With the responses I've seen so far today, I'm glad to say my previous blog was correct. Tweets from several other athletes have said things such as, "Props to Jason Collins" and "Congratulations on your courage." It will be interesting to see if others feel inspired by Collins' courage and come out in the near future.

Nike's Boston Massacre T-Shirts

Every baseball fan knows about the ongoing rivalry between the Boston Red Sox and the New York Yankees. Hell, even if you aren't a baseball fan you know about it. Well last season Nike put out a shirt that said 'BOSTON MASSACRE' to commemorate the two series sweeps of the Sox by the Yankees. Up until the recent events in Boston, the shirts have been sold at Nike Factory Store Outlets on the East coast. 

The timing couldn't be any worse for a customer to come across this shirt. Especially victims of the Boston bombings last week. A customer pointed out that the shirts shouldn't be sold anymore and the the salesclerk said they were beginning to take them down. A Nike spokeswoman sent out a statement reassuring people that the shirts were sold before everything happened in Boston and were meant only to represent the rivalry between the Red Sox and the Yankees. At first glance this can look really bad to someone who doesn't understand the ongoing rivalry. Nike did a great job at responding to the incident in a professional and timely manner. 

New York Post Poor Apology

It's common to have a few mistakes and incorrect information while reporting on a story with details that are constantly changing and being updated. However, in the last week the New York Post has received a lot of criticism about their coverage of the Boston bombings. They posted pictures of two innocent men on the front page and called them suspects, claimed there were 12 deaths instead of 3, and accused a third innocent man as a suspect later on. Once the editors realized they had made mistakes, you would think they would issue some sort of apology to the public to let them know that had published inaccurate articles. However, those were their stories and they were stickin' to them.

The website Animal New York decided to take things in to their own hands and insert apology letters into the New York Post paper. They claimed the letter was written by editor Col Allan. They then handed out the papers in key locations across Manhattan, including in front of the New York Post offices.

In the letter, "Allan" writes, "This week, the New York Post has acted recklessly and with flagrant disregard for the principles of good journalism." He also says that the paper's reporting was "at best ill-informed and speculative, and at worst intentionally misleading and harmful to the lives of those involved."

Thinking about this situation, I'm really not sure what's worse. The fact that they didn't personally apologize at all, or that someone else felt the need to apologize for them? Wouldn't they feel pretty pathetic upon reading the letter that they should have written themselves in the first place?


Click on the link below to read the full apology letter.
http://www.animalnewyork.com/2013/the-apology-the-new-york-post-should-have-issued/

Zooey Deschanel, Boston Bomber?

If you've ever watched TV with the closed caption on, say maybe at the gym or something, you've noticed countless spelling and grammar mistakes within the captions. Using the wrong kind of there/their or completely botching someone's name. 

A Fox affiliate in Dallas-Fort Worth is guilty of an epic closed captioning fail. While reporting on the news about the suspect of the Boston bombings, the stations closed caption read "...Marathon bombing, he is 19-year-old Zooey Deschanel." 

As we all know, the suspect has been arrested and he is in fact, not Zooey Deschanel. The star saw a tweet posted by Peter Ogburn that contained the photo above. She responded saying, "Whoa! Epic closed captioning FAIL!" I think the station owes Zooey Deschanel an apology, even though not everyone was watching the report with the closed captions on.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/04/20/zooey-deschanel-boston-bombing-suspect-fox-news_n_3123011.html?utm_hp_ref=mostpopular

Furry Counselors

Tragedy after tragedy occurred this past week, starting with the bombings at the Boston Marathon and ending with an earthquake in China that took hundreds of lives. Among all the bad, there were a few good things that happened. New Zealand legalized gay marriage, the Pittsburgh Zoo announced the birth of a healthy baby tiger and gorilla - both endangered species - and the Lutheran Church Charity from Chicago flew in some comfort dogs to provide emotional support to victims of the Boston tragedy.

The golden retrievers, referred to as 'furry counselors', were flown in with their handlers to visit with people still in the hospital and other residents still dealing with grief from the recent events. The dogs provide emotional support that can be hard to find after such a tragedy has happened. The dogs from the Lutheran Church Charity were also flown to Newton after the Sandy Hook school shootings.

"Animals have an uncanny ability... to discern that you and I have sadness and distress," Reverend Ingo Dutzmann, a pastor at the church, told The Huffington Post earlier this week. "Rather than shying away from it, they're attracted to it."

At a time where it may feel like you can't do anything to help this people, or think of the right things to say to them, the Lutheran Church Charity president, Tim Hetzner, thought of an excellent way to help those in need.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/04/21/comfort-dogs-boston-marathon_n_3124023.html?ncid=edlinkusaolp00000003#slide=2359903

Poynter Article

On Tuesday Liz gave us an article directed towards journalists on how to appropriately and professionally cover what comes next in the aftermath of the Boston Marathon explosions.

The main points of the article are as follows:

• clearly tell the public what you know and what you do not know
• don't just keep adding to your story
• choose your words carefully
• acknowledge the emotional impact of the tragedy
• let people know how they can help
• pay attention to the images you use now and in the days ahead
• make sure the videos you air/publish serve a purpose
• don't over do it 
• covering the injuries tactfully
• covering suspects as news unfolds
• take care of yourself

As mentioned before, the article was geared towards journalists; however, as Liz calls it, I put on my PR goggles and found how many of these tips would be beneficial for a PR person.

Whether in a press release or a press conference, a PR persons job is to inform the public on what is going on. The article reminds the reader not only to clearly tell the public what they know but also what they don't know. This not only makes you more credible by admitting you don't currently have all the facts, but it will also eliminate the chance of the media asking questions you don't know the answers to, and in turn having to answer with the dreaded words, "no comment" or "we don't know". 

With stories such as the Boston Marathon bombings, it is likely that details will changed and be updated often. For example, the number of injuries, the death toll, and possible suspects or parties involved. The article says not to keep adding to online stories. While this can work occasionally, in this case it just doesn't. Important information can be pushed back as new details surface. At a certain point it will become necessary to send out a new press release or hold another press conference. 

Choosing words carefully is obviously extremely important for a journalist. however, it is equally as important from a PR standpoint. As we saw in Obama's first press conference, he refrained from calling this tragedy an act of terrorism. This was done on purpose because he knew establishing this as terrorism would bring on an extreme emotional response. While this later changed once he had more details, it is a good example of choosing your words carefully. 

In a tragedy such as this it is important in every aspect to acknowledge the emotional impact of the situation. People are already feeling sad and distressed after hearing about and even seeing images from something like what's happened in Boston. While you want to acknowledge this emotion, it is important to take time during a press release to point out the good things happening during a hard time, such as all the help from police, EMS, volunteers, and other runners. 

In the wake of such a tragedy, many people's first reaction is to want to help. Remember to include ways for people to help such as where to send donations, or locations to go and donate blood, in a press conference or appropriate social media sites.

Covering suspects as news unfolds is something every outlet involved needs to be cautious about. Think back to the Sandy Hook shootings and how the first suspect they named wasn't the right person. That person will forever be tied to such a negative story. Earlier this afternoon it was announced that they were getting ready to arrest a suspect involved in the Boston Marathon bombings. Later on Boston Police Department tweeted that there in fact had not been any arrests made in the case. For the couple of hours that people had heard a suspect had been arrested, no names were ever given. The media is being extremely cautious as they cover potential suspects in this case.

While the job description is very different than that of a PR practitioner, in many instances they have to have a similar mindset and follow similar rules while dealing with tragedies like the Boston Marathon explosions. 

#PrayforBoston

As I am required to keep up with the news this quarter, I have downloaded just about every news app possible - turning on alerts so I can stay informed on what's happening as it happens.

On my way to class this afternoon I go several alerts that said, "People are injured after two reported explosions at the finish line of the Boston Marathon." Once I got to class I checked Twitter to try to find out more about what was going on. It had only been about 5 minutes since I got the initial alert and already my timeline was FULL of tweets about the news. People sending prayers to those affected, news outlets tweeting updates on the situation, and many simply asking, "why?"

As class went on I continually refreshed my Twitter feed to stay updated. What started out as people injured, quickly escalated to 2 dead, and 28 injured. 2 bombs exploding later became 2 bombs exploded and 2 found that hand't exploded.

Among the many tweets with the hashtag #PrayforBoston, were tweets informing people close to where the tragedy took place where they could donate blood for the victims. It's amazing how quickly people can come together over social media during times like this.

Trying to find a positive in a tragedy such as what is currently taking place in Boston may seem impossible. However, I think I may have found one. Since running a marathon can be so grueling on the body and since the Boston Marathon is one of the most well known in the world, there were tons of police as well as medically trained people on the scene immediately after the explosion. This could have potentially saved a lot of lives today.

I pray that whoever planted these bombs is found and they get what they deserve. It is sad to think that there are people out there that would do something like this, but you have to remember for every 1 horrible person there are 100 good people - like the runners in the marathon that crossed the finish line after the explosions and continued to run to the nearest hospital to donate blood.

Justin Bieber, Are You Done?!

The Biebs has been in the tabloids quite a bit this year. Everything from fighting paparazzi to going on Twitter rants, it seems Justin is acting as many young celebrities often do when the fame goes to their heads. The most recent Bieber fail took place over the weekend after Justin visited the Anne Frank House. He left a note in a guest book that said:

"Truly inspiring to be able to come here. Anne was a great girl. Hopefully she would have been a belieber."

Many were outraged by Justin's note, saying he is way too full of himself and calling him a 'little idiot.' Belieber's of course had his back because to them Justin can do no wrong. However, non-Beliebers took to social media to share their opinions.

"Glad he went, but, the last sentence is VERY self serving. He missed the lessons of Anne totally," while another added, "How does he manage to think about his own fame and success attending a historical place of such tragedy and injustice?"

After hearing about Justin's latest PR disaster, I was curious to see how the Anne Frank House responded. They managed to remain extremely professional and focus on the positive. They said as a young celebrity, Justin could have found many other things to do with his time in Amsterdam; however, he seemed genuinely interested in the museum and everything it has to offer.

 "If you read Anne Frank's diary, she was into celebrities, she was into pop culture," said Foxman. "So for [Bieber] to say he would have hoped that she would have been a fan, it's a nice thing."

The Anne Frank House handled this media attention the way anyone should by finding the positive. They could have put Justin on blast the way everyone else has but they didn't.

You're Not Alone. Millions of People Love the Big Mac

The picture above is an ad for McDonald's that was posted on a subway train in Boston. McDonald's has issued an apology for this ad as people are claiming it is insensitive to those with mental health issues. Maybe it's because I don't personally have mental health problems, or know anyone with mental health problems, but I really don't see how this ad is offensive. People are far too sensitive when it comes to things like this. Advertisers just can't seem to do anything right. Somewhere, some group of people is going to find something to be offended about. Like last year when a McDonald's radio ad was supposedly offensive to pit bull owners. Really? Pit bull owners? Ad agencies have to take everyone's feelings and sensitivities into consideration these days and what for? People claim they hate commercials and don't pay attention anyway.

Nightmare Come True

Have you ever had that dream, or should I say nightmare, where all your teeth start falling out? Imagine that nightmare coming true. A dentist in Indianapolis is accused of pulling 29 teeth from one patients mouth and the whole bottom row from another, when neither of them wanted or need any teeth pulled. As if people don't hate going to the dentist enough already?! Not only did this dentist just affect his own practice by having this story come out, but it's going to affect dentists across the country! Let's give people another reason to hate going to the dentist. I know people that would rather have their limbs broken then go get their cavities filled. Everyone's trying to figure out why this dentist is pulling out peoples teeth but of course he and his office replied to phone calls and interviews saying, "no comment." Talk about famous last words. That place will be shut down in no time. What do businesses and people think is going to come out of them responding to something by saying, "no comment." When is that ever an acceptable response?

Blue Angels Season Cancelled

What's the first thing you think when you hear "Seafair"? I don't know about you but the air show put on by the Blue Angels is the first thing to pop into my head. They're the star of the show! Or at least they were... The Navy has forced the Blue Angels to cancel their season in result of government budget cuts. Of course... it's seems like everything is being cancelled because of budget cuts. Screw budget cuts. Who are they going to get to replace the Blue Angels?! The polls are showing that 50% of people who voted will not attend Seafair without them. So what is Seafair going to do to make up for this huge loss? They better think of something good. They've replaced the Blue Angels with another team called the Patriot Jets Team. Talk about pressure for these guys. They've got some big shoes to fill. Sefair weekend and the Sefair Fleet Week (which due to budget cuts the Navy also won't be allowing their ships to sail in) bring in an estimated $50 million to the local economy. Seafair is going to have to put on their best thinking caps to figure out their going to fill these voids. Will you attend Seafair without the Blue Angels?

Snowmageddon

I used to want to be a weather reporter when I was younger. I thought Steve Pool was the coolest guy ever, being able to tell people when it was going to rain or be sunny or even snow! Little did I know, if Steve reported one wrong thing he quickly became the most hated person on TV.

"Snowmageddon" was apparently going to be hitting the central part of our country this last week. Blizzard like conditions were reported by weather men and woman all over. I'm not sure what their idea of blizzard like conditions are but I don't think snow that doesn't even stick to the ground is considered a blizzard. Did these weather reporters not learn you're never supposed to over-sell and under deliver? How do they even have an ounce of credibility these days? You get the high of the day wrong by 5 degrees and people complain, you say it's going to be sunny and it sprinkles for a few minutes and it's game over. These guys need a class on reputation management. One weather reporter took to social media to admit that he was wrong, writing on his Facebook page:

“Forecasting the weather is a bit like being a field goal kicker, we are supposed to be accurate. This storm was a miss and I apologize if it has caused you inconvenience or hardship today.”

He's got the right idea, admit when you're wrong and apologize. He's probably the only weatherman with any credibility over there. Others made things up, like that they had 8-12 inch drifts in their yards. Oh and is your house located directly under the only cloud that's dumping snow? I don't think so. I think I'd trust my iPhone's weather app over any of their weather reports. That's saying something because that thing is never right. 

The Boy Who Cried Wolf

My CNN news app has been going off like crazy these last few weeks. Reports of missiles being moved to the east coast of North Korea, missiles being put in the 'launch' position, and then shortly after lowered back into their launchers. It's the classic case of the boy who cried wolf. Except, instead of crying wolf he's crying nuclear warfare. Many have said that this whole thing is just a big publicity stunt. Quite frankly, I'd have to agree. If Kim Jong Un wanted to launch missiles, he would have done it already. He's dragging it out like a classic attention whore (pardon my french) would do. He's young and immature and is probably having a blast messing with us. However, he's kind of smart if you think about it. Claim you've got nukes that you're willing to launch and boom, (no pun intended) you have everyone watching and waiting for your next move. This automatically gives him power over everybody and he can start making all sorts of demands, which if someone had a nuclear missile pointed at your country, you're going to give in to. Maybe people aren't giving him as much credit as he deserves... I guess we'll find out what he's up to soon enough. 

http://www.cnn.com/2013/04/11/world/asia/koreas-tensions/index.html?hpt=hp_t1

Disney California Adventures Tweet Game

Over spring break I was lucky enough to make a trip down to California with my best friend. More than anything the two of us wanted to go to Disneyland while we were there. Yes, I'm 21. And yes, I had a blast. Disneyland is more fun when you're older, at least I think so. I was terrified of rides when I was younger and cried when my mom forced me to go on Splash Mountain. This time I was anxious for the ride and I even sat in the front... and got completely soaked. Anyway, while we were there I tweeted a picture of the picture taken of my friend and I while on the ride California Screamin' with the hashtag #californiaadventures

Within seconds I had a response from @DCAtoday. "Looks like it was a screamin' great time!". At first I had no idea what DCA today was. Once I checked it out I realized they were the official in-park Twitter of Disney's California Adventures park. I thought it was cool that they had a Twitter that was constantly in use. It came in handy when I asked them if the two and a half hour wait for the new Cars ride was worth it. Of course they said it was. And they were right, so fun. Also, after we got home that night we remembered that the big letters in between the two parks that spelled CALIFORNIA weren't there anymore. So, I took to twitter and asked where they went. DCA tweeted me a link with the full story. (They were donated to a new park in LA, in case you were wondering).

I'm so intrigued by the power of social media and I think Disney has completely embraced it. I scrolled through their tweets to see how often they're tweeting and what they're tweeting about. They tweet updated wait times for rides, answer any questions people ask, and pictures of different things going on each day in the park. Each response to peoples questions were within a couple of minutes. Such an easy way to help out visitors.  DCA is on their twitter game!

To Tell, or Not to Tell? That is the Question

After the firing of Rutgers head coach, Mike Rice, the athletic director Tim Pernetti has decided to resign. The player abuse scandal has caused some serious drama over at Rutgers and Tim Pernetti decided to step down before it got any worse. He claims he was the one who originally wanted to fire Rice but had to take the legal route which resulted in the suspension and fines. Although, I'm not sure would have mattered if he fired Rice from the beginning because the director of player development was reportedly fired for blowing the whistle on Rice. Pernetti could have either gotten fired last year when the video first surfaced, or last week when it resurfaced. It comes down to ethics in cases like this. Do you do the right thing, tell on the bad guy and potentially lose your job? Or do you keep your mouth shut and hope this whole thing blows over and maybe the bad guy will stop being so bad. Pernetti definitely did the right thing by resigning and admitting he messed up, so at least he saved himself a little bit of face there. However, he would have saved himself a lot more if he really would have spoken up in the beginning.

http://www.cnn.com/2013/04/05/sport/rutgers-athletic-director-resigns/index.html?iref=allsearch

The Break Heard 'Round the World

Even if we didn't want to, we've all seen pictures and videos of Louisville guard Kevin Ware's gut wrenching broken leg during a March Madness game last Sunday. After jumping up to block a shot, Ware landed awkwardly causing his right tibia to rip through his skin. His leg was broken but his spirit is far from that. In the few days after the injury, Kevin has continued to talk about how his team has a job to do, win the March Madness championship. Kevin has never wanted anyone on his team to worry or feel sorry for him. He wants his team to stay focused and determined and remember what they've come this far for. His positive attitude is an inspiration to so many around the world whether he realizes it or not. Many can learn from Kevin Ware and his current situation. Presented with this challenge, and what some would think of as a crisis, Kevin and his teammates have stayed calm and positive and have been taking things one day at a time.

I See London, I See France. I Can See Your Underpants!

We all know guys love girls in yoga pants. They're like the push-up bra for girls' butts. So why was the top product executive of Lululemon fired for her recent line of black yoga pants? Well, turns out all the pants were see through. I'm sure guys are thinking, "what's wrong with that?" and girls are running to their mirrors and checking to see if their yogas are indeed see through. 

The see-through pants made up 17% of all women's yoga pants sold in Lululemon stores last month. After the large recall there was a shortage of black yoga pants. The mistake was obviously an accident, Sheree Waterson would not intentionally design see through pants. However, Lululemon decided to take immediate action and ask Waterson to resign. This seems a bit harsh considering it was an accident, but it shows that the company cares about their consumers and wants them to have the best product possible. 

http://money.cnn.com/2013/04/04/news/companies/lululemon-pants-fiasco/

You're Fired

That's right, Mike Rice was fired. The abusive men's basketball coach of Rutgers University was finally asked to leave. After videos surfaced of him cursing at, shoving, hitting, kicking, and even throwing basketballs at his players during practice, the athletic director was forced to reconsider his original punishment of a suspension and some fines. In situations like this you would think a coach would genuinely feel bad and regretful especially after seeing video evidence of his ridiculous behavior. Not Mike Rice. Stuttering, looking around nervously, and taking incredibly long pauses, his apology was far from sincere. If I were any of the players from the team I wouldn't even think of forgiving him after an apology like his.

http://www.cnn.com/video/data/2.0/video/us/2013/04/03/sot-mike-rice-apology.wabc.html

First Time for Everything

People say there's a first time for everything right? Well, is it possible that the NBA could draft a WOMAN for the first time? Mark Cuban, owner of the Dallas Mavericks, claims he's been thinking of drafting Brittney Griner to his team. Griner currently plays college ball for Baylor. She is the first NCAA basketball player ever to score 2,000 points and block 500 shots. Needless to say, the girl is good. But is she good enough to play with the big boys? Cuban seems to think so. 

If she is the best on the board, I will take her. I've thought about it. I've thought about it already. Would I do it? Right now, I'd lean toward yes, just to see if she can do it. You never know unless you give somebody a chance, and it's not like the likelihood of any late-50s draft pick has a good chance of making it.

Many are calling this a publicity stunt. Draft the girl who's probably never going to get any playing time just to get your team some attention. Cuban claims it's more than a publicity stunt. He says he wouldn't pick her up just to pick her up. She would have to prove herself and many think that would be a difficult task that she may not be able to do. 

It'll be interesting to see if she's willing to take on an immense amount of pressure and miss out on her rookie season with the WNBA. As if the world wasn't watching before, they sure will be in these next few weeks to see what she decides. 

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1590938-could-mark-cuban-make-brittney-griner-a-dallas-maverick?hpt=hp_t4

Come On Out

Try to think about an openly gay male that's played in the NFL? That's difficult to do because there has never been one. Guys have come out after they have retired, however no one has ever continued to play after coming out. Well, people are starting to believe that it is safe for NFL players to come out. They're saying the atmosphere is becoming more and more accepting. Current and former players, as well as many others are working hard to make sure when one is ready, a gay athlete will be accepted and supported while continuing to play football. While many would think big tough athletes would be un-accepting of a homosexual teammate, that is no longer seeming to be the case. Players are becoming more accepting and many current players are saying they wouldn't mind having a gay teammate. "If they're good at what they do on the field, I don't care about what they do off of it," seems to be the common attitude of many players.
There are many rumors going around about a current NFL athlete that is thinking of coming out in the next few months. He claims he isn't worried about the reaction of his teammates or other athletes but the reaction of the fans and homophobic football fans. He claims he is worried some homophobic fans will cause him serious harm. It is sad that while this man would be making history, and inspiring closeted gays everywhere to come out, he is terrified and scared for his life to do so. I hope the support of his teammates, coaches, and fans will be enough to motivate him to make a huge step in his life and an even bigger step for gays everywhere.