Respect for the dead, how emojis were born, and a major breech of the first amendment: this week’s Fresh Powder Report
Reporting on the dead:
Does privacy matter much when you’re not here anymore? One 8,000 word piece published in the New York Times took an extremely close look at the death of New Yorker George Bell— an otherwise ordinary man who’s apartment left behind plenty of details about his life. This article dove into the depths of this man’s apartment, life, and death. Some people revered the piece, and others thought it went too far. Is this an issue of respect, or the first amendment right? You can read the whole piece (if you have the time) for yourself and decide.
Minor-league journalism:
It’s safe to say that nearly every major university in the nation lets you declare a major in journalism, but very few allow you to minor in it. Berkeley is going to, though; starting this summer, they’re adding an undergraduate journalism minor for those who want to further expand their communication skills, but don’t want to commit entirely to the ever-thrilling reporter lifestyle.
The Epic Emoji Origin Story:
Have you ever found yourself asking, “I wonder what the history of Emojis is?” Neither have I, but that doesn’t make it less interesting; so here’s a brief history and analysis that explain where Emojis come from, and why people love them so much.
Censorship at its worst:
Perhaps the biggest piece of journalism news this week happened in California. A high school journalism teacher at San Gabriel High School was put on leave for encouraging her students to report on a school related injustice. The school board explicitly told the teacher in question– Ms. Kim– that her staff could not publish the article in their school newspaper (The Matador) looking into why another very well-loved teacher would not be coming back again for the next school year. The administrative response to this investigative reporting has been severe. With Kim on leave, and the staff of the Matador newspaper locked out of their own newsroom, it is clear Kim and her students have a fight on their hands. Their story has gained quite a bit of national interest; so much so that Reason TV decided to make a mini documentary covering the censorship, and the alumni staff of the Matador created an underground newspaper to keep their readers updated.
These things also happened this week:
You’ve heard of drone delivery….but have you heard of robot delivery?
Jimmy Kimmel is at it again– another year crushing the hearts of poor kids who just want to eat their Halloween candy.
Speaking of Halloween: these celebrities absolutely nailed their costumes this year.