Boss’s Orders, Child’s Play, and Pressing for Access: this week on Fresh Powder

So Says the Boss

Journalists, here’s your new job: stop the fake news. With only a handful of weeks left as our acting president, Obama has called attention to the proliferation of fake news, and is taking journalists to task. In our blinking-eyed new world where bewilderment still dominates, we have a president-elect who makes false statements and piles of journalists making bucks on sensational fake news, so it’s imperative that the press seek out and uphold the truth. Fact checking still needs to be a thing. And if you’re wondering how this fake news phenomena became a thing, and who’s writing it anyway, check out this fascinating take from a lead purveyor of fake news, who’s convinced Trump made it into the White House because of him. And if you’re wondering why, and how they make money writing fake news anyway, you’ve GOT to read this. And even if you’re not a journalist or a writer, it’s a good time to practice conscientious social media-ing, lest your tweet go viral like this false one about fake Trump protesters (and that guy only had 40 followers).

The Kids Aren’t Alright

Two weeks ago our country elected a new leader. Decades ago, schools emerged in our consciousness as potentially dangerous places to be. Today, kids at school feel unsafe because of our new leader. What’s happening? Here’s the thing: kids are malleable, and they’re learning. It’s our job, all of our jobs, to teach them how to be people. As a nation, we’ve just taught them that’s it’s ok to use racial slurs, to make threats, and to sexually assault people. And the kids? They’re learning, and they’re acting out our message in the school environment. Incidents are bubbling up in schools across the nation, and our students are feeling genuinely afraid. What can be done? Write about it. And keep writing about it. The past two weeks have brought significant social unrest, but they’ve also occasioned an opportunity for great student journalism. We’re super proud of the fearless student journalists who cover hot-button, might-even-make-the-school-look-bad issues, and the advisers who support them.

Secrets Don’t Make Friends

What happens now? We’ve got a president-elect who shows open disdain for the press (I don’t need to repeat his words, you’ve all heard them), and an incoming chief strategist who formerly edited a media org that felt more like a Trump campaign outlet. Trump has denied press access with unprecedented extremity, effectively eliminating transparency in his campaign. The precedent has been set, so how will journalists keep the public informed? The answer is: we don’t know. But it’s gonna be a fight, and we’ve got to hope that the press is game.

Mojo Baby, Yeah!

So, yeah, the recent election has made living in 2016 feel like a bizarro dance back in time, but at least we’ve got some sweet technology, which is nice. The continuing advances in smartphone technology have made the general population more mobile and that’s cool (even if that does mean scores of people walking down the street transfixed by the glowing device in their hand instead of watching where they’re going,) and it’s particularly awesome for journalists. Now, instead of lugging camera and mic equipment everywhere, journalists can brush the hair out of their eyes, practice a quick smile, and record high quality footage on their phone anywhere, anytime. It’s mobile journalism, and ‘mojo’ is pretty killer.

This also happened last week:

Kanye West would have voted for Trump, if he’d voted. He stopped a San Jose concert last week to tell fans as much, and to reaffirm his 2020 presidential aspirations. We all laughed when he first said he’d run for president but now? He might actually have a chance, and that’s terrifying. But Thanksgiving is coming up, so it’s time to change gears now and prepare for a huge meal with family and friends, and maybe that random vegan, because someone has to stand up for turkey rights.