Best Errors of 2005
I guess this is the end of my journalism blog - the semester is over. If you are really interested in what I'm saying, however, please check out
my real blog.I thought I would end things with a cool post I found on Regret the Error:
the best newspaper errors of 2005. Enjoy!
Purdue Safety Forum
I just got back from my last beat assignment/meeting for the semester - the Purdue Safety forum.
The turnout was larger than I thought it would be and the panel was very informative. There were 7 members on the panel who talked to students and staff about safety on Purdue's campus. The recent attacks spurred some safety issues among the community.
Some of the topics discussed were:
• The Safe Walk program - sponsored by the Purdue Police Department, this program offers assitance to students who do not want to walk alone
• Emergency call boxes - located all over campus, these phones connect to the police department
• Self-defense classes - these are available to all Purdue students
After the event, Jessica Hoffman said she felt that Purdue is a safe campus but there is always a need to make students aware of the services that are available to them. She added that the recent attacks were horrible and that Purdue Student Government is doing everything they can to communicate with the police department and the Dean of Students to keep people safe on campus.
A few random links
For your enjoyment, I present:
• Newspapers get a new
nod from Pulitzer. Online entries, huh? Looks like the technological bandwagon won't be coming to a hault anytime soon. I'm really glad to see this! It means there is still hope I'll win one of these before I die.
•
Blogniscient - a very cool site that ranks and categorizes blogs. It is updated in real time. If you don't get it, read
what its purpose is.
Safety Forum
I was talking the other day about the need for a public safety forum on campus after the recent attacks, and it seems that there is going to be one.
Where: Fowler Hall
When: Wednesday, December 7th at 4:00pm
The forum will consist of a panel of experts, those invited to sit on the panel include both the Purdue and West Lafayette police chiefs, a rep from University News Service, a rep from the Dean of Students Office, and a rep from the Student Health Center.
Fake Blogs?
We talked in class about how many newspapers are encouraging or requiring their writers to have blogs. The Charlotte Observer has put a new spin on this. They have a list of
their columnists "blogs" online. The problem is that these aren't really blogs.
A Nashville Blogger points out that they have no real blog links, meaning they don't link out or create much of a community.
Their links all go to official web sites, but not any other blogs. The whole point of the blogosphere is to widen the community. To link over to other interesting blogs that might expand the readers circle just a little bit further than they have been before. These blogs are self centered, and serve only as a way to expand the number of ways the Observer is trying to saturate the local market. You can't provide real links on your blog if it means taking the reader away from the all important advertisers.
But is this really what defines a blog? Does there have to be a network of links? I'm not so sure. Might be something worth pondering.
Blogging and Journalism
I just read two articles that I think pertain well to this class.
The first is about mainstream media
plagiarizing blogs. I think this goes to show that old school journalism has a long way to go om recognizing blogging as a legitimate souce of the news. It's ironic that bloggers, in my experience, are the first to credit mainstream journalist with stories. Watching the controversy/evolution between bloggers and journalism is so fascinating. I don't think the lines between the two will do anything but keep on blurring.
Another article I read is about
the importance of blogging in journalism education. This one really struck home for this course. It was written by a USC journalism professor who requires his students to blog. Awesome stuff!
Not a good week for Purdue
It seems that nothing good happened on my beat this week.
As I mentioned before, Von's was on fire. There were also several attacks on campus the same night. Thankfully, they caught
the guy. Unforunately, he is giving student athletes a bad name. Three girls were reportedly attacked. The campus police wanted to reassure the women of Purdue that they were safe, and they said so at
a Pan-Hel meeting. That's great and everything, but what about those of us that aren't in sororities. Maybe we would like a little reassurance, too?! I think this forum should have been open to the public.
I had forgotten that you can always get a campus escort if you feel scared or alone. The escort service number can be reached at 494-SAFE. (Thanks to The Exponent for giving out that information!)
It was also the time of year when that Salary Guide is published and reeks havoc on campus all day. I can't believe how crazy people go over this thing! It did bring up some interesting questions about the budget, however. I was hoping to find a meeting about this, but since I couldn't I called Jessica Hoffman to ask her a few questions. She told me that, as we talked about at a BOT meeting, the state's inability to give more money to Purdue is causing salaries to stay lower than desired. Amber wrote about this and got some really great figures:
• In 1997, University employees received an average 4.8 percent salary increase. Compare that to a 3.2 percent increase in 2004, and questions arise as to why employees' salaries aren't increasing at the previous rate.
• In 2004, the average overall faculty salary, including all professor levels and department heads, was $79,600. In 1997, it was $63,700.
• According to these numbers, Purdue faculty members received an average $3,057 increase in 1997, and a $2,547 increase in 2004.
Until the state can step up to the plate, students will suffer the most from this problem. Trying to fund salary increases is part of why tution continues to be on the rise, Hoffman said.
And finally, Purdue Police are at it again chasing down student drivers. Starting in January they will be issuing tickets to students who drive in bus loading zones. Tricky cops! Of course they pick the coldest time of year when students try to help each other out by giving one another a lift to class. This really irks me! A LOT. The reason behind this? Student drivers pose a threat to City Buses. Um, last I checked those buses posed a threat to me as a pedestrian and I was safer hitching a ride to class from my roommate. I remember the last time this happened tickets were $20. That's pretty expensive cab fair to go 3 blocks.
The Exponent Reports
Articles about the fire at Von's can be found:
•
Fire damages apartments•
Von's Employees Need New Jobs•
Residents evacuated - this one is about some friends of mine. An xBox 360 was lost in the fire. :(
•
Crowds gather to watch Von's burn
