Saturday, April 4, 2020

Biology Digest Essays - Medicine, Tick-borne Diseases,

Biology Digest Mysterious Fevers Admitted to a hospital for a 103.5 fever, Doctors weren't quite sure what Bob Ervins illness was. A routine diagnosis only reveled discomfort after eating and low levels of all three types of cells. Also his liver enzymes showed signs of anema. With this information, Doctors came up with the diagnosis of cholecystitis, otherwise known as inflamed gall bladder. However Surgeon Audrey Nevins felt that low levels of all three cells wasn't usually associated with the gall bladder. But, after questioning Ervins, Nevins learned ticks, while traveling through Colorado and Indiana, had bitten him. After some testing for diseases carried by ticks (RMSF, Babesiosis, Tubremia, Lyme Disease) Ervins blood was confirmed to have the presence of Ehrlichia Chaffeensis, which is from a lonestar tick infected with that bacterium. Bibliography Biology Digest Volume 26 Issue 4 December 1999 99/00 ? 1098 Science Essays

Sunday, March 8, 2020

The Divine Right of Kings and Humanism Essays

The Divine Right of Kings and Humanism Essays The Divine Right of Kings and Humanism Paper The Divine Right of Kings and Humanism Paper custom and precedent). In the middle of the 17th century, the English Royalist squire Sir Robert Filmer likewise held that the state was a family and that the king was a father, but he claimed, in an interpretation of Scripture, that Adam was the first king and that Charles I (reigned 1625–49) ruled England as Adams eldest heir. The antiabsolutist philosopher John Locke (1632–1704) wrote his First Treatise of Civil Government (1689) in order to refute such arguments. The doctrine of divine right can be dangerous for both church and state. For the state it suggests that secular authority is conferred, and can therefore be removed, by the church, and for the church it implies that kings have a direct relationship to God and may therefore dictate to ecclesiastical rulers. The most commonly studied form of absolutism is absolute monarchy, which originated in early modern Europe and was based on the strong individual leaders of the new nation-states that were created at the breakup of the medieval order. The power of these states was closely associated with the power of their rulers; to strengthen both, it was necessary to curtail the restraints on centralized government that had been exercised by the church, feudal lords, and medieval customary law. By claiming the absolute authority of the state against such former restraints, the monarch as head of state claimed his own absolute authority. By the 16th century monarchical absolutism prevailed in much of western Europe, and it was widespread in the 17th and 18th centuries. Besides France, whose absolutism was epitomized by Louis XIV, absolutism existed in a variety of other European countries, including Spain, Prussia, and Austria. The most common defense of monarchical absolutism, known as â€Å"the divine right of kings† theory, asserted that kings derived their authority from God. This view could justify even tyrannical rule as divinely ordained punishment, administered by rulers, for human sinfulness. In its origins, the divine-right theory may be traced to the medieval conception of Gods award of temporal power to the political ruler, while spiritual power was given to the head of the Roman Catholic Church. However, the new national monarchs asserted their authority in all matters and tended to become heads of church as well as of state, as did King Henry VIII when he became head of the newly created Church of England in the 16th century. Their power was absolute in a way that was impossible to achieve for medieval monarchs, who were confronted by a church that was essentially a rival centre of authority. The English humanists English humanism flourished in two stages: the first a basically academic movement that had its roots in the 15th century and culminated in the work of Sir Thomas More, Sir Thomas Elyot, and Roger Ascham, the second a poetic revolution led by Sir Philip Sidney and William Shakespeare. Though continental humanists had held court positions since the days of Humphrey of Gloucester, English humanism as a distinct phenomenon did not emerge until late in the 15th century. At Oxford William Grocyn (c. 446–1519) and his student Thomas Linacre (c. 1460–1524) gave impetus to a tradition of classical studies that would permanently influence English culture. Grocyn and Linacre attended Politians lectures at the Platonic Academy of Florence. Returning to Oxford, they became central figures in a group that included such younger scholars as John Colet (1466/67–1519) and William Lily (1468? –1522). The humanistic contributions of the Oxford group wer e philological and institutional rather than philosophical or literary. Grocyn ectured on Greek and theology; Linacre produced several works on Latin grammar and translated Galen into Latin. To Linacre is owed the foundation of the Royal College of Physicians; to Colet, the foundation of St. Pauls School, London. Colet collaborated with Lily (the first headmaster of St. Pauls) and Erasmus in writing the schools constitution, and together the three scholars produced a Latin grammar (known alternately as â€Å"Lilys Grammar† and the â€Å"Eton Grammar†) that would be central to English education for decades to come. In Sir Thomas More (1478–1535), Sir Thomas Elyot (c. 490–1546), and Roger Ascham (1515–68), English humanism bore fruit in major literary achievement. Educated at Oxford (where he read Greek with Linacre), More was also influenced by Erasmus, who wrote The Praise of Folly (Latin Moriae encomium) at Mores house and named the book punningly after his English friend. Mores famous Utopia, a kind of companion piece to The Praise of Folly, is similarly satirical of traditional institutions (Book I) but offers, as an imaginary alternative, a model society based on reason and nature (Book II). Reminiscent of Erasmus and Valla, Mores Utopians eschew the rigorous cultivation of virtue and enjoy moderate pleasures, believing that â€Å"Nature herself prescribes a life of joy (that is, pleasure)† and seeing no contradiction between earthly enjoyment and religious piety. Significantly indebted both to classical thought and European humanism, the Utopia is also humanistic in its implied thesis that politics begins and ends with humanity: that politics is based exclusively on human nature and aimed exclusively at human happiness. Sir Thomas Elyot chose a narrower subject but developed it in more detail. His great work, The Book Named The Governor, is a lengthy treatise on the virtues to be cultivated by statesmen. Born of the same tradition that produced The Prince and The Courtier, The Governor is typical of English humanism in its emphasis on the accommodation of both classical and Christian virtues within a single moral view. Elyots other contributions to English humanism include philosophical dialogues, moral essays, translations of ancient and contemporary writers (including Isocrates and Pico), an important Latin-English dictionary, and a highly popular health manual. He served his country as ambassador to the court of Charles V. Finally, the humanistic educational program set up at the turn of the century was vigorously supported by Sir John Cheke (1514–57) and codified by his student Roger Ascham. Aschams famous pedagogical manual, The Schoolmaster, offers not only a complete program of humanistic education but also an evocation of the ideals toward which that education was directed. Ascham had been tutor to the young princess Elizabeth, whose personal education was a model of humanistic pedagogy and whose writings and patronage bespoke great love of learning. Elizabeth Is reign (1558–1603) saw the last concerted expression of humanistic ideas. Elizabethan humanism, which added a unique element to the history of the movement, was the product not of pedagogues and philologists but of poets and playwrights. wsu. edu/~dee/GLOSSARY/DIVRIGHT. HTM http://history. wisc. edu/sommerville/351/351-172. htm historyguide. org/intellect/humanism. html wsu. edu/~dee/REN/HUMANISM. HTM

Friday, February 21, 2020

Counseling Psychology - Proxemics and Haptics and the Impact of Essay

Counseling Psychology - Proxemics and Haptics and the Impact of Culture and Ethnicity - Essay Example Smiling, and, rocking and nodding heads are the two common aspects of interpersonal communication prevalent in this culture. Both these gestures help to create a friendly, warm atmosphere, formal enough to be suitable for any common interpersonal communication situation. Also, there are certain proxemic and haptic rules embedded in the unconscious mind of an Indian, which differ, based on gender as well as age. Respecting the elderly is a part of Indian culture. Keeping a ‘decent’ physical distance from women is also part of this culture. Hargie (p.344) has observed that â€Å"Indian culture places a very high value on acceptance, self-suppression and concern for the feelings of others.† In India, touch between a man and a woman who are not married is most often highly improper. Same sex touching is common among Muslims whereas this is not so common among Hindus (Krueger, 2008, p.6). But in this culture, even a mother will not usually embrace her adult son. And pu blic display of affection (PDA) is very minimal.

Wednesday, February 5, 2020

Slavery Legacy anf Its Influence on Economic Development of U.S. South Assignment

Slavery Legacy anf Its Influence on Economic Development of U.S. South - Assignment Example With the elimination of slavery during the civil war, African- Americans slaves during the earlier periods had fundamentally no introduction to proper education. Evidently, the elevated extent of proceeds disparity, results from the influence of slavery on the existing finances. It is crucial to denote the impacts of slavery on the economy of the U.S. South. This is because the south experiences constant poverty. It has an elevated poverty rate than the American standard. It is important to assert that slavery contributed to the economic development of US; however, it posed numerous challenges in the realms of industrialization, education, and income equality. Slavery affected the early and present development of the south in subtle ways a well. With most of their wealth tied up in slaves, slave owners naturally strove to maximize the value of this asset. Given the mobility of forced labor, owners could afford to be footloose, regularly moving their slaves from place to place to acce ss the higher productive land. In contrast to their land-owning counter parts in the north, slaveholders had little incentives to spend in regional infrastructure, schools, or roads to encourage the growth of towns. All activities were associated with augmenting land cost but had no obvious impact on slave values. Thus, the south stayed more rural and institutionally underdeveloped compared to the north. For similar explanations, southerners did not expand their financial activities like investing in manufacturing. In 1840s, the south’s per capita investment in manufacturing was less than one-third of the north’s, a trend attributable to the south’s lack of urbanization, lack of infrastructure, unequal distribution of incomes, smaller home markets, and poor access to resources (Scott 313). In areas that relied heavily on slave labor, the economy focused narrowly on Agricultural activities and, Industrialization delayed. Industrialization was the south’s s econd importance (Scott 313). There was a hold back in manufacturing and commerce in the old South for three reasons. First, the slaves ware not capable of mastering the precise, delicate operations that manufacturing supposedly involved. Second, masters did not have the idea to gather adequate resources or the need to invest in industrialization (Smith 73). Thirdly, the absence of big town in the South was a necessary consequence of the insurrectionary risks such as concentrations of slaves would pose to southern society (Smith 73). Slavery was root to inequality. This has to date affected the education in the South. There is still bottomless and broad literature on the educational divide in the south. The proper learning was in accessible in the past to the slaves. Their first offspring were only able to complete fewer years of education on standard than the whites were. Furthermore, they had access to racial isolated communal schools, where they received a quality lower learning compared to that acquired by southern whites. Low learning and excellence led to the continuation of huge earnings difference. This has affected the economy of the south even today. The existing differences at the south are linked with disparity in earnings. Former slave countries are currently more imbalanced. They show a higher scarcity pace and a higher amount of racial discrimination. Moreover, racial inequality, which

Tuesday, January 28, 2020

The Future of Oil Article Analysis

The Future of Oil Article Analysis Analyzing the Logic of an Article Student Name: Jennifer R. Thomas Article Number and Name: Article 26 Its Still the One by Daniel Yergin Work Cite: Jackson, Robert M. Global issues 13/14 (1st ed.). Date: 2-23-2017 BACKGROUND What qualifications does the author have for writing an article on this subject? (This may also apply to quotes within the article.) Daniel Yergin received a Pulitzer Prize for The Prize: The Epic Quest for Oil, Money, and Power, published in an updated edition this year. He is chairman of IHS Cambridge Energy Research Associates. (p.113, Jackson) Yergin is the founder of Cambridge Energy Research Associates, (CERA), a member of the National Petroleum Council and a Global Energy Expert. Hes a graduate of Yale University with a BA and Cambridge University with a PH. D and has two honorary degrees, one from The University of Houston and the other from the University of Missouri. http://www.cnbc.com/daniel-yergin/ Chair of a task force for the U.S. Department of Energy, (p. 111, Jackson) When and where was the article first published? Does this affect its credibility? The article was published by the Foreign Policy in September/October 2009, pages 90, 92-95. Foreign Policy is a very reputable resource and Daniel Yergin has a very extensive background and knowledge about the Oil industry, however, the article is not a recent as most valuables resources are or that I would like to base my conclusions off of. I would have to say that the information provided by Daniel Yergin is credible but would like to see updated information to verify/confirm this article. ARTICLE ANALYSIS AND EVALUATION Describe the main purpose, what conclusions the author drew, and what assumptions the author made in this article. The purpose of the article is to give a perspective of the future of Oil globally and the impact Oil will make on regions globally. Volatility impacts many people, not just those in the oil market and worldwide. The article explains how the oil industry has changed over the years due to such things as technology, climate change, how it is used and how much is used. What is the authors point of view for this article? (What other points of view are there? Cushing Oklahomas oil allows them to play a role in the price of oil. Oil trading is a financial asset but unstable. Oil prices over the years have fluctuated from a high dollar to a very low dollar per barrel rate, with prices varying from $147.27, $59.87, $32.40 and as low as $10.00/barrel. Big oil industries have grown and control over eighty percent of the oil industry, while the smaller ones have disappeared. Oil get sold and traded to be turned into gasoline jet fuel, diesel, home heating oil and more. The demand for oil has changed, how we use it, how much we use and technology can change the energy portfolio as well. The oil industry has changed in that if offers pension funds, endowments, and hedge funder and includes money managers to assist with the finances attached to the oil industry. Oil use will increase as energy demands increase in the up and coming years. The increase in oil demand has impacted the pricing of oil. The increasing demand has also caused tension betwe en countries such as China and the U.S. and Britain and Germany due to scarcity. China has secured future oil by giving loans to those countries that are oil producers. The conflict between China and the U.S. is not just about oil but includes coal to where they both are the largest consumers of coal and the largest resources of coal as well. Climate change also impacts the future of oil which gives an additional reason to drive down the demands for oil. Technology needs to be used to find an alternative for oil use. Ideas of alternatives are electric cars, advanced biofuels, solar systems, new building designs, massive investment in wind, integrating electric cars with the electricity industry, and a revolution in the internal combustion engine. (p. 112, Jackson) The Government has taken an increasing interest, giving incentives and subsidies that will drive technical change. Decrease demands and becoming more energy efficient has been a focus of the United States and has been doin g well. Resources do however show that there is enough oil to keep up with the demands for years to come but restricted access, tax systems, civil conflict, geopolitics, rising costs for exploration and production and uncertainties about demand could interfere with oils reaching consumers. The final conclusion is that the oil market is not constant and that many things change the supply and demand of oil and the price of oil, the oil industry is unstable. List new terms introduced and define them. You may also include any important information that was presented in this paper. Volatility- Liability to change rapidly and unpredictably, especially for the worse. www.dictionary.com Somnolent- sleepy, drowsy, tired, lethargic, sluggish. www.dictionary.com WTL-West Texas Intermediate (p. 110, Jackson) Hedgers- A person who builds or repairs hedges (any barrier or boundary, a row of bushes or small trees planted close together, especially when forming a fence or boundary www.dictionary.com Speculators- the financial players. (p. 110, Jackson) Supermajors- a term applied to the six largest Oil companies in the world. www.oilprices.org Paper Barrels- an oil cargo that is sold and traded on the open market, but not actually shipped. www.wisegeek.com Muskier-as an odor www.dictionary.com Wherewithal- that with which to do something; means or supplies for the purpose or need, especially money. www.dictionary.com Were any propaganda techniques used in an attempt to influence readers? Explain. (See explanations at the end of this document.) I found this article to have very little if any propaganda. The article was based on statistics and was pretty matter of fact. One attention grabber for me were the highlighted statistics throughout the article, such as the bold and underlining of the cost of oil per barrel on page 111 and the on page 112 on the number of barrels the world demand rose. These would be a form of bandwagon propaganda. Page 110 also described the Oklahoma sun as hot, sweet crude oil, could be described as a form of propaganda. Other propaganda was the use of big name oil companies that people are familiar such as Exxon Mobile and Chevron and other not so big but still familiar like Amoco and ARCO. CRITICAL THINKING ARTICLE-SPECIFIC QUESTIONS * Refer to the weekly folder for the questions you are required to answer. The questions are located in the Critical Thinking section at the end of each article. Question # Answer 1 The age of oil is changing because the government is giving subsidies and incentives that will drive technology change and help decrease the demands for oil. Climate change also impacts the change in the new era. In addition to climate change and technology, there are now more players in the oil industry like financial managers, investors, hedgers funds and more. 2 The demand for oil is changing in that the demands are decreasing, take the example of the United States who are twice as energy efficient as they were in the 70s, electric cars are gaining more attention, advancement if biofuel, solar systems that are now being given attention as well as the wind. The government is giving more attention to energy efficient ways to improve the economy and reduce the demand for oil. 3 The U.S. and China relationship is one that not only deals with competing over oil but they also compete over coal as well. They are the largest resource of both. They have the same interest new technology solutions for the emissions released when coal is burned. 4 Article 3 is complemented by Yergins article, article 26 because both are making the point that the challenge of reducing consumption of fuel/oil is a difficult challenge and will involve many competitors, better technology and the involvement of the government. ADDITIONAL NOTES OR OBSERVATIONS This article was interesting because I did not realize how much the United States and China were in competition over oil and coal. I am old enough to remember some of the fluctuation in the changing of gas prices. I also find the information of this article very useful because of recent debate that a group of co-workers and I were having over climate change, energy efficient cars and biofuels. A team member was looking at purchasing an energy efficient car, which we found the team was divided as to for or against the talk of climate change and its existence. PROPAGANDA TECHNIQUES Bad (or Sad) Names The use of words, phrases, or expressions with negative connotations. Examples: slob, prude, moron, embarrassing Glad Names The use of words or phrases with positive, pleasant connotations. Examples: warm, lovely, delicious, lemony fragrance Testimonials The recommendation or endorsement by prominent and/or influential people. Example: Professional baseball star Derek Jeters advertisements for a credit card Transfer The use of names, phrases, or symbols to influence acceptance. Example: Using a movie stars photograph on the cover of a magazine to get people to buy it Just Plain Folks The use of dress, behavior, or other devices in an attempt to identify a product or person with ordinary people. Example: Photographs of the President of the United States eating spaghetti or chopping wood Card Stacking The presentation of only that information or those arguments most favorable to a particular point of view. Example: Making a list of all the advantages of buying a new car without making a similar list of all of the disadvantages Bandwagon The use of the fear of being different to influence behavior. Example: Twenty million people jog for their health. Shouldnt you? A 10-STEP PROCESS FOR ANALYZING AN ARGUMENT by Brian W. Carver After you have read the passage carefully, distinguishing between purported facts and opinions, answer the following questions thoroughly. What is the authors conclusion? What premises does the author provide to support this conclusion? What assumptions (unstated premises) are required for the authors argument to be valid? Do the premises seem uncontroversially true? If not, explain. Do the assumptions seem uncontroversially true? If not, explain. Are all terms in the argument adequately defined? If not, explain. Are there other facts, not discussed, that would be helpful to know in evaluating the argument? If so, explain. Does the author appeal to emotion or use words designed to influence our response? (e.g., discounts, hedges, assurances, repetition, etc.) If so, explain. Is your well-crafted version of the argument valid? That is, suppose the premises and assumptions are true, regardless of their actual truth or falsity. Ask yourself, given their truth, does the conclusion have to follow? (If so the argument is valid, if not, it is invalid.) If a clear valid/invalid answer is difficult, explain why. In your opinion, is your well-crafted version of the argument sound? That is, does it both have a valid form and have all true premises and assumptions? (If so, it is sound, if not, it is unsound.) Explain your answer. Retrieved from https://www.ocf.berkeley.edu/~brianwc/courses/thinking/2002fall/analyze.html

Sunday, January 19, 2020

Biometrics Essay -- Science Scientific Essays

Biometrics The term biometrics is commonly known as the field of development of statistical and mathematical methods applicable to data analysis problems in the biological sciences. Though, even more recently it has taken on a whole new definition. Biometrics is an amazing new topic referring to â€Å"the emerging field of technology devoted to the identification of individuals using biological traits, based on retinal or iris scanning, fingerprints, or face recognition†. Biometrics has already begun using applications that range from attendance tracking with a time clock to security checkpoints with a large volume of people. The growing field of biometrics has really been put on the map by two things, the technological advances made within the last 20 years, and the growing risk of security and terrorism among people all over the world. In this paper I will focus on: the growing field of biometrics, why it is important to our future, how the United States government has played a rol e in its development and use, the risks involved, the implications on public privacy, and further recommendations received from all over the science and technology field. Biometrics has really been a captivating part of watching new age movies and futuristic stars bring in the 21st century. Yet, most regular people don’t even know what is behind these alluring â€Å"tricks†, and what really classifies as a part of the Biometrics field. Something as simple as a pin number you use for an ATM machine would qualify as part of this realm. Other behavioral characteristics can be things such as a voice print, or a signature. Biometrics can also become so technologically advanced that they can use video surveillance to scan who goes in and out of an area... ...in safety and liberty in the first place, you have to push the envelope. Seeing all points of view on the issue of biometrics made me see that we are better off with it than without it. Eventually the legislation will be passed, and biometrics will fall into place, and become as common as a lock on your door. Just another security measure to keep us all safe as a family, as a neighborhood, as a state, and finally, as a nation. Bibliography http://www.biometricscatalog.org/ http://biometrics.dod.mil/content.aspx?navid=2&pageID=168 http://biometrics.org/html/introduction.html http://www.computer.org/itpro/homepage/Jan_Feb/security3.htm http://www.eff.org/Privacy/Surveillance?biometrics/ http://www.prcisebiometrics.com/ http://stat.tamu.edu?~biometrics/definition.html http://archives.cnn.com/2001/Tech/computing/01/17/biometrics.future.idg/

Saturday, January 11, 2020

Mass Media and New York

Racism and Ethnic Bias in the Media Is a Serious Problem Mass Media  ,  2010 â€Å"Journalists who think they know communities of color end up writing stereotypical stories. † In the following viewpoint from her interview with Lena-Snomeka Gomes, Elizabeth Llorente states that unequal and inaccurate representations of minorities still persist in the media, and media professionals who are minorities continue to face prejudice in the industry. In Llorente's view, reporters of color often feel unwelcome when entering white communities. In addition, she claims other journalists continue to draw upon harmful ethnic and religious stereotypes.Diversity and opportunities for minorities in newsrooms also are lacking, she contends, compounding these problems. Llorente is an award-winning senior reporter for  The Record  in Bergen, New Jersey. A former newswriter, Gomes is a program support specialist at the Homeless Children's Network in San Francisco. As you read, consider the following questions: 1. According to Llorente, why is covering one's own ethnic community not necessarily easier? 2. What barriers do reporters face when reporting on immigrants, in the author's view? 3. Why are there still very few minorities in newsrooms, in Llorente's opinion?Elizabeth Llorente, senior reporter for  The Record  in Bergen, New Jersey, was recently honored with the Career Achievement Award from the Let's Do It Better Workshop on Race and Ethnicity at the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism. Llorente was honored for her more than 10 years of reporting on the nation's changing demographics. Her series, â€Å"Diverse and Divided,† documented the racial tensions and political struggles between Hispanic immigrants and African Americans in Patterson, N. J. Llorente spoke with  NewsWatch  about the nuances of reporting on race and ethnicity.Lena-Snomeka Gomes: What are some of the major barriers journalists face, especially journalists of colo r when writing about race and ethnicity? Elizabeth Llorente: Well it depends on what they look like. For example, I know that some of the African American reporters that I have worked with have spoken about feelings of being unwelcome, especially when they're covering white areas. And there are also other reporters who feel different because they stand out from the time they walk into a room. People make assumptions about them. I have been told that it's hard to tell what my race is.Is this positive or negative? Maybe it helps when I'm doing a story about tension and whites are part of the tension. Sometimes, I suspect, they open up more because they don't know that I am Hispanic. Perhaps, they would not have been as candid had they known. However, it's not necessarily easier to cover stories in your own ethnic community or communities similar to yours. If you criticize people and they didn't like it, they are usually less forgiving. They take it personal and see you as a traitor, e specially when the stories involve a politically charged group.Do you think journalists of color are resistant to writing about race and ethnicity because they don't want to be typecast so to speak? There are people who believe that and I don't blame them. Sometimes that's all the papers will let them do, and the papers don't value their work. In that regard, it's a thankless job. When you come back with a great story, they don't see the skill and the talent it took to report and write that story. They think, of course, you wrote well because you're one of them. They automatically assume it was easy for you to get the story.They may even question your objectivity. But, when [Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist] Rick Bragg went to the South to write about the life he knew, no one said, of course its easy for him because he's from the South. No, they said, wow he's a great writer. Do you think stories about race and ethnicity still face being calendared for special events or has there b een more sustained coverage and focus? It's gotten much better. Stories used to be covered for Black History Month or Cinco de Mayo, but now beats have been created around race and ethnicity.Beat reporters have to write all year. Reporters are interested in writing about race and ethnicity. They want to cover these issues. Now the next level journalism needs to go to is to spread the responsibility of covering race and ethnicity among all reporters, in all sections of the paper, business section, education, transportation, and municipal. Coverage has to be more comprehensive. It cannot be reserved for certain reporters, because race and ethnicity is such a huge area. Immigration Stories How do stories about immigration differ from other stories about race and ethnicity?If you're writing about second or third generation Cubans, you're writing about Americans, a minority group that has some stake here. With immigrants, you're writing about people who are newer, who don't necessarily f eel American. They are still transitioning into this national culture. They are rebuilding their identities. For example, they may not have a sense of (their) civil rights here or of American racism. What skills do journalists have to master in order to report fairly and accurately on immigrant communities? First of all, you need to have a completely open mind.This is especially important when you're covering immigrant communities. So many of us think that we know the immigrant groups, but many of us only know the stereotypes. Too often we set out to write stories that end up marginalizing people in harmful ways because the stories tend to exacerbate those stereotypes. Or we ignore the stories that do not conform to the stereotypes. For example, if we're going to write about Hispanic communities, instead of looking for Hispanics in the suburbs, we tend to go where we can most readily find them, in Miami, Spanish Harlem, and in the Barrio.We keep telling the same stories and giving i t the same frame, because it's an easy thing to do when you're on a deadline. The result is an ok story. But immigration stories are diverse. They are not only in enclaves, but also in places we never thought about finding them in, such as in once exclusively white suburbs and rural America. Perhaps Hispanics in the barrio is a valuable story, but that is no longer the Hispanic story. It is a Hispanic story. Okay, once you find (immigrant communities) how do you communicate with them? It's tough.Not knowing the language can be difficult. But the key is to start out with the attitude of not settling for less. Start out speaking with the leaders, but only as a vehicle to reach the other people who are not always in the papers. Too many of us stop with the leaders and that is not enough. Ask them to introduce you or ask them if you can use their name to open up a few doors for you to speak with others in the community. However, covering immigrant communities doesn't mean encountering a language barrier. Many people have a basic knowledge of English.You can still conduct an interview with someone who only speaks survival English. But, you will also run into a lot of people who don't speak English. If you make the effort, if you're patient, if you speak slower and are conscious of the words you use, if you make sure they understand what you are asking them, if you tune in, you'll make the connection. Finally, if language is a barrier and you're not comfortable, find someone who is bilingual to help you interpret. How can journalists write balanced stories if they operate from the stereotypes?Ask the person you're interviewing to break down those stereotypes. You can tell the person that there is a particular stereotype and ask them if it is true or not. Journalists have the unique role and power to help break the stereotypes down. What does receiving the Career Achievement Award mean to you? I was hoping that it would mean that I could retire and go sailing and wri te my novels from a log cabin. After I checked my retirement savings, I realized, that ain't gonna happen for a long time. Its nice to get awards, but when you get one it's usually for a certain story or project.This is like a wonderful embrace that says, you know, you hit the ball out of the park again and again. You set a standard in this business. At a career level, you have done great work. It's just a nice sweeping kiss and hug to me. The Culture of Journalism Tell me some of the successes Let's Do It Better has had and some of the ways in which it has impacted the culture of journalism. I think one wonderful thing they did, under Sig Gissler (original founder), was that they targeted the gatekeepers. His model approach was to go directly to the top management.Gissler wanted to show them good reporting that reached a higher level and how stories about race were more nuanced. He wanted them to read the stories and then to talk to the folks who wrote them so they could learn how to do these types of stories. Did the top respond? Yes! I saw conversions. People who started out cynically were changed by the last day. They were beginning to look at race and ethnicity stories critically. They were going to raise their standard. They left the workshops believing that their news organizations needed more diverse voices.Why, are there still so few people of color in newsrooms today? Too many employers are prejudiced. Too many minorities are still being hired under a cloud of doubt. I don't think many minorities are hired with the notion that they will be star reporters. They are not nurtured. Then when minority journalists leave it's seen as a betrayal, but when whites leave, it's considered a good career move. I have worked with many white reporters who have had many opportunities in training and promotions, and nobody says they're ungrateful s. o. b. ‘s when they leave.Can we keep doing it better? Of course. There are still so many stories we are not gettin g that are out there. Journalists who think they know communities of color end up writing stereotypical stories and they use photos to make people look exotic. In fact, we need to pay more attention to photojournalism. A story can be fair and balanced, but if that picture projects the exotic stereotype, the story loses its value. Don't bypass a photo of a person because they don't look ‘ethnic enough. ‘ Take a picture of the blonde Mexican or the Muslim women wearing Levi jeans.Further Readings Books * Bonnie M. Anderson  News Flash: Journalism, Infotainment, and the Bottom-Line Business of Broadcast News. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 2004. * Ben Bagdikian  The New Media Monopoly. Boston: Beacon Press, 2004. * Michael A. Banks  Blogging Heroes: Interviews with 30 of the World's Top Bloggers. Indianapolis: Wiley Publishing, 2008. * Pablo J. Boczkowski  Digitizing the News: Innovation in Online Newspapers. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press, 2004. * L. Brent Bozell  Weapons of Mass Distortion: The Coming Meltdown of the Liberal Media. New York: Three Rivers Press, 2005. Asa Briggs and Peter Burke  A Social History of the Media: From Gutenberg to the Internet. 2nd ed. Malden, MA: Polity, 2005. * Thomas de Zengotita  Mediated: How the Media Shapes Our World and the Way We Live in It. New York: Bloomsbury Publishing, 2005. * David Edwards and David Cromwell  Guardians of Power: The Myth of the Liberal Media. London: Pluto Press, 2006. * Robert Erikson and Kent Tedin  American Public Opinion: Its Origins, Content, and Impact. Updated 7th ed. New York: Pearson/Longman, 2007. * Dan Gilmore  We the Media: Grassroots Journalism by the People, for the People.Sebastopol, CA: O'Reilly, 2006. * Tom Goldstein  Journalism and Truth: Strange Bedfellows. Chicago: Northwestern University Press, 2007. * Doris A. Graber  Media Power in Politics. 5th ed. Washington, DC: CQ Press, 2007. * Neil Henry  American Carnival: Journalism under Siege in an Age of N ew Media. Berkeley, CA: University of California Press, 2007. * Henry Jenkins  Convergence Culture: Where Old and New Media Collide. New York: NYU Press, 2006. * Steven Johnson  Everything Bad Is Good for You: How Popular Culture Is Making Us Smarter. New York: Riverhead Trade, 2005. Lawrence Lessig  Free Culture: How Big Media Uses Technology and the Law to Lock Down Culture and Control Creativity. New York: Penguin, 2004. * Charles M. Madigan, ed. 30: The Collapse of the American Newspaper. Chicago: Ivan R. Dee, 2007. * David W. Moore  The Opinion Makers: An Insider Exposes the Truth Behind the Polls. New York: Beacon Press, 2008. * Patrick R. Parsons  Blue Skies: A History of Cable Television. Philadelphia: Temple University Press, 2008. * Neil Postman  Amusing Ourselves to Death: Public Discourse in the Age of Show Business. 20th anniversary ed.New York: Penguin Books, 2005. * Metta Spencer  Two Aspirins and a Comedy: How Television Can Enhance Health and Society. Boulder, CO: Paradigm Publishers, 2006. Periodicals * Dennis AuBuchon â€Å"Free Speech and the Fairness Doctrine,†Ã‚  American Chronicle, March 19, 2009. * Greg Beato â€Å"The Spin We Love to Hate: Do We Really Want News Without a Point of View? †Ã‚  Reason, December 2008. * Jeffrey Chester â€Å"Time for a Digital Fairness Doctrine,†Ã‚  AlterNet, October 19, 2004. * Edward W. Gillespie â€Å"Media Realism: How the GOP Should Handle Increasingly Biased Journalists,†Ã‚  National Review, April 6, 2009. Nicole Hemmer â€Å"Liberals, Too, Should Reject the Fairness Doctrine,†Ã‚  Christian Science Monitor, November 25, 2008. * R. Court Kirkwood â€Å"What Did or Didn't Happen at Duke,†Ã‚  New American, September 18, 2006. * Richard Perez-Pena â€Å"Online Watchdog Sniffs for Media Bias,†Ã‚  New York Times, October 15, 2008. * Eugene Robinson â€Å"(White) Women We Love,†Ã‚  Washington Post, June 10, 2005. * Joseph Somsel â€Å"Me gaphone Envy and the Fairness Doctrine,†Ã‚  American Thinker, March 19, 2009. * Adam Thierer â€Å"The Media Cornucopia,†Ã‚  City Journal, Spring 2007. * Evan Thomas â€Å"The Myth of Objectivity,†Ã‚  Newsweek, March 10, 2008.