Q. How can we ensure that our development as moral and social animals keeps pace with our rapidly evolving communications technology?
A. By playing an active role in our media consumption, trusting reporters who demonstrate fairness and reliability over time, offering corrections when they get something wrong, and when we care enough--reading the original documents they worked from.
Mere seconds before the Earth is to be demolished by an alien construction crew, journeyman Arthur Dent is swept off the planet by his friend Ford Prefect, an alien researcher penning a new edition of "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy."Do movie trailers appeal to our 'deep' or 'hyper' attention?
Douglas Adams cult classic may have been the stuff of Science Fiction in the 1970s, but one can't help compare his fictitious guide to existing modern-day technology. Never before have we had access to so much information at our fingertips. So why is it we seem to know so little?
At ObitCon, members of the Society of Professional Obituary Writers talk about the privilege of honoring lives well-lived. Mo Rocca reports on the gathering of obit writers (where they hand out their annual awards ceremony, the Grimmys), and introduces the second season of his podcast, "Mobituaries."
According to James Loewen in his book Lies My Teacher Told Me: Sasha and Zamani are two aspects of time as expressed in some Eastern and Central African cultures. Sasha are spirits known by someone still alive, while Zamani are spirits not known by anyone currently alive. The recently departed whose time overlapped with people still here are the Sasha, the living dead. They are not wholly dead, for they live on in the memories of the living ... when the last person knowing an ancestor dies, that ancestor leaves the Sasha for the Zamani, the dead. As generalized ancestors, the Zamani are not forgotten but revered.
Your assignment: write your own Obituary. Assume you live to be at least 80 years old. What will you have accomplished? Who will you leave behind? What will your legacy be?
Do the election results for Butler County confirm or refute this graph?
What should the title of this map be? What do the colors represent? What other conclusions can we draw from this map? Who votes more: educated or non-educated? Rich or poor? If you were running for office where would you campaign?
Over twenty countries have some form of compulsory voting which requires citizens to register to vote and to go to their polling place or vote on election day. Should the United States be next?
Over the past 150 years, many people worked hard and fought valiantly — and sometimes even died — to expand the right to vote to all Americans. Today, no matter your gender, race or income level, American citizens 18 or older have the right vote. Yet, voter turnout rates in the United States, especially during midterm elections like those on Nov. 4, are among the lowest in the world (PDF). For certain groups, like poor people and young adults, turnout rates are even lower. In a country that prides itself on its democratic values, why don’t more people vote? What do We the People Want?
On Sunday, April 19, 1953, at 8:30-ish in the evening, Ronald H. Tammen, Jr., disappeared from his second-floor room in Fisher Hall on Miami University’s campus in Oxford, Ohio. He left everything behind — his wallet, his string bass, his car, his clothing, even his toothbrush. No one could figure out what happened to Tammen. Miami University officials were mystified, the Oxford PD outwitted, the FBI flummoxed. Since the spring of 2010, I’ve been conducting my own search for Tammen and what his disappearance might tell us about this enigmatic 19-year-old who landed himself squarely in the middle of one of the most bedeviling mysteries ever to hit the state of Ohio.
A "fnord" is a pop-culture term used to describe something in the news media that subconsciously generates a feeling of uneasiness and confusion, preventing rationality, and creating fear. The term originally comes from conspiracy theorists who claim we are surrounded by 'fnords' every day and that the governments of the world are using them to control us.
The world is watching much of the violence between Israel and Hamas through traditional media and broadcasts. But millions also are getting their information through social media. Many posts are spreading misinformation or outright lies and criticism is being directed at the platform X, formerly known as Twitter, and its owner Elon Musk. Laura Barrón-López discussed more with Emerson Brooking.
Bias is hard to avoid, but it can be really damaging - leading us to make poor choices without fairly weighing up the facts.
As human beings, we all bring a point of view into the world, and that point of view colors how we learn about and interact with it. This is built up from the moment we are born and will continue to evolve until we die. With that in mind, we should always be aware that we cannot react to anything in a completely objective manner.
That same logic holds true for media. All news outlets are organizations and made up of people. This means that editors, reporters, commentators, and researchers that work in journalism bring their point of view to work with them every day, and it is borderline impossible for them to completely separate themselves from the stories they report. It is therefore logical to assume that even the hardest news will be colored, to a certain extent, by the person reporting it. At a microlevel, when looking at a story, this point of view can manifest itself in a variety of ways that we should be on the lookout for:
Value as fact: In softer news, the presenter might attempt to pass off their beliefs as fact. This is especially true of punditry and opinion sections (think Tucker Carlson, Rachel Maddow, Sean Hannity, or Stephen Colbert) where the presenter is often attempting to confirm their own worldview and make that worldview more presentable to the consumer. If a worldview or set of values is stated, we should automatically be on the lookout for bias in how the story is presented.
Presentation of the facts: In hard news, it’s important to keep an eye on how the facts are presented. Were questions left unanswered? Was information omitted that could have been vital to building a clear picture of events?
Credibility and accuracy of sourcing: Did the story source a diverse array of credible viewpoints and make the effort to flesh out who or what they are and put the information gleaned from them in context? The less you notice this in a story, the more on guard you should be for bias.
Cherry-picking: How are sources represented in the story? Are they analyzed in depth or just at a glance?
Sensationalism: Does the language in the headline or body provoke an emotional response? If it does, it’s likely that you’re consuming something intentionally biased and seeking to elicit that reaction to further the agenda of its author.
Commentary: Does the story draw a specific conclusion? Do they tell you in the presentation of facts whether they judge a source to be credible or portray them in a positive or negative light? In general, we should be skeptical of any reporting that attempts to pass judgement on a source. It may be accurate, but further research will be needed on the part of the consumers to independently confirm this judgement for themselves.
Fighting BIAS can be even harder than detecting it, especially when we already have strong preconceived opinions...
Mustangs are heading into their sixth decade. The iconic car has a strong history in the United States, but the brand is continuing to innovate and push forward. With the United Auto Workers strike making the headlines, it is important to remember that unions fought for more than just higher wages. The labor movement has set an example other national organizations could learn from— and has taken steps to make sure workers are protected regardless of race, sex, sexuality, religion, nationality or legal status.
Concerns about North Korea’s chronic food shortages are growing, with multiple sources suggesting this week that deaths due to starvation are likely.
Some experts say the country has hit its worst point since a 1990s famine known as the “Arduous March” caused mass starvation and killed hundreds of thousands of people, or an estimated 3-5% of what was then a 20 million-strong population.
Trade data, satellite images and assessments by the United Nations and South Korean authorities all suggest the food supply has now “dipped below the amount needed to satisfy minimum human needs,” according to Lucas Rengifo-Keller, a research analyst at the Peterson Institute for International Economics.
Even if food was distributed equally – something close to inconceivable in North Korea where the elite and military take priority – Rengifo-Keller said “you would have hunger-related deaths.” And in the past year it has spent precious resources carrying out a record number of missile tests.
The documents spread out on the carpet at Mar-a-Lago, their classification markings clearly visible, are tiny drops in a tsunami of secrets kept by the U.S. government.
"Some things are beyond words. Beyond comprehension. Beyond forgiveness.”
Marvel’s The Amazing Spider-Man #36 opens on a two-page spread with Spider-Man at ground zero shortly after the towers collapsed. Examine the comic panels linked here and then write down responses to the following questions (or work in pairs) and then discuss as a class.
1) Look at the visual evidence and describe how Spider-Man is feeling — what does he look like? How does his reaction mirror that of how you think many Americans felt?
2) Analyze his words. What do they mean? Do you feel like something like this attack is beyond comprehension now?
3) Why can he not forgive? Should he? What do you think he will do?
This summer has produced dramatic headlines around the world, including blockbuster Supreme Court rulings, record-breaking heat waves and an unlikely pairing of movies that smashed box-office receipts.
How closely have you paid attention to current events? See what you remember by taking our special Summer 2023 News Quiz.
When most people think of the metaverse, they might think of office workers wearing VR goggles at home to attend meetings in a virtual conference room. But this new evolution of the Internet is so much more. Users can buy and sell virtual land with real money, create and trade NFTs, and explore a new frontier with opportunities yet to be imagined. But like all economic booms, the metaverse is not without risk. Cryptocurrencies are volatile and assessing value in this virtual Wild West is uncertain, so early adopters could win big or face crushing losses.
What excites you about the 'Metaverse?' What concerns or frightens you? Do you think you'll want to 'live' there someday? Why or why not?
Yesterday marked 28 years since the bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City, which remains the largest act of home-grown terrorism in U.S. history. How is that act of political violence remembered now, and how are the shockwaves of extremism still being felt today?
Why do some individuals decide to break with society and embark on a career in terrorism? Do terrorists share common traits or characteristics? Is there a terrorist personality or profile? Can a terrorist profile be developed that could reliably help security personnel to identify potential terrorists, whether they be would-be airplane hijackers, assassins, or suicide bombers? Do some terrorists have a psychotic personality? Psychological factors relating to terrorism are of particular interest to government officials who would like to be able to predict and prevent the emergence of terrorist groups or to thwart the realization of terrorist actions.
The truth is written all over our faces. Take the online Micro Expressions Test described in this story and the basis for the new Fox TV show Lie to Me. Can you read the hidden expressions?
Albert Einstein once wrote, "The hardest thing in the world to understand is the income tax." The product of 95 years worth of additions, subtractions, deductions, and exclusions, it has become such a headache that many are calling for it to be drastically simplified or even removed altogether. With a looming fiscal crisis on the horizon, April 15th seems more like a scene from a B-Horror horror movie than a day to contribute to the common good of the nation. Political favoritism, ineffective social programs, and economic manipulations all reveal the need for tax reform.
What is an income tax and why are they important? What are the history of taxes in the United States? Why is paying taxes so complicated? Are they fair? Can you think of a better system?
This week, two Democratic members of Tennessee’s House of Representatives were reinstated after being expelled by their Republican colleagues for participating in a gun violence protest. In his speech on the House floor, Rep. Justin Pearson referred to the hypocrisy of being expelled the week before for protesting, by a group of people who celebrate historical protest on the Fourth of July.
Keep copying those Sunday funnies, kids, and one day you may beat Al Jaffee’s record to become the Longest Working Cartoonist in History.
You’ll need to take extra good care of your health, given that the Guinness Book of World Records notified Jaffee, above, of his honorific on his 95th birthday.
Much of his legendary career has been spent at Mad Magazine, where he is best-known as the father of Fold-ins.
Look at the examples of his Fold-Ins posted below and then create one of your own using the paper given out in class:
"An affecting, singular story...a bracing tale of life on the edge of death." --Kirkus Reviews
When veteran war reporter Benjamin Hall woke up in Kyiv on the morning of March 14, 2022, he had no idea that, within hours, Russian bombs would nearly end his life. As a journalist for Fox News, Hall had worked in dangerous war zones like Syria and Afghanistan, but with three young daughters at home, life on the edge was supposed to be a thing of the past. Yet when Russia viciously attacked Ukraine in February 2022, Hall quickly volunteered to go. A few weeks later, while on assignment, Hall and his crew were blown up in a Russian strike. With Hall himself gravely injured and stuck in Kyiv, it was unclear if he would make it out alive.
This is the story of how he survived--a story that continues to this day. For the first time, Hall shares his experience in full--from his ground-level view of the war to his dramatic rescue to his arduous, and ongoing, recovery. Going inside the events that have permanently transformed him, Hall recalls his time at the front lines of our world's conflicts, exploring how his struggle to step away from war reporting led him back one perilous last time. Featuring nail-biting accounts from the many people across multiple countries who banded together to get him to safety, Hall offers a stunning look at the complex teamwork and heartfelt perseverance that turned his life into a mission.
Through it all, Hall's spirit has remained undaunted, buoyed by that remarkable corps of people from around the world whose collective determination ensured his survival. Evocative, harrowing, and deeply moving, Saved is a powerful memoir of family and friends, of life and healing, and of how to respond when you are tested in ways you never thought possible.
With continuing Ukrainian war and the recent destruction of a US drone over the Black Sea, the question of whether the Russians might deploy nuclear weapons to stem the tide in Ukraine has been frequently asked.
What is Russia's nuclear threat? Do you think Putin might be crazy enough to use a nuclear weapon? Why? Not?
Fox personality Tucker Carlson this week is releasing security video from the Jan. 6 attack at the U.S. Capitol, using footage provided exclusively to him by House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, to falsely portray the riot as a peaceful gathering. James Sasso, who served as senior investigative counsel for the Jan. 6 committee, joins Geoff Bennett to discuss.
1) What happened on Jan. 6 at the U.S. Capitol?
2) Why did NewsHour call Tucker Carlson a “personality” if he hosts a news show?
3) Who is James Sasso? Why do you think the NewsHour chose to interview someone who was part of the investigative team into the Jan. 6 attack?
4) How did the Jan. 6 videos shared by the Jan. 6 committee differ greatly from what Fox News shared?
5) Why do so many Fox viewers believe Tucker Carlson when the videos he showed were clearly edited leaving out the violence that took place on Jan. 6?
Ohio prides itself as being the ‘Mother of Presidents,’ boasting no fewer than eight chief executives. Seven were born in the ‘Buckeye State:’ Ulysses Grant, Rutherford Hayes, James Garfield, Benjamin Harrison, William McKinley, William Howard Taft and Warren G. Harding. The eighth, William Henry Harrison, may have technically been born in Virginia (who claims him as their native son), but he had served both as US Congressman and Senator from Ohio before ascending to the presidency (Guerrieri, 2018). No other state can claim as many presidents, not even ‘Old Virginia’ has dominion. What is it in the Ohio water that breeds this many leaders?
Perhaps a better question is of quality over quantity. Certainly not all of Ohio’s presidents have been successful. Garfield and Mckinley would both tragically be assassinated while in office, victims of their own failures in turbulent times. Warren Harding, plagued by ‘Teapot Dome’ and various extramarital affairs, would die under mysterious circumstances while in office (Monks, 2019). Ulysses Grant successfully led the Union to victory during the Civil War, but his Presidency would be overshadowed by scandal after scandal, leading him to admit in his farewell address, “Mistakes have been made, as all can see and I admit, but I leave comparisons to history, claiming only that I have acted in every instance from a conscientious desire to do what was right, constitutional, within the law, and for the very best interests of the whole people. Failures have been errors of judgment, not of intent.” (Daugherty, 2020)
Of all the Ohio Presidents, Benjamin Harrison, grandson of William Henry and proud graduate of Miami University. quietly led America to several successes. Consider his accomplishments: the expansion of the US Navy, the creation of the first Pan-American Union, and the passage of the Sherman Antitrust Act (Friedel & Sidey, H. 2006). His success should not be measured by legislation alone. Unfairly nicknamed ‘Kid Glove’ Harrison, Benjamin non-confrontationally worked to improve the lives of Indians, homesteaders, and veterans.
Proving the maxim ‘what is right isn’t always popular, and what is popular isn’t always right,’ Benjamin Harrison lost the popular vote by 100,000 to Grover Cleveland but still won in the Electoral College 233 to 168 (Friedel & Sidey, H. 2006). His ‘front porch’ campaigns, so named for his speeches delivered from his home in Indianapolis, would not be enough to propel him to a second term in 1892. While not the most dynamic or charismatic of our leaders, ‘Little Ben’ should be given credit for helping to heal our nation long after Reconstruction had been abandoned.
These were the first words many Americans ever heard from Jimmy Carter. A one-term governor from the Deep South with no Washington experience, professional political observers dismissed his candidacy as the longest of long shots. But the born-again Christian and peanut farmer from Plains, Georgia knew something the experts didn’t. Americans were looking for fresh, untainted leadership to bridge the chasm of mistrust that had opened between the people and their government after the war in Vietnam and the Watergate scandal.
Presidents’ Day, officially Washington’s Birthday, in the United States, holiday (third Monday in February) popularly recognized as honouring George Washington and Abraham Lincoln. The day is sometimes understood as a celebration of the birthdays and lives of all U.S. presidents. The origin of Presidents’ Day lies in the 1880s, when the birthday of Washington—commander of the Continental Army during the American Revolution and the first president of the United States—was first celebrated as a federal holiday. In 1968 Congress passed the Uniform Monday Holiday Bill, which moved a number of federal holidays to Mondays. The change was designed to schedule certain holidays so that workers had a number of long weekends throughout the year, but it has been opposed by those who believe that those holidays should be celebrated on the dates they actually commemorate. During debate on the bill, it was proposed that Washington’s Birthday be renamed Presidents’ Day to honour the birthdays of both Washington (February 22) and Lincoln (February 12); although Lincoln’s birthday was celebrated in many states, it was never an official federal holiday. Following much discussion, Congress rejected the name change. After the bill went into effect in 1971, however, Presidents’ Day became the commonly accepted name, due in part to retailers’ use of that name to promote sales and the holiday’s proximity to Lincoln’s birthday. Presidents’ Day is usually marked by public ceremonies in Washington, D.C., and throughout the country.
Who do you think was the best US President? The Worst? Which President would you ask for help with your homework? Who would you want if you were in a Survival Situation? A date for Prom? What qualities do these individuals share that made them good leaders?
Actress Sheryl Lee Ralph performed "Lift Every Voice and Sing," colloquially known as the Black National Anthem, ahead of the Superbowl game. The song, written more than 100 years ago, emerged as a rallying cry during the civil rights movement, according to the NAACP. The NFL began including the song in its games following the Black Lives Matter protests that occurred during the summer of 2020, but the move has faced backlash from some conservatives.
Congress woman Lauren Boebert became the latest prominent Republican to criticize the National Football League (NFL) over the song's inclusion, which will be performed alongside "The Star-Spangled Banner" and "America the Beautiful." The GOP lawmaker accused the league of attempting to "divide" Americans by including the Black National Anthem in the performance lineup.
1) What is the 'Black National Anthem?'
2) Why was it sung alongside the 'National Anthem' at the SuperBowl?
The Constitution mandates that the President “shall from time to time give to the Congress Information on the State of the Union, and recommend to their Consideration such Measures as he shall judge necessary and expedient.” The President’s State of the Union Message and address were known as the President’s Annual Message to Congress until well into the 20th century. Presidents Washington and Adams delivered their messages to Congress in person, but President Jefferson abandoned the practice as “monarchical” and time-consuming, sending written messages instead. This precedent was followed until President Wilson personally appeared before Congress in 1913. President Franklin Roosevelt adopted Wilson’s practice of personal delivery, and it has since become a contemporary tradition. With the advent of radio (1923) and television (1947) coverage of the address, it gained great importance by providing a nationwide platform for the President.
Authorities found dozens of classified materials at former President Trump’s home last year, including some marked “top secret,” that he did not promptly turn over to the National Archives.
Historian Matthew Connelly says government records are marked as "classified" three times every second — and many of them will never be declassified. Listen to the podcast as we talk about what this means for the public and how this might change considering the ongoing controversy of classified documents discovered in Trump, Bidens, and now Pence's possession.
1) How many classified documents are there?
2) What's different about classified information?
3) Who has the power to classify?
4) Why would a newspaper article be classified?
5) Can a president declassify documents and how long does it take?
6) Is The U.S. Gov't designating too many documents as 'Classified'? ' Explain your opinion.
With all the talk of 'fake news' and Russian 'collusion' in the last election, how is any American supposed to know who is telling the truth? This is not a problem in China, where misinformation is tightly controlled by the government, and the telling of 'falsehoods' is punishable by jail time or worse.
The Chinese government demonstrated just how much power it has over the opinions of its billion-strong population by deciding to ban use of a single letter. That letter is 'N' and its censorship followed moves by the Chinese Communist Party to remove the ten year limit on a presidency from the country's Constitution.
In the immediate aftermath of Dr. King’s assassination on April 4th 1968, U.S. Congressman John Conyers of Michigan introduced the Conyers King Holiday Bill in the House of Representatives. Submitted four days after King’s death, the legislation sought to establish a federal holiday to honor the slain civil rights champion; however, Representative Conyers’ bill languished in congressional committees for years even though he dutifully submitted his legislation at the beginning of every new congressional session. Contributing to the delay was the fact that King was not viewed favorably at that time by many members of Congress, nor among a substantial portion of the American public.
Finally, in 1979, the Conyers’ bill was voted on in Congress but fell five votes shy of passage. Undaunted, the King Center in Atlanta, led by Dr. King’s widow Coretta Scott King, continued to lobby for a national holiday. They were soon joined by a powerful ally, musician and songwriter Stevie Wonder. In 1980, Wonder channeled his discontent with opposition to the holiday into “Happy Birthday,” a song that completely reimagined the traditional song and featured lyrics celebrating Dr. King’s peaceful mission. “Happy Birthday” became an international hit in 1981 and an anthem for the campaign.
The popularity of the song substantially increased awareness of the campaign, resulting in increased public support of enacting the new law. By the end of 1982, the King Center had gathered six million signatures on their petition in support of federal legislation to establish a Dr. King federal holiday. Mrs. King and Mr. Wonder presented the signed petition to Massachusetts Congressman Tip O’Neill, Speaker of the House of Representatives.
A new bill, House Resolution (H.R.) 3706, authored and sponsored by Representative Katie Hall of Indiana, was submitted to the 98th Congress on July 29, 1983. Although it was met with opposition in both the House and Senate, a bill “to make the birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr., a legal public holiday” passed both chambers of Congress.
What power does the media have? What responsibility do we have to check it? Answer the above questions in the area above the water. List everything you already know about 'freedom of speech and social media.'
Beneath the Surface
After watching the story, answer the following questions in the area of the iceberg under the water: What happened? What choices were made in this situation? By whom? Who was affected? When did it happen? Where did it happen? What factors influenced the particular choices made by the individuals and groups involved in this event? Can they be corroborated by multiple sources? Is it true or is it 'fake news?'
Debrief
This step is often best done in groups so that students can brainstorm ideas together.Prompts you might use to guide journal writing and/or class discussion include:
1) What did you learn from completing your iceberg?
2) What questions do you still have and what more would you like to know?
3) How does the information in this iceberg help you better understand the world we live in today?
Welcome to the home page of Mr. Kelly's Current Events class. This course looks at the role of the media on international, national, state, local, and school wide levels. Although the content is constantly changing there are recurrent themes including domestic and foreign policy, the economy, war, crime, and the environment. Here you will find assignments, online discussions, and your grades. Be prepared to keep up with weekly reading assignments and be respectful of each others opinions on this site.
