Barbara Walters

 

Barbara Walters is a retired American broadcast journalist, television personality and author.  Walters has appeared on many television programs including but not limited to, Today, The View, ABC Evening News and 20/20.

Walters has interviewed the likes of Fidel Castro, Margaret Thatcher, Vladimir Putin, Indira Gandhi and the Shah of Iran to name of a few.   

Walters attended Sarah Lawrence College in Bronxville, NY, and graduated in 1951.  She briefly worked at an advertising agency, then became an assistant to the publicity director for NYC's affiliated TV station.  Shortly after, she was hired as a news and public affairs producer and writer by the CBS TV network.  

And in 1961, she became a writer for the popular NBC morning show 'Today' where on occasion she would do on-air feature stories.

Walters was the first female co-host of a major evening news and the first female morning co-host.  She was a skilled interviewer asking questions that drew out the personality of the interviewee and garnered the emotional responses from guests that spectators enjoy because it makes it real and authentic.

When people think of examples of journalists that do the job right, she is on the tip of their tongue and at the forefront of their mind.  And not only does she do her job well, but she's done it for so long.

Walters has an autobiography titled "Audition" (2008).  She named it that because she felt like she had to prove herself over and over again.  

Barbara Walters truly set the tone and set an example for female journalists to follow but also for all journalist to follow, regardless of gender.

Bernard Shaw

Bernard Shaw was born on May 22, 1940, in Chicago, IL.  His parents were Edgar Shaw and Camilla Shaw, formerly Murphy.  Shaw's mother, Camilla, was a house-keeper and his father, Edgar, was a railroad man and house-painter.

Shaw is a retired American journalist and former lead anchor for the Cable News Network (CNN) from 1980 to March 2001 when he retired at age 60.  Before joining CNN, Shaw worked for two of the three national television networks, CBS and ABC. In Shaw's storied career, he has covered some of modern history's most dramatic events.  Such events include China's Tiananmen Square student massacre, Nicaraguan Revolution, Watergate, the 1978 Jonestown mass suicide and American involvement in the Persian Gulf War. Shaw is widely regarded as the nation's most powerful black television journalist.  He retired from CNN in 2001 in order to pursue his interest in writing.

Shaw attended the University of Illinois at Chicago Circle and had memberships in the National Press Club and the fraternity Sigma Delta Chi.

While Shaw had a memorable career, he is mostly remembered for a few select moments.  One moment being in the second Presidential debate with George H.W. Bush in 1988.  Shaw knew that the Democratic U.S. presidential candidate, Michael Dukakis, opposed the death penalty so Shaw asked him a question.  

Shaw asked him, "Governor if Kitty Dukakis (Michael Dukakis' wife) were raped and murdered, would you favor an irrevocable death penalty for the killer?"

To this question Dukakis responded, "No I don't Bernard and I think you know that I've opposed the death penalty during all of my life.  I don't see any evidence that it's the deterrent, and I think there are better and more effective ways to deal with violent crime."

Many people felt different ways about the situation.  Some people felt Dukakis answered the question too logically and robot-like and maybe wasn't emotive enough in his response.  Dukakis never really addressed or referenced the fact that his wife was used in the example.  Others felt that Shaw's question was inappropriate and not unjustified.

Although Shaw initially expressed doubts about the probability of war between the United States and Iraq, four months later he admitted that his prediction was purely bred from a place of hope. 

In January of 1991, Shaw was in Baghdad to interview Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein when things took a turn. Just one day after the cancelled interview, Shaw found himself stranded, along with CNN colleagues, Peter Arnett and John Holliman, in the enemy capital as the bombing attack launched the Gulf War. Shaw was one of the first reporters to announce to the world that the United States and its allies had gone to war, and CNN went on to provide continuous coverage for the conflict's duration. Even after every major newspaper had pulled out, after the Big Three's phone lines were cut, and after CNN lost its picture transmission, the network was able to make live reports from Baghdad via its secure phone line.

While the sounds of screaming, gunfire and air-raid warnings filled the air, the CNN trio crawled around the floor of their hotel room and delivered some of the most captivating audio reporting.

"By the time we stopped broadcasting to get some sleep," Shaw said, "I was so tired I was making no sense whatsoever. I was no sooner in bed and asleep when the bombing started again, and I stumbled down the hall in my pajamas to the suite where we broadcast and went back to work." 

Shaw was known as stoic and rather emotionless, but this experience flustered the normally composed Shaw, as it would most people. He announced: "Clearly I've never been there, but it feels like we are in the center of hell."

Shaw's reporting was so impressive that it garnered the following response.  

"We've been training for this story 24 hours a day for ten years," CNN's executive vice-president Ed Turner (no relation to Ted Turner) told the Chicago Tribune. Live wartime coverage from the center of enemy camp is unprecedented.

When Shaw returned he had a lot to say, "I came back from Baghdad a changed man," he told the Los Angeles Times. "I looked death in the eyes. No human gets many chances to do that twice."

On March 30, 1974, Bernard Shaw married Linda Allston.  Shaw and Allston had two children: Amar Edgar Shaw and Anil Louise Shaw.

Shaw retired from CNN at age 60 after over 20 years at the job.  His last newscast was February 28, 2001.  

Shaw said, "Harder than getting into this business is leaving it."

good night and good luck: Movie Review

Good Night and Good Luck takes place in the 1950s and was directed by George Clooney, who also acted in the film.

In the movie, CBS reporter Edward R. Murrow and his producer Fred W. Friendly decided to go against Senator McCarthy and expose him for weaponizing the fear of the people for his own gain. 

Throughout the movie, Murrow and others had to report are emotionally-charged stories, yet remove their feelings and do their best to just present the facts and report the truth.  Murrow and Friendly did journalism the right way, telling the truth and staying away from fabricated and or hyperbolized stories.

Bringing down one of the most controversial senators in the history of the United States government, this film shows the relationship between the government and the press that was present in the 1950's and still is in society today. 

The dilemma that the CBS news team faced was whether or not they wanted to do what was right for the country, and what their job description morally described, or if they wanted to remain silent to ensure the safety of themselves and their reputation. 

There were unfair trials regarding communism and one of those cases was centered around Milo Radulovich.  Radulovich was a big part of the movie.  Murrow and others believed that Radulovich was being persecuted and punished  for the true actions of Senator McCarthy.  Many workers at CBS fought against reporting on this case because of their fear of ruining their reputations or being hunted by Senator McCarthy.  Anyone that criticized the government could be looked at as a communist-sympathizer so they wanted to produced content that was very specific and stay away from topics that could hurt them in the long run.

The movie takes place Red Scare era.  The Red Scare was a frenzy about the perceived threat that Communists in the United States posed during the Cold War between the Soviet Union and the U.S.  The conflict intensified in the late 1940s and early 1950s.

While many within CBS were scared to report properly, Murrow and others did not let their fear and apprehension get in the way of them doing their jobs as journalists. They pushed through all the fear and hesitation that they were confronted with and did the job that signed up for.  They fulfilled their journalistic responsibility of informing the American people of what they had the right to be informed about the consequences be damned, despite the higher-ups not wanting them to do so.

Murrow and others that stood up for what they believed in, put their careers on the line, and quite possibly their lives.

The number one duty of the journalist is the pursuit of truth.  Sometimes it may be difficult but as long as journalists focus on that directive, they are on the right path.

The Chilling Effect

The chilling effect is a concept that can be used as tool to control a person or group of people.  The Chilling Effect refers to the limitation of expression that a group or individual feels that they have due to the fear of violating the law.  It doesn't just affect journalists, but it is designed to restrict free speech and expression, among other things, so it's inevitable that journalists would have repeated run-ins with the concept.

One of the many times the chilling effect has been used was against Australian journalist Julian Assange.  Assange founded WikiLeaks, an international non-profit organization that publishes news leaks and classified media provided by anonymous sources.  Assange wanted to spread the truth while protecting whistleblowers.  

In the early 2010s, documents regarding the war in Iraq and Afghanistan were released via WikiLeaks.  The classified documents showed the truth about United States and the truth wasn't so flattering.

Assange action angered the United States.  They did everything in their power to ruin, silence and possibly kill Assange without making their goal clear to the majority of the American  public.  They had a goal and they didn't care how long it would take.  To this day, the United States still wants Assange brought back.  

The government created allegations against Assange accusing him of sexual assault.  The timing of the accusations were random and seemed like a clear attempt to ruin Assange. 

In 2010, Assange was arrested in London and held without bail until 2011.  Then he was ordered to be extradited to Sweden.

He appealed to the Supreme Court in England but his appeal was denied.  In 2012, he fled to Ecuador to evade several different governments in varying countries.  In 2015, the sexual assault allegations got dropped.  Assange hid from different governments for years until a change in Ecuadorian government caused Assange's asylum to be taken from him in 2019.  Assange was taken to England in a maximum security prison with terrible conditions.

The main job of a journalist is to tell the truth.  The second job and is almost just as important as the primary responsibility is to afflict the comfortable and comfort the afflicted.  Essentially, journalists are called to hold the powerful (comfortable) accountable for whatever actions they may take: government officials, politicians, etc., while also looking out for the "little guy" andcomforting the afflicted, the afflicted being anyone not with great power.  The problem journalists like Assange face is that the comfortable often enjoy their comfort and some even think they are above the law.  And those people do not want journalists like Assange holding them accountable and making sure they are held to a standard.

The chilling effect is the government's way of forcing/coercing journalists into silence before they can expose secrets uncovered in their own investigations.  The one that sticks out the most to me being that of Julian Assange.

Anonymous Sources

In journalism, a source can be a person, persons a or publication with knowledge on a topic.

An anonymous source is no really no different than the average source. The only fundamental different is that the anonymous source chooses to remain anonymous.  An anonymous source is a person being interviewed for a newspaper or other piece but does not want to give their name out.

Having anonymous sources is “an easy way out.”  Utilizing anonymous sources can work two ways.  Sources can take advantage of reporters by remaining anonymous.  Anonymous sources can use reporters to push any agenda they see fit.  Also, if reporters get called out on their sources, they have some sort of excuse they can use. 

However, when the average person hears "anonymous source," they automatically shut down and immediately second guess whatever is being said.  Why believe a source that is unwilling to identify themselves?  Obviously, there are extreme circumstances where a source may choose to remain anonymous for fear of their life.  But generally speaking, it definitely strengthens public perception of a source if the public can put a face and name to the source.

The most famous anonymous source was known as "Deep Throat."  Deep Throat's real name was Mark Felt.  Felt was American law enforcement officer who worked for the Federal Bureau of Investigation from 1942 to 1973.  He was a FBI special agent who eventually rose to the position of Associate Director, the Bureau's second-highest-ranking post.  Deep Throat helped reporters Bob Woodard and Carl Bernstein uncover the Watergate scandal by feeding them information.  Felt's involvement led to 

In May 2005 an ailing Felt announced in a Vanity Fair article, “I’m the guy they used to call Deep Throat.” 

Judith Miller is an American journalist who went to jail for 85 days to protect her an anonymous source of hers and many journalists praised her for it.  She went to jail July 6, 2005 and on September 29 of the same year, she was released after agreeing to testify in the investigation into the leaking of cover CIA officer Valerie Plame. 

To this day, Miller denies the accusations that the President George W. Bush administration fabricated weapons on mass destruction (WAD) intelligence to take the country to war.

Judith Miller’s reporting essentially started a war in Iraq and resulting in the death of over 300,000 people.  Her anonymous sources were likely CIA agents.  

Today, she is spewing rhetoric of wanting, demanding that the U.S. get involved in the Russia-Ukraine dispute.  

Generally it is frowned upon in journalism to use anonymous sources.  If  a journalist can name their source, they should.  However, there are situations that allow for the usage of anonymous sources.

Journalists use four main rules for when to use anonymous sources. The first rule is that an editor must also know the source. An editor knowing the source create a filter preventing lies from being spread. The second rule is that the story must be important. To use an anonymous source, the story must be so interesting and important that the source has to be anonymous. The third rule is that anonymity should be a last resort and worst case scenario. Using an anonymous source can cause a lot of distrust and makes the source less credible, using other sources is a better option. The last rule is that when using an anonymous source, the reason for anonymity must be explained in the story. Giving context as to why that person was kept anonymous helps create more credibility. If the journalist is using an anonymous source, which is frowned upon, and then doesn't explain why, who will believe the source?

 People like Judith Miller should be used as an example of the danger of anonymous sources paired with poor reporting.

The North Star

Frederick Douglass is one of the most well-known abolitionists in American history. Douglass himself escaped slavery and used his freedom to help free slaves and bring an end to slavery altogether. Douglass helped end slavery utilizing his newspaper, “The North Star.” Douglass was able to find the money to start the newspaper by going on tour in Britain. He started the newspaper in Rochester, NY, one of the last stops in the underground railroad before Canada. The name “The North Star” comes from the star Polaris, which is what slaves followed to escape slavery.

The newspaper was able to help give freedom to the slaves and to help start abolitionist movements. The North Star was read by more than 4,000 readers in America and many other countries. One of the first editions stated, "To millions, now in our boasted land of liberty, it is the STAR OF HOPE." Douglass stresses the fact that the country was built on the idea of liberty and that this newspaper helps bring liberty to the slaves. 

The North Star soon merged with The Liberty Party Paper to form “The Frederick Douglass’ Paper.” In the first edition, it stated, “Much joy is expressed that you have settled down upon the anti-slavery interpretation of the federal Constitution." They had very different views than the anti-slavery paper, The Liberator, and different views than the anti-slavery public. “The Frederick Douglass’ Paper” actually accepted the constitution to support anti-slavery while “The Liberator” and the “Anti-Slavery Society” did not. Douglass started this paper as a weekly paper but it turned into a monthly paper during the Civil War. During that time, Douglass used the paper to help gain the acceptance of black troops and to help recruit people for the war.

Frederick Douglass soon stepped back from “The Frederick Douglass’ Paper” and became editor and renamed a paper “The New National Era.” This paper gave Douglass the platform to criticize the Ku Klux Klan. The paper also focused on topics such as reconstruction, Republican politics, and it addressed issues within the black communities. Douglass soon bought the company to help the paper keep going and gave the company to his two sons to carry it on. 
While Frederick Douglass was living in Washington, D.C., his house burned down and it was in this fire that all of the family members survived, but a lot of Fredericks's belongings were destroyed. 16 volumes of The North Star was lost as well.

Collateral Murder

On July 12, 2007, the U.S carried out a series of air-to-ground attacks conducted by a team of two U.S. AH-64 Apache helicopters in Al-Amin al-Thaniyah, New Baghdad during the Iraqi insurgency.

But why?  

Since high school,  I've known the U.S. was not sinless.  However, I was unaware of just exactly how shameless the U.S. government and military are.  The fact that things like this occur in the United States is saddening, and I say that as a United States citizen.  I often question how Americans can say they're American proudly when our country carries out heinous attacks like this one. 

Thanks to Wikileaks and Julian Assange I know about this and others do too.  Regardless, the lives of the people were taken in vain.  I'm sure most Americans are ignorant to events like this.  But this is exactly why other countries don't view the United States in the most flattering of ways. 

In the video at around 9:37, American soldiers are heard saying, “Come on, let us shoot.”

It was startling and scary to see soldiers so desensitized to murder that it’s almost like they’re playing a video game.  

And let’s be honest, it was an execution. 

Innocent lives were lost.  Were taken.

Thanks to Julian Assange and the organization that he founded in 2006, WikiLeaks, people were able to get a detailed look of what the soldiers who killed Saeed Chmagh, Namir Noor-Eldeen and others.  While Assange was not the whistleblower who initially leaked the information, he is the one who posted the information to WikiLeaks.    

The U.S. has been trying to extradite him.  Why?

The first duty of a journalist is the pursuit of the truth.  And that's exactly what Julian Assange did.  The U.S. should punish him for doing his job.  U.S. citizens and the world deserved to know what the United States military did in the country of Iraq.

I knew the U.S had blood on its hands in general, but I did not know that the U.S. committed so many heinous war crimes.  And for what?  

Things like President George W. Bush lying about weapons of mass destruction (WAD) in Iraq, leading to the death of 300,000 Iraqi civilians.

A complete disregard for human life.

And the U.S. gets away with things like that because of how powerful it is as a country. 

The Geneva Conventions, Article 35 states: 

"Unlike under Article 17 of the 1929 Geneva Convention on the Wounded and Sick, medical transports are covered by Article 35 even when they have not been specifically 'equipped' for that purpose.  Indeed, as the operational situation and casualty evacuation needs may require the use of any available transport asset for medical purposes, a restrictive definition of a medical transport would be contrary to the purpose of the article and to the overall humanitarian objectives of the Convention.  Only medical transports specifically protected by other treaty provisions are excluded from the scope of Article 35."

Essentially, this was a war crime.  One of many that the U.S. has committed.

Today, Julian Assange's health is declining.  He is currently in a prison in Britain where over 60 doctors believe he could die.  

The soldiers involved should have been held accountable because, “Absolute power corrupts absolutely.”

Ida Tarbell

Ida Tarbell was born on November 5, 1857 in Amity Township, PA.  She was an investigative journalist.

And she wasn't just some investigative journalist. She was a pioneer for investigative journalism and one of the leading muckrakers of the Progressive Era of the late 19th and early 20th centuries.  She had a knack for exposing corruption among people with power, money and influence.   

What is a muckraker?   

The phrase "muckraker" came about when the president at the time, Theodore Roosevelt, used the term in one of the speeches he gave borrowing a passage from John Bunyan’s The Pilgrim's Progress.  The line he used was “the Man with the Muckrake…who could look no way but downward.” 

President Theodore Roosevelt used the phrase “muckraker” in reference to Tarbell, Upton Sinclair, Lincoln Steffens, and other journalists writing critically about the tremendous power of big business. Tarbell actually objected to the term, for she felt it minimized work she believed to be of historical importance.

Muckrakers exposed injustices of very well known institutions by writing detailed pieces full of evidence showcasing how untrustworthy and corrupt many of the powerful leaders were at the time.

Tarbell's father was a small oil producer in Ohio.  He faced a dilemma.  He had a choice of selling his life's work to John D. Rockefeller, or to compete against him, a confrontation he would surely lose.  Franklin Tarbell’s partner killed himself as he was overwhelmed with the situation.  Franklin Tarbell was forced to mortgage his family's home to meet his company’s debts. 

In 1894, Tarbell wrote biographies of Napoleon Bonaparte and Abraham Lincoln. That's when she accepted an offer from McClure to work for his new venture, McClure’s Magazine, where she undertook her most famous work, her expose of John D. Rockefeller’s Standard Oil Company. Her study of Rockefeller’s practices as he built Standard Oil into one of the world’s largest business monopolies took many years to complete. McClure’s Magazine published it in 19 installments.

Her work became a two-volume book entitled, The History of the Standard Oil Company, published in 1904. Tarbell meticulously documented the aggressive techniques Standard Oil employed to outmaneuver and, where necessary, roll over whoever got in its way.

The first installment of The History of the Standard Oil Company was published by McClure's in 1902.  Tarbell's father warned her against writing the series because he feared that Rockefeller would attack the magazine.  Despite her father's advice, Ida Tarbell pushed forward and wrote the series anyway.  Tarbell exposed the questionable practices questionable practices of the oil industry.

The History of the Standard Oil Company also helped to grow the trend of investigating and exposing, a technique that in 1906 President Theodore Roosevelt would label muckraking.

Ida Tarbell took on the Standard Oil Company.  

The Cleveland Massacre was a three-month period in 1872 when Standard Oil Company gained practically all of its competing oil refineries in Cleveland, Ohio.  Standard Oil acquired 22 out of 26 rival refineries at discounted rates in a six-month span.  John D. Rockefeller led the charge in buying out the competition in order to stabilize production back to profitable levels.

The United States Government and Supreme Court were forced to take a deeper look at the Standard Oil Company. Because of Tarbell, the Standard Oil Company was disassembled because the Supreme Court found that the company was in violation of the Sherman Antitrust Act.

Tarbell's techniques have shaped the way investigative journalism is done today.  She used Senate record, interviews, archival documentation, among other things, to investigate.   

In 1924, Tarbell moved to Easton, Connecticut.  At this point she was 67.  She died January 6, 1944, at age 86.

History of Pulitzer Prizes in Journalism

Joseph Pulitzer was born in Mako, Hungary, on April 10, 1847.  He grew up in Budapest and was educated in private schools. He wanted to enlist in the Austrian Army, but his attempts failed because of his weak eyesight and unstable health. However, he did have military involvement when he enlisted as a substitute for a draftee permitted under the Civil War draft system. 

Pulitzer started to rise in notoriety at age 25.  In 1878, he became the owner of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.  Later, in 1883, Pulitzer bought The New York World newspaper.   

Pulitzer was a publisher and American journalist known for many things, including creating a contentious style of journalism with newspaper publisher and American businessman William Randolph Hearst.  Pulitzer supported organized labor, exposed political corruption and the attack of trusts and monopolies.  And because of this, controversy was created and Pulitzer sought to raise the standards of journalism.  When people hear the last name Pulitzer, their mind instantly thinks of the award in journalism, and it is that award that Pulitzer is most known for.

In regard to the history of Pulitzer Prizes in Journalism, pieces that expose corruption are often the ones crowned with the Pulitzer Prize.  Over time, the categories of entry have been broadened, allowing media from more types of platforms beyond print.  Some examples are online-only news outlets and music recordings.

Some of Pulitzer's first jobs were in St. Louis, Missouri. Some of those jobs included a mule tender, waiter, and hack driver before he went on to study English. In 1868, he was recruited by Carl Schurz for his daily paper, the Westliche Post, which was published in German. He then married Kate Davis, a niece of an American politician, Jefferson Davis. And in that same year he acquired the St. Louis Post-Dispatch in which he would publish investigative articles and editorials that targeted government corruption, wealthy tax-dodgers, and gamblers. His approach allowed him to purchase New York World for an estimated $300,000 in which he promised to use the paper exclusively to expose fraud, fight public evils and abuses and fight for the people with sincerity. He even included cartoons created by Richard F. Outcault which depicted "life in the slums."

The papers became extremely popular and sales reached $600,000, making it the largest circulating newspaper in the country at the time. He also worked with investigative writers as he published articles about labor conditions and poverty housing in New York City. Pulitzer's name became associated with the term "yellow journalism" after Hearst had purchased the New York Journal which created great tension which happened before and during the Spanish-American war. 

Then in 1892, Pulitzer offered Columbia University money to set up the country's first school of journalism which was turned down.  In 1902, Columbia's new president, Nicholas Murray Butler, had a different response to the offer.  However, nothing would come of it until after Pulitzer's death. Joseph Pulitzer died in 1911.

Pulitzer left the university $2 million in his will, which led to the creation of the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism in 1912.Today, Columbia's Graduate School of Journalism is one of the most prestigious schools in the world.  The first Pulitzer Prizes were awarded in 1917 and more than 2,000 entries are submitted each year but only 21 awards are presented.

It's safe to say that Joseph Pulitzer was instrumental in the development of journalism.

Kyrie Irving Vaccine Mandate

Kyrie Irving is the star guard for the Brooklyn Nets.  At the beginning of the basketball season, Kyrie Irving said he would not get vaccinated.  Months later, his stance has not wavered.  

With Irving being unvaccinated, he could only play away games.  Irving would be unable to play any home games at the Barclays Center located in Brooklyn.  In addition he could not play in Madison Square Garden, the arena of the NY Knicks or Scotiabank Arena, arena of the Toronto Raptors.  

Essentially, since Irving could only play in road games, he would be a part-time player.  Irving would become the first part-time player since since 1962, when Terry Dischinger balanced basketball and books.  Dischinger was a part of the Zephyrs — who became the Baltimore Bullets in 1963, and are now the Washington Wizards.  Dischinger, averaged 25.5 points, eight rebounds and three assists, which led him to an All-Star berth and Rookie of the Year honors, beating out Hall of Famer John Havlicek.

Sean Marks is the GM of the Brooklyn Nets.  Instead of allowing Irving to be a part-time player and only play road games, Marks had a different idea.  

“Given the evolving nature of the situation and after thorough deliberation, we have decided Kyrie Irving will not play or practice with the team until he is eligible to be a full participant,” Marks said. “Kyrie has made a personal choice and we respect his individual right to choose. Currently, the choice restricts his ability to be a full-time member of the team and we will not permit any member of our team to participate with part-time availability. It is imperative that we continue to build chemistry as a team and remain true to our long-established values of togetherness and sacrifice.”

The Nets organization essentially gave Irving an ultimatum.  Get vaccinated or don't play.  I believe that with this stance the Nets were trying to force Irving's hand and fundamentally coerce him into getting vaccinated.  Irving didn't fold.  He maintained his stance and did not get vaccinated.  

On January 5, 2022, Irving played his first game of the season after the Nets went back on their initial decision.  Irving is an elite player and his talent is undeniable.  And is that talent that I believe the Nets had no choice but to bring him back.

On March 23, Irving's birthday their were strong indications that the mandate would be lifted the next day.

The very next day, the mandate restricting athletes from playing in their home arenas was officially lifted.  

After Irving was allowed to play in NY, he called for any unvaccinated workers who were fired for being unvaccinated to get their jobs back because he did.  

Eric Adams is the Mayor of New York City.  Due to pressure coming from the NY Mets and NY Yankees, Adams got rid of the private sector stipulation that was NY preventing athletes, like Kyrie Irving from playing for their respective teams, but allowing unvaccinated athletes from other teams to play in NY.  The mandate excuses NYC-based performers from the private sector vaccine mandate while leaving the rule intact for the vast majority of employees citywide.

There are many New Yorkers who feel it is unfair that athletes like Irving can now play, but they [unvaccinated people] cannot have their jobs back because of their vaccination status.  I'm sure unvaccinated people who were fired are happy Irving "got his job back" but hate that they have not since there is a double standard.

The timing is very telling.  Adams got rid of the mandate not too long before the start of the baseball season.

Which begs the question, how much of the vaccine mandate was about public health and how much was it about money?  Adams removed the mandate to save NY money and allow athletes to play, but what about the millions of New Yorkers that were fired from work because they weren't vaccinated?  

Is that fair?

Is there anything more powerful than money? 

Citizen Journalism

Blogging, vlogging and citizen journalism all make up what we call citizen journalism.  Blogging and vlogging have a relatively short history, starting roughly in the early 2000s.  Blogging was first and then came vlogging.  The word "vlogging" is a combination of the word video and logging; essentially vlogging is the logging of video.

And what is citizen journalism?  Well it's pretty self-explanatory.  It's journalism done by the average citizen.

Advancements in technology has made citizen journalism prevalent.  Anyone can blog, vlog, record, etc.  Citizen journalism really caught fire in the 1990s and 2000s.  And today, it is very common.

George Holliday is one of many citizen journalists.  Holliday captured the video of the beating of Rodney King on his camcorder back in 1991.  After meeting with a TV news station (KTLA), the video of the assault on King went viral and became not only a national story but a global one. I am certain that if George Holliday was unable to capture the video, the officers likely would have created a story that would fit their narrative.  And even though there was documented video of the beating of Rodney King, the officers still were not found guilty.  And that verdict created outrage in Los Angeles leading to the LA riots.

The beating of Rodney is one of the most famous and identifiable photos of the 20th century. 

Darnella Frazier recorded the murder of George Floyd on May 25, 2020.  She was only 17 at the time.

Without Frazier's quick wit and pulling out her phone, Floyd's murderer would likely be free.  With implied immunity being the way it is, some how, some way, Chauvin would probably have got off with nothing more than a slap on the wrist.

"Even though this was a traumatic life-changing moment for me, I'm proud of myself.  If it weren't for that video, the world wouldn't have known the truth.  I own that.  My video didn't save George Floyd, but it did put his murderer away and off the streets."

How many 17-year old's would have the courage and poise to record such an event?  

Derek Chauvin murdered George Floyd and with the video evidence provided by Frazier, Chauvin was sentenced to 22.5 years in prison. 

Frazier ended up winning several awards for the video she captured.  In 2021, she won the Pulitzer Prize Special Citations and Awards as well as the BET Shine a Light Award.  And in 2022, she won the NAACP Humanitarian of the Year Award. 

But is citizen journalism good or bad? I think it’s both. 

I think if citizen journalists practice journalism is an ethical way it’s great, but when they do not, and ethical, journalistic codes are broken, it is detrimental to the purity of journalism.

However, with "fake news" being as widespread as it it is, it might just be a good thing.  It might mean that the common citizen is tired of wondering about and questioning the credibility of the news they consume.  To sum up citizen journalism in a phrase: if you want something done right, do it yourself.