Month: June 2013

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Jones: Current generation of students uncomfortable questioning authority

By Kasey Snyder

On July 8 Jonathon Jones the Director of North Carolina Open Government Coalition and Sunshine talked to the twelve Chuck Stone Scholars about the importance of media law.

Jones is a media professor at Elon University. He currently is teaching a media law class.

During his lecture, Jones talked to the students about the importance of free speech and press. He also talked to the students about media laws that journalist might encounter every day.

During his lecture, Jones gave some statistics which some of the students thought were surprising.

47% of American’s think free speech is the most important amendment we have. 1% of Americans think freedom of the press is the most important freedom we have. 34% of Americans think that the first amendment goes too far. 47% of Americans between the ages of 18-30 think the first amendment goes too far.

“I thought that the percentages were very surprising.” Ashley Stallman said, “It seems that most Americans would care about freedom of the press and speech.”

Jones also talked about why young adults might think and believe this way.

“I think it is the result of several factors.
This is the first generation to grow up after Hazelwood v. Kuhlmeier, which gave school authorities a great deal of control in censoring students in high school and middle school. I believe the authority that many schools exert over students has created a generation that is uncomfortable questioning authority”, Jones said. “Second, many of these young people have come of age after Sept. 11, when there has been massive societal shift away from independence and toward collective safety. Third, these young people have also had to deal with the new phenomenon of cyber bullying, which is very different from the types of bullying that previous generations experienced. I suspect that the combination of those factors make young people less willing to tolerate speech that makes them uncomfortable.”

He said he is hoping that his lectures will give students the basic knowledge of the first amendment. He also hopes that his lectures will teach students useful skills that will help them in the future.

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Yopp: Let differences bring people together

 

By Courtney Edwards

Professor Jan Yopp is a strong advocate for diversity. From being a former director of the Freedom Forum Rainbow Institute, to being a part of the Chuck Stone Program for Diversity in Education Media, to being the faculty advisor to the Carolina Association of Black Journalists, she welcomes diversity in all she does.

Yopp, however, doesn’t consider herself particularly diverse. She is Caucasian, of Swedish decent, a democrat, over the age of 60, was raised by two parents and had a few siblings. Being interesting and abnormal is considered diverse these days, but diversity comes in all shapes and sizes. Accepting diversity is all about welcoming the traits of others that make them unique.

“Let differences bring you together, not push you apart,” she said.

Yopp was well acquainted with the late Chuck Stone — an influential journalist, supporter of civil rights and Tuskegee airman who died in April. She said that Stone had a wonderful sense of humor and was a great teacher who believed in the power of diversity.

“He was a walking history book,” Yopp said, citing his familiarity with civil rights leaders Malcolm X and Martin Luther King, Jr.

The Chuck Stone Program, created in 2007 to honor his legacy and celebrate diversity, allows 12 high school journalists to learn about each other’s different traits and improve their writing skills.

Yopp said she believes that in order to embrace diversity we all have to abandon our stereotypes and overcome biases.

“Accept that two people aren’t alike; accept people for who they are,” she said. She said she believes we all have a long way to go with acceptance, but that we are on the right path for now.

 

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Sport

Jones: Current generation of students uncomfortable questioning authority

By Brittany Everett

Jonathan Jones, Director of the North Carolina Open Government Coalition and Sunshine Center, talked to Chuck Stone Scholars about media law on July 8, 2014.

Jones teaches at Elon University and has experience working as a District Attorney. During his presentation, Jones focused on cases and scenarios involving the first amendment. The first amendment contains five freedoms: speech, press, religion, petition and assembly.

During the presentation, Jones mentioned a 2013 Newseum Institute survey that said 47% of 18-30 year olds think that the First Amendment goes too far.

“It’s disappointing and a bit scary,” Jones said.

He cited the 1998 Supreme Court Case, Hazelwood v. Kuhlmeier, as a potential factor in the attitude of the younger generation toward the first amendment. The case dealt with school officials censoring high school journalist’s work. “I believe the authority may schools exert over students has created a generation that is uncomfortable questioning authority,” Jones said.

Jones cites Sept.11 as a massive societal shift away from independence and toward collective safety. Jones also introduces cyber bullying as a factor.

“These young people have also had to deal with the new phenomenon of cyber bullying, which is very different from the types of bullying that previous generations experienced,” Jones said.

He said all of these factors contribute to making young people less willing to tolerate speech that makes them feel uncomfortable.

“We look at the government like we want it to protect us,” Jones said.

Chuck Stone participant and rising senior Courtney Edwards said she really enjoyed Jones’ presentation.

“The statistics were surprising because I thought more people would be more accepting of the first amendment,” Edwards said

Diego Pineda, Chuck Stone 2014 scholar and rising senior, said he thinks the amendment does go too far because there needs to be some restrictions.

“I feel it’s because we feel that too much freedom leads to disaster and chaos,” Pineda said.

He also said he feels that if citizens were able to decrease the freedom and put more restrictions on the law, then the next generation might be safer.

“We’re just afraid to be free,” Pineda said.

 

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Sport

Review: “African Americans in the History of Mass Communication — A Reader”

Book Review by Ashlea Brown

Hollywood often perpetuates negative stereotypes about African Americans, which influences how they are viewed in this country. That is the message of the essay “When Hollywood Crossed the Color Line,” which appears in Naeemah Clark’s edited book African Americans in the History of Mass Communication.

Lorraine Ahearn mainly focused on stereotypes of African Americans with media. This section really goes in depth about false accusations of African Americans being presented to the public. Ahearn gives a great deal of information. She provides facts about FDR’s New Deal, the Emancipation proclamation, different newspapers and their insight stories and insight from students attending Bennett College and A&T University in Greensboro, North Carolina. She also describes how Hollywood’s history of racism crossed the line with the usage of racial slurs, false advertisement of African Americans and ignorant books being published about African Americans.

Overall Ahearn did a great job, it was a very informative article. It presented the topic well because of all the hard facts that she gave. Every point Ahearn made she supported it with facts. I’d recommend this book to anyone especially if they are interested in the history of journalism.                                                     

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Education

Student DTH reporters keep campus informed during summer

By Ashlyn Steelman

Since 1893, The Daily Tar Heel has provided news to students at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Spring semester classes have ended, but the newspaper doesn’t stop coverage for the summer.

Each Monday during the summer, the staff critiques the past week’s paper with Erica Perel, the newsroom adviser at The Daily Tar Heel. Perel helps with internships and tough decisions, and she is good at providing constructive criticism.

“She is kind of like a newsroom ‘mom’,” Paige Ladisic, 2014 summer editor, said.

Ladisic is a political science and public relations major who loves the paper and the close friendships she shares with her staff. In relation to her major, she is interested in business and community journalism.

Ladisic was hired as the editor in March and then played a major role in hiring the rest of the summer staff. She helps interview, determine payroll, and find solutions to the daily problems her reporters encounter. She is a rising junior and is from Oak Island, North Carolina.

Ladisic has been on the staff for two years. Last spring, she was the online editor. She will return to that position in the fall.

“That’s what I love the most—social media and that kind of stuff,” Ladisic said.

The summer edition of The Daily Tar Heel runs from May until the last week of July. The newspaper’s summer staff consists of 30 people. There are nine editors.

MarcelaGuimarães is the current Arts & Diversions editor. She is a rising senior from Sao Paulo, Brazil who is majoring in journalism and minoring in anthropology.

As the Arts & Diversions editor, Guimarães writes about music and arts coverage on campus. During the summer when there’s not as much happening on campus, she looks for events in town, such as arts exhibits.

“I try to do stuff related to the university somehow,” Guimarães said.

Despite the smaller population of students in the summer, The Daily Tar Heel works to publish a newspaper each week for the Chapel Hill community.

Guimarães said The Daily Tar Heel provides a good learning opportunity for its staff.

“You do everything you do out in the field,” Guimarães said. “It’s definitely valuable.”