Lucy Dalglish

"Be Matt Damon," was only one of the tips Lucy Dalglish, executive director of the Reporters Committe for Freedom of the Press, gave to a board room  packed with SUNY Albany Students, professors, and journalists during her discussion on media and the protections, or lack thereof, of journalists' anonymous sources. She spoke of past challenges journalists have had to confront when subpoenaed for their refusal to name a source, using as an example the fiasco regarding Toni Locy. Dalglish also mentioned the importance of a journalist protecting the secrecy of his or her sources. Altruistic in quality, the importance is embodied in the maintenance of independence, which shows to others that the journalist is not swayed by any one influence, as well as the maintenance of truth, which may become less available if sources lose the safety of anonymity. She also reminded students that if you don't at least put up a fight to keep a source secret, you will become the go to witness for dilemma which you could have information about. 

While Dalglish's speech was filled with real life incidents regarding protection of sources, shield laws, and national controversy, she was sure to give students a few tips regarding use of sources. She reminded them to be upfront and clear cut about the nature of the relationship between journalist and source, as well as "go back to the basics." Email and phone records are not a journalist's property, so a safer way of exchanging delicate information is to meet in person, or to have disposable cell phones, like Matt Damon in the Borne Ultimatum . She warned students that, if subpoenaed, they should not throw out or delete any information or notes they have, as that could become obstruction of justice. Also, journalists should retain a consistency; either throw notes out when finished, or save them, but don't do both.  Finally, a journalist must never break a promise of confidentiality as they could be sued. Dalglish's talk was both informative and practical. Her information was essential to the knowledge of any journalist working in today's world of governmental mistrust and constant scandal.

Editorial Cartoons

Tom Toles, the editorial cartoonist at the Washington Post, has drawn Pultizer Prize winning cartoons, so it's not surprising that his cartoons are both witty and intellectual. The topics vary from campaign issues to the environment and the economy. Basically anything news worthy is fair game. 

It seems his cartoon with a polar bear balancing on a ball  in a circus, with a man commenting that they should let him go, and then a split frame of the polar bear balancing on a piece of melting polar ice, is very entertaining. At the same time, it is also informative, and a bit satirical of the pandemic global warming crisis. 

Ted Rall is another cartoonist whose work should be acknowledged. His comics seem a bit more scandalous, in that they seem less conscious of who they could offend than Toles'. A cartoon of his landed him on the O'Reilly Factor, to be questioned weather he disrespected Pat Tillman, an American soldier and ex- NFL player who was killed. Rall stated that he was merely showing that the "people who volunteered to go fight in Iraq and Afghanistan were used, were mislead, and possibly even had ill intent in going over there to fight." His cartoons have alos been pulled from web sites as he did not meet the standards of taste, as in MCNBC's site. Personally, though it seems he does border and sometimes cross into offensive, it is great to see a journalist unafraid of displeasing the government, or making it uncomofortable.

Yet another cartoonist, Ben Sargent, is notable. His cartoons are a bit more straightforward than Toles' and not as offensive, yet equally provocative as Rall's. They question governmental policy and add a bit of humor to the usually dry political news. 

Editorial cartoons are a great way to get news, insight, and intellectual stimulation in just one picture.

Swift Boat

The Swift Boat Campaign, also referred to as Swift Boat Campaign Veterans for Truth (SBVT),  was led by a group of veterans who believed that John Kerry, who used his time in Vietnam to bolster his campaign, was being dishonest. They believed that he presented false war crimes charges and made it appear as though all of the Swift Boat Veterans ( Kerry himself was one) supported him. www.swiftvets.com states, "John Kerry misrepresented his record and ours in Vietnam and therefore exhibits serious flaws in character and lacks the potential to lead." The site stated that Kerry made exaggerated claims about his actions in Vietnam and did not portray the rest of the group in the correct light. As this group has historically been branded with a stigma of being "misfits, drug addicts, and baby killers," SBVT sought to make the "real" truth known. The campaign essentially said that Kerry was lying and should not be president as a result of that. They wanted to make the real truth available, regarding Kerry's time in Vietnam, his medals, and the actions of those around him. Kerry testified in court about these accusations of dishonesty. SBVT held conferences and signed affidavits regarding this.

Photojournalism

Even in the concrete fortress of SUNY Albany, the refreshing brilliance of Spring's new life rises up to greet students wearied from the long winter.

Photojournalism

Bruce Squiers, a photojournalist of 20 years experience, had a great deal to say about the art he calls his passion when he spoke to the Journalism 200z class this past Wednesday at Suny Albany. His points ranged from more more metaphysical ideas to mechanic and technical suggestions for a great shot. He spoke with great emphasis and an apparent dedication to his job.

The first concept he spoke of was visual literacy, something that he believes everyone has; it is the way one can conjure up an image in his or her mind when thinking of a certain event or place. It requires active watching and interpretation. Squiers also mentioned that in order to be a successful photojournalist and to enhance one's visual literacy, one must look at photos outside of one's interests. He challenged students to reach outside of their comfort zone, in order to achieve an elevated awareness of the essence of photographs. He instructed students use light carefully, and have a sense of composition when taking pictures; he instructed students to keep in mind form and perspective, and to get comfortable with their cameras and the people they photograph. Also, he believes that in order to take good pictures one must use active observation, he or she must take a variety of photos, and take many from a variety of angles. To Squiers, a great photograph is both unique, but universal enough to speak for itself. He reminded students that great pictures can happen anywhere, anytime, and that they must follow where opportunity leads them.

Perhaps the most appealing thought he shared was the idea sired by Henri Cartier Bressone, an photojournalist of years past. Bressone coined the term decisive moment, the exact second when all of the elements of a scene are in sync and the photographer must know to take the picture. And to do this, "the eye, the heart, and the mind must be aligned." Most of all the heart aspect of this makes for unique pictures, as no two people can take the same exact photo with the same emotions and thoughts in their soul. Similarly, Squiers stated another quote regarding this idea, " the eye and the brain and the soul of the photograph make the picture, the camera merely records." Such concepts certainly made Squiers talk incredibly enlightening, and showed a a spiritual association that he makes with his work. Such concepts show that taking a picture isn't so different from painting a picture or writing a story or poem; all of these things involve a spiritually and emotionally guided thought process, which result in a finished work of art. 

Putting in my Two Cents on my Grade? That's A-OK with Me!

          After thirteen years of schooling, it is quite evident that the mindset that grades matter more than long term retention of knowledge or the practical application of it, has permeated most every student body. The material learned no longer seems to hold presidence in the fact that it could be of use outside of the classroom; it seems it's only purpose for existence has boiled down to testing purposes or class work. Such is quite a shame; while yes, dedicated students retain the information, it seems they only retain it for fear of poor grades they could receive if they don't. Therefore, the chance for students to give their own input on what their grades should be seems a rare occurrence.

           In review of my work over the semester of Journalism 200z, a grade of at least an A minus seems appropriate to me. I completed all of the assignments to the best of my ability, while learning a few things in addition to direct class work, about organization, the caution necessary when using a thesaurus, and the consequences of procrastination. I learned that as a journalist, you can't throw your notes into the corner with the rest of your books and expect to find them and be able to write a story about them the night before a deadline. Doing so is only asking for trouble. It is thus that I learned the valuable lesson of organization and time management.  I learned to ask questions, even uncomfortable ones, to complete strangers, and how to find an interesting angle on a story idea. I learned how to find out almost anything with the information sources available to me.  In class, I also procured (just kidding, "procured" has nuances of unsavory behavior, and acquired fits better) more information by asking questions and participating in every discussion. This class has given me the materials necessary to become a journalist, and I have committed all of this information to memory. The skills provided are much easier to remember when I go out and apply them for homework. 

It seems the purpose of this class was to teach future journalists how to do their job, how to report and find information, and how to ask questions. It turned already great writers into journalists, by showing them style and format associated with journalistic writing. I feel I have mastered all of these skills over the course of the semester, and as such, deserve at least an A-. 

Anonymous Sources

What is a name? While yes, when a name is not on paper, its a means of addressing someone, of giving their identity and being a word to call. But on paper, in an article where the person is not the main focus, but the  words they say contribute to the point being made, what does it matter? If something they say does in fact deem itself important enough to be attributed to a person by name, they by all means the journalist should use wise discretion and include the name; but if a quote just adds flavor to the story, and the speaker would rather not be named, then I see no harm in not including it. 

As for an editors demand for a source that will allow his or her name to be used, perhaps a speaker might not be as candid if he or she knows that their words will be attributed. Illegal activity or unsavory behavior is most certainly not something a person would want associated with their name. But if that information helps along a story, then it seems ridiculous to rule out useful information for the sole reason that the speaker does not want to be named. This is most especially true if the alternative is a nameable source with inferior comments. 

Even some of the most intriguing and influential stories have involved anonymity; does name Deep Throat ring a bell?

It seems quite evident that journalists must use their discretion when deciding if appropriate to include an anonymous source. While editors ultimately have control, it seems they should be willing to lose a "Bob" or "Sally" for decent information.

SUNY Albany's Historic Celebration

Most every student at the University of Albany has been to or at least heard of Fountain Day, the celebration where pretty much anything goes, and crowd control is a joke. With pent up energy from the treacherous winter, which has never seemed as brutal until braving the frigid winds of Albany, a majority of students are just bursting to dive into two feet of water while somewhat intoxicated; purely for the sake of U Albany spirit of course. With all of this celebration, and the blossoming Spring, however, it seems that it might be appropriate to uncover the origins of such a festive day. 

The tradition began in... well, that's actually a bit ambiguous. A melange of sources, mostly blogs or articles of students who have attended the festivities, state varying origins of the school sponsored free-for-all. Wikipedia, that search engine that has all of the answers to life's questions and is hated by professors, states yet another. According to this electronic sage, the year was 1979, and the Human Awareness Program dreamt up day as a way to unite all members of the university, and to welcome in the warm weather and conclusion of classes. But, Wikipedia can be slightly misled, right? Even the most wise of sages could be misled once in a while; so for now, this origin is under speculation.

A 2004 article, by SUNY Albany alumni Jennifer Falcetano, "Do students Really Know What All The Splash is About?" states that Fountain Day finds its origins about thirty years ago; "... because of the Vietnam War the fountains were unable to run all the time during suitable weather. The pumps that operated the fountain were turned on sparingly." It was thus that when the pumps were put to use it was in a more celebratory manner, and festivities were born out of this. Falcetano's article mentions the Human Awareness Program in 1979 and the evolution of the celebration into the Fountain day we know today. Yet another student writer, Chelsea Barraco, wrote that the tradition began in 1978 in an article she wrote in 2006 for an online U Albany magazine, ualbanyezine.com

 

With all of this possibility it seemed there were a few details to be straightened out. The university website offered no answers, but another student article appeared the most informed out of the many available online. 

Written in 2006, by U Albany alumni Erica Boms, from the same issue of the ualbanyezine  as Barraco's article, "The History of Fountain Day" was the answer to any uncertainty. It stated that the tradition began May 5th, 1978 under the title May Fest. Then, in 1979 it was renamed the Human Awareness Program in order to facilitate more than the celebration of Spring, but also the unity between faculty and students. It grew to earn the title Human Awareness Program Podium Beer Blast Friday, but was later changed to Fountain Day, for no university would be proud of sanctioning a school day of that title. The celebration was moved to the weekend after the infamous Fountain Day of 2004. 

As such, the mysterious past of Fountain Day was uncovered. However, for the most part students don't seem to be as interested in the history of the celebration, or any of the reasons for it, other than the clement weather and excuse to be intoxicated at a university function. It appears that the majority of the journalistic attention the day draws is focused more upon the chaos. With media coverage up the wazzoo, most every incident, some slightly horrifying, has been covered, much to the administrators' chagrin.

Fountain Day 2004, for example, was the most embarrassing for the university, and the most remembered; it even made the evening news. Nicole Way, who attended the celebration remembered, "Everyone was so gone. No one was thinking about what they were doing." Articles of students who attended recall that a couple of "artists" attempted to turn the water gold but instead turned it a radioactive green. It also later became apparent that the off color water bottles students were chugging were not juice or water. And the resultant injuries were cause for alarm; diving into two feet of water while heavily intoxicated proved not to be the best idea. Ambulances ran to and fro from the scene throughout the afternoon. The chaos called so much attention that local reporters struggled to be heard over the bedlam in the background. Disciplinary action was taken in the following days. The combination of beer helmets and pool floats would no longer be tolerated, and blatant disregard for civility was to be done away with. This more recent history of Fountain Day has proved to be of more interest to student writers.

In even more recent history of the celebration, the university took steps to repair its tarnished reputation by hosting the World's largest pillow fight in Collins Circle in 2005. Since then, it appears this effort to improve has led to annual celebrations with out irreparable damage. Though students today still attend the event quite hammered, alcohol consumption is not as obvious. According to a freshman who wishes to remain anonymous and had quite a bit to say since her brother attended last year's and she is eager for this year's celebration, " The Poland Spring bottles can't be like, Jack and Coke colored, they have to be somewhat believable." And it seems the rules for the day have taken on new meaning; a web page created by "The Rick" recalled that at the Fountain Day he attended, the university's motto for the day was, " we don't care if you drink, just try not to do it while standing in or in the immediate area surrounding the fountain if you could please thank you." 

The event has gained a place in SUNY Albany's legacy. It is a celebration that has evolved from a student unity function to a day of anarchy, to a happy medium somewhere in between the two. The event has led to the proliferation of numerous articles and prompted students to take more interest in their environment. It has brought a population so used to hibernating all winter into the brilliant light of Spring; it has promoted student and faculty bonds and promoted a more unified campus. Despite the dangers, the necessary discipline, and the aid the day gives to Albany's image as a party school (fifth in the nation!), Fountain Day proves to be welcome in a campus of cold concrete, serious faces, and dreary days.