Following the riots of nearly 4,000 MSU students this weekend, East Lansing Police attempted to disperse Cedarfest 2008 crowds with canisters of tear gas and smoke bombs. After a facebook.com event planning to revive the rambunctious party tradition from the '80s in Cedar Village apartments adjacent to MSU's campus, students chanted, mooned and pelted police with probably every brand of beer can known to man.
To make matters worse the Cedarfest crowd received coverage from CNN, USA Today besides the obvious media stories in the Lansing State Journal and Detroit papers. Not that MSU students rioting is anything new, but making national news gives the world a certain impression. Reports were said to have 52 people arrested, 28 being MSU students and only 13 canisters of tear gas being used. This not being the bulk of the party crowd, the news media put a spin on this, like it was Woodstock bonfires and madness meets the Million Man March.
For Michigan State's independent voice The State News, the media outlet with the closest connection to the "riots," took angles showing the actuality of the matter. From the majority of students not-in-attendance to low numbers of arrests, the slant is less tilted to "another wild MSU party" but more so a celebration with a few bad apples. However the question is posed, should we expect national-scale mainstream media to understand "we're just students having fun." As I read and watched the videos of Cedarfest, my first instinct was to lower the "Education" section of my resume to the bottom of the page.
I certainly understand how media blows situations out of proportion, but you have to be dumb as a rock to not realize, this national coverage may affect perception of this university and the degrees that are spawned.
The funny thing about the headlines in all the stories besides those written by The State News, each contain the words "tear gas" or "riot." This proves undoubtedly that this isn't a case of "It doesn't matter what you're called, its what you answer to." "Riot" being a word which has limitations, national media played that noun out to get a story as "tear gas" adding the dramatic context. No where besides the The State News story tells that only 13 canisters were used.
Yeah, Cedarfest was awesome, but are there after effects? After the shattered windows of local businesses like Johnny's Lunch Restaurant and Urban Outfitters are repaired and garbage is collected from Cedar Village streets, couldn't this hinder the entire student body, not just party-goers? Michigan's economy is on the outs, but your degree and education is supposed to carry you through to many opportunities. Could negative media coverage of a bunch of belligerent drunks, pointless chants, and kids practicing their pitching-arm on East Lansing's finest, cost you that out-of-state job?
Showing posts with label jobs. Show all posts
Showing posts with label jobs. Show all posts
Sunday, April 6, 2008
Thursday, February 21, 2008
Is print journalism a waste of time?
With reporters packing up plastic crates and boxes with desk reminants around you, is there a way to keep your confidence in the shifty world of print journalism?
It seems today online is prevailing in more rapidly as print media, newspapers and magazines, keep down-sizing.
I have heard of at least three or four big-time magazine and newspaper editors who have been cut back from their jobs due to down-sizing. I was actually talking to one of my old internship editors as, he was getting the boot from his job, due to the issue.
When the money isn't coming in because everyone can find your content on the web, who's job is safe?
The Director of Poynter Career Center, Colleen Eddy thinks so there is hope, judging by her column entitled "Face an Uncertain News Industry with Confidence."
I think it's easy for Eddy to say "there may be a new opportunity outside the walls of your office," but everyones initial reaction is disbelief and disdain.
Does that mean that as a journalism student with a various experiences and qualifications, I may still lose my job even after working my preverbail buns off?
I agree, lay offs, if your the one replacing someone, is a sure fire way to gain more experience and become more marketable. But knowing that I may be the editor of Rolling Stone magazine one day and scaling the unemployment line the next, seems to not sit too well with me.
One thing to remember, is that the down-size of print has been an ongoing thing since the internet gained the reins. By checking out journalismjobs.com you can see reports back as far as 2001.
Here is the evidence what's the solution?
It seems today online is prevailing in more rapidly as print media, newspapers and magazines, keep down-sizing.
I have heard of at least three or four big-time magazine and newspaper editors who have been cut back from their jobs due to down-sizing. I was actually talking to one of my old internship editors as, he was getting the boot from his job, due to the issue.
When the money isn't coming in because everyone can find your content on the web, who's job is safe?
The Director of Poynter Career Center, Colleen Eddy thinks so there is hope, judging by her column entitled "Face an Uncertain News Industry with Confidence."
I think it's easy for Eddy to say "there may be a new opportunity outside the walls of your office," but everyones initial reaction is disbelief and disdain.
Does that mean that as a journalism student with a various experiences and qualifications, I may still lose my job even after working my preverbail buns off?
I agree, lay offs, if your the one replacing someone, is a sure fire way to gain more experience and become more marketable. But knowing that I may be the editor of Rolling Stone magazine one day and scaling the unemployment line the next, seems to not sit too well with me.
One thing to remember, is that the down-size of print has been an ongoing thing since the internet gained the reins. By checking out journalismjobs.com you can see reports back as far as 2001.
Here is the evidence what's the solution?
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