Thank you! That is precisely why I do post some of these more obscure articles!
Electronic cigarette companies not to be trusted
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Thank you! That is precisely why I do post some of these more obscure articles!
Thank you, mpetva.
I nominate you also.
Thank you again
I do post almost everywhere I see things about vaping that are just plain wrong, just not necessarily under the same username as here
OK Kristin I reposted that in Campaigning, for re-use as 'journalist education' and so on.
www.e-cigarette-forum.com/forum/campaigning-discussions/127486-journalist-education.html
I subbed it a bit, if you want me to state that clearly I will.
Thanks for this material, it will be useful to many, I think.
www.e-cigarette-forum.com/forum/campaigning-discussions/127486-journalist-education.html
I subbed it a bit, if you want me to state that clearly I will.
Thanks for this material, it will be useful to many, I think.
Again, I'd like to remind everyone - this is a journalism student, not a professional journalist. I've worked with city college students for a few years and if you read the opinion page at any community school paper you're going to find many articles that are misinformed, biased, lazy, and for the most part, amateur. Well written, educated opinions pieces are the exception and not the rule. Those are the few that win awards.
What generally happens in a journalism class goes something like this: the editors of each section (news, sports, opinion, entertainment, etc.) get together and have a meeting to pitch ideas. Many of these ideas ape what's being printed nationally and locally. The opinion editor comes up with four or five story ideas. The editors will then assign or pitch the ideas to the students (and at a city college that can mean 10 - 20 students). They always have more stories than students.
The writer then has 4-5 days to turnaround the article for editing. Slackers usually latch onto opinion articles because they don't see the need to really research the topics and assume they know everything already. Since they don't have to interview any sources or take notes at a speech, they will procrastinate. They will hand in the article at the last possible minute (sometimes while the production/layout process is taking place). The editor will not have the option of scrapping a junk opinion piece because there are no backup stories to run. So rather than run a paper with a big hole on the page, the editor corrects grammar (ugh) and at least get the sentences readable. Most of the design/layout/corrections are done in one afternoon before the templates are sent to the printer.
Most schools have an online edition, but the main focus is still getting the actual paper edition out. It's a busy process and school papers are always understaffed.
I'm not saying I agree with the opinion piece. All I'm saying is that I'm sure the author had no clue that he or she was would be messing with the ECF. After watching students take on many inflammatory and divisive topics, this one doesn't shock or surprise me.
Again, great work, Kristin, but I'm willing to give the kid a break (or at least forget about the whole ordeal).
What generally happens in a journalism class goes something like this: the editors of each section (news, sports, opinion, entertainment, etc.) get together and have a meeting to pitch ideas. Many of these ideas ape what's being printed nationally and locally. The opinion editor comes up with four or five story ideas. The editors will then assign or pitch the ideas to the students (and at a city college that can mean 10 - 20 students). They always have more stories than students.
The writer then has 4-5 days to turnaround the article for editing. Slackers usually latch onto opinion articles because they don't see the need to really research the topics and assume they know everything already. Since they don't have to interview any sources or take notes at a speech, they will procrastinate. They will hand in the article at the last possible minute (sometimes while the production/layout process is taking place). The editor will not have the option of scrapping a junk opinion piece because there are no backup stories to run. So rather than run a paper with a big hole on the page, the editor corrects grammar (ugh) and at least get the sentences readable. Most of the design/layout/corrections are done in one afternoon before the templates are sent to the printer.
Most schools have an online edition, but the main focus is still getting the actual paper edition out. It's a busy process and school papers are always understaffed.
I'm not saying I agree with the opinion piece. All I'm saying is that I'm sure the author had no clue that he or she was would be messing with the ECF. After watching students take on many inflammatory and divisive topics, this one doesn't shock or surprise me.
Again, great work, Kristin, but I'm willing to give the kid a break (or at least forget about the whole ordeal).
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The lesson here should be valuable to the student. The lesson isn't "Don't mess with ECF."
The lesson is "Research your opinion piece and be prepared to defend it". He's not in high school anymore.
What's the point of protecting the poor lad from reality? I'd hate to encourage another crop of lazy amateur or professional journalists to join the ranks of those who have been aiding in the FDA's disinformation campaign. If the school was in the business of protecting a journalism student from backlash (opposing views from the public) they should never have published the article on line.
He certainly seemed to have the wherewithal to defend himself, just not the information. He didn't strike me as the type that would go home crying to his mother. Let the kid take his lumps and learn from it.
I'm with you on that, Bassnut - I thought the same thing. If this kid wants to be a journalist, maybe this is a good lesson and maybe the professor can use it in his course as an example of what students shouldn't do. It's interesting that no more comments were posted, too.
HippyJonny - my letter is the same as I would write to any author of an article like this and unfortunately, there have been many identical to this written by professional journalists. Maybe the letter will get read hear and give ECF members a frame of reference - which is what Rolygate was talking about. If nothing else, it gives me an opportunity to perfect my counter-arguments to "real" articles!
HippyJonny - my letter is the same as I would write to any author of an article like this and unfortunately, there have been many identical to this written by professional journalists. Maybe the letter will get read hear and give ECF members a frame of reference - which is what Rolygate was talking about. If nothing else, it gives me an opportunity to perfect my counter-arguments to "real" articles!
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I think it's inexcusable that the comments are not being published. I was about to comment myself, but when I heard they weren't showing up, I held off. I'm glad I didn't waste my time.
Hmmm...a new comment showed up, but it was actually posted BEFORE the posts that have been there for a few days. I wonder if the site has a glitch - since other comments (including the author's) are showing up multiple times.
If nothing else, it gives me an opportunity to perfect my counter-arguments to "real" articles!
Guffaw!
I think you wrote the book, Kristin.
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