Manjoo Post

  "True Enough" focuses on what is the truth. 
  The start of the book reviews the case of three-year-old Eliza Jane Scovil.  She came down with what seemed to be a run-of-the-mill cold.  Pediatricians believed she was just like every other child her age, but they were unaware that her mother, Christine Maggiore, was tested positive for HIV.  “Maggiore had come to accept the unconventional views of a sets of activists who argue that HIV does not cause AIDS,” Manjoo writes.
  Eliza was never tested for HIV and her mother believed that taking antiviral medications would not benefit her in any way.  After Eliza died from this sudden unknown illness, her mother still did not believe HIV was a factor.      
  Autopsy results later revealed that AIDS was Eliza's cause of death.
“The death of a little girl in Los Angeles may not look immediately germane to the thesis of this book: that the limitless choice we now enjoy over the information we get about our world has loosened our grip on what is—and isn’t—true,” writes Manjoo. “What killed Eliza Jane, then, was not only a disease but more precisely the lack of notice and care for a disease—a denial even, that her condition existed. What killed her was disregard for scientific fact. It was the certainty with which her parents jettisoned the views of experts in favor of another idea, their own idea, far removed from observable reality. It was a willingness to trade in what was true for what was merely true enough.”
  Eliza's parents were in denial about her having this disease.  Maybe they just did not want to face the harsh reality.  But in reality, the truth hurts.
  Manjoo goes on to discuss that people in today's society are living in a bubble of what they want to believe over what is true.  Photos can be photo-shopped to the point where all photos can be questioned as to whether or not they are true.
  The internet is a pool of information.  Some of it true, but most of it false.  It makes it even more difficult for journalists to find the RIGHT information.  We need to check and re-check our sources of information.  Anyone can freely put anything on the internet and mark it as true.  But we live in a "post-fact" society that does not allow us to be trusting of others, despite how legit the sources appear to be.
  It will take a lot of work, but that is just part of the job for journalists in today's post-fact society. 

Courts

  As a college student, my peers may occasionally end up in court for various reasons.  I most often hear about traffic court.  Speeding, running red lights, making illegal U-turns.  Citations for these civil offenses could all be appealed in traffic court.
  I got a ticket for making an illegal U-turn a few years ago at the corner of Fletcher and Bruce B. Downs.  I was new to the USF area and I was on the phone and did not see the No U-turn sign.  To my dismay, there was an officer waiting discreetly in a parking lot, ready to pull over any offenders.  I saw flashing lights behind me shortly after I made the U-turn and I thought, "Oh Sh**."  He gave me a $123 ticket.  Looking back, I should have taken it to court.  I had no previous tickets and I believe I should have gotten off the hook with a warning.  The fine seemed a little steep to me.  Now I see people make U-turns at the corner and get away with it all the time and I can't help but feel like they're getting away with murder.
  I most likely would have lost my case, but the principle of the matter would be enough for me to stand up for if I could go back in time.
   Back then, I was not as aware of the court system as I am now.  It is not as intimidating as I thought.
  The clerk of court states "The Traffic Department maintains all records pertaining to traffic citations issued to persons in Hillsborough County and all parking tickets issued by law enforcement agencies outside the Tampa city limits in Hillsborough County."  They collect fines and set court dates for traffic infractions.
  Criminal traffic violations such as DUI or driving with a suspended license require offenders to schedule a court date within 10 days of the violation. 
  When I got my ticket, my options were listed by the officer.  Because I received a civil citation, I had 30 days to request a court date to appeal my case, attend traffic school to avoid receiving points against me on my driver's license, or simply pay the fine.  I chose traffic school.  I remain a safe driver.

  

 

William March Visit

   Chief political reporter, William March, from the Tampa Tribune came to our class to discuss campaign finances and contributions.  At one point, I felt like were were solving a mystery.  His reporting looks beyond the surface and reveals the truth behind campaign contributions.
  March explained that soft money is money given to a political party where you have no contribution limit.  He used Mark Jimenez from Future Tech as an example.  It was found that he and members of his company were donating soft money to Bill Clinton's campaign.  Innocent enough.  Except, March discovered that none of these people had donated before, were registered voters, and had not voted in past elections, so why were they donating money all of a sudden?  Questions arose about a possible scam on Jiminez' behalf.  This became a story.
   March uses different websites to research voters and campaign finances: Opensecrets.org, maplight.org, CQMoneyline, and the Florida Division of Elections website, which he uses the most.
  March says that anyone who makes a federal contribution is required to report their occupation/ employer.  This is how March found out about Jimenez and his company/ co-workers.  March says he spends a lot of time looking for information before actually finding it.  Patience and the ability to be thorough in research is key for good reporters.

Meeting #2

  A few weeks ago, Healthy Start was holding a Resource Roundtable at Mary Lee's House on Armenia, and I attended it.  The meeting began at 9 a.m. and lasted until noon.  It consisted of different behavioral health organizations in Hillsborough County.  A representative from each organization spoke on behalf of the organization to explain the benefits and resources available to Healthy Start.
  Healthy Start is an organization that works with at-risk mothers to help each of them have a healthy pregnancy and a healthy first year of life for mother and baby.  Healthy Start works with organizations such as Success 4 Kids & Families, Department of Children and Families, etc.  S4KF focuses on wraparound services to help children with mental illness so they may thrive in the community without the use of institutionalization.  Whereas, other organizations may focus more on medication and institutionalization. 
  This meeting was of interest to me because my minor is behavioral health.  There is a gap in the system between physical health and mental health services delivery.  People do not know much about it so there is not as much opportunity out there for people to seek help for mental illness as there is for physical illness. 
  I was surprised when the representatives spoke about all the resources available in the county because I had no idea there was so much available.  YMCA has a kinship program that helps relatives work toward gaining custody of a child when a parent may be unable.  Another program, Parents as Teachers, helps parents learn valuable things to teach their children.  I was unaware of these resources before attending this meeting. 
  I believe it is kept on the "down-low" because most people with mental illness do not care to talk openly about it.  There is a double-standard with physical and mental illness.  The stigma surrounding mental illness keeps people from seeking the proper treatment.  We need to expand our education to have an open mind and end the stigma.
    

Thoughts about Election 2010 *Extra Credit*

  First, I cannot stress enough how important it is for people to vote.  I voted early and I was in and out of the polls within 20 minutes.  I'm extremely busy and I was able to find time to vote.  I just made it part of my schedule that day.  Don't be lazy!  If you didn't vote this time, register and go vote for the presidential election!  I'm sure it will be an unforgettable election year. 
  I believe that despite the dwindling number of votes among young people in this election, there was still a lot of excitement at the polls.  People want change.  Real change.  There were major political issues brought up at the USF Senatorial debate on Oct. 24.  Meek, Rubio, and Crist debated tax cuts, immigration, the economy, foreign policy, etc.  These are all extremely relevant, important issues right now.  I was glad to see their stances of different topics.  It opened my eyes to a lot when I went to vote.
  It was also an exciting election for me because my dad is good friends with Rick Scott.  He attended a few of his governor rallies and celebrated with him after his win this week.  I feel like we have a real connection with our governor, and that could open up doors for me.  Wishful thinking of course..
  I found it interesting how close the race for governor came to be.  Forty-eight percent voted Alex Sink, while 49% voted Rick Scott.  On the news, they said it was the closest governor race in over 100 years.
  On a side note, the political commercials seemed to bash the other candidates less than in previous elections, which was refreshing.  Although, I still got annoyed with the commercials.  It ended on a very "red" note, and hopefully a very positive note as well.

Meeting #1

  I attended the Fla. US Senate Debate held at USF on Oct. 24.  With the election coming up, I believed this was an important event to witness.  Candidates Kendrick Meek, Marco Rubio, and Charlie Crist faced off, focusing on important issues such as securing US borders, tax cuts, the economy, etc.
   The candidates had many disagreements about tax cuts and whether or not the war has made the world safer.  Meek felt strongly that we would have been better off if Bush was not in office during the 9/11 attack; his lies created more problems for us.
  Meek appeared to be in favor of middle-class needs.  I liked that Rubio supported job creation.  That's what we all need in this economy.  People are stuck working in jobs they are overqualified for because there are no jobs.  I've heard politicians promise job creation before, and I'm just hoping the promises are kept.  I also liked how Crist was in favor of women's rights.  As a woman, I appreciate when men have the respect to let us choose.  It is not fair to take that choice away from us.  Nothing makes me more livid than seeing a man protesting abortion on the side of the road in front of a women's clinic.  Makes me wonder if those men do it for attention or just to start an uproar among women.
  I was glad CNN came to USF to hold this debate.  It got me excited for the election, and I think it is important to hold these debates on college campuses because young people need to vote. 

Preston Trigg.. Take Two.

  Trigg returned with an educational presentation about budget for journalists.  As he mentioned in his last visit, money is the root of all good and evil.  Money is what makes the world go round.
  Every successful business keeps track of finances in some way.  Every business has a budget to follow.  The money a business takes in (revenue) and spends (expenses) is what makes up budget.  "Money in, money out."  Debt may also be a part of the budget.  The government obtains its revenue through city fines, taxes, etc.  I can only imagine the number of parking fines given out on USF campus each day.  These fines go into the university budget to help pay for things that we may not even "need."  Like the Bull statues in front of the Marshall Center.  Do they look pretty?  Sure.  Do we "need" that?  Absolutely not.
  All government budgets in Florida are public, so we may obtain copies of these budgets.  Trigg gave us a comical example of a story created out of budget increase and decrease findings.  The budget will let you know where the money is going.  If money was used toward a company trip to Vegas, the public may not respond well to that.
  It is key to look for certain increases in the budget when reporting, such as personnel increases, to find out if there have been government raises.
  Trigg reiterated how important it is to ask questions.  There is nothing worse than obtaining false information and allowing it to be published when you could have saved yourself by just asking questions.  Do not burn bridges with budget officials because they are a great source to have.
  Trigg proved that budgets may seem boring, but they may be transcribed into interesting, informational stories in the end.  "The devil is in the details."