Better Journalism Needed

This summer I was looking for coverage about the tragic incident in which a woman was killed by her boyfriend in Texas. I typed into google "girl killed by her boyfriend in Texas" and the first article the popped up on GOOGLE was this one below:
http://www.newsnet14.com/2008/01/texas-girl-barbecued-by-black-boyfriend/

this article came from a white supremacist website. I understand that everyone is entitled to their opinions but is this really the first thing that should pop up? It's completely racist, the headline reads "Texas Girl Barbecued by Black Boyfriend"... if that isn't blatant racism I don't know what else is. I personally think a better piece of journalism should be the first story that comes up on the search engine.

Final Profile

It's a work in progress...
Here are a few things from my final profile,
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Print article and video interviews

what should I do?

After reading Janet Malcolm’s The Journalist and the Murderer, I have come to question a journalist’s relationship with those they interview. How far should a journalist allow themselves to become involved with someone they ultimately intend to use for a story? In her book, a journalist (McGinniss) finds himself lying to an accused murderer (MacDonald) in order to get more information out of him and deceives him into believing that they are friends.
Unlike McGinniss, I am actually friends with someone I am writing a story about. However, this puts me in an awkward position because I have stumbled upon a few things in my story that make for a funnier story at the expense of my friend. Any words of wisdom?

A day at the mortuary....

(keep posted for pictures/slideshow)

Sitting in a large, dark and empty office with furniture that looks like it came from the 1960’s, I wait for Richard O’Hara. He enters the room looking slightly confused as to the reason of my visit. I explain that I’m not there to plan a funeral.

With a permanent stoic expression O’Hara clarifies that he was never interested in working for the family owned mortuary business until his father begged him for help. His work was only supposed to be temporary but 30 years later he is Vice President and Funeral Director of McAvoy O’Hara Company Evergreen Mortuary. Because the mortuary is a full-service mortuary O’Hara admits that, “There isn’t a job I haven’t performed in our facilities.” He is licensed to care for the remains, direct and schedule memorials and funerals, cremate remains, and provide automotive services just to name a few. “There are things I don’t do that I used to,” he says possibly implying that he no longer cares for the remains.

Because Evergreen mortuary is open seven days a week and 365 days a year O’Hara, looking a bit irritated, affirms that as a family owner his cell phone is never turned off. “We serve approximately 600 families a year,” he explains. He repeatedly throws in the detail that the mortuary is the oldest one in San Francisco that is continuingly operating. He also stresses that they are a full service mortuary and will do whatever the customer wants, creating the image of one of those competitive, cut-throat car sales man. I learned these details four times throughout the conversation.

As someone who works with the deceased, O’Hara begins to talk about the hardest part of his job. “It’s hard when dealing with children. There’s a difference between someone who is 90-years-old and has lived a long life than a one-year-old. It’s hard on the entire staff,” he says. The once stoic and blank expression on his face has vanished as he goes on explaining some emotional memories he has of past clients. Recalling a time when he directed a funeral for an immigrant family whose father was murdered, a glimmer of tears form behind his eyes. He continues on describing an 11-year-old Asian boy who, by default, became head of his family due to the passing of his father. “In Asian culture it is tradition for the oldest son of the family to take on the responsibilities of the father,” claims O’Hara. During the funeral, says O’Hara, you could in the child’s face that he knew he must console his mother and mourn, yet stay strong for the family because he is now in charge. “As he was leaving the chapel he was trying to be a strong male and grieve at the same time. It was heartbreaking to see,” he confesses. He pauses for a quick second and goes on to describe a second experience where his job has been emotionally draining.

“A man lost six members of his family in a car accident and wanted to see the family before anyone did anything,” he says in a quiet voice. It seemed almost as if O’Hara is reliving the moment, he pauses at times. He explains that the young man was a tall, big, built man but he had let his emotions get the best of him and demanded that he see the bodies of his family members as they were after the car accident. “It was the hardest thing for me to do, making a decision whether or not to let this man see them. But he was angry and agitated and he needed to see them for closure, so I allowed it,” he adds. After the man saw his family he calmed down, “It’s something individuals must judge for themselves, it wasn’t my place to tell him no,” says O’Hara. He also mentions that a difficult part of his job is explaining to people what they are going to see in regards to the physical condition of the deceased body.

O’Hara admits that over time he has been able to deal with such experiences better by not letting his emotions get to him. “When difficult situations come about and you aren’t emotional, you’re too cold and its time for you to leave this business,” he says. He changes the subject and shows me a map of San Francisco grave yards and points to a vast area of land occupied by the University of San Francisco, formerly Masonic Cemetery. Before my departure he makes sure that I know Evergreen Mortuary is the oldest mortuary that is continually operating, oh and also that they are full service.

Catholic San Francisco

Today Dan Morris-Young, editor of the Catholic San Francisco newspaper, came to talk to my feature writing class about what he does, feature writing, and of course the newspaper. Well, I’m not Catholic at all so I figured that this newspaper would be boring and this guy would have nothing interesting to say. I was completely wrong because he was totally not the kind of person I thought would be editor of a Catholic newspaper. He said "damn," he talked about controversial issues, his other job/passion is diving, and he offered the students in my class the opportunity to write for the newspaper without questioning our own religious backgrounds. I think he’s pretty cool actually.

Morris-Young has got 40+ years of experience behind him and was the first editor of Catholic San Francisco, formally known as the Monitor (the newspaper was recreated in 1998). He says that the newspaper is half straight news and half feature writing. The paper goes out to about 70,000-85,000 homes in San Mateo, Marin, and San Francisco according to Morris-Young. He believes that a good feature story should have good narration, content, syntax, grammar, accuracy, and no fluff.

He was enthused by our interest in the paper and encouraged our involvement with writing feature articles for him in the future. In fact, USF graduate Michael Vick is a writer for Catholic San Francisco, and just recently wrote a feature story about his visit to Haiti. Though the paper is based on the Catholic religion I felt that it took a pretty neutral stance on a lot of issues. Anything offensive is not tolerated, and articles about intense issues such as stem cell research, abortion, celibacy, and pornography are possible stories according to Morris-Young. I was no longer discouraged about possible involvement with the newspaper after his visit. Even though I’m not Catholic I would read this newspaper- it’s got some good stuff.

View from the Heavens

Driving through a residential neighborhood and up a windy hill, the city of San Francisco will unsuspectingly emerge before your eyes. Tourist attraction during the day and make-out spot at night, Twin Peaks is the one-stop tour of San Francisco. Located in the heart of the city, Twin Peaks provides one of the most beautiful views San Francisco has to offer.

Elevated about 922 feet above the city, Twin Peaks is the only location where one can admire the vast majority of San Francisco city, and overlook Alameda, Oakland, and Berkley. Once you make it up the hill you are greeted by a small parking lot with a big view. Moving from left to right you can see the Golden Gate Bridge, the University of San Francisco, St. Ignatius church, the Palace of Fine Arts, Alcatraz, downtown, Market Street, the Bay Bridge, and the residential areas throughout the Bay. Looking out at the crowded city you are reminded that Twin Peaks is one of the only places that has not been developed into a shopping center or residential area. It is a beautiful view you don’t have to pay for.

During the day one can expect to find groups of tourists, families, and photographers enjoying the panoramic landscape. On this sunny day, a daring little girl strays away from her family and stands on the edge of the peak demanding that a nearby photographer take a picture of her. He ignores her request when she notices the camera in my hands and starts to pose. “This is my favorite place in the whole entire city because I can see my house,” said the little girl named Katie. In the corner far away from other sightseers sits a group of teenage boys quietly looking out into the sky. “We come up here as a family to relax and clear our minds ya know? We’re from here, the Bay Area. It’s good to take the time to appreciate what you got,” said 17-year-old Carlos, the oldest of his brothers.

However, at night Twin Peaks is a completely different scene. “My boyfriend took me to Twin Peaks when he asked me out, it was so romantic,” said Ashley Jones. At night Twin Peaks overlooks the city but instead of seeing landmarks you see bright lights, downtown buildings, and the outline of the Bay Bridge. Many people refer to it as the “make-out spot” of San Francisco. Foggy car windows and cuddling couples are not a rare sight during the PM hours at Twin Peaks. “When I was a freshman this guy took me on my first college date. We ended up at Twin Peaks and the view was amazing. I hate to say it, but we made out in his car,” admitted sophomore student from San Francisco State University, Jessica Stevenson. But others have found a different reason to travel to Twin Peaks at night. “To be honest, I smoke before I go up there. It’s the craziest thing ever to see. The lights are super intensified and it literally blows your mind,” said 19-year-old student Carly.

Day or night, this location is definitely a destination for tourists, visitors, and San Francisco natives. Jessica Perry describes it as, “Super relaxing and beautiful.” Whether it’s to relax, make-out, smoke, take pictures, or spend time with your family, Twin Peaks is the place to do it.

The Untreatable Epidemic

You can find them on the runway, you can see them worn on the streets, you can find them on the racks at most retail department stores, and you can even stumble upon them in the children section at stores like Target. Fashion icons, celebrities, adults, teens, and even children have fallen victim to the recurring trend of skinny jeans. It seems that this “must have” item has taken over and is here to stay.

Once considered a trend for “hipsters,” skinny jeans have integrated into many different styles. The slim pants conform to the shape of your legs, becoming slimmer the further down your leg they go. This style of pants that once filled the racks at stores like Hot Topic and Urban Outfitters can now be seen in high fashion stores like Bloomingdales, Nordstrom’s, Armani Exchange, Gucci, and Dolce and Gabbana. Trendy stores like Forever 21, H&M, Macy’s, and Charlotte Russe also carry skinny jeans at a much lower price. They can range anywhere from $20-$300.

These pants are worn by not only females, but males too. They come in denim, neon, khaki, corduroy, and almost every color thinkable. “I see skinny style pants everywhere. Everyone’s wearing them like they’re gonna go out of style,” said USF student Corinne Aparis. “Skinnys,” as people call them made their comeback in 2006 and have been spreading like an epidemic every since. “I wear skinny jeans because they compliment my figure and they’re comfortable. It’s a plus that they happen to be fashionable and I can wear them with my boots,” said Ashley Jones. Another reason that “skinnys” attract a wide range of people is because they accommodate people of all sizes. Skinny pants are offered in sizes 00-20/plus size, depending on the brand.

Ann Valdez, a 43-year-old mom of three admits that she too has given in to the “skinny jean craze.” “I remember when skinny jeans were popular in the 80’s, so I felt that they more of a ‘my era’ thing,” Valdez said. She confessed that she owns two pairs of skinny jeans and doesn’t mind that her 19-year-old daughter wears them too. “I saw my daughter wearing them and thought they were cute. A week later I saw other moms wearing them too, so I went out and bought a pair,” said Valdez.

It seems that everyone’s wearing skinnys these days right? “I don’t wear skinny jeans because they are too tight and reveal too much about my body, they are not flattering,” said student Olivia Washington. Washington is not alone, actress Liv Tyler reportedly told British magazine Cosmopolitan that, “I'm not into the skinny grey jeans look. I mean, KATE MOSS looks amazing, but everyone seems to be wearing skinny jeans, no matter what their size.” Despite the opposition, skinny jeans are still a popular trend. According to Forbes.com, “The latest luxury item comes in straight leg or boot…,” a reference to skinny pants.

Perhaps the popularity of skinny jeans can be accredited to their recent breakthrough into children’s fashion. Popular stores like Old Navy, Limited Too, Gap Kids, Abercrombie and Fitch, Babystyle, and The Children’s Place carry skinny jeans for children and even babies. This trend has reached out to most of the population including today’s youth, as young as babies. “The other day I was on the Muni and I saw a toddler wearing dark denim skinny jeans! I couldn’t believe it,” said Brittany Rien. It seems that skinny jeans are a trend that has taken almost everyone captive, babies included.