Wildcard

It is very easy to create an extended barrier out of the four walls of your living area. Humans tend to have a gene that blocks away problems until it is time to physically deal with them. In a present life, a sense of urgency with keeping up with the news, or more generally of what's going on, was so common it became an adult stereotype. It is even portrayed in several animated children's shows that parents and adults use the news and gossip as their primary form of entertainment due to their nature of dull character and inclined responsibility.

In fact, the careless and imaginative persona of children is a prime example of how reality is ignored and personally fabricated to increase joy in life. But although ignorance is bliss, it does not mean that the ignorant are safe. Lives are taken and destroyed within seconds of you turning on your television to watch the aftermath. Sadly, no matter what screen you view it on, how many times you watch the story, or the length of comment you make behind it, it just seems unreal. This is because after the slight concern, 9 times out of 10 you get to return to your regular life in which you deem as unaffected. There are very serious and possibly life threatening issues that we brush off everyday because of either our personal values or the seriousness of its coverage in the media. 

Usually when something big like a mass murder, an invasion, or civil concept starts to arise, artists take to their outlets by creating parodies, movies, and music that are meant to cause a reaction.

For example: During the train of Black Panther love, it was noted that Kendrick Lamar (rapper and social lyrical activist) created the soundtrack for the entire the movie including his own song "All The Stars". A powerful move for Marvel as well as a positive image boost of black excellence. Involving popular people or big networking creates a lot of buzz. However, not every piece that comes from a story gives off the same message which leaves an open door to the audience's curiosity and vulnerability. In a podcast from a news outlet called The Skimm, the speaker ends a vivacious explanation over current cult culture by adding that "watching shows about them or hearing about them on podcasts makes it seem like these are crazy, far-out things that never actually happen. But that's not true, they're very real and very dangerous." If we don't take warning to the information we are given, one day it might just be you with your very own segment on the channel 7 news.

If you are familiar with the American television series "Smallville", then you have probably caught word of one of it's stars, Allison Mack, whom is currently on trial for being allegedly convicted of sex trafficking and a conspiracy to commit forced labor. According to The Telegraph, "Business Insider reported that the Smallville star attempted multiple times to recruit [Emma] Watson to join NXIVM – an invite-only group of women who were allegedly pressured into starving themselves and having sex with Keith Raniere, the group’s leader."

"In January 2016, she tweeted: '@EmWatson I'm a fellow actress like yourself & involved in an amazing women's movement I think you'd dig. I'd love to chat if you're open.'"

"A month later she tried again, tweeting: '@EmWatson I participate in a unique human development & women's movement I'd love to tell you about. As a fellow actress I can relate so well to your vision and what you want to see in the world. I think we could work together. Let me know if you're willing to chat.'"

"She tried for a third time in March, on International Womens’ Day: '@TheCathyJensen @EmWatson Thank you for the bump up! Would love to chat with a fellow change-maker! #InternationalWomensDay'" 

What she did not realize is that Watson's twitter account is under @EmmaWatson not @EmWatson.
The language was similar in a tweet sent to pop singer Kelly Clarkson:

"@kelly_clarkson I heard through the grapevine that you're a fan of Smallville. I'm a fan of yours as well! I'd love to chat sometime."

Cults are literally everywhere, and the NXIVM is not the only one embracing the headlines. Another trending cult goes by the name of Heaven's Gate. Heaven's Gate is famously know for the participation of their "graduation" killing 39 members through mass suicide over the course of 3 days in 1997. Since that traumatizing day, the cult has said to be extinct, and is now popular because of a podcast that has been labeled binge-worthy. There is another called the Rajneeshees. They catered to the extremities of open sexuality, meditation, and capitalism. They moved to the US in the 80s after being shunned by India's government because of their views on sexuality. The Rajneeshees is still infamous to this day for orchestrating the largest bio-terrorists attack in the US by infecting local restaurants in the Oregon area with salmonella to keep people from voting against them in the county elections. The hype for this cult is being gained through its interpretation in a short Netflix Original television series called "Wild Wild Country".

 The Skimm also mentioned that "researchers don’t know exactly how many people are involved in cults or exactly why they joined, but what we do know is that cult leaders are very smart and very persuasive. And for a lot of people, they make a cult look like a really good alternative to society." I personally feel it is because cult culture is an underground issue that most people don't believe is real so they don't understand when they have actually joined one. Cults are only looked down upon meaning that they are not illegal or banned. They are a form of religion that people usually choose to be in and can not be forced out of, or at least not in America, due to their rights as a human. To escape the tantrums of people who would possibly be offended, the portrayal of sensitive topics such as cults is very vague and under-represented everywhere including the media. As BBC News states, as unpleasant as the events of a cult usually turn out are "it would be virtually impossible to ban cults without removing the right to free speech, thought, assembly, freedom of conscience, freedom of religious thought and most other human freedoms." Also, "you can't discriminate between religions and get away with it. If you want to ban specific religious practices, why not others?"

Brief #10: Freedom of Information Act

In late March, the FBI arrested Terry James Albury, a longtime agent in its Minneapolis field office, for allegedly providing classified documents to The Intercept. The Intercept is an investigative nonprofit news organization dedicated to producing fearless, adversarial journalism. While tracking him down, the bureau crossed a red line that will sour relationships with journalists and whistle-blowers, with negative consequences for everyone. The classified documents in question, on their own, should concern anyone who cares about civil liberties. A set of policies and procedures, the documents outline how the FBI can access journalists’ phone records without search warrants or subpoenas approved by a judge. This is despite a 2013 promise, at the time, by Attorney General Eric Holder to reform rules about spying on reporters after the Department of Justice secretly obtained phone records from "over 100 Associated Press journalists" according to The Washington Post. Holder’s reforms only applied to subpoenas in criminal investigations.

The Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) is a federal freedom of information law that allows for the full or partial disclosure of previously unreleased information and documents controlled by the United States government. The Federal Government's Freedom of Information Act should not be confused with the different and varying Freedom of Information Acts passed by the individual states. Many of those state acts may be similar but not identical to the federal act. The FOIA was put in place shortly after the illegal unconstitutional act of MK Ultra performed by the CIA, which most of the evidence was burned and some of the surviving documents became classified in 2001. Others, most notably late former President Lyndon B. Johnson, believed that certain types of unclassified government information should nonetheless remain secret.

The solicited documents also identify loopholes in FBI rules allowing undercover agents and informants to infiltrate and spy on members of churches, political organizations and universities which is something, The Washington Post claims that The Intercept said, that even the FBI acknowledged was a “risk to civil liberties.” The FBI used as evidence against Albany FOIA requests made by The Intercept. According to an affidavit for a warrant obtained by Minnesota Public Radio, “on or about March 29 and 30, 2016, a presumed U.S. Person representing an online media outlet … made two separate requests for copies of specific documents from the FBI pursuant to the Freedom of Information Act.” The FBI is able to tell who accesses documents on its network. After The Intercept published the documents, the timing of the earlier FOIA request allowed the FBI to pinpoint Albury as a likely source. “Albury accessed the document on February 19, 2016, approximately one month and ten days prior to the FOIA request” and made images, the affidavit said.

Brief #9: College Media

Thinking back over the last 500 years, Americans have managed to recover from the severe outcomes of social differences, sexual freedoms, and even racial oppression. We may be still in rehab, but with so many different characteristics trying to blend in as one united nation, you can't expect change without conflict. It is normal for humans to not know something about everything. It is a characteristic that we have to not only learn to accept, but we have to have the will to seek more information rather than to react erratically. One of the most controversial topics today falls along the lines of sexual identity and sexual preference. The LGBTQ+ community has made many advancements in several communities through education, service, and awareness. In the light of providing  education from every aspect and point of view, Kennesaw State University has decided to host a Queer Research Day. The students of KSU have created a partnership between the LGBTQ Student Programs, Department of Social Work and Human Services, and the Presidential Commission on LGBTQ Initiatives in order to "challenge normalcy".

According to CollegeMedia Network, the QRD event sprung from the attention KSU got for "telling it's students that 'ne, 've,' 'ey,' 'ze' and 'xe,' are gender-neutral pronouns in a pamphlet, so their hosting of this conference should not be a surprise." CampusReform explains that it will include workshops like "An Exploration of Queer Representation in Fairytales" and "Queer Developmental Approaches to Working With Young People" while also giving attendees the opportunity to "share their 'queer research' and explain how they are 'addressing queerness' in their work."

Although the Conference gained a lot of publicity and success, there were a few fights against the progression. There were 2 "free speech" lawsuits filled alleging discrimination against conservative students in the month of February. Campus Reform says that "the lawsuits accuse KSU of using vaguely-worded policies to restrict speech that administrators deem 'controversial,' as well as maintaining a capricious four-tiered classification system for student groups." Both lawsuits were issued by the Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF); the first was on behalf of a Christian student group called the Ratio Christi for being subject to a "free speech zone", and the second claimed that there were unconstitutional "security fees" for inviting Katie Pavlich, a conservative commentator, to campus by the YAF or the Young Americans for Freedom's Kennesaw chapter.

Brief #8: Investigative Journalism

Iowa Center for Public Affairs Journalism, better known as Iowa Watch, published a statewide investigative story in the spring of 2016 on a disparity in how high school science teachers discuss climate change in the classroom. Nearly half of teachers surveyed by Iowa Watch journalists teach climate change “as theory, informing students about the variety of thought that exists.” The rest of the responses fell evenly across a variety of strategies for treating climate change as fact, and Iowa Watch’s work corroborated the findings of a larger national study published by Science that same season.

The Iowa Watch story ran in several prominent state newspapers, including The Des Moines Register and The Waterloo Courier, and prompted concerns that students could complete their high-school experience with an inconsistent understanding of human impact on the environment. The absence of administrative measures to monitor how discussions of climate change play out in science curriculum shocked educators, students, and parents alike.



ICYMI: “She identified herself as a reporter. He then walked behind her and punched her in the side of the head”

But inside that story lingered another. Aside from the light supervision of Lyle Muller, Iowa Watch’s executive director and editor, and Brian Winkel, a journalism teacher at Cedar Falls High School, the piece had been researched and written by high schoolers. Over the course of three months, Tana Gam-Ad, Olivia Fabos Martin, and Sarah Stortz contributed on-the-ground reporting to that initial story (which Muller collected and stitched together), and became the first participants in Iowa Watch’s efforts to produce collaborative, investigative report in high schools around the state. Muller, a veteran reporter himself, saw the program as an opportunity to escort the next generation of journalists into the field, but also as a strategy to cover relevant stories that might otherwise go unheard. In the process of that intensive coursework and reporting, Muller hoped administrators would recognize the vitality and necessity of “extracurricular” journalism courses, and think twice before sacrificing them to frequent budget cuts. He confided his feelings to Columbia Journalist Review: “I wanted to prove that high school students can do this,” says Muller. “I wanted to prove that they were capable of producing reporting that people would pay attention to, and that high school journalism programs are worthwhile and important.”

Brief #7: Exploiting A News Story

Being a media analyst, or should I say having a job in general, is an extreme conflict of ethics. On one hand, you want to set values and examples for those who look up to you. You use the media as an outlet to teach, voice your opinions, and create awareness for whatever topic you choose. But on the other hand, being woke doesn't always pay the bills. You may find yourself in a serious moral bind, but overall it is your decision to publicize whatever you say no matter who you work for.
School shootings are no laughing matter, and should be dealt with delicately and respectfully. The problem with 21st century media is that everything is or will be used as an analogy or message. The Florida school massacre left hearts broken and words unspoken across America, and not too long after we hear the usual speeches and condolences that are supposed to help everyone's grieving process move along a bit faster. During the dramatic live interview of a student who unfortunately had to witness the murder of her best friend, the audience cringed from the obvious despair she displayed from just the first question. 

The amount of exposure an event may get is debated regularly between news organizations. The touchy topics spring broadly across a variety of murders, terrorist activity, rape, war, etc. Believe it or not, a mangled body can be way too gruesome for the viewers even in this day and age. A common thought that everyone seems to come back to as we advance in technology and personal device usage came down to "should they air images of mass shooters going about their ghastly actions — a dilemma posed by the 1999 atrocity at Columbine High, where the gunmen were captured on security cameras, and raised again at Parkland, when cellphone videos emerged of children diving for cover amid the sound of gunshots?" 

Columbine Shooting

Florida School Massacre

According to The Washington Post, the comments went way left on social media as they bashed the NBC reporters for placing "a vulnerable teenager, perhaps still in shock, on national TV without apparently knowing the extent of her trauma." If fact The Washington Post raised a very vital question to today's society: "Where’s the line between informing the public and mining the horror for ratings and clicks?" Was there ever an extent, or are we constantly taking advantage of fragile conditions? In a separate theory, people could be overreacting. Although she is hurting, we will never know of how serious her mental stability was actually damaged. It could mean something extremely important today, but not nearly as much as tomorrow which could be why the hosts just dive in nose first.

Brief #6: Copyright and Fair Use

The National RifleAssociation, or NRA (@NRA), faces a charge of copyright infringement for using a GIF of Amy Poehler from the widely known television series Parks and Recreation. The GIF was used in a tweet as a hasty response to what Slate is calling a "heavy opposition" from CNN's town hall on the unfortunate events at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, FL. However, as nice as it was for the organization to pay respects to their representatives, Parks and Recreation creator, Michael Schur (@KenTremendous), felt otherwise…

A GIF is defined as a lossless format for image files that supports both static but mainly animated images. A lot of GIFs are small grabs of video that usually don't exceed 5 seconds. They are more commonly silent and can be captioned something other than the original context. A well known contributor to these files is a site called GIPHY that has billions of pre-formulated files for its users' pleasure. GIPHY has several partners in which they feature as an option to incorporate GIFs while texting or posting on social media. GIPHY also abides by the DMCA Copyright Policy; they provide a link to the policy's full text and states the procedures for reporting copyright infringement as well as a counter-notice. GIPHY is not the only legal GIF manufacturer, and it is safe to assume that others are employing some sort of copyright policy as well.

Tiffany Li, a student of Yale's Law School's Information Society Project that is studying intellectual property issues reviewed the circumstances of the case and concluded that “when I look at the use of this GIF, I think it’s pretty clear that there’s no copyright infringement. It’s fair use.” Generally, fair use refers to any copying of copyrighted material done for a limited and “transformative” purpose, such as to comment upon, criticize, or parody a copyrighted work in the opinion of Stanford University Libraries. It is not clear on the true source of the GIF that the NRA used, but it definitely was obtained through Twitter's "Add a GIF" option while creating the tweet. According to Slate, "It doesn’t appear that anyone has threatened the NRA with copyright infringement for using the GIF. But it’s worth asking the question: Could Schur and Poehler actually do anything to stop the NRA from using the GIF?"

Brief #5: Reporter's Privilege

After publishing a series pertaining to inmates who committed suicide while serving their time in the San Diego County Jail for the San Diego City Beat, freelance journalist Kelly Davis was approached several times to discuss the release of her research. "For the period of 2007 through 2012, San Diego County had the highest mortality rate than any other large county in California,” Davis said. Upon reviewing "How many inmate deaths is too many?" and the tragic circumstances that were covered about the terrible conditions of the convicts, it is no wonder why the city would want to protect it's reputation. Although it was requested that the charges be dismissed, one Judge had opposing views and claimed that "the county should have been on alert by news reports and anecdotes surrounding jail deaths." The Judge also noted that "Davis’ stories had put the county on notice about its 'inadequate suicide prevention policies and training' and that her exposé had revealed a 'pattern of constitutional violations' by jail personnel.'"

Davis was later interviewed by NBC 7 Investigates about her harassment from the court. She told reports that she was "terrified" and "shaking" due to the suffocation of a supposed legal obligation that she had to giving her work away. She figured that all of the attention she had gained had to be a form of intimidation. She then told NBC 7 Investigates that her team will be arguing that "this information is available from other sources." Meaning that all if the information that she possessed was secondary, and that there is no need for them to hover her. There was an instance where the court recognized their possible logic flaws with ruling a court order. According to the NBC 7 Investigates, “It is plausible that if the County had reacted to the prior suicide incidents by implementing an appropriate suicide prevention policy or by remedying the alleged custom of indifference, Kris’s (an inmate of San Diego County) suicidal ideations would not have been ignored,” which was stated in the Judge's ruling. But Davis's opening claim in her interview, "These are all human beings worthy of redemption.", highlights the personal rights of not only the knowledge of her audience but of the inmates being avenged after their traumas.

In the United States, reporters are protected by the First Amendment and through statutory law from being forced to attest confidential information or sources. Despite the courts attempts to cipher Davis's work, the court should be familiar with California's Privilege Compendium. Kelly Davis disclosed her findings exclusively with the San Diego City Beat which is protected legally under California's reporter's privilege.

Since this case also shows conflict within the freedom of press, it should be common knowledge that a reporter has certain liberties when receiving and distributing information. Although the city could have felt threatened or could have been discontented from the possible damage, there is not much they can do about public information being brought forth. Davis included in her statement that “you want journalists to be free to do their stories and to gather their research, talk to their sources, without worrying that someone is looking over their shoulder”.

Brief #4: Plagiarism and Fabrication

Sometimes even the most creative and iconic people in the entertainment business make unforgivable mistakes that we never would have seen coming. Recently, two of Top Dawg Entertainment's (TDE) flagship artists, Kendrick Lamar and SZA, captured the magnifying essence of Africa and fine artistry into one of the soundtracks for Marvel's "Black Panther". The music video to the song "All the Stars" debuted on February 9th , 2018 and is now trending with over 19 million views on YouTube. But, while a majority of the world was riding the #BlackExcellence fan wave, a few of the viewers felt uneasy about some of the content displayed.

On February 12, 2018, Independent News reported accusations of Kendrick Lamar plagiarizing the artwork of British-Liberian artist Lina Iris Viktor. Viktor is known for her usage of a black, white, and blue color palette accompanied with 24 karat gold to create minimalist and black influenced art. It is easy to see how she would have been recruited for this strongly depicted production, but unfortunately Viktor's permission was not given to TDE in any way nor is she happy about her surprise contributions. In fact in an interview with New York Times, Viktor emphatically explains that this is "an ethical issue, because what the whole film purports is that it's about black empowerment, African excellence - that's the whole concept of the story. And at the same time they're stealing from African artists." Independent News also featured another article from Okay Africa where, unware of this scandal, they "noted: 'The work and influence of British-Liberian artist Lina Iris Viktor can be clearly spotted.'

The conceptual & performance artist and painter was contacted not once but twice by the DDA  on behalf of Marvel & Disney to exhibit her work for promotion, but she respectfully declined the offers due to their demands that she "enter into an exclusive license for the proposed artworks, thereby forgoing all artistic control" according to The Economic Times. For some, the principle is more valuable than the compensation. The artwork is said to be a milestone for Viktor's career. Not only is she bold with her presentation, she is not one to let up on her moral status explaining that "cultural appropriation is something that continually happens to African-American artists, and I want to make a stand."

Kendrick Lamar, SZA - "All the Stars" 
Video by KendrickLamarVEVO

A 19-second segment (starting at the 2:59 mark) “that incorporates not just the immediately-identifiable and unique look of her work, but also many of the specific copyrightable elements in the ‘Constellations’ series of paintings, including stylized motifs of mythical animals, gilded geometric forms on a black background, and distinctively textured areas and patterns, arrayed in a grid-like arrangement of forms.

Brief #3: Advertising Ethics

The two main things come to every consumer's mind when purchasing products: quality and quantity.  Very often you will see commercials, ploys, and ads that promote something that will save you from whatever dilemma you may be in. This is in fact the sole purpose of advertising; they make money by filling your voids. But, how important are these shopping aspects if the product you receive is not exactly what it was said to be?

Hungry? Nine times out of 10 we have all seen a McDonald's commercial right when your stomach was at the verge of touching your back.  You saw the succulent, reheated, mystery meat patties topped with crunchy-crisp, refrigerated vegetables and cheese all unified under a possibly cross-contaminated sesame-seed bun. The advertising was in HD so you could see every dapple of flavor glisten. From prior experience, you might could have been able to conjure the aroma of the sandwich in all of its glory. You envision your next meal as you roll up to the drive-thru window and they hand you the paper bag with those familiar smells. You look inside of the bag, anxiously pull out your burger only to find it looking like this:

A sloppily-made, dry-looking, and probably cold reality.

Fast-food phenomena have led their customers into deception for years. However, it has not stopped them from gaining credibility on their abilities to at least satisfy enough for a return. Here is why…

McDonald's excels in the visual aspect of marketing. In their commercials and advertising, they provide a relatable, warm, home-like feel to eating. The catchy jingle and golden arches are an international stamp for the company that help keep it worldwide, and their children's merchandise help keep the younger demand up and the family theme alive all at affordable price ranges.

Brief #2: Supermarket Tabloids

Imagine it's 2010 and you are pushing your grocery cart through the aisles of your local supermarket. There is only one or two people in line for register 5, so you roll up behind a lady on her phone with about $200 worth of groceries and a child in her cart. As you settle yourself in line, in your head you say, "This is going to be a while.", roll your eyes, and they land on a boldly titled magazine that reads:

All of a sudden you start to wonder if love was ever real and why life now seems so meaningless. If you were fangirling over Twilight along with the rest of the world at this time, your heart would have dropped and you would have been compelled to pick up this issue to find out why. Seeing this today, however, would have practically no meaning realizing that the last movie of the series debuted 6 years ago and the very first movie celebrates a decade in November. Realism and timing are powerful tools in tabloid marketing. The strategy of a tabloid is to monetize the ignorance of their audience by spiking your curiosity and need to stay updated. They keep up with popular celebrities and latest trending situations in order to bring gossip and rumors to life. 

Usually you can find several tabloids posted in the front of the store commonly around the cash register where almost every consumer in the building is held dormant before their final purchase. This increases the chances of impulse buying by appealing to the senses (hearing, sight, touch, taste, smell). This marketing strategy works in several departments that would normally be irrelevant to grocery shopping. This is why tabloid newspapers would mimic the formula of candy, chips, drinks, and other easy to pick-up items with bold letters, bright colors, and familiar symbols to draw you in.

It could be surprising to one who has never bought a tabloid magazine that they are still a grocery store staple, but according to an article from The Sun, "tabloid journalism [is] a [documentation] of human voices, capturing the unpredictable and unexpected rhythms of life and existence in lucid and crisp prose." News in itself was created from a wanting that needed to be filled. In current society, the urge for detailed entertainment is present on an extremely personal level. People love the optimism behind the life of fame, and often use it as inspiration for their own lives or at least how they wish they could be. Actually the power an audience can feel behind knowing a celebrity's every move goes as deep as why they should provide this person a fanbase and making or breaking their career. The internet, of course, is a huge competitor to the supermarket tabloid base just as it is for most paper/offline products. A recent update from The Guardian states that "increases in online readership have offset the loss of print readers. According to a Newsworks press release, national newspapers jointly enjoyed a 16% year-on-year uplift across digital platforms, giving them a total of 31.5m unique browsers daily across the month of December 2016." Although there is still a print fanbase, it is very likely that print publication could fold altogether under the digital presence of news.