5 Ws and an H

Who: Manny Ramirez
What: Accused of taking steroids, took women hormones and suspended for 50 Games
Where: America
When: His suspension will end July 3
Why: He took them to balance the effects of steroids
How: Secretly

Who: Facebook
What: Allows Holocaust Denial Groups
Where: Internet
When: May 4, 2009 but it is constant
Why: Free Speech allows people to speak their minds
How: Any sort of group can be made on Facebook.

Who: U.S. Postal Stamps
What: The price has increased by 2 cents
Where: America
When: May 11, 2009
Why: All taxes go up
How: The Postal Service changed it

Who: Wanda Sykes
What: Roasted President Obama and other politicians at the White House Correspondents Association Diner
Where: Washington D.C.
When: May 11, 2009
Why: It is cusomary for comedians to do so
How: She made a specific joke about shirtless pictures of Obama, saying, "I don't need to see your nipples. There was never a nipple portrait of Lincoln."

Who: Pope Benedict XVI
What: Visited the Middle East to see religious sites of different religions and see how they link together
Where: Middle East
When: May 12, 2009 and is still there
Why: The wants to see connections between the religions
How: He went around in an Ambasador like manor

Roxana Saberi, American Journalist or Spy?

Roxana Saberi, a dual American and Iranian citizen, was arrested in Iran for “American Espionage”. Roxana was simply reporting dangerous news like all good journalists when she was arrested and accused of spying. Roxana is missed by her family very much and the United States government is trying their hardest to free her.

As is known, there have been long running tensions between the United States and Iran. President Barrack Obama not only wants to free Saberi, he also wants to mend the relationship between the countries. As cruel as it sounds, Saberi’s arrest may prove to be beneficial for the two countries. Despite this, the U.S. needs to bring Saberi home as soon as possible.

No matter Iran’s demands, the United States should meet them. This will ensure Saberi’s immediate release. It will also build a friendship of sorts between the countries. Peace between two countries is always a good thing, no matter what the cost is.

National issues aside, Roxana Saberi is a very determined journalist. She is unafraid to report in dangerous areas of the world and is very willing to face the consequences. I can honestly say that I could never report in Iran or any foreign country except maybe Canada or a Western European country. It really takes a good journalist to do what Saberi did and she should be awarded for her courage.

Barbie at 50

Who: Barbie
What: Turned 50 and has sold 1 billion units
Where: World Wide
When: March 5, 2009
Why: She was made in 1959
How: Gracefully

Stem Cell executive order

Who: Obama
What: Is providing federal funding for stem cell research
Where: United States
When: March 9, 2009
Why: It was promised in his campaign and we need to keep up with other nations
How: He is the president and has the power to do so

Morgan Tsvangirai accident

Who: Morgan Tsvangirai
What: Died in a car crash
Where: Zimbabwe
When: March 9, 2009
Why: It was a very serious accident
How: A truck carrying HIV medicine hit them

Omar al-Bashir arrest charges

Who: Omar al-Bashir
What: Committed Crimes against humanity and committed war crimes
Where: Sudan
When: March 4
Why: It was part of a larger operation
How: Illegally

Discovery Launch

Who: Discovery Shuttle
What: Did not Launch
Where: Cape Canaveral
When: Wednesday March 11
Why: There was an oil leak
How: It didn't launch

Shepard Fairey is a street artist known for pasting up posters around Boston and Providence. A RISD graduate, Fairey is still a teenager in many ways. Fairey grew up with punk rock, skateboarding, and art, which are all shown in his posters. The political themes of his recent posters draw influence from the political nature of punk rock music. The street art style relates to his skateboarding background of causing general mischief. The posters remain very artistic all the while. Fairey has created many famous images.

Fairey’s first poster was of Andre the Giant. He came across a photo of the wrestler in the newspaper and it inspired him. He originally put up a poster saying “Andre the Giant has a posse.” The poster displayed the image of the wrestler. The poster was modified overtime and eventually had the word “Obey” printed on a black and white picture of Andre the Giant. Fairey’s most recently famous artwork has received great recognition.

Fairey designed a poster while Obama was running for president. The poster has a picture of Obama in red white and blue. The poster takes influence from propaganda from the 40s and 50s. The word “Hope” is printed on the bottom of the poster. The poster became a large part of Obama’s campaign and landed Fairey a seat to watch the inauguration. This is Fairey biggest commercial success to date. Fairey uses images produced by others to make his own statements.

Fairey does not generate his own images, but rather modifies those of others to make a statement that not only gets him into trouble, but makes a bold statement about how different people react to different images. Fairey may interpret an image one way while someone may see it entirely differently. Ironically enough, some people modify Fairey’s images to express things in their own way. One of the most notable modifications are the “Nope” and “Dope” Obama posters. The “Hope” posters were used as a promotion for Obama’s campaign while the others were used to put down Obama and his supporters. But everybody is entitled to their own opinion. Fairey’s art is very unique and we can expect more controversy from him in the future.

Bill-ding Better Care

On January 26, 2009, former president William Clinton visited the Royal Victoria Gardens to visit the Nation AIDS program HIV/AIDS Center and HIV reference laboratory. While there, Bill spoke with the press. He reported that he has met with many children diagnosed with AIDS on this visit as well as on his other visits to the Bahamas. The Bahamas was the first country where Bill started his AIDS initiative but he has gone to 70 other countries.

The operation sets up healthcare systems in various countries so that those infected with HIV and AIDS can receive medical attention. On his recent visit, former president Clinton was in town for the Michael Jordon Celebrity Golf Tournament at the Atlantis Paradise Island. While there, he requested to visit the children that he had seen in the past.

Clinton’s first step was to lower the price of AIDS treatment medicine from $3500 to $500. He was successful at doing this and now medicine around the world can be bought at discount prices. Different projects are going on in each country, but the general purpose is to provide better treatment for victims of the AIDS virus.

Not only does Bill provide medical help for the infected, he motivates them and helps them emotionally. Clinton will continue to help the victims of the AIDS virus in the future.

Mid-Term Essay

Dan Bissonnette

Mr. Twining

Journalism A2

16 January 2009

Just What Are the Stakes?

            Journalism is very important in the modern world. Journalists take risks all around the world to report the news. No matter the conditions, journalists are devoted to their careers and will always take strides to report the truth. Journalism is very important and great risks are taken to report the news in places such as Cuba, China, and even the United States.

            The news is the only way citizens can receive the truth about their government and community. When pertaining to government, journalists can report what officials are really doing. For example, a government may tell their people that they are doing one thing that the people would not approve of. In this situation, the press would have to tell the people about what the government was really doing. Journalists have no boundaries and they can say whatever they want. There will sometimes be consequences, but the truth is worth it. In the community, the press can tell citizens of recent events going on. This is what we do in journalism class, we report about recent things in the community and school. There are more dangerous things to report besides football games. Some reporters face great risks to report the truth. Some reporters are executed for their stories. Others are thrown into jail for extended periods of time. This is a contrast to the risks students face, which involve getting a detention at most. Students aren't as brave as journalists in other places, such as Cuba.

            In Cuba, there are currently 23 journalists in prison and are considered enemies to the state or mercenaries.  There is an official media set in place in the country that only reports certain things and every other journalist is considered a criminal. Most of the incriminated journalists are serving 14-27 year terms. Others are being held in prison without trial. They are sent to prison for supposedly working with the United States against the Cuban government. Cuba has the second largest population of journalists in prison, second only to China.

            In China, journalists are thrown into jail for things such as "espionage" and "fraud" very often. The reporters are accused of these outrageous crimes and are given shoddy trials without proper representation or witnesses. Thirty-one known reporters were in prison as of January 1, 2007. Not all journalists in China are imprisoned, but many are put under surveillance so that they do not get into any trouble. It seems as if the Chinese government is just looking for excuses to watch and capture journalists so that they can control the media. The government wants certain things hidden from its own citizens as well as citizens from other countries. To do so, they must put leashes on countless journalists so nothing gets out. Not all of the mistreatment of the press happens thousands of miles away.

            The United States government has also convicted journalists in the past. This has more to do with journalists not reporting their sources. Internet journalist Josh Wolf was released from prison in April of 2007. He was in prison for not reporting his sources to a federal judge. Lance Williams and Mark Fainaru-Wada were sent to prison for 18 months for the same reason, but when they later reported their sources in March they were released. The House of Representatives have passed the Shield Law, which allows reporters to keep their sources to themselves. Therefore, the United States should not have too many problems in the near future.

            Journalists near and far face risks when reporting, especially in countries such as Cuba and China, and even the United States. The people of these countries should venerate the devoted journalists who have no fear of prosecution. In addition, journalists in safer countries could help to widespread the truth just like what Reporters without Borders does. It is very important that citizens know the truth about their government and society.

 

http://www.rsf.org/country-47.php3?id_mot=246&Valider=OK

http://www.rsf.org/country-50.php3?id_mot=88&Valider=OK

http://www.rsf.org/article.php3?id_article=26221

 

5 Ws and H

Jett Travolta

 

Who: Jett Travolta

What: Died

Where: Bahamas

When: January 2, 2009

Why: He had Kawasaki Disease

How: Of a seizure

 

January 20, 2009

 

Who: Barrack Obama

What: Inaugurated as President

Where: Washington, D.C.

When: January 20, 2009

Why: He was elected

How: By winning more votes than his opponents

 

Obama Mobile

 

Who: Obama

What: Has a new presidential limo

Where: Washington D.C.

When: He gets it January 20, 2009

Why: It is tradition for each president to receive a presidential limo

How: It will drive him down Pennsylvania Avenue at his inauguration

 

Steve Jobs’ Health

 

Who: Steve Jobs

What: Rumors about his health were spread

Where: The Apple Community

When: He settled the rumors on January 5, 2008

Why: He has lost a lot of weight over the past months but is ok now that doctors have figured out that the lose was caused by a hormone imbalance that kept him from receiving a necessary amount of proteins

How: He underwent many blood tests. Other Apple employees spread the rumors

 

CNN's Gupta might be the next Surgeon General

 

Who: Dr. Sanjay Gupta

What: Has been approached by the Obama transition team with an offer to be the next Surgeon General

Where: United States

When: January 6, 2008

Why: He is an excellent doctor and neurosurgeon

How: He has been considered by Obama