Adventure Fourteen: Social Sponge

I've always been known as the shy kid. I'm timid upon meeting new people, I'm not one to speak up much in my classes, I usually just keep to myself. It's nothing personal, I'm just quiet by nature.

It's kind of ironic, because everyone in my family and close group of friends is quite the opposite. They're all incredibly bubbly and outgoing, happy to make conversation with just about everyone. I usually stand amongst them and go without saying too much, making myself the first person people forget was even present for the conversation. (Totally fair, by the way.)

But please allow me to explain by shyness and quiet nature. It's not because I don't like making conversation. It's not that I hate people. It's not that I don't have anything to say or contribute.

It's because while everyone is conversing and engaging in the social atmosphere, I'm playing my role as a social sponge.

I was given the nickname "social sponge" by some of my close friends here at Mizzou. I'm often teased for being so quiet and shy amongst a lively and bubbly crew of homies. I'm always present for the jokes and conversations, but don't usually chime in unless I feel incredibly compelled to do so. Sometimes it feels kind of strange, but I usually like the peace of staying quiet.

As a social sponge, I take comfort in enjoy the company of others without speaking up. I learn so much more about a person from their energy and body language than I do from their words. I pick up on certain cues about the relationship between people based on how they interact with one another. I read people's facial expressions to get a better idea of how they feel about certain people, places, things or ideas that are the topic of discussion. Being a social sponge allows me to absorb it all and internalize it however I please.

Yes, sometimes this life I've chosen (in the most dramatic way of putting) feels like a self-inflicted mute button, and I fear people will completely (not with ill-intent I hope) forget my presence. But I've found that I'm able to grow much more through what I take in from others and their energy than through awkward and seemingly forced conversation.

Self Care for Journalists by Dart Center

I took a lot of time to look over and reflect on the Dart Center “Self Care Tips for News Media Personnel exposed to Traumatic Events.” It covered everything from what to watch for while covering trauma, what to be aware of before covering trauma, etc.

When I first started this class, I figured that covering traumatic events would be difficult to do. The emotional and mental harm that could be done when covering tragedy day after day was understandable. However, I was unaware about the severity of the harm that could impact those who's job it is to tell the story of trauma.

I never thought about how to prepare myself before covering a story on trauma. I didn't think about the importance of talking about the possible emotional risks that one may experience. It is absolutely crucial to have this conversation so reporters and camera operators don't go into the story completely blind as to what kind of trauma they may expect to experience.

I also very much appreciated how this tip sheet included a section on not unusual responses to witnessing trauma. This was a wonderful way of illustrating what kind of symptoms of trauma to be aware of, but also to make people aware that these reactions are indeed common and that can be lessened with the help of support from others. 

It's so important for us as journalists to monitor our reactions to trauma and to be aware of warning signs that may cause us to act in a harmful way. Covering trauma is not easy, but it is absolutely essential in our line of business. People need to know about trauma. They need to know about the reality of the devastation that comes with trauma. We need to understand, just as we do with any story, how to cover it accurately and professionally while remaining sensitive and aware of our audience. We can only tell the story well if we take care of ourselves, too. Journalists aren't robots, and I think everyone needs to be more aware of that. 

Celebrity suicide: Glamorization in the Media?

This article shared the news of the death of Sawyer Sweeten, the child star who was most famous for his role on Everybody Loves Raymond. This article, to me, serves as a poor example of how to cover suicide in the news, particularly the death of a celebrity. 

For one, let’s start with the headline – it comes right out and tells you that this person took their life, and used “commit suicide” as the terminology. Based on what I've read on how to cover suicide, it's best to report that "So and so died, age X" because the story is about the loss of life. Including suicide in the headline is a bit insensitive and unnecessary, as is using "commit" to describe that this person took their life because it is often associated with the idea that someone was involved in a crime.

I also didn’t enjoy how right away, the author included a statement about the tragedy of the event. Based on my research of the best tactics to use when covering suicide, it’s best to not include statements about this incident being a tragedy. It’s very understandably obvious that this event was tragic; there’s no need to throw it in people’s faces. This was someone's child, friend, colleague (even at such a young age) and their presence in world of celebrities should not take away from the fact that they were a person. Of course, if the family wants to comment, they have the freedom to do so. But what good does it do to reiterate the pain of the loss? I think they could have included the section of the quote about the family requesting privacy and respect during this time, but including the part about it being a tragic loss is not benefiting or contributing anything more to the story than what is already very much apparent. 

Additionally, I’m not sure how I feel about the way they wrapped up the article. It concluded by stating that Sawyer did not seem to have taken on any other acting opportunities after the show was done, which I thought was incredibly insensitive overall. Why did that piece of information matter? What did that contribute to the story? If you were to decide to include it, though, why would that be the finishing thought? This is still a person. Their fame was not the only thing that defined them. There is more to the story, to this person, and the loss of their life than their claim to fame and what came after. I will constantly refer back to this article as a prime example of how not to cover celebrity death by suicide in the media.

A VERY poor example of suicide in the news

As I've been looking through various examples of suicide coverage in the news, I've seen a fair share of both great examples and horrible ones. But this article by Daily News may take the cake for the worst coverage I have ever seen.

The article wastes no time in painting a picture of the incident. The headline reads, "Woman, 21, hands herself from Brooklyn fire escape in suicide." Try reading that while eating breakfast.

I had a difficult time moving past this headline. Why on earth would someone think that would be an appropriate way to introduce the story? Headlines are a huge determinant of whether or not people will click to read more, and not only is this incredibly graphic, it doesn't accurately tell the story of the loss of life.

The article included quotes from neighbors who discovered the victim. I could not believe the journalist used this information as a way to tell the story. What good does it do to describe the image of a lifeless body hanging outside someone's window? Or that she looked like a mannequin? Or what her neck looked like? As one of the sources in the article said, "I didn't need to see that." I'm sure readers were thinking something similar, something along the lines of, "I didn't need to read that."

I was also in absolute shock that they decided to include a photo of the medical examiners taking the body away from the scene of the death. The first thing I learned about when covering suicide was to be incredibly sensitive about the visuals you include. There is no benefit in including pictures of where the death occurred, how it occurred, etc. If anything, its respectable to include a photo of the victim from school, work, family events and the like as to represent them in the most accurate and sensitive manner.

The article continues on with a handful of quotes from neighbors like the one mentioned previously, and included statements like "She was a good person," or "Everything seemed perfectly fine." In most cases, those who die by suicide are suffering from some sort of mental illness, so to say that everything seemed perfectly fine is blatantly ignorant of the possible emotional devastation that the victim was going through. I am in complete shock that someone published this article, and even more so that it hasn't been pulled off the web. I will forever use this piece as an example of how not to cover suicide in the media.

Adventure Thirteen: On Writer's Block

F*ck writer's block.

Everyone experiences it at some point. Whether you're struggling to write a term paper, trying to articulate your emotions in your journal, or trying to revamp your resume as to impress potential employers, writers block can strike at any moment, and it's difficult to shake.

My mind is constantly racing at what seems like a million miles per second. I find myself constantly writing notes in my phone about things I'd like to write about, things I'd like to dissect and analyze for no other purpose than just to do so. I write them down so the next thought that bombards my brain doesn't completely knock the previous thought from memory.

But even still, even when I commit to writing down brief ideas to later explore and articulate from my noggin through my fingers, I find myself at a loss for words. I find it difficult to translate what I'm thinking into words for others to read and digest. Organizing my thoughts becomes daunting, and I start feeling so discouraged that my motivation completely dwindles.

I've tried nearly every trick in the book to remedy my writer's block; pushing through and accepting that the writing is garbage, taking a break, talking out loud, caffeine, nothing usually helps. And as an aspiring journalist, writer's block is one of the most inconvenient kinds of mental spacing that one can do.

Because I refuse to allow myself to fall victim to it, I've pushed myself to combat it. Taking a break usually helps, so long as I don't get too distracted in the process and completely forget what I was doing. Caffeine sometimes helps, though there is such a thing as too much of a good thing once the coffee jitters set in. The most successful remedy for me, though, has been taking a break from it, but not entirely.

Because I fear my lack of self control when it comes to my attention span, if I keep writing but about a different topic or theme, I still keep my writing juices moving but allow my mental to have time to not think so hard about one given idea. I still get distracted and restless from time to time, but it's been an opportunity to strengthen my concentration skills and work ethic.

Suicide Coverage by Mizzou grad

This week, we had the opportunity to speak with Dugan Arnett, a Mizzou grad who now works for the Kansas City Star. Arnett covered the story of two high school girls who took their lives just days apart from one another. I was thrilled to be able to listen to his perspective on covering the story and to hear what it tales to report on suicide in the news.

There were a total of three pieces on the deaths of these two girls. Each piece was different, shedding light on the incidents themselves, how the community was reacting and recovering, and how to move forward. The narrative of each was beautifully and sensitively done, while still remaining professional and accurate.

I really enjoyed the effort Arnett put into covering such a complex and difficult topic. He said he had never covered suicide before this story, and felt a little lost as to how to go about doing so. He reached out to a variety of sources- the school, members of the soccer team that the girls played on, citizens in the community, etc. He shed light on the devastation of the deaths, but not in a way that seemed invasive or sensationalized. He told the story of the loss in the community and how people were dealing with it.

My only critiques of the way this was covered was some of the terminology when referring to the incident, as well as the lack of helpful resources for those reading the story or those impacted by the event. I asked Arnett about his choice to use "commit suicide" throughout the articles, to which he said, in a reflective way, that he did not really think about it too much. I didn't want to ask in a way that came off as accusatory or to make him feel guilty, but I was curious as to whether or not he had seen anything in his research prior to covering the story that encouraged a more sensitive word choice. Commit is often associated with crime, which is not what is meant to be reflected in these stories after someone has taken their own life.

As a class, we asked Arnett about the picture he used in the article of the school the girls attended. He said it was one the Kansas City Star already had and thought it would be the most appropriate photo to use. We asked about whether or not he thought the picture painted a picture of the deaths of these girls in a way that looked angelic or heavenly, to which he said wasn't his intention. I've learned that when covering suicide, it's important to consider the impact that visuals have. I don't think it was bad of him to use the image of the school, but I do believe there may have been other pictures that would have better represented the story and the life of these two girls.

Trauma Survivor Interview: Drew Kohler

For my trauma survivor interview, I spoke with Drew Kohler, a senior here at Mizzou who is originally from Riverside, IL. He was an interesting individual to interview for this project because there were a handful of people who took their lives within his small community.

He spoke of a boy he played hockey with. Hockey was his life. He loved everything about the sport. But when his grades started slipping, he was removed from the team roster in hopes of giving him more time to spend on academics. No one can ever know or understand the emotional and mental chaos that was occurring inside of him that led him to take his own life, but there was a lot of conversation around the community about the correlation between being cut from the team and his decision to take his life.

Kohler also spoke of a man who he had known since he was little. The gentleman did work on his house for years, and became a close family friend of his. His son went to the rival high school in the town next to his, and discussed how he had been the victim of bullying throughout his life. The bullying had become so difficult to deal with, and decided to take his life. Like I mentioned previously, it can't be known whether or not this was the reason he decided to end his life, but mental illness and bullying are a scary combination. He expressed frustration at the thought of this, because he thought it was incredibly preventable. He said it's about how kids are raised, how kids learn to interact with each other and how to deal with bullying, and that no one should ever have to deal with the emotional destruction that bullying inflicts.

He also told the story of a girl from his high school who's mother took her own life, and that the girl was the one who discovered her mother. There was minimal information about the woman and her situation when her death was reported, which I think was appropriate. As I've learned in my research on how to cover suicide, why someone took their life isn't the story- the story is about the loss of life and reporting on ways to combat suicide and to look for warning signs.

Kohler said that while his small community did cover the deaths of these individuals, there was very little follow-up in regard to how the community is recovering and what the grieving process had been. He said his high school offered resources for support and comfort, but there was minimal coverage about how to move forward, where to seek help, what to look for, etc. 

I think it's even more important, especially in small communities like this, to cover all acts of trauma when reporting on suicide. Each of these deaths hit so close to home for the small population, it's a shame that there wasn't more coverage on how this tight-knit community could work together to recovery and show resilience and support and to understand how to possible combat suicide.

Adventure Twelve: Let me be basic

I hate "basic".

By this, I don't narrowly mean that I hate everything that has been dubbed "basic" by whatever self-appointing basic committee.

Rather, I hate what this term stands for and it's role in perpetuating the culture we live in.

First and foremost, let's define what "basic" means. According to UrbanDictionary.com, basic is defined as, "An adjective used to describe any person, place, activity involving obscenely obvious behavior, dress, action." For example, apparently, getting Starbucks, wearing Nike gym shorts, liking Lily Pulitzer, wanting a healthy glow, even certain lingo can be considered basic.

Yes, I do get tired of seeing women, in particular, sporting seemingly identical outfits and styles. I cringe when I get a glimpse of the limited language people use, and roll my eyes at their lack of colorful lingo when there are so many beautiful words to use. I grow frustrated because there doesn't seem to be much individuality when I know there's potential for it. Maybe people are afraid to go outside the norm, to go against what's popular, or maybe I'm crazy to think it's odd that a massive group of people happen to like the same exact things. Regardless, I still don't think it's fair to throw shade the way people do about other people's preferences because of the principle behind the judgment.

Why are you so bothered about someone else's coffee brand of choice? How does someone else's outfit choice impact you? Why do you care how someone describes their day, or how they throw around words and phrases like "FML" or "OMG I cannot!"? If you're free to dress and talk and eat or drink whatever you want, why can't everyone else? Let people be "basic" if that's what you consider their behavior or preferences, and you go on and be whatever it is that you are.

Right to Die and Brittany Maynard

This article tells the story of a bill that was inspired by Brittany Maynard, a woman from East Bay who decided to take her life after being diagnosed with inoperable brain cancer.

This was a complex story that received a lot of mixed reviews. Some people believe people should have the right to die comfortably at home; some not so much. The article was well-balanced in their coverage and the way they represented both sides of the story; it focused on the legislative side of things and used Maynard's decision as a way to shed light on the perspective of those who agree with the bill.

One of my biggest critiques of this article was the fact that comments were not disabled. As I mentioned previously, this is an incredibly complex story and the issue at large is proving to be incredibly controversial. While I think it's important for people to be able to reflect on this piece of legislation and the decision of those who choose to take their lives, people often forget that this is still about a person, it's about people. People were quick to criticize the decision Maynard made, as well as the decision her family made to support her. These kinds of comments can be incredibly harmful to the loved ones of the individual who died by suicide, and it really isn't appropriate to allow conversation to take place on the article link itself. There are other places to vent frustration or disagreement about this decision and this bill, and everyone who has an opinion needs to be sensitive about the audience. 

I remember hearing about this case before I enrolled in this class. I had mixed opinions about it, as many people do. Now that I've spent an extended period of time learning how to cover suicide and what to remember when doing so, I'm still kind of torn. It's an important story to tell- it's a significant piece of legislation that has stirred up a lot of conversation. But I can't help but think about the idea of how this article glamorizes suicide, or how people might see it that way.

It's described as being a way for those suffering from a terminal illness to pass comfortably in their home. Does that send a message that people who are ill shouldn't fight? Or does it shed light on the idea of not suffering, and instead spending their remaining days surrounded by loved ones? I'm still not entirely sure how I feel about it, but I very much respect the professionalism of the narrative and how the piece shared multiple perspectives on the situation.

Adventure Eleven: A profession of bad guys?

Criticism is loud. Judgment is loud. Negativity is loud.

I sit here thinking about the shade being thrown at police. People talking about how corrupt the system is, how racist and biased they are, the injustice that occurs on a daily basis.

I think about men and women who focus their academic journey on becoming one of these people. I praise them for what they do, but I can't help but wonder how anyone could remain faithful and committed to the career path they've chosen after seeing the social and political unrest and backlash, seeing people turn away from those whose job it is to protect and serve them. Their profession is getting a lot of heat, but they're still in the game. what?

I guess anyone could ask me, an aspiring journalist, the same question. And people have- they ask me why I want to go into an industry that receives their fair share smack for being biased, shady, selfish and having little concern for the stories they cover and more concern for the increasing the population of eyes and ears they attract.

It is disheartening to listen to my peers of non-journalists bash what I've committed the past almost four years of my life to studying and loving. I try not to take it to heart, and patiently listen to their tired rant about how we're all just in a game of who can exploit what the most and who can make the biggest buck. All fair accusations, thanks to countless movies, television shows and cartoons that depict us as so.

But I've learned that I need not let these hurtful assumptions, naively and simple-mindedly caste upon my fellow journalists and I, knock my passion for the field.  I have, instead, allowed it to fuel my fire; to have it serve as my motivation for perfecting my skills; to push myself to perform at the highest level of excellency; to vow to carry out the principles and ethics we so whole-heartedly stand behind.

We're going to make mistakes-- all of us within our chosen professions-- because we're human and we're flawed. But it seems unfair to place blame on the entire group for one persons error. Especially if we promise to push and commit ourselves everyday to carrying out our responsibilities fairly, passionately, justly and with enthusiasm. We must hold others and ourselves accountable if we want any hope of combating whatever inevitably stereotypes poisons our names.