Hard Times Generations

Things appear to be getting worse with the economy and the unemployment. People living in their cars and having a half full cooler with food for the next couple of days. The reason for the cooler to be half full instead of half empty is because that is how people who are struggling have to look at things. During desperate times the only thing there is left to do id to think positive, just like the people who are living in their cars.

The difference in the 60 Minutes story of hard times generation is that they focused more on the positive aspect of the situation. With the two kids explaining their situation and what they have to do so they can make it through another day. They shared their activities that distract them from the things they don’t have. It shows that even though things are getting worse people can survive by appreciating the little things that many people take for granted. So, for those kids living in a truck is just an "Adventure". The only thing they can do is to find activities and work hard to achieve their goals.

Right now 25% of children are living in their cars. The homeless shelters are full and there is not enough money for food. Even with these hardships families are surviving. People have been donating food for the homeless, there is programs that provide money so people can live in hotels. This is another approach that was different from the last story of hard times generation. They showed that there is always a way through hard times. In one occasion they showed a girl whose family received money for a hotel and a father who found a job shortly after moving into a homeless shelter. 60 minutes provided and outlook of the situation by showing the positive side. They change the story from tragedy to inspirational with the people they interviewed.

Draft Transfering Students

Studenst of the Southwestern College complete their final classes to transfer for spring semester of 2012. With Nov. being the deadline for applying students into Universities,they prepare to take the next step in to their education. Now that fall semester is almost over, many students prepare to transfer to the University of their choice to have the career that they want.

Applying into college is one thing, but being accepted is something really hard to do. Students transfering from a community college have to do a lot of work to be able to transfer. Aside from gathering all 60 units that are accepted by the University of their choice. Students have to complete their general education so they can graduate. it normally takes students two years to complete this courses as they have to take different classes like math, english, sciences, and other that relate to their major. It is a process that takes time but gives them an advantage when theyr transfer. With their general education finished at the college they can focus on only taking classes of the major. Which they can graduate from that University in a shorter time spand than if they were there since freshmen year.

The Pitch

Graduation at Southwestern College is only one semester away. Many students have waiting for a long time for their transfer oppertunity to a 4 year university. With a veriaty of schools here in San Diego, which ones are the students transfering to and why. What is it about that school that appeals to them. Students have worked hard to take a step closer to finishing school and having their dream job. So, what can the expect, now that they are leaving a 2 year college?

The 99%

Carrying a Consensus Model book P.J Gorham age 31 is one of the many protestors in the 99% group. Using the book as an instruction manuel for the protest P.J applies its ideas into the movemnet. Hoping to gather more people for their cause to remove corruption in the Democratic system, the next step for P.J and the 99% is to protest without having to stay the night in City Hall.

Being a big fan of the cause when it started in Wall-Street New York, P.J came to San Diego the 12th of October. Following the cause from an online source called Adbusters he dicided to participate in the "Occupy San Diego" movement. One of his ideas for the movemnt is to organize the 99% into different groups. P.J said that "We need to oranize into comitees so we can deal with specific issues". He also wants more people to join so they dont have to stay the night in City Hall, he believes they can organize well enough so they can have a rotation of  groups coming in and out. With his book P.J shares that "Using the Consenses Model book we will be more coordinated with the protest and it will help unite the different groups that are here". He also talked about how everyone is part of the 99%. "The 99% group are people who have been disinfranchized in the democracy". "We are all memebers of the 99%" P.J said.


Although the movement has a lot of supporters there are "things still missing" as P.J said. "We are still planning on how to frame issues". With the economy problems still going on, the protesters are not thinking of giving up. They are determine to make a difference.

Ben Bernanke

The chairman of the Federal Reserve has made many decisions to improve the economy. Ben Bernanke was chosen by President George W. Bush during his term and was again picked by President Barrack Obama. In the last couple of years the economy has been declining with hundreds of unemployed and homeless.



With millions of dollars handed out to the banks for their bailout people have not been so lucky. While big corporations continue to receive bail out money, people around the country are loosing their homes. Another problem is that there is a risk of deflation as well. Deflation is when the prices of domestic goods fall making it possible to buy more goods with the same less money. Even though Bernanke said we might be at risk it can be avoided if congress focuses on the financial issue. Bernanke refused to comment on the removal of big tax breaks such as the bush tax cuts. He did not want to make any statements on specific actions that congress was planning on making towards those subjects. Although the economy doesn’t seem to be improving there has been some growth in some areas but in the end people are still in the gutter during this major crisis.

Occupy San Diego

There was a trail of colored chalk on the floor along with tents with signs that read "We are 99%" in City Hall downtown San Diego. People with different ideals came together to support the growing movement of "Occupy San Diego" to demand change in the currently corrupt government system. Many protesters have been camping out for days now, trying to organize a potential occupation to make progress in their cause for justice.

On midday Tuesday October 11 2011 protesters occupying City Hall where shaken up by the attempted suicide of a former companion that was part of the 99% group. After participating in the movement a homeless veteran jumped off a building in City Hall without any particular reason. Monica Teran a protester in the movement said "Nobody knew his name, it’s sad that we don’t know him at all because he was a big part of the 99%". The 99% group is the slogan for their cause, in which protesters recognizing themselves with this occupation. Aside from the current tragedy many protesters were simply hanging around, as the day before they had a General Assembly Committee to discuss further actions for the movement. Monica also stated that they were thinking of ways to make the meetings more productive, "We talked about how to run meetings more efficiently, and how to organize questions and ideas to make it smoother". With so many different people in the occupation it can be hard to get things across especially to a large crowd. "People would interrupt because there are so many people with opinions" said Monica who assisted at yesterday’s meeting.　　

One important contributor to the movement is Jordan Hammond a 28 year old protester who has been participating before the movement was even started here in San Diego. Jordan was following the "Occupy Wall-Street" movement in order to prepare for the same cause down here. "I’ve been camping since the first day" Jordan said inspired by the protester across the country. "I knew it was important but I didn’t think it was going to be big" stated Jordan also sharing that the amount of protesters has grown from 1225 people to 1350 in the past week. The reason for the outburst of protesters is because people are tired of being neglected by the government. While big corporations receive financial assistance the working class continues to lose their homes and find it hard to survive. As Jordan stated "We are specifically here to push out corporations so they don’t dominate the democracy" which has gathered hundreds of people to participate in the movement. There are currently different groups representing the cause from anarchist to teacher unions. Sometimes even Democratic Party members come to discuss initiatives. As Jordan said "It’s a conversation we have to have as a country".

In all, the demonstration has been peaceful, although there is constant security by a big number of police officers, this protest seems to be undercontrol. As the police refused to give a statement on the restrictions and their management of the protest, there has been respectful arguments with visitors. When an Attorney Entrepreneur came to the protest people argued their personal ideologies with him while he discussed his point of view. Rick Burgoon of age 50 came to investigate the reasons for the protest, "I am very interested in what is going on" he said. In his opinion he also stated that "There is an incredible amount of passion, diverse concepts, broad base ideas, but perhaps lacking full awareness of what amount of discipline is required to get the movement across". With his presence many protesters came to have a discussion on the broad base of their movement. Rick gave suggestions to them such as to listen to "Ed Rendell" a former democratic mayor of Philadelphia. Rick also said that the protesters need to "Take passion and put it into action".

With definite action this group known as the 99% is looking to make drastic change in the democratic system. With numbers of participants growing daily and recieving great support from the public it doesn't seem like any of the 99% will be going home anytime soon. Although there is a lot to do like organizing and unifying among the different groups people like Monica want this situation to change, "The reason I am hear is because humanity is suffering. I see people sleeping in the street; humanity shouldn’t have to suffer because there is enough for everyone". The passion is there it’s only a matter of time before the movement starts to make progress towards improving the lives of the American people.

The Internet

The internet has become the main resource for finding specific information. With plenty of things posted on the web people have instant access to whatever they’re interest is. Now newspaper is competing for the worldwide audience as internet has made a profound impact on how the public views their information.

 While the newspaper is regarded as the traditional way to read the news, people have turned to their cell phones and other technologies to read the news through the World Wide Web. As this method is more rapid than the traditional newspaper, most of the audiences now depend on the internet for their news. Although the internet saves plenty of time it is unfortunate that the newspaper has to endure hard economic times due to this emergence of the web. As a major fan of tradition it is sad to see the newspaper fade with time as people forget the true value the print industry has. Even if the newspaper falls in popularity it is something that should not be lost in our society.

Using Twitter

In the past decade news coverage has expanded into the internet’s social media. Now journalists incorporate the use of twitter so they can provide instant information for their audience. In the article that Mallary Jean Tenore wrote, she gives ten guidelines on how to use twitter effectively.

Mallary points out ten methods in her article on how to make reporter’s stories available for the public to see. She provides great examples on each advice she gives and explains how it is benefiting. It is a great article to read because it’s straight to the point with enough detail to make it clear for the reader. Some objectivity she gives is getting stockholders to read your writing, give audience behind the scenes look of the story, and start a conversation. With these methods it is guaranteed that people will read your tweets.

When it comes to telling stories, Mallary comments to keep up with the resources to find ideas. It will also help if you understand the reaction of the audience on every story so you can provide them with what they want to read. Interacting with the audience helps reporters gain a level of confidence with the readers. When reporters know how the public will react to a certain story then that gives the writer an advantage for writing his information. Mallary also says to turn investigations into a story telling effort in which others collaborate to help in finding information for you.

In order to build up credibility it is important not to jump to any conclusions when tweeting. Reporters can always phrase statements that give good reference to a story without confirming it as true facts. Another tip she gives is to dig up the past, know well the history behind the stories. Some tweets can be found from some time back that can be really useful. It can provide some detail that could have been over looked during the time of the investigation.    

Jim Trotter

The opportunity came for many aspiring journalist to come and meet a well accomplished sports writer at Southwestern College Wednesday September 16. Jim Trotter a Sports Illustrated write came on campus to give an interview about his career and his life. Giving plenty of advice for students looking to became a reporter in the news industry.

With a casual outfit in a Wednesday morning, Jim talked about some of the major components that lead to having a successful career in the news business. One of the most concerning questions that students had was how to be known in the field, in which Jim's response was, "It’s all about credibility, the more you write stories the more recognize you become". Jim also advised students on how to give interviews, one important point he made about interviews was "Always record by saying let me turn this on, and it’s ok. I have had the tape recorder break down and miss the entire conversation a couple of times. So always take notes". The advice was very helpful and Jim made every piece of information clear so the student could have a better understanding.

Many questions students had were about his job. What exactly are his responsibilities and what does he do to get them done? Jim stated that "When I cover a team (Football) I stay at that city to write a story about the team". He often travels a lot going wherever his job takes him usually staying many nights at a hotel to get the story done. He mentioned that his favorite part of his job was finding a good story; he commented that "It’s just finding a good story. You can get bored after 30 years but its reinvigorating when you find a good story". Also when it comes to his schedule Jim shared that "We talk every Monday and decide on a story and then do it. The schedule is from 7am to 9am, but I mostly have my own time". Jim did stress the amount of work that is required; he repeated plenty of times that "It requires a lot of commitment. You need to be versatile, consistent, and have the will for it". In the business there are many obstacles he said, there are people who either help you or just cause problems, Jim mentioned that "The first editor I worked with told me that I was going to be a journey man (a reporter that goes from one newspaper to another). People are sometimes mentors and supportive, or they can try and tear you down". In all its important not to give up and do what you have to do. It’s an industry based on the commitment of the individual that in the end makes them successful.

Based on the line of duty Jim depends on all sorts of resources, especially now that the internet has become a major community of interaction. One of his tools he said was twitter in which he uses to build a relationship with the reader. "The way I use twitter, still evolving, is to engage with the readers. Online chat, readers like to have relationships with the writers". Jim was also asked his opinion on the path the business is going, unfortunately he disagrees. He stated that "It’s more like TMZ because of the proliferation (to grow rapidly) of shot junk due to iPhones and smartphones". Jim explained that the media coverage now focuses more on scandals rather than the sport itself. He commented that "I’ll retire if i don’t agree to the movement of the business". Although things are changing rapidly in the industry it is still an amazing career path to follow, especially for those aspired students who want to become reporters.      

Reliable Resources

It seems so long ago when this devastating tragedy occurred; September 11th 2001 was a day that many people remember. During the time of the chaos everything was quiet and I remember being alone just watching the news on the television as they passed the video of the planes crashing into the towers. After that it’s all a blur, to be honest I had not thought of that day until recently with all the reemergence of the footage and news coverage that the media has been showing. It wasn’t really relevant to me as I had forgotten, but leading up to the day of the anniversary I had some sentiment, just enough to show respect for the people that lost their loved ones that day and just that. It’s not so much a matter of what the buildings met for the country, but mostly because I know what it is to loose someone. It was a painful experience for America and hopefully it is one that does not repeat itself.



As for the changes in journalism after the terrorist attacks, things have become more available to the public with the current outburst of mass communication technologies. With IPhones, androids, computers, and Ipads people can now have quick access to the news. The networks of the media have expanded into everyone’s hand with a simple device allowing them to see instantly any breaking news that comes up. Along with that, many television networks now have social accounts on the internet such as Facebook, twitter, and many more websites that can be used to interact with their audience. Now people can be informed within seconds with one simple button on their mobile devices.

Media Covarage 9/11

With the tenth year anniversary of the twin towers approaching, the media has made it feel as if the tragedy was happening all over again. Although all of the chaos did not repeat itself, it defiantly brought back old sentiments that where stirred up among the American people. With the constant flash backs in the news it felt as if we were in danger again, causing the fear to grow once more int the hearts of the American people. The media coverage leading up to the anniversary of the twin towers was not the best way to commemorate the fallen heroes of that tragic day. Instead of promoting a progressive remembrance of the tragedy, they reintroduced that fear and anger that was felt during the attack. Usually anniversaries are a way in winch people can look back at the past and focus on the positive changes that this country has gone through since the attack. To appreciate the new plans that are meant to remember those who lost their lives that day and just enjoy the unity that has brought every American together, like a big family. Unfortunately the media coverage of the upcoming anniversary was just a summary of what happened and what was lost when the twin towers fell.

Article Fairness

It can be difficult to cover a story such as gay pride because it is a controversial topic. Sometimes certain expressions might seem bias towards the news event as people might misinterpret the writer's idea. Although it is not the writer's intention to give an unfair story, most of the times it is the choice in descriptions that give off such a critical point of view. In Jeff McDonald's story on the gay pride parade, some descriptions made it seem as if he was being judgmental and characterizing them based on their outfits. Even though most of the story is based on the activities that took place, it feels as if his attitude towards the event was critical making it an unfair article.

Why Journ

I am Ernesto Leon, a 20 year old athletic individual who as well likes to write about anything and everything. The way I manage my life is simple, I go to Southwestern College two times a day and make sure that never spend money that I don’t have so I don’t have to work. Currently I am studying Telemedia so I can start a career as a camera operator in the television industry. I eventually would like to become a script writer so I can produce top quality stories for the movie business.  That is what I currently base my life each and every day, all I want for now is to continue my education until I can establish a foundation in my career.

The reason I am taking a journalism class is to widen the options in my career goal. Journalism is a well recognized job in the television business and it is why I want to learn the skills necessary to find a job in that industry. I like to write so I want to learn the style that journalist use so I can apply it in a future job position that I might get. Other than a second option as a career foundation, I think that journalism is a very intense work environment that can keep me moving and interested.