More Rovers on Mars

By this time next year, NASA is hoping to have launched the $1.8 billion rover and its back up "bots." The 11 pound one foot wide bot balls will help out when the rovers get stuck. The bots require less repairs, less energy, and are better protected from the dust.

The only thing left for the Swedish researcher to do is present his plan to NASA officials so he can put the bots together and test them out.

For the full story http://tinyurl.com/marbots

Senator Shelby's position on the $700 billion bailout plan

Alabama's Senator Shelby strongly disagrees with the proposed $700 billion bailout plan by Henry Paulson, Secretary of Treasury.

Over 200 of the leading economists have found flaws with the bill. Taking that into consideration,
Shelby wishes Bush would slow down and not try to rush the passing of this bill.

Shelby, among others, refuses to be a rubber stamp for the bail out plan.
To read more http://tinyurl.com/ALshelby

McCain and Obama- The Debate

In case you were like me and could not watch the Presidential debate on Friday when it happened, here it is.



Here is what New York Times reporters Adam Nagourney and Jeff Zeleny had to say about the differences between McCain and Obama.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/27/us/politics/27debate.html?pagewanted=1&_r=1&th&emc=th


And just because everyone enjoys some humor, here is the SNL version of the debate.

Truth and Objectivity- What is that?

How do we seek truth? What is truth? What holds true for one person may not hold true for another. So who determines which truth is correct? Are they both correct? Are they both wrong? As a journalist, how are you supposed to present "the truth" to the public and on top of that, present it an a non-biased way?

Whatever your position in the news industry- broadcaster, reporter, photographer, etc you make decisions every day on what to include or exclude in the stories you present. You shape the story according to what you think is important for the public to know. Is that considered being biased?

Most news stations are vying to get the news that will sell first. Although providing the public with good news is important, they are almost more concerned about their ratings. What is going to get people to listen to their story. Many times, the stories appeal to the emotions trying to persuade someone to feel a certain way about something. When you are trying to convince people to think like you do, is that presenting honest, unbiased news?

Then you have the problem of the audience. The audience chooses what they want to see or what they want to hear as well. People are going to watch or listen to the stories that already agree with their preconceived notion of what is right or wrong, in other words, their idea of truth. For example, if someone doesn't like Bush, do you think they will listen to stations that talk about the good Bush has done? Or will they listen to someone who points out all Bush's problems? Most people don't want to listen to views they disagree with. As a result, they are getting only one side of the story. In lieu of that, how would you create a station that presents both sides as fairly as possible that also attracts and keeps the viewers?

That brings me to my next question. We have all heard the saying, "There are two sides to every story." Unless you hear both sides, how can you determine what is true? At the same time, two people listening to the same story can come away with two very different opinions on what is true. Does that mean there can be two sides to truth as well? Is any truth absolute?

Truth can change. People once thought the world was flat. Now we know the world is round. Those kinds of examples of how truth can change over time are endless. So once again, I ask- what is truth?

I have no idea what to think, but I know how I'm feeling- overwhelmed. I think it's kind of funny- the more knowledge I attain, the less I seem to know.

Reporter's Privilege

Brigham Young University presented "Protecting Confidential Sources: A Panel Discussion" on Thursday, September 18, 2008. Jeffrey J. Hunt, M. Dayle Jeffs, and RonNell Anderson Jones spoke while Ed Carter moderated.

To begin, what do people mean when they refer to reporter's privilege? Reporter's privilege simply explained is the right of the journalist to disclose information to the public and to protect the informer who gave him that information in confidence. If journalists tattled on their secret sources, then those people and future people will stop coming forward and sharing information with the journalists. As Joseph C. Spear emphasized, "A reporter's sources are the one treasure he can not live without."

As a result of reporter's privilege, scandals like Watergate, Pentagon Papers, and the Iran-Contra secret were unveiled. If journalists hadn't proven themselves trust worthy, then those kind of stories may have never come to the surface.

Why can doctor-patient and lawyer-client relationships exist without a problem but not journalist-source relationships? Is it fair to send a journalist to jail for not revealing his source when the information/informer being protected does not affect national security?

The first amendment protects our right to free speech and free press. Journalists protect their sources when they leak important information like government officials accepting bribery. But who protects the journalists when the guilty party subpoenas and tries to find out who blabbed?

Although one of the last states to adopt a shield rule, Utah's 509 rule is one of most beneficial laws protecting journalists, sources, and the free flow of information according to Hunt. http://tinyurl.com/Utahs509rule

Jeffs discussed the importance that the public have access to the truth. One of the ways the public gets the truth is through journalists. Therefore it is needful to have a law protecting journalists and their sources. The only time a journalist should be forced to reveal a source is when it affects national security or multiple lives of the party involved. There must be a true need. Otherwise, "the free flow of information is more important than the need of the requester."

Jones discussed the issue of subpoenas. She asked different media companies how many times they had been subpoenaed in the previous calendar year. The number totaled up to over 7,000 subpoenas being issued out. Subpoenas tie up journalists and prevents more information from being presented. Once again, this reinforces the need for journalists' protection.

Free speech and free press are the cornerstones of democracy. Press is one way to balance the power of the government and protect the interest of the publc.

What is Journalism?

I could pretend to have a vast knowledge of journalism by using fancy definitions from journalism books, summarizing the history of journalism by quickly reading over wikipedia, and using big words I don’t quite understand to try to impress you with my answer to the question- what is journalism. But I won’t. I have no experience with journalism and have done little research about it. So why would I find journalism appealing enough to declare it as my major and add an extra few years on to my never-ending life as a student? Simply put- journalism is a quest for the truth. Knowing truth equals freedom. Having truth and freedom equals a revolution of the soul. Truth may not always bring comfort and happiness in the traditional way we think of it, but truth can provide the strength for change and acceptance as well as provide a little peace of mind in this confusing, turbulent world. I am a seeker of truth, therefore journalism will be my weapon of choice to help me along this unknown and somewhat frightening journey.

We all know what journalism requires- interviews, research, creativity, writing, innovation, etc and that is precisely what journalists do. But as I stated earlier, journalism is more than researching public documents or interviewing politicians. The real essence of what journalism IS is providing the public with truth. Giving people the best information possible so they can come to their own conclusion of what they believe to be true.

There are no limitations on journalists in the sense of who a journalist can be. One day a story teller. The next a revolutionist. An informer. An investigator. A protector. A voice for the voiceless. Every day is literally a new day, full of possibility.

And there is a certain kind of beauty when a journalist can inspire, encourage, and celebrate the idiosyncrasies of life through an everyday-average joe’s story that somehow is able to connect all of humanity for that moment. And for me, all of these things are what journalism is. I know this may not be the technical what is journalism essay you may be looking for, but that’s okay with me; I’m not here to give you typical.

(image from getty images. #AB15521)