FEATURES analysis 2: "Jonathan Lebed's Extracurricular Activities."

I found this feature by Michael Lewis in a non-fiction anthology edited by "This American Life" host Ira Glass. The article delves into a case that the Securities and Exchange Commission settled against a fifteen-year-old high-school student who promoted his own stocks on the internet. Conflict makes a good story, and Lewis reveals a confusing dispute over what stock-market regulations were made for and why it was illegal for Jonathan Lebed to give stock-trading advice on the internet.

Lewis never resolves the dispute between Lebed and the SEC, which is what makes the article so compelling. Instead of presenting a final picture, Lewis describes the process of searching for the information. The reader comes across the surprising bits as Lewis did, with a full context that illuminates all the of the contradictory aspects of the case against Lebed.

My favorite part of the article is Lewis' elaborate description of his interview with Arthur Levitt, Chairman of the SEC. Lewis does something unusual: he includes his questions for Levitt. With access to the whole dialogue, the reader better understands the source of Lewis' confusion. It is easy for the reader to be in Lewis' shoes, watching Levitt squirm at seemingly soft-ball questions. At one point, Levitt tries to figure out whose side Lewis is on, and Lewis graces us with his inner-monologue:

"What do you think?" he asked.

Well, I had my opinions. In the first place I had been surprised to learn that it was legal for, say, an author to write phony glowing reviews of his book on Amazon but illegal for him to plug a stock on Yahoo! just because he happened to own it. I though it was--to put it kindly--misleading to tell reporters that Jonathan Lebed had used "twenty fictitious names" when he had used four AOL e-mail addresses and posted exactly the same message under each of them so that no one who read them could possibly mistake him for more than one person. I further though that without quite realizing what had happened to them, the people at the SEC were now lighting out after the very people--the average American with a bit of money to play with--whom they were meant to protect.

Finally, I thought that by talking to me or any other journalist about Jonathan Lebed when he didn't really understand himself what Jonathan Lebed had done, the chairman of the SEC displayed a disturbing faith in the media to buy whatever he was selling.

But when he asked me what I though, all I said was, "I think it's more complicated than you think."

Dynamite! I love the transparency of this piece. The journalist finally says: Yes, I am biased, but this is where that bias came from. Do with it what you will.

FEATURES analysis 1: "Home on the range."

Terry Selucky wrote an article about American cowgirls for the Feb/Mar '09 issue of Bust Magazine, a publication about feminism in pop culture. Though the topic was of interest to me, the article was disappointing.

Selucky did historical research on famous cowgirls along side modern, journalistic research on female ranchers today. Her structure is confusing because it is too simple. She spends the entire first half of the article talking about historical figures, and the rest of the article discussing modern day cowgirls and nothing else. The only connection between these two groups is an awkward transitory paragraph:

For years to follow, more and more women competed in rodeo events, often wining prize money that allowed them to independently support themselves. They helped make rodeo a popular sport in the U.S., with events from Monterey County to Madison Square Garden, providing a link from ranching past to present. Today, the Women's Professional Rodeo Association has more than 2,000 members, sanctions over 800 women-only races, and awards prize money nearing $4 million annually.

This transition mentions modern rodeo for the first time, three pages into the article. The rest of the piece briefly touches upon three modern "cowgirls," though we aren't really given any notion of who they are or what they actually do on a daily basis. There is a dearth of quotes, and no evidence that the author spent a significant amount of time with her interview subjects. The candid opinion to information ratio is very high, which demonstrates the author's inability to show rather than tell. "It's as if the term "cowgirl" has been hijacked," says Selucky, "so that we can't even recognize a real cowgirl when we see one."

Terry: why is this important? Are the women ranchers you interviewed really sore about people calling them "ranchers" instead of "cowgirls"? If they are, perhaps you should quote them. The entire last page of the article melts into a giant blob of opinions veiled by "perhaps" and "consider the fact..."

The article would be far more engaging if it focused on modern day ranch women and touched on historical examples throughout. Selucky opens with a historical and shocking anecdote about the lynching of a cowgirl in 1889. The anecdote is completely incongruous with the rest of the article, and could easily have been replaced with a modern anecdote. The feminist message of the piece wouldn't be lost if Selucky limited her righteous interjections; in fact, the message would be more powerful if the article actually did justice to the complex lives and ideas of women ranchers in modern America.

LEDES 4: My Republican Journey

"Hello, my name is Dan Savage and I am the Republican Party in my neighborhood. I am the Republican Precinct Committee Officer for Precinct 1846 in the 43rd District. If you have any questions about the Republican Party, our platform, or any of our candidates, feel free to give me a call here at work.

You're probably wondering two things. First, if I'm serious. I am. Second, how a commie-pinko drag fag sex-advice columnist with a fourteen-year-old boyfriend (kidding) managed to find a home in the hate-mongering, gay-bashing Republican Party?"
(I found this Dan Savage article in the New Kings of Nonfiction, ed. Ira Glass)

This lede draws the reader in with a startling statement, followed by a direct address. Unfortunately, the statement is only startling if you are familiar with Savage Love. Savage's day job involves giving detailed, practical advice on how to enjoy sexual health and erotic fetishes. He is a famous not-republican. This article was originally published in Savage's stomping ground, the Stranger, so it is fair that he uses such a familiar voice. The tone is consistent with his reputation as an unapologetic straight-shooter. I haven't read the whole article yet, but I plan to; I am sufficiently intrigued.

LEDES 3: Hog Wild

"They wallow, grunt and eat almost anything they can stuff in their chops. They make a mess, tearing up the grass, spreading diseases and potentially costing the state millions. Feral pigs are more destructive than a horde of drunken college kids on a spring break bender, and they’re even harder to get rid of.

These aren’t the cute pink cuddly pigs of Babe and Charlotte’s Web. Sus scrofa are dark and bristly with cloven hooves and sharp curving tusks that can grow up to nine inches long. Scientists call them feral; hunters call them wild. Call them swine, hogs, pigs or boars, call them what you want, but Oregon calls them an invasive species and has come up with a Feral Swine Action Plan to get rid of the porky pests.

Feral pigs have been in Oregon for about 200 years, but biologists say they could soon go from unwelcome piggy guests to a full-blown porcine problem. They’re on Oregon’s “top 10 invasive species list” for their rototiller-like rooting, their ability to spread diseases to humans and other animals and their generally destructive nature. State agencies say now is the time to root out the problem, but how?"

This lede (and nut graph) is from last week's cover story in Eugene Weekly. The writer uses a mix of tools to effectively draw the reader into a long and potentially boring story about wild swine. The beginning of the first paragraph is a blind scene-setter; the reader gets a sense of what these wild things can do the the land and the state before they know what they actually are. The lede is also startling, which is an appropriate way to make sure the reader knows that we aren't talking about your standard, run-of-the-mill Babes. Nobody wants to read an article about pigs, unless those pigs are "more destructive than a horde of drunken college kids on a spring-break bender." The second paragraph also contains a direct address: "call them what you want..."

The article is a bit over-written and front-loaded with cute humor, but I don't really blame the author. It is clear that she enjoyed the topic and wanted the readers to get something out of it as well. I hope to write for an alt-weekly at some point, and this is exactly the kind of piece I find appealing: an unexpectedly fascinating expose on an overlooked controversy.

LEDES 2: US tycoon charged over $8bn fraud

"Texan billionaire and cricket promoter Sir Allen Stanford has been charged over a $8bn (£5.6bn) investment fraud, US financial regulators say."

This piece about the same event, from bbc news online, also uses a basic news lede-- but with a totally different emphasis. While the NY Times piece focuses on the role of the Security Exchange Commission, which has been recently criticized for its slow response to the Madoff ponsi scheme, the BBC piece focuses on the personal activities of "Sir Allen Stanford." Stanford is a simply a Texas investor in the U.S. but a "Sir" and "cricket promoter" to the Brits. This lede is bare and lacks a lot of the specifics included in the Times article, like the name of Stanford's company or the fact that other people were charged as well. Still, this is an appropriate way to present the information to the British audience, who probably cares less about the SEC and more about Stanford's financial involvement with the "England and Wales Cricket Board."

LEDES 1: U.S. Accuses Texas Financial Firm of $8 Billion Fraud

"HOUSTON — Stopping what it called a “massive ongoing fraud,” the Securities and Exchange Commission on Tuesday accused Robert Allen Stanford, the chief of the Stanford Financial Group, of fraud in the sale of about $8 billion of high-yielding certificates of deposit held in the firm’s bank in Antigua. Also named in the suit were two other executives and some affiliates of the financial group."

Here is a hard news item from the NY Times today. The lede contains the who (Securities and Exchange Commission), the what (accused the chief of the Stanford Financial Group of fraud in the sale...), the when (Tuesday), and the where (Houston). This lede is straight-forward and effective; the reader receives enough information to fully understand the players, the playing field, and time frame involved, but not enough to stop reading. The lede reveals that enormous amount of money-- $8 billion-- is involved, but begs the question of why exactly the sale was fraudulent. This is a cut and dry example of a basic news lede-- there's not much else to say about it. Though, after reading through the rest of the article, it might be a more intriguing piece if the author anecdotally described the arrest of Robert Allen Stanford in the lede.

A belated account of my hard news reporting assignment

Two weeks ago, we were instructed to cover one of three possible weekend events: an inter-generational spelling-bee, a charity dance-athon, or a bmx bike race. Bikes, dirt, hicks, and tough little kids-- I knew right away that I was going to the bmx bike race.

I racked my brain for someone who might want to come with me and watch kids spin dirt on a Saturday afternoon, and I remembered that my friend Peter, originally from Salem, totally loves the bmx and mountain bike culture. He loves it enough that he was willing to forgo his normal twelve-hour hangover recovery time to bike out to the Lane County Fairgrounds at noon.

We were still hazy from our Friday nights, so it took us a while to find the livestock barn, where  Emerald Valley BMX sets up the twisted, bumpy indoor racetrack every weekend. The Fairgrounds were abuzz with a variety of events, including youth league basketball and roller hockey. The events center was hosting an goliath gaming and boating show. There seemed to be no defined connection between all the items on display, though they shared the commonality of drawing a certain kind of consumer. I was overwhelmed by the number of people and trucks in the parking lot, but Peter was mesmerized. "Maybe we should come here after the race!" he told me, and I gagged a little.

We bought some caramel corn and moved on. We opened a wrong door and accidentally disrupted someone's free throw. At a certain point I wondered if we'd ever find the barn, or if I was doomed to write a Gonzo story describing the journey rather than the actual event (incidentally, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas opens with Hunter S. Thompson traveling to cover a dirt-bike race. My experience was sans motors or drugs, but I found the parallel amusing nonetheless.)

When we finally found the barn, it was past 12:30. Though we were half and hour late, the tikes were still warming up around the track. We scoped out the competition and placed our bets. Peter took special note of wipe-outs, and perhaps didn't contain his laughter enough when he saw a novice rider eat it.

There were actually dozens of races, which made the event difficult to cover. The kids were divided by age, experience, and type of bicycle, and for each division there were two qualifiers before the final. I spent a long time observing and making sense of the chaos. Races started before former races finished, so I focused on a couple of divisions and riders that I found particularly interesting. There was a little girl, for example, who was kicking ass and taking names in her co-ed, 8-year-old division, and I serendipitously sat behind her parents.

There is something oddly daunting about interviewing children, perhaps because parents are often suspicious of people asking for personal information from their offspring. Not wanting to offend, I asked the girl's parents if I could interview her. They were very nice, I think because they were flattered by my admiration for their daughter's accomplishments. I imagine they are the kind of parents who live vicariously through their children, always yelling from the sidelines and arranging after-school activities to ensure maximum success in the minimum amount of time. They turned to their daughter and said, "Kayla, this lady wants to interview you!" She was excited to brag about beating boys and repairing flats on her awesome bicycle. I was a little jealous. Before her dad took her away to go to another race in Cottage Grove, she gave me her autograph.

My afternoon at the track was fun and fruitful. I picked up two personal interviews, a couple colorful quotes from the race announcer, and a lot of literature about Emerald Valley BMX. The story was a piece of cake, and a good excuse to spend my Saturday afternoon watching kids rough it on cool bikes.

Advice from the pros

Profile writer Sean Smith spoke to our class on conference call Monday. I really admire his writing, so the opportunity to ask him direct questions was delightful.

Sean gave several tips that I will take with me into the harsh world of journalism:

• Write out your interview questions before hand. Write a script, memorize it, and then leave it at home for the actual event.
• Research everything you can find about a person before you interview them.
• Get a good digital audio recorder.
• Don't wear red to an interview.
• Celebrities are not your friend. Be polite and formal, work into familiarity gradually.
• You are not writing the truth, but a truth. Relax: you will not understand everything after a single interview (think first date), so focus on giving the readers an accurate impression of your experience meeting and speaking with that person.
• Writing well is hard. It will not get easier.
• If you want to succeed in this business, don't be lazy. Do the best you can with every assignment you are given--article or photo-caption. Gain the reputation of reliability.

It was a good pep-talk: Time to step it up and get into the game.

Sleuth it up

Recently we had a detective from the Springfield Police Department guest lecture during our 3-hour Reporting 1 class on a Wednesday afternoon.

John Umenhofer spoke at length about his experiences in Springfield--the "bad part of town" to a lot of Eugene types--finding dead bodies, arresting bank robbers, and interrogating serial rapists. We were supposed to learn interview techniques from Detective Umenhofer that might be applicable to investigative reporting. Umenhofer's lecture, however, consisted almost entirely of humorous and frightening anecdotes from the police beat. He told us about the time he found the deceased body of a man with a mental handicap who had clearly been neglected and forced to live in a tent by his apathetic family. It was the most disturbing story he told, if only because he couldn't stop laughing.

I'm painting Umenhofer in a bad light, which I didn't mean to do. The things I learned from the lecture weren't the things I expected to learn. He expanded on a few interrogation techniques that might have wider application-- such as "minimizing," where the investigator creates a comfortable environment for the offender to confess by minimizing the moral weight of his or her crime-- but the most valuable thing I learned was the importance of a good relationship between law enforcement and media. 

Umenhofer was eager to tell us how much he loves the bill of rights and Orwell's 1984. He explained the ideal symbiosis between journalists and detectives, where journalists hold the police accountable when it is relevant and fair and assist the police in passing along information to the public, and police officers are comfortable giving journalists the necessary information to keep the public informed. He recalled fond moments when the media chose the safety of the public over a juicy story, and negative moments when he was burned and misquoted by a lazy reporter. On our side of the river, in the land of tasings and party-raids, we tend to think of journalists and police officers with a "vs" in between. I often agree with criticism of Eugene police, though Umenhofer is right that a negative relationship doesn't create an environment conducive to accurate reporting or good police work.

Screw you, objectivity

Everyone, journalist or citizen (or citizen-journalist), should read this article from the Columbia Journalism Review. Author Brent Cunningham outlines the flaws in the "objectivity" paradigm that American journalists hold to. Here are some of his strongest points:

• The objective standard makes reporters lazy; it is easy to find two official perspectives on an issue and harder to find out what is actually going on.
• Nobody is unbiased, so the rule of objectivity asks for dishonesty.
• The Society of Professional Journalists stopped including objectivity in their code of ethics in 1996.
• Newspapers in the mid-19th-century adopted objective journalism not as an ethical standard, but as a business practice to draw a wider range of readers.
• Avoiding bias is often avoiding the more crucial role of journalists in a society; to dig deep into controversial issues and undermine the status quo.

This is a scary time for journalists in terms of job security, but let's face it: A media overhaul has been long time coming. Journalists are supposed to be society's eyes and ears, and we have essentially been blind and deaf for the last decade-- all because reporters were afraid of Anne Coulter calling them out on liberal bias. The article also reminded me of a Poynter link I posted earlier today about changing ethical standards. Basically, I agree with Cunningham. I'm biased, and that's the point. 

Hard News Analysis III: Best Article Ever in the Davis Enterprise

In early January of 2008, my hometown newspaper printed this brief about one of my peers:

Davis man caught with his pants off

A Davis man found himself in the Yolo County Jail this morning facing vandalism and prowling charges--all over a pair of misplaced pants, police said.
According to Sgt. Scott Smith, a resident in the 200 block of J Street awoke at about 12:40 a.m. today to noises coming from the garage area of the home. When he investigated, he found a man, dressed only in a button-down shirt and boxer shorts, trying to get into the home.
"My pants are in your house--let me in," the man reportedly said. The resident shut his front door, locked the deadbolt and called 911, but the man was able to kick open the door, Smith said.
A struggle ensued, and the resident detained the man until police arrived on scene. Jeffrey Jorgensen, 19, was lodged at the Yolo County Jail on suspicion of felony, vandalism, prowling and public intoxication, Smith said.
The whereabouts of his pants remains unknown.

In the week after, Jeff Jorgensen was all anyone could talk about. My high school was big, and few people who discussed the article actually knew Jeff personally. But the incident, apparently fueled by too much gin at a "Risky Business"-themed dance party, became folklore for all the Davis kids back in town on winter vacation. "That article reads like a poem!" said a friend of mine.

Indeed, the article tells a very elaborate story in a short space. It includes all the important details but leaves a lot for the curiosity of the reader. The humor in the piece is revealing; the author, either a PR person for the police or a staff writer at the paper, was clearly tickled by the event.

Certain awkward and inaccurate aspects of the article lead me to believe that the author didn't work for the paper, though I wouldn't put it past the Davis Enterprise to write crap. "Davis man caught with his pants off," for example, would be a more cutting headline without the "his." The last line-- the punch-line, really-- is the best and worst part of the piece. When I am in Davis, I still occasionally hear people repeating this line to one another at parties: "They actually printed that! 'The whereabouts of his pants remains unknown!'" Unfortunately, the author blew the punch-line by making a clumsy grammatical error; the phrase should have been, "The whereabouts of his pants remain unknown."

And as for the whereabouts of his pants? I know them! After the article was printed I held my own investigation. It was rumored that the host of the original party (not the one that ensued when Jeff kicked down the door of an unwilling host) had to sign an official statement explaining the whereabouts of Jeff and his pants for the Jorgensen family's lawyer. For months after the party, Jeff's pants sat neatly folded on a desk in the front room--where he originally took them off to dance a la Tom Cruise.

Hard News Analysis II: The Oregonian on Poison PB

The Oregonian reported today that federal officials are recalling several brands of peanut butter cookie. The lead is packed with the following information:

• Federal officials are recalling "more" peanut butter snacks. (This must be a follow-up)
• Some of these p-buttery snacks are Wal-Mart products. (Scandal)
• The recall is part of an investigation of a "nationwide" salmonella outbreak. (These dangerous cookies are giving people diarrhea across the country.)
• More than 470 are sick and six have died. (This PB snack attack is deadly)

Because the media is an important part of public health and safety campaigns, the writer clearly listed near the top of the article, in bullets, the specific brands and products affected by the recall. If you have been noshing on any sort of peanut butter cookies, I suggest you check out the article and make sure you aren't living in the salmonella danger-zone. Or better, take the FDA's advice and stay the hell away from all packaged products that contain peanut butter. Peanut butter alone is okay. Perhaps you could buy a package of non-PB cookies and spread on the peanut butter yourself.

Appropriately, The Oregonian writer did a much better job than I maintaining a serious tone in an article about dangerous peanut-butter snacks. The web-version also has hyperlinks to the FDA and the CDC so that readers can get a complete list of recalled products.

The salmonella outbreak provides a good analogy for investigative reporters. If all of the cookie companies rely on the same peanut butter source, they might all give people diarrhea. So, journalists, rely on diverse sources; create a unique product.

Hard News Analysis: The BBC

The top story on BBC News online today was about the Israel/Hamas ceasefire: "Scale of Gaza Destruction Emerges." The article has a very formal tone, though the writer didn't shy away from the vast destruction in Gaza. There is a sense of humanity veiled by the formality of the prose. The writer didn't fit that much information into the lead, probably because this is a continuing story. The first few paragraphs describe with numbers and U.N. sources the damage to infrastructure caused by Israel/Hamas fighting.  The article then goes on to describe international plans to restore Gaza. The latter half of the article, under "Israeli Failure," is a discussion about the implications of the ceasefire and the meaning of "victory."

This figure was curiously imbedded much later in the story than other information about damage in Gaza:

At least 1,300 Palestinians, according to Palestinian sources, and 13 Israelis have been killed since Israel launched its offensive on 27 December. Palestinian medical sources say at least 95 bodies have been pulled from the rubble since Israel halted its assault.

This was possibly placed later in the story because it had already appeared in earlier reports, or maybe because statistics from Palestinian authorities are not considered reliable against Israeli sources. Still, this was the most startling figure in the piece, and most casual readers would miss it where it was placed.

Poynter Makes Me Cry

Poynter Online reports news about the news. Some blogs expand on popular issues in a more informative, detailed, and opinionated manner. Others, like Poynter, post a downpour of short news items that give the reader an immediate impression of the current state of affairs. This blog is aimed at journalism aspirees like me, but I don't want to read it-- not because it's bad, but because every post is a slap in the face and a reminder that my parents will be paying my rent until I'm 35. Look, Poynter, I know journalism is dying; j-school kids have been hearing about it for months now. Tell me something good! I did enjoy this brief post about changing ethical standards. Please excuse me; I need to go curl up with a box of Kleenex and listen to NPR.

The Cartoon Lounge: Elite Subtlety from the New Yorker

First impression (after reading "The Duel, Part 22"
and "a Guide to Winter"):
The Cartoon Lounge, which showcases creative rants and spontaneous etchings from dozens of New Yorker cartoonists, caused me to laugh out loud in the Knight Library. Normally I am better at restraining myself in quiet, shared spaces, but the quality of this blog caught me offgaurd. Though quality is expected from the New Yorker, New Yorker cartoons always strike me as silently smirky--nothing that could conjure belly-laughter. The New Yorker is a publication I would read while waiting to be let out of a cage of sleeping lions. The editors must know that the magazine serves this purpose for people, which is why they save all the best stuff for the internet.

Second impression (after reading everything else):
This blog is funny because it looks a lot like something my friends would put together, and I laugh most when I am with my friends. A lot of posts are a bit inside-jokey, and some of them are simply links to humorous discoveries.
In terms of design, I like that Cartoon Lounge uses page breaks so that the reader can easily skip bland stuff. Over all, I like this Lounge and I want to hang out in it as much as possible.

Pop Regurgitation on Entertainment Weekly's "Popwatch" Blog

If I wanted a run-down on Golden Globe fashion do's and don'ts, I could watch the T.V. guide channel or hang out at the mall eatery in the Valley River Center. Frankly, it is obnoxious that Popwatch, a blog dedicated entirely to pop culture commentary, would so fail to inform it's readers about anything outside of awards shows, disney channel celebs, and Bono.

If Popwatch is going to be so banal, it should go all the way and become a total trash-celebrity blog. Those are fun.

Lady talk on the XX factor

The XX Factor, a fem-focused blog for Slate Magazine, is aimed at a league of powerful career-women who I dream of joining someday. Right now I'm peaking through the curtains, eavesdropping on their candid and intelligent conversations about pop-culture and politics. As they discuss the "Sugar Daddy" fantasy and whether it has any relevant place in a progressive world, I appreciate the way they bring in personal examples from their careers and family-life alike; this attitude deconstructs the antiquated rivalry between housewife and career-woman.

Imagine "the View" if it didn't run on a Disney-owned network, and you could actually hear the reasonable discourse over Elisabeth Hasselbeck's shrill blather. The XX Factor offers the sort of thorough and complex criticism of female figures in the media that women crave. Not even Tina Fey is safe.

The blog could use better organization. As it is, direct responses to previous essays are interspersed with new topics. It is difficult to figure out where topics start and end and how to escape from the current thread if it is no longer of interest. In this sense, reading the XX Factor is a lot like listening to your mom ramble on with her friends, interspersing gossip that started in 1975 with news that happened yesterday. The blog would be easier to read if direct responses were attached to the original post as comments.