A/V: WPAFB Beds Down Displaced Aircraft

(I'm starting another feature here to highlight the use of self-produced audio-visual products to complement textual content.  I normally don't carry a true camera around with me so cellphone-quality images/sounds will be the norm for unscheduled events.)

Four C-5 Galaxy aircraft from the West Virginia Air National Guard's 167th Airlift Wing take up temporary residence on the base (photo by author)

DAYTON, Ohio -- Several dozen US military aircraft deployed to southwestern Ohio this weekend to escape the anticipated wrath of Hurricane Irene as it churned a path along the country's Eastern seaboard.  Small two-seat Marine Corps A-6B Prowler electronic warfare aircraft commingled with much larger Air Force transports on the tarmacs at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base who played host for personnel and planes from installations as far away as New York, Delaware, West Virginia and North Carolina.

BREAKING NEWS!!! Earthquake Strikes Eastern US

(I'm starting a feature here to document important events that attract the attention of major media outlets.  These exercises should help me refine my reporting skills.  This first attempt was one I was personally involved with.)

 (graphic courtesy of US Geological Survey--usgs.gov)

A magnitude 5.8 earthquake struck eastern parts of the United States earlier this afternoon.  The temblor, centered in the Charlottesville, Virginia region occurred at 1:52PM Eastern Daylight Time and was felt as far away as Toronto, Ontario and regions in the Midwest (this reporter felt mild shockwaves at his Ohio residence shortly after the quake was announced on MSNBC).  Washington, DC, just 90 miles northeast of the epicenter, experienced the brunt of the event and the initial jolting sent workers scurrying outside their offices to seek safety.  There were no immediate reports of any injuries or significant damage but most tourist attractions on the city's Mall were closed to perform safety inspections and two nuclear reactors near the Virginia quake zone were taken offline for precautionary reasons.

Time of posting:  3:31PM EDT 23 Aug 2011
Time of event:  1:51PM EDT 23 Aug 2011
Difference: 1 hour, 40 minutes

R.I.P., "Fairness Doctrine"

The FCC officially ended "fairness" yesterday

According to the Washington Post's Post Tech blog, the Federal Communications Commission  officially ended the 60+ year old "Fairness Doctrine", a policy (not enforced since 1987) of ensuring equal time for the airing of opposing views/opinions on the public's airwaves.  I'll provide a personal perspective on this in future postings.

Posted at 03:23 PM ET, 08/22/2011

FCC removes Fairness Doctrine from the books

By Cecilia Kang

The Federal Communications Commission said Monday it has abolished a controversial speech rule known as the “Fairness Doctrine” requiring broadcasters to present opposing views of controversial issues.

The regulation, which hasn’t been enforced in two decades, has been criticized for years as an over-reach of media industry speech rights.

(more at the link provided above)

Print vs. Online

As a current subscriber to the New York Times (and someone who grew up with newsprint stains on my hands), I felt that this article was speaking directly to me...

 

 

Print vs. Online 

The ways in which old-fashioned newspapers still trump online newspapers. 

By Jack Shafer

Posted Friday, Aug. 19, 2011, at 5:47 PM ET

A little over five years ago, I announced that I was canceling my subscription to the New York Times. My cancellation wasn't in protest of Times coverage of the Middle East, ethnic minorities, religion, sex, or any of the other thousand hot-button issues that cause readers to kill their subscriptions. I was getting rid of my newsprint New York Times because the dandy redesign of NYTimes.com had made it a superior vessel for conveying the news.

(more available at link provided above)

The Curriculum Tab

If you browse around the site, you will notice a 'Curriculum' tab in the menu bar above.  I am currently enrolled in the University of Massachusetts at Amherst's online Continuing & Professional Education program to earn a Certificate in Journalism.  The tab lists the details of this program and what will be occupying much of my free time over the next year or so. 

My first class will be Introduction to Journalism class (JOURNAL 201) which starts right after Labor Day and continues all the way into early December.  This might be very elementary material for a person who has multiple degrees but I want to start this program on the 'ground floor' to better understand the principles introduced and vocabulary shared with my fellow students and future contemporaries.  Although I'll probably be one of the oldest participants, my motto is that it's never too late to learn something new--it just takes a little longer to remember it!

Welcome to the Blog!

Just a quick hello to anyone who might've tripped over this site through Blogger or via a search engine.  I'm in the early stages of set-up right now with a deadline of September 6th to be fully operational.  Items in progress include a autobiographical sketch, creation of a blogroll and commentary on current issues/incidents in the journalism/media field.  I hope to use this website in conjunction with other UMass resources to totally immerse myself into their certificate program. I guess you're never too old to chase your dream.