Traffic court was quite possibly the most boring experience of my life. Lucky for me, boring can also be educational.
First of all, I never want to end up at traffic court in Hillsborough County. Floriland office park is really not a “safe” area. When the security guards have to scream at a man that his friend cannot park in front of the entry doors and must move his car, you know you’re not in the best place.
Any place that has not one, but four signs reminding people that their children must remain with them at all times, is not a place I’d like to be.
Upon entry to the courtroom, the police officer advises me that tomorrow would be a better day to come and I instantly know this will be a few hours of my life, wasted. I vaguely wonder if I should just bail and come back tomorrow, but no, I decide to stick through to the end.
As with all government agencies, the “event” started fifteen minutes late and under the threat of silence or expulsion. The judge issues an explanation of three possible pleas: not guilty, guilty, no contest. Then like cattle to a slaughter the proceedings being with a line of people with last names beginning with A, B, or C.
The people scatter forward in a race to be first in line, even though the judge calls you out in alphabetical order. The names are read too quickly to be sure of catching correctly and the people are so quiet in their responses I’m at a loss to catch their pleas.
D,E,F…
In an attempt to write down everyone’s name I inevitably miss out on a few, and some of the names were clearly original and the spelling of them a complete mystery.
G,H,I…
And don’t try to catch people on the way out because you’re not allowed to speak to them or you’ll be kicked out, and they certainly aren’t going to wait to get as far away as possible.
J,K,L…
At the very end, only if everyone else has gone and there is still time left on the clock, the judge will see people in shorts. Shorts are not permitted in the courtroom apparently. Neither are bare midriffs.
M,N,O…
Gum and newspapers are also prohibited.
…..and so on and so forth.
In layman terms, I never want to go to traffic court or EVER have to cover it for a story.
Thursday, October 28, 2010
A NAME, A FACE, A LAUGH AND A SMILE
Tuesday I had the wonderful luxury of touring the Hillsborough County Medical Examiner’s office. My night after the tour was filled with candy self medication and horrible nightmares of empty brain cavities.
Cue shiver up spine.
I was informed of the office’s two main priorities: to investigate suspicious and unusual deaths, and to dispose of unclaimed bodies. They use autopsy as an investigative tool (not as a gross out factor like many Hollywood productions).
The trip, while informative, was a total disaster for me. One of our first stops was the ominous file room where we were informed that each file was color coded in accordance to cause of death. If you’ve never known anyone to die an unexpected death, then you might have listened to the information given to you and walked on to the next part of the tour. If you have, you find yourself wondering if the loved ones you buried were also reduced to pieces of paper with a yellow and black sticker tacked to them. Then these thoughts spiral to the realization that each and every file was once a human being with a smile, a laugh and a life however they chose to live it. To simply color code death seems to take an air of respect from it.
Black- Traffic Accident
White- Non Traffic Accident
Yellow- Suicide
Red- Homicide
Still reeling from this depressing observation we were taken through the labs, a “safe” zone for the squeamish, unless you caught sight of the vials of blood on the way out the door.
But the WORST part of the trip, the part that makes me forget about anything informative I learned, was the autopsy room. When offered the chance to either go in or stay behind I assumed Shari Armstrong, who had previously stated “I will NOT be viewing any autopsies,” would have my back and stay behind. Oh no, I was forced out of my little shell of comfort and safety to accompany her into the autopsy room along with the rest of the class. Upon my first steps into the room I was really proud, ready to give myself a pat on the back. Then I saw the empty brain cavity of some poor human being, and I’ve never been so thankful that I forgot to each lunch. The rest of my time in the autopsy room was spent looking at any surface that didn’t have a body on it and trying to avoid vomiting.
It was only when I was out of the room and my brain function had returned that I realized this happens to all suspicious or unusual cases. In 2006 I buried a close friend who died in a traffic collision and it calms me to know her body was never put through an autopsy before she was cremated. In 2008 a best friend of mine died of causes that had to be investigated and the knowledge that at some point, his body was on a metal slab like that utterly breaks my heart. Now when the empty brain cavity flashes in my head it has a name, a face, a laugh and a smile.
Cue shiver up spine.
I was informed of the office’s two main priorities: to investigate suspicious and unusual deaths, and to dispose of unclaimed bodies. They use autopsy as an investigative tool (not as a gross out factor like many Hollywood productions).
The trip, while informative, was a total disaster for me. One of our first stops was the ominous file room where we were informed that each file was color coded in accordance to cause of death. If you’ve never known anyone to die an unexpected death, then you might have listened to the information given to you and walked on to the next part of the tour. If you have, you find yourself wondering if the loved ones you buried were also reduced to pieces of paper with a yellow and black sticker tacked to them. Then these thoughts spiral to the realization that each and every file was once a human being with a smile, a laugh and a life however they chose to live it. To simply color code death seems to take an air of respect from it.
Black- Traffic Accident
White- Non Traffic Accident
Yellow- Suicide
Red- Homicide
Still reeling from this depressing observation we were taken through the labs, a “safe” zone for the squeamish, unless you caught sight of the vials of blood on the way out the door.
But the WORST part of the trip, the part that makes me forget about anything informative I learned, was the autopsy room. When offered the chance to either go in or stay behind I assumed Shari Armstrong, who had previously stated “I will NOT be viewing any autopsies,” would have my back and stay behind. Oh no, I was forced out of my little shell of comfort and safety to accompany her into the autopsy room along with the rest of the class. Upon my first steps into the room I was really proud, ready to give myself a pat on the back. Then I saw the empty brain cavity of some poor human being, and I’ve never been so thankful that I forgot to each lunch. The rest of my time in the autopsy room was spent looking at any surface that didn’t have a body on it and trying to avoid vomiting.
It was only when I was out of the room and my brain function had returned that I realized this happens to all suspicious or unusual cases. In 2006 I buried a close friend who died in a traffic collision and it calms me to know her body was never put through an autopsy before she was cremated. In 2008 a best friend of mine died of causes that had to be investigated and the knowledge that at some point, his body was on a metal slab like that utterly breaks my heart. Now when the empty brain cavity flashes in my head it has a name, a face, a laugh and a smile.
Thursday, October 21, 2010
WFLA Steve Andrews
Of all the field trips I’ve taken in my public affairs reporting class (and possibly all prior field trips in my life) the Steve Andrews made my little broadcast heart swell.
He began by explaining that most of his stories begin with a simple phone call. One such story began with a call about Florida State Attorney Harry Lee Coe and dog bets. When Andrews began his investigation into this claim, he was startled to hear that Coe ordered the records, which are to be available by law, destroyed. This is when any reporter would question themselves. Do I sue? Do I call the police? Does this make me part of the story? In the end Steve summed it up best, “A good citizen of the community would report the crime,” so they did. Governor Bush gave law enforcement the go ahead to investigate Coe and after a interview with Steve, Coe ended his own life. Steve and his partner found his body while investigating the story further. An interesting fact is that they filmed the scene as a security factor to back up what they found and when the police asked for the tape, Steve said no. The reason being that once the investigation is over, the film would become a public record and anyone could see it.
Steve is not an advocate of “dogging” journalism; his questions are quick, to the point and never disrespectful.
A second call got the ball rolling on a story about a reservoir in Hillsborough County that was cracking after just 3 years. Steve literally hopped into a helicopter and flew over the scene to inspect it himself, and when he returned to land he immediately began to search through construction records and found an underwater inspection video that really made the report gold.
What this means to me is that it’s not always the stories that I actively seek out that are the best ones. If I have to sit through hundreds of messages to find that one story, it’s worth it. Following up is also an important point; you can’t just report something then never speak of it again! You have to keep your audience informed.
He began by explaining that most of his stories begin with a simple phone call. One such story began with a call about Florida State Attorney Harry Lee Coe and dog bets. When Andrews began his investigation into this claim, he was startled to hear that Coe ordered the records, which are to be available by law, destroyed. This is when any reporter would question themselves. Do I sue? Do I call the police? Does this make me part of the story? In the end Steve summed it up best, “A good citizen of the community would report the crime,” so they did. Governor Bush gave law enforcement the go ahead to investigate Coe and after a interview with Steve, Coe ended his own life. Steve and his partner found his body while investigating the story further. An interesting fact is that they filmed the scene as a security factor to back up what they found and when the police asked for the tape, Steve said no. The reason being that once the investigation is over, the film would become a public record and anyone could see it.
Steve is not an advocate of “dogging” journalism; his questions are quick, to the point and never disrespectful.
A second call got the ball rolling on a story about a reservoir in Hillsborough County that was cracking after just 3 years. Steve literally hopped into a helicopter and flew over the scene to inspect it himself, and when he returned to land he immediately began to search through construction records and found an underwater inspection video that really made the report gold.
What this means to me is that it’s not always the stories that I actively seek out that are the best ones. If I have to sit through hundreds of messages to find that one story, it’s worth it. Following up is also an important point; you can’t just report something then never speak of it again! You have to keep your audience informed.
AMPE AT POYNTER 2010 BUILDING MOMENTUM
MIDTERM ELECTION EVE OUTLOOK
Espo spoke of the Democrat and Republican divide and the challenges that face Democrats in the election. He addressed the platforms of both parties and the tactics being employed by each side in order to reach and capture voters. Last week people saw an average 50 senate ads and “it’s moments like this that make you realize it’s time for the election to be over,” says Espo.
But what is causing Florida’s voting season to become so volatile and polluted? Corrigan blames the fact that Florida’s southern political history is meeting tremendous change with new populations transplanting here. He also addresses the fact that so often Florida is considered a “tossup” state in elections, something he says prior voting history proves as untrue. Republicans typically win, with the exception of the 2008 Presidential upset of Obama winning Florida’s vote.
Corrigan speaks of Marco Rubio’s Tea Party Republican bid and how he currently leads the polls. When asked what would become of Democratic nominee Kendrick Meek and Independent Charlie Crist, he believes that Meek could lose and still go on to a higher office at a later time. Crist, however, he isn’t quite sure about. How does the governor, who left his own party, lose the senate race and go on to new endeavors. Does he become a Democrat? The Republicans certainly wouldn’t support him if he came back to their party. Crists’ political future is really up in the air at the moment.
When asked about the future of the Tea Party movement, Corrigan thinks the party will continue to matter after the election. “The idea of a conservative government is really going to hold traction,” he said. In 2012 he believes we will see a repeat of 1964 where a conservative Republican party will be at odds with a moderate Republican party. Bartosek is concerned about what will become of the party because it doesn’t have a definite center for their platforms and there doesn’t seem to be a consistent unity of the party throughout the country.
Rick Scott with not speak to editorial boards citing that he would prefer to “talk to the people”. Bartosek explains that newspaper endorsements of candidates are still being done, they might help the candidates, but he does not really believe that these endorsements affect the general public’s opinion.
But what do people use to make their political decisions and where do they get their information? Corrigan believes that even with social networking, “good ‘ole tv ads make the decision.” Bartosek believes that people are reluctant to become engaged in the election and the ads are a last minute deciding factor along with word of mouth. Ten percent of voters decide their allegiance on the last day which leads to these ads being a huge factor.
What do they think of social media for candidates and its effect on younger generations? Its growth is HUGE. You see a more aggressive campaign and a further reaching one. Corrigan believes that Republicans really learned from their mistakes in the 2008 election and increased their use of social networks.
Governor Charlie Crist spoke to the APME conference and I think it best you let you watch for yourself. (Sorry for any shakes but honestly holding a Flip for 20 minutes straight is a challenge.)
Part One
Part Two
Kendrick Meek also spoke:
VIDEO & MULTIMEDIA @ THE NEXT LEVEL
Joshua Trujillo, photojournalist at seattlepi.com started the panel discussion. He introduced himself as a “one man band” something every University of South Florida Mass Communications student has heard day after day. Trujillo spoke of using video to create grab frame images for print. He also considers himself a contrarian with the time investment of video. Taking video with an iphone for that instantaneous quality was also mentioned. Trujillo does question whether they are trying to reinvent a medium that has been in use for quite some time, even if it does have a low viewership.
Val Hallis spoke next about the importance of multimedia journalists. “One of the most important things you can do for your multimedia journalists is to TRAIN them,” Hallis explained. She shared many of the challenges she faced with her attempts to converge. Training and experience were stressed and she revealed that she taught herself how to edit video to stay with the times. If you know the software and have experience you will be efficient at turning out stories quickly. A final point? TIME IS SUPER IMPORTANT.
Danese Kenon staff photographer at the Indianapolis Star showed a piece in which she interviewed twenty two veterans with a two camera setup (Dslr’s and a Sony). The piece will air on a local station, also be available on their website and in print. The funding for the package? It sold for $35,000.
Monday, October 18, 2010
Schooled by a Librarian
In the two years I’ve been at USF, I can count the number of times I’ve used the libraries website on one hand. In the week since McCoy’s presentation I’ve used it too many times to count. Every public record we’ve learned to look for is available on a single page! The amount of time she put into this page is evident and appreciated. Links to the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office, Clerk or Circuit Court and numerous others can all be found here.
It’s what we haven’t learned in prior classes that she’s made available that I truly find interesting.
Newspapers!
How clever am I, the broadcast news student that never actually thought to search newspapers for my profile project? It really never occurred to me; clearly McCoy came to my rescue. Not only does she have links to the St. Petersburg Times archives but also to the Tampa Tribune and other national newspapers. Granted they aren’t true public records (they certainly won’t help our grade if we try and turn them in as our documents) but they are a great place to start gathering information on your person. They can inform you of prior lawsuits, dirty laundry, and general knowledge to help you decide where you should look for public records.
Clendinen VIRTUAL Reading Room!
At the stroke of a few keys anyone of my fellow students can have access to a virtual book from the Clendinen reading room. Scholarly journals are also available for research, stylebooks are easily accessible, and even visual resources are provided. It sure beats hunting down my outdated version of the AP Stylebook that calls some dark recess of my room home.
The page also provides links to Attorney General’s site for government in the sunshine which provides viewers with the content of the sunshine law’s.
A link to the First Amendment Foundations website is also available for each student to peruse. Other links include ten practical tips for requesting public records, the Florida Society of News Editors webpage, and the Brechner Center for Freedom of Information.
While I thought I couldn’t learn anymore, I was yet again schooled in terms of journalism.
Schooled by a librarian.
How clever am I, the broadcast news student that never actually thought to search newspapers for my profile project? It really never occurred to me; clearly McCoy came to my rescue. Not only does she have links to the St. Petersburg Times archives but also to the Tampa Tribune and other national newspapers. Granted they aren’t true public records (they certainly won’t help our grade if we try and turn them in as our documents) but they are a great place to start gathering information on your person. They can inform you of prior lawsuits, dirty laundry, and general knowledge to help you decide where you should look for public records.
Clendinen VIRTUAL Reading Room!
At the stroke of a few keys anyone of my fellow students can have access to a virtual book from the Clendinen reading room. Scholarly journals are also available for research, stylebooks are easily accessible, and even visual resources are provided. It sure beats hunting down my outdated version of the AP Stylebook that calls some dark recess of my room home.
The page also provides links to Attorney General’s site for government in the sunshine which provides viewers with the content of the sunshine law’s.
A link to the First Amendment Foundations website is also available for each student to peruse. Other links include ten practical tips for requesting public records, the Florida Society of News Editors webpage, and the Brechner Center for Freedom of Information.
While I thought I couldn’t learn anymore, I was yet again schooled in terms of journalism.
Schooled by a librarian.
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