Web Chick's Blog

How do you decide you believe one source over another?  Is it simply that some people appear to be more honest?  Or is it that working for a company you consider reputable demonstrates to you that person must know what they are talking about?

Print, TV and radio – do you believe one of these more than the others?

How much do you believe on the Internet?  Do you ever check to see if information you find on the Internet is real?  Do you use sites like Snopes or FactCheck to verify Internet sites?  Do you venture away from large sites, or do you tend to stick mainly to recognized news sources?

What about e-mails?  Where do they fall in your credibility test?  Do you believe newsletters sent to you by sites that you sign up for?  What about chain e-mails sent to you by friends?

Why do you trust some information over others?

-- Jill --
The Web Chick

OK, so we’ve talked about what you see for news in the future.  Where do you get your news now?

Do you use online more than print?  What about newspapers and radio?

Do you look at more than one source?  Do you look at only one cable channel or TV station, or do you get as many points of view as you can?

Do you have time to get news from other sources each day?

Do you get any news magazines or listen to talk radio?

Do you get any news e-mails on your phone right now, or do you look at websites on your phone?

-- Jill --
The Web Chick

How do you see yourself getting news in the future?  How do you *want* to get news in the future?  TV, radio, newspapers, cell phones, household appliances, Internet …

Technology, innovations, gadgets, the Internet – these have all changed many aspects of our lives and they will continue to change the news and how you get it.

In 10 years, in 25 years, do you still expect to be able to turn on your TV at 5:00 or 6:00 pm, then again at 9:00 or 10:00 pm to watch some sort of newscast?

What about radio and newspapers?  Some people say newspapers will disappear.  Do you think they will, or will they just change?  Maybe they will print periodically or only portions, with more news online.  Maybe they will combine with TV and radio to cover all aspects of news delivery.

Do you see more cable news in the future?  Like websites and blogs, will you turn to cable channels that match your political, social or religious views for your news?  Will there be more cable channels and fewer networks?

What about cell phones and mobile devices?  Will they replace other tools and become the main source for news, entertainment and communication?

How do you see the future … and what do you want the future to be if you had your way?


-- Jill --
The Web Chick

This question, posed more than 100 years ago, helped start a revolution in the perception and training of those who gather information and disseminate it to the public.

As many of you know, I am an alumnus of the University of Missouri School of Journalism.  Last week, the oldest journalism school in the world celebrated its 100th anniversary.  To celebrate, not only were there ribbon cuttings and dedications, but there were three days of seminars, roundtables and vigorous discussions.

Reading through your blogs, listening to talk radio, and answering your e-mails, we understand you are concerned with what is “news” and how it is presented.  Understand you are not the only ones with these questions.

Not only is it important for the practitioners in a field to constantly question themselves and their field, but they must also continually keep in contact with those who consume their product.

So here I am with a series of questions for you.  These are the things I heard discussed and also argued myself.

My first question starts with the basics and I will pose a new thought each day.

I’d love to hear what you have to say – and there are a lot of other journalists from across the country and even around the world who will be checking in to read your thoughts, too.

As a graduate of J-School, I received, along with my diploma, a copy of the Journalists Creed.  The first line reads, “I believe in the profession of journalism.”

Here it goes … do you believe journalism is a “profession”?  Are we “professionals”?

What do “profession” and “professional” mean to you and what standards does that imply?

In order to be a profession, must the field require some sort of certification or licensing?  Would you expect journalists to have some sort of initials after their byline telling you they are a member of some sort of organization or have passed some sort of test (like CPA, MD, or MSW)?

Do you consider me a journalist?  (Don’t worry, I will not be offended by your answers!)  Who *is* a journalist?

Let’s hear what you have to say!

-- Jill --
The Web Chick

Do you have damage?  Do you have surveillance video?

Submit your photos to the blog photo galleries.  We want to see what happened at your home, work, or in your neighborhood!  Then tell us what happened so we know how to describe your photo.

If you have surveillance video, give the newsroom a call at 314-644-7541.


-- Jill --
The Web Chick

I grew up in California and am used to earthquakes.  Hubby and I woke up right when it started and listened to our brick house rattle.

Hubby asked me "what's that?!" and I told him it was an earthquake.  Wow, he said, it's been a long time since I've felt one.

So now our phones are ringing off the hook here at the station (I came in early) and many people are wondering what they should do.  Now ... nothing.  During an earthquake ... get to the strongest part of your house ... doorways.  If your house starts to suffer damage, get out of the house.

We're putting up as much information as possible on the site and we'll be giving you links all day long.

So ... what did you feel ... and do you have any questions for this Californian who's been in a lot of earthquakes?


-- Jill --
The Web Chick

I saw this on the Associated Press today and thought it was just a little weird!


-- Jill --
The Web Chick

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Call them Pavlov's fish: Scientists are testing a plan to train fish to catch themselves by swimming into a net when they hear a tone that signals feeding time.

If it works, the system could eventually allow black sea bass to be released into the open ocean, where they would grow to market size, then swim into an underwater cage to be harvested when they hear the signal.

What's next, teaching them to coat themselves in batter and hop inside a fryer?

Read the whole story here ...

http://www.myfoxstl.com/myfox/pages/ContentDetail?con
tentId=6139185

As you know, my husband and I scuba dive - and if you didn't know, sharks are very dear to me and the practice of cutting fins off live sharks and throwing them back into the water to die (mostly for shark fin soup) is not only a horribly cruel thing to do, it's decimating the world's shark population.  Oceans needs sharks to stay healthy. We need oceans to stay healthy.

We ask that you not eat or use shark products, shark cartilage, shark fin soup, etc.  We also ask that if you see these products in stores or at restaurants, either ask them to stop selling these items, or do not give them your business (and let them know why).

Our local dive club got this e-mail from one of the scientists who visits us every year to update us on the state of sharks around the world, and on the progress of this studies in the Bahamas.

This letter is from Dec. 19, 2007 and is from the CEO of the Humane Society International ...

--------------------------------

I am proud to tell you that yesterday the United Nations General Assembly endorsed improved conservation measures for sharks throughout the world, with special attention to the cruel practice of shark finning.

With supportive guidance from HSI, the delegations from Costa Rica and the United States led the effort in New York that spurred the United Nations into adopting strong language on finning of sharks.

Every year in oceans around the world, tens of millions of sharks have their fins cut off often while they are still alive and fully conscious. They are then thrown back into the water to endure a painful death from suffocation, blood loss, or predation by other species.

This U.N. resolution is a much needed critical first step toward a global ban on this cruel practice.

The General Assembly recommends that countries consider a policy that is aimed at reducing shark finning by requiring shark fishing operations to retain the whole shark, not just their fins. This is by far the clearest and most effective policy approach to halting shark finning.

We cannot stand by and allow these ancient, remarkable animals to disappear, or to suffer agonizing deaths so a few can profit from their fins (commonly used in shark fin soup). Please take action today, and pledge not to consume shark fin products.
<https://community.hsus.org/campaign/hsi_ind_shark_fin
_pledge/w55bw7drr77jd8x5?>

Thank you for all that you do to help animals.

Sincerely,

Andrew Rowan
Chief Executive Officer
Humane Society International

I can't believe Steve Fosset is still missing!

There are a lot of people who have been using the online maps to try to help find him.  I saw that was out there, but haven't tried myself.

I have family in Nevada, and that is an isolated, desolate area ... and the desert is no place to get lost.

Have any of you tried to help find him online?

 

-- Jill --
The Web Chick

I am a scuba diver. The news of Steve Irwin being killed by a stringray was shocking and devastating. My husband and I have been to Stingray City in Grand Cayman. If you have not heard about this attraction, it is a popular place for cruise ships and scuba divers to experience stingrays up close and personal in shallow water.

Tourists either snorkel or scuba dive with the docile creatures while they fly around and beg for tidbits of squid the tour operators provide. You get to touch them as they fly over or under you. The skin on the top of the stingray feels very different from the skin underneath.

It is a fantastic experience! Thousands of people have been to Stingray City.

With the news of Irwin's death, we hope people will not be afraid of stingrays (there are many varieties of rays, which are in the shark family, BTW).

As with any wild animal, people should always show respect and caution to any ocean creature.

Has this news caused you to have a greater fear of the water? Or do you feel, as many experts do, that this was just an unfortunate occurance?