I interviewed Tony Aiello, founder of the La Mirada Blog and radio personality at Adviceradio.com.
Please tell me the publications that you’ve worked for—maybe your experiences in the past?
“I worked for the La Mirada blog, which is my website. I became a journalist somewhat accidentally because we didn’t have a local newspaper in town and we were really lacking news and I’ve been interested in the news for our town for a long time and I read a lot of newspapers and it’s something that has always interested me. So there was kind of a gap there where we didn’t have a newspaper so I felt like I needed to create one for the community. I pretty much taught myself everything as far as journalism and editing, being the publisher of my website.”
Where did you study and what did you study?
“I didn’t go to college for a very long time…I’m a big believer that everyone has some journalistic qualities. You don’t necessarily have to go a certain route, ya know, a conventional route. Especially in this day and age, there are a lot of websites like myself…everyone is their own editor and publisher now.”
“I taught everything about journalism and writing…I pretty much taught it to myself. Just practicing and doing it over and over.”
“My dad used to always read the news. He couldn’t go a morning without reading the newspaper and I’m kind of the same way. I have to read it every single day and I’ll go from beginning to end; it’s like a ritual. I have a great interest in the way stories are put together.”
What type of values did you reap from your time as a journalist?
“I think meeting community members, really getting to know people when you’re doing a story…You get to meet individuals and you get to really learn a lot. You go into a story thinking you know most of it but once you start interviewing somebody and asking questions you discover there is so much you didn’t know and you learn…You get a little insight into people’s lives.”
What do you consider the foundation of being a good journalist?
"The foundation is reporting the facts and not putting your own personal opinion in and it’s a big responsibility whether it’s a little blog you have at school, or my blog, or a major newspaper. You really have a responsibility to the community because they’re reading your stuff, expecting responsibility out of you…getting the facts and reporting the facts. There’s nothing wrong with putting your two cents in but it should always be in an opinion-type piece; it shouldn’t be in a fact-reporting piece."
"But at the same time, a lot of these hometown blogs that start now in these little hometown newspapers are kind of doing a little of both where the guy will write the story and then he’ll also interject his own personal feelings and then continue with the story. Definitely the foundation I believe is reporting the facts to the public and providing a service to the public and being the facilitator to the public of getting the news to them and them trusting you to do it. I think that’s the very foundation of journalism."
"We work for the people. I don’t get paid a lot to do what I do now. It’s more like a community service that I’m providing. I really believe that. We’ll see where it goes but definitely I feel like I work for the people."
Have you ever encountered God as a journalist?...As an objective reporter, how have you encountered people and their faith and their idea of God?
"I really haven’t run into that too much. I’m trying to give some examples here but I can’t think of any instances. When we have our Kiwanis meetings or—I’m a member of different groups and organizations in the community—and there tends to be sometimes some prayers at the beginning that other members want so we incorporate God into the meeting a lot. But I really haven’t run into that too much when out in the field interviewing people. But I believe. I wouldn’t say I’m an official Christian. I’m not an official anything. I just believe there’s something bigger, more powerful out there and if I live my life right and make what I think are the right choices everything will fall into place. I believe there is a higher power."
In what way do you feel like what you do as a journalist matters?
“It matters because where else—especially in La Mirada because we haven’t had an official newspapers for years and years since the last one went out of business—where else are the people going to turn to find out what’s going on at their schools, at their parks, in their communities—everywhere, journalism is what provides that. People aren’t going to know what’s going on in their community unless I tell them or people like me tell them. And that is so important because people are so interested in what’s going on in their town. The silliest little things people love. They hear that Betty Sue and John got a couple of ribbons at the City Council meeting for their drawings of trees. People just love that stuff.”
How do you feel like your work connects to larger trends in media and journalism?
“I’m a pioneer. I was doing local news on the internet before anybody had even thought about it. I’ve been doing it for 10 years. I started in 2000. This is the next wave—facebook, and these blogs, and all that stuff on the internet. But newspapers will never go away entirely…The circulation may go down but they’ll never ever go away entirely because…people always want something in front of them to read…I, literally, was doing local news on the internet and on my radio show and now everybody has local news sites—all the papers, Biola—everybody has little local news sites that they run. I was doing it before it was even thought of…I think I’m leading the way to the next people behind me who are going to do this type of thing…It’s really catching on and it’s really becoming big now. There’s companies and there’s websites now and that’s all they do is just little tiny local community websites and they bring them all into one spot…It’s a big trend in news right now… Hyperlocal news is the next big thing in news, which is what I do.”
Is there anything you want to add, maybe insights of your experience as a journalist or about the realm of journalism as a whole?
“Like I mentioned, journalism is changing. It’s changing. There are online journalists now. People can sit at home and make their own little blog. I mean, everybody can do it. But like I mentioned, newspapers and magazines, they’ll never completely go away….Things are definitely changing and I’m just very proud to be at the beginning—one of the pioneers of this new movement.”
Monday, April 26, 2010
Prayer #3
Dear Heavenly Father,
I'm so weary of writing these days because it is no a small matter that we must be responsible for our words. I'm sorry if I've misrepresented anyone in my articles or misquoted people. Please help me to report and write in a way that honors You, because without Your grace I'm incapable of it. Please help me to grow in competency and accuracy in what I write.
I also trust You with my family and friendships. It seems as if everyone is upset with me in one way or another these days. Please teach me how to love people and to discern who is safe to trust. I thank You so much for Uncle Rob and Jennifer and how supportive they've been toward me through all my struggles this semester. I know I need to grow in compassion. Please, Lord, help me to do that.
I'm so amazed by Your grace and love for me, Lord. Thank You for sending Jesus as a living sacrifice that I may be saved from my sins and come to know You in faith. Because He was wounded, I was healed. Because He died, I now can live. Lord, thank You so much for abundant life!
In Jesus' name, amen.
I'm so weary of writing these days because it is no a small matter that we must be responsible for our words. I'm sorry if I've misrepresented anyone in my articles or misquoted people. Please help me to report and write in a way that honors You, because without Your grace I'm incapable of it. Please help me to grow in competency and accuracy in what I write.
I also trust You with my family and friendships. It seems as if everyone is upset with me in one way or another these days. Please teach me how to love people and to discern who is safe to trust. I thank You so much for Uncle Rob and Jennifer and how supportive they've been toward me through all my struggles this semester. I know I need to grow in compassion. Please, Lord, help me to do that.
I'm so amazed by Your grace and love for me, Lord. Thank You for sending Jesus as a living sacrifice that I may be saved from my sins and come to know You in faith. Because He was wounded, I was healed. Because He died, I now can live. Lord, thank You so much for abundant life!
In Jesus' name, amen.
Monday, March 22, 2010
Prayer #2
Dear Heavenly Father,
I'm feeling lazy and I need Your mercy, God. Please help! I want to remember this truth, LORD God, and be a living example of it:
"But blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD,
whose confidence is in Him.
He will be like a tree planted by water
that sends out its roots by the stream.
It does not fear when heat comes;
its leaves are always green.
It has no worries in a year of drought
and never fails to bear fruit." (Jeremiah 17:7-8)
Thank You, LORD, for Your Holy Spirit and for comforting me, counseling me, and convicting me in times where I need it the most. This weekend has been a beautiful time of rest. It has not been easy...to stay in that rest...but I ask that You would bring fruit from it and help me to see and carry out practical ways where I can trust You. You say that Your yoke is easy and Your burden, light. I long to take that yoke upon me, though it cost me my pride. It's more than worth it! Help me to be diligent to carry out Your work with fear and trembling for it is You who is working in me both to will and to work for Your good pleasure.
In Jesus' name, amen.
I'm feeling lazy and I need Your mercy, God. Please help! I want to remember this truth, LORD God, and be a living example of it:
"But blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD,
whose confidence is in Him.
He will be like a tree planted by water
that sends out its roots by the stream.
It does not fear when heat comes;
its leaves are always green.
It has no worries in a year of drought
and never fails to bear fruit." (Jeremiah 17:7-8)
Thank You, LORD, for Your Holy Spirit and for comforting me, counseling me, and convicting me in times where I need it the most. This weekend has been a beautiful time of rest. It has not been easy...to stay in that rest...but I ask that You would bring fruit from it and help me to see and carry out practical ways where I can trust You. You say that Your yoke is easy and Your burden, light. I long to take that yoke upon me, though it cost me my pride. It's more than worth it! Help me to be diligent to carry out Your work with fear and trembling for it is You who is working in me both to will and to work for Your good pleasure.
In Jesus' name, amen.
Privacy/Political Power Analysis: Those Who Talk Should Take a Walk
As I write this blog entry, I realize it’s easy to speak what one knows without taking any responsibility. Lewis “Scooter” Libby learned that lesson when he was convicted of perjury and obstruction of justice for leaking the name of C.I.A. Officer Valerie Wilson. The only journalist who refused to testify whether Libby was a source for that information was Judith Miller, former New York Times reporter.
Judge Thomas F. Hogan had ordered a subpoena on the journalist’s sources and she refused to testify, saying, “If journalists cannot be trusted to guarantee confidentiality, then journalists cannot function and there cannot be a free press.” (Miller’s statement). Even after the judge had indicated that the sources waived their right of confidentiality, she argued, “waivers demanded by a superior as a condition of employment are not voluntary. They are coercive.” Miller firmly believed that even under law, a source should not have to give over his or her right to privacy. If such an exception became commonplace, government could easily silence potential sources who would otherwise speak freely with journalists they trust. She argued that the government cannot use its authority to justify the invasion of privacy—or more specifically, a source’s right to confidentiality.
Examining Miller’s choice, I would undoubtedly acknowledge her decision as noble and idealistic. She was apparently a superb journalist, even according to her ex-boyfriend Steven Rattner who worked at the Times (NY Magazine Article). She was ruthlessly aggressive when it came to her coverage on weapons of mass destruction in Iraq and sought after information from sources by any means necessary. Yet she claims that her refusal to testify was a decision of conscience (interview with PBS).
I believe I would have made the opposite decision along a similar basis—but my loyalty would reside not with my sources but with the truth. A certain measure of impartiality must be taken by a journalist when it is to uphold the truth. Holding to confidentiality agreements with sources is important, but even those agreements are upheld by reasonable authoritative laws. The matter at hand was to get to the truth about Libby’s charges. Revealing who Miller had received information from about Plame’s identity would have helped in coming to those conclusions. According to Parent’s “Privacy, Morality, and the Law,” "privacy is not receiving significant legal protection" and is limited to "autonomy or control over significant personal matters" (105, 95). A person has a legal responsibility for what they say. Furthermore, the allegations against Libby were a matter of national concern, not merely a person's private personal matters. My choice to reveal my source would undoubtedly result in losing the trust of many potential sources who would leak information for important stories. But then again, I think the truth will always surface regardless if one leaks something to me off the record. I would not want to find myself protecting someone who maliciously gossips just so they’re opponent can be publicly humiliated without my source taking any responsibility.
Judge Thomas F. Hogan had ordered a subpoena on the journalist’s sources and she refused to testify, saying, “If journalists cannot be trusted to guarantee confidentiality, then journalists cannot function and there cannot be a free press.” (Miller’s statement). Even after the judge had indicated that the sources waived their right of confidentiality, she argued, “waivers demanded by a superior as a condition of employment are not voluntary. They are coercive.” Miller firmly believed that even under law, a source should not have to give over his or her right to privacy. If such an exception became commonplace, government could easily silence potential sources who would otherwise speak freely with journalists they trust. She argued that the government cannot use its authority to justify the invasion of privacy—or more specifically, a source’s right to confidentiality.
Examining Miller’s choice, I would undoubtedly acknowledge her decision as noble and idealistic. She was apparently a superb journalist, even according to her ex-boyfriend Steven Rattner who worked at the Times (NY Magazine Article). She was ruthlessly aggressive when it came to her coverage on weapons of mass destruction in Iraq and sought after information from sources by any means necessary. Yet she claims that her refusal to testify was a decision of conscience (interview with PBS).
I believe I would have made the opposite decision along a similar basis—but my loyalty would reside not with my sources but with the truth. A certain measure of impartiality must be taken by a journalist when it is to uphold the truth. Holding to confidentiality agreements with sources is important, but even those agreements are upheld by reasonable authoritative laws. The matter at hand was to get to the truth about Libby’s charges. Revealing who Miller had received information from about Plame’s identity would have helped in coming to those conclusions. According to Parent’s “Privacy, Morality, and the Law,” "privacy is not receiving significant legal protection" and is limited to "autonomy or control over significant personal matters" (105, 95). A person has a legal responsibility for what they say. Furthermore, the allegations against Libby were a matter of national concern, not merely a person's private personal matters. My choice to reveal my source would undoubtedly result in losing the trust of many potential sources who would leak information for important stories. But then again, I think the truth will always surface regardless if one leaks something to me off the record. I would not want to find myself protecting someone who maliciously gossips just so they’re opponent can be publicly humiliated without my source taking any responsibility.
Sunday, March 21, 2010
Prayer #1
Dear Lord,
Thank You so much for loving me and putting up with me! You stay near to me when my heart struggles to let go of the things of this world. Thank You, for never forsaking me. Thank You for being the reason why I am strong and courageous.
As I think about Your love, it's hard to "see" it's attributes manifested in my life. Please open my eyes to just how deeply You love me. Sometimes I feel like I have to love You or else You won't love me. But I realize that it's not about how much we love you but how much You love us. Your love is the reason I've been saved from my sins--not my own works, or pure motives, or efforts to be and do the right.
Looking at Psalm 15, I'm surely undeserving to dwell on Your holy hill in and of my own efforts. But I believe You have made me victorious in all those things and I need not fear Your returning but to long for it as a bride longs for her bridegroom. I want to be ready. Please let this day be a day of preparation for Your coming. Oh, teach me to love Your servants--those who fear You. To be unafraid to speak the truth from my heart. To not slander or take up a reproach with my friend or do evil to my neighbor. I want to walk blamelessly and to do what is right. And to let my yes be yes and my no be no...even if it hurts me. Let me not be double-minded and change all the time.
What a delight You are to my heart--for so long I did not perceive it. Still, I can be so spiritually dunce and forget why I'm living and the One I'm living for. Jesus, lead me today. Help me not to live to please man or myself but to please You. I believe that if I acknowledge You in all my ways, You'll make my paths straight--but this is possible only by the power of Your Holy Spirit. Please help me to walk by Your Spirit today instead of the flesh.
In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.
Thank You so much for loving me and putting up with me! You stay near to me when my heart struggles to let go of the things of this world. Thank You, for never forsaking me. Thank You for being the reason why I am strong and courageous.
As I think about Your love, it's hard to "see" it's attributes manifested in my life. Please open my eyes to just how deeply You love me. Sometimes I feel like I have to love You or else You won't love me. But I realize that it's not about how much we love you but how much You love us. Your love is the reason I've been saved from my sins--not my own works, or pure motives, or efforts to be and do the right.
Looking at Psalm 15, I'm surely undeserving to dwell on Your holy hill in and of my own efforts. But I believe You have made me victorious in all those things and I need not fear Your returning but to long for it as a bride longs for her bridegroom. I want to be ready. Please let this day be a day of preparation for Your coming. Oh, teach me to love Your servants--those who fear You. To be unafraid to speak the truth from my heart. To not slander or take up a reproach with my friend or do evil to my neighbor. I want to walk blamelessly and to do what is right. And to let my yes be yes and my no be no...even if it hurts me. Let me not be double-minded and change all the time.
What a delight You are to my heart--for so long I did not perceive it. Still, I can be so spiritually dunce and forget why I'm living and the One I'm living for. Jesus, lead me today. Help me not to live to please man or myself but to please You. I believe that if I acknowledge You in all my ways, You'll make my paths straight--but this is possible only by the power of Your Holy Spirit. Please help me to walk by Your Spirit today instead of the flesh.
In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.
Monday, March 8, 2010
Freedom Study: If It's Legalized, It's Publicized
For a journalist, it seems that the highest ethic is to report the truth which is only accessible through freedom of expression. John Stuart Mill believes that the only exception to freedom of expression is when an opinion may incite harm to another. One’s freedom of speech must be taken away when it is spoken with the intention of hurting another “without justifiable cause”. I agree with Mill and would take that one step further by asserting that freedom of speech that is detrimental to the reader’s judgment of the truth must either be censored or published with caution.
On March 3, 2010, Voice of America published an article entitled, “Gay Marriage Law Takes Effect in Washington”. Along with reporting the 5 W’s of the newly enacted law, the journalist chose to gather the opinions of two newlywed homosexual couples, along with a representative of the National Clergy Council—whose opinion the journalist included at the end of the article. There seemed to be an unbalanced representation of opinions in regard to the new law. Four out of five of the persons quoted were supporters of homosexual marriage. The opinions of Darlene Garner and Candy Holmes—newlyweds under the new marriage law—were given the most representation in the article with three quotes. The couple met 14 years ago in church and are currently Christian ministers. In the article, Holmes was quoted saying, "We are recognizing that God is about love and marriage is about love and that's our focus.” The majority of the article’s views are of the subjective viewpoint of those who support the new law. I suppose if it’s legalized, it's publicized.
Christians who embrace homosexuality like Garner and Holmes are entitled to their own opinion. Those opinions, however, misrepresent the truth claims about the Christian God in Scripture (1 Cor. 6:9-11). Not only do the expression of their opinions do harm to the accurate portrayal of the Christian faith but to other Christians. When Christian leaders hold differing views on issues of sexual immorality—in this case, homosexuality—it can confuse the public and Christian believers, particularly those struggling to overcome the sin of homosexuality. From Garner and Holmes’ point of view, homosexuality is not a sin and is a practice to be embraced and even celebrated. They say that God and marriage are about love, but in 1 Cor. 13, Paul says, “Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.” Though their words may be true to some extent, their reasoning does not justify their practice of marrying someone of the same sex as a God-glorifying act.
Judith Andre is right in indicating that the ethical objections to certain opinions will be driven by the beliefs and values of the publication. Journalists, however, have the responsibility to report and portray people accurately. Their first loyalty is to the truth, not to their own value system. I would argue that any opinion that misconstrues the truth shouldn’t be reported, especially without appropriate context.
On March 3, 2010, Voice of America published an article entitled, “Gay Marriage Law Takes Effect in Washington”. Along with reporting the 5 W’s of the newly enacted law, the journalist chose to gather the opinions of two newlywed homosexual couples, along with a representative of the National Clergy Council—whose opinion the journalist included at the end of the article. There seemed to be an unbalanced representation of opinions in regard to the new law. Four out of five of the persons quoted were supporters of homosexual marriage. The opinions of Darlene Garner and Candy Holmes—newlyweds under the new marriage law—were given the most representation in the article with three quotes. The couple met 14 years ago in church and are currently Christian ministers. In the article, Holmes was quoted saying, "We are recognizing that God is about love and marriage is about love and that's our focus.” The majority of the article’s views are of the subjective viewpoint of those who support the new law. I suppose if it’s legalized, it's publicized.
Christians who embrace homosexuality like Garner and Holmes are entitled to their own opinion. Those opinions, however, misrepresent the truth claims about the Christian God in Scripture (1 Cor. 6:9-11). Not only do the expression of their opinions do harm to the accurate portrayal of the Christian faith but to other Christians. When Christian leaders hold differing views on issues of sexual immorality—in this case, homosexuality—it can confuse the public and Christian believers, particularly those struggling to overcome the sin of homosexuality. From Garner and Holmes’ point of view, homosexuality is not a sin and is a practice to be embraced and even celebrated. They say that God and marriage are about love, but in 1 Cor. 13, Paul says, “Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.” Though their words may be true to some extent, their reasoning does not justify their practice of marrying someone of the same sex as a God-glorifying act.
Judith Andre is right in indicating that the ethical objections to certain opinions will be driven by the beliefs and values of the publication. Journalists, however, have the responsibility to report and portray people accurately. Their first loyalty is to the truth, not to their own value system. I would argue that any opinion that misconstrues the truth shouldn’t be reported, especially without appropriate context.
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