ArtsAutosBooksBusinessEducationEntertainmentFamilyFashionFoodGamesGenderHealthHolidaysHomeHubPagesPersonal FinancePetsPoliticsReligionSportsTechnologyTravel

Part of the Story: How Four Journalists went from Bylines to Headlines

Updated on August 27, 2016

The Crime against Newspeople

Source

Reporting the Reporters

While journalists seek to be unbiased, objective professionals and to not become part of the story, four media personalities were thrust from bylines to the headlines. In two of the four, with Alison Parker and Adam Ward, their assailant (also a journalist, albeit a failed one) stole their lives during a time when they just were performing their jobs. In an act that stepped outside the boundaries of professionalism, during a press conference news anchor Jorge Ramos leapt to his feet and commented to Donald Trump out of turn. In both of these incidences, the nature of the news story was predicated on the actions of journalists who either intentionally or inadvertently found themselves center stage, in the spotlight.


Irrationalism

The sheer cowardice against unarmed individuals lies at the crux of the murders of Miss Parker and Mr. Ward. For being straight white people, they met their fate at the hands of an out-of-control gay, Black psychopath as Troi “Star” Torain has put it, hell-bent on destruction. His irrationalism lead to the cutting down of lives in their prime. Should we look at him as some crusader or freedom fighter for his actions? Absolutely not. He was a disgrace to himself and a vicious deviant. And not because he was gay, but as a result of stooping to the level of a brute. The memories of Miss Parker and Mr. Ward ought to be recognized, not the demented actions of some basket case. And his nihilism spills out in his scrawled letter to ABC news. In his writing, he described himself as a “powder keg.” Well, why couldn’t he have just exploded without taking the lives of two and injuring Vicki Gardner? As messed up “in the head” as he was, why did he have to extinguish these individuals? Will Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) and other organizations cling to the assailant in this case? For his alleged rejection based on his race and sexual orientation, this madman made excuses for himself and expected people to respect him. Meanwhile, the efforts of Miss Parker and and Mr. Ward ought to be observed. Parker had interned at the station for which she worked (WDBJ) later becoming a correspondent. Ward, who graduated from Virginia Tech (VT) (which experienced its own grim shootings eight years prior), had set his sights on North Carolina as a photojournalist. Both journalists were involved with significant others who also worked at the station. The ties that these individuals created shall be memorialized. Their dedication to their craft and close attention to detail ought to be held in high esteem. Though they did not expect to be on the national and international landscapes because of an incident like this, Miss Parker and Mr. Ward will forever be remembered for their virtues. As journalists in the field, they prepared themselves for a situation such as this. Their lives were snatched from them without reason or purpose. But their sense of life and skill ought to instill in future journalists the will to brave even the most heinous of physical attacks. They pursued selfishly a better life through their respective careers. The media professionals of tomorrow ought to take note. What they also should observe is the less lethal but still outrageous side of the news industry.

Forceful Actions

The milquetoast behavior of Senator Bernie Sanders (D-VT) who showed no self-esteem while facing Black Lives Matter protesters stands in stark contrast to Mr. Trump. The best that he could do was to just stand there and take the affront. What would he do as President of the United States? Would his weak stance translate into being head of state? Of course he is an unabashed socialist who cowers at the sight of anyone with self-respect, but what would happen if the Presidents of Iran or Russia stepped to the United States aggressively? At least Mr. Trump would have apparently asserted his power against any foreign hostility. At least he displayed this against the forceful actions of Mr. Ramos. By disregarding Mr. Ramos’ advances and brutish outbursts, Mr. Trump broadcasted to his detractors that he is a stand up guy who never backs down from a challenge. In a CNN interview, Mr. Ramos backtracked and stuttered over his actions. His act of rudeness reveals the poor state of discourse that the media now finds itself. Ramos’ interruption in front of the cameras as Mr. Trump dismissed assertively his advances to speak shows his lack of respect for the candidate. Yes he is a jester and yes he presents bad ideas, but he knows how to control a room and ensure that he receives the full amount of attention as any other seeker of the highest office in the land should.

Rude Ramos

Source

Sense of Self

Mr. Trump represents the fool who at least has the gumption to take on those who oppose him in such a disrespectful manner. The Univision news reporter ought to learn a few lessons in decency and how to best conduct oneself in press conferences or anywhere else for that matter. If he had only waited to be called on, Mr. Trump would have happily welcomed his questions or comments. His excuse that he never expected Mr. Trump to call on him does not warrant him to just stand up and blurt out anything that comes to his mind. In fact, after he was removed and allowed back to the conference, he was able to get some statements said and some questions addressed. All he had to do was show a bit of restraint. Instead, he made Mr. Trump look like the classy one. This is an achievement in itself. Young journalists of all backgrounds ought to realize that it is impermissible to interrupt anyone during any event. They ought to pick up on the fact that being boorish only impedes thought and disallows any connections that might be made in the world of media. Mr. Ramos ought to be scolded for his actions and possibly demoted from his position as anchorman on Univision. To speak one’s mind in the semi-free United States is a right based on the First Amendment. However, anyone addressing a press conference, or concert hall, or any other venue, has the right also to bar you from interjecting your responses. So, Mr. Trump with straight-forward rectitude, sent away an instigator who failed to recognize the rights of the speaker. By welcoming Mr. Ramos back to exchange questions and answers was a sophisticated move for Mr. Trump. Though he may not be taken as seriously as his fellow presidential candidates, Mr. Trump still exhibited a profound sense of self in the face of uncivilized behavior. And although Mr. Ramos is a credible journalist, by making himself part of the news discredits his position. This ought to serve as a reminder to those who may pick up a pen, sit behind a news desk, snap photos, or video the scene. They ought to make sure that they maintain objectivity and do your best to not be the subject of the story.

GRAPHIC CONTENT: Bryce Williams Kills Reporter On Live TV Details

The Journalists as News

How should newspeople cover other newspeople who become part of the story?

See results

The News As It Is

Source
working

This website uses cookies

As a user in the EEA, your approval is needed on a few things. To provide a better website experience, hubpages.com uses cookies (and other similar technologies) and may collect, process, and share personal data. Please choose which areas of our service you consent to our doing so.

For more information on managing or withdrawing consents and how we handle data, visit our Privacy Policy at: https://corp.maven.io/privacy-policy

Show Details
Necessary
HubPages Device IDThis is used to identify particular browsers or devices when the access the service, and is used for security reasons.
LoginThis is necessary to sign in to the HubPages Service.
Google RecaptchaThis is used to prevent bots and spam. (Privacy Policy)
AkismetThis is used to detect comment spam. (Privacy Policy)
HubPages Google AnalyticsThis is used to provide data on traffic to our website, all personally identifyable data is anonymized. (Privacy Policy)
HubPages Traffic PixelThis is used to collect data on traffic to articles and other pages on our site. Unless you are signed in to a HubPages account, all personally identifiable information is anonymized.
Amazon Web ServicesThis is a cloud services platform that we used to host our service. (Privacy Policy)
CloudflareThis is a cloud CDN service that we use to efficiently deliver files required for our service to operate such as javascript, cascading style sheets, images, and videos. (Privacy Policy)
Google Hosted LibrariesJavascript software libraries such as jQuery are loaded at endpoints on the googleapis.com or gstatic.com domains, for performance and efficiency reasons. (Privacy Policy)
Features
Google Custom SearchThis is feature allows you to search the site. (Privacy Policy)
Google MapsSome articles have Google Maps embedded in them. (Privacy Policy)
Google ChartsThis is used to display charts and graphs on articles and the author center. (Privacy Policy)
Google AdSense Host APIThis service allows you to sign up for or associate a Google AdSense account with HubPages, so that you can earn money from ads on your articles. No data is shared unless you engage with this feature. (Privacy Policy)
Google YouTubeSome articles have YouTube videos embedded in them. (Privacy Policy)
VimeoSome articles have Vimeo videos embedded in them. (Privacy Policy)
PaypalThis is used for a registered author who enrolls in the HubPages Earnings program and requests to be paid via PayPal. No data is shared with Paypal unless you engage with this feature. (Privacy Policy)
Facebook LoginYou can use this to streamline signing up for, or signing in to your Hubpages account. No data is shared with Facebook unless you engage with this feature. (Privacy Policy)
MavenThis supports the Maven widget and search functionality. (Privacy Policy)
Marketing
Google AdSenseThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Google DoubleClickGoogle provides ad serving technology and runs an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Index ExchangeThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
SovrnThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Facebook AdsThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Amazon Unified Ad MarketplaceThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
AppNexusThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
OpenxThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Rubicon ProjectThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
TripleLiftThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Say MediaWe partner with Say Media to deliver ad campaigns on our sites. (Privacy Policy)
Remarketing PixelsWe may use remarketing pixels from advertising networks such as Google AdWords, Bing Ads, and Facebook in order to advertise the HubPages Service to people that have visited our sites.
Conversion Tracking PixelsWe may use conversion tracking pixels from advertising networks such as Google AdWords, Bing Ads, and Facebook in order to identify when an advertisement has successfully resulted in the desired action, such as signing up for the HubPages Service or publishing an article on the HubPages Service.
Statistics
Author Google AnalyticsThis is used to provide traffic data and reports to the authors of articles on the HubPages Service. (Privacy Policy)
ComscoreComScore is a media measurement and analytics company providing marketing data and analytics to enterprises, media and advertising agencies, and publishers. Non-consent will result in ComScore only processing obfuscated personal data. (Privacy Policy)
Amazon Tracking PixelSome articles display amazon products as part of the Amazon Affiliate program, this pixel provides traffic statistics for those products (Privacy Policy)
ClickscoThis is a data management platform studying reader behavior (Privacy Policy)