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Journalism vs. Social Media: How Fake News Happens
Let me start this out with a little history. I studied writing in college. I have degrees in both creative and technical writing. As part of those studies, I was required to take every journalism class that was offered. I remember spending one semester in a journalism intensive course with a (four times over!) Rhodes Scholar. That man pushed us hard. There were only 3 or 4 of us in the class so we all got individual attention and he gave no leeway anywhere. He pummeled things into our heads that ranged from how to write a headline to journalistic integrity and investigation. Over the years I’ve been very thankful…
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Our Culture of Shame
I hate conflict. I really do. During the election season, I kept my head down and refused to engage in any sort of debate. I even begged out of a bunch of conversations when people would tag me and ask for my opinion. I really, really hate it. (And I’m married to a man who thrives on debate. How did that happen? *smh*) So it’s not often that I share my opinions on hot topics or potentially controversial subjects. But this morning I woke up to a flurry of messages on Facebook about something I had posted yesterday and I have to admit that I was absolutely stunned by it.…
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But I have the right to…..
Okay, let me start here by saying that I hate confrontation. For most of the election season, I kept quiet on all topics. I tend to shy away from debate. Maybe I’m a people pleaser. Maybe I am just not strong enough on the debate side. I really don’t know. I just know that I usually shrink back into the corner on all things politics/debate/controversy. There’s been a real uptick in people who are involved in politics and registering their opinions. Social media has given everyone a platform to say what they like and believe. In many ways, this is a good thing. It’s given people a voice. But the…
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Facebook Isn’t My Friend
So I’m starting off this article with a bit of a warning. This is my blog and these are my thoughts. You don’t have to agree and it is not my assumption that if you disagree you hate me or you want me to die. Sounds like a really dire warning doesn’t it? But these days, it is, sadly, far more relevant than outlandish. A few years ago, I was a writer. Only a writer. Not a social media guru or marketing pro. Just made a living writing stories for the masses. At the time, I was working on a radio drama and some members of the cast (all of whom…
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Review: I Let You Go by Clare Mackintosh
Title: I Let You Go Author: Clare Mackintosh Genre: Contemporary, Suspense, Publisher: Berkley Date: May 3, 2016 It’s every mother’s nightmare. A simple split second decision on an ordinary day that shatters her world. A mother lets go of her son’s hand because they’re in sight of their home and moments later, he’s dead in a hit and run. How does one recover from that? We get to experience this story from two different points of view. First, the Bristol police department. There’s a fierce determination to solve this case and bring justice to the family who lost their beautiful child. His death and the fact that someone would just…
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Can you be too careful? Um…no. Not in this business.
This started out as a Facebook post, but it grew and grew to the point that I realized it would be better handled as a blog entry/article. So here you go! Over the weekend, a close friend of my family texted me to ask me about a potential agent that had reached out to her via Facebook. This girl is like a daughter to me and she knows how much I care about her, so protective mode kicked in. Where did you hear of this guy? Who recommended him? What’s he offering? The answers were a bit murky. All she had for me was his name, a link to his…
