The Seven Cautions

Roy Peter Clark, a senior scholar at the Poynter Institute, has an interesting post on how journalists use language. It includes a list of of cautions for journalists.

1. Be skeptical of all claims that the sky is falling. Ground yourself in American history so that you can compare and contrast your own times to other troubled times, such as the Civil War, the Depression, the World Wars, the Cold War, Vietnam, the Civil Rights era, and Watergate.
2. Challenge any language and assertions that are fraught with emotional and historical weight. (One morning many years ago on NBC's "Today" show, a celebrity guest kept calling The New York Times "Pravda," and host Edwin Newman showed him the door.)
3. Challenge any language that sounds like a slogan: right to life, right to choose, cut and run, mission accomplished, freedom on the march.
4. Analyze political language as part of your reporting process. This is one of the strategies that make "The Daily Show" and "The Colbert Report" so popular and persuasive. They pay close attention to the language of public figures, and, through satire and humor, reveal the "truthiness" of it.
5. Learn the complex relationship between political corruption and language abuse by reading "Politics and the English Language" by George Orwell.
6. Give special weight to sources and analysts who do not adhere slavishly to a particular ideology. Look for the long time member of the NRA who favors some restrictions on gun ownership. Look for the feminist who is troubled by some of the consequences of legal abortion. People willing to reflect upon and question some of their own normal affinities can offer powerful testimony.
7. Do not just quote political metaphors and analogies, but test them. Is Iraq another Vietnam? Would leaving Iraq be akin to Chamberlain’s accommodations to Hitler through the Munich Pact?

Click here for the entire column.

Coming Thursday in The Star

Thursday's Anniston Star will feature these stories:

It must be the holiday season because the Nutcracker has arrived. Bill Edwards spent some time with third graders at 10th Street Elementary as they were introduced to the ballet.

Another rite of passage of childhood: Chicken pox. Markeshia Ricks has this story about the vaccine. The state Health Department says the vaccine, now mandatory, isn't working well enough and needs a follow up shot to properly prevent the virus.

The Anniston Army Depot rasied more than $500,000 in their combined federal campaign this year. That's a lot of money, going to help out charities. Todd South reports on this story.

Todd South also writes about attempts in Jacksonville to collect canned food and try and set a world record.

Dan Whisenhunt has more "canned food news," with a guide to giving to local charities, many of who tell us their cupboards are pretty bare.

Medicare's open enrollment will soon be upon us. Matt Kasper looks at this - This will be the time for people on Medicare to enroll in a drug plan, review their health care and drug coverage and make changes.

The Nutcracker .. sweet

Programming note: The next Bobcast will feature Bill Edwards discussing his story in Thursday's Star. Wednesday Edwards spent time with third-graders from 10th Street Elementary in Anniston. The students were preparing for their visit to the Knox Concert Series' annual production of The Nutcracker, an annual tradition.
To listen to the Bobcast, click on the audio player on the right-hand side of this Web page.

Campaign cash, Alabama-style

The Star's Markeshia Ricks reports on presidential fundraising one year out from Election Day. Her discovery:

When it comes to fundraising for the 2008 race to the White House, former Senator and one-time vice-president hopeful John Edwards knows how to get the job done in Alabama.
Already into the last fundraising quarter of the year, Edwards has raised $435,016 in Alabama, surpassing the Republican Party's top fundraiser in the state, former New York City Mayor Rudolph Giuliani, according to Federal Election Commission records.
So far, FEC records show Giuliani has raised $303,798 dollars from Alabama supporters to date. The FEC requires candidates to report contributions of $200 or more.

Want to get more local than the state? Want to see the national picture? The Center for Responsive Politics maintains an excellent database, opensecrets.org. The curious can discover who's giving to candidates by postal code, a breakdown of which industries are giving to which candidates and other tools for citizenship.

Riley rolling on the river

Gov. Bob Riley's press office sent out the following release over the weekend:

Sent: Saturday, November 03, 2007 7:59 AM
Subject: Atlanta newspaper: "Alabama got its way" in water talks
Today’s edition of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution points out a key fact that is emerging from Thursday’s “water summit” in Washington between the governors of Alabama, Florida and Georgia: “Alabama got its way.”

What followed was a link to the AJC story.
Dr. Seuss would surely wonder if this good news water story made "Bob Riley's gloat boat float?"

Go vote ... for greatest SEC games

The deadline for voting on the greatest football games in the first 75 years of SEC history continues.
Enjoy the video. Afterwards, click here and vote.

Tuesday's Star

Pick up Tuesday's Anniston Star for the following stories:

Break out the jackets - colder temps head into the area this week. Daytime highs could be in the 50s, with nightime temps dropping into the 30s Tuesday and Wednesday. Andy Johns checks into the weather news.

Dan Whisenhunt reports on the six-month moratorium on licenses for cash-advance and title pawn businesses, approved by the Anniston City Council Monday.

Three employees at the Solutia plant were injured Monday. Nick Cenegy has this story.

The state is fleshing out its statewide trauma system for hospitals. Markeshia Ricks looks into what that means.

Coming Tuesday on the editorial page

The Star's editorial board is opining on Tuesday's meeting of the Joint Powers Authority, and what we hope will be an advanced discussion about the hiring process for a CEO:

The CEO search will likely come up today (Tuesday) when the JPA meets. When it does, we expect members will move forward in searching for a new executive who brings robust vision and a can-do spirit to the redevelopment of McClellan, and one who will continue the former fort on its steady climb to success.

We're also lamenting about the Iraq war and its mounting U.S. military death toll:

This coming week brings Veterans Day, the hallowed day when we honor those who have served in the military. It also brings Monday’s headline: That 2007 likely will be the deadliest year thus far for America’s military in the Iraq war.

Coming this weekend in The Star

Stories you can find in the Saturday and Sunday editions of The Star:

This Saturday:
Reports are that the shelves are really bare at the Center for Concern. Why? How are the other area charities doing? Dan Whisenhunt covers this story.

Matt Kasper has an update on the search for more water sources in Jacksonville. How close is the city to making a decision? How is the search progressing?

Steve Ivey highlights the Anniston City Schools Foundation's involvement in a program to train elementary-age kids to use computers.

Sunday:

Nick Cenegy profiles the Calhoun County Juvenile Drug Court.

Water water...Markeshia Ricks presents a primer on the "water wars" between Georgia, Florida and Alabama. How did this debate become drinking water v. mussels and sturgeons and does Karl Rove have anything to do with it?

Got bad neighbors? Andy Johns looks at a Web site which allows people to post warnings to potential home buyers about bad neighbors. Andy will also talk with sociologists about this - why do people use anonymous web posts instead of talking to neighbors?

And on Monday:
Andy explores the potential of alligators in our neck of the woods. A man in Lineville says he hooked an 8-footer on a turtle line. The drought has made the lakes shrink which means humans and the few, normally unseen, gators could come in contact more.

Where there's smoke ...

An e-mailer responds to Thursday's editorial notebook, A modest tornado theory: Skeptical about the weather
GP writes:

"The New York Times in an editorial in 2006 lambasted Senator Inhofe's position on man made global warming. Now that both you and the Times have debunked Senator Inhofe's 2006 position and speech, please read the 2006 commentary by Debra J. Saunders that followed the Times article. Therefore, request you now debunk the Saunders' article in an editorial. Now that Al Gore' film and his movement have propelled him into sharing the Nobel Prize, again use this prestigious award in support of your editorial. Also address and debunk the opinion of Copenhagen Consensus cited by Saunders. Would like very much to read your commentary in the new future."

Saunders labels herself a man-made global warming "agnostic." Hard to debunk an agnostic. Besides, our little edit notebook intended mere whimsy, not debunking.
Let's remember, no serious person could claim any field of science has unanimous agreement, especially in global warming. However, it's accurate to say that the most of the scientific community has reached consensus that man-made activity is playing a role in climate change. Most does not equal all.
Saunders writes:

"I know, however, that I never will be convinced that global warming is a scientific threat as long as believers put most of their energy into establishing orthodoxy and denying that reputable global-warming skeptics exist."

Sorta reminds me of those who for decades were skeptical that smoking lead to serious health problems.
Follow this link to a thought-provoking 1994 photograph. In it are tobacco company executives who raised their right hands and swore before Congress that nicotine was not addictive. Government scientists had been saying the opposite for three decades. Independent researcher suspected as much years earlier. Even further back serious scientists were sure tobacco use lead to horrible diseases, including cancer and emphysema. Yet, the tobacco industry helped fund skeptics who were skilled at casting doubt, well beyond when the scientific community had reached - ta-da -consensus.
Where do the two camps of skeptics meet up?
Author George Monbiot picks up the story:

"[W]hat I have discovered while researching this issue is that the corporate funding of lobby groups denying that manmade climate change is taking place was initiated not by Exxon, or by any other firm directly involved in the fossil fuel industry. It was started by the tobacco company Philip Morris."

Want more? Read here, here and here. (The last link is from a 1998 memo plotting the skeptics' strategy against global warming. A backgrounder on the memo is here.)

UPDATE: Chuck Bernstein of the National Environmental Trust responds:

Good job of rebutting. I see you've got a link to a memo that's posted on our site, so you probably checked out the press briefing we held on the tobacco connection; feel free to recommend it to readers.

Will do. The link is here.

Coming Friday on the editorial/op-ed pages

The Star's editorial board is examining the Forever Wild purchase of land in Coosa County and the ongoing efforts to preserve Alabama land for outdoor activities:

Forever Wild has bought nearly 10,000 acres down in Coosa County, an acquisition that will preserve not only the hills and valleys, but also the basins of Hatchet and Weoqufka creeks, two of the most beautiful streams in the state. Now the land will forever be open to hunting, hiking, horsebiking, canoeing and all sorts of outdoor recreation.

The Star also is taking a look at the life of John B. Knox, whose name is synonimous with our 1901 Constitution, a bad thing, and the Knox Concert Series, a good thing:

Like most things in life, the full story is not nearly so clear-cut. It’s unfair to be so sweeping with a family name, for at least in one instance a glint of gold rests among the tarnish.
The Knox name sits atop a cultural jewel in Anniston and its surroundings, thanks in no small part to his daughter, Carrie McClure Knox, who in the early decades of the 20th century played a key role in fostering the arts in the Model City.

And, for a third treat on Friday, we're opining about the "superbug" and what you can do to avoid it:

What are we to do? The answer, it seems, is simple. Wash your hands. Often. Thoroughly.
Clean your house, school or workplace — especially the frequently touched surfaces. A little extra attention to basic hygiene should keep you and the people around you healthy.

We'll also have columns by yours truly and James Evans, plus former Star editor Paul Rilling's monthly "Media Critic" column.

Friday's Star

Coming Friday in The Star:

The state has set an execution date for James Harvey Callahan, convicted in the 982 murder of a Jacksonville woman. His execution and that of another death-row inmate come despite federal court rulings here and elsewhere to stay executions while the Supreme Court considers a challenge to lethal injection. Matt Kasper looks at this story.

Todd South covers a rally for Oxford's football team. Supporters were set to gather at the stadium Thursday night to cheer the team on its way to play Mortimer Jordan, just days after an AHSAA ruling turned their 9-0 season into a 2-7 one with no playoff chance.

Markeshia Ricks covers the state report on domestic violence - there was a spike in cases in Calhoun County that resulted in death, five in 2006.

Andy Johns has a reminder about the upcoming time change. Will you remember to "fall back" on Sunday morning at 2 a.m.

Scenic River Trail flowing smoothly

Friday's Bobcast features the latest developments from the Alabama Scenic River Trail. Fred Couch, the brainchild of the river trail and pictured third from left, gave The Star on update on the project's progress Wednesday afternoon. He was joined by, from left, Ken Deal of Alabama Power, state Sen. Del Marsh, R-Anniston, and Charlie Doster, who is active on the Alabama Scenic River Trail board.

Plans for a June 2008 launch are going swimmingly. Once completed, an ambitious paddler could cover 631 miles from Northeast Alabama to the Gulf of Mexico.

The Friday Bobcast will be uploaded later this evening.

UPDATE; The Friday Bobcast is online. See Gcast audio player at right. Or you can click here.

Fajita Day

What's the cure for Halloween candy overload? Meat, cheese and tortillas, naturally.

Well, that's the newsroom's plan.

Coming Thursday in The Star

Check out Thursday's Star for these stories:

Todd South went along with morning trash pickup in Hobson City. The city couldn't pay its sanitation workers, so for a few weeks now a town councilman and Concerned Citizens of Hobson City have been hauling trash on Wednesdays.

Anniston police have arrested a suspect in the weekend shooting death. Nick Cenegy covers this story.

Markeshia Ricks speaks with local delegates on the final day of the 2007 Silver Haired Legislature. The group met in Montgomery this week and came up with an agenda they say real lawmakers should address for older Alabamians.

Dan Whisenhunt profiles Sam Jones, recently retired head of the Anniston Housing Authority.

New music poll

The Star's music blog, Anniston Off The Record, has loaded this week's music poll.

Go to http://annistonotr.blogspot.com and vote.

All Oxford, all the time -- this week, at least

You want more on the Oxford/ineligible player story, the hottest story of the week? We've got it in Speak Out on Wednesday, which is crammed with letters to the editor about the Yellow Jackets.

And more letters will come later this week, I'm sure.

Coming Wednesday on the editorial/op-ed pages

The Star's editorial board is taking a look at the approved textbook for Bible literacy classes in Alabama public schools -- and how much pressure may be put on the board to approve a text that meets certain religious criteria:

All textbook publishers edit their products’ content to meet market demands. But if publishers also edit to conform to a particular theological perspective, they are going beyond what marketing requires and moving into the area where church and state should not mix.

The Star also is lamenting the fact that a majority of our delegation has not signed on to support the Clean Water Resoration Act:

This dismal showing of support from one of the most biologically diverse states is understandable when you consider how much industry despises this legislation and how much power Alabama’s business lobby wields. Most developers, for example, do not want to be constrained by wetlands regulations.

Meanwhile, on the op-ed page, we have columnist Hardy Jackson's Wednesday offering and a neat look at Hillary Clinton and Halloween costumes. Really, we do.

Wednesday's Star

Coming Wednesday in The Anniston Star:

Just in time for Halloween, Matt Kasper writes a story about how parenets can monitor candy intake for a healthy holiday.

Dan Whisenhunt looks at the process of finding a new CEO for the JPA. How have other former bases dealt with this?

The Southeast Water Alliance and some local officials held an "educational session" in Montgomery to counter Georgia Governor Sonny Perdue's claims that Alabama did little or nothing to prepare for the drought. Markeshia Ricks reports on this story.

ADEM is fining the incinerator in Anniston nearly $50,000 for a series of monitoring and disposal violations from mid-2006 through Julyo, 2007. Todd South looks at this story.

Coming Tuesday in The Star

Check out Tuesday's Anniston Star for these stories:

We have a special section on the ruling on the ineligible football player at Oxford with full coverage of the decision, a look at Oxford's season, the results, the town's reactions and an explainer on what the rules say.

Property owners have withdrawn their request to rezone land that had been rumored as the location of a Publix grocery in Anniston. Dan Whisenhunt has this story.

The state Health Department held a news conference today to discuss its plan to deal with a potential staph-infection outbreak. Markeshia Ricks reports on the plan.

Steve Ivey covers the case of the missing pumpkin at Alexandria Elementary School.