More Bounce for the Bike... with Hydraulics!

The new hydraulic mountain-bike shifting system is hitting the markets soon, according to Wired.com's John Bradley. The system comes from the original idea of German engineer Cristoph Muthers. Muthers debuted the technology about five years ago, but he wasn't able to bring it to market. So now, he works for Acros, a German component maker company, and the company is putting these new hydraulic shifters up for sale as early as this spring.

But why spend the extra money on hydraulics? Well here's how it's different from typical mountain bikes. Typical shifting set-ups on bikes use cables and return springs to move derailleurs across the gears, but the new invention, called the A-GE doesn't need these - its model houses tiny master cylinders in the shifter bodies and pushes mineral oil through two tiny hoses to control derailleur direction.

Also, A-GE makers say that unlike other shifting set-ups that can get harder to shift as you go higher up the mountain, the hydraulic shifters allow for the same resistance every time because there are no springs or cables that get tighter and tighter with each shift.

Even with all the bells and whistles, this new bike-model is definitely a bigger investment than you would make for other kinds of mountain bikes. I took a look at different mountain-bike models available on Amazon.com, and the prices ranged from the low $200's to the upper $400's. And you may be thinking, "Well that's still pretty high," but it's jump change compared to what this new hydraulic model will be selling for. In Europe, it'll go for 1,599 Euro (about $2,333). Muthers says Acros is going to try and sell if for less than $2,000 in America, but with the comparison European price, that may be tough to do.

Oh, and one more perk I thought was pretty interesting about this new hydraulic model: its incredibly light weight! Muthers says an entire A-GE package, which includes shifters, derailleurs, hoses, and oil, weighs 175 grams less than Shimano’s top XTR offering. And for smaller people like me who enjoy bigger, outdoor adventures this lighter weight perk may make all the difference.

For more information on this new, hydraulic, mountain-bike model, you can visit the wired.com website and check out the Gadget Lab Blog.

Personal Code of Ethics

Preamble:
We the journalists, in order to form a more informed world, establish credibility, insure balanced and fair reporting, provide for a public agenda, promote general representation, and secure the blessings of free speech to ourselves and our posterity, do ordain and establish this personal code of ethics.

Code Principles:

(1) Pursue Truth

-The primary goal of a journalist is to “seek truth and report it” (SPJ Code of Ethics). While I recognize how important the art of storytelling is in journalism, the truth should be the backbone to all news stories I write. I identified three specific techniques that will help me to focus on the truth. While accuracy is not always truth, I plan to use these methods of accuracy to find and display truth.
-Thorough reporting- Focus on finding, quoting, and identifying multiple
sources to maintain accurate coverage.
-Providing proportional representation- “Guard against extended coverage of
events or individuals that fails to significantly advance a story, place the
event in context, or add to the public knowledge” (RTDNA Code of Ethics).
-Eliminating misleading distortions- “Never distort the content of news photos
or video.
… Label montages and photo illustrations” (SPJ Code of Ethics).
-“And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free” (John 8:32).

(2) Balance Coverage

-Journalists are humans, and humans all have personal biases making objectivity difficult to maintain. Just by how stories are covered or how they are arranged in a newscast, journalists demonstrate their biases. I will compensate for my own bias by balancing each story I write by using multiple interviews to voice both sides of an issue.
-“Present a diversity of expressions, opinions, and ideas in context” (RTNDA Code of Ethics).
-“For it must needs be, that there is an opposition in all things,” (2 Nephi 2:11) – this includes news stories.

(3) Set the Agenda

-Reporters have the understood responsibility to bring story ideas to the table – essentially we decide what makes news. In many ways the news business provides a public forum. People will go to the news to explore topics of discussion. I realize that journalists have the power to set the standards for what content comes into public discussion, and I intend to use that power in pursuit of the general freedom of information and ideas. Journalists should not tell people what to think, only what to think about. Once the people have been adequately informed, they can use their agency to make decisions.
-“Journalism must provide a forum for public criticism” (Elements of Journalism 166).
-“That every man may act in doctrine and principle pertaining to futurity, according to the moral agency which I have given unto him, that every man may be accountable for his own sins in the day of judgment” (Doctrine and Covenants 101:78).

(4) Provide a voice for the Voiceless

-Through broadcast, radio, print, and now web medias, journalists are able to make their voices heard by the general public. They have the unique ability to influence thousands, sometimes hundreds of thousands, of people, and they must do so fairly and justly. As a future journalist, I will “recognize that service in the public interest creates an obligation to reflect the diversity of the community” (RTDNA). I will not disregard or diminish the importance of the public interest in my work. I understand that not many people have the privilege of making their issues heard, and I feel that in these cases, advocacy journalism is called for. In general, journalists are to be objective and balanced, but occasionally we have to step in and aid the needy by preserving their Constitutional right to freely speak and their inherent right to be heard.
-“Comfort the afflicted, afflict the comfortable” -Finley Peter Dunne. We must stand up for the needy especially when they are being suppressed by the comfortable.
-Harold B. Lee says in some ways the LDS church has this same purpose. “Some persons need to share with others their material blessings of the earth. Some persons are too comforted and too much at ease in their life style—and they need to become dissatisfied enough to change for the better” (The Message by: Joseph F. Smith).

(5) Minimize Harm

-Journalists often have to cover stories that will hurt someone in some way. Whether or not I believe the person deserves to be negatively portrayed, everyone deserves basic respect. We are all children of God with great worth. I must always consider the effects of my actions as a journalist. I must think about the family of the convicted killer or of the rape victim and treat each situation with not only accurate and complete coverage, but also kind and sincere compassion.
-“Show compassion for those who may be affected adversely by news coverage. Use special sensitivity when dealing with children and inexperienced sources or subjects” (SPJ).
-“Do unto others as you would have them do unto you” (Golden Rule).

(6) Accept Responsibility

-Journalists have been given great power and protection by the first amendment, and with those rights comes significant responsibility. As a journalist, I will always be accountable for my actions, and I will equally shoulder responsibility for my mistakes and successes. I realize that my profession will not give me immunity to the law. Rather, being a journalist will require my strict adherence to the laws established by the government because of the many liberating rights that these laws have granted for the freedom of speech.
-“Respond to public concerns. Investigate complaints and correct errors promptly and with as much prominence as the original report” (RTDNA).
-“The substance of rights must depend on either the voluntary fulfillment of responsibilities or the legal enforcement of duties,” and voluntary obedience is economical while legal enforcement is expensive (Religious Values and Public Policy by: Dallin H. Oaks).

(7) Be Humble

-I spoke to a current anchor at ABC Channel 4, and he said the greatest downfall for journalists is pride. He is one of the few that I’ve seen who has been able to not only progress in the reporting field, but also keep his family together. When I asked him how he managed this, he said he always put his family first, and he never let himself get the “Anchor mentality” of thinking he’s better than the ordinary person. I know that even if I am on the news and many people in my community recognize me, this does not give me the right to be lifted up in pride. In fact, this will make humility even more important because if I submit to pride, I will lose sight of what is most important: my family and my eternal goals.
-“Pursuit of the news is not a license for arrogance” (SPJ).
-“Humility is the catalyst for all learning” (Our Strengths can become Our Downfall by: Dallin H. Oaks).

(8) Light the way

-As I journalist, I believe I will also take on a teaching role. Many people will look to me for guidance and direction. Many people will also make their daily decisions based on the news I present. I will not abuse this power. Instead, I will recognize the significance of my job and teach with accountability. I will sift through the overwhelming amount of information available, and I will report on, what I believe, is most important for the public to hear. This is my civic duty: to report the truth and guide the way, so the people will be able to make more informed decisions.
-“Give light, and the people will find their own way” (Newsroom Magazine).
-“I teach them correct principles and they govern themselves” (Joseph Smith, Jr.)

Discussion of faithful Journalists... and a typical day as a Print Journalist

Being a journalist is like being an undercover super-hero. You have to live a double-life while protecting the public from dishonesty and corruption in the government and corporations. You must lead a normal life on the side and put on the mask of objectivity while covering the news.

I am a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and I cherish my personal faith. I am certainly not ashamed of this fact, but this doesn't mean that everyone I interview in my professional life needs to know this. When I'm out interviewing people, on the job as a reporter, I will leave my personal life behind. I do this to maintain fairness and balance in my stories, and to allow all members of the general public the opportunity to trust me.

Do I think I can lead this double-life? Absolutely! By: 1) leaving my personal life at home; 2) presenting fair and equally balanced stories; 3) focusing on the subjects of the story and covering their lives - not mine.

I think reporters have trouble reporting on religion because it's a naturally sensitive topic. We usually only have religion in the news when something bad happens, and sometimes I think the controversy of the issue leads to over-coverage of the event. Take the New York Times coverage of the Catholic scandals in the Vatican. I saw it headlining the front page on at least three different days. Is it newsworthy? Definitely! Does that mean it needs to be on the front page multiple times? I don't think so. When I cover religion scandals like this one, I will try and remember to be respectful. The subject is very sensitive for many people, and usually only a few people in the entire faith are even involved. So it is unbalanced reporting on my part to over-cover a story just for the sensationalized emotional effect it will have.

But I recognize that reporters tread a fine line when covering religious issues. It's hard to balance the coverage of a newsworthy story (especially a negative story) while minimizing harm to devout believers. I think an especially tricky example of this is displayed in the Muslim faith. Like with the story about the Fort Hood gunman, Major Nidal Malik Hasan, it's hard to accurately cover some stories without leading people to directly connect the terrorism to the religion. The only thing reporters can do is report the facts.

Finally, I wanted to just add a little commentary regarding our print journalism guest speaker, Don Meyers. He made two points that will stick with me regarding life as a journalist:

1) There is no such thing as a "typical day" in journalism.

2) You do not find news in the newsroom – you gotta get out in the
field and look for it.

These words of wisdom from an experienced field worker have helped open my eyes to what life is really like out in the field. I know that I am in for lots of surprises in this industry, and I'll have to just do the best I can. And I know now that it's up to me to bring the content to the news. I can't rely on my producers or news-directors. I have to find the news that's out there.

So, can I handle this double-life as a Superhero/Journalist? I think so, which means I can still maintain a personal life outside of the newsroom while producing accurate and balanced news for my viewers.

How to be an ethical journalist...?

Admiral Jeremy Michael Boorda: US Navy officer

and...

Arthur Ashe: Professional tennis player and Wimbledon Champion

What do these two have in common? They were both victimized by the news media. When is getting a good news story worth the harm and invasion of privacy? At what point have you gone too far?

These were the questions buzzing through my mind during class on Tuesday. And honestly, it's up to the journalist. But as a budding journalist, myself, I feel that it really is important to observe some ethical issues that have occured in the past, and to take my own stance. If I practice now, I think I'll be more prepared in the future when I'm faced with these.

First I want to talk about the men pictured above. We discussed their stories in class and both of them are tough calls for journalists. First, with Admiral Boorda, how would the "Newsweek" journalists who were investigating his Valor medals know that merely by asking a few questions, they would drive him to suicide? It's easy to look at his story now and blame the aggressive, villainous reporters for killing the innocent admiral. But really, before he killed himself, how could they possibly predict that he would do it? From the outside he seemed like any other public official: ready with his own little PR guy to face the news media and defend his honor. I would've run with the story and done the investigation. Even though it might portray him in a negative light, I would never have predicted the actual outcome.

But what about Arthur Ashe's story? Did he deserve to have his personal life displayed by letting the world in on his contraction of HIV? I understand "USA Today's" point that the story was certainly newsworthy. I think in this case, if Ashe expresses clear desire for his story not to be public knowledge, the media should have respected this. He didn't sign up to be a campaigner for HIV awareness, but that's what happened. Also, the story could've been run without his name, just to build HIV awareness and to highlight the progress of blood transfusions. My point is, this whole situation could've been handled differently. "USA Today" could've found a better way to follow the SPJ Code of Ethics and minimize harm, so they should've done so - even if it would take some of the sensationalism out of the story.

In class we discussed Dallin H. Oaks's devotional talk, "Where will it lead?" And we talked about how the media can be involved in the future of society. Here's what I think. as journalists we have such a power to influence public opinion. We have to take responsibility and use this power for the good of society. Yes, our stories and packages need to be interesting so viewers and readers will listen to them, but they don't need to be so sensationalized that ratings are the only things on people's minds. It is still our job to find news and report it and use our information to educate people. We have to do our job to help people make more informed, daily decisions. As a journalist, I realize that I'll face tough ethical situations where I'll have to make the call on whether or not to run a story or conduct an investigation or follow a tip.

Stories like Ashe's and Boorda's are tough calls, but they're the kinds of calls that journalists have to make - so what am I going to do? I'm going to do all that I can to be an ethical journalists and hope that I create more good in the world than harm in my journalism future.

Foundation and Purpose of Journalism

(The Picture to the right will be addressed later in my post - bear with me!)

Journalism worldwide is built on many different values. Wherever you go, you can observe that in different parts of the world, various news organizations have differing priorities. In class we talked about the most significant values in American Journalism. We discussed several values that Herbert Gans identified as the elements that make up the foundation of American Journalism. In a Press-think interview with Gans, they asked him questions regarding his journalism study published in "Deciding What's News." In his study he found that American journalists "absorb and express in their work... the ruling ideas in American society."

The idea inherent in his book that really interested me was that journalism in America has one purpose: the preservation and advancement of democracy. I think that it's good to have values, as a journalist, and it's good to recognize how you express your own values in your stories, but I think using journalism to advance a personal idea or belief, is one step too far. So, if Gans is right in saying that the subconscious values in American journalism serve the purpose of advancing democracy, I think we shoud do a bit of re-evaluating of our system. Even subconscious advancement of an idea, under the guise of objective journalism, is wrong. Journalists have more to do than support and advance an idea, which brings me to my next point: the purpose of watchdog journalism.

One of the key reasons for journalism in a free society is its purpose as a Watchdog - a watchdog for the government, for corrupt business officials, and for corruption in general. Anything that is under-handed and that negatively affects the public, needs to be exposed - and who better to expose it than journalists. The picture above is the logo for a global Investigative journalism organization, the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists. What really impressed me about this organization was the intense focus the individual reporters put on watchdog journalism.

But not many organizations have the financial means to support this intensive work to act as watchdogs like the ICIJ. I agree with the journalist in the AP Watchdog movie shown in class, Jim Drinkard, that you have "to be listening closely to what public officials say, and watching what they do." If these two don't match, there's your story. I really do think that watchdog journalism is important, and it is our duty. Because we have been given the constitutional right to a free press, we have the responsibility to serve the people by watching out for the public interest and protecting the innocent from corruption.

Why Independence is important in journalism

The picture above shows examples of the dangerous practice of commercializing journalism; I will delve more into my point of this picture later, so stay tuned!

When the group began their presentation, I wasn't really sure what to expect. What did they mean: independence in journalism? Independence from who? Well, here's the answer I gathered from the reading and from class: journalists have to maintain independence from pretty much everyone and anything but the truth. If they keep close personal ties with sources, story subjects, and even, in several cases, the government, their "news" can become unidentified advertising. Now this media advocacy has its value, and is good when used correctly. But the public has a right to know the difference between the facts presented through journalism and biased, media sales.

I found an interesting example of advocacy journalism in an article in the Columbia Journalism Review, and it was blatant advertising that was broadcast on a news morning show. It took a woman who was fired from her job for laughing, covered that newsworthy soft news event, while displaying her website information for her new pottery business that she was starting. They also announced how people could most easily do business with this person. It was a supreme example of taking a newsworthy event, and blowing it into some specialized advertisement. This is the kind of "news" that is hindering the news media credibility and thus, losing viewers.

My favorite principle mentioned in the presentation was taken directly from the SPJ Code of Ethics: "Be vigilant and courageous about holding those with power accountable." To me, this instructs journalists to never be afraid to do the right thing. I heard this and got all excited about the potential satisfaction that I can get by doing my duty as a journalist. But Professor Nelson said something that kind of busted my bubble. He said that the major media corporations live in fear of lawsuits, and while sometimes they stand up straight and courageously do the right thing, they usually are too scared to do so when faced with the disapproval of a powerful authority.

My spirits were further dampened when we started reading the examples on the group's hand-out of "Government Sponsored News." The Karen Ryan example really struck me, and what was even more disturbing was her excuse for taking government payment for a story: "I just did what everybody else in the industry was doing." Under the guise of a journalist, she essentially worked for the government. What happened to the first amendment? Isn't it still important to maintain journalistic independence from the government? I believe it is; this is one of the key components of maintaining democratic freedom.

Thus, going back to my headline picture, journalism should not be sold to the public, and commercialized. Journalists can't accept payment bonuses to cover stories because this disrupts the credibility of the news. The news media is not an advertising organization. We are journalists! And the public expects us to be independent from our sources so we can deliver the facts as straight and as unbiased as possible.

Journalism: The professional Priesthood?

Comic will be explained later on (oh, and in case you can't read it, the kid in bed represents "democracy" and the light represents "newspapers".

At first, like the group that presented, I was a bit put off by the book's claim that journalists carried out a professional priesthood. It did seem slightly sacrilegious to me. But I really liked how the group defined this term: "taking on the responsibility of surrendering to a higher calling-- serving others." While I don't think journalism is necessarily a divine calling, requiring the actual Priesthood, I do agree that when a person takes on the title of "journalist" he or she is surrendering his or her own needs to the greater good, to serve others.

I've always thought that this is true; it's one of the reasons why I think the news media is so important. I don't think we could live in a free democracy without the free press that we have today. I feel like journalists do a great service simply because the people are really the only people journalists owe loyalty to. The only reason for the news media to exist at all is to inform the public so they might make educated decisions. The cartoon shown above really hit me because it really showed me how vital a free press is to the survival of democracy. We really do have a "calling" whether it's divine or just a practical function of freedom, it's vital.

Tonight at my internship with ABC 4, I went out on a story and had an interesting experience with the concept of "Separation" as discussed in class on Thursday. We were covering a story about a girl who had been shot by accident by her 14-year-old aunt with a BB Gun. She was in intensive care in the hospital at the time when we aired the story and shot our live shot outside the hospital. Right after the reporter finished her package live intro and tag, she left, and the little girl's grandmother came over to me and the photographer and asked if we would like to hear the whole story for her. She wanted to do what she could to spread the word about this awful accident so it could be prevented in the future. As she was telling the very sad story, I found myself almost tearful. I was truly moved by the love she feels for her little grand-daughter. And I found myself subconsciously involved emotionally in the story. How do I stay separated enough to be neutral, but remain human enough to connect with my viewers? It's a fine, fine line we journalists have to walk. I'm including the link for the web-version of the story; what do you think? How objective should the journalist be when talking to a family member about this?

Finally, I want to address the newest concept for me that was included in the presentation last Thursday: Worldview. I found an interesting article from the school paper at the University of Washington that said that biases are inevitable in journalism, so instead of running away from them and striving for objectivity, we should embrace them. It said that even in how journalists arrange their facts, they put a little bit of their worldview into everything. To me, worldview is a person's fundamental outlook on all aspects of life, derived from early childhood and maintained by their immediate environment. I think journalists are like ordinary people with their own worldviews.

However, I also think that when "on the job" it is our responsibility to strive for a broader more encompassing worldview, so we can relate to more people on different levels of communication. Instead of just being concerned with our immediate "bubble", we have to be concerned with all that goes on that affects our readers, viewers, and listeners. To do this, we have to have a greater understanding of people in general. I found a really good quote in a Nieman Report article that sums up, in my opinion, why journalists must expand their worldviews:

"If we don’t understand how they see the world, if we can’t empathize with each person’s need to grasp a human problem in language of his or her worldview, then we will likely fail to reach many Christian conservatives who have a sense of morality and justice as strong as our own."