inc.
internships. news. commentary.
a publication of the Ohio University
Society of Professional Journalists.
video editing the Asimov way.
Vol. 8 May 5, 2009.
Taylor Mirfendereski to teach iMovie workshop.
story Graylyn Roose art
For students interested in sharpening their film
production and editing skills, this week’s OU
SPJ meeting will serve them well. SPJ member
Taylor Mirfendereski will be hosting a hands-on
iMovie workshop this Tuesday in Scripps dur-
ing normal meeting hours.
Mirfendereski will be leading a tutorial that
will instruct interested students on the basic
tasks and abilities of iMovie, a program that
comes built-in to all Mac computers. Students
will learn how to import photos, how to crop
and edit footage, and the basic interface of the
application. She will be teaching the basics of
the older and more commonly used version of
the program, which she describes as being eas-
ier.
“Having basic editing skills will help people
understand how movies are put together,” said
Mirfendereski. “It’s really not that hard.”
Mirfendereski said that she began to learn the
basics of iMovie in junior high, when she used
the system to make two small videos for a class.
Later, she began to experiment with the program
and learn more about its functions.
“After that class in middle school, I taught
myself the ins and outs of it. I used that for news
packages of stories I was working on,” said Mir-
fendereski, who added that she hopes that other
students will learn the value of self-teaching
inside inc.
internships. pg 2.
commentary. pg 3.
special edition
interview pg. 4
Ian Bowman-Henderson
within the program. “People can benefit from
knowing the basics of iMovie, and then if they
are interested, they can teach themselves later.”
Mirfendereski, who is a first-year student with
sophomore status, also said that she took a class
at OU that helped sharpen her skills, taught by
OU professor Roger Good. Although she is in
the Honors Tutorial College, where sequences
are referred to differently, she said that she is of
the broadcast “concentration.”
OU freshman Gina Edwards plans on attend-
ing the Tuesday workshop and said that she is
interested in learning more about the program,
though she had some experience with it in her
high school communications class.
“It will be kind of nice to have someone show
me how to do it step by step,” said Edwards,
who is currently a magazine journalism major.
“It will definitely be useful because it will be
nice to have those video editing skills.
Edwards also notes that even print journalists
must be proficient in different mediums.
“I think even more so these days, you have to
be multi-faceted and be able to do a lot of dif-
ferent things.”
Mirfendereski said that a main goal of her
program is to get students comfortable with iM-
next meeting
tuesday. 5:00.
scripps 001
iMovie Workshop
presented by
SPJ’s Taylor
Mirfendereski
ovie, even if they are not broadcast-oriented.
“If you want to be a print journalist, you better
also know how to produce videos for the web,”
said Mirfendereski, who points out that iMovie
is the kind of program that can easily be well
utilized to complement a blog. “There’s no sep-
arate medium anymore, they’re heading towards
convergence. Everything is going online.”
OU freshman Melisa Michael says that she is
looking forward to the meeting because as an
online journalism major, she is hoping to be-
come more proficient with technology.
“It just seems like a useful skill to have,” said
Michael, who said that although she currently
has a PC, she plans to purchase a Mac computer
in the near future. “I might as well just be pre-
pared for anything that comes my way.”
Mirfendereski said that she will probably
teach troubleshooting techniques in addition to
the basics of the program, since like all com-
puter applications, it can sometimes be faulty.
“iMovie is a program that, because it’s free,
can sometimes give you difficulties,” said Mir-
fendereski.
Although at press date, she was not sure of
the details, Mirfendereski said that she is trying
to procure a downstairs lab room for the work-
shop, so that the students can not only watch the
program as it’s projected, but be able to have
their own computers so that the class is truly
hands-on.
Mirfendereski said that she hopes that the
workshop yields good attendance because hav-
ing iMovie skills will make student journalists
more marketable in their future professional
lives.
“I personally believe that broadcast students
and all journalism students should understand
the basics of iMovie,” she said.
 inc.
internships. news. commentary.

internships..
A-News opportunity.
featured. The Athens News.
reporting Emma Morehart
The Athens News is now hiring Ohio University student journalists to
fill the positions of editorial assistant/proofreader and campus editor for
the 2009/2010 school year. Both of these positions are open only to stu-
dents and are part-time jobs.
The positions both pay over minimum wage and hours are flexible, said
Terry Smith, editor-in-chief of the Athens News. Smith also mentioned
that these positions rotate each year.
The editorial assistant/proofreader is required to be in the newsroom
around 10 hours per week, which are split equally between the editorial
job and the proofreading job. The editorial assistant job entails prepping
rough copy for the editor, entering calendar listings, typesetting, and other
responsibilities, and must be in the newsroom twice a week.
The proofreading aspect of this job requires the student to be in the
newsroom twice a week to read over completed stories and proofread for
AP style and grammatical mistakes. These two required days each week
are Sunday and Wednesday afternoons, because the paper is printed on
Mondays and Thursdays.
“Having this job has taught me to look at things from the editorial side,
like what should or shouldn’t be in your story,” said Emily Mullin, the
current editorial assistant/proofreader at the Athens News. “It makes you
become a better writer.”
A student interested in this job should be adept at AP style, attribution,
grammar and good writing, and should be efficient and focused.
PHOTO: logo of The Athens News
“This is a great first job for a college student,” said Mullin. “It’s profes-
sional experience in a small town, and we get paid, which is significant
for college students.”
Mullin, who began reporting for the Athens News in 2006, mentioned
that working as a reporter was also good experience because she was
rarely given story ideas, but instead produced her own. This helped her
become a more independent journalist, and allowed her to write about
what she was interested in.
The campus editor position, however, calls for supervising and net-
working, as well as staying informed of what happens on the OU campus.
Campus editor responsibilities include supervising twice-weekly meet-
ings of the paper’s campus staff, forming a story list for each issue of the
paper, and ensuring that campus writers and photographers are covering
stories in the appropriate manner.
This job also requires the student to spend around 10 hours in the news-
room each week, and is a paid position.
To apply for either position, send a resume and short cover letter to
Athens News Editor Terry Smith at news@athensnews.com.

old questions. new opportunities.

who. what. when. where. how. why.
Part-time online Summer Los Angeles, akenan@metro LA, you either
Metromix love it or you
intern 2009 California mix.com
loath it
San Mateo Editorial Intern, Summer San Mateo, www.smdaily SM Journal?
Daily Journal Photo Intern 2009 California journal.com Sounds sexy.

Urban Tulsa Sales Intern Summer Tulsa, jobs@ Oklahoma just made
Weekly 2009 Oklahoma urbantulsa.com “Do You Realize?”
its state song
Film@11 Media Summer Brooklyn, Michele.mitchell Where else are you
Online Intern 2009 New York @filmat11.tv gonna work@ ?

Summit General Intern Summer Erlanger, lharris@ It’s in Erlanger, what

Business Media 2009 Kentucky sbmedia.com else do i have to
say?
 inc.
internships. news. commentary.
commentary..
the new conservatism is totally radical dude.
right-wing politicos on the ground and in the news are completely mad.
commentary Kevin Zieber
Conspiracy theorists, militia leaders and right-
wing survivalist groups have been a persistent
part of the fabric of America since the American
Revolution, though their numbers have always
been in flux.
Though it can’t be said to be true for all, many
American militias have been primarily con-
cerned with the erosion of the Second Amend-
ment as well as the formation of a singular world
government. Some, but not all, militias are also
well armed and deemed potentially dangerous
by the Department of Homeland Security.
Despite the fact that armed militias have vir-
tually always been a part of American society,
they have remained, until this point, a fringe
group with little to no credibility on the main-
stream stage of American politics.
With the election of Barack Obama, however,
more dormant militia movements are reawak-
ening and beginning to warn of the so-called
“new world order,” which Obama’s election is
thought by some to signal.
A similar surge in militia activity took place
during the 1990s under the Clinton administra-
tion, and it did, at times, erupt into violence. The
similarities between then and now are striking,
but one thing has changed. Paranoia and con-
spiracies once reserved for militia leaders and
fringe groups are now finding a home in main-
stream media.
Fox News Channel in particular has indulged,
strengthened and perpetuated dangerous inaccu-
racies since the election, leading, at least in some
way, to tragic and violent outbursts throughout
the nation in addition to false and misleading
coverage.
Beginning with the run up to and including its
“coverage” of the tax day tea party protests, Fox
just the facts.
AP stylebooks. $15.
t-shirts. $15.
has become the mainstream voice for the unsup-
ported claims of right-wing fringe groups. On
tax day, Fox sent four of its most popular hosts
to locations around the country to “cover” the
protests that they seemed to materially support-
ing and possibly even leading.
The coverage could not in any way be thought
of as honest or actually representative of the
day’s actual events. One reporter, Cody Willard,
went so far as to call Democrats and Republi-
cans “fascists,” on at least two occasions, with-
out any provocation or legitimate reason.
But more importantly, the tenor at Fox News
Channel has been one that aims to rouse and
amplify fears already ingrained in the most
fringe right-wing groups. TV host Glenn Beck
has been particularly zealous in making the case
for President Obama’s “road to socialism and
totalitarianism,” remarking on more than one
occasion that “they’ll [the Obama administra-
tion] take away guns.”
Beck has also said, baselessly, on national
television, that Obama will “slowly but surely
take away your gun or take away your ability to
shoot a gun, or carry a gun.”
Beck is not the only one perpetuating the mi-
litia movement’s claims on a national stage. He
is joined by fellow primetime Fox anchor Sean
Hannity in painting Obama as an untrustworthy
socialist hell-bent on banning guns.
Hannity has suggested both on his radio and
television shows that the aforementioned “new
world order” is already under way, further stok-
ing the fears of right-wing conspiracy theorists.
The problem with whipping these latent ex-
tremists up with falsehoods and unsubstantiated
accusations seems to be so obvious that the pun-
dits of right-wing talk are missing it completely.
Student Senate Vote. 5/14.
New Room. Scripps 116.
When armed, paranoid and desperate people are
being told day in and day out by mainstream
media outlets that the Obama administration is
coming to take their guns and rights, they tend
not to act with temperance.
Unfortunately, several shooting deaths have
already taken place as a result of this fear mon-
gering. On April 4, 2009, a well armed 22-year-
old named Richard Poplawski gunned down and
killed three Pittsburgh police officers because
he was “fearful that his weapons would be
taken away,” according to the Pittsburgh Post-
Gazette.
On April 26, 2009, another two police officers
were killed, this time in Florida, after Joshua
Cartwright fled the scene of a domestic dispute
he had with his wife. Police caught up with him
at a shooting range and attempted to subdue him
using a Taser. He then stood up turned a con-
cealed weapon on the officers.
According to the police report, Cartwright’s
wife said that he “believed that the US Govern-
ment was conspiring against him. She said he
had been severely disturbed that Barack Obama
had been elected president.”
It is the responsibility of media to provide
audiences with accuracy, restraint and reason.
The right-wings’ exaggerations and utter false-
hoods come with a grave price. The media have
a responsibility not to perpetuate conspiracies,
to avoid hyperbole, to get the facts in line and to
avoid alarmist and paranoid accusations.
What the rightwing has been passing for po-
litical punditry is nothing more than militant
and irrational fear under the thin guise of po-
litical opinion and must be dramatically scaled
back in order to put to rest the groundless fears
of the radical right.
 inc.
internships. news. commentary.

special report..
taxes aren’t Hawke’s cup of tea. direct from HQ.
counterpoint from OU College Republicans.
story Ian Bowman-Henderson National Shield Law:
Every week the Society of Professional Journalists brings in an industry profes-
sional to speak at our meetings. Last week that professional was our own Kevin Zie-
Help to protect the rights of
ber. He presented some criticism of the way cable news, and FOX news in particular, journalists across America by
covered the Tax Day protests, better known as “tea parties.” Instead of interviewing contacting congress members.
Kevin, who already had his say on the issue, Inc. decided to go with a counter point to
both Kevin’s presentation and his column on page 3 of this edition. So without further ‘09 National Convention and
ado, this week’s guest is the Communications Director of OU College Republicans, a Centennial Celebration:
group which actually attended a Tax Day tea party, Suzi Hawke. registration now open at
Inc.: When did your group decide to go to the Hawke: I don’t think they were promoting SPJ.org/convention.
tea party, which one did you attend? [the tea parties], they were just letting people
Suzi Hawke: We decided to go a few weeks know what was going on. My personal feel-
b4 it happened we went to the one in Columbus ing was that they were just letting people know
on April 15th… we took about 15 OU College where they were if people wanted to attend and
Republicans up to Columbus for the event on giving the information on what the Tea Party
the 15th was standing for.
Inc.: About how many people were there?
Hawke: I heard a range from 2-3,000 and
Inc.: While reporting on a tea party in Boston,
Fox news reporter Cody Willard said Americans new on the blog.
then I heard someone else say 7,000. There was need to “wake up and start fighting the fascism,”
a wide array of people from grown-ups to little could you respond to that?
kids. So there was about seven thousand, I don’t Hawke: I would say that’s that just his per- Weekend Update: the latest
know the exact number. sonal beliefs, I think journalists – and everyone from around the Athens
Inc.: Do you think the protesters presented a – should be able to voice their opinion… I don’t
unified message, and if so what was it? think it was because he was with FOX. campus (...and beyond!) that
Hawke: I think they did, I think it was a joint Inc.: But doesn’t that sound like an endorse- went down while everyone
message of ‘we’re tired of reckless spending and ment to you? was enjoying the beginning of
all the pork in the stimulus package…’ and ‘we Hawke: I mean it could be taken that way.
want better.’ We don’t want to deal with all the Obviously fox news is watched primarily by Fest season here at OU.
reckless spending in the stimulus package. moderate to conservative viewers, I mean it
Inc: What do you think the long term effects could be an endorsement but people will take
of the tea parties will be? that as they may. Some people may feel that
Hawke: I think that if they continue to show they like it and agree with it and others might
our politicians that we need something to hap- be ticked off by it. FOX is always criticized for
pen to make it better, a big message is for con- being more conservative than any other news
stituents to tell our politicians that we ‘want
better,’ ‘we want different,’ I think if people
outlet.
Inc: How do you feel about FOX dispatching inc. identified:
continue to let their voices be heard then things pundits like Sean Hannity and Glenn Beck to Managing Editor Ian Bowman-Henderso
will change. cover the tea parties?
Inc.: What is your news outlet of choice? Hawke: I think its fine, I think the media
Hawke: I read the papers and I listen to needed to cover the events, I think if they want- Copy Editor Graylyn Roose
Fox News a lot and I go on Drudge Report and ed Glenn Beck and Sean Hannity there then they
Politico a lot, but mainly from newspapers and should be there… if they are going to talk about Copy Editor Cameron Glover
FOX news. it anyway then they should go and talk about
Inc.: How do you feel FOX covered them? being there. It is kind of the same as how during
Hawke: I think nationwide they did a good the election period they would do their shows Contributing Writer Kevin Zieber
job, both before it happened and post-tea party from different events that were being held for
as well. both candidates. At the conventions, all the net-
Contributing Writer Emma Morehart
Inc.: Some have criticized FOX for promot- works were there and they brought their head-
ing the tea parties instead of covering them. liners.
Contributing Writer Graylyn Roose