High-Stress Police Beat Response

I was really appalled by some of the instances and scenarios the several reporters have been in. I could not imagine witnessing a gruesome body of a shooting victim and then be expected to just have it all together. I really commend those reporters that work on the police beat. It takes a lot of resilience, courage, and composure to be able to work through such tragic, and sometimes frightening conditions. It takes even more of those things when interviewing someone about their murdered child or family member. Places with such high crime rates such as the District of Columbia and Baltimore have to have reporters with tough skin. However, it is so unfortunate that those reporters reap certain physical and mental consequences.

Reaction to Police Beat Article

This article made me sympathize for crime scene reporters. The imagery throughout the article was attention grabbing. What stuck with me most in reading this article was how nelson said, "were not trained emergency workers". That made it seem like crime scene reporters almost at times feel helpless and it just puts emphasis on the fact that reporters and journalists of all sorts have to maintain stature and just focus on the facts and not getting in their emotions when on the job. I agree with Anderson in that crime scene reporters be able to seek counseling, because that kind of visuals can effect someone and stick with them for the rest of their life, when they are just simply doing their job.

Police Beat Article Response

It's hard to read articles like this because, typically, on a day-to-day basis, people don't think about the hardships police officers face when called to a crime scene. Like the saying goes, out of sight out of mind. We don't think about the gruesome fatalities that are present at the crime scene. We don't think about the dangers of working with criminals and armed suspects. Reading this article brought forth the extreme and terrifying aspects of working in the police force. It was hard to read at times, especially about the teenager whose head rolled away from her body and steam was coming from the neck. I can't imagine the stress it puts on these individuals who face scenes like this everyday. I agree that it should be mandatory for officers to have to attend therapy to talk to someone to deal with these brutal events.

Article Response

For one interested in crime reporting, I really liked the article. I've always expected emotional issues to come along with the job, but after reading this, I feel like this is one of those things where you don't really know how something feels until it happens to you personally. I honestly have no idea what my reaction will be to it. I feel like crime reporting could be a risk career because if the crime scenes really get to you, it could possibly lead to pyschological problems. However, it might also show reporters to have more of an appreciation for life.

Response to Police Beat Article

The article written on police beats was eye-opening. Writing about crime seems like the most challenging job, emotionally. When one leaves their job, mental images of crime scenes are most likely still present. I do not know if I could report on crime because of the effects it would have upon me. It is so important to appreciate the work of police beat reporters because without them, we would not be kept up to date with criminal activity in our world. They (producers) have to go through all of the work to get our story, including talking to the police, talking to the victims, and to their families. We as readers (consumers) just get to sit back and read. The life of a police beat journalist is more exhilarating than I thought. This article explained how these types of reporters are at the beckoned call of their stories, sometimes staying up until late hours of the night. This type of lifestyle is very time-consuming. I personally do not know if I could be a police beat reporter. This article made me truly appreciate these reporters' work for their communities.

Police Beat Article Response

The many different stories in the article on police beats were difficult to read, so I can't imagine how hard it is to actually be the reporter on the scene. When reading stories about tragedies, readers don't always imagine the steps it took for the story to get in the paper. There had to be someone at that scene, stomaching all those excruciating details in order to share with everyone else what happened. The article was very descriptive about what many police beat reporters go through mentally, physically and emotionally. I would personally be the woman who looks in closets for people ready to jump put at me. I admire all the reporters who go through these types of incidents day in and day out to share tragic news with the rest of the world, because I don't know if I could do it.

Stress will kill you

The job of a crime reporter on the police beat is not for everyone, it takes an extraordinary person. Their life is a departure from normalcy, and the difficulty of being expose to a great deal of violence will have an impact on their psyche. I agree with Dr. Beverly Anderson, who recommends debriefing and taking the time to return to some normalcy because stress will take its toll.

Sharon White

Response to Article

The article posted about the police beat stories were not what I was expecting to read. I didn't understand how much emotional and physical stress a crime reporter went through. It sounds almost like a cop and a crime reporter deal with similiar experiences. I believe my reactions of the crimes would be more emotionally stressed than physically stressed. I feel like the hardest part of being a crime reporter would be interviewing the victim's family. Reporter Rankin stated that she would find herself crying uncontrollably while talking to the members. The article caught my attention as soon I started reading it. The way things were descibed and discussed about made me feel like I was at the scence of the accident or murder. I agree with Dr. J. Beverly Anderson in her opinion of cops and crime reporters needing counseling. Smoking, drinking, and blocking out terrible things aren't the way to solve stress. Talking to someone and letting out your thoughts and worries is the best way. The cops and crime reporters seeing the things that they do daily should make it a high priority to go to a counselor at least once a week.

Article Response

I found the police beat article to be very interesting, yet emotional to read. I never thought about how hard it must be for police officers to witness death on a daily basis because it is something they are so accustomed to being around. In this article, various journalists talked about how these events impacted not only their lives, but also their writing. I found the beginning of this article to be enticing because it caught my attention in the first paragraph with the graphic description of the car accident. The fact that the accident discussed in the article was about college age students captured my attention because it is something I can relate to, being a college student myself. I never realized how difficult it must be to gather information from police officers when covering a murder, car accident, or other type of violence related stories because most of the time police aren’t supposed to release any information to outsiders. This article also brought to my attention how people cope with stress in various ways, whether it be smoking, drinking, or using substances to numb their pain.

-Emily Quatman

Article Response

This article was very interesting to me. I like the way it begins with the graphic scene of the car accident and how the journalist covering it felt. It really gave me a feel of what it is like to be a journalist who writes police beats. It was really intriguing to hear all the stories of the reporters, like Rankins and how it affected her. She became paranoid and constantly frightened. Also the story of reporter's Reilly and Statter, and how the story they covered included a sergeant they knew who was killed. The stories of the various reporter's made me realize how time consuming and risky reporting police beat's can be. It is hard to imagine taking on a job like this, seeing deceased families, and friends so heartbroken; and also seeing such graphic scenes. I know now for a fact after reading this that I would absolutely be negatively affected if I were a police beat reporter. Seeing a human dead in real life is not something anyone could ever forget and it stays with you. I think it is important for journalists to be debriefed and counseled like Dr. Anderson had stated. They could use more protection and attention, especially for experiencing such life changing things, just to write a story.

The High-Stress Police Beat

A steady diet of violent crime, fatal accidents and human tragedy takes a toll on reporters. Some think newspapers and TV stations should do more to help their staffers cope. 


After our police beat discussion in class today, read the following story from The American Journalism Review and post your brief reactions here by Thursday, 10 Nov.

Students Seek Meditation for Stress Relief

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hFmJPyToKSY

Students Seek Meditation for Stress Relief

Students Seek Meditation for Stress Relief

[B ROLL] students studying at the library

[B ROLL] walking towards the counseling center with view of “University Counseling Center” sign

[STAND UP OPENING] “Some students are already feeling the stress from upcoming finals which has led them to the on campus counseling center for help. I’m Kristen Beyer reporting for 271-TV News”

[B ROLL] opening the door to the counseling center -> in script saying “the counseling center’s doors are always open with a staff more than willing to help ease students’ stress”

[SOUNDBITE #1] Dr. Josie Nicolson, Staff Counselor at the University Counseling Center

[SOUNDBITE #2] Sophomore journalism major, Hannah Whitten

[STAND UP CLOSING] “The counseling center at Ole Miss might just be the answer for those students seeking stress relief as finals approach. This has been Kristen Beyer, reporting for 271-TV News”

The University Counseling Center at Ole Miss will now be extending the amount of meditation classes they offer, including adding a “Meditation for Healing” workshop in the spring.

Dr. Josie Nicolson, a staff counselor at the University Counseling Center says, “were about to add three more meditation classes. Student’s tend to skip over meditation because there is nothing tangible at the end…there is not a paper produced, there is not a lot of sweat or whatever is an objective measure of having worked but [meditation] is work. It is just hard to take that time out for yourself”.

Sophomore Hannah Whitten thinks that extra work in meditation has benefitted her greatly, saying, “finals are getting so close and I went to the University Counseling Center and took a meditation class and it really helped me relieve my stress, so I’m excited they’re opening up more classes.”

Stress and lack of sleep leading up to finals can affect students’ health beyond measure. Dr. Nicolson has seen positive feedback in those students that have participated in the Counseling Center meditation classes and thinks there will only be more students seeking help as time for finals creeps up. Nicolson says, “were having to increase our services so I think that’s a sign students are finding meditation helpful.”

*uploading problems on youtube*

Ole Miss Sheds Some Light On The Grove

"Ole Miss Shines Some Light On the Grove"

OXFORD, MS: The Grove is a historic landmark for people of Ole Miss and with a lot of the history, if any changes occur it comes with a lot of talk. But what if the changes would make the Grove safer? 

Past reports say that with an increase in the student population, comes an increase in certain criminal activity here at Ole Miss. The physical plant has installed light poles in the Grove as well as made other improvements to increase security. Grace Pittard, a sophomore, a pharmacy major, explains her thoughts on the latest installment. "Well, since a lot of the games are night games and everything, I think that it will provide safer tailgating whenever it gets dark and people are still in the Grove. And since it also provides more cellphone service it will help for people to be able to get in contact with each other if they get lost or something like that whenever they are tailgating. " 

    According to a recent story written by the DM, the physical plant replaced the lights in the trees with light poles. The installment alleviated the problem due to the growing trees making the Grove darker. Gary Tomblin and Willie Cox, two of the men responsible for assembling the light fixtures say they feel that the lights will make the Grove safer in result.

The goal of the new improvements to the Grove are to increase security for all students and future tailgaters on game day. The total completion of all the improvements will not be completed until later this fall. 

Changes at The Union

Stand up: Are you ready for some changes at The Union? This is Kylie O'Leary reporting from Journalism 271.

SOT: Larry Ridgeway, Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs

B Roll: Live footage from the Union

SOT: Taylor McGraw, Associated Student Body President

B Roll: McGraw shares his opinons and plans for the future of The Union

Stand Up: So, there are being changes made to the Union. This is Kylie reporting from Journalism 271.

STATE REPRESENTATIVE KELVIN BUCK WILL VOTE "NO" ON INITIATIVE 27

Sharon White

STAND-UP: On next Tuesday, Mississippi voters will go to the polls to vote on Initiative 27 that says you will need one of these for the 2012 election...a photo identification card whether you are 19, 39 or 99.

VO: A Mississippi voter identification initiative will appear on the November 8, 2011 general election ballot in the state of Mississippi. The initiative would require a state identification at the polls. Jasmine Harris, president of the NAACP chapter will assist students to get the proper ID. State Representation Kelvin Buck says Initative 27 will create more problems.

SOUND BITE: (Jasmine Harris)

The NAACP chapter here plans on visitng local churches in order to inform everybody about the bill, contact as many students as we can that do not have valid driver licenses so that they can be able to sign up and register to vote.

SOUND BITE: (Kelvin Buck)

Well, as you know, we have a referendum on the ballot this time that is suppose to address the Voter ID and I think that it has a chance of passing. I plan to not vote for it and I think that there are many reasons why. But a couple of reasons, in particular, is that first of all Voter ID really won't solve any of the problems we are having that are pervasive when it comes to elections. And one will be the disfranchisement of senior citizens that have to go through these extra steps to try and get an ID, and in many cases, in the rural areas of the state they won't even have an opportunity right in their local community to do this. They would have to travel 30 or more miles to try and get this Voter ID or badge.

The other people we are concern about are the many students that come to Mississippi or live in Mississippi during the time that they are in college who would have to have some sort of ID other than the ID where they live. They are living in areas where they have been allowed to vote through some actsof the legislator some years ago. And these students will be disfranchised if this Voter ID bill passes.

STAND-UP/SOC: State Representative Kelvin Buck says he will vote "NO" on Initiative 27. I am Sharon White reporting for 271 TV News.

http://youtu.be/ZbYPnb9VqMk

New Years Weight

Stand up: Worried that the big crowd Turner Center will get in your way of working off those Holiday pounds. It turns out there are alternatives to where you can avoid the crowd and still burn those calories. This is Jennifer Nassar, reporting live for Ole Miss 13 News.

SOT: Jennifer Hall, Fitness Graduate Assistant

B-Roll:

Despite the rush, there are plenty of alternatives to keep up with workouts.

SOT: Jennifer Hall

B-Roll:

Students, like Freshman Jake Miller, have their own alternatives in mind.

SOT: Jake Miller

Stand up: More information is available for the Turner Center at www.olemiss.edu. This is Jennifer Nassar, Ole Miss 13 News.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yShCEw82FuE

2+2 Equals a New Group of Friends

{{STAND UP}}
THE ASSOCIATED STUDENT BODY HAS A NEW PROGRAM OUT CALLED THE TWO + 2 SYSTEM. IT ALLOWS STUDENTS AND STAFF MEMBERS TO INTERACT SOCIALLY. THIS IS JORY TALLY REPORTING LIVE IN FRONT OF THE STUDENT UNION.

{{B ROLL}}
THE ASSOCIATED STUDENT BODY HERE AT OLE MISS IS ALWAYS STARTING NEW PROGRAMS FOR THE UNIVERSITY OF MISSISSIPPI. THE LATEST PROGRAM, THE TWO + 2 SYSTEM, WHICH FOCUSES ON PEOPLE MEETING FACE TO FACE INSTEAD OF SOCIAL NETWORKS AND ELECTRONIC DEVICES. STUDENTS AND FACULTY WHO ARE INTERESTED CAN SIGN UP ON THE ASB WEBSITE OR GET AN APPLICATION FROM THE ASB OFFICE IN 408 OF THE STUDENT UNION.

{{SOUND ON TAPE}} [STUDENT, LAUREN SUN]
Hey my name is Lauren and I’m involved in the Two + 2 Program here at Ole Miss. My partner is Caleb Herod and I think it has been such a great success. We have had so much fun meeting new people and I have gotten a lot closer to Caleb. It’s a huge success and I can’t wait to get to meet new other people.

{{B ROLL}}
THE GOAL OF TWO+2 SYSTEM IS TO BUILD NEW PERSONAL RELATIONSHIPS AMONG THE PEOPLE ON CAMPUS. KIM DANDRIDGE, ASB DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONS SAYS THE PROGRAM IS GREAT.

{{SOUND ON TAPE}} [ASB DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONS, KIM DANDRIDGE]
The ASB Two + 2 Program has been a great success. We have had a lot of students sign up. We have also had a lot of faculty members sign up, and a lot of administrators sign up. It’s just been a great program. It allows students to communicate with other people face to face and kind of go back to how they had in the olden days where you would actually have that face to face communication and you don’t have to tweet people or Facebook people. So it’s a great program that allows you to be able to communicate with people in its best communication form face to face so I am glad ASB is doing this initiative.

{{STAND UP}}
FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE NEW ASB PROGRAM, THE TWO + 2 SYSTEM, CHECK OUT WWW.OLEMISS.EDU/ASB. THIS IS JORY TALLY REPORTING FOR YOU LIVE IN FRONT OF THE OLE MISS STUDENT UNION FOR JOURNALISM 271.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tOXMlmbnV4Q

Yearbook Kicks it into High Gear to Make Deadlines

Lead- The Ole Miss yearbook staff is nearing its first deadline having recenly fnished the cover and a number of other design projects.

VO 1- The staff has just finished their first major hurdle of the year nailing down final theme concepts and editing finished work.

VO 2- Along with the design work, the writing editors are currently working on sports and feature stories.

VO 3- Although this years yearbook staff is off to a strong start, there is still a lot to be accomplished with several more deadlines arriving in the next few months. Reporting for NewsWatch, this is Alex Edwards.

My video is currently not uploading, but I will attempt to upload the video tomorrow in class.

Your How To Guide to Off Campus Living!

Think this isn't a housing option for you next year, I'm Kyndall Cox and I have you guide to off campus living.

The university is already bursting at the seams and has already admitted nearly 5,000 thousand students. This means on campus housing will not be an option for many upperclassmen next year. I talked to some students who have been through the process, and here are some helpful hints.

(SOT)

Real Estate Agent Britt Wicker had this to say about off campus living.

So hopefully paying attention to this guide will be worth it, and not just in rent. For TV 271 News im Kyndall Cox.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PE1xi4847fA

Sleep When You're Dead

A student stays up late studying with the help of coffee.

Google Photo

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pNwPTpS11DU

{{Voice}}

Many college students live by the old saying “I’ll sleep when I’m dead,” but here is why adults in the working world cannot live by it. I am Kaitie Harrison reporting for Jackson 271 TV News.

{{SOT}} [Evie Holman]

{{B-Roll}}

{{Voice}}

Many college students rely heavily on caffeine to help them study into the late hours of the night. Caffeine keeps these students going especially when most only get a few hours of sleep at night.

{{SOT}} [Meredith Lewis]

{{B-Roll}}

{{Voice}}

What these students don’t realize is that “sleeping when you’re dead” isn’t really going to pay off in the long run. Ole Miss graduate Meredith Lewis understands how much sleep, or lack there of, can really effect a workday.

{{Voice}}

If students keep living by that saying, it looks like they are going to have a difficult road ahead.I am Kaitie Harrison reporting for Jackson 271 TV News.

Turner Overcrowding Leads Students Outdoors

The University of Mississippi's Turner Center, which is an on-campus recreation center, is taken full advantage of by students and faculty year round. Due to overcrowding, though, students find it difficult to use the facility for all it's worth. Student Andrea Smith shares about her past experiences at the Turner Center.

The overcrowding is in large part caused by the high numbers of students taking up the limited space the fitness center has to offer. Turner Center employee and trainer, Rachel Henry, believes that the Turner Center is much too small for the university and its students.

Lamar Park, which is near campus, is an alternative place for exercisers to go, since it has a long track to walk, run or bike around. Professor Ranjith Dharmaratne says that he enjoys jogging at Lamar Park rather than the Turner Center.

http://youtu.be/bs0P_5OdQng

Ole Miss students suffer 3 losses

{{Voice}}

Students, friends, and parents are mourning today after three Ole Miss students and Kappa Alpha pledges were killed Sunday morning. 

The three freshmen Sam Kelly, Mason Wilbanks, and Walker Kelly were killed Sunday morning after their car flipped between the Highway 35 overpass and I-55 in Vaiden, Mississippi. Police are still investigating the scene. All three were from Madison, which is where they were heading back from around 8:30 in the morning.

{{SOT}} [Student]

{{STAND UP}} [KA House]

Students and parents gathered at the Kappa Alpha House Sunday night to remember the three young men who, the Kappa Alpha President, Chris Brickell says "are stand up guys and outstanding individuals" 

{{SOT}} [Sparky]

{{STAND UP}}

The university has not yet released any information about a campus vigil at this time. Once they do, NewsWatch and the Daily Mississippian will let you know.

Reporting for NewsWatch, I'm Stewart Pirani.

A 'New' Turner Center?

Such beautiful college campuses like this one here at Ole Miss, attract countless students, the question is can on campus facilities accommodate to the high number of students? This is Jordan Wulforst reporting live for Jackson 271 News.

With student enrollment at an all time high, the U of M’s recreational building, the Turner Center, is definitely getting major use. “It was always enjoyable going to the Turner center to get in a good workout, now I would rather run outside. It is so crowded and there are long waits for machines,” sophomore Lauren Price said.

Assistant Director of Campus Recreation, Shannon Richardson commented she hopes to see renovations of the Turner Center in the future due to the growing number of students that visit there daily. However there has been no talk of this from the administration.

The Turner Center continues to constantly be filled with students and is not showing any signs of slowing down or emptying out. With student enrollment rising the Turner Center will be forced to look at an expansion or renovation, I’m Jordan Wulforst reporting for Jackson 271 News.

Video: http://www.youtube.com/watchv=2EdIpkVPUXg&feature=channel_video_title

AquaRebel

The increasing pressure in today's society on the idea of, "going green," is an issue we all face every day. Simple tasks such as taking a few extra seconds to recycle a newspaper, rather than throw it away, is just one of the ways to promote a more environmentally friendly world.

The University of Mississippi, along with countless other universities across the nation, is on its way to becoming a more environmentally conscious, green campus. The installation of the AquaRebel is just one step the university has taken to promote this idea of, "going green."

The AquaRebel makes it convenient for students, faculty, and staff to become more conscious about the environment. These hydration stations can be found in both the Student Union and Martindale.

The AquaRebel is a way for the Ole Miss community to enjoy free, purified water and avoid purchasing and wasting plastic water bottles. Simply placing a reusable water bottle under the AquaRebel sensor is a great way to stay hydrated on the go.

These AquaRebel hydration stations not only save money, but they help to save the planet. The AquaRebel, it's a great taste and there's less waste.

AquaRebel Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NlTIEPzhQIg