This is a forum for the students in Dr.Z’s C409 – News Media Ethics class to share ethical thinking based on lectures, case studies, class discussion, news use and life experience. Students in this class will contribute five blogs this semester.
This course treats all blog entries here like research papers, which will be graded by the same standards. High marks will be paid for citing peer-reviewed research articles, which can be accessed via our library’s database CMMC.
The major part of the grade will be based on the content of the information, the novelty or originality of the thought and the strength of the arguments you present. I will also grade on spelling, grammar, and punctuation. Take time to read others’ blogs and leave comments if you like.
Happy Blogging!
Dr. Z
C409 Class in Spring 2020 (April 7, 2020)
C409.1 Class in Fall 2019 (September 19, 2019)
C409.3 Class in Fall 2018 (September 27, 2018)
C409 Class in Spring 2018 (photo by Dr. Z, March 28, 2018)
C409 Class in Fall 2017 (photo by Dr. Z, September 20, 2017)
C409 Class, Fall 2017
C409 Class in Spring 2017 (photo by Dr.Z., April 10, 2017)
COMM 409 Class, Spring 2017
C409 Class in Fall 2015
C409.3 Class in Spring 2015
C409 Class in Spring 2013 (photo by Dr.Z, Jan. 24, 2013)
C409 Class in Fall 2012 (photo by Dr.Z, Click the photo to view their old blog entries.)
C409 Class, Fall 2012
Blog 1. This I believe by Abbey Castor
I believe…in food ethics.
Growing up in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, a place notoriously known for endless rolling hills of farmland, and..yep…the Amish. My home is one of the reasons why I value local, and sustainably sourced food products. Lancaster has great resources that brings the farms (supplied by many of the Amish) to the public by supplying local businesses and grocery stores. Fun fact: the Lancaster Central Farmers Market is the oldest farmer’s market in The United States!
Ethical controversy in the food industry includes things like humane treatment of animals, the environmental impact of pesticides, fair trade, food waste, etc…In America today there is access to an abundance of food shipped to anywhere, from anyplace, at anytime. Although this is convenient, is it ethical?
Globalization in agriculture changes the means of production, distribution, and consumption of food sources. Most families don’t have farms, let alone even gardens that they use for their meals during the week. Families go to super markets and grocery stores.Most typical grocery stores get shipments from all over the world to supply the needs and wants of consumers. Some fruits and vegetables are known for losing many of their nutrients, only a few short days after being harvested. Produce on display in the grocery store might take upwards of five days to be shipped, and three days until purchase. In that amount of time, over a week, significant nutrients may have already been lost.
When it comes to food purchasing, I try to buy local. When I’m home I buy from places like the Central Market because it aligns with my values. Some of the main values I focus on are knowing that the produce is fresh and not shipped from some undisclosed location, knowing that it is grown organically without pesticides, and knowing that the money contributes to local families in the community. Those values are important to me and part of the ethics that I believe in.
Food ethics is something to take very seriously. Thinking ethically, in any respect, requires weighing in all of the consequences of ones’ own actions. I aim to act this way when buying food because eating is life’s most vital activity. I treasure the way food tastes, but also what it does to my body. That is why I eat with care, not convenience.
This I believe… in the importance of being imperfect.
Society has expectations for you. If you are a woman you need to do this, this, and this but if you are a man, this, this and this… and so on. Many people in my life have tried to knock me down. I felt it the most when I was insecure, which was when I was a ballet dancer from ages three to eighteen. Criticism is one of the expectations ballet instills in you. It is a silent rule that the more corrections you recieve, the more teachers see your potential to go on in the ballet world and become a star. It is through criticism from these experts that students are able to learn how to improve their technique to make the movements look effortless. Aren’t we all trying to do that? Make all our obligations and club meetings and job and sleep look like a seamlessly rehearsed waltz? When I was within this framework, I allowed the corrections I received shape not only the way I performed on stage but how I showed up in life.
My social life revolved around my ballet friends and making sure I never missed a class, rehearsal or audition. I skipped meals to appear like the women I watched videos of in my bed at night. When I turned off the light, their graceful wrists and beautiful feet stayed in tempo with the rhythm of my breath as I tried to suck in my stomach to mimic the way their waists bent in perfectly to the beautiful costumes they wore. The expectations of a dancer was to be perfect and a part of me knew I was not but I dedicated my time proving to people that I was.
The thing about changing yourself is that you begin to forget who you were before that change. I am here. I am at Penn State studying journalism but in my past I only knew one reality and that was ballet. From the age of three to eighteen, I practiced ballet from as soon as school let out to when Pittsburgh Youth Ballet closed their doors at night. I attended world renowned schools over the summer, including the School of American Ballet and performed acclaimed ballets staged by inspiring choreographers.
This was then. I look back at the person I was and think of her motivation and perseverance towards perfection. There were so many influences into that mindset. So many teachers and classmates who said that I was never going to be able to get to the goals I have achieved and to those people I say thank you. The more you told me I wasn’t perfect the more I believed you and worked with my imperfections to make myself into a person that wasn’t constrained by expectations. The true artist helps the world by revealing mystic truths. I guess my mystic truth is that through my imperfections, I remain an original.
Blog 1 – This I Believe…… By Xing Lu
I believe creativity can reflect one’s own ability and skills.
It is easy to adapt other’s ideas. Nevertheless, it is hard for people to insist their own opinions and create works independently. When I was young, my mother told me an old story from Confucius. When a blind man was leaving friends’ house, the friend gave him a lantern and said the lantern can prevent someone accidently run into him. However, when the light gone out, the blind man still run into others. Using others’ idea, the light may go out along the way. I did not understand the meaning behind the story before I met some troubles.
I started to learn painting when I was four years old. I was used to looking other people’s painting works. To be honest, it is very common for a young kid to copy paintings from the children’s illustration book. Imitating paintings from old masters can develop skills easily. I learned most of the patterns, texture and tone from others’ art pieces.
When I first saw Claude Monet’s waterlily pieces in exhibition, I was impressed by his techniques on oil painting. I studied it and learned how to copy the exactly same strokes of brush to create the texture. I copied one of his painting and put it into my high school graduation show. There is no doubt that my waterlily obtained a huge success and most of my friends said it is so fascinating and impressive. It was a wise choice to imitate an Impressionism masterpiece.
When I took first oil painting class with Mr. Paul in Penn State, my idea of how to create a good work is completely changed. He never allowed his students to look paintings through digital approach. Instead, he encouraged us to look around the real environment and observe the detailed beauty from daily life. Once I brought a printed image to the class, Mr. Paul was unhappy to see me painting from a printed image. He noticed the image is about a fruit basket. He asked me, “Why don’t you bring some real fruit on tomorrow’s class? Even a perished orange got the real texture, which is better than a digital photo.” I felt so shamed about coping ideas from existing photo from Internet. After that moment, I tried to create all my paintings from own observations.
I have to admit sometimes my own creativity is not as good as others’. A lot of works failed at the end. I also struggled for some pieces and wasted time on thinking useless ideas. However, the process of creating own style is worthful and meaningful. It shaped my understanding about art. It also shaped my feeling about life.
People can see the word “creativity” around every corner of the world. In advertising, we emphasize the importance of creativity. It provides a fresh, original, and new feeling for customers to read. In technology and science field, it also promoting people to invent and create an unprecedented product. It plays an indispensable role in our life.
Blog 1- This I Believe Speech ….. By: Angel Brock
Growing up, my dad was not a part of my life, so my grandmother filled that void. She was there for everything that I did. I would not trade these moments with my grandma for the world. From a young child, she molded me into the person that I am today. I never knew that this bond would lead to something inspirational in my life; that was simply believing in positive thoughts. I take those positive thoughts and it helps me with my confidence and my relationships with people. I never knew that the one question I asked her would have made a difference in my life.
It was a sorrowful afternoon when I came home from aftercare to the news that my grandmother had Colon Cancer and just received surgery. That is something that no fourth grader wants to hear especially because of the connection that me and my grandmother had.
That day I found out, I went straight to the hospital. When I walked in her room, she had the biggest smile on her face as if nothing was wrong. I asked her why she didn’t tell me. She said, “Angel I didn’t want you to worry, but now that you do know I wanted you to think positive about this situation.” My fourth grade mind had no idea how to think positive about it.
As years went on my grandma was in and out of Chemo Treatment, and we still had our bond. From looking at her or even having a simple conversation with her, you never would have thought that she was battling such a horrible disease. She continued to take vacation trips and enjoyed her time with family and her senior friends. I continued to watch my grandmother’s display of courage and strength.
During my 9th grade year, I asked my Grandmother an important question. “How do you stay so positive while battling cancer?” She said it’s simple I just have positive thoughts. When I’m in pain or at the Doctors getting bad news I never actually feel bad because I think of all the positive things I have in my life like you. I may be feeling the absolute worst but as soon as I start thinking positive I feel better. Those words my grandma said to me changed my life forever.
Positive thoughts can build your confidence and get you through any negative things in your life. It can also get you through relationships with anyone. I am a very emotional person, so it is easy for me to break down. When going through hard times in relationships with friends and families, I simply think, “Everything happens for a reason”. Not only does this phrase help me think positive, but it prevents grudges and negativity. It is also a phrase that my grandma spoke repeatedly.
Although my first result was not always to think positively about things, I realize that thinking positively is really a powerful message. You can be going through what you believe to be the worst things possible, but it is all on your head, whether you let it affect your life negatively or not. After several life-changing conversations with my grandmother, and seeing how strong she was, I too live my life with positive thoughts. Even though in my senior year of high school my grandma passed away, I still believe positive thoughts will get me through, and I will continue to believe that for the rest of my life. She survived 13 long years battling cancer, and lived a happy life simply because of her positive thoughts.