Page One: An Aspiring Journalist's Response

After watching Page One: Inside the New York Times, the part inside of me that channels my journalistic aspirations took a punch. Since I started telling people my dreams to become a professional journalist, I can't count how many times the person on the listening end has given me that look; the look that says "Do you really know what you're getting into?". The look that says "You're doomed, kid."

I'm here to tell you that I sincerely believe the industry isn't dead. Page One conveys most of its shock through a startling set of quotes. By picking apart these quotes and looking for contradictions, I've discovered several instances of faulty knowledge that will suggest that the documentary overdramatizes the downfall of modern investigative journalism.

Here are two quotes that I find especially misinterpreted:

"Advertising market has turned upside down and the revenue has taken a hit." - Is this honestly as bad as it sounds? As the demand for advertising in print media rapidly declines, the demand for online advertising has risen dramatically. A change in mediums doesn't necessarily mean a change in the way advertising revenue is gained. Take a look at this screenshot I took of the Times' front page:

Notice the array of advertisements. In a single window, you can see ads for Marc Jacobs Eyewear, Times' Digital Subscriptions, Orange Savings Account, and Ameritrade. It's impossible to point to a decrease in advertisement revenue when the paper's front page is nearly half ad space. 

"And people will start asking, can we really trust The Times?" - I don't think anyone would even consider that question. Just yesterday, an Iran newspaper ran a news story from The Onion, believing it to be credible. Seriously? If someone, somewhere believes The Onion, then The Times has nothing to worry about. The Times is still the most reputable media outlet in the United States, and I find it hard to believe that anything will change that. 

"Experts" shouldn't be pushing aspiring journalists away from the industry. The rise in technology might make print newspaper less and less relevant, but that does not equate to the demise of journalism as a whole.

Maybe I am just defending my industry because I'm scared. Or maybe I am defending my industry because it's not dying.

Maybe it's only just begun.

A Life Worth Living

*This is a reflection paper I wrote for my Economics class at Duquesne University. I put this together after volunteering at Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank on Saturday. As a member of the Ratio learning community, I am required to do this twice, once in Southside and once in Northside. Then, after the service, I will work with my community to propose solutions to the problems facing the food bank, specifically regarding their additional services.*

When I left the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank on Saturday, I can’t exactly comprehend what I was feeling. One thing’s for sure; it was an odd mixture of overwhelming satisfaction and humbling sadness.

It’s unbelievably satisfying lending my time to helping those less fortunate. In high school, I would do little activities like bingo and library assistance, but nothing that had such a significant impact on people. The few hours we spent at the food bank were extremely personal. I actually got to have quick conversations with each and every person I was assisting.

As we were walking back to the line area, an older woman bumped her cart into a crack in the cement and all of her food scattered across the ground. She shrugged, smiled, and proceeded to retrieve her food (of course, we helped). That’s where the humbling sadness comes in.

These people have been through everything to end up with nothing. This woman ignores the negativity because it comes naturally to her. What kind of world have we built that lets this happen?

Before we walked to Southside, I stopped at Brueggers for an iced coffee. A seemingly unimportant event? Absolutely not. Thinking about it, I understand that I am blessed to have options. If I wanted a bagel with my coffee, there would be nothing stopping me.

It makes me feel like a bad person. It makes me want to give everything I have inside of me to helping those people on Saturday. I appreciate everything in my life. God, I wish everyone could be worry-free.

Going into Saturday’s volunteering, I fully expected to be disgusted at how ungrateful some of these people receiving the food are. I couldn’t have been more wrong. Everyone smiled. Everyone hoped. Everyone thanked.

I now realize that the ungrateful ones are us, the fortunate. I now realize that nothing breaks my heart more than seeing a child hold his mother’s hand while she gratefully accepts food from charitable hands.

If I could do this every day, I would. I absolutely loved helping out at the food bank. Nothing is more gratifying. But at the same time, I loathe selfishness. We are all on this Earth together. We are only as strong as our weakest. Why doesn’t anyone understand?

Songs of the Week #4

I have an unbelievable amount of work to do tonight, but I care about you so much that I will push that to the side for a moment to give you this week's songs.

Am I ready for the week ahead? No. There's too much to do and almost no time.

Am I excited for it? Absolutely. On Thursday, I'll have my very first article in The Duke. My very first college byline. Another milestone in the long, difficult path to achieving my dreams. Actually, the second "milestone" in the month of September. Last week, writer Jeff Pearlman (Sweetness: The Enigmatic Life of Walter Payton) complimented my work, specifically the short Steve Bartman column I penned for Media class.

That's when I realized: maybe, just maybe, the dream I've chosen isn't too unrealistic. Maybe I won't need a prayer to make this happen.

Sorry to ramble. You're just here for some kickin' tunes.

1. "Sad Sad City" by Ghostland Observatory. Sometimes, I think about strapping a bag to my back and hitchhiking to Austin, Texas. Every band I've ever raved about, seemingly, has roots in the Live Music Capital of the World. Add Ghostland Observatory to the already-extensive list. "Sad Sad City" combines the vocal range of The Limousines with the drums of every dance floor rock song ever made. Very catchy.



2. "Burn It All" by The Dean's List. I don't enjoy Lil Wayne, I barely find Wiz Khalifa appealing, and I hate cliche rap songs about drugs and partying (yes, I'm one of those "losers"). But "Burn It All" never stops putting a smile on my face. Does anyone know why? Perhaps it's because of the mesmerizing piano loop. "If this the good life, I'm aimin for a better one. You shootin for the stars, boy? You gon' need a better gun." Right?



3. "Gimme Sympathy" by Metric. Female vocalists...yummy. I'll admit, I was extremely naive in thinking that "Help, I'm Alive" was Metric's only good song. Listening to their discography this past week has been extremely enjoyable. "Gimme Sympathy" is now my favorite song that has the word "gimme" in it ("Gimme" by Donnis has been dethroned).

Songs of the Week #3

I'm a little sick right now, so bear with me. If this was a video blog, you would be very annoyed by my constant sniffles and coughs.

But it's not, so good evening friends. Did you enjoy that Steelers' win? I sure did. I wish I could say the same about the Pirates. I get to see them play the Brewers on Tuesday night, but at this point, I'd trade the tickets for a dime-bag of mixed salad greens, a box of toothpicks, and a broken-down shoebox.

No, seriously. I'm taking offers.

This week's songs feature an array of genres (as always), but with a similar, familiar sound: whistling.

1. "Young Folks" by Peter Bjorn and John. I heard this song years ago, around the same time I loved "Galvanize" by The Chemical Brothers and Green Day's version of "Working Class Hero." I will never stop whistling along, that's for sure. Peter Moren's vocals are like Brian Aubert's from Silversun Pickups: strange, but emotionally sensational.

2. "Home" by Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros. Going to see one of their shows has to be similar to watching a gang of hardcore hippies dance around a fire. Now give those hippies an acoustic guitar, a woman with one hell of a voice, and the ability to whistle; I bet they'll play this song. "Home is wherever I'm with you."

3. "Black Mr. Rogers" by Zeale. Fred Rogers was born in Latrobe, Pennsylvania. Zeale was in Pittsburgh on Thursday with Awolnation. Any connection? I don't think so. With that being said, @zeale (Twitter shout-out) spits his finest Texas verses over repeated whistles. He even throws in a JFK reference. What's not to love?

How the Media Ruined Steve Bartman's Life

It's been almost nine years since the incident.

The Cubs were playing the Marlins at Wrigley Field. It was the sixth game of the National League Championship Series, and Chicago fans were growing restless; restless of the green ivy in left field, restless of being the league's laughing stock, and restless of saying "maybe next year."

If something or someone was going to ruin their chances at winning a title, it wasn't going to end well for the offender. In this case, that "someone" was Steve Bartman.



Did he want to be the entire city's scapegoat? No. He did what every baseball fan would have done in that situation: he reached for a foul ball. It's almost instinctive. It's almost normal.

That's what the play should have been considered: normal. But instead, Bartman hasn't been seen in almost a decade. He didn't just buy a fake mustache from a gag store. He must have changed his name. He must have altered his identity, starting from scratch.

This could have been prevented.

Right after Bartman "stole" the ball out of the air from Moises Alou, ESPN violated the basic moral, unwritten rules of journalism. Even I, a freshman journalism student at Duquesne University, know that it's improper to victimize a fan. Instead of getting back to the action on the field, the station repeatedly flashed images of Bartman's face on the broadcast, allowing Cubs' fans to sharpen their pitchforks with a clear target in mind.

Instead of scrutinizing the Cubs' bullpen and defense for lack of effort, the media demonized Bartman, portraying him as the only reason the team failed to make it to the World Series again.

Now, nearly a century of mediocre baseball can be summarized by one man's face:

I don't blame Steve Bartman one bit for disappearing. If the media is against you, the viewers are against you. It's as simple as that. In this case, the viewers are a ruthless bunch of rough-and-tough Chicagoans; a symbol for hatred, a symbol for intolerance.

And who has led the movement to bring Steve into the public light again? Who has relentlessly begged for an interview? Who will cash in on his words? The media.

Bartman doesn't owe the media anything.

Songs of the Week #2

I can't believe tomorrow is September 10th. Football season is under way, baseball season is almost over, and Halloween isn't too far away. Oh, and Julian Routh is in his third week of college. Yes, college, and yes, I'm Julian Routh.

This week will be exhausting. Tuesday, I'll be on campus until nine for The Duke (Duquesne's student newspaper.) Wednesday, I'll be shadowing my sports editor at the men's soccer game until late hours of the evening. Thursday, I'll be at Altar Bar seeing Awolnation and Imagine Dragons with my buddy.

Did I mention that homework is piling up? I hate to say it, but that's the last of my worries.

Here are three songs to put on your IPod for the week ahead:

1. "No Faith in Brooklyn" by Hoodie Allen. Who is 23 years old, a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania, and a mesmerizing lyricist capable of captivating the masses with catchy pop verses? Hoodie Allen. This track should be illegal, considering every time I hum the chorus, I want to punch someone in the face. Such a good song, powered by clever lines and fueled by an overly-simplistic piano progression.


 2. "I'm Just Me" by Diamond Rings. One of those new-age jams with 80s-esque verses and loud, moshpit choruses. I'm impressed with how well this band can perfect a sound, and I'm shocked that this song hasn't been used on movie trailers. The lead singer looks like the frontman for Empire of the Sun, so they can't be all that bad, ey? I'll take full credit for this one. You're welcome, 105.9.


 3. "Penitentiary" by Houndmouth. In the past year, the charts have been overtaken by folk-inspired bands like Mumford and Sons and The Lumineers, and I must say, I have no idea why. That doesn't mean songs like "Penitentiary" shouldn't be popular, because Houndmouth has that Johnny Cash vibe that artists struggle to find.

Small Ball: Yankees must resort to basics

There's never a day when Yankees and Red Sox fans can sympathize with each other, but with the baseball gods as my witness, today is one of those special occasions.

Maybe 'sympathize' is a bad word. Perhaps relate is more suitable. Because let's face it, the Bombers' late August, early September collapse in the AL East looks a lot like last year's Red Sox cataclysm. 

As a Yankee fan, it's hard to digest the past few weeks. I'm not suggesting we storm the clubhouse and rummage for buckets of fried chicken and cases of Bud Light, but it might be time to re-examine the way the team has been coached this year. 

One of my professors at Duquesne, when speaking about our poor reading strategies, told our class, "those techniques might have worked in high school, but here, you won't have a chance." I'd like to tell Joe Girardi the same thing, but in regards to the team's "swing for the fences" mentality.

Yes, relying on unmitigated home run power can work for a few months, but it won't carry the squad to the playoffs.

Where's that simple, hit-and-run style of Charlie Manuel's championship-winning Phillies teams? Where's that Joe Torre-esque small ball that the Yankees utilized during the dynasty years? Nowhere to be found.

The Yankees have 27 more games to play, beginning with tonight's series finale against the Rays. If the last two nights are of any indication, tonight needs to be an explosive offensive showing from the Bombers, especially from the heart of the lineup (Granderson, Swisher, and Cano.) The bullpen has been progressively more unreliable, assuring that no lead is big enough.

Tonight is the night to get back on track. One game at a time, boys. One hit at a time, even if the ball doesn't clear the fence. 

Songs of the Week #1

School is in full swing. I'm in college now. Can you believe it? From experience, it's always good to have music to listen to in between classes. And for me, classes are separated by hours. So here are a few tracks to get you through the week.

(Okay, you caught me, it's actually going to be Tuesday tomorrow. The week has already started, but who's keeping track?)

1. "Remember Who You Are" by Living Legends. Fast verses with mesmerizing piano accompaniment. A positive message from some of the country's finest verse-spitters. "If you feel it, then love it."


2. "Thrift Shop" by Macklemore. If you have been around me at all the past few days, you know I'm crazy about this song. With a witty set of lyrics and a groovy beat, Macklemore knows how to bring a smile to your face over and over again. Goal for the week: make it to a thrift store.


3. "Headlights" by Morning Parade. I'm not sure what kind of emotions I'm supposed to feel while listening to this. The verses are sad, the chorus is enlightening, and the instrumentation is powerful. Oh well, it's good for walking far distances. I pop it on during the 10-minute gap between Psych and Writing on MWF.