Supreme Court Nom not child of Immigrants

NAHJ: Avoid Confusion on Sotomayor

The nomination of Judge Sonia Sotomayor of the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit appears to have caused some confusion among members of the media and news consumers.

The National Association of Hispanic Journalists would encourage news organizations to avoid any confusion over Judge Sotomayor's ethnic background. To be factually correct, her Puerto Rican parents are not immigrants, as some journalists have reported, since island-born residents are U.S. citizens conferred by an act of Congress in 1917. People who move to the U.S. mainland from Puerto Rico are no more immigrants than those who move from Nebraska to New York.

Sotomayor's nomination to replace Justice David H. Souter represents the possibility of the first Latino sitting on the nation's highest court. As the debate over her qualifications develops, NAHJ would encourage the highest form of discourse.

For any questions, contact NAHJ Executive Director at (202) 662-7178, iroman@nahj.org.

NEWS: Alumni Try to Rewrite History on College Newspaper Web Sites

From the Chronicle of Higher Education:

From the issue dated May 15, 2009

Alumni Try to Rewrite History on College-Newspaper Web Sites

By STEVE KOLOWICH

When Nickie Dobo wrote a column in 2003 for her college newspaper — The Daily Collegian at Pennsylvania State University — decrying the "hook-up culture" on the campus, she never expected it to resurface years later in an attack on her professional credibility.

But that's what happened when Ms. Dobo, now a reporter for the York Daily Record in Pennsylvania, came under criticism by a white-supremacist group. A member of the group posted a link to her hook-up essay in an online forum and ridiculed her standing as a serious journalist.

Disturbed that an article she wrote as a college student could be turned against her in moments with a Google search on her name, Ms. Dobo contacted The Daily Collegian and asked if it would essentially "hide" the article on the paper's Web site so it would be less prominent in any search results.

"I'm an education reporter, so I do a lot with schools and kids," Ms. Dobo said. "It just didn't make me look like a professional." But the editor declined to make the change.

Many college papers report similar incidents. As the papers have begun digitizing their back issues, their Web sites have become the latest front in the battle over online identities. Youthful activities that once would have disappeared into the recesses of a campus library are now preserved on the public record, to be viewed with skeptical eyes by an adult world of colleagues and potential employers. Alumni now in that world are contacting newspapers with requests for redaction. For unlike Facebook profiles — that other notable source of young-adult embarrassment — the ability to remove or edit questionable content in these cases is out of the author's hands.

'No Legal Reason'
When Terrence J. Casey, then the Collegian's editor, got Ms. Dobo's request, he referred to a policy put in place by previous editors: The Daily Collegian does not remove any editorial content from its Web site. However, if there is a factual inaccuracy in a story, the editors will run a correction or an update as needed.

Lyle, a graduate of Emory University who asked that his last name be withheld because he is in the military, got pretty much the same response from The Emory Wheel, where he served as opinion editor for three years before graduating in 2005 and joining the Marine Corps. Lyle had sounded off on domestic politics, the wars, and economic policy in a column that is preserved in the paper's Web archives. "If any of my Marines were to end up Googling me, I'd feel uncomfortable with them knowing my own politics," he said. "As a rule, politics and the military don't mix."

Policies forbidding revisions in the absence of provable factual errors are generally derived from similar policies at professional newspapers and rooted in lofty principles. "Newspapers are used to document history as it happens, and we consider ourselves historians of the State College community," says Mr. Casey. "So for us to remove any information would be, in essence, altering Penn State's history."

Aside from journalistic stands against changing history, "there's certainly no legal reason to do it," says Adam J. Goldstein, a lawyer with the Student Press Law Center. Lawsuits are sometimes threatened, he says, but rarely carried out.

One notable exception came in 2007, when the Cornell University alumnus Kevin G. Vanginderen, a lawyer, sued the Cornell Chronicle, which is a university-run publication, over a newly digitized article from 1983. The article reported that he had been charged with burglary while a student at Cornell. Mr. Vanginderen found the article after Googling his name and claimed that its new presence online was causing him "mental anguish" and "loss of reputation." But a California judge threw out the case after determining the report to be accurate.

The 'Human Factor'
But while there may not be any legal or "journalistic" reason to indulge these redaction requests, Mr. Goldstein allows that "sometimes things are more complicated than journalism." There is, as he puts it, a "human factor."

"It's fair to weigh the value of this information as public record versus the humiliation it's going to cause that individual," he says. "Journalism makes that accommodation all the time — when it doesn't list the name of a rape victim or doesn't publish the name of a minor."

With Web publishing, the stakes are far higher than they were when old issues of student newspapers would disappear into the depths of the university library. And while college newspapers strive to uphold professional codes, some editors are willing to be flexible. It is college, after all.

"At the very least we can create an environment where they can experiment and learn, and not be strung up completely when they make a mistake," says Michael King, editor of the student newspaper at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, who says he is amenable to requests from former contributors.

Amy Ledig, editor in chief of The Mac Weekly at Macalester College, recently capitulated to a plea for redaction from a woman who feared her comments in an article about underage drinking would cast a pall over her job applications. "I'm a little torn about it," Ms. Ledig said, "but at the same time, I don't feel the need to torpedo her job chances, and the story was fine without her quote."

The University of Pittsburgh's Pitt News was getting four or five calls a week last spring from nervous seniors before it decided to simply stop publishing the local police blotter. That column frequently named students in underage drinking, public intoxication, and fake-ID offenses.

Katelyn Polantz, departing editor in chief, did sympathize with the students. "People make mistakes in college," she says, "and if you're unlucky enough to make a mistake on campus and be caught by campus police, why should that stick with your searchable personal data forever, while an arrest that happened 10 feet away by the city police wouldn't matter?" Still, she declined to take down archived blotters.

Some student papers, like The University Daily Kansan, of the University of Kansas, have found a middle way by "darkening" certain pages to Web searches. Mr. Goldstein, the Student Press Law Center lawyer, recently suggested this compromise to the Kansan's editor, Brenna Hawley. He says the process is technically straightforward and involves manipulating the page's metatags — data embedded in the page's coding — in such a way that the document stays online, but search engines such as Google do not index it.

"I thought that would be better than kind of like sticking it to [the alum] and saying the paper is always right and we can publish anything on the Web we want," says Ms. Hawley. "There's no reason to ... when we have a way to make it so we please both parties."

That might not completely resolve alumni worries. Brian Farkas, historian and former editor of Vassar's Miscellany News, said several years ago the editors agreed to "darken" an article, and the employer still found it after sifting through the paper's Web site. "I think it would be naïve for alumni to think that employers won't look beyond a simple Google search," he says.

Owning the Past
While most editors said they had not noticed a significant difference in whether students are more reluctant to submit letters or talk to reporters, many said they could definitely envision it becoming difficult to wrangle commentary from students as the immortality of online newspaper content becomes more widely appreciated. But should job-seeking students and alumni really be so concerned about what a prospective employer might dig up in old articles?

Not really, says Anita C. Ervin, lead senior recruiter for Linde North America Inc. and a 35-year veteran of corporate recruiting. An unpolished résumé or inarticulate cover letter is far more likely to cost someone a job, she says: "I don't care what you did before, I care what you can do for me right now."

Helen Hong, college-relations manager for the health-insurance giant Wellpoint, says the degree of damage an unflattering article might inflict on a career probably depends on the type of career a student or graduate is hoping for. Creative industries tend not to care too much, Ms. Hong says, but some corporations, law firms, and political organizations might. The important thing, she says, is that applicants be prepared to explain themselves if the subject of one of these articles comes up in an interview.

Owning their online legacies — rather than trying to kick dirt over them — is what students and alumni should focus on, says Bryan S. Murley, an assistant professor of journalism at Eastern Illinois University and director for innovation at the Center for Innovation in College Media. "The solution to me is not to try to erase the past, but to correct it with better work in the present."

Mr. Murley contends the best way to dilute old, embarrassing Web content is to publish new, positive Web content. "If the first thing that comes up on a Google search is something they did in college because they haven't done anything since college, then they should participate more in the online conversation," he says. "Hopefully five or 10 years from now, people won't be so worried about this, because everybody will have their Internet trail, and it will become more acceptable."

http://chronicle.com
Section: Information Technology
Volume 55, Issue 36, Page A1

Hispanic Journalists to Media: Stop Blaming Immigrants

http://www.nahj.org/from the National Association of Hispanic Journalists:

NAHJ Calls for Truth and Fairness in Swine Flu Coverage

News Media Should Resist Baseless Blame of Immigrants as it Covers a Possible Pandemic

Washington, DC – The National Association of Hispanic Journalists called on the media on Wednesday to be fair and prudent when covering the spread of swine flu in the U.S. and around the world, and resist the portrayal of Mexican immigrants as scapegoats for the possible pandemic.

The following is a statement from the NAHJ Board of Directors:

“We have come to expect immigrant bashing from the usual suspects – commentators who use purposefully inflammatory rhetoric to seek attention and to suit their agenda. And they haven’t disappointed, now using the swine flu as cause to decry immigration and immigrants. Immigrants, of course, have long been favorite and convenient scapegoats for some for everything from high taxes to infectious diseases. Facts haven’t much mattered.

But we trust that credible journalists will cover what is undeniably a big national story with more fairness and accuracy than we are hearing from these talking heads. We would ask that these stories be written as if facts did matter. Because they do.

The temptation even in more credible media, we know, will be to link Mexican immigrants with the spread of the disease to the United States. The consequence of too much of this will be even more anger – and perhaps even more violence – against a community no more responsible for the spread of this ailment than U.S. tourists returning from scenic, balmy vacations.

There are more than 4,000 flights per week from the United States to Mexico. Mexicans are not the only people on those flights. About 80 percent of visitors to Mexico in 2008 came from the United States.

The Mexican immigrant community in the United States is a part of this story. But not in such narrow fashion as we’re hearing at the moment. This community is as fearful of the swine flu’s spread as anyone else. Viruses strike regardless of where you were born. And, please remember, the fear is not just for themselves but for family members and friends still in Mexico.

The World Health Organization is raising its alert from Level 4 to Level 5, an action that will cause further temptation to overreact. If the swine flu becomes a true pandemic, we ask simply that the news industry do its job. That would be covering the story, not in the breathless fashion of the talking heads, but as a story as needful of truth, fairness, accuracy and balance as any other important story. In fact, the bigger the story, the more it needs these attributes.

With such stories as this, the news media can be part of the solution or part of the problem.”

Founded in 1984, NAHJ's mission is to increase the percentage of Latinos working in our nation's newsrooms and to improve news coverage of the Latino community. NAHJ is the nation's largest professional organization for Latino journalists with more than 2,300 members working in English and Spanish-language print, photo, broadcast and online media. NAHJ is a 501 (c)(3) tax-exempt non-profit organization. For more information, visit http://www.nahj.org/.

Free College Day!

Today is the Free College Day at JCCC celebrating the college's 40th anniversary. I'm teaching a class, "Citizen Media or How to be one of those Bloggers."

This is an example of a post with a hyperlink and an image.

NEWS: Hodge's Power Point

Video courtesy of Cameron Fletcher of The Campus Ledger

Trustee Benjamin Hodge continued his efforts to challenge the Board of Trustees, JCCC President Terry Calaway and College Attorney Mark Ferguson on Kansas Open Meetings Act (KOMA) violations.

Read The Campus Ledger coverage of the alleged KOMA violations here (March 12) and here (April 13).

During the Petitions and Communications section of the board's monthly meeting, Hodge called for Trustees Lyn Mitchelson and Shirley Brown VanArsdale to step down from the leadership of the board. Unlike the last meeting in March, Ferguson, Calaway and the other trustees chose not to respond to Hodge.

Allotted 5 minutes to make his case, Hodge vowed to continue his PowerPoint presentation at the next board meeting. However, video provided by The Campus Ledger shows Hodge's presentation goes on for almost double the allotted time.

Before Hodge's presentation, trustees approved granting domestic partner benefits to full time employees. In 2006, the board approved adding sexual orientation to the college's non-discrimination policy and Student Code of Conduct.

Other board actions are listed in the Board of Trustee Summary posted on the college's electronic mail server, Infolist.

From: InfoList
Sent: Wednesday, April 15, 2009 6:49 PM
To: InfoList
Subject: [infolist] Trustee meeting summary

On April 15 the JCCC board of trustees met for their regular monthly meeting, immediately followed by a budget workshop. Trustee Jon Stewart was unable to attend.

Awards and recognition

The board welcomed the president and staff members from University College of the North, Manitoba, Canada, who are on campus to look at the college’s partnership with Burlington Northern Santa Fe and other learning opportunities.
Dr. Sean Daley, assistant professor, anthropology, was recognized for the work he has done with and for Native American populations.
JCCC’s men’s basketball team and women’s half-marathon team were honored for winning national championships. The volleyball team was recognized for being second in the national tournament.
The Nerman Museum has seen an increase in visitors of more than 18 percent in the first three months of the year, from 14,495 in 2008 to 17,239 in 2009.

Actions taken

· The board approved the treasurer’s report.

· The board approved clinical affiliate agreements for students in health care professions programs.

· The board approved new classes in animation, anthropology, biology, web, English, physical education, journalism, mathematics and psychology and a new career certificate in animation and game art.

· The board approved a proposal from HMN Architects, Inc., for architectural services and associated subconsultant services for the Health Services Educational Center at Olathe Medical Center, in an amount not to exceed 5.75 percent of the guaranteed maximum price construction cost. The estimated cost for architectural services is approximately $723,750, plus usual and customary reimbursable expenses.

· The board approved the lowest acceptable bids of $36,533.70 from All Sun Plus and $99,651.75 from Alexander Open Systems for Cisco equipment to be used in the Billington Library data closets to upgrade and improve network speed and reliability.

· The board approved several recommendations regarding employee benefits.

o A flex benefit amount of $1,189.88 a month for each full-time position to be used to cover the costs of benefits within the flex benefit plan. Fixed flex credit funding does not increase from FY 2008-2009.

o A contribution equal to 7 percent of each full-time, benefit-eligible staff member’s base salary to his or her individual 403(b) account, effective June 1, 2009.

o Employee group medical insurance with BCBS of KC for a period beginning June 1, 2009, through May 31, 2010. Monthly subscriber rates will not exceed, for single, $465.15 Blue-Care HMO and $836.40 for Preferred Care PPO; for an employee and one dependent, $852.88 for Blue-Care and $1,538.18 for Preferred Care; and for family, $1,169.29 Blue-Care and $2,035.05 Preferred Care. The rates represent a 5.5 percent increase in premiums and include domestic partner coverage

o Employee group CDC managed care dental insurance with Cigna Health Care for a period beginning June 1, 2009, through May 31, 2010. Monthly subscriber rates are, for single, $24.76; for an employee and one dependent, $50.23; and for family, $77.40. These rates represent a 6 percent increase in premiums and include domestic partner coverage.

o Employee group Passive PPO dental insurance with Delta Dental for a period beginning June 1, 2009, through May 1, 2010. Monthly subscriber rates are, for singles, $32.64; for an employee and one dependent, $63.73; and for family, $113.21. These rates represent a 4.75 percent increase in premiums and include domestic partner coverage.

o Employee group vision insurance with Vision Service Plan (VSP) for a period beginning June 1, 2009, through May 31, 2010. Monthly subscriber rates are, for single, $15.32; for an employee and one dependent, $22.37; and for family coverage, $40.12. There is no increase in the rates this year compared to last year.

o Provision of employee group life insurance with Sun-Life of Canada for a period beginning June 1, 2009, through May 31, 2010. Monthly rates are $.255/per $1,000 of insurance for Basic Life, $.195/per $1,000 of insurance for Optional Life, $.02/per $1,000 of insurance for Basic and Contributory AD&D; and for dependent life insurance at a monthly subscriber rate not to exceed $3.03 per month. There is no increase in the rates this year compared to last year.

· The board also approved the annual renewal of the contract for administration of the college’s flexible spending account program with Cafeteria Plan Administrators LLC at a total annual expenditure not to exceed $55,000.

· The board also approved bids for an Internet protocol (IP) addressing system, to replace the floors in the Commons dining area, and for a project portfolio management solution for Information Services.

Budget workshop

Four trustees reviewed the college’s proposed 2009-2010 budget of $134,254,187, which is 6 percent lower than the 2008-2009 budget of $142,917,552. The budget was built on these assumptions:

We’d see a 4 percent decrease in assessed valuation from the county, a 13 percent decrease in monies from the state and a 3 percent increase in enrollment.
There will be no increase in the mill levy this year.
There will be a $4 increase in cost per credit hour for in-state students and a $10 increase for out-of-state students.
There will be no increase in staffing.
There was no increase in operation budget (except for expenses, like utilities, that are difficult to control). Capital budgets were based on need.
Students presented a proposal for a “green” fee that would be assessed students to support sustainability initiatives. One collar of the tuition increase will be used for this purpose.

The board will approve the college’s 2009-2010 management budget at the May board meeting and the legal budget in August.

Next meeting

The next meeting of the JCCC board of trustees is at 5 p.m. May 21 in the Hugh W. Speer Board Room, 137 GEB. Board of trustee meetings are open to the public. For more details, see a copy of the board packet at http://www.jccc.net/home/depts.php/000001/site/BoardMeetingInfo/JCCCBoardReports