"5 Star Final" reflection

    The film "5 Star Final" directed by Mervyn Leroy in 1931 is a dramatized commentary on the early years of the press, and how irresponsible reporting can have major consequences on the lives of people, especially when it comes to misinformation and slander.

    The film takes place in a struggling paper, "The New York Evening Gazette." It follows Joseph W. Randall, the managing editor of said paper, Randall decides that the best way to resurrect the paper is to dig up a 20-year-old murder case in order to stir up interest. This digging up has dire consequences, as it leads to the suicides of two people involved, Nancy Voorhees and Michael Townsend. Despite the ethical issues, 2 reporters from the gazette record the scene, and this leads to a snowball effect that tarnishes the reputation of Randall and the gazette as a whole.

Overall, I think this movie touches on many of the concepts we learnt about in class, one such being the use of yellow journalism. A lot of the issues with our victims and the press was the over-exaggeration of the story, as that was a key factor towards their demise.

Another I think was the greed of the Gazette, and Press Baron's pursuits of the best stories and moments, no matter who gets hurt or even killed in the process. The story of Nancy Vorhees is a tragic one, as it goes to show that lies can change a life.

I think the movie overall is an extreme example of Journalism malpractice, as the practices done by the reporters and editors at the Gazette are extremely out of line, and constitute as borderline illegal. 

While yes, Journalists do owe the people the truth, I feel as though it needs to be done in a manner that doesn't put others at risk, and will be seen as the generally right thing to do in context. 

I don't think the characters in this film considered this much, as the ethical choices made were extremely questionable.

Overall, I think "5-star Final" is a necessary cautionary tale when it comes to journalism ethics, and shows that no matter how bad the struggle is... there are better ways of making a quick buck then ruining the lives of others. 

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    

Shock and Awe Reflection

     How far are you willing to go for the truth? This question personifies Rob Reiner's 2017 film "Shock and Awe," where 4 reporters (Woody Harrelson, James Marsden, Reiner, Tommy Lee Jones) look to uncover what really happened with 9/11. 

    This story can be seen as especially harrowing for journalism as a whole, as the general malpractice around the country in the leadup to the Iraq war is infamous. 

    It follows the reporters at Knight Ridder, who's reporters at their Washington, DC bureau were some of the first to uncover what really went on within the Middle East, in the period after 9/11 and before the Iraq War.

    This came at a time where having the media in your pocket (especially as a politician), was as important as ever. This allowed President Bush to use support from the media in order to really ramp up talks of a war in Iraq, and while this was backed by other groups, Knight Ridder got to the bottom of it.

    The way the Knight Ridder reporters operate (at least in the film), is gutsy, secretive, and from what we can tell, not well liked by the government. This is not rare, however, as the media and government always have clashed during times of turmoil, usually over ethics.

    It starts with the government having sensitive or private information, and their race to keep it from the press, where it could have varying effects if it comes out. It's a fight between the media's job of being a public service to inform the public, and the government's job of keeping the public out of hysteria, and calm in times of war.

    The difference between the Knight Ridder journalists and other journalists boils down to one thing... compliance. While other journalists sat back and believed what the government told them, our heroic writers at Knight Ridder stood for what was right, and defied what the government told them, and in return, they were some of the only sources correct about Iraq.

    The Knight Ridder Journalists should be seen as the heroes of this story due to their sheer determination and drive to do what's right. 

    As for Parallels between the events depicted in the movie and today, there are a lot of similarities between our entry in Iraq, compared to our current illegal invasion of Iran. Both started due to misguided fear of weapons of mass destruction, despite limited proof that these weapons actually existed.

Overall, I think there is a lot that can be taken from the events that are depicted in the movie, especially as it compares to our country's current situation.

EOTO 3 Key Post

     There have been many legendary names in sports broadcast, however not many can say they've had a career as illustrious as Howard Cosell.

      Cosell was born Howard Cohen on March 25th, 1918, in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Shortly after, Howard, as well as his mother and father, moved to Brooklyn, New York, where he grew up, and eventually went off to college at New York University. While at NYU, he studied law and would eventually earn a degree (this is also where he changed his last name from Cohen to Cosell, to pay tribute to his Polish roots.) 

  While studying law, Cosell also took a liking to broadcast, specifically for sports. He started as an entertainment and sports lawyer after passing the bar in 1941 but quickly took a break to fight in WW2 from 1942 to 1942, where he would be honorably discharged with the rank of major.

    Despite having this steady job, Cosell never gave up on his dream to become a sportscaster, and in 1953, he finally broke into radio.

    Howard's first radio show involved little league baseball players getting a chance to ask questions to major league players. While it was a small show, it gave Cosell the start and confidence he needed to break into the industry.

He hosted this show for 3 years (mostly without pay), then decided to take the biggest swing of his career, leaving behind his law practice and deciding that broadcast would be his full-time career. After leaving the little league show, Cosell approached ABC executives, and with the backing of a sponsor, his weekly show "Speaking of Sports," was born.

    "Speaking of Sports" was only the tip of the iceberg for Cosell, who's career would skyrocket in the 60's and 70's. Cosell was brought on to be the pre-game show host for the expansion team Mets, as well as becoming an anchor at WABC-NY.

    One of Cosell's most famous tidbits is his genuine devotion to race relations in sports, as well as his relationship with Muhammad Ali. Cosell started as just someone who covered Ali, but thanks to their chemistry, as well as Cosell's relentless support of Ali, who had been under fire for changing his birth name, as well as being stripped for refusing to fight in Vietnam

    In 1970, Cosell was hired to be the lead voice of one of the biggest breakthroughs in nationally televised sports, that being the first edition of Monday Night Football. Along with former players Don Meredith and Frank Gifford, Cosell's "tell it how it is" style really took center stage, and it led to the success of this program. 

    Cosell did Monday Night Football until 1983, where he got into controversy. Cosell had referred to Washington Redskins wide receiver Alvin Garrett as a "little monkey." Despite having called players this in the past, including white players, as well as being defended by players and colleagues (including Garrett himself), he left MNF.

    After leaving Monday Night Football, he published his novel "I Never Played the Game" in 1985, which was met with controversy due to his portrayal of certain people in the industry. After MNF, Cosell returned to radio until 1992, where after being diagnosed with lung cancer, he retired.

    Cosell passed from a cardiac embolism in 1995, but the legacy he left will live on forever. He has been inducted into many halls of fame, including but not limited to the broadcast and Jewish halls. Howard Cosell was a hard-working, funny icon, and his legacy lives on in the sports personalities today.  

Sports Journalism History

    Journalism and sports have always had a connection, even in the early days of sports, where sports boiled down to simple things people could do to entertain themselves or gamble with others. The most popular early sporting events were the Olympics in Greece, where different stats and accomplishments for the time were written in poetry form.

    The current basis for sports journalism really came into shape during the 1800's, where journalists would write about events such as boxing and horseracing, and place it besides politics, giving people a needed distraction considering how much politics ruled the space at this time

    The first sports-centered newspaper, "The Sporting Magazine," was published in 1803 in London, covering the sports that ruled the medium at this time, like boxing and horse racing, as well as cricket, which is one of the many sports that would find its footing in the 1800's

    Around the late 1800's, team sports started to gain popularity in the US, starting with baseball, that has gained the moniker "America's Pastime." In the years to follow, baseball would gain more and more media traction, with radio broadcasts and TV eventually coming later. 

    So now fast forward to today, where sports is a permanent part of most people's routines, whether it comes to playing, watching, or just conversating, media and journalism play a big part in how people consume their sports knowledge. 

EOTO POST

     In the history of Journalism and writing, no type of writing has stood the test of time like "yellow journalism," and we have men like William Randolph Hearst to thank for this, helping create a new style of Journalism through his paper "The New York Journal."

    Hearst was born in 1863 in San Francisco, California to his father George and Mother Phoebe. He was set up for success at an early age, as not only was his father a state Senator, he also owned a gold mine, meaning Hearst grew up with money, which was extremely beneficial for the time. 

Hearst then went to Harvard, which while it was an extreme accomplishment back then, he squandered it, getting expelled for throwing large parties and having disagreements with teachers. This did not deter young Hearst however, as he went into the publishing game, and his success was imminent.

He took over the "San Francisco Examiner," a paper that was bought by his father in 1880 and took it to greatness. Once William took over in 1887, the paper began to make a comeback, mostly due to Hearst's style of writing. The Examiner is still around today

Hearst's style of "yellow journalism" had become popular, as it is a way of writing exaggerated pieces, that may keep readers more interested. Pair that with the goal of trying to hit every demographic, and Hearst, along with his biggest competitor Joseph Pulitzer, became titans of the industry. While the examiner became popular, Hearsts real success came in the big Apple.

    In 1895 Hearst bought the New York City Morning Journal, and just like he did with the Examiner, turned it into an extremely successful paper​, taking it worldwide and competing with Joseph Pulitzer for the biggest empire in New York. He rebranded it to just the "New York Journal," and rocked New York with yellow Journalism

    The Journal became such an important cog in the bustling city that was New York, as Hearst became an icon, the paper became truly other-worldly. The Journal was reaching other continents, one of the first of its kind. Hearst was so famous that the classic move, Citizen Kane, is roughly based on Hearst.

    But like all good things, Hearsts run came to an end, with the depression being a big factor towards him selling most of his shares, and disappearing into obscurity

    While Hearst stayed private until his death in 1951, his reputation and legacy proceeds him, as one of the greatest minds in journalism we've ever seen.

Me in 500 Words

Growing up, I knew what I wanted to do, I just didn't know how I was going to get there, or where this passion would take me. Growing up in New York, I loved sports from an early age due to not only general interest, but also through my father, as watching and playing sports was a good way for us to become as close as we are now. But he isn't the only person who's shaped this journey. 

I went to Catholic school pretty much my whole life, and that kept me with the same 15 friends my whole life, and that has stretched to now, where these are still people who mold the way I live life, and have always been there for me, through good and bad. 

 

While my life so far has been pretty normal, I have strived to always improve myself day by day, whether it's through hard work, or just giving myself time to let off some steam, I feel as though the good and bad have gotten me to where I am.  

 

I’ve always been pretty invested in helping people, which is why over the years I’ve taken up many different pastimes in order to fulfill this goal, including but not limited to helping out at my local church, as well as food banks and soup kitchens 

 

My love for sports had lead me to play for the first few years of my schooling, and while I was never the best, I always had a great time bonding with my friends and father, and of course feeling the sweet and savory taste of winning, a sentiment I’m sure I share with others. 

 

So that brings me to around my 6th grade year, when I realized that while playing sports isn't a sustainable goal, there may be something in the sports realm that is, which is why I told myself I wanted to major in sports media in College. 

 

So High School went by, and while it was stressful at times, I still enjoyed most of my time with friends in high school, and I was ready to go off into the real world, and make my mark in college 

 

So, I commit to high point, and this decision would prove to be a great one, as not only have a made great friends here, through my fraternity and other endeavors, but I also have been able to successfully find ways to progress in my major... well, majors 

 

After a couple weeks at High Point, I decided to become a double major, and also commit to journalism. One of my biggest strengths is my writing capabilities, and there was no better way to hone that even more, than to pick up journalism as a second major. 

 

So, While I know my journey is far from over, I know that what has brought me towards this point is still going to continue to support me, and for that I’m forever grateful