What Makes A Fair and Balanced News Story?

I was a Communications major in college, and that included courses on journalism.  With all the attention given today to "fake news," I thought I should try to state in simple terms how to discern the difference between a good news story and a poorly written news story.

A good journalist will verify the information of his or her story before publishing it. A major source of misinformation today is on social media. Many people simply repost something they see without verifying whether it's correct information or not. They see something that they agree with, whether it's true or not, so that's good enough for them to go ahead and repost even though it may be false information. This is how false rumors get spread. There is more misinformation being spread around on social media than accurate information.

I think it's a real problem that the news outlets focus on their commentators more than hard news.  It blends opinion with fact and many people can't tell the difference.  All of the major news outlets are guilty of this. It's all based on marketing. Media outlets do a tremendous amount of research to find out what their viewers, listeners and readers want to see, read or hear and that's what they publish or broadcast. It keeps them coming back, thus they can charge higher commercial rates. If you think you're getting the political philosophy you want, the reality is you're getting a dose of marketing that is aimed at you to keep you reading or watching. It's the same on social media; those websites gather information about you and your interests so they can target advertising. So, the more you read or post angry political rants, repost false information, or threaten to unfriend someone, the more marketers are gathering information about you to target their advertising. Someone (not me) is even keeping track of the fact that you're reading this blog!

In my journalism classes, I learned the importance of being objective in writing a story and to use the "five W's and an H."   Within the story, they ask the questions, "who, what, where, why, when and how, and how?"  You need to give both sides of a view, whether you agree or not.  Otherwise it's not balanced. You should identify sources and identify speakers when quoting them. If the author of the news story states his or her own opinion, then the story is no longer objective.

Below are clips of two stories that I took from USA Today.  After each one, I am giving my review of how objective they are. The first one is a short story:

In this story, the "who" is the student, "what" is what he did, "where" is the school in Florida, "why" is because he is in court being charged with murder, "when" are these events happening and "how," by the actions of a judge. The story does not offer an opinion. It simply states what the judge was doing according to Florida state law. This is a classic example of how a short news story should be written.

The next news clips posted here deal with the controversy involved in this situation. I am not posting the entire news story because it's very long, but just some pertinent parts to describe how this story is written:

In the first paragraph, we see terms such as "political firestorm" and "bloody rampage" being used. While it's hard for anyone to dispute that a mass shooting is bloody, and presumably everyone would agree that the gun debate is a political firestorm, the fact is that these terms do offer an opinion by the authors of the story. The media uses adjectives such as these to create excitement in a story, instill emotion, and ultimately sell the newspaper that it is written in.

The next paragraph includes the Five W's and an H that are part of a news story. It is the basic information of what the story is all about.

The third paragraph gives a description of what the Parkland students did. That continues for several more paragraphs down to where it describes what was happening in Washington at the same time in the Senate.

Then the paragraph after that describes what was happening with the opposite side of the political date by the NRA, the National Rifle Association.

You will see statements given on both sides of the debate, with quotes by students or representatives of each side. The authors do give fair treatment to both sides of the issue by including these quotes. If one side refused to be quoted, then the author should state that an attempt was made but that they declined to comment.

Outdoor Wedding Tips

I am often asked to officiate outdoor weddings. Outdoor weddings are very popular. As someone who has officiated well over a hundred outdoor weddings, I think any bride and groom would be well advised to take into consideration an alternative if the conditions don't meet the needs for them and for their guests on their wedding day. You can't control the environment outside. I have been to outdoor weddings where it's been windy, a little bit of rain, an impending thunderstorm, hot in the sun, cold, a lot of bugs, and other factors. Most golf clubs, resorts, and party houses that regularly host weddings usually have an indoor location ready in case the weather turns bad before the ceremony starts.

While rainy or stormy weather would be an obvious reason to move the ceremony indoors, any couple should seriously take into consideration that their guests might be uncomfortable if the conditions are not right for other reasons. For example, I've done weddings where the couple making their vows are in the shade, but I see guests, especially older guests such as grandparents in the first row, sweating in the hot sun. If the wedding does not start on time for some reason, that means these people are sitting in the hot sun for an even longer time. Sometimes the wind is a bit too much; I've had at least a couple brides have their veils blown off in the wind. String quartets and other musicians have a difficult time keeping their music sheets in place when it's windy. I've seen arbors blown over in the wind. I've been to places where there are so many bugs that the couple and/or their guests spent most of the ceremony trying to fan them away.

Outdoor weddings are definitely beautiful. But when you choose a wedding venue, I would advise you to not just look at the outside, but also take a look at the inside to see what it would be like if you actually have to move indoors if the conditions are not favorable. If you like the view from whatever outdoor spot you pick, take a look and see if the venue has the same or similar view from an indoor spot such as behind a large window from where you are standing. If you're getting married in a colder season, consider a venue that has a heated porch with a nice view. That way you can still be married outdoors and have a great view, but you and your guests won't be freezing.

Wherever you choose to have your wedding, make sure you are as happy with an inside alternative location as you are with the outside. On the wedding day, be flexible and be willing to move indoors if the conditions don't meet the needs of you and your guests.


----------------------
Paul Pakusch
Upstate Wedding Bells, www.UpstateWeddingBells.com 

Insomnia in Older People

Originally written in 2012

It's 4:30 AM as I started this article and I've already been up for an hour. Insomnia has hit me frequently through my adult life and I wonder if it's going to get worse as I continue to get older. I've often heard that older people don't sleep as well. I have one friend, well into his seventies, who has described ways of passing the time while tossing and turning in his bed. One is to recite the names of New York's Finger Lakes going west to east, and then he will reverse the order, east to west. I'm not sure if he does this truly to pass the time, or if it's a way to lull himself to sleep, similar to counting sheep.

My issues of insomnia go back to the days when our first daughter, Kristi was born. Mary and I tried to share overnight duties at first, taking turns handling Kristi when she was up crying at night. The problem I ran into is that I could never get back to sleep again once Kristi was settled, whereas Mary would fall asleep rather quickly. In addition to my sleep issues, Mary realized that she was usually awake the whole time I was taking care of Kristi just because, as a new mom, she wanted to know what was going on. We finally came to the conclusion that she might as well be the one to take care of Kristi at night. I was the one who had to get up for work and she was on maternity leave, so she could easily sleep into the day or take naps if necessary.

That did not put an end to my insomnia. For about 15 years I worked a very early morning shift and had to be up anywhere from 3:30 to 5:00 AM. Bedtime was a reasonable 8:30 PM or so. I would go through cycles where I'd wake up around 1:30 AM and not be able to get back to sleep. A pattern arose: After trying for an hour or so to get back to sleep, I'd know it's fruitless so I might as well get up and do something. There's not a whole lot you can do in the middle of the night without waking other people in the house, so I'd often watch TV, play on the computer or read. Often around a half hour or so before I'd need to be up for work, my body would feel ready to sleep again. Then it became a struggle to fight the urge to stay asleep when the alarm rang. I'd get ready for work, go to work and get an hour-long nap in during my lunch break at 9:00 AM. Yes, lunch at 9:00 AM. That's the life of working crazy hours in the TV business. The day would end at 1:30 or 2:30 PM. I tried all sorts of ways to get into a reliable sleep schedule, including regularly staying up until 10:30 or 11:00 PM, sleeping solidly until the alarm rang, but then taking a one- or two-hour nap in the afternoon. It didn't work very well; it usually left me feeling extremely "spacey" through the evening.

Then I switched to the evening shift, which usually started around 2:30 or 3:00 PM. This shift was much more compatible for me. Getting home from work around midnight, I never felt like going to bed right away so I usually watched TV for an hour or two first. I did have insomnia while on the evening shift; I might sleep four or five hours and then wake up. The difference was I could take a long nap in the late morning, then wake up and feel refreshed rather than "spacey."

Why would this matter? It all has to do with the circadian rhythm. I went to a sleep specialist and did a lot of research on circadian rhythms. According to the National Institutes of Health, circadian rhythms "are produced by natural factors within the body, but they are also affected by signals from the environment. Light is the main cue influencing circadian rhythms, turning on or turning off genes that control an organism’s internal clocks." They change sleep-wake cycles, hormone release, body temperature, and other functions. Light and dark are primary factors in determining the body's internal clock. More melatonin is released at night, helping you get to sleep and affects the various stages of sleep.

According to the National Sleep Foundation, insomnia is the most common sleep complaint among Americans. Their website lists many causes and reasons for insomnia with a long list of suggestions for getting over insomnia. In reading it, I have to conclude that I'm not very consistent in my bedtimes even today, when I work a "normal" shift of 7 AM to 4 PM. I can't help but wonder if it's just that I need to work hard at being consistent.

Back to the question of whether insomnia gets worse as we age, as I scan various websites on aging and insomnia, the general consensus seems to be that yes, insomnia can get worse. The reasons include medicinal side effects, other health problems, and taking overly long naps during the day that affect our circadian rhythms.

Sterling Renaissance Festival

After years of both of us putting it off, Stacey and I finally visited Sterling, NY for the annual Renaissance Festival.  Yesterday was the last day of the season.

I had planned on wearing my kilt, and Stacey had a dress that she was going to wear.  But when we woke up to thunderstorms in the area and a forecast of high humidity, we both decided to wear cool street clothes.

The setting is Warwick, England in 1585.  The website (www.sterlingfestival.com) describes the realm as "Tucked within a luscious forest, surrounded by a sea of rolling green, hides the village of Warwick, England. You’ll find that people are spirited and the grounds are especially well-kept—particularly on the eve of the Queen’s arrival.  Come and explore this majestic, boisterous celebration set upon more than 35 acres of untouched land." There are plenty of shows, artisans, food, shops and music.  Guests and workers alike dress in period costumes, and guests can rent or buy costumes on site if they wish.

We watched a musical performance by Empty Hats at the Merchant's Bend Stage, a group of singers and musicians performing Celtic music. After walking through the village to see what else was on the premises, we walked down to the Grotto Stage to be entertained by an "R" rated performance of Filthy Irish Stories, told by "Churchyard" O'Shea.  He wasn't kidding when he joked that we wouldn't expect to see that kind of humor at this festival. But they did warn us to keep kids away.

I then tried my luck with archery; I don't recall doing it since grammar school, and I thought I did pretty good!  I had 12 arrows and I actually hit the bull's eye with one of them!  After walking around some more, we stopped at the Rose and Crown Tavern for lunch.

We sat down at the Swan Stage to watch an "opera" by the Da Vinci Brothers.  It's a comedy where the audience does the sound effects and acts out the show. The next thing I knew, I was called upon to be one of the actors in the skit called "Go Figaro."  I played the part of Viva De Las Vegas.

Then we went to the Festival Stage to watch a show featuring Judas and Magnolia, a husband and wife team of escape artists.

Late in the afternoon, with a thunderstorm approaching, we decided it was time to head back home.

Dashcam Adventures 1

Since I do a lot of driving for both the school district, my marching bands, and my wedding officiant business, I'm always witnessing a lot of bad driving habits.  Drivers on their cell phones, passing the red lights of school buses, speeding, not using turn signals, using lanes and shoulders inappropriately, cutting each other off, racing to beat red lights, and more.  While I do not have access to the video recordings on my school bus, I do have my own dash cam.  This video is a compilation of a lot of situations I happened to catch.

People are so impatient.  There's a lot of speeding out there and I captured some of it on my dash cam.  I generally drive pretty close to the speed limit, so when you see my video of someone speeding, you'll get a perspective of how much over the speed limit they are going.  Both in my school bus and in my own personal vehicle, people cross double yellow lines to pass me.

This summer I had a kindergarten student on Manitou Road in Ogden.  I've had conversations with his mother, who has complained about the number of people racing down Manitou Road. I once had a couple cars pass me while picking him up and my bus's red lights were on  This video shows two times when other drivers crossed the double yellow line to speed past me on Manitou Road.

I often see signs asking people to drive carefully and watch out for motorcycles.  I totally agree; everyone should always be checking twice before making a turn at an intersection.  However, there are a number of motorcycle drivers who ruin it for the others by racing their crotch rockets on the expressways.  To those riders I say, "Yes, I'm watching out for you, but you need to ride carefully, too! It goes both ways!"

I caught a lot of different situations on my dash cam and they are compiled in this video.  Hopefully, you're not in it!  And if you are, or you recognize someone, take this as a lesson to improve your driving habits.

In any case, the video has a happy ending!!  😉



https://youtu.be/QAx4bQlrxH0

Rock Band "Free Agent"

Stacey and I generally look for local bands that we can dance to.  When a band specifically bills itself as "dedicated to bringing you a variety of music that will make you dance or sing along," we take notice!  Such is the case with Free Agent, based in the Rochester Region.

Singer Kim Kotel, who does most of the booking and PR for the group, said, "I was looking for a group after one I was in had folded. I auditioned with drummer Scott Hayes and what was supposed to be the remaining members of a band whose singer had left. Only one other person came to the audition and nothing came of it, but Scott and his wife came to see Ian( Kerr) and I in our duo. She suggested he work with us. Eventually, after a bunch of false starts with separate bands, Ian and I were ready to be in a band again together as other things we were in had either folded or were not working out. We joined with three remaining members of Scott's old band and the name Free Agent was chosen when I said to them I had left the group I was kind of in and I was now a free agent. The group worked as it was for a month or two and then the bassist and guitarist left. Scott, Ian and I found replacements and we worked to be ready to play out. The first Free Agent gig was in May of 2015 and by the late summer of 2017 we had gone through two lead players and three bassists before lead guitarist Richard Gramm and bass player Karl Joslin joined us in November of 2017. That incarnation had its first gig on May 4th of 2018 at Jose' and Willy's. We have been playing out as this group since."

Free Agent doesn't have a particular influence. The original concept was for them to be open to just about every genre and every decade. Kim calls it variety rock. Their goal was to make people dance and sing along; it's a very broad musical palate made possible by the four members who sing leads. Another focus is making sure they have a lot of great harmony.

Richard (Gramm: lead guitar and vocals) has been playing and singing most of his life. He first picked up the guitar at age 12 and three years later added the bass. He has performed and recorded mainly in upstate New York, but has been fortunate enough to play shows across the U.S., Europe, South America and more. He also plays in other bands.

Scott( Hayes: percussion and vocals) has a diverse musical history playing with such local bands as the hard and progressive rock band "Euphoria" in the 80's. Later he moved to the sounds of Neil Young and Crazy Horse along with Santana in the late 80's with the band "Dark Light". Scott's favorite drummers include Peter Criss of KISS, and the legendary Neil Peart of Rush. Scott also played in Skyway and Red Sky.

Karl (Joslin: bass guitar) cut his teeth as a bassist in South Florida at the age of 13. Prior to bass (his instrument of choice), he played French horn for a few years. His main influences at the time were Geddy Lee, John Entwistle, John Paul Jones, Chris Squire, John Deacon and Jaco Pastorius. By the time he was 16, he was writing, collaborating and performing with an all-original band called “The Astronomical Artouche”. He played around with several bands in the Treasure Coast area until the late 80’s. He has also played locally with Wayward Wynd, Killing Time and 5 Hole.

Ian ( Kerr guitar, keys, vocals) People always told Ian he had an ear for music. As a kid he used to mimic what he heard on the radio and play it on the piano while tossing in a harmony that wasn't included originally. Growing up, he listened to oldies with his dad and they would sing along with them together. His father was one of the many people who has inspired him and got him started. While he started on keyboards as a child, he then learned sax in High School but didn't begin playing the bass guitar until 2007. Until recently the bass was his primary rock band experiences. He has also played in Black Ice, Curveball and Shifting Gears. He and Kim have the duo, Tuned InK, but play in Free Agent for the full band experience.

Kim (Kotel: vocals, aux percussion) has been singing since she was a young child, but until 2010 it was only for her own enjoyment in a choral setting or out at a Karaoke night. That all changed when she joined a band called 7 Green. Although that band only lasted about 4 months after she joined, her whistle was whetted and soon she was lucky enough to be part of Black Ice which became her first real band experience. When that folded she went through a number of bands trying to find her niche again and also  teamed up with Ian to form Tuned InK. Free Agent is now her band "home" Free Agent plays in a variety of locations around Rochester and surrounding areas. You can find their Facebook Page at https://www.facebook.com/vareityrocksyou/



Kim and Ian in their duo, Tuned InK
https://www.facebook.com/TunedInK/videos/1289852081131721/

Tommy Tutone, Loverboy, and Rick Springfield at Artpark, 8-13-2019

We saw the concert with Tommy Tutone, Loverboy, and Rick Springfield on August 13, 2019 at Artpark. For me, it was the first time I had seen any of them. Stacey has seen Rick Springfield multiple times in the past. She said this was the best viewing spot she's ever had of Rick Springfield.

Tommy Tutone was out first. I was impressed when I saw him with a Vox guitar amp. These amps were made popular in the 1960s by such groups as the Beatles. They brought their distinctive guitar sound to the masses. His backing band was the same band that Rick Springfield used later in the concert. Tommy Tutone is best known for 80s music, especially 867-5309. But he shows a lot of appreciation for older music, and did his own rendition of "Operator" by Jim Croce. Naturally as expected, the crowd went wild when he did his big hit 867-5309. Other songs he did included "Angel Say No," "Sylvia," and "Cheap Date."

Loverboy rocked as hard as I imagine they always did. Although they are much older, I was impressed that they have four out of the five original members. Original bass player Scott Smith died in 2000. They played "Notorious," "Lucky Ones," "Queen of Broken Hearts," "Take Me to the Top," "The Kid is Hot Tonight," "Lovin' Every Minute of It," "Hot Girls In Love," "Turn Me Loose," "Working' for the Weekend," and "Jump."

It was clear that most people were there to see Rick Springfield. We had the good fortune of being right up by the stage, standing with one or two people in front of us. This allowed me to see the facial expressions of all of the musicians and singers and get some good camera shots. We were in the center of the area where Rick Springfield got the audience involved. Some handed roses to him. He threw a wireless microphone into the audience and ask people to sing a line or two and pass it on to the next person. I almost grabbed it myself but the person next to me got it first. Springfield headed out into the audience and walked through the area up front without any sort of escort at all. I thought it was very brave that he would do this. Rick's set list included "Light This Party Up," "I've Done Everything for You," "Love is Alright Tonite," "Little Demon," "Affair of the Heart," a medley, "The Voodoo House," "Don't Talk to Strangers," "Human Touch, " "Love Somebody," and "Jesse's Girl."