Murder suicide story generates numerous reruns

The story I did last month (on Women’s eNews) on domestic violence murder suicides and the whole numbers games around counter violent deaths in this country stirred at least a bit of the pot.

Right after the article published I got responses from a number of different organizations who took the article and republished it on their website including the Maryland-based Casey Merrill Journalism Center on Children & Families. They republished the story on their web site and sent it out to about 5,000 other journalists.

A number of others reran the article as well. I was very flattered by the attention the story got – a breaking national story btw. But I hope others not involved in media read it as well. When you’re talking numbers in a story like that it’s hard for Jane Doe public to follow sometimes, unless they’re really involved in the topic because of relatives or friends. However you do what you can.

BTW – an aside: The Journalism Center on Chilren & Families is extending their deadline for entries to the 2010 Casey Medals:

2010 Casey Medals Expand to Include

Digital Journalists, Citizen Media

This year’s Casey Medals for Meritorious Journalism mark a new era as the Journalism Center on Children & Families enters the 16th year of the national awards competition. The Casey Medals honor exemplary reporting on children, youth and families and are funded by The Annie E. Casey Foundation. In recognition of significant changes in online news delivery, JCCF revamped several categories and expanded eligibility.

For the first time, citizen journalists and reporters from online-only news sites are eligible to apply in all categories. The “Television” and “Radio” categories are restructured as “Video” and “Audio,” expanded to include both broadcast media and the advent of Web-only audio and video entries.

“It’s clear that 2009 brought innovative reporting on child and family issues across the board in all forms of media,” said executive director Gena Fitzgerald. “We’re thrilled to see this fresh surge in reporting on these critical issues, so we wanted to create innovative categories and fresh change for the digital age.”

First-place winners receive $1,000 and will be honored at a ceremony in Washington, D.C. in October. Casey Medal Winners are automatically considered for two additional $5,000 awards presented by JCCF’s partner, America’s Promise Alliance. Created to honor the legacy of Tim Russert, the America’s Promise Journalism Awards honor work in two categories: Awareness and Action.

The deadline for 2010 Casey Medal applications has been extended one week. Entries must now be received by 5 p.m. ET on Friday, March 12, 2010. This was reprinted from their website at http://www.journalismcenter.org/content/history-and-guidelines

I’m currently working on another story involved police-perpetrated domestic violence. There’s plenty of examples to choose from in Oregon in the past month.

March 4, 2010
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Murder/suicides not tracked by FBI or ???

Women’s eNews published the story I wrote today on domestic violence murders and suicides and the fact that those numbers are not tracked. It seems unbelievable that there is no organization in the country that tracks total dv numbers of homicides, suicides and children and/or coworkers who may be killed in dv situations.

“FBI statistics show violent crime retreating, but it’s impossible to say exactly what’s going on with domestic violence deaths because total numbers are not tracked. Calls to state anti-violence coalitions, however, suggest this crime is bucking the trend and getting worse.”

I interviewed people in Wisconsin, Utah, Kansas and Pennsylvania and they were even surprised that the numbers were so significant and had happened in just one year. Pennsylvania had 198 deaths related to domestic violence in 2009 according to Judy Yupcavage, the organizations public policy and information manager.

I interviewed directors or communication personnel at the state coalitions against domestic violence to get the numbers in the case of Pennsylvania. I think I’ll create a table with the numbers that show numbers of murder/suicides vs. homicide numbers that the FBI or the Department of Justice provides. There is also the Violence Policy Center that tracks murder/suicides but they don’t track (specifically) domestic violence numbers.

On to the next story…

February 17, 2010
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A silly question about domestic violence

I just finished up a story on domestic violence numbers of deaths in 2008, 2009.  I’ve been following domestic violence in the US and abroad for about 20 years — since I was in a violent relationship myself in the early 1980s.  After I got out of that relationship, underwent a lot of therapy and help from a battered women’s shelter support services in Aurora, Colo., I started writing about domestic violence.

It was only a couple years before (in 1979) that Lenore Walker’s book The Battered Woman had been published.

Lenore Walker considered the 'mother' of the battered woman syndrome.

I picked up the book and found my story in there. I was so ashamed of myself in the beginning. How had I, a feminist, strong intelligent woman succumbed to a relationship where I was beaten and finally, broken. I was stunned when I started reading about the cycle of violence and how horrifying it was, and yes, familiar.

Fast forward 20 years and I’ve written many, many stories about domestic violence at a number of different publications. I’ve also gotten sober and just recently celebrated 21 years of being clean and sober. But that’s another story. Although substance abuse certainly helped to keep me in the violent relationship.

The story I just finished for Women’s eNews is a story not only about the increase in the domestic violence murders, suicides and deaths of those caught in the crossfire, it is also a story about numbers.

When I began writing about domestic violence nobody was tracking numbers about deaths, injuries or anything related. Since then we’ve increasingly seen the Dept. of Justice, the FBI, the CDC and many, many other antiviolence groups tracking the numbers of domestic violence homicides, injuries and so on. Huge changes in how it’s perceived etc. etc.

So when I heard the stories about murder/suicides increasing in a number of states, I went first to the statistics to check out homicides, suicides and those deaths related to domestic violence.

Guess what? Those numbers still aren’t tracked in any cohesive, national database that systematically tracks and documents the toll in death and injury by domestic violence incidents for lack of a better term (ie. homicides, suicides and others who die in such incidents) in the United States.

So, check out Women’s eNews next week on Friday for the story about how high the numbers are and that they are increasing in the U.S., despite the fact that we are being told that violent crime is way down in many parts of the country.

My second question? How can you attempt to find solutions to a problem if you can’t even define the problem by how often, where, when, by whom and what is happening?

February 15, 2010
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My Life Is a Circus; I’m Stuck in the Freak Tent

I forgot my first rule of blogging in my last post: never complain about a problem without also presenting a solution to the problem. I started to write about the solution but I got caught up in the problem. So I though I’d tell you the solution to “My Life Is a Circus and I’m stuck in the Freak Tent.”

The good news is “Get Known Before the Book Deal” by Christina Katz. My apologies to said author. It’s not her fault my life is an island of chaos at the moment.

GetKnownCover_000

by Christina Katz

That is the good news – Katz’ book and the idea of building, growing and nurturing a platform while you’re still writing the book.

One of the best things about “Get Known Before the Book Deal” is that Katz presents authoring as a process rather than an event of writing the book and then looking for a publisher.

I liked Seth Godin’s definition of the process which she uses in the book. “The best time to start promoting your book is three years before it comes out. Three years to build a reputation, build a permission asset, build a blog, build a following, build crediblity, and build the connections you’ll need later.” (Seth Godin)

That, in a nutshell, is what Katz’ book is about — the process of  developing your platform as a writer/author.

Another of the best things about “Get Known Before the Book Deal” is that the process she describes – knowing oneself, knowing what your strengths and weaknesses are and finally, knowing your readership is something everyone must do for themselves OR we are our own worst enemy.

Tantamount to the process of platform building is integrity – the idea that you know who you are and that you align yourself with your passion, speak to your own resistance (which means tucking it under your arm and moving on), and that you are confident about your expertise in the topic(s) you’re writing about.

Joining in community

Then the challenge becomes taking it out there. Take a deep breath and take who you are, what you believe and take it to the next level – community. Katz outlines a plethora of ways to reach out to, and become part of, community – in other words, joining in and making things happen out of your passion, with your integrity intact. Those ways include active membership in relevant organizations, performing volunteer work, teaching what you’re passionate about, making public appearances to share your expertise, writing and having articles published, and offering your talents up for service. Katz gives real world examples of how promoting oneself with integrity is possible advises how to do it and remain in service to community. It is truly inspiring.

In the Process

I am, despite this week’s blog to the contrary, in the midst of creating a platform. I am on part three in the book and I’ve made many strides in some of the areas she talks about. The book though, is a guide that is so useful in the nitty gritty world we live in where we are bombarded with visual and auditory messages constantly, where we have to hone in to focus on our goals, set aside those tasks better done by someone else and be there for ourselves and for others. I sometime get lost in the daily grind, churning out the work I need to do and living life in the present – choosing what to focus on and not letting the minutia take over.

Focus, focus, focus

My final point is in relation to focus. Writing is, by nature, an isolating task. Promoting ourselves, on the other hand, is about community and using our passion as the juice to rise above what doesn’t matter. Promoting yourself and growing an author platform is anything but a task we do alone. So there has to be a paradigm shift, in my experience, to transition from writing to promoting. I appreciate people like Katz who remind us where we’re going, what’s important, and guide us in having our dreams realized.

In addition to “Write Christina Katz has also written “Writer Mama: How to Raise a Writing Career Alongside Your Kids.”

She is also a teacher and speaker who also hosts live workshops, e-mail classes and telephone coaching. Find out more on her website.

November 12, 2009
Categories: Blog . Tags: , , , , , , , . Author: Judith . Comments: 1 Comment

Get Known Before the Book Deal

I just started reading Christina Katz’ book “Get Known Before the Book Deal.”

There is no shortage of information out there on social media and how to get oneself marketed and known, how to do social media marketing. What is lacking is time. I am so busy (I’m sure I’m echoing others) doing school work, selling our house, looking for a job, family stuff and everything else that takes up time that I don’t have time to think about, that I don’t have any time left. Whew that was one run-on sentence. There’s always a new book out that I “have to read” bombarding my email or tweeting me that it’s the place to go, the blog to read, the talk radio to listen to.

I go crazy online looking at sites like SitePro News telling me about the “TOP 10 TWITTER TIPS” and the “10 Ways to Convey Passion in My Articles” and how to host my own show on Blog Talk Radio that it seems like I could be on there forever checking out all the ways to do things better, faster, funnier and sexier. Well, sexier no. That’s my signficant other telling me that. I was confused for a minute.

Then there are people sending me messages on my Facebook and Twitter urging me to become a fan, be a friend, watch their video … it’s very intrusive. And I’m not sure how, or why, I decided to have all that “lost art of conversation” sent to my email as well.

Add a pinch of people asking me to tell them how to Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn and it’s clear there’s no time left on the books, no time like the present, no time no time … I got no time.

I’m just saying…. I’m exhausted just thinking about it. I don’t got no time. I want my hour back. I want to go on a cruise and only go aboard with a few changes of clothing and nothing to read, no computer to sit in front of, no laptop sitting on my lap or anyone else’s and no freaking phone to hear, read, beep or vibrate. LEAVE ME ALONE. I’m busy. Doing nothing. I got no time.

 

November 11, 2009
Categories: Blog . Tags: , , , , , , , , , . Author: Judith . Comments: 1 Comment

Journalism isn’t dead?

Oh where to start. Just got back from a journalism conference in Utah JAWs. I wasn’t liking the high altitude so much and the feeling was mutual. Altitude sickness. Crying out loud. I lived in Colorado for 12 years and never had altitude sickness. I’m a wuss from living at sea level for so long I guess.

I missed most of the conference but what I heard was very inspirational. Like Pro Publica. Lots of women doing independent publications including Marcy Darcy who is editing All Over Albany.

It always feels great to be around a bunch of women journalists of every political bent, to come together over the issues, over our struggle to do our journalism jobs whatever they may be and to feel and give support and encouragement. Here’s a bit about what a few others are doing, did do, will do:

• JAWS member Margie Freivogel told us about the launch of a new online publication in St. Louis, the Saint Louis Beacon, one of the ventures exploring the future of journalism today

• Roberta Baskin, correspondent for WJLA-TV in Washington, D.C., and JAWS board member, won a duPont-Columbia Journalism Award for an investigation of dental clinics that profited by providing Medicare services to children, harming those children in the process. She and her team will receive the award later this month.

• Lynn Sweet, Chicago Sun-Times multimedia D.C. bureau extraodinaire was recently profiled in the New York Observer for her excellent coverage of Illinois Sen. Barack Obama’s presidential campaign.

• JAWS Founder Tad Bartimus wins lifetime achievement award The Washington Press Club honors Bartimus, former Vietnam war correspondent and the first female bureau chief at The Associated Press, at its Feb. 13 Congressional Dinner.

• Peggy Collins, JAWS vice president and multimedia workshop coordintor, formerly of MSN Money, won a 2009 Gerald Loeb Award in the online category. The team put together “Middle Class Crunch,” a multimedia package on economics in the 2008 election year.

And you thought journalism was dead!

October 14, 2009
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Hubpages bragging rights

I was looking at my junk mail today … you know looking for the missing emails that get sent there in error and I ran across a site I used to belong to. It was blinking at me telling me I had 96 messages so I logged on, hoping there might be at least one that was relevant.
Well, at least I had a really good laugh over the email you’re about to read. It kind of sums up my idea that people should be given a license after they pass a test to be able to drive on the Internet. Read More…

September 29, 2009
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AP right, wrong on photo of dying Marine?

The Associated Press released a photo on Friday of Marine Lance Cpl Joshua M. Bernard, 21, as he lay dying on the ground with severe leg injuries from being struck by a grenade in an ambush on Aug. 14 in Afghanistan.

Lance Cpl. Joshua M. Bernard

Lance Cpl. Joshua M. Bernard

The AP distributed the photo, taken by AP Photographer Julie Jacobson, against the wishes of the Marine’s family as well as the expressed disappointment of U. S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates.

The photo shows the soldier on the ground, severely wounded and bleeding while two other soldiers tend to him. The photo was taken with a long lens and is somewhat blurry.

John Daniszewski, AP senior managing editor, said he “respected Gates’ view but that sometimes the government and press have different perspectives. “We though that the image told a story of sacrifice, it told a story of bravery, … and that it told a story people needed to see and be aware of.”

Here’s a link to the photo if you’re interested in seeing it: AP Photo of Marine Lance Cpl Joshua M. Bernard

What’s the story here?

When I’ve worked as a news editor for newspapers and culled through photos taken by AP Photo journalists all over the world, the editorial policy has always been not to show someone dying or about to die even in a war zone.

There’s another oddity to this situation – that the AP held onto to the photo for three weeks before releasing it with a backgrounder admitting that they had long deliberations within their agency.

Why the policy change?

And I also wonder and didn’t see it addressed anywhere – why the AP would change its policy at this time after not releasing such photos since 2001? I disagree with the policy and think the decision of whether to publish such photos should be left up to the publishers and editors who use AP services. I believe that U.S. citizens have a right to see the grisly parts of war such as the caskets being loaded onto the cargo planes to bring them back to the States. That said I don’t understand the change in policy.

As of Friday it’s been reported that about 20 newspapers have used the photograph of Bernard on their front pages.

How do you feel about the issue. If you were editor of a newspaper would you have chosen to print the photo? I’d love to hear your comments and feedback!

September 6, 2009
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Journo PDX … and the Oregonian … who knew?

JournoPDX was held apparently in the basement of the Oregonian last week. Unfortunately I missed it completely?? Who knew? Anyway tracking it now and watching some of the videos from the event. There’s an amazing amount of drivel about it on Twitter -blips on where you can watch the videos, who was amazing etc. etc. Check out Twitter’s #journoPDX tweets. One of the videos on Wikipedia and journalism was totally non informational from my perspective. The first words out of this guys mouth were … something about a lot of people in journalism have problems with Wikipedia’s use and then took him the next 15 minutes to say it should probably be used for background and not sourced in a story. Crying out loud.
Anyway on to a more positive note-
There seemed to be much bigger number of actually helpful pieces and speakers including one on podcasting and audio journalism by Rob Manning. A couple others were good too – one on SEO and one on Hyper local news and what works. I’m still culling through them.
I guess I’ve been on the research end of trying to figure out what’s going to happen next in journalism. I’ve also been attempting to try some different things myself along the lines of podcasting/setting up Blog Talk Radio and generally just listening to what’s going on out there.
Please feel free to email me re who where when AND when we can go in person and learn more about whatever’s coming next from this. I’ll be blogging and tweeting about what I’m hearing about this and what’s happening in PDX. Although I didn’t know about this so I’m not sure I’m tuned into the right source!:)
My Twitter name is jaspitzer31! Tweet me. And keep writing.
jas

August 7, 2009
Categories: Blog . . Author: Judith . Comments: 3 Comments

Too hot, too humid, too … to write

This weather … 102º then 104º … tomorrow 105º … I can’t stand it. Portland, Oregonians are not built for this kind of weather. We can withstand rain and muck; land sliding down newly-made hills from the previous landslide; rain/sprinkles/raining cats and dogs/coming down in torrents/pouring/mist/fog/haze/vapor/a downpour.

BUT heat – blistering, scorching, boiling, searing, sweltering hot steaming weather for days on end … days and days and days … well it’s just not right in Portland.

Which brings me to why I’ve not blogged for nearly three weeks. Although truth be told, it’s only been that hot for the past four or five days, I’m using it to cover myself for teenage grandson’s week-long visit; teenage grandson week-long camp at Zoo and ensuing driving back and forth to Zoo on Hwy. 26; four-day recuperation from teenage grandson’s two-week visit; trip to Montana for 50th wedding anniversary of Uncle Neil & Aunt Carol  in which I played the part of flower girl and the inability to think clearly, sleep and/or write anything due to intense heat.

BTW? This is the color of the flower girl’s dresses. Doesn’t show up that well does i? It’s kind of a periwinkle blue.

So, I’m signng off for now … until I can think straight again, sleep and/or write something. TTFN

July 29, 2009
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Blogging for working artists, business, social media

I was on a panel yesterday for Working Artists Network (WAN) on blogging, vlogging, commenting and article marketing at Urban Grind in NE Portland.

Urban Grind NE Oregon

Urban Grind NE Oregon

Who knew there was a coffee shop there? I live in Irvington which is just across the overpass on I 84. A new place to go for coffee!!

The discussion yesterday centered around blogging and social media and included Ryan Lewis of Bonfire Social Media, Richard Schemmerer a blogger @PDX art blog and Aaron Hockley a photographer who blogs. Oh and moi.

5122_1114368313748_1663142708_262602_6221201_n

There was great information about how people use blogs for marketing their businesses, their artwork and to voice their opinions about everything from soup to nuts. Ryan Lewis talked about relevance (writing about it … being relevant) which was ah … relevant. No, really relevant in that there is so much information out there if you’re not relevant you’re in trouble – nobody is going to take the time to read you.

Schemmerer is always fun and funny and it’s pretty apparent that how much he likes to be controversial and uses that to market his blog. But it is truly him – it’s not some invented persona that he uses to get people stirred up for no reason.

Photo by Schemmerer

Photo by Schemmerer

I’ve chosen to write with humor much of the time in the blogs I’ve done since I think people respond to that. And people always comment on the irreverent way I choose to use my voice. Of course I’m not talking about terribly important topics on a shopping blog or a culture-type blog. The subject that always comes up for me these days is how much blogging has changed journalism.

Blogging even for journalists is much different than writing a news story and the casual nature of it makes it easier to read and sometimes more interesting than a news story because you get to read the background information.

Whatever you’re blogging about … I think all of us spoke to the fact that if you want people to read what you’re writing you have to be passionate about what you’re blogging about; you need to find and develop an authentic voice; your topics need to relevant and you must be honest and transparent.

Write on!

June 29, 2009
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How do you get your news?

The poll I took last week – informal and not too many respondents (which means it is completely meaningless statistically) returned the kind of results I kind of thought it would – namely that:

  • There are very few daily newspaper readers at 7%
  • Internet news sites won the largest share of readers seeking news at 36%
  • Social media came in second and was matched by talking/texting other people at 21%
  • Internet blogs and other sources was 14%

I’m finally at a place where I’ve stopped grieving the past ie the dying art of newpapering and am ready to welcome in and start doing my own brand of journalism. I know it’s only one sentence but it represents at least the last five years! Read More…

June 23, 2009
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How what where do you find the news?

June 19, 2009
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Whatever happened to Ze Frank?

ze frank

ze frank

Remember the show with ze Frank? How can I have lost touch with such an amazingly bizarre mind such as his. I must get out more. Out of the box I put mine inside. I love you ze Frank. Very touching video from Webstock talk.

June 18, 2009
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Iran et al

I have been watching CNN a bit, NBC news and MSNBC particularly Rachel Maddow (love her) to catch up on what’s happening in Iran re the election that wasn’t and what’s happening with the backlash from the populace. It sounded like the government didn’t believe there would be as much of a protest as there has turned out to have been. Then today I watched the YouTube video of the dramatic and poignant silent protests of hundreds of thousands of Iranians and I was caught off guard by how stunning the sound of silence has become.

I have to admit I was brought to tears watching as people lined the streets for a fifth day of protest and public support of opposition leader Mir Hossein Moussavi today. Apparently even in the face of more retribution from the government resulting in the death of at least the 8th person who have been killed as a result of the violence. Read More…

June 18, 2009
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