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NEWS CLIPS: RECENT REPORTING EXPERIENCE AND NEWLY PUBLISHED ARTICLES Local Feature in New York Blade: NYC Homeless Youth [July 8, 2005] . . . and one Reader's Response [July 29, 2005] Academic Freedom [May 05] The Observer: Columbia’s Literary Magazine [Spring 05] Fezana Journal: Zoroastrian Cultural Heritage [Spring 01] J-School Dean's Blog: Syrian Journalists at Columbia U [date] Tablet: Columbia’s Multicultural Magazine [Spring 05] Columbia Spectator: Challenge Charles Jacobs [April 20, 2005] Speak Truth to Power [April 27, 2005] The Grape: Oberlin’s Alternative Newspaper [Staff Writer, 2003] National Geographic Magazine--Traveler Voces: Oberlin’s Bilingual Newspaper [March 5, 2003] National Geographic Magazine--Traveler AsIaM: Oberlin’s Multicultural Newspaper [Fall 03] New York Times (Letters to the Ed): War on Poverty: Hopes and Doubts [Jan 10, 2006] God and Man in the Ivy League [May 27, 2005] Zoroastrian Faith [Sept 10, 2006] Houston Chronical (Letter to the Ed) [January 23, 2001] BBC: Domestic Violence (Reader’s Response) [June 15, 2004] National Geographic Magazine--Traveler Oberlin Alumni Magazine (Letter to the Ed) [Summer 2005] Conontributor to Columbia's 250th Celebrations Newsletter QUOTATION OF THE DAY: Journalism School Clips 1. Home-grown Terror (South Bronx residents’ opinions about the likelihood of another “terror” attack occurring on the anniversary of 9/11): Understandably, they’re far more worried about gang shoot-outs; suddenly being apprehended by the INS; or having their food stamps inexplicably withheld. There were a few exceptions . . . alarmingly, one man I interviewed told me he thinks our government should “reduce Iraq to a lake and instill fear in those people.” A homeless man said winning the "war on terror" is more important than affordable housing and finding people jobs . . . So much for maintaining a “poker face” as one professor suggested . . . 2. Gas Surcharge Denied (taxi cab compensation plan to offset the skyrocketing gas prices): Much to the drivers chagrin, the Commission rejected petitions for a gas surcharge. A female cabbie, rare in NYC, gave me a free ride and told me all about her rather shitty life working 12 hours a day and living in the projects. She said she makes around $7/hr, has no health insurance and often feels threatened by her rowdy passengers. I looked up the stats and, indeed, more cabbies are killed each year than NYPD officers. 3. New Psychology of Corporate Ads: New York City graffiti artists, once part of an irreverent youth subculture disdainful of authority, are now in cahoots with white-collared professionals eager to shed their stuffy, corporate image while continuing to maximize profits. In 2002, 31.9% of Fordham residents qualified for public assistance and, in the same year, Footaction Corporation grossed $200 million dollars in profits. Today, Footaction also seems to profit from owning the image of the poor, angry minority youth (graffiti ads). 4. Pataki boycotts CITGO: After Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez called Bush “the devil” in front of the UN Assembly, New York's governor said he’s so angry that he will personally boycott the Citgo oil and gasoline company. On the other hand, Bronx residents just want to stay warm. Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez’s recent inflammatory remarks in front of the UN General Assembly may have burnt diplomatic bridges with Washington, but low-income Fordham area residents are warmly receiving his decision to subsidize their heating costs for the second winter in a row. 5. Parachute Memo for freelancing in Iraq ("To take or not to take body armor? That is the question . . . ") 6. Crime reporting, which is the most stupid type of journalism since it says nothing about why people are driven to such desperation in the first place. My conversation with a NYPD officer today (Oct 2): Me: Good morning, I'm a journalist covering the recent homicide in Washington Heights committed by three teenagers who may have ties with the Domican Republican drug trade. I just spent the day talking to the families of the suspects and attending the funeral of the victim but I have a few holes in the story so was wondering if you would confirm some facts that I'm unclear about- [Whatever. When interning at Amnesty and writing about police abuse, I discovered the NYDP is a scary bunch themselves . . .] 7. Courts: 7. Bronx Court Story: I covered another homocide; this one involved a 16-year-old basketball player murdering a highschooler in a rival gang ("bloods" v "rebels" . . .stuff out of a badly written movie). And, as much as it sucks to admit, I think journalism would be far easier if I was a guy (I was interviewing one of the defendant's older friends when he put his arm around me, leaned in really close and asked me for my number). Hmm, well, at least I got a few quotes [ahh, true journalist mentality]. Here's the "lede" of the article I just finished: The fate of a Throgs Neck Houses teenager accused of murdering a rising football star and former schoolmate was still undecided on Tuesday as jurors remain divided almost a month after the case first went to trial at Bronx Supreme Court. Quindel Francis, now 18, is charged with second-degree murder and criminal weapons possession in the shooting death of Fernando Correa Jr, a 16 year old football team captain at Alfred E. Smith High School. The case is complicated by racial tensions, possible gang violence, a questionably obtained confession and claims of self-defense. "The unexamined life is not worth living"
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