Diversity Blog

Diversity issues highlighted at the 2008 SPJ Convention & National Journalism Conference

2008-07-11T18:48:00Z

Celebrate diversity, learn how to diversify sources and identify disparities at the 2008 SPJ Conference & National Journalism Convention, Sept. 4-7 in Atlanta, Ga.

Listed below is a mere sampling of the professional development programs at this year’s Convention designed to increase your knowledge on how to add diversity to your publication or broadcast!

International News in the World of Globalization

Description: With globalization increasing each day on political, economic and cultural levels, it becomes even more important for newspapers, magazines, online and other publications to focus on international news. In addition, with the recent consensus showing the increase of immigrants from countries around the globe, it makes it just as crucial to provide international news to a diverse and rich community. This session would focus on the significance of international news and the vital role it must play in the world of globalization.

Speakers: TBA

Finding, Sourcing and Writing Stories That Matter About Disability

Description: The disability community is the largest minority group in America, yet media coverage focuses on those we pity, those who inspire us, and those who need our charity. This session will explore substantive stories about people with disabilities and the civil rights issues that are critically important to them, beyond the health/medical beat. We'll explore newsroom attitudes that inhibit better coverage, and how to integrate disability issues into all beats - from business to arts to sports. We'll also share ideas on how to interview sources who have mobility, speech or hearing impairments so the interviewer and interviewee are both comfortable.

Speaker: Susan LoTempio, assistant managing editor/readership, Buffalo News

What Else Can We Report About Latinos?

Description: It's a fact that the Latino population is growing and becoming increasingly important, but how can we, as a reporters and editors, reflect that? Often, Latinos are portrayed stereotypically in the news as part of a crime, gang or immigration issue. Are these the only topics we can cover about Latinos? What can we add to mainstream newscasts and publications that would provide more coverage about the Latino community?

Speaker: Rodrigo F. Cervantes, editor, Mundo Hispánico

Leap the Digital Divide: Communicating to Communities of Color Online

Description: What do Univision.com, BlackPlanet.com and The Washington Post’s TheRoot.com know that many others don’t? The Internet is a great way to drill down into a community. As old paradigms fade, innovators at the leading edge share the knowledge they are developing about strategies for community connection and news online.

Speakers: TBA

The Jena Six: What We Learned

Description: A noose hanging from a tree, arson at the Jena High School and schoolyard fight are just some of the incidents that led to a story now often referred to as the “Jena Six.” The Jena Six are six black teenagers who were initially charged with attempted murder for beating up a white teenager. The emotional and racially charged story captivated this Louisiana town. Hear from reporters who have been covering this story from the beginning and how it has impacted their lives, their news outlets and their work as journalists.

Speakers: Abbey Brown, reporter, The Town Talk, Alexandria, La.; Bonnie Gonzalez, news reporter, KLAX-TV, Alexandria, La.

For a full list of programs offered at this year’s Convention & National Journalism Conference, visit http://www.spj.org/c-programs.asp.

GAY BOYCOTT IN SAN DIEGO MAY GO NATIONWIDE

2008-07-11T04:06:00Z

by Leo E. Laurence, J.D.; Member: SPJ Nat'l. Committee on Diversity

When the California Supreme Court legalized gay marriages effective June 17th, homophobic opponents quickly launched a successful drive to put an initiative on the November ballot to overturn it.

The state's high court carefully analyized the two separate-but-equal conditions under which California laws allowed a couple to unite: "marriage" for straights and "domestic partnerships" for Gays.

The high court held that those laws violated the state's Constitution. It was basically an equal-protection argument, one which also prevailed in Massachursettes and which outlawed separate-but-equal education for blacks and whites in the south years ago.

Gay-rights supporters and their union allies in San Diego - which are numerous - have now launched a boycott of the elegant Manchester Grand Hyatt, a favorite hotel of the rich and famous in downtown San Diego.

Another high-end hotel, the new Grand Del Mar, is also targeted in this boycott.

The owner of the two hotels, multi-millinaire Doug Manchester, made a major contribution to the statewide ballot initiative, dubbed Proposition-8, which will amend the state's Constitution to ban same-sex marriages. The amount of his significant contribution is reported somewhere between $125,000 and $1 million.

Boycott leaders are urging the traveling and vacationing public to avoid these two, high-end hotels in the San Diego area because Proposition-8 amounts to discriminatory treatment of Gays and Lesbians.

"Manchester's contribution to this anti-marriage initiative is discrimination pure and simply," said Briget Browning, president of Unite-Here Local 30, in an interview with the San Diego Union Tribune. That union represents 4,500 hotel and restaurant workers.

Manchester said in an earlier interview that he decided to donate to Proposition-8 because he was motivated by his Catholic faith to believe that marraige must be only between a man and a woman.

Manchester also said that, as he understand it, if schools teach that marriage is between a man and a woman, they could be sued for discrimination against Gays. That issue, however, has not been litigated.

He also stressed that he welcomes money from Gays and Lesbians in his hotels and restaurants.

For now, some gay civil-rights activists say they are only targeting the local Manchester Grand Hyatt and the Grand Del Mar hotels, rather than the larger Hyatt Corporation, which runs both. That's because the corporation has a good record of hiring Gays and Lesbians.

However, other gay activits disagreed, saying the boycott could easily go nationwide against all Hyatt hotels.

Manchester is one of several wealthy San Diegans who are contributing significantly to overturn the state Supreme Court's decision.

Others include wealthy Mission Valley developer Terry Caster who has reportedly contributed $125,000; and Robert Hoehn, owner of the large Hoehn Motors auto dealership, who reportedly gave $25,000.

"Our goal is to create a loss of business for those who contirbute to Proposition-8," said Fred Karger, one of the boycott's organizers.

Both sides of the battle over Proposition-8 are expected to raise huge amounts of money, for a combined total of about $30 million.

After the state's high-court ruling legalizing gay marriages, the non-partisn Field Poll found that a majority of Californians opposed the constitional ban (Proposition-8); and for the first time, actually support gay marriages.

__________________

Contact journalist Leo E. Laurence, J.D., at leopowerhere@msn.com, or call (619) 757-4909

ENGLISH-ONLY LANGUAGE WARS ARE UNNECESSARY

2008-07-10T00:36:00Z

by Leo E. Laurence, J.D., Member: SPJ Nat'l. Committee on Diversity

Our American cultural landscape is changing, particularly as the percentage of resident, Spanish-speaking Latinos increases and many young people speak more than one language. This makes many people very uncomfortable.

But, I think the English-only wars that are emerging are unnecessary and even un-American.

Research actually indicates that children of immigrants are more likely to lose their native language and speak only English, than never learning English at all.

One day the valedictorian of a high school wrote into his speech a single sentence, welcoming his grandparents who had traveled to the Unitd States to attend the ceremony. That sentence was in his grandparent's native language. No harm? Of course, not!

At an eighth-grade graduation in the same city, another valedictorian did something similar. She included a single sentence thanking her grandparents - and in their native language - for their support. Again, no harm.

The single line in the high-school speech was in German. The single sentence in the junior-high speech was in Spanish.

However, guess which one caused a furor.

Days before the graduation ceremony, the junion-high principal tried to pressure his student to remove the line in Spanish. He was afraid those who didn't understand Spanish might feel uncomfortable. It is more probable that the principal didn't want to respond to angry phone calls anticipated from people like the Miinutemen.

The girl stood her ground, and the principal backed down. The Constitution's first-amendment right of free-speech was on her side, the same as the Constitution's presumption of innocence makes it wrong for journalists to use the phrase "illegal immigrants" when referring to undocumented immigrants in their stories. It's the law!

Conversely, no one said a word about the line in German, but the Minutemen types are attacking Mexicans, not Germans.

More recently, Cindy and Hue Co, cousins and co-valdictorians in a Louisiana high school, delivered part of their speech in Vietnameese. They are daughters of Vietnamese immigrants.

Cindy told the Associated Press that she added a sentence in Vietnamese to thank her parents. It also meant that she could always be true to herself, and it expressed gratitude to her parents for immigrating to the United States.

It, too, unfortunately turned out to be controversial.

Now the school officials are thinking about adopting an official school policy that requires future commencement speeches to be in English only, contrary to the First Amendment of our fedeal Constitution. That doesn't surprise me, because several high schools in San Diego have intentionally violated state laws regulating their school newspapers.

I dislike it when busybody school officials think that, because they don't like something (e.g., adding a compliment in another language to a valedictory speech) they can simply outlaw it, even when that act may violate federal law.

I don't like it when journalists call undocumented immigrants "illegal aliens," in violation of our constitutional presumption of innocence.

I don't like it when some American teenagers, who can barely speak proper English, may eventually be outmatched in the global market by a teenager from Mexico, Europe or Asia who can speak two or more languages.

Let's face it, English-only policies may seriously handicap American students as they grow up and enter the global market.

Monolingual students need to study harder and become bilingual themselves, and adults need to lay off their objections about a single sentence in a graduation speech in another language.

___________________

Contact journalist Leo E. Laurence, J.D. at leopowerhere@msn.com or call (619) 757-4909.

NEEDED: STORIES ON SUPREME COURT APPOINTMENTS

2008-07-07T05:27:00Z

by Leo E. Laurence, J.D.; Member: Nat'l. Committee on Diversity

In the daily grind of stories from the campaign trails of our presumptive, presidential nominees; we are seeing far too few articles - and speeches by the campaigners - on the major importance of Supreme Court appointments that the next president will likely make - which could change the course of American jurisprudence for generations to come.

Time magazine and the Washington Post are rare exceptions.

"(The Supreme Court) is sharply divided ideologically on some of the most fundimental, constitutional questions; and the upcoming presidential election will determine its future path," wrote Robert Burns in the Washington Post.

"A victory by the presumptive Democratic nominee, Barrack Obama, would probably mean preserving the uneasy - but roughly balanced - status quo, since the justices who are considered most likely to retire are liberal.

"A win for his Republican counterpart, John McCain, could mean a fundimental shift to a conservative majority ready to take on past court rulings on abortion rights, affirmatrive action and other issues of importance to the right," Burns wrote.

In its most recent term, the high court has bounced back and forth between the left and the right on the constitutional rights of terrorist suspects, individual gun ownershiip and the increaingly narrow view of who is eligible for the death penalty.

Each case has pitted the four consistently conservative justices against the four slightly-less consistent liberals, with Justice Anthony M. Kennedy returning to his role of last term as the deciding vote.

"The blockbuster cases, the really big cases, have now brought into very sharp focus how closely divided this court is on the really large and philosophically-charged issues before the court," says Charles J. Cooper, a Washington lawyer quoted by Burns.

"It has cast 'the sharpest possible focus on how important the court is going to be . . . in the upcoming election debate,'" Cooper added.

The average age of the court's liberals will be 75 when it opens its next term in October.

An Obama victory will surely replace one of those liberals with another liberal. But, a McCain win will give the high court a solid, majority block (of conservatives) for years to come.

Chief Justice John Roberts has made a determined effort to have the other justices draft narrow rulings, creating the stronger possibility that there will be a greater consensus and avoid the 5-4 splits. Also, more non-controversial business cases have been acceptd by the Robert's court.

Roberts has done well. Of the 15 cases in which the U.S. Chamber of Commerce has filed briefs, 80% were deciced by a 7-2 or higher split, and a third were unanimous. Roberts was in the majority in 90% of all the cases this term, more frequently than any other justice.

But, "regardless of Robert's consensus building, the future of the court will be determined by the (upcoming) presidential election," Time magazine reported in its issue dated July 14th.

"If McCain wins and gets to replace one of two liberal justices with reliable conservatives, there will be a lopsided, conservative majority and Roberts will have little incentive to win over the marginalized liberal justices who remain.

"By contrast, if Obama wins, the ideologial makeup of the court will remain the same in the foreseeable future - four liberal justices and four conservatives, with Kennedy in the middle," Time says.

"In that case, Robert's success in promoting bipartisn unity may make the difference between a Supreme Court that declares war on Obamam's domestic agenda . . . and a court that is content to get out of the way of a Democratic president and Congress," Time concludes.

__________________

Leo E. Laurence, J.D. belongs to that small "club" of journalists nationwide who holds a law degree, which included the late Tim Russert. Contact Laurence at leopowerhere@msn.com or call (619) 757-4909.

COVERING THE DEAF COMMUNITY

2008-07-04T04:01:00Z

by Leo E. Laurence, Member: Nat'l. Committee on Diversity

When referring to diversity, the SPJ uses a broad-stroke definition; meaning ethnic minorities, Gays and the disabled.

But, when we speak of the disabled, the public often thinks only of those who are in wheelchairs or are otherwise, physically impaired. However, the word can also refer to the deaf community, though many deaf persons do not consider themselves to be disabled.

Indeed, their lives are far from the classic description of a disabled person. This blog will offer tips on how a journalist might cover a story involving a deaf person, or an event in the deaf communithy.

Having already worked over 11 years as a photo-journalist, while I was earning my undergraduate degree at the private Westminhster College in Fulton, MO; I worked my way through college by teaching photography at the nearby Missouri School for the Deaf.

It was an exhilerating experience. I loved it!

I literally lived in the deaf community, and found the deaf to be an exciting, diverse population. By deaf, I do not mean the hard-of-hearing, those who can restore their ability to functionally hear with a hearing aid. I refer to those who have little or no hearing cognition.

Many of the high-school teenagers in my classes became deaf as a result of having German measles at birth, a comon cause of deafness. These deaf persons may most easily develop the unusual skill of lip reading, a talent which those who became deaf later as an adult may find difficult to acquire.

All of my students used the American Sign Language for communicating with each other, a skill I quickly learned out of necessity and fervent desire to more easily "chat' with my students, who quickly became close friends.

Other than the inability to comprehend sound, deaf individuals are just as diverse in their skills and personalities as those of us in the hearing world. To think that they are mentally retarded simply because they are deaf is a major mistake of many hearing people.

Many of my sharper students went on to earn their college degrees at Gallaudet University in Washington, D.C.; a private institution of higher learning designed primarily to serve deaf students. It's an amazing university!

Covering Stories of the Deaf

While an untrained journalist might be apprehensive at first about working a story involving a deaf person, or the deaf community; particularly if they don't know the sign language, they should approach their assignment exactly the same way they would any story where the principals involved speak a foreign language.

You get an interpreter.

Usually, the deaf person or group will quickly provide an interpreter for you. If that person is a lip reader, when communicating with you, they may try to also speak.

If they have been deaf most of their life, the sound of their voice may sound artifically high pitched when they speak to you. They have been trained to use their vocal chords, even though they cannot heard their own speech. It may sound as if they are straining their voice to speak, but they may not be.

When speaking to a deaf interviewee, or interpreter, who can read lips, do NOT overemphasize your lips movements. Speak natually and the lip reader will be able to understand you.

And, do NOT shout when speaking to the lip-reading person. Shouting will not help them understand what you are saying. Indeed, speak naturally and the lip reader will comprehenend.

If there is any difficulty in communication between you, feel comfortable in writing out what you want to say to your deaf interpreter. And, be comfotable if that person sends you a written note. It's all within the "normal" communications experience for the deaf.

Try an Experiment - and Find a Story

For a great feature story, go out with 4 or 5 deaf personhs to a nice restaurant where good service and food is expected. But, say NOTHING aloud. Communicate entirely with your friends by writing notes.

Communicate also with the waiter/waitress with written notes. Let that person think that you are also deaf and cannot understand what he/she says.

Notice how the waiter may treat your table quite differently than might be expected from a professional.

Several times I have gone out with my deaf friends in Fulton, Missouri and went to a quality restaurant.

I said nothing, communicating only in sign language or by writing messages with my deaf friends at the table.

But, in plain view and right in front of me, I had a small tape recorder recording everything the waiter said.

You would be amazed at the insulting, rude remarks the waiter would make when he thought nobody at the table understood what he was saying.

Service would be horrible. Orders were incorrect and the food was not cooked properly.

In such situations, after all of the above bad service occurred, I walked over to the head waiter and spoke, asking to speak with the owner/manager.

When the owner/manager heard the tape recording of the dismal and unprofessional service, I reminded him that such conduct was also a violation of state and federal laws.

In negotiating a quick, on-the-spot settlement, the managment on several occassions agreed to provide all meals (freshly and properly cooked) on the house. They also agreed to meet with my school's principal to determine how the swanky restaurant could help the deaf school financially in the future.

Any journalist with questions about covering a story involving a deaf person or the deaf community, is invited to contact me at leopowerhere@msn.com or (619) 757-4909.

"Illegal" IMMIGRANTS UNDERSTAND PATRIOTISM

2008-07-03T04:32:00Z

by Leo E. Laurence; Member: SPJ Nat'l. Committee on Diversity

We can learn about American patriotism from immigrants, including those some improperly call "illegal."

I wrote the word "illegal" in quotation marks for a particular reason. While I wanted to catch your attention, I also strongly believe it is profesionally unethical, as a journalist, to brand anyone as "illegal" who has not been so judged by a court of law.

Our nation of laws holds firmly that a person is innocent until - and only until - proven guilty by a judge.

An article "Is Obama American Enough" by columnist Ruben Navarette, Jr. of the San Diego Union Tribune addresses the issue of patriotism as we celebrate the Fourth of July. Being a Navy veteran, I proudly fly my Stars 'n Stripes frequently. The Fourth of July is a special day for me.

After exploring the "silly controversies over flag pins" and other similar issues, like "when it was that his wife became proud of her country;" Navarrette says, "In some quarters, Obamam is being attacked for not being American enough . . .".

"The irony is that, as the son of someone who immigrated here fromn another country, Obama probably understands better than many of his fellow, native-born citizens what it means to be an American.

"Immigrants (all of them), no matter where they came from, have a lot to teach the rest of us about seeking opportunity, working hard, pursuing dreams, treasuring liberty and remaining optimistic even when you fail," Navarette wrote.

"If you really want to understand patriotism, don't talk to those of us who were born here through no effort of our own.

"Talk to someone who came here from Iran or Eastern Europe, or Cuba and who doesn't have the luxury of taking freedom for granted.

"Talk to somefrom from Vietnam or Indian or Mexico (yes, Mexicans) who see only opportuntities where many of us see obstacles," Navarrette wrote in his revealing column.

In other words, to understand American patriotism on the Fourth of July, you might talk to those who many would improperly call "illegal immigrants."

______________________

For comment, contact Leo E. Laurence at leopowerhere@msn.com

LATINOS & BLACKS HIT HARD BY HOUSING CRISIS

2008-07-02T03:00:00Z

by Leo E. Laurence, Member: SPJ Nat'l. Committee on Diversity and CCNMA - Latino Journalists of California

Racial minorities have been hit especially hard by the housing crisis, and some newspapers - like The San Diego Union Tribune - are covering this angle.

Minority borrowers accounted for half of the increase in homeowners from 1995 to 2005, according to Harvard's Joint Center for Housing Studies.

Latinos represented about 46 percent and African-Americans about 55 percent of those who took out risky mortgages. They also got higher-cost loans, as compared with about 17 percent for whites and Asians.

"Many of these people with subprime loans were misled. In some cases, fraud was involved and some just got in over their heads," said Gregg Robinson, co-chair of the Affordable Housing Coalition of San Diego and reported by the Union Tribune's Penni Crabtree. It is one of the few major newspapers that is covering the affect of the housing crisis on racial, minority populations.

Many of the Latinos who took out these subprime loans spoke little or no English. They were relying on the honesty and professionalism of the housing agents with whom they did business.

Cezar Gonzalez saw his neighbors becoming home owners, and he wanted to own his home, too. He trused his realtor and the loan officer.

"But, (Gonzalez) didn't understand what he was doing, said Adelina Enriquez, a counselor at Community Housing Works, a non-profit that offers free counseling to distressed homeowners.

Gonzalez is a constructor worker who speaks little English and dropped out of school after the fifth grade. It's a problem that many Latinos, particularly in Californoa, face as loan officers pushed risky loans.

"But, once you sign the loan papers, you take the responsibility and the risk," added Enriquez.

Latinos and African-Americans make up a disproportionately large number of the thousands in the nation who face losing their homes to foreclosure, and are in default on their loans with adjustable interest rates that are rapidly rising.

Gonzalez, speaking through an interpreter, said he still is uncertain what kind of loan he signed up for on the $565,000 duplex he bought last May.

His monthly income was $3,200, but the loan officer approved mortgage payments of $4,200; so the loan was ill conceived from the beginning.

Recently, his lender, Countrywide (which has figured prominently in the housing crisis), called Gonzalez to ask why he was late on his payments.

The housing crisis is far from over. But, it is hitting racial minorities particularly hard.

Newspapers across the nation should follow the lead of the San Diego Union Tribune in covering this angle of the housing-crisis story.

________________

Contract Leo E. Laurence at leopowerhere@msn.com

GAY IMAGES STILL DISTORT REALITY

2008-07-01T23:42:00Z

by Leo E. Laurence, Member: National Committee on Diversity

Stories and photos of gay civil-rights events are in the news more than ever, particularly with the California Supreme Court legalizing gay marriages. Summertime, also, is when Gay-Pride events are held worldwide, celebrating the Stonewall Riots in New York City in June of '69.

To illustrate its coverage of the massive Gay-Pride parade in San Francisco recently, the San Diego Union Tribune - which is usually sensitive to diversity issues - ran a Reuters photos of two lesbians in campy, leather drag.

That photo reinforced the stereotype that Gays are a fringe element in society, and not a part of the mainstream. They could have run a photo of the large law-enforcement contingent in the parade, showing that cops and sheriffs are Gay, too.

Some photo editors need more diversity education!

Editors, also, need to learn more about gay history if they are going to run stories about it.

Historically, it is a myth that the Stonewall Riots launched the worldwide gay, civil-rights movement. Those riots in '69 were little more than a big street fight between Latin drag queens from inside the Stonewall, a hustler bar in Greenwich Village, and the cops.

There was no fundimental, planned, organized, civil-rights issue(s) or purpose behind the Stonewall riots.

However, several months before Stonewall, there were non-violent, "militant" civil-rights demonstrations, pickets and events in the San Francisco area.

They were led by the Committee for Homosexual Freedom (CHF), which was orgaized to fight for employment rights for Gays. The CHF was fighting to get the job of its co-founder, 19-year-old Gale Whittington, restored after he had been fired by the States Steamship Lines in San Francisco's financial district for being Gay.

Eventually, the CHF expanded it's civil-rights operations to hit major businesses such as the downtown Macy's Department Store in San Francisco for homophobic practices.

Because some religous, fanatical homophobes threatened the CHF members, and because the notoriously homophobic police were not expected to protect the CHF members, the CHF received help from the Black Panther Party which cupported gay civil rights.

But, that history is usually ignored by editors - and many gay "history" books - who take the easy way out and perpetuate the myth that the Stonewall Riots launched the Gay Lib movement.

_____________

For comment, write Leo E. Laurence at leopowerhere@msn.com

USE OF "ILLEGAL ALIENS" PHRASE DISCOURAGED

2008-06-26T16:51:00Z

by Leo E. Laurence, J.D.; Member: San Diego "Pro" Chapter; Member: National Committee on Diversity

We have the good fortune is live in a democracy and in a free society. But, there are duties, responsibilties and costs associated with life in these United States.

Among the "duties" are the obligations to (1) to vote, (2) to serve on a jury, (3) to pay our taxes, and (3) to obey the law.

There are no exceptions to the duty to obey all laws. Our state and federal Constitutions apply to everyone, including those without citizenship documentation, those whom some would angrily call illegal aliens.

In an earlier blog, I wrote that journalists should avoid using the phrases "illegal aliens" or Illegal immigrants."

Both phrases are popularized by crusading politicans on the campaign trail and by the "minutemen" organization that focuses only on our border with Mexico, and not along the Canadian border.

The reason for my advice to journalists is that a fundimental rule in our criminal justice system that everyone is presumed to be innocent until proven guilty by a court of law.

That legal doctrine is so basic to our legal system that even kindergarden kids know it.

But, in angry and sometimes insulting responses that I've received to my original blog (which expressed my personal opinion as a blogger based on the rule of law), some people had the absurb notion that our Constition protections apply only to citizens, and not those who are undocumented in this country.

In other words, in a strange twisting of legal logic, they argued that while the immigrations laws apply to undocumented individuals, our procedural laws do not. The law doesn't work that way, folks.

All our laws - including the procedural protections of presumed innocence until found guilty in court - apply equaly to everyone. That's why the statute of Lady Law is blindfolded.

A person is not ipso facto guilty of a crime just because somebody thinks they are a criminal. They become an unlawful, illegal criminal only after a conviction in court.

If some of those who sent me angry e-mails want to live in a legal system that does not include the constitutional protection of "innocent until proven guilty," then I suggest they move to a dictatorship that doesn't have our system of laws.

If anyone can pick and choose among those laws that they will obey - and ignore the presumption on innocence - then we will have anarchy in America.

Personally, I prefer democracy to anarchy.

_______________________

For comment, contact Leo E. Laurence, J.D. at leopowerhere@msn.com or (619) 757-4909

INFLAMATORY RESPONSES TO "ILLEGAL" BLOG

2008-06-26T02:06:00Z

by Leo E. Laurence, J.D., Member, San Diego "Pro" Chapter; Member, National Committee on Diversity

While I expected my personal blog on gay marriages to create the largest storm of protests of many blogs I've written, I was wrong.

My blog urging journalists, as a matter of law, to avoid using the phrase "illegal aliens" or "illegal immigrants" drew far more strong, and sometimes profane, responses.

When a person has to use offensive profanity to prove their point, I usually disregard it as the product of a crude mind. So goes the profane response by Jeff Barber and sent, not to me as the blogger, but to the SPJ's ececutive direcvtyor, Terry Harper.

Other responses, however, deserve a response.

"I was shocked when I discovered your article "AVOID THE PHRASE 'ILLEGAL' IMMIGRANTS. I was even more horrified when I found the website of the Society of Professional Journalists. The group should be named the Society for aiding the enemy" (sic), wrote Jeff (no last name or city).

"You are an enemy soldier," Jeff added. Considering Jeff's attitude, I consider his criticism a compliment.

While the blog is part of the SPJ's diversity committee's contribution to the SPJ's website, the blogs are the personal opinions of the blogger, and NOT necessarily a statement of position by the SPJ.

"This (blog) is one of the most misguided articles I have ever come across," wrote James (also, no last name) of Fort Collins, Colorado.

"Actually, as I ponder this silliness, I begin to understand the diminished role of journalists in our society.

"An immmigrant who is in this country illegally is an illegal immigrant (the term 'alien,' I agree, is unnecessary) The mere presence (sic) is an admission of guilt," James wrote.

As a matter of law, however, that argument has no merit.

A person, any person, does not admit to a crime simply by their presence at the scene of that alleged crime. That's not the way our criminal justice system works.

Again, we go to the basic issue that was described in detail in the original blog: that only a court of law can decide if a person is illegal or guilty of a crime; including our federal, immigration laws.

But, many of those who want to send all undocumented immigratns "back where they came from" don't want to bother with such important procedural protections as due process of law.

Indeed, even the president has repeatedly said that, as a pratical matter, there are so many people in this country who are undocumented immigrants, it would be impossible to process all those cases through our federal district courts.

There would simply too many. The flood of cases would mean that no civil cases could be heard because criminal cases always must be heard before civil cases.

Those who want to ignore the procedural requirements of due process of law for those horrible "illegal aliens," would also be the first to scream bloody murder if they wre treated the same way in our criminal courts. What hypocrites!

Mike Butler suggested that I use my spell-checker because he found misspelling in my blog. Then he accused me of being "a Latino lover, illegal immigrant disapprover (sic), non-Latino phobe (sic)." "Sic" is a literary term indicating that a gramatical error exists in the original quote.

Then there is Mike and Lese Meyer (no city) who believe people in America must "earn the right to be protected by American law."

Where do you find that crazy idea in the Constitution?

"Your comments such as 'all persons are considered innocent until proven guilty in a court of law' was only meant for American citizens," they wrote. Again, that statement has no merit in the law.

While I criticized use of the term illegal aliens, a word that makes it sound like our undocumented immigrants are coming from another planet; Stephen Bennet of mooresville, North Carolina, took the idea one step further.

"If you prefer, another term that would be just as correct to use is 'invaders.' I would consider the two (aliens and invaders) interchangeable," Bennet wrote.

So, now these "aliens" are from outter space and are invading us ???

Joe Nowlin wrote, "As far as I know, it is illegal for an immigrant to enter the USA without proper identification. If we can agree on that fact, than (sic) by definition an undocumented immigrant is an illegal immigrant . . . So, your undocumented immigrant term is equally politically incorrect and offensive."

The only problem with Nowlin's logic is that it is faulty, as a matter of law. It totally disregards the requirements of due process of law that must be satisfied before a court can rule that any person is "illegal."

A person who is in this country without proper documentation is an alleged illegal immigrant. They are not, in fact, illegal until a court so rules, as my original blog startes.

This obviously is a very HOT button issue.

But, I find it very sad and hypocritical that so many people, who would DEMAND all the procedural protections of due process of law if they were charged with a crime, as so willing to ignore those same legal protections for people with brown skin without papers.

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For comment, contact Leo Laurence at leopowerhere@msn.com or at (619) 757-4909.

AVOID THE PHRASE "ILLEGAL" IMMIGRANTS

2008-06-24T03:57:00Z

by Leo E. Laurence, J.D., Member: San Diego "Pro" chapter; Member: National Committee on Diversity

Both national and local media regularly refer to undocumented immigrants as illegal immigrants, or the most inflamatory phrase, illegal aliens (as if they came from another planet). Both are wrong, as a matter of law.

The phrase illegal alien was popularized by the anti-Latino organization, the "Minutemen," who conduct their seemingly racist operations along our border with Mexico.

In America, our federal Constitution guarentees that all persons are considered innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. This is an important, fundimental principal of the criminal-justice system in our English, common-law system of jurisprudence. It is one of the reaons that we fought the Revolutionary War.

In those countries that use the Civil Law system of jurisprudence, which dates back to the Roman Empire and the Napoleonic Code, a person is guilty until proven innocent.

The burden of proof distinguishes the two systems of criminal law. In our English common-law, the burden is high for prosecutors to prove a criminal suspect is guilty of a crime (beyong a reasonable doubt). In Civil Law countries, the burden on the suspect is light to prove their innocence.

Mexico has historically followed the Civil Law system of criminal justice. Only very recently, however, did the federal Mexican government in Mexico City revise its Criminal Code to match our English common law. Persons in Mexico now are technically innocent until proven guilty.

USE OF THE WORD "ALLEGED"

Most professional journalists will use the word "alleged" when referring to a person charged with a crime, but not yet found guilty by a court of law. For example, we say a criminal defendant is an alleged murderer when writing a story.

It is strange, therefore, that reporters today will commonly write that undocumented immigrants are illegal, when the alleged crime is a non-capital offense. In other words, we treat alleged murders more cautiously than we treat immigrants.

Perhaps part of the reasons is because of the influence of anti-Latino groups such as the Minutemen.

It may also be because it is useful for some politicans to use controversial, emotionally-charged words in campaign speeches to fire up their constitutents. This is particularly true for those who represent congressional districts near the Mexican border, such as Congressman Duncan Hunter and his candidate son.

They like to fan the flames of prejudice as political ammunition because many in their districts share their attitude against undocumented immigrants (illegal aliens).

It seems that many in America (spelled Amerikkka in the late 60s) have a need to hate someone. Early in our nation's history, many hated the colored people (niggers) so much they lynched them on trees. Some, today, unfortunately still dislike African-Americans.

As homosexuals began coming out-of-the-closet in the late 60s and launched the now world-wide Gay-Lib movement in San Francisco, many homophobic people hated Gays. Some radical, evangelical churches even came up with the phrase, "Kill a *** for Christ."

That homophobia has significanly declined in recent years, particularly among young people. Indeed, the Califolrnoa Supreme Court on May 15th joined the State of Massachusettes in legalizing gay marriagtes. But, homophobia remains strong and an amendment to the state constitution to overturn the state's high-court ruling will be on the November ballot. It's chances are mixed.

While many still hate African-Americans and Gays, the new target of hatred today is Latinos, legal and/or undocumented. If you've got brown skin, many believe you are ipso facto an illegal alien and "should go back to where you came from."

Words can be far more powerful than a sword!

Journalists, therefore, have a special duty and obligation under our S-P-J Code of Ethics to choose their words carefully. They must avoid fanning the flames of prejudice and racism by referring to undocumented immigtrants as illegal aliens or illegal immigrants. Besides, it's contrary to the law.

Newsrooms ought to take affirmative steps to issue official policies that nobody can be called illegal, unless a court of law has so ruled.

Journalists are not politicans who are trying to exploit the racist feelings of some constituients in an election campaign by regularly repeating the phrase, illegal immigrants.

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For comment, contact Leo Laurence at (619) 757-4909 or at leopowerhere@msn.com

COVERING SENIORS SOMETIMES REQUIRES DELICACY

2008-06-22T08:17:00Z

by Leo E. Laurence, Member: San Diego "Pro" Chapter; Member, National Committee on Diversity

Covering seniors can sometimes require some extraordinary delicacy for journalists, largely because our senior population is growing rapidly and it is incredibly diverse.

BUT, not all seniors think of their senior status similarly.

For purposes of this blog, I'll define seniors loosely; and generally as anyone over 50, but certainly those 60 or more. Remember, some lively persons who look 50 may indeed be 75; and some who look 80, are hunched over and using a walker, may be only 50.

AGE: Some seniors are comfortable - and even proud - of their age, but many are still living as if they were 20 or 30 years younger and do NOT like to reveal their age.

This is expecially true of senior citizens who, perhaps because of good genes, don't look their age. A senior I know is 75 and going on 76. But, he looks easily 20 years younger, hangs out with people in their 20s and is very uncomfortable whenever anyone asks him his real age.

He'd prefer people think of him as he appears, and not as he really is.

For a journalist, if age isn't pertinent to your story, there may be no need to ask about it. However, on most all stories I work, I routinely ask interviewees their age for identification purposes. I don't press the question unless age if important, as with a crime story.

GAYS AND LESBIANS: Historically, the Gay Community has worshipped youth. For example, images of young people fill the ads in gay publications.

Therefore, a reporter needs to be particularly senative to this cultural characteristic when asking gay seniors any question about their age or an age-related issue. Is it really needed for your story?

OCCUPATION/PROFESSION: Many seniors have had several occupations/professions over their lifetime.

When doing an interivew, if that varied background might be meaningful to your story, do ask about past occupations. This is true even though your interviewee may be doing something entirely different now than they did decades ago.

MEDICAL HISTORY: In personal conversations, I usually try to avoid asking my senior friends, "How are you?" That's because I fear that I will get a full medical report (e.g., "I went to my urologist today and my urine is etc., etc., etc.").

While that observation may be stereotypical, many seniors are retired and have very little to keep them busy. For one older neighbor I once had, going to his mailbox was the only time he left his home during the day)

Therefore, it's a BIG experience when they do go to their doctor. But, really, I'm not interested to knowing how well they can urinate and why.

However, if their medical condition is germane to your story, a journalist might want to narrow their questions to particular specifics, so to avoid getting a generalized medical report.

And, if needed, ask your interviewee to tell their doctor that you might be calling to verify facts, if they are really needed for your story.

COMPUTERS & TECHNOLOGY: Many seniors have not kept up with advancing, modern technology as has our younger generations.

Many hate cell phones and rarely use e-mail. They may have difficulty setting the clock on electronic eqipment, and prefer life as it was a decade or so ago.

Journalists need to be senative to these pecularities of senior citizens, and don't expect that they will have a cell phone.

HISTORY: Senior citizens, however, can be a wealth of information, particularly in providing lively history of issues about which you are writing.

Doing a piece on the Korean War, the so-called "forgotten war?"

There are plenty of seniors around your community who can tell the most fantastic sea stories about their wartime experiences, and love doing it.

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Add your comments to this; or to contact the blogger, Leo Laurence, call (619) 757-4909 or e-mail to leopowerhere@msn.com

OBAMA IS REALLY BIRACIAL, NOT AFRICAN-AMERICAN

2008-06-20T01:18:00Z

by Leo E. Laurence, Member: San Diego "Pro" Chapter; Member, National Committee on Diversity

Sen. Barrack Obama is really biracial, and NOT African-American as many in the media describe him.

He is a "young, black, first-term senator," wrote Eugene Robinson in the Washington Post.

Indeed, his primary campaign opponent, Sen. Hillary Clinton, as she suspended her campaign, said: "Could an African-American really be our next president? . . . Sen. Obama has answered that one."

What is wrong with those descriptions is the so-called "one-drop rule," that says any individual with one drop of African-American blood is considered black, as Prof. Bey-Ling Sha said in an Opinion piece in the San Diego Union Tribune recently. She is a journalsim professor at San Diego State Univeristy and a published author on diversity issues.

Another problem journalists face is that we often will describe a person in our stories based on their physical appearence. For example, a blond-haired, blue-eyed person is usually called white, even if that person has considerably African, Asian or Latino blood in their veins.

Obmama has repeatedly described himself as "biracial." His father is a black man from Kenya and his mother is white.

However, when Prof. Sha checked online with LexisNexis on June 9th, she found 1,754 articles that described Sen. Obama as black. Of that number, 526 appeared in the past 3 months.

In contrast, LexisNexis yielded only 88 articles (30 appearing recently) that descrivbed him as "biracial."

"Calling (Obama) 'black' obviously focuses attention on only half of who he claims to be," Prof. Sha stressed.

Doesn't media responsibility mean respecting the (biracial) identity avowed by Obama?" she asked. "What a missed opportunity to expand our national discourse on race."

"Instead of wondering whether Obama is 'black' enough for African-American voters, or 'too black' for white voters; the media could have asked whether Obama's biracialism made him more appealing to both blacks and whites. . .", Prof. Sha added.

The vocabulary we journalists use when we write a story is an extremely important consideration when discussing race, or any other issue involving diversity (including Gays and the disabled).

We live in a multi-racial world where most of us have the blood of more than one race in our veins. I'm primarily Dutch from New York State. I'm proud that my ancestors founded New York City. But, because my ancestors also commingled with the local Indians, there is also Native-American blood in my veins, though I consider myself white. Actually, I'm probably multi-racial.

"In short, we need to focus on (Sen. Obmama's) identity as a candidate, and not on his identity as a man," Prof. Sha advised. But, when we do, make it accurate. He's biracial, NOT black or Africal-American.

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Add your comments to this blog. To contact the author, Leo Laurence, call (619) 757-4909 or e-mail at leopowerhere@msn.com

DISABLED ISSUES ARISE AND MORE STORIES NEEDED

2008-06-17T01:29:00Z

by Leo E. Laurence; Member, San Diego "Pro" chapter; Member, National Committee on Diversity

We usually think about racial discrimination when the word "diversity" is used; but, in the S-P-J, that word -as used by our National Committee on Diversity - also includes Gays and the disabled. The DISABLED! Really?

We usually think about those with physical limitations, those using wheelchairs or prosthetics, when the word "disabled" is used. But, the mentally disabled are also included.

Depresssion, for example, is widespread and can hit anyone - from an intern reporter to a senior editor. It can drain our energy, cause us to seriously procrastinate, lose interest in everything and - if not treated - can lead to suicide. Yes, it's serious!

Depression can be just a debilitating as a physical disability. Indeed, those with physical limitations often experience serious depression, as in post-traumatic syndrome with which our middle-eastern war veterans are all too familiar.

Fortunately, for those who are physically disabled, the federal government is finally considering taking some major action to update the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).

This needs considerable coverage by the media nationwide.

A new proposal will soon be published in the Federal Register that would substantially update and rewrite the ADA, that landmark civil rights law that was passed with strong biparticisn support in 1990.

More than 51 millioin Americans have some kind of disability, according to the Census Bureau, and that number is probably low because many people suffering from depression often keep it a secret.

The 215,000-word proposal has been under development for over four years. It includes these specific proposals for new construction, among many others:

** Courts would have to provide a lift or ramp to ensure that witnesses in wheelchairs could get into the witness stnad, which are often elevated.

** Auditoriums would have to provide a similar ramp or lift so wheelchair users can participate fully in graduation exercises and similar programs on stage.

** Light switches in hotels could not be more than 48-inches high, rather than the current 54-inch masimum.

** A new swimming pool with a perimeter of more than 300-feet would have to provide at least two accessable means of entry, such as a gentle slope or a chair lift.

** At least 25 percent of the railings on fishing piers would have to be no more than 34-inches high to accomodate the disabiled.

While the setimated cost of these changes in about $23 billion, it is believed the value of the public benefit will be about $654 billion.

In the economic analysis of the proposed rules, the need for an accessible environment is greater now because of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, which are creating a new generation of young men and women with disabilities.

The Justice Departmnet estimates that by 2010, just two years from now, 2 percent of the adult population will use wheelchairs and 4 percent will use crutches, canes or walkers.

This puts a new and urgent obligation on our news media to cover this story thoroughly, particularly at the local level.

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Add your comment, or call Leo Laurence at (619) 757-4909 or write leopowerhere@msn.com

INACCURATE COVERAGE OF GAY-MARRIAGE ISSUE

2008-06-16T14:10:00Z

by Leo E. Laurence, J.D.; Member, San Diego "Pro" chapter; Member, National Committee on Diversity

Some stories on the California Supreme Court's decision on gay marriages reported that the court had created "new law." That was inaccurate.

Some stories said the high court's ruling was made by "activist judges." That was inaccurate.

Some stories said the high court should have following the "will of the people" who voted overwhelmingly on a statewide initiative in 2000 that marriage must be between a man and a woman. As a matter of law, that was inaccurate.

No "new law" was created by California's high court.

Rather, after an exhaustive study of both the law of marriage (for straights) and the statuatory "domestic partnerships" (for Gays); the court found that having two, "separate, but (supposedly) equal" laws for straight couples and gay couples was unconstitutional under the state's Constitution. That's all it did. It did not create "new law."

When I served as a legal researcher at the California Court of Appeal for four years, most major Opinions of the court ran 30-40 pages. This gay-marriage ruling is extremely complex and thorough. It runs 161 pages, including dissents.

All but one of the justices (appellate jurists are called justices, not judges) had been appointed by conservative republican governors. Chief Justice Ronald M. George, who signed as primary author (though the court's legal research staff did most of the work), has a long reputation as a law-and-order jurist. He's hardly a liberal "activist."

While voters in 2000 had voted overwhelmingly on a statewide ballot initiative that marriage must be between a man and a woman; it is fundimental law that neither the Legislature nor the voters can enact a law that does not pass constitutional muster.

Even if 99 percent of the voters approved a law that husbands could hospitalize their wives without legal cause, such a law would be struck down by the court as violating the constitutional rights of the wives. It is the duty of the state's Supreme Court to rule on these issues under the doctrine of separation of powers.

"The question of access to civil marraige by same-sex couples is not a matter of social policy (to be enacted by the Legislature or by a vote of the people), but of constitutional interpretation. It is a question for this court to decide," the Opi9nioin states clearly.

Many stories focused on the link between marriage and procreation, saying that marriage must be between a man and a woman because only they can biologically produce children. In rejecting that arguement, the high court said, "the constitutional right to marry never has been viewed as the sole preseerve of individuals who are physically capable of having children."

In the law, as Californoia goes, so goes the nation; and frequently that's true. That's why this issue will spread across the country, paticularly if the statewide ballot iniative designed to overturn this gay marriage ruling is defeated at the polls in November.

Therefore, reporters and editors nationwide will be facing this issue for some time to come. It is important that they understand the ruling, and - in particular - what it does not hold.

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Add your comments, or contact Leo Laurence at (619) 757-4909 or at leopowerhere@msn.com