This I believe

How is one supposed to decide what is right and what is wrong? Do we draw upon our own experiences, what our parents taught us growing up, learning from mistakes we've made in the past, learning from other's mistakes, etc. Are we allowed to decide for ourselves what is right and what is wrong? Or is it based on rules and regulations set up for us by the society we live in?

I believe in order to have an accurate view of ethics you need to be an observant person. Someone who is able to take in the environment around them, at any age/time period/culture, and apply a universal set of ethics to any situation.

What Americans believe to be basic human rights are not always considered so in other countries of the world. For example, discrimination based on gender and race is still a major influence on people's lives in third world countries, as well as in other places in the world. While in America women are able to vote freely, it is not uncommon for that right to be restricted to only males elsewhere in the world.
Is it proable to insist that there be a global set of ethics? Can we come together as human beings, even with differences in cultural values, language, government, and decide upon a basic idea of right and wrong? I don't see why not. While the definition of "right" can be subjective based on individual values and belief, there should still be a broader sense of "right and wrong" that can transcend to any person age, race, or gender.
I think back to my first 20 years in life and I try to define what I think is ethically correct, and I find it art to completely articulate my thoughts. How do you explain to someone what is right when they clearly object to your opinion? I may think that shaking someone's hand is the appropriate thing to do when being introduced to someone new, but in another country that might be regarded as disrespectful. 
I believe that with all of the problems we face in the world today: economical issues, international relations issues, education policy, health care, natural disasters, a person's issues can and should be related to other people in the world on some sort of general standard. I believe that we can come together, as a people, and work to attain a global definition of right and wrong, and stick to it. I especially think this is true in our current generation with the increase in connectivity world wide via social media tools such as Twitter, Facebook, even things like email, news broadcasts, etc. It is easier now than it ever was for a person to connect to someone else in a completely different area of the world...so why shouldn't we come together and act as one society?

"My Ethical Standards Come From..."

So we all have those memories from being a kid where you do something wrong and you get punished by your parents. While trying to figure out what exactly I wanted to say in this entry I suddenly remembered something: The Oreo Incident. Growing up we kept treats (such as cookies) out of the reach of me and my brother in a cabinet above the microwave. It was well known that we were not to eat said treats unless granted permission. I remember one day I managed to get my hands on an Oreo or two, and of course I got caught. Instead of admitting to the crime I tried to weasel my way out of it. Naturally I was unsuccessful, and therefore had to learn the "lesson about lying".

While this may seem like a silly story, it proves that the lessons my parents taught me when I was younger have stuck with me even now. They helped lay the foundation for me to create my own set of standards off of. My parents taught me the basic lessons, kind of like "Ethics for Dummies", and then let me be free to make my own mistakes and learn other things for myself.

It's like anything in life: you learn best by experiencing something hands on. Your parents can tell you "lying to someone is wrong and will hurt the person you lie to" but you don't actually understand the meaning behind that until you witness it firsthand. Whether you are the person being lied to, or if you see the consequences of telling a lie yourself, the lesson is still the same.

I look at it like learning how to ride a bike. At first you start out with training wheels to get used to the bike. Then as you progress, your parents take off them off, and you have to readjust what you learned from the training wheels and apply that to your new situation. The lessons your parents teach you when you are younger are the training wheels for your own code of ethics, and as you go on living you apply them. This is how we go about creating our own set of standards.

While this may seem like an elementary level comparison I believe it shows how I've come about my ethical standards in the perfect way. Ethics don't need to be complex, they just need to be ethical. Since when did right and wrong become so complicated?

Code of Ethics Excerpt

"I will remember to find joy in life in the every day moments. Daily smiles and appreciation of the little things will truly be the linking devices as I move forward on my path. While ambition is my priority, I also want to give myself time for my hobbies. I’ve never liked this feeling of how the older we get the more of ourselves we are forced to give up. As children we’re active with excess free time to read, write, and play. Throughout the years we’re urged to sacrifice one thing after the other in order to give more focused attention to ‘the important things’. Sooner or later we become adults with full time jobs that extend beyond the advertised 40-hour workweek. We give up dancing, we give up reading, and we forget to see the smiles in our days. Morale wavers until the day we wake up questioning every move before that point because suddenly we aren’t individuals anymore. I won’t give in to the pressures of giving up what makes me who I am. Whether making time for a dance class, going on a run, people watching on the metro, reading alone in a coffee shop, or working in a new travel experience, I will incorporate my personal interests to my busy schedule so I don’t wake up one day as the president of an international corporation with no personality or intrigue. A youthful sense of curiosity is healthy and shall remain in my essence as long as I live."

A Poem - HONY

From Humans of New York

She asked if I wanted to hear a poem she'd written when she was younger. (At what age, she couldn't remember) She then recited it from memory. I had her repeat it several times so I could get all the words right:

"Were I to dream,
then dream I would
of days that have gone by.

Your eyes would gleam
and so would mine,
but joys remembered are no longer mine.

I walk in a garden of memory,
reliving the joys and the sorrows as well.
I walk with a cane down memory lane,
perhaps there, joys remembered will remain.

Perhaps when my hair has turned to gray
and my face is etched with pain,
I'll walk with a cane down memory lane.
Perhaps there, joys remembered will remain."

“Missourian puts copy editors in charge of social networking”

Written in response to: http://www.poynter.org/latest-news/media-lab/social-media/113174/missourian-puts-copy-editors-in-charge-of-social-networking/

By Damon Kiesow

2.28.20111 (For Penn State University Journalism class)

            I continue to be interested in the ways copy editors are adapting to the increased usage of online sources for newsgathering purposes. This article discusses one paper’s attempt at gearing the focus of copy editors to the new realm of social networking. For this paper, the student-run staff has refocused their attention and reevaluated their priorities from print to web. Their main focuses now are online presentation and engagement.

            The importance of this article is that it again points out that the most successful online news sources are the ones that understand the concept of being interactive with their readership. It also points out the importance of getting news out quickly but still making sure the information is accurate. Making sure to engage the readers is an important task for these copy editors because the online news community is all about the constant conversation between the readers and the authors. At this paper, the copy editors are in charge of maintaining that engagement, and fostering an environment where comments are encouraged and where staff members respond.

            Since the paper is still working on creating a print version as well, there is a smaller team of editors and designers that develop the print paper based off of information that has already been published online. This shows that it is very clear the online publication is more important to them at this point than the print version. It’s almost as if the print version of their publication is more of an after thought to the online content.

            I’m really impressed that they assigned the duties of watching the comment boards to members of their staff. That way it’s not just the responsibility of the author to keep checking back on the comments, but other members of the staff are watching and providing their own feedback as well. This brings together the entire community of readers and staff and generates a well-rounded conversation than just the one author and the few comments from the readers.

“AEJMC: Social Media in the Classroom”

Written in response to: http://aejmc.blogspot.com/2010/05/social-media-and-copy-editing.html

Coursework for Penn State University Journalism class

2.22.2011

            With the advancements in technology and the recent increase in popularity of social media, copy editors are finding new challenges in their line of work. One way that social media is changing the world of copy editing is in the classroom. In this case, social media is becoming a convenient and widely accepted means for receiving and sharing news. Many businesses and news sources are embracing social media and online news blogs in order to break news faster and therefore keep up in the fast paced world we live in now. With this increased speed in reporting, emphasis on copy editing proficiency is vital.

            Associate Professor at Howard University Yanick Lamb notes that they are “placing a greater emphasis on Interactive Editing” for print news sources as well as those who use the Internet. A great point is made that it’s still imperative to emphasize the importance of high journalistic standards to keep students away from the glamour of the speediness that can surround breaking a story via twitter. Quality should not be sacrificed at the expense of being the first to report something.

            The teachings from this article can be applied to students who aren’t interested in going the route of Copy Editor because better journalists stem from a solid foundation of self-editing skills. Speaking from experience (I write for OnwardState.com) I can attest to this fact: often times I am responsible for writing my own headlines and excerpts, and it’s always expected that our posts are to be well-written – specifically the later you submit a post the cleaner it should be as to make less work for the editors.

            One point from the article I really connected with was when the author writers that journalism is a “two-way conversation with readers”. I thought this was a great point to make, especially if a journalist wants to be successful, because it encourages the interactive side of providing news. A story doesn’t die once it is reported – there’s always something more to follow up with whether it be a response from a reader or more information after the fact. With the increase of social media and online conversations, journalists and editors can create and maintain relationships with their readerships through actual back and forth dialogue. Some of the examples from the article such as StumbleUpon, Reddit, Twitter, and YouTube are proven means for disseminating information, especially to the younger upcoming generations. One client that wasn’t mentioned in the article is Yammer. This is an online forum that businesses or organizations can use that looks similar to a stream of Facebook updates – but members can only be invited to join. Within these communities the organizations can form groups, generate different feeds depending on topics, designate positions, private message each other, and overall form an online newsroom (which is what we do at OnwardState).

            The author says that Twitter helps students focus on the main point of a story because a tweet can only consist of 140 characters. This helps writers and editors realize the point of a story, and allows them to make it in a more concise manner. Examples from the New York Times, Washington Post, and Heart & Soul magazine show how these organizations utilize the culture of twitter to spread their information. The article then goes on to provide examples of different exercises teachers can do to help students realize how they can utilize different social media tools for journalistic purposes.  

I should write more

6/3/2010

Ever been to an aquarium?  You know how you can go down below the surface level of the fish tanks and look in at all the wildlife living in the water?  The fish are swimming in their schools, you see a couple different types of sharks, some manta rays, any type of random species that would exist in that ecosystem you can find it that water.   It’s really dark down there – the only light comes from strategically placed lights to create some ambience (and safe pathways to the EXIT signs), and whatever light shines through from the water.  Everything seems to be tinted blue, which highlights and enriches the colors of the creatures you’re observing. 

Now that I’ve set the scene – can you remember seeing the little kids in that area? The one who has his whole body smashed up against the glass so he can see every possible angle and edge of the tank.  His eyes are bigger than you thought eyes could be, looking from fish – to coral reef – to bubbles – to the random guy in a wet suit swimming around making sure everything’s alright.  To everyone else the kid’s grimy hands are greasing up the glass, but to him they’re helping him literally grasp the world he’s seeing.

Think about the innocence in that kid’s curiosity.  He just wants to take it all in.  He’s not paying attention to the chaperone or whatever adult figure is nagging him to move on to the next room.  He can’t hear the baby crying 5 feet away.  He doesn’t care that the other kids in the room are complaining about wanting to eat their PB&J sandwiches.  All he’s focused on is watching that fish – the fish whose colors are so bright it seems like it’s being lit from inside his gut by a light bulb.  The eye-catching fish is just swimming around, doing his thing.  He’s not swimming with his fish buddies, he’s not scampering from the bigger fish in the sea, he’s not bothering the coral or the low life in the tank: just swimming around. 

The fish is the eyes for the kid on the other side of the glass.  The kid can’t see what’s behind that reef over there, but the fish can.  So the kid keeps his eyes locked (no blinking!) on the fish.