Breaking news isn't breaking news

As a journalist, I feel it is important for me to keep updated on current events. I have downloaded an ABC News application on my iPhone and read the headlines and usually some interesting stories throughout the day. I also subscribe to breaking news update e-mails from ABC as well.

Recently, I have begun to think about un-subscribing. The e-mails I receive about breaking news isn't breaking news. For example:

• While I do think that the stock market is important in the current economic crisis, I don't need e-mail updates when it does well or doesn't do well. 
• Tiger Woods has been in the entertainment news section for awhile now and that's fine. He's a public figure and has voluntarily put himself in the spotlight. People will find out what he does wrong. But I don't need a breaking news update e-mail about how his mother-in-law was rushed to the hospital. That can be a story, sure. But I don't need an e-mail.
• A senator from Connecticut was diagnosed with cancer. That's unfortunate, I agree, but it's not breaking news. Don't send me an e-mail about it. Post a story online if you think it's that newsworthy.

Things I do think are breaking news worthy:

• Honda recalled nearly 40,000 cars. If I drove a Honda, I would like to know this. While I drive a Ford, it's still nice to know that I shouldn't plan on buying a Honda any time soon and I can also warn my friend who do drive the specific Honda they recalled.
• The Fort Hood killings. I found out about it from an e-mail update and went to follow the story online, on TV, on Twitter, and on Facebook. It was something of such a huge national impact that it deserved to be in my inbox.

If I ever had the chance to pick one thing to change about Journalism, this would be it. The definition of breaking news needs to be changed.

Rewind

After thinking for weeks about my next topic for this blog and researching other's blogs to see what they did when they were first starting out, I've decided that I should probably introduce myself.

• I was born in Keene, New Hampshire. I have lived in Pennsylvania, Minnesota, Tennessee, Texas, and now Missouri as well. I finished high school in Texas when my parents moved back to New Hampshire, this time landing 2 hours away from Keene in Portsmouth. I can't say that I'm a huge fan of New Hampshire, but when the stress gets to me here, I like going back to the simplicity of life that I remember from my childhood days there. Plus, my family and best friend are there. What more could a girl ask for? Okay I could use a little more heat there.

• I am in college for journalism but I originally had a minor in French as well. However, I decided that after 7 years of French education, I had had enough. It was the same thing over and over with only a few extra vocabulary words. I love the language still and would some day love to travel in France.

• My dream wasn't always journalism like many of my peers can admit. My oldest cousin attended Princeton and my dream was to always follow in her footsteps but then continue onto Harvard Law. Once I started in the journalism program in my high school, I changed my mind about my major and was thoroughly disappointed to learn that neither Princeton, Harvard, Yale, or Notre Dame offered a program in broadcast journalism. That's okay though. I'm in the #1 Journalism School in the world. Can't get much better than that!

• After the 4 years of high school broadcast classes, I decided my dream job would be to become a producer for an ABC News affiliate and later work up to Good Morning America. While I would still like to be a producer for ABC, the 3 am wake up call to go into work for GMA has made me rethink that aspect. I'd settle for World News with Charles Gibson.

• I love "people watching". Most people think I'm super shy because of it, but deep down I'm not that shy. I don't know if it's because of my "journalistic instincts" that kick in, but I love knowing everything about everyone. I like knowing their story and part of me thinks that you can learn a lot about someone by watching them. 

• I love music of any kind. I like pop and country, rock and classical. My father sang me Beatles songs as a kid and he helped my love for music grow by exposing me to all different kinds. 

• More than 50% of my time in the "work force" has been spent working with children. Recently, I began working for a debt collection law firm. It was a struggle at first to learn all of the different rules for the different states we work in, but I've caught on and I love it. It's also helped me in school work too, as I am currently taking 3 classes with law in them (Communications Law, Religion and Law, and Criminology). The things I learn at the law firm are brought up in class. I've even had questions about things I do on a daily basis at work on tests. 

• I have three best friends. I'm not one of those people who say you can only have one BEST friend. It surprises me that two of them are girls (with the same name) considering I've always had more guy friends than girls (less drama). But I always make it a point to be in relationships where my significant other becomes another best friend. It's probably why I am still close with a few ex-boyfriends. 

I think that's all I'll say for now. If something pops up, I'll add it along the way.

Getting Older

I will occasionally find myself driving in Columbia minding my own business and I will suddenly realize I've been driving for 5 years. When did that happen? I can still remember the day I got my permit and how excited I was to be able to drive. I also remember all the drive times I had to go through as a requirement for Driver's Ed. I always got so nervous trying to remember to change my mirrors, adjust my seat, etc. etc. Now I have my own car and I don't have to do those things. I also remember trying to get things perfect to get an 'A' on the drive time. Now everything that comes with driving comes as second nature.

My next big milestone is turning 21 (in approximately 165 days). But I don't even feel like I'm 20 years old. While I have the maturity of a 20 year old (hopefully at least), I still feel like I'm 17. It's not as bad as it was my freshman year when I felt like I was simply away at Summer Camp with friends, but I still feel like a little girl. Maybe it's because I look like a 17 year old still. I know I'll like looking younger when I'm 50, but I don't really appreciate it now. When did I become 20? (Honestly, May 1, 2009).

Where has the time gone? It feels like yesterday I was still in Allen, TX attending Allen High leading KGLE 3 Teen News. Now I'm in Columbia, MO (and if you had asked me years ago if I'd ever go to school in Columbia, MO, I probably would have laughed at you) attending the University of Missouri trying to find my footing in the Missouri School of Journalism. It's a little overwhelming how fast I've grown up. Time really has flown.

The milestone after my 21st birthday? Graduation. College Graduation. I haven't decided if I'm excited or scared. It seems like it's so close when I say I have 3 more semesters but the date (May 2011) seems much farther. At least while it's still 2009. I'll have to reevaluate that come 2010.

One good thing about being 20 is being old enough to have your own Christmas tree! I can decorate it however my heart desires rather than have the same thing over and over every year at my parents'. (I'm not a fan of their tree).

Yes I realize it's not even Thanksgiving, my roommate and I will technically only be in our apartment for 3 more weeks before Christmas due to breaks. Plus we both really love Christmas :)

First Ever Blog

In response to a recommendation by the #1 School of Journalism at the University of Missouri, I have started a blog. When first told to start such a thing, my thoughts drifted back to the days of Xanga. I morally objected to a repeat of such “journaling”. At 20 years old, I was not going to tell the world the miniscule occurrences of my daily life. No one needs to know or should care that I helped my mom clean. Although now that I don’t live with my mother, the same goes for not needing to know about my roommate’s cleaning habits.

After talking to a former high school classmate and now college peer, I became more aware that the world of blogging is not equivalent with Xanga.

[Pause] I don’t know how I would survive college without said peer’s advising. It’s nice to know someone a year ahead of myself who I’ve known since high school. He knows the background I come from as far as previous training and is able to give me examples and helpful things to relate to because of this. He has saved me from many mental breakdowns and I feel that I’ll be in contact with him much more now that I’m moving up the ladder in the Broadcast world of the Missouri School of Journalism. [Play]

I will admit that I have been procrastinating the official creation of a blog until I had a topic that I felt I could write several paragraphs on. The first idea came to me after discussing a project my roommate is working on. (I feel she will be a major character in my blog writing). Her project is to create a mock Lexus ad for her Strategic Communications Design class. The main point was to market the ad to minorities.

Before I progress, I feel it is important to say that I am half Mexican. My last name clearly states that I have at least some Hispanic blood in me. My father is almost full blooded Mexican (with a little Native American splashed in) and my mother is Polish and Canadian French.

My first question: Why do minorities need cars to be marketed towards them? The people who buy a Lexus are upper middle class citizens. Being a minority has nothing to do with whether or not they buy a Lexus.

My second question: Why would the ad convince a minority to buy a Lexus? If I could afford a Lexus with my college salary, I don’t think I would be persuaded to purchase one because it had a sombrero on top of it.

Maybe this irks me more because I am of Mexican decent. I’m proud of my heritage (on both sides) but I’m growing more and more tired of companies marketing towards minorities specifically or people thinking of minorities differently.