The Weekly Scroll for Feb. 2, 2018

Official White House Photo

The Lede:

He tried?

President Trump wanted to find a “unifying tone” with his first State of the Union address, but ironically…his choice of rhetoric on immigration and his promise to put “America First” was clearly in his favor. As a March 5 deadline approaches for Congress to come up with a legislative implementation of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, Trump outlined the ways he wants to roll back legal immigration, regardless how accurate those facts and reasons may be. Check out his attempt in reaching a “bipartisan deal”.

Tragedy strikes again.

“Glee” star Mark Salling has died by suspected suicide at the age of 35. Salling had recently pleaded guilty to possession of child pornography. His sentencing was scheduled for March 7, after reaching an agreement with prosecutors in October (where he admitted he had the child porn). A search warrant found “more than 50,000 images of child porn on his computer and a thumb drive.”

“I have just signed your death warrant, Mr. Nassar.”

The Daily podcast did this very clever thing with the audio from the women and girls who testified during the sentencing of Dr. Larry Nassar last week. At first, you hear single voices, speaking clearly. Then you hear bits from one, mixed with another, to another. The sentences are jumbled, symbolizing the magnitude of the issue. Then you hear the voices as a chorus of young women, telling their stories. Here’s a history of how the media has covered sexual assault and the direction that the field of journalism should go in when reporting about these horrific crimes.

The future is female.

The Poynter Institute has listened (thank god someone has) about what the industry needs. We need more training for developing, women journalists (especially with what women are facing in society today in the media). They will expand their academy this year with a new focus! The decision comes as the Institute announces those selected for the 2018 Poynter Leadership Academy for Women in Digital Media — which had more than 600 applicants for 28 slots. Click the link to find out who the lucky women are, and how you can get involved. You go, girls!!

It’s An Honor!:

Enter the Q&S Writing, Photo and Multimedia Contest. NOW!

The Feb. 6 deadline is approaching, so don’t delay much longer. We have categories in well, writing, photo, design and multimedia. And entry is all online!! Winners are eligible for Quill and Scroll scholarships.

Quill and Scroll Yearbook Excellence Contest Winners

I can’t wait for the day that I pull out my yearbook and show my kids all the outstanding outfits and hairstyles their mom had at their age. However, my best friend from high school will be able to say that she won an award when showing hers! Will you or your friends share that same gift? Congratulations winners!

What’s Viral:

Photo courtesy Gage Skidmore, Peoria, Arizona.

Talk about a low blow for this Hollywood star.

It was Oscar nominations day in Los Angeles, and Steven Spielberg was so certain his picture would be nominated, “that he invited over a camera crew to film his reaction as the nominees were read out live on television.” Things didn’t quite go as planned. Mr. Spielberg’s movie was nominated for best picture, but he was not. WHAT AN OUTRAGE. The iconic Spielberg said, “I’m suffering,” he said. “Cancel my day. Cancel my week. I’m going to Palm Springs.” Well yes, that is one way to handle this, bud. Go get ‘em next time.

“With liberty and justice for all!”

There’s an awakening among journalists of color in public media: The racist and sexist incidents that many of us have privately endured aren’t anomalies, they are actually quite common in media (especially for colored people). One word guys…pathetic. However…these unwanted acts and sorts of things keep happening, so there has to be something rotten and flawed in our entertainment system. Go do your job as a journalist and discover what that is!

Fact checking: Trump forgot it was a thing.

This following bit is right from the article. There are no better words to put it.

“Donald Trump was about 20 minutes into his address when he touted job creation. ‘Since the election, we have created 2.4 million new jobs,’ he said during the State of the Union on Tuesday night.

“Not so fast, Eugene Kiely said. In Trump’s first 11 months, employment increased by 1.84 million — 12 percent lower than the 2 million jobs that were created in the previous 11 months,” the director of Factcheck.org wrote — only seconds after Trump made the claim.”

Just a Thought:

It happens to 10s of millions…it could happen to you.

The New York Times has recently detailed a worldwide black market in stolen social identities. These stolen identities are the raw material for many “bots,” (basically fake accounts that use real people’s information), when people are eager to bulk up their influence or presence on social media platforms. Newsflash: IT IS ILLEGAL. You can get involved in fighting against this by clicking on the link and reporting in your identity has been stolen online ever. Help stop the problem!!

First time, never the best time.

When we evaluate writing books, it helps to distinguish between two kinds. One is primarily about craft: how to write. The other is about identity: how to live the life of a writer. Click the link and learn a pro’s tips about how to edit your first, second, and third drafts of a piece.

And the underdog…

Lance Knobel and Tracey Taylor had a big dream for their small local news site. Then…nine years ago, they knew coverage from a nearby major newspaper was declining, but they never imagined how far down it would go. This flip in circulation says a lot about the challenges of mid-sized papers, and the relentless heartache and work they have to put into their work to be successful…and it’s happening all over, so check out the link.