So Much Information!

Okay, so wow. There has been a ton of interesting stuff in the news lately. I've been able to share it with  many of my students, but it's just impossible to go over everything with all of them. Therefore - on the blog it goes.

For Everyone
Sexting, Shame and Suicide was published in Rolling Stone just two days ago. It is incredibly long, but I read almost all of it. It's just terrible. Plus, it puts a new light on sexting. It's so commonly thought of as people intentionally sending provocative photos of themselves. But this article brings awareness to the risks of abuse being used for sexting. It tells the story of Audrie Pott, high school student, who drank until she passed out and was then abused by high school boys who photographed their acts and then shared them with their peers. As indicated by the headline, Pott committed suicide.

High School Binge Drinking was published in the Huffington Post on Sept. 16. It reveals that 20% of high school seniors have consumed five+ alcoholic beverages in a row, thus participating in binge drinking. Now, when I shared this, in my opinion shocking, fact with a colleague she said she thought the percent would be higher. But she misunderstood, that's not a stat for drinking, but for binge drinking! Five plus drinks in a row! So incredibly sad.

For Student Journalists
Me: "Guess who's on tour!"
Students: *crickets*
Me: "Someone I care about..."
Student 1: "The Backstreet Boys...?"
Me: *sigh* "No, Mary Beth Tinker!"
Students: *crickets*

Okay, so even if they've forgotten who she is, the remember her actions, and I'm so excited about her tour. Yay First Amendment! Plus, the tour ends at Blue Valley West High School. Talk about local!

Mary Beth Tinker, Plaintiff in School Speech Case, Going on Tour

Next up is an advertising switch that is affecting the livelihood of journalism. Watch out!
Storytelling Ads May Be Journalism's New Peril

Major update in the world - The New York Times updated their font.
The New Yorker Spruces Up a Stalwart of Print, Subtly

For 21st Century Communication Students
And you think you can't learn anything from the Internet! It's a lot more reliable than when I was growing up, and chock full of catty goodness.
50 Fascinating Facts We Learned from the Internet