Sales pitch

DRAFT A LETTER that we will send to businesses asking them to purchase ads. Post it to your blog. Why would a business want to buy an ad with us? What do we have to offer them? Google some ideas if you need to.

The "other" side of the story

Some of you were quite surprised when I told you that people were protesting in support of Dzokar Tsarnaev. If you went on the Twitter hashtag #tsarnaev during class yesterday many skeptics were posting just as often as reporters from the courtroom. What is THEIR story to tell and is it the responsibility of journalists to report this as well? 

Read the articles below, and comment on this post with your reactions/thoughts. 

http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/2014/12/30/chased-from-the-courthouse-bombing-skeptics-continue-ask-questions/T6QSoAg1HfaLgPnQtX4hYN/story.html?p1=well_TsarnaevTrial_subheadline

http://www.bostonmagazine.com/news/article/2015/01/05/dire-questions-dzhokhar-tsarnaev-trial/

I don't mean to say that in any way are these people in the articles onto something, there is a conspiracy out there about nearly everything, even the Newtown shootings. I was at the marathon that day. I just mean to present to you all sides to an issue, and show how news media can choose to cover it. What is the tone the reporters use? Do they seem to agree, or do they want to present the people in the articles are a little off the beaten path?

Dzhokhar Tsarnaev Trial

As we discussed yesterday, the trial of the accused marathon bomber is going to inundate our local news for the next weeks (or more). While this is not a law class, it is interesting to look at the trial from a journalistic standpoint. Who are the voices involved? What attention should be paid to the case? Should we give a voice to the protesters outside? Or the victims of the bombing? Should reporters be allowed to report everything going on in the court room? What about evidence that might be seen as graphic, or upsetting to a group?

Your first step is going to be to read the articles below to become familiar with the trial and the players involved as well as the jury selection process.

Who's who in the trial :http://news.yahoo.com/tsarnaev-boston-marathon-bombing-guide-221424101.html

Jury selection underway: http://www.thereporteronline.com/general-news/20150105/jury-selection-to-get-underway-in-trial-of-boston-marathon-attack-suspect

Death penalty potentially in play: http://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2015/01/05/the-elephant-room/61vSRRx0sqWJT6GPSjkkpL/story.html

The following is in the interest of trying to figure out the US Court system and how journalists cover it:

http://www.uscourts.gov/uscourts/News/docs/JournalistGuide2011.pdf



Then, look on twitter and see if you can find a hashtag or key word to help you follow what is going on with the case. We will return to this often.