Budget cuts throughout the UW System (Hard News Story)

Budget cuts across the UW System are resulting in cut backs of instructors, courses, funds, and increases in class size and tuition.

According to Wisconsin State Journal the 250-million-dollar budget cut plans for 14 UW campuses including 12 four-year universities, UW Extensions and two-year universities were released to students, faculty, and the public on April 11, 2016.

The Daily Cardinal reports that the 14 schools affected can see anywhere from a 9-20% decrease in state funds due to the budget cut plans for 2015-2017. This is adding to the 14-50% decrease in state funding in the past 8 years for some UW schools.

These cuts have had a shuddering effect on current and future students, their parents, and any faculty in the UW Systems. Peyton Boucher, a current high school senior, has to keep these budget cuts in mind when thinking of what college to attend. “I was really looking towards UW Stevens Point, but they got 7 million dollars cut in state funding which means tuition and costs will go up.”

Peyton’s mother, Alissa Boucher, also has concerns. “I will be helping Peyton out with his college education, so the cutbacks make me very nervous that he won’t be getting all the amenities he should while in school.”

A current student, Samantha Beekman transferred schools due to these cuts. “I had attended UW Stevens Point before transferring to UWGB. They were losing courses and professors in the education department due to the campus cuts.”

The UW System statewide budget cuts will have an impact on class size, teaching, the retention of students, and the reputation of these schools.

These cuts will make current and future students think twice about the direct effect it will have on the level of education they receive. 

To binge or not to binge watch (Feature)

You just finished writing a six-page paper, you deserve a break right? So you go on Netflix and realize that the new season of Orange is the New Black just came out. You tell yourself, “Okay, only one episode.” Five hours later you find yourself halfway through the season. You just fell victim to binge watching.

Binge watching is a problem most millennials have encountered throughout the past years, especially since Netflix has become more popular. But why do we binge watch? Why is it that our bodies won’t allow us to be pulled away from the screen? According to Psychology Today, neuroscience can be part of the reason we become “binge-watchers.” Our ability to relate to fictional characters and feel empathy towards them is a large part in why we can’t keep our eyes and attention off the screen.

Binge watching can affect anyone. Sam Beekman a student of UW Green Bay said that whenever she gets into a new show on Netflix, it is difficult to turn it off. “I just started watching Friends on Netflix. It’s a pretty hefty show, 10 seasons, each with 24 episodes. Now that it’s summer when I get home from work, if I don’t have plans I just find myself binge watching Friends until I fall asleep.” The less things Sam has to do, the more likely she is to binge watch.

Another college student who falls victim to this new epidemic is Amber Westphal of UW Whitewater. Her problem is she gets too attached to the characters. “I’ve watched One Tree Hill twice on Netflix in the past year. I just love the characters so much and feel intertwined with them. Like whenever Peyton and Lucas breakup, I feel like I just got broken up with too.” Amber is a classic case of having too much emotion tied to binge watching.

Amber and Sam are both a part of the generation becoming known as “binge watchers.” For a different perspective I asked Lisa Tousey, a high school teacher, who is a part of the “couch potato” generation for her opinion. Lisa Tousey grew up when technology started booming and quickly found herself glued to the television like many children. “I think binge watchers are just the generation stemmed off of couch potatoes. The only thing now is you can skip ads and get content through many different devices.” Lisa believes that each generation is slowly diverging into a new era of how they consume things and that binge watching is making today’s generations less competent.

So how do we put an end, or at least decrease the amount of episodes and times we binge watch? Life Hacker said that first and foremost do not start a show when you have things you need to get done. If you have a paper, test, or just a lot of chores to do, do not click “Play Episode 1.” Once you start binge watching, it is difficult to stop. Second, they say to pace yourself. Shows become a lot more enjoyable when you don’t know what's going to happen next. If you wait a few days, the suspense will build up making it that much better. Third, make yourself earn the next episode. Reward yourself after finishing a paper or putting away laundry with another episode. This is an example of classic positive reinforcement at work.

There are also alternatives for binge watching. According to Odyssey Online there are a variety of things to do to keep your eyes off the screen. Take a walk, paint your nails, hang out with friend, cook, or starting something new are all alternatives. The main idea is to keep yourself busy and occupied. The more downtime you have, the more you will be tempted to start that show.

If you have a lot on your plate like two papers, one exam, and a boat load of chores, do not binge watch. Keep yourself occupied by doing the chores first. Then reward yourself with food, painting your nails, or going to see friends. After you write a paper reward yourself with one episode, then get right back to business. It’s good to take little breaks if you are super busy, but remember, 5 hours of one show consecutively is not a break. It’s binge watching and you can beat it!

Six Afghan officers killed in IS attack

AFGHANISTAN- Six police officers have been killed by the Islamic State group in Afghanistan.

The six officers included a district police chief.

IS insurgents attacked the administrative headquarters in Afghanistan early Saturday morning.

According to ABC News, 15 IS fighters were killed and seven others were wounded in the battle that followed.

Six other Afghan officers were also wounded.

AP News says that the area of Nangarhar, where the attack happened, has been plagued with insurgent groups for a long time.

In the article by the New York Times they quote The Associated Press in saying that government troops are working to claim success against IS fighters.

Story Choice

Much like my national story choice, I chose this story because of immediacy. This happened just last night making it a breaking international news story. It is also a very relevant story because of all the attacks in the Middle East set by IS in the past months. The story also has conflict because many people are wondering why Afghan officials are not receiving as much outside help as they should to deal with this terrorist group. Instead, they are trying to handle it on their own even though it is not feasible. Lastly, it has emotion. These were six officers trying to defend their country and ended up sacrificing their lives to do so.

"The Voice" singer Christina Grimmie shot after concert

FLORIDA- 22-year-old alum of the 2014 season of The Voice, Christina Grimmie, was shot dead Friday night.

Grimmie was signing autographs after her show in Orlando, Florida when a man walked up to her and shot her.

Grimmie’s brother immediately tackled the suspect according to CNN.

During the struggle, the suspect shot himself.

Police are unclear how the man got into the venue with firearms.

ABC News talked to Grimmie’s rep. In a statement she said, "It is with a heavy heart that we can confirm that Christina has passed and went home to be with the Lord.”

NBC News says the police have not identified the shooter.

The motive for the shooting is still unknown.

Story Choice

This story fits many of the elements of newsworthiness. It has a sense of immediacy. This shooting occurred less than 24 hours ago and has become a huge topic on social media with the hash tag #RIPChristina becoming the number one trending hash tag. This story also has emotion tied into it. Police are unclear of a motive on why this person would shoot such a young, talented singer. This leaves people confused, angry, and sad about the incident. Because this story has had such a large presence on social media over night, it is clear to me that people are taking a lot of interest in this upsetting story. I know I am. Also, I want to clarify that although this could be categorized as entertainment, I believe it falls under national news because it is such a tragedy.

Hobart stabbing victims' names released

HOBART- On Tuesday evening  there were multiple stabbings at a home in Hobart.

Police responded to Riverdale Dr. where they found two female victims dead and one male victim alive with multiple stab wounds.

Police took 26-year-old Jacob Cayer into custody shortly after arriving at the residence.

Channel 5 says police dogs found Cayer hiding in the woods behind the home.

According to FOX 11, on the morning of June 9th police released the names of the victims;

63-year-old Heesun Teague and 25-year-old Sabrina Teague.

Jacob Cayer is believed to be an ex-boyfriend of Sabrina Teague.

A news report from WBAY says Cayer is being held on a 5 million dollar cash bond.

Story Choice

I chose this story because it fits all the criteria for newsworthiness. The names of the victims were just released this morning providing a sense of immediacy. Those were details people have been waiting for since the incident Tuesday evening. It definitely has emotion because this is a very uncommon thing to happen in the area so it brought out a lot of different emotions in people. Neighbors were scared, people of the area were saddened by these deaths, and the friends and families of the victims were sad, hurt, angry and most likely thinking how could this happen to us? Lastly, it has proximity because both the victims were from Hobart and the suspect was from Ashwaubenon.

Thoughts, opinions, a day in the life of Emily Deem

I conducted an interview with a colleague of mine, Emily Deem. First, I want to give a little background on Emily before jumping into the Q&A. Emily is a weekend anchor and co-anchor during the week at Fox 11 in Green Bay. Emily attended St. Cloud State University and was a student in their excellent mass communication program. At SCSU she participated in a live news cast the school would put on five days a week for 30 minutes. This activity was called UTVS. Emily tried out every available position both on and off air during her time at UTVS. That is what really sparked her passion for mass media communication.

I chose Emily because she majored in mass communication like I am. I asked basic interview questions pertaining to journalism. Her responses appeal to the broadcast journalism field. I chose to format my interview story in Q&A form for a few reasons. One of them being Emily suggested it. Also, because it is very simple for the reader to graze through and read.

Interview

How long have you been involved in journalism?

Ever since my freshman year of college. So 11 years. From my college news show, to my first job that literally aired for five minutes a day, and now Fox 11. I've been here for 6 years now. Journalism has been with me for such a large majority of my life.

What is journalism today?                                                                 

I feel like this is a question I got asked on my first day of college…Journalism today is always changing. It’s everything. Politics, entertainment, sports, all the basics wrapped up into one big thing to keep people interested.

What are some opportunities and challenges people face in this field?

There are lots of opportunities for both on and off air positions. You just have to look around and find what works best for you. If you give it a chance, there are always opportunities around the corner. It depends on you and who you want to work for. Some challenges would be everything. No I’m kidding. It is a difficult field. You really have to love it. I mean getting up at 2 am and looking professional isn’t the greatest, but if you love it it’s just something you’ve got to do. This field is also so unpredictable. It’s news. You are always going into the work day blind as to what might happen. The biggest issue I think our station has personally though are communication issues. Right, it’s a bunch of communication majors with problems communicating. Ironic.

Is this an easy field to get into?

It’s like any job if you work hard and always have an eye out for new openings you’ll make your way in. It all depends on what position you want. Off air positions are definitely easier to get into than on air. It’s not what you know, but who you know that really helps in this field.

What is a day in the life of Emily Deem?

Jenny you know. It’s not pretty. I wake up early, come to work, read through the scripts for the day. Write a few web shells for on the web if we have any guests. Then comes time do the show for 3-4.5 hours depending on what day. After, we talk about problems, how we can fix them, things to add for next time, all that. Then I make a lot of calls whether it’s setting up interviews or finding out more about breaking news we caught wind of. It’s just A LOT of work.

We use a lot of social media on the show. How do you think that affects our reporting and journalism as a whole?

We get a lot of information from social media which can be good and bad. Like this morning we got a tip on Facebook about a car accident so we called Brown County and sure enough. So that was a plus because we got a foot ahead on the competitors. Social media is more of a resource and tool to journalists today. The negative side however is that people think they have a voice and are being “journalists” by posting about certain topics on social media. That is not journalism, but yet people are shaping it into that. Also, it has misleading information 80% of the time.

What does the future of journalism hold?

Oh boy. I’d say journalism is turning into content creation (courtesy of Phil DeCastro who chimed in across the studio.) I would have to agree with Phil. Journalism isn’t just about writing, it’s about getting a lot of clicks and viewers and especially the money. Always the money. Right now we have a sort of millennial divide going on. Not many people are watching the news or reading it. They only do when they seek out the content they are looking for and if they don’t find it they move on to the next resource. Journalism is becoming more about giving people what they want instead of focusing on the stories that really matter. So the future is always changing, but in my opinion things will start centralizing more and more.

Hundreds of bodies pulled from the Mediterranean Sea

LIBYA- More than 100 are dead and hundreds are still missing after two boats capsized in the Mediterranean Sea.

 

One of the migrant boats was found on Thursday according to Metro while the other boat was found last week.

 

Both boats were believed to be traveling to Italy.

 

340 people were rescued from the half sunken boat Thursday, nine were reported dead.

 

According to the Wall Street Journal there were believed to be around 700 migrants on the sunken boat leaving hundreds more missing at sea.

 

The latest death tolls this week raise the total deaths of migrants to over 1,000 for the past week says CNN.

 

The Greek Coast Guard is leading the operation and says their primary focus is finding the missing migrants and finding shelter for the rescued migrants.

Story Choice

I chose this story because it is very relevant and a huge problem in the Middle East. These migrant boats are not built well enough in the first place plus the fact that migrants are overcrowding them. Those two things combined lead to disaster. Migrants are fleeing because of unfair living conditions and things like human trafficking. Yes we should be shining light on their tragic deaths, but we should also be looking more in depth at the reasons why they are putting their lives in danger just to flee their country. That is the underlying problem.

Gorilla killed, child rescued at Cincinnati Zoo

CINCINNATI, OHIO- A gorilla was shot after a child fell into the exhibit.

 

On Saturday May 28th police responded to Cincinnati Zoo on reports of a 4-year-old child who had fallen into the gorilla enclosure.

 

Upon arrival, the zoo and police had to make a decision on how to handle the situation.

 

This led to the 17-year-old silverback gorilla, Harambe, being shot and killed according to FOX 11.

 

This incident has raised many questions not only about the child’s well being, but about the

parents and the zoo itself.

 

Questions like “Where were the parents?” “How did the child manage to get into the exhibit?” and “Why did the zoo ultimately decide to kill the gorilla?” were all racing through people’s minds and were a hot topic on social media.

 

According to ABC News the zoo has taken people’s questions and concerns and put them into effect.

 

The gorilla exhibit is reopening Tuesday after the zoo did some alterations to make the barrier taller restricting access to the enclosure.

Although this tragic incident happened a week ago, it is still generating buzz and leaving people asking the same question...Was it the right choice to kill Harambe?

Story Choice

Although this story did technically happen last week I still chose it as my national story for this week because there have been many follow up stories on the incident throughout the week. This story is relevant because of how much buzz it is generating and is definitely a piece of interest. This story appeals to animal lovers or people who don’t agree with the actions of the parent or zoo. It is a very controversial story that has people divided. Should the gorilla have been shot? Was it really a threat to the child? Those are some of the questions this story has raised on social media. I love animals so I wanted to write on this piece because it was so controversial.

Burglary suspect still at large in Oconto County

ABRAMS-  A suspect believed to be involved in multiple burglaries is still at large in Oconto County.

According to FOX 11 early Tuesday morning a deputy was patrolling the area by Pine Acres Golf Course due to recent burglaries.

At that time the deputy saw a suspicious person on the premises and asked him to stop.

The man began running leading to an on foot chase.

During the chase, the man fired at the deputy.

The deputy then fired back at the man before he ran into the woods.

Arriving officers were not able to locate the suspect.

Due to the ongoing search, Abrams Elementary School was closed on Tuesday.

WBAY said Oconto County Sheriff Michael Jansen believes the public is in no danger and that it was an isolated incident.

According to Channel 5  the description of the man is as follows; “A male with a skinny build, lighter complexion, and at the time wearing a dark shirt and dark pants.”

Story Choice

I chose this story because I have a personal connection to it. I live 10 minutes away from Pine Acres and was woken up by sirens that day. Therefore this story not only has my interest, but is relevant to me. When the incident first happened that morning, my Facebook page was blowing up with statuses wondering what was going on because the sirens were so close. I have a little more interest in this story too after reading more on it because I don’t understand why the suspect would shoot at an officer? That makes me think he is a little more dangerous than the police are leading him on to be. Plus, there were four departments that responded to this incident.

Zika virus will not postpone Olympics

RIO DE JANEIRO- The World Health Organization (WHO) has rejected a letter to have the 2016 Rio Summer Olympics postponed due to the Zika virus.

 

USA Today says the letter sent by a group of 150 doctors and scientists brings up concerns over the spread of the virus and the health risks associated with it.

 

Many people believe hosting the games in an area with this virus is unethical and could greatly impact the health conditions of the athletes, spectators, and journalists says the BBC.

 

Global News stated that WHO said “based on current assessment, cancelling or changing the location of the 2016 Olympics will not significantly alter the international spread of Zika virus.”

 

The International Olympic Committee also says they will not postpone or move the games due to the virus.

 

However, both WHO and the International Olympic Committee are warning people to not attend the games if they are high risk.

Story Choice

I chose to write this story because this is a virus that is quickly spreading and affecting the entire world which makes it very relevant. It would make sense to move the Olympic games because of the severity of Zika and the potential of it spreading. That fact alone makes this story controversial because of the notion to keep the games where they are despite the risk of the health and safety of spectators and athletes.

Body recovered after plane crash on the Hudson

NEW YORK- A body has been found after a plane crashed into the Hudson River Friday night says the BBC.

According to AP News the body found was the pilot of the World War II era plane, William Gordon.

Gordon was a 56-year-old man from Key West Florida.

The plane was found between New York and New Jersey.

The plane, a P-47 Thunderbolt, crashed near the same area a US Airways jet carrying 155 people landed safely 7 years ago. That splash-crash landing is better known as the “Miracle on the Hudson.”

It is unclear what caused the plane to crash, however according to USA Today a witness saw the plane fly in a loop with smoke spewing from the engine before plummeting into the Hudson.

 

Story Choice

I chose this story because I think people will take interest in it. It will be interesting for two reasons. The first being that The American Airpower Museum is celebrating the 75th anniversary of the P-47 Thunderbolt this weekend which makes this crash ironic. Second, that this crash was just miles away from where the Miracle on the Hudson landed in 2009. I also chose this because at first they believed there was a survivor in the water, but later found the only person on the plane was dead. So that made me want to learn more about how it went from one survivor to one dead.

 

 

Police investigate homicide in Appleton

GREEN BAY- A 35-year-old man is dead after a homicide in Appleton.

Fox 11 says police responded to a call on N. Durkee Street in Appleton early Friday morning.

Upon arrival police found a male victim in critical condition with stab wounds.

He was taken to the hospital where he was later pronounced dead.
 

According to WBAY and NBC 26, police are now questioning the man’s wife who is believed to be connected to the homicide.
An autopsy is schedule for later today.  

Story Choice

I chose this story because I work for Fox 11 and this is something we were following very closely today. Also, our social media feeds were blasting with people wanting more information on this incident. It is also relevant because it was something that happened really close to home for me in the Green Bay area. It is not everyday you see a homicide near where you live and with the wife of the victim being the number one suspect.