What the Frack!? Stop Fracking in Maryland!

Citizens concerned as Governor Hogan pushes to pass fracking in Maryland, and begin fracking in western Maryland within the next yearFood & Water Watch, a nationwide non-profit organization, is looking to enforce a long term moratorium on fracking until more research is conducted on the public health concerns. Food & Water Watch conducted a meeting concerning the need to gain support for this moratorium in order to present evidence to our legislators that the citizens of Maryland do not want fracking.

Steph who gave the meeting holding a sign before we went out to canvas Silver Spring, MD.

The coordinator of the Baltimore office, Steph Compton reported that, “science shows that fracking threatens the quality of our air, water, and public health. Hundreds of toxic chemicals are used by the fracking industry including known carcinogens and endocrine disruptors,” she goes on saying, “protect Maryland from fracking by supporting the Protect our Health and Communities Act.”

Fracking is an immensely dangerous form of drilling that is injecting millions of toxic chemicals infused with water and sand into a well at an extremely high pressure rate in order to crack open rocks and release natural gases. Fracking is exempt from all federal laws that protect public safety and protect the environment. Fracking is not held accountable for any of the environmental damage they cause, fracking is exempt from the Safe Drinking Water Act, the Clean Air Act, and the Clean Water Act.

A Silver Spring resident, Patricia Wintermyer stated, “fracking has been a nightmare for communities living with water contamination, air pollution, fires and they have even caused earthquakes!” she continued as she signed the petition, “I have property in Pennsylvania that I can no longer go to because my water is contaminated and the amount of contaminated waste is ridiculous.”

Fracking has caused detrimental issues to the environment in the past and in is continuing to do so around the United States in many areas two large states being California and Oklahoma. This harmful way of drilling into the ground in order to get natural gas is causing toxic chemical runoffs and air monitoring systems have even found high levels of known carcinogens such as, formaldehyde and benzene near fracking areas.

Pennsylvania has over two hundred cases of water contamination cause by fracking and drilling alone. The next step is to move forward with this moratorium in order to keep fracking out of the gas basins in Maryland. The five gas basins in Maryland are throughout the state but the Marcellus Shale is in Western Maryland and is looking to be fracked first, and then move on to places such as the Chesapeake Bay, the Patuxent and the Potomac Rivers.

Scott Hempling, a enviornmental lawyer who was interested in joining the cause expressed that he believed fracking was wrong but that we as consumers need to do our part as well we cannot continue to forgot to reduce our consumption levels which add to the need for fracking.

SOURCES:

Steph Compton- 410-394-7650

Scott Hempling- shempling@scotthemplinglaw.com

Patricia Wintermyer- pwinty89@gmail.com

Take a Look Inside Urbana Tanning Salon!

Photo of Urbana Tanning Salon in Frederick, Maryland. Photo taken by: Valerie King

A look inside the newest tanning salon in Frederick, Maryland. Take a look at the high-tech   salon with the newest tanning beds, skin care line, and tanning spray materials! Susie Sparacino, a co owner and customer representative takes us on a tour through the salon.

Watch the slideshow here:

http://tiger.towson.edu/~vking4/publish_to_web/index.html

Transfer student adjusts to life at Towson.

This is Zach Turner, a junior at Towson University, He is a transfer student in the second semester of his junior year. He is a pre-mass communication major hoping to get accepted into the program next semester.(Photo taken by Valerie King a Towson University student)

Q&A With A Sports Journalist

Courtesy of Mike Sherman

Mike Sherman is a sports editor and journalist originally from Maryland. He now works for the Oklahoman with nearly two decades of experience as a writer and editor. He is now the acting president at APSE, the Associated Press Sports Editors.

This interview was conducted via telephone February 17, 2015.

Q: Have you always been interested in sports coverage?

A: When I was in third grade living in Maryland, the Colts went to the Superbowl, that same year I got a sports illustrated for Christmas and that same game was on the cover and that just characterized the game for me. The writing was great and i thought ‘well that’s what I wanna do’ . Sports journalism always had an excitement to it. The way It united communities unlike anything else.

Q: In the sports world blogging can be essential, do you find using blogs or social media has made an impact on broadening your readership?

A: Yeah. We have to meet readers where they are its not just any one thing, newspapers, Facebook, Twitter, blogs provide more informal writing, free ranging. A lot of people think blogs will replace edited journalism. I don’t. Accuracy and convenience matter we need to access readers where they are, including on there phones, get on there screens one part content another part distribution.

Q: Are there any blogs in particular that you pay attention to?

A: Sometimes, I’m really busy planning my own coverage, setting agendas, not just reacting all the time but leading the conversations. I follow people on twitter and go where they lead me. Many people can be tweeting all day and miss all the content.As for personal blogs, Orioles baseball, Ravens, Cowboys…

Q: What areas of coverage do you see as being the next big stories for your readership throughout the next six months?

A: The lid is off analytic s, the hidden game the average person didn’t know the hidden game before; basketball players have devices tracking steps and bounces. Baseball players have devices measuring  statistics of their swings and curvature of the ball that’s on the field, off the field there is municipal finances and so on.  The days of just showing up and covering the game are gone. The analytic s have rocked the sports world and have opened it up for readers to see the hidden game.

Q: Working in this field have you heard from someone who was indignant towards a piece you wrote that may have put them in a negative light?

A: Oh yeah. That’s a part of the job you have to have a tough hide and you have to be empathetic at the same time. You have to listen and know that your not perfect, be humble. Have tough skin but be open to criticism. This field can take a lot more out of people then it did when I entered. It’s a really good job, I love the changes I’ve seen during my career, its learning not to always wait your turn. Talent and hard work wins. It’s a heck of a job.

Q: What do you believe is the most difficult part of being a sports journalist?

A: Um……. I’m in the leadership business, the balance between staying on trending topics that are interesting and important at the same time. You have to pursue both the viral video and something that can create a value and importance. But when the real thing comes along you have to do that in a way that preserves the goose and the golden egg for the people.

Are journalists using reliable sources on Twitter?

Amanda Hess wrote this article for Slate.

Hess examined journalists freedom of press through Twitter and the use of unreliable sources to gain attention. This article showed the consequences of not having reliable sources and the communities and cultures that can be affected through reporting on Twitter.

I can agree viewpoint Hess shares, although there is a freedom of press, retweeting and sharing stories that may not have reliable sources is not an ethical way to use this social media platform. It can be difficult to find hard facts on a popular media outlet shared by so many, however, journalists should not post any information unless verified and even when doing so be aware of the consequences posting can have.

http://www.slate.com/articles/technology/technology/2014/03/twitter_journalism_private_lives_public_speech_how_reporters_can_ethically.html

Strong Leads

Hi All!

Five strong writing leads:

1) Hacktivist group Anonymous has taken the credit for strikes on websites and social media accounts used by ISIS terrorists to recruit new members and spread propaganda.

Obtained from: Mirror UK- Olivia Solon

This is a good example of a lead because in a concise manor the author captures the readers attention by using two familiar organizations. Solon also does not go into detail on what exactly Anonymous did which makes the reader even more curious.

2) A billionaire mining tycoon was executed in China Monday with four associates, after being convicted for running a mafia-style business empire.
Obtained from: UPI- Ed Adamczyk

This lead was well established because it did not use the billionaires name whom would not be recognized.

3) Samsung’s new global privacy policy for its line of Smart TVs states that a user’s personal conversations will be recorded by the device’s microphone and transmitted to third parties.

Obtained from: Infowars.com- Paul Joseph Watson

This lead sums up an entire article in less than thirty words, giving the reader all the primary information.

4)The Supreme Court said today that it would not stop same sex marriages in Alabama, and probate judges began issuing licenses and performing weddings.

Obtained from: The New York Times-Adeel Hassan

Grabbing attention with the use of the Supreme Court, this lead established a basis for the article without going into too much detail.

5) White dwarf stars to collide in catastrophic supernova.

Obtained from: Nature World News- Jenna Iacurci

Short and simple, yet captures the readers attentions with strong choice that delivers the message in a interesting way.

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