Michael Jackson's sudden death. Inside sexual abuse in American prisons. Actress Megan Fox opens up about legalizing pot. These are the top stories gaining attention around the world.
In the fast-paced world of breaking news, Digital Journalists are quick to react. There was no better example than the Michael Jackson story that broke recently.
KJ Mullins deserves kudos for quickly drafting a story on the
pop king's demise, and later adding relevant details as they poured through the wire. Her story on Jackson quickly became one of the most popular stories on DigitalJournal.com, and readers took notice: comments offered their condolences and memories of what Jackson meant to them.
Other Digital Journalists were on top of this breaking story:
M Dee Dubroff reported on the massive
debt Jackson is leaving,
Tara Warren wrote on the star's
cause of death, and
Janet McNair added an intimate perspective with a story on when she met
Jackson.
Various stories displayed a writer's dedication to on-the-ground reporting.
Charles W. Kim told us about a church group
volunteering in Ohio to help a flooded community. It's always inspiring to read a feel-good story about people going the extra smile to help others.
Ever wanted to know about refugees and Minnesota? Together at last,
Chris Dade reports on these two issues while divulging details about the
World Refugee Day celebrations he attended in Minneapolis. He offers a poignant observation in his final paragraph: "It would be truly wonderful if come June 20 2010 there was not a single displaced person or refugee to be found any where in the world. World Refugee Day would not have to exist. But bitter experience tells us that such a wish will remain just that."
Always a fan of blending photos with editorial,
Michael Cosgrove outdid himself once again with a travel article on Lyon's Roman Theatre Summer
festival. He explained the culture and architecture behind Roman theatres, and complemented the text with large photos of Lyon's own Antique Roman Theatre. Another fine travel piece perfect for fun summer reading.
Roger Tshiamala Tubajiki
Vladimir Klitschko fighting Ruslan Chagaev in Germany
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And in sports, our man in Germany
Roger Tshiamala Tubajiki reported on the heavily promoted
boxing match in Genselkirsche between Vladimir Klitschko and Ruslan Chagaev. He not only wrote about the match and the winning TKO but also got access to the post-fight news conference and gave us a peek into the boxer's thoughts. Great job, Roger.
Many other stories are popular on DigitalJournal.com, including:
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Mousavi says he is ready for martyrdom: Iran continues to be in the media spotlight, and in this article Carol Forsloff reports on how Mousavi declares he is "ready for martyrdom" amidst the political turmoil. She also expounded on the value of citizen journalists on the ground giving the world unfiltered news on what's happening in Tehran.
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Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi of Iran Speaks Out on Current Crisis: Is this a shocker? The son of the former Shah of Iran is supporting the Iranian protesters, even offering a premonition of the outcome days before the election: "While in Paris the 45-year-old Pahlavi urged Iranians not to participate in the Presidential elections, declaring the outcome would not bring Iran closer to representative democracy. "
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New evidence disrupts Canadian Taser inquiry: Digital Journalist Bob Ewing told us about new evidence coming into the forefront for a Canadian inquiry into Taser use. Some RCMP emails contradict other emails the lawyers uncovered. Undoubtedly, this story won't be concluded anytime soon.
Photo by Danielle Scott
A strike by Toronto municipal employees has led to no garbage pickup. Reports indicate people have resulted to dumping on the street, in alley ways and in bins that are blocked off. Striking workers have not allowed Toronto residents into transfer stations to get rid of their own trash.
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Outrage over Toronto's striking municipal workers: When civil employees in Toronto went on strike this week, the residents of Canada's largest city expressed their concern over the garbage piling on streets, the closed daycares and swimming pools. Andrew Moran gave us a concise view of where he stands in this strike, and it's an opinion piece worth reading.
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Report: 60,000 inmates in U.S. prisons sexually abused every year: A horrifying study by the the National Prison Rape Elimination Committee found 60,000 prison inmates sexually abused annually. The article didn't just rely on stats, but also fronted the news with a powerful story of a female inmate winning a $1.3 million judgment after accusing a guard of assault and rape.
South Carolina Governor's Office
Incumbent South Carolina Mark Sanford
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Mark Sanford’s 'Steamy' Emails Sizzle on the Net: One of the hottest stories probed the disappearance and subsequent announcement of Mark Sanford's sexual affair. The New Jersey governor gave news readers some laughable fodder, namely his released emails to his mistress. Check them out and let us know if you think this guy is steamy or stagnant.
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Some ice cream contains 'alarming' levels of bacteria: Stephanie Dearing enlightened us to huge news relating to Toronto's soft serve ice cream -- high levels of bacteria were found in some of this dessert, even though some "consumers presume products such as ice cream are safe because the milk is pasteurized." Carol Forsloff commented: "Actually there is nothing left that isn't bad for us or can cause poisoning."
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Actress Farrah Fawcett dead at 62: In a week of untimely Hollywood deaths, actress Farrah Fawcett passed away after a long battle with cancer. Known as one of the Charlie's Angels, Farrah was planning to marry her long-time boyfriend Ryan O'Neal, according to KJ Mullins. What are some of your fondest memories of this stunning actress?
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Actress Megan Fox addresses 'recreational drug use' issue: In other Hollywood news, new Digital Journalist Earl Dittman published a revealing interview with actress Megan Fox, of
Transformers fame. Inquiring minds were curious about her recreational drug use, and she slammed some rumours while also admitting her allegiance for stemming the drug war. The article also includes some eye candy of Fox in action.
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Freddie Roach May Hold Key to Pacquiao-Mosley Match on Nov. 14: Leo Reyes kept us updated on boxing news with a report on how trainer Freddie Roach is being called a key ingredient to Pacquiao's match with Mosley on Nov. 14. If you got a thing for weight issues, boxing purses and expiring contracts with promoters, this article's for you.
TopFinds Awards
The honourees of this week's
TopFinds Awards attracted impressive attention and widest readership. Digital Journal thanks the following Digital Journalists with Awards for their passion for covering the top issues of the day:
Charles W. Kim,
Chris Dade,
Earl Dittman,
Stephanie Dearing,
Andrew Moran,
Leo Reyes,
Nikki Weingartner,
Sandy Sand,
Michael Cosgrove,
KJ Mullins,
Roger Tshiamala Tubajiki,
Bob Ewing, and
Carol Forsloff.
The Top Blog Post of the Week is awarded to the green-thumbed Bob Ewing. His
post on the gardens he tends included some up-close photos of what's he nurturing. There's even some quotable Bob footnoting the blog post: "The real issue with gardening is not what you grow but how you grow. "
