The Jewish community responds to Madoff’s financial crimes. Barack Obama’s Kenyan relatives are muzzled. And a look into citizen journalism’s impact in 2008. These are the top stories making news right now.
When news around the world occurs, its ripples spread like California forest fires. For instance, look at how Bernard Madoff’s Ponzi schemes elicited an angry response for the Jewish community. Look at how Obama’s rise to the White House instigated the Kenyan government to censor what his extended family in Kenya say to the media. The hottest news stories don’t know city limits.
There were some lighter stories to feast upon on DigitalJournal.com, such as a probing report on an Indian beach and Canada’s claim that Santa Claus is Canadian. Plus, you are treated to DigitalJournal.tv’s annual report on citizen journalism’s legacy in 2008.
Check out these fascinating stories attracting readers right now:
• Palin to Share Grandchild with Alleged Drug User?: Scandals abound in Sarah Palin’s family (once again), as reporter Carol Forsloff wondered about the drug charge slapped on Bristol Palin’s boyfriend’s mother. Following OK? The writer’s main point centered on how Palin shouldn’t use guilt-by-association to attack any political opponents, considering her own backyard is filled with some nasty skeletons.
• Continental Flight 1404 Runs Off Runaway In Denver: A scary story out of Colorado related the fiery crash of a passenger jet, critically hurting two people and injuring hundreds. Here’s some vivid detail worth mentioning: “The entire right side of the plant was burnt with melted plastic dripping into the seats below.”
• Good Samaritan Can Be Sued. Bad Judgment?: Let’s say you do a good deed and pull someone out of an auto crash, risking your own life. But the victim gets hurt when you pull him out of the wreckage, perhaps breaking his arm. According to the California Supreme Court, that person can sue you for damages…even though you acted as a Good Samaritan. Read the article to learn more about this head-scratcher of a decision and offer your own opinion on the issue.
• Madoff: Jewish fury as a community reviles a cultural betrayal: It was bound to happen — the Jewish community is disgraced that one of their own, Bernard Madoff, has commited such a grievous act of corporate crime. Paul Wallis nicely summed up his sentiments, writing: “When you get someone being described by a rabbi as “the antithesis of true piety”, they’re not talking about some obscure theory of Judaism, they’re talking about an intolerable insult to the people, traditions, beliefs, and the culture.”
• Pope: Saving humankind from homosexuals as important as saving forests: No, it’s not a headline from The Onion but rather a controversial statement uttered by the Catholic leader. The Pope is rattling a few cages by saying blurring the distinction between man and woman could lead to mankind’s self-destruction. Exaggeration at its deadliest? A call to action? You decide.
• Casey Anthony Denied Chance to Attend Caylee Anthony’s Funeral: News about Caylee Anthony continues to attract readership, and this time KJ Mullins informed us about the deceased child’s mother being denied the opportunity to attend Caylee’s funeral. We expect this story to not be a closed-case just yet, so visit DigitalJournal.com for more updates on the Caylee Anthony case.
•Palolem Beach in India: Russians vying for the Crown: Some brilliant original reporting came from the pen, um, keyboard of armstrong vaz, who wrote about Goa’s Palolem Beach and its seedy reputation as a hub for druggies and prostitutes. He interviewed several locales who gave him some inside information, while also providing intimate details on the “imperceptible drama of passion and death is increasingly being played in middle class homes.” For a travel article, this is stunning stuff. For an investigative piece, this also takes top honours.
• Evander Holyfield Failed to Regain Heavyweight Boxing Title: Once again pulling through on the sports beat, Leo Reyes reported on Evander Holyfield losing his boxing match to Nikolai Valuev. The article had some great commentary on how Valuev powered through Holyfield’s attack, so it’s a must-read for anyone who is interested in how a champion was crowned in this anticipated event. Wonderful job once again, Leo.
• Canada Calls Santa Claus a Canadian Citizen: It would remiss of us to ignore a Christmas story this holiday season. Bound to get a few panties in a bunch, Canada has declared Santa Claus a Canadian citizen, despite the North Pole residing in undeclared territory. Maybe there’s a plausible explanation for his Canadian status. Sherri Reese wondered, “Was Santa seeking asylum from hate crimes in America?”
If you ever wanted to learn about the impact of citizen journalism, look no further than DigitalJournal.tv’s latest episode. We track the year that was in citizen media, explaining what sites and trends changed the media landscape forever. Many reporters from Digital Journal got a thumbs-up in the episode, so you might recognize some familiar bylines.
TopFinds Awards
The honourees of this week’s TopFinds Awards attracted impressive attention and widest readership. Digital Journal thanks the following Citizen Journalists with Awards for their passion for covering the top issues of the day: Carol Forsloff, KJ Mullins, Barbara Sowell, Paul Wallis, Chris V. Thangham, armstrong vaz, and Leo Reyes.
