The Haiti earthquake prompts immediate action in our journalism community, and some stories offer a local flavour. Carol Forsloff reports on a Portland group working to help Haiti with relief efforts. The profile of Mercy Corps illustrates the growing desire from many people to assist those in need. Carol writes, “The organization hopes to raise $100,000 locally in the Portland area but looks to contributions from across the world.”
New research finds some GM corn can cause organ failure. This headline is alarming, and Stephanie Dearing is able to parse through the info and also interview a rep from the Canadian Biotechnology Action Network to learn more about genetically modified food. You’ll never look at corn (or corn syrup) the same way again.
Newcomer Caroline Menzies digs deep into her first Special Report concerning the possible strike by Ontario college teachers. She speaks to a student who admits most students “don’t want this strike and believe it’s going to do a lot more harm to the students than good.” Even if you don’t live in Ontario, a college teacher strike carries major implications for teacher rights, applicable to other communities where labour unrest spreads anxiety across student populations.
A selection of other notable stories include:
• 7.0-magnitude quake hits off Haiti coast by KJ Mullins: The most shocking news of the week concerns the devastation in Haiti, where an earthquake has left thousands dead and scores more injured. KJ first reported on the disaster, and then later followed up with some equally shocking stories, including one about Rush Limbaugh’s controversial statements about donating to Haiti charities.
Kudos to Salim Jiwa for also publishing articles on the quake, including this piece about the potential casualties and statements from the UN and American Red Cross.
• Further Attacks on Churches in Malaysia as Allah Row Continues by Chris Dade: “Three more churches were attacked in Malaysia on Sunday, two with firebombs, as the row over the use of the word Allah by non-Muslims continues.” So begins Chris’s article on a Malaysian battle that doesn’t let up. Some are calling this a race crime, others say the attacks are the work of an extremist minority. Have your say in the comments section.
• California considering full legalization of marijuana by Michael Krebs: Could the first American state to legislate medicinal marijuana soon legalize the herb fully? Find out the ramifications of California’s proposed idea to legalize pot in an article sure to tantalize your inner Cheech Marin.
• Lamb with human head born in Turkey? by Paul Wallis: Attracting major attention is Paul’s report on a unique animal birth: a lamb supposedly born with a human head. Paul deconstructs the news to figure out what truly might’ve happened. He writes, “In the Dark Ages, until Reality TV, the natural response to this would have been disbelief. Now it’s plausible news.”
• Egyptian pyramids built by free men not slaves by Gordon K. Chan: Your high-school history lesson might’ve been incorrect — those Egyptian pyramids were built by “free men”, not slaves, according to a new study. “Evidence also shows that these workers were fed well, receiving a daily supply of 21 cattle and 23 sheep from nearby farms,” Gordon tell us. Yum, nothing like some delicious sheep to placate the workers.
• Complaints flow in the wake of Google’s Nexus One release by Gemma Fox: With all the cheery buzz surrounding Google’s new smartphone, there was bound to be a few flies in the soup. Gemma reports on several complaints directed at the Nexus One, from confusion about the phone’s price to spotty 3G coverage. A commenter piped in: “[Google is] so busy creating new services, that the existing services get virtually no attention regarding customer service for bugs, design flaws, and user questions.”
• Sex Robot an Example of Intelligent Design? by R. C. Camphausen: What’s that, a sex robot designed by someone not from Japan? R.C. gives us a sneak peek into a lifelike sex robot infused with personality. This op-ed includes the author’s opinion on whether this sexy cyborg can really appeal to single men.
The Top Blog Post of the Week is awarded to Andy Bull for his timely op-ed on citizen journalism. As he wrote, “Because we (almost all) have a multimedia broadcasting device in our pocket, we are all journalists now.” Some other choice lines include, “Pretty soon the best way to get your elected representative to take notice of you will be through social media. So anyone who doesn’t have access to it, or can’t express themselves effectively through it, will be powerless.” Great post, Andy, look forward to your next piece.
