One of our Digital Journalists was hard at work covering recent protests in Portland, Oregon. Carol Forsloff told us about a protest to rail against what is seen as an unjust shooting of a young black man. She gave us some background on the case and recent news too: “A grand jury reviewed the case, indicting the police actions, even though no punishment was given to Officer Flashour or any of the other officers on duty at the time of the shooting.” Check out the piece to see her accompanying photos of the protesters, including some original video.
Alessandro Di Maio is a new writer on Digitaljournal.com but he’s already making himself well known, thanks to this impressive interview-heavy article. He discusses how Muslims integrate in the Netherlands, offering us perspectives both refreshing and insightful. And his photographs…wow! Something tells us Alessandro has been a pro journalists somewhere before DJ. Looking forward to the next one.
Everyone is talking Toronto transit, especially because the TTC is trying to wipe some egg of its face. KJ Mullins decided to write a sunnier story on the transit system, profiling various buskers who make extra money by plying their artistic trades in subway tunnels and toll entrances. She adds some lovely colour to the article by including a range of interview subjects, all of whom have something different to say about busking.
Heard about this sporting event in Vancouver? We got a feeling it’s a worldwide phenomenon. Well, Julian Worker gave us an up-close view of travelling to Whistler, B.C., to check out some Olympics action. “The track is ugly but the view at turn 16 is spectacular, the speed electrifying, and a wooden wall can’t quite hide the place where Nodar Kumaritashvili died.” Those are the kind of details you wouldn’t get from an AP report. Keep us updated on Olympics news, Julian, the DJ community is watching!
A selection of other notable stories include:
• Small plane crashes into office building in Texas by Paul Bright: Talk about a shocking story…Paul was one of the first Digital Journalists to report on a plane smacking into an Austin building. He updated readers with news as it flowed from the mainstream press. Also check out Salim Jiwa‘s comprehensive article on the incident.
• Large 6.1 magnitude earthquake hits Tonga, no tsunami alert by Andrew Moran: As if the world needed more earthquake disasters…Andrew reports on a quake hitting the island Tonga, but luckily no injuries were reported. Tonga has had some bad luck with quakes. As Andrew wrote: “In September of last year, the region was hit by a devastating 8.1 magnitude earthquake that launched a deadly tsunami killing roughly 189 people.”
• Dresden Neo-Nazi protest overwhelmed by anti-Nazi opponents by Stephanie Dearing: It’s hard out there for a neo-Nazi. At a rally for their supports, a crush of anti-Nazi protesters showed up to counter the hate group. As Stephanie reported, spokesperson for Dresden without Nazis, Lena Roth said: “We have for the first time succeeded in preventing the biggest neo-Nazi march in Europe.”
• Gay children could be hanged in Uganda, says UK campaigner by Andrew John: Andrew tends to write on homosexual-rights issue, and he hit a hot-button topic here: Ugandan gay children may be facing persecution and possibly hangings, according to Peter Tatchell of OutRage. As inane as it sounds, someone is sponsoring an Anti-Homosexuality Bill in Uganda. Wait, those things exist?
• Canada announces new mortgage rules by Bob Ewing: Canadian home buyers, this article is for you. Bob explains some new mortgage rules outlined by Finance Minister Jim Flaherty. Instead of our attempt to summarize this heady stuff, check out the article to find out what new rules may impact home-owners.
• Could a bit of chocolate reduce stroke risks? by KJ Mullins: Good news for cocoa lovers – “Researchers found that those who eat a bar a week of chocolate were 22 percent less likely to suffer a stroke than those who shunned the candy.” So reported KJ in a story filled with delicious goodness for those who like to chew on some chocolate. Just don’t feed the dark stuff to your pets.
• Stephen Colbert makes peace with Canada while in Vancouver by Derek Leschasin: It’s tough to tell if Colbert the comedian is diggin’ Canada or whether it’s Colbert the real man who professes his Canuck love. Either way, he’s in Vancouver to embrace all things Canadian, Derek tells us, so in the next week or so expect his TV show to feature several segments about Vancouver and the Olympics.
• Tiger Woods Issues Apology to Wife and Fans by Carol Forsloff: Undoubtedly, the sports story of the week is Tiger Woods addressing the media and finally apologizing in person. As Carol reported, he also said that “before he returns to golf, he needs to change his behavior so people have more respect for the game.” Check out this similar report here and tell us if you think Tiger has a chance to refurbish his tarnished image.
The Top Blog Post of the Week is awarded to Caroline Menzies for her personal story about enduring panic attacks during dental visits. She enlightens us to her discovery – epinephrine in the anesthetic. This blog post also serves as a companion piece to her article on the topic, found here. A great idea, keep it up, Caroline!
