J-Ideas announces fund-raising campaign

Warren Watson, director, announced today the creation of an annual fund-raising campaign to support J-Ideas, Ball State’s scholastic journalism and First Amendment institute.

Parties are invited to give $25 or more to the J-Ideas Foundation to support future activities of the program. Donations are tax deductible. <more>

FIRST VOICES



Little things mean a lot at the Newseum
Indianapolis Star column
by Warren Watson

J-Ideas Director Warren Watson blogs regularly for the Indianapolis Star. Here are his latest offerings:

Ignorance in Palin, Dowd free-speech remarks

The grace period is over from the November presidential election. Now, it's time to review the latest cases of ignorance about the First Amendment and how it fits into our lives. <more>

-Plainfield pays respect to First Amendment

-Banned Books Week

-Palin-tology

-New President must revive Constitution

-Traditional news misses Edwards escapade

-Protesters' rights fenced off

-Social networking pitfalls

-Bad year for traditional news gatherers

-Baseball and the First Amendment

-Principals and the First Amendment

-Remembering a crusader
-Photo ID law bad for voters
-Thoughts from the annual U.S. editors convention
-Need for print journalism remains
-Sunshine:now more than ever
-Mean-spirited fans
-Peter Jennings' legacy
-The First Amendment at the Alamo
-A New museum for news
-Author creates First Amendment 'primer'
-Unlikely First Amendment hero
-Harrison represented Hoosiers proudly
-Online course wraps for the fall
-Religious freedom for all
-Reading is FUN-damental
-Nothing negative
-Blogs grow in influence, but beware of anonymity
-Parent rides the bench after blog posting
-Student journalist's actions serves profession poorly
-Examining free speech online
-Remembering the courageous Elijah Parish Lovejoy

Archive

More First Thoughts: journalism teacher Tom Gayda speaks out

Student journalists scoop professional press

By Gerry Appel

In an era where student journalists are often criticized for poor decision-making, one student newspaper should receive praise after scooping its professional counterparts. <more>

-Principal wrong in pulling paper

Mile high with the First Amendment...

By Randy Swikle

We were north of the Mile High City near the Rocky Mountains. The principals were voluntarily descending—not from the tall peaks but from their position abutting the summit of school hierarchy. When they reached level ground, we could see each other more clearly. And clear sight leads to insight. <more > 

Watson
First Thoughts
Sept 18, 2008

Call it Palin-tology – the study of truthfulness by a here-to-fore unknown political candidate, vice presidential hopeful Sarah Palin.

It follows other political courses like Obama-tology, Biden-tology and McCain-tology, referring to Barack Obama, Joe Biden and John McCain, candidates already vetted.

Just how truthful are the words of our candidates? The First Amendment protects noble speech, truthful speech , even stupid speech. Unfortunately, it also protects speech that is untruthful. As Star editor Dennis Ryerson said in a recent column, it’s important for Americans to hold political speech to a truthfulness litmus test.

It is difficult in this age of high-priced TV ads to discern the truthfulness of our over-funded candidates.

Rampant bomb-throwing proliferates, much of it irresponsible. Consider as a tool a web site called www.politifact.com, a product of the diligent reporting staffs of the Pulitzer Prize winning St. Petersburg Times and its affiliate Congressional Quarterly. The site seeks to decipher sketchy claims by the candidates.
The GOP candidates team of McCain and Palin, fortified by chain emailers speaking on their behalf, have dominated the Politifact news as political handlers seek to shape the image of the vice presidential hopeful. You’ll learn Politifact that both McCain and Palin have fudged their claims that they have opposed pork-barrel spending in Arizona and Alaska, respectively. You’ll also learn that Democrat presidential candidate Obama never called Palin a “pig.”

By the same token, the factcheckers discovered that Palin never sought to have books banned in her town, as email chain letters allege. You’ll also find that Obama is not Muslim, as others suggest.

As the election approaches, the pace of the smears and half-truths will no doubt increase. Remember, it’s up to all of us to seek truth.