Accuracy issues and sleep deprivation

My other story this last week that had issues was on student fees.  And first off let me say that it was a story that was kind of tossed on me at the end of last quarter and that carried on over to this quarter and this is not an easy topic to writer about if you have enver paid attention to budget issues before.


That being said, I went in yesterday and dropped off an accuracy survey (that is required for all Clipper stories) with my source from the story.  I went back in today to see if he had it done and he was actually just finishing it.  It took him 2 hours to write up!!


Last week when the story came out they actaully got the whole office together and had a meeting specifically about my story!  :-(


So first of all, there was some things that my source admitted to being vague about and not going into detail about in the interview.  And there was the fact that I didn't bring a recorder to the interview (that day was just crazy busy and hectic and I didn't have time to grab one!)  And here was the fact that I just didn't understand all of the technical babble associated with the budget stuff.  And I should have asked to have a few things clarified, but I thought that I was understanding them.


Anyway....one page (front and back) later, I left his office with stuff that I needed to work on.  The only good thing is, is that no one in the office hates me.  At least not the ones I talked to.  They understand that I am a student and that I am learning and that I have other things (work and other classes) to deal with too and that I am not perfect. 


I even offered to try to rewrite it later in the quarter (after I read up alot more on the budget issues!!) and try to get it right!  I just spent the last hour or so going over his notes to me and all of the budget books and writing an email with corrections which I sent to my editor to look over before I send them to my source to look over.


And I serious feel like crap right now too.  I am not sure if its the stress from today or if it is a mix of stress and hardly eating or sleeping for the last week or so.  not sure...I'm hoping I feel better in the morning, but if not I am going to stay home from school and sleep!  At least if my ridiculous kitty will let!  She dosen't like it when I sleep late!

More accuracy issues

So for The Clipper we hand out accuracy surveys to the sources of our stories.  Well...today just sucked in that regards.

I did a profile for one of the clubs and interviewed three of the officers of the club (the president didn't attend the meeting I went to for my interview).  I went to their officer meeting today to get feedback (the president was there and seemed to have no idea that there was piece about them in the online edition of The Clipper).  So he was reading it for the first time and he turned to me and asked if it had been published already.  I said that it had, I was just getting feedback on my reporting and whether it was accurate.

He thought I portrayed the group as "chaotic" because I had said that they are currently homeless (they have no set meeting space and it changes every week).  The three other officers had said exactly that to me in the interviews, and so I thought it was a fun little fact and it was true and so I printed it.

He went to my editor after the officer meeting and basically told her to retract the story or parts of it.  And she said that since all of the information was true and accurate, there was nothing that she could actaully retract.  He was just pissed that I had made them sound like they didn't know whta they were doing.

So I have a feeling that he will go to the advisor for The Clipper and complain about me.  No one else from the club seemed to have a problem with it.  My editors agreed with me and thought that them being "homeless" was a cute little fun fact that made the story interesting.

I didn't think that it made them sound chaotic at all!!  It was funny and interesting and I am kind of annoyed that he has a problem with it.  Because he even told my editor that eveything (including the homeless bit) was true and accurate!!!

So annoyed...I will get to the other issue in another post!

Break-in at my neighbor's place and I saw the guy!!!! :-(

So Thursday night I got home from work between 9:15-9:30pm-ish.  I live down a dead-end alley and it is dark. As I was getting out of my car I realized that a dark colored car had followed me down to the end of the alley and it had turned around and parked between my carport and the carport of the next apartment over.  I saw a man in the passenger side and a woman driving.

As I was moving toward the walkway between the carports, he got out and started up behind me.  I had instantly gotten a bad feeling as soon as I noticed the car and so at this point was kind of freaking out.  As I was going around the side of my building I casually looked behind me and saw him still coming.  I live in one of the two bottom apartments and as I was walking around the stairs I again looked back and saw him start down the walkway towards me (away from the other building) and at this point...I am losing it!

I was hidden from him by the stairs and I ran to my door and was franitcally trying to unlock my door and when I got it, I threw it open and then slammed it shut and locked it!  My boyfriend was home cooking and he was weirded out about my behavior...so I told him about the guy.  And then I chilled out abit and didn't think anything else about it.  We turned up the tv (so we could hear it in the kitchen) and we went about cooking.

Then later that night (sometime between 2-4am) I was woken up by loud stomping around upstairs and doors opening and shutting.  Didn't think anything about it; our neighbor works late shifts at Boeing and is always getting home after midnight).

The next afternoon I got a txt from my landlord telling me that the apartment above ours had had the door kicked in the night before and had we heard or seen anything!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?

OMG!  So I told her everything I could remember about the guy and she relayed it to our neighbor.  I stayed at my parents place on Friday between jobs because I was scared to be home by myself.  I had my boyfriend walk out and meet me when I got home that night too!  I borrowed a baseball bat from my dad and it is laying next to the bed right now.

I am freaking out a bit that this guy may realize that I saw enough of him to ID him!  Which I did tonight actually.  We went upstairs and talked to our neighbor and he showed me a picture of his cousin...and it was the guy I saw!  He had a feeling he knew who it was before that, but my ID of the guy made him even more sure. Scary!

So that was my scary excitement!  His tv, xbox and games, and a few other things are missing!  And I feel horrible because I had seen the guy that did it!  But neither me nor my boyfriend remember hearing anything after I came inside and slammed the door shut!  Our neighbor was cool about it though, he's not mad that we didn't hear anything but he did seem glad that I could ID the guy.  We'll see if I have to talk to the cops or not.

Wish we could have met the guy on better terms though.  He has lived there since almost last summer and because of our schedules, we have never really talked to him.  Which I feel kind of bad about that too....lol!  I am the kind of person that I like to know my neighbors.  We may bbq this summer though!  So that would be nice to get to hang out with him a bit.

lost post....

So I just wrote a post for the class...and it says that it is posted....but I can't seem to find it when I look at ly blog.  Can anyone tell me if they can access a post called Still on Fence w/Twitter!?!?!?

Still on Fence w/Twitter

WARNING!  I just read through this post before posting it...and it is very random..my thoughts didn't really mesh well!  lol!


I had a Twitter account several years ago.  I stopped using it because I was being followed by all these people that I had no idea who they were and it bothered me.  Not sure why, it just did.  It's like on Facebook, if I don't know you, I won't accept a friend request from you.  And I don't go through my high school yearbook and "friend" my whole graduating class (like several people I know).  It shouldn't matter how many friends or followers you have.

I had to get that out there!  I am a person that uses facebook to follow my family and friends news and ramblings.  I don't use it to meet people and talk to strangers.

I have never really understood the whole Twitter thing though.  Like I said, I tried it: didn't like it.  And now for my multimedia journalism class we are required to have an account.  So far I have followed news people.  CNN, Everett Herald, New York Times (NYT), David Carr (writer for NYT), Anderson Cooper...and alot more I can't remember right now.  I am also following my editors from the Clipper and a few of my multimedia classmates.

It's crazy how many tweets the NYT puts out there in an hour or two!  Good lord!  They take up half of my "tweets" from people!  And all they say are brief little phrases with a link to a story.  And half of them are stories that I honestly don't care about.  Which, being a journalist, I should.

Alot of the news stories that these people are tweeting about are breaking news or new updates on old stories.  So I understand why they are important to get out there, people need to hear about these things.  I think that is the only good thing about Twitter, si that it is updated alot more than an actual news website and such.

But then you have to think about all the random people and the celebrities that use Twitter and are just spewing stuff about how they just drank a coke...or they are going to a party to get wasted...or other such things and...who cares?  And all the people that tweet something and than it causes a national controversy.  I just am not sure if Twitter is right for me.  I like my Facebook.

I think part of why I am on the fence about Twitter is because, unlike most of the people that use Twitter, my phone is lame and doesn't do internet.  So I have to be on a computer in order to check out the latest on Twitter and so when I check it, everything is old news and there is lot of it.  And when I do go on Twitter, it's maybe once a day and I never really have any breaking news of my own to share.  And there is really never anything that I feel worthy enough to re-tweet either...I have had Twitter for a week or so...and I have made five tweets...three-four of which were re-tweeting something...

I don't knwo...we'll see how it goes...but right now I don't think that I will stay on Twitter after this class is over.

Stories and Work

Got two club spotlights turned in this week (one was a rewrite of a story that never actually got publushed last quarter.)  And also got a blog post about the Snapsot library event written and turned in yesterday.  In the process of writing one more club spotlight to turn in tomorrow morning/afternoon.  So far this last club has been the most laid back and active, so it will be pretty easy to write...so that's always nice.

I need to email/call a few people to set up some stories for next week and a blog post for the website that I need to get in tomorrow hopefully.  And I have several stories lined up for the coming weeks when events are happening, so thats good.  I can do some research and stuff before hand.  I also have a list of events I want to cover (mostly going to be blog posts or photo essays though) for Earth week at the end of the month.  Should be fun!

Outside of school, I just talked to one of my managers (at the job that I like better than my other one), and she said that there will be more hours for me there instead of just one day a week!  Which is awesome, given that I have about $200-$400 worth of repairs for my car.  And that's just for parts because my boyfriend is a mechanic and is doing the work for free.

Busy Day in the Life of a Student Journalist

Wow!  Today has been crazy!  This morning started out with a club meeting/interview that took an hour. (12:30-1:30pm)  I was then late for The Clipper class. (1:40-3:10pm)  This is the class of the school newspaper.  And then the class went late.  Which made me late for another club meeting/interview.(3:15-3:40)  And then I got halfway back across campus to the newsroom, when I remembered I was supposed to be checking out an event in the library. (3:45-4pm)  And been back in the newsroom since than.

I have two club spotlight stories to write and a blog piece.  And I need to email/call several people for interviews for other stories.  And tonight is production night for the paper, which means I am going to have to help edit stories and write headlines and such.  And all I want to do right now is go home and eat dinner with my boyfriend.  Such a long day!

Writer's block and a new car!

So I wrote one of my two stories on Friday and have been having major writer's block on my club spotlight story.  I am trying to get more of the member's voices in my stories and I wasn't able to get to the meeting for the club I am trying to write about.  So I have emailed my editor and the club's advisor and given them an update on my issues, witing to hear back, probaly tomorrow.  I am also going to start another spotlight story this week as well.  Trying to not overdo it this quarter with loading my work up so that I go crazy with exhaustion.


And I bought my friend's car from her today!  I drove it to the store and I drove it home by myself and then went for a drive with my boyfriend.  He has determined that there are several things I need to fix/replace.  Suspension, timing chain, oil change, possible radiator issues...plus a window that doesn't work, brakes that need to be flushed and dashboard lights that need to be fixed...


Just for the timing chain and the suspension (if it is in fact the ball bearing things with the suspension)...it is going to be close to $200 just for those two things!  Great way to welcome me to car ownership!!!!  Fun times!!!

Money rant...nothing to do with writing...sorry!

So this has nothing to do with my writing, but it is frustrating nonetheless!  I am buying a car from a friend and so have money set aside for that (I am buying it on Sunday).  But I still have an almost $100 code that I need to buy for my online math class (one of those hidden fees they get you with) and I still need to buy my two books for my multimedia class, for both it would be about $50.  And then on top of all of this...I have to come up with about $100 to transfer the title of the car and pay taxes on it!

And rent is due this week too...and then my phone and credit card bills are due in about a week and a half along with comcast.  Going to be a fun few weeks!!  If I wasn't buying the car from my friend...I would have the money for everything...and there in lies my dilemma!  Ugh!

That is all my ranting for the moment!  :-)  Gotta go catch the bus to work!  Adios!

Bored in the newsroom!

Can I just say one thing:  Being in the newsroom by myself is boring!  I'm usually in here with several of my fellow staffers...and usually nothing really productive gets done (at least for me)...but it's fun!  I guess one perk is I get to choose the music!  :-)

Did my interviews for my two stories I'm writing and now just sifting through my notes and research.  I do the Club Spotlight stories for The Clipper since last quarter and I am really trying to get more in depth with them.  I really want to participate or at least sit in on at least one of the meetings for each club, but working that around work and classes is tough.

The second story I'm working on is about the service and activities fees that students are charged as part of their tuition and what that money goes towards.  I won't get too in depth right now, you guys are just going to have to read the article when it comes out!

I am still trying to get used to interviewing people with titles!  lol!  I know it sounds stupid, but some of these people are a bit intimidating.  Not mean or anything, just higher up the food chain than me and so...intimidating.

Journalists are truth seekers

I have a good friend who is a fellow journalist and he is facing a dilemma right now with one of his stories.  He found out some information, (quite by accident) that could potentially have bad ramifications in the future (and possibly already has).  As a journalist it is our job to seek out the truth of an issue and report the facts.  The dilemma with this is that a person invloved in this situation is someone that my friend and I, (and the rest of our colleagues as well), hold very dear.  A great person, who is overworked but is always willing to take time out of his busy schedule to lend a helping hand.  My friend just kind of jumped in with the information he had without much digging and now this person that we all love could potantially get in trouble.

So the dilemma:  does my friend report the facts, and risk injuring his relationship (and the rest of us too actually) with this person even more?  Or does he report some of the facts and leave out key pieces of the story to try to save the friendship?

I told him that he needs to report the facts!  As much as it hurts to cause trouble for a friend...that cat is already out of the bag.  You can't just sugarcoat it because you're friends with someone.  We are truth seekers...we are the people entrusted to hold people in positions of power accountable for their actions and to let the public know of any wrong doings (whether intentional or unintentional, which in this case it wasn't done to intentionally cause harm to anyone).

He is still writing the piece and he said he would email it to me so I can give him some feed back.  So we'll see which way he goes with it.  I told him that he needs to be straight forward and tell the truth.  His digging into this issue has opened people's eyes and a problem is being fixed.  And that is the important thing to take away from this experience.  He told me yesterday that he as lost sleep over this whole thing and that he was considering leaving the field of journalism.  I told him that it wasn't always going to be like that and that he needs to stick with it.  He is a great writer and he has the instincts to be good at uncovering stories and it would be a shame if we lost his talent over this.

Bio of a Witchy Writer

My name is Merritt and I am starting this blog for a multimedia journalism class.  This summer I will be finishing my second year of college (I still have one more to go).  I am studying to be a journalist, but may end up just doing freelance work instead of working for an actual newspaper.  We'll see how it goes though.

So a little about me and my family life.  I turned 25 at the end of January (ironically the same day as mine and my boyfriend's six year anniversary!!)  :-)  I have lived in my current apartment for three years and I like it...I wish it were a three bedroom though!  lol!  My boyfriend and I rescued a little black and white kitty when she was three months old, and now she will be two in June!  She is my little "cow cat" and so her name is Bessie!  :-)  I was lame and never got my driver's liscense until three months ago and will be getting my first car this coming Sunday.  I am buying my friend's Ford Thunderbird from her!  yay!  It's green...which is my favorite color btw!

I am the second oldest of five kids; four girls and one lonely boy!  My older sister (who is 26) and her husband are celebrating their five year anniversary later this month.  My brother (who is 22) is in the army and was lucky enough to get stationed close to home!  He comes home most weekends and occasionally brings his buddies along!!  :-)  My youngest sister is 16 and a junior in high school.  She does it all!  Track, cross-country, band, Young Life, catering with our aunt and she is looking for a job too!  She is nuts!  My middle sister is 24 and works with me at one of my two jobs, she cashiers and I work the truck and stock the merch.  My other job I do sales, but may be transferring to a position off the sales floor soon.  In limbo with that right now.

My parents are going to be celebrating their 25th anniversay this summer!  My family is huge (on both sides!)  We live closer to my mom's side of the family.  My dad's side of the family mostly live across the country!  There are 4 sets of aunts and uncles on my mom's side, with (I think) 20 or so cousins (and at least 10 great-grandkids).  My dad's side...no idea!  I lost count!  He was one of five boys and a sister...so six total!  And most of them were alot older, and so alot of my cousins on that side are at least 10 years older than me!

My great-grandpa (on my dad's side) came to America from Poland in the late 30's to escape the Holocaust.  I am third generation polish and I take pride in that part of my heritage!  On my mom's side, my grandpa has traced his family back to the Mayflower...Mary Chilton was the first woman to step foot on Plymouth Rock!

I grew up in a Presbyterian church with my family, but have since decided to follow another path.  I have been Wiccan since I was about 12 years old.  I only just recently "came out" to my immediate family in tha last few years and they seem to accept it and they still love me!  The rest of my family...some may know, some may not.  I'm open about it but I don't really talk about it much.

Anyway, enough about me for now.  I will be back later!  Gotta go read up on some budget stuff for a story for the college paper!  :-)