MM 2003 - Mackenzy Turner

We Are All in This Together When something crazy happens, something big enough to affect the entire world, it is often all we hear about. It floods our televisions screens, radio stations, and is on every media platform within our phones. Think about the coronavirus for example... fighting this virus has truly become a new way of life. We wear our masks in the store and to class, we stay six feet apart, and everyone is on their toes when we hear a cough. While it may seem like we are personally affected this virus, we are alone in the matter, the entire world is feeling, hearing about, and reporting this virus just as America is. Sites like BBC allow a breakdown of the coronavirus pandemic and the status in each country. They offer totals by deaths, death rate, and total cases along with new case daily updates. They have shown to report an increase in cases within European countries. For example, Ireland is about to crack down on their coronavirus restrictions as they have seen a...

Numbers Can Lie It is commonly believed that journalism degrees and classes are, to put it in basic terms so I don't go off on a rant, easy. We just write papers, watch t.v., and talk abut how it makes us feel. As a journalism major I know this is not the case, and so much more goes into how journalists prepare and execute their work out in the real world. While it may just look like words, pictures, and reciting back what you already saw, great preparation and tons of behind the scene work takes place before a journalist sets foot on air or publishes an article. Each journalist has a special set of skills and one, that may people would have never guessed is numeracy. Numeracy can be defined as the " ability to understand and work with numbers. " Journalists must harbor this skill to be able to affectively communicate their specific point, especially when it involves statistics. The most relevant journalistic topic that has flooded our phone screens and newspapers is the ...

  "It's your civic duty" As young Americans, we are raised on the idea that growing up is the end all be all. When you reach 10 years old we celebrate our double digits, when we reach thirteen we celebrate becoming a teenager, some cultures celebrate 15 as a common of age, 16 you get to drive, 17 you can see an "R" rated movie, 18 you can vote, and 21 you get to, well you know. All of these milestones grant us access to the next big step in life. While some may seem bigger than others at the time, there are certain  birthdays, like your eighteenth, that introduce you to your civic duties. As a soon to be 21 year old college student, this election year will be the first one I am able to participate in. Politics has never been a "touchy" subject in my household, so it usually ends up being a major talking point at any family function. This heavy weight on politics in my family has always struck my interest to stay up to date and involved. I can't tel...

 Just Talk it Out Upon taking a dive into this assignment, I realized I had absolutely no idea what a listening post is, or that colleges even had them. Makes me feel extremely unaware of my surroundings as a third year college student. However, if I didn't know about it, maybe you don't either. A listening post, as defined by the University of Denver is " a place where folks come to talk about whatever they want to talk about. " Well, if you ask me practically anywhere on a college campus can be a listening post. While you may think that a listening post just seems like a traditional counseling centre, you're wrong. A listening post is simply a place " for unhurried  conversation, to be heard and accepted, to clarify thinking [...] " and much more. Who else, other than homesick, stressed out college students could use this more? For most colleges, a listening post is somewhat of a pop up event. at Towsom University " [they] ask volunteers to be ...

  Government Transparency    Why might someone need access to a public record you ask? Whether you're a new member of the neighborhood, or old, public records can be beneficial to you. The ability to find out seemingly anything about where you live or who you live around is an attractive appeal for new parents, or even simply information seekers. However, new laws and regulations are keeping much of this "free information" just out of reach. " The importance of public records really can't be overstated because it helps ensure transparency and accountability in government. " Due to the fact that knowledge is power, our country and local communities would have a hard time, believe it or not, functioning in a society where they couldn't get their hands or know what the government is up to. Public records can be defined as, " [...] information that is recorded and stored by a government which a member of the publishes a right to access and review.  Reco...

In The Know Imagine you're a brand new couple, with a brand new baby, just settling down to start your lives as a family. Your significant other just got the job opportunity of a lifetime, and you're having to move away from your friends and family into the big city of Austin Texas. While moving into the unknown is scary for anyone, settling to start a new family with young kiddos adds that much more pressure. Access to the cities public records can ease some moving stress as you can see first hand where you'll be living and who you'll be living around. Public records are your eyes into the world around you and you should take advantage of that access.  Public records in the city of Austin are readily available to anyone. " The Texas Public Information Act gives you the right to access government records, and the public information officer may not ask why you want them. " There are many reasons why you may want to access you local public records. You may want ...

On a Happier Note With colleges returning to campus amid a pandemic, everything looks a little bit different. Classes are moved online, for some of us all of them, and once heavy populated areas are a no mans land. Masks are worn around campus, hiding our smiles and excitement to be back, and it seems that the only thing we are hearing is who's sick and how many people are in quarantine. All of this information is hard news, but for the purpose of this blog post, were going to turn it around. The University of Texas is a large school, with a large campus, in the heart of a large city. Obviously crime, corona, and whats latest in the government will reign supreme on their local news outlets, but lets talk about feature news! Feature news is the lighthearted side of things, the amusing or life revealing stories.  In a time where it seems like negativity is bitting us from all sides, a little feature news may be just the thing to turn it around. One thing I notices abou...