Unit 1: The Journalist at Work
Watch: Video Lecture
Accompanying Website: Essentials of Journalism
Read:
2) “Ebony Returns to Chronicle a New Moment”
3) “Did I Really Just Buy Ebony?” Interview with Eden Bridgeman Sklenar
Post: 1) Discuss what you found most interesting about one of these articles. 2) In response to the Interview essay (“Did I Really Just Buy Ebony”), mention a writing strategy used by the author that you think will be helpful for a student journalist. Read your classmates’ responses prior to posting, so you contribute a new point.
Create your free New York Times account
Due Date (Monday, Sept. 13): Next Week is Labor Day Weekend and most classes are cancelled for the week, so I will give you two weeks to complete this first assignment.
The article I found most interesting was “Can ,Tolo, Afghanistan’s Leading Broadcaster Survive the Taliban?” It gives more insight on how Afghanistan has processed media wise and how Tolo was a pioneer for news. It provides a small hope that perhaps news can be broadcast the way it should be, authentically. Although the Taliban remains as a big threat, in the time the article was published Tolo is still reporting news. It also shines a light on how it may be hard to regress to only religious views despite the people being shown the different venues of entertainment such as Snapchat, TikTok and others. I’m curious to see how the Afghans will proceed.
A writing strategy used by the author is how prior to the interview, the author gives us a bit of background about who is the current owner of Ebony. I’ve read some interviews that give a couple of sentences of who the interviewee is and quickly hop into the interview. On that note, the questions were well asked as it led to an answer that could later be connected to another question. It felt natural despite it being an interview as one also learned some things about Ebony’s new owner.
Thanks for you insightful post Jailyn. Your point about how once people get a little “freedom of the press” it might be hard to take it away. How well will the Taliban be able to suppress venues like Tik Tok and Snapchat is a great question. Let’s certainly keep an eye on this. Your analysis of the interview structure is also very keen and useful.
I found “Did I Really Just Buy Ebony?” interesting because I’ve heard of the magazines but I didn’t know who founded them. I also like how the daughter, Eden, decided to take over the family business after it going through a rough period. One strategy that was used that could help a student journalist was asking about the interviewee’s life and interests. I feel like that would make them feel welcomed.
The hat and the dress shows a really elegant side which bring out the style and fashion of it.
Yes! I thoroughly enjoyed the fashionable pieces. Beautiful.
I’ll say! It also certainly about pride in African American culture and beauty.
Good reply Mosche but probe a little more. What about the history of this once super important magazine is so important? Why is this magazine so important to the African American community?
1. What I found most interesting in the New York Times article “Can Afghan Leading Broadcaster Survive the Taliban” is that it is essentially an echo of the fragility of news media within totalitarian governments. News media outlets that adhere to Sharia law, such as those in Saudia Arabia or the Gulf States, are essentially no different from what is to come in Afghanistan, with Al-Jazeera as an exception. The Taliban are more media savvy in this second coming into power, no doubt in an effort for international recognition of their legitimacy. Most telling was this mention in the article:
“The Taliban also warned the women of Afghanistan that it might be safest for them to remain home until rank-and-file Taliban fighters have been trained how not to mistreat them.”Â
2. A super effective writing strategy is connecting with Eden on a personal level. Questions about her family, personal style, and budding new family are a fantastic way to understand Ebony magazine’s fresh, new direction.Â
Excellent post Melissa. I really like your point about the “fragility of news media within totalitarian governments.” This is certainly something to watch for across the globe today.
Hi Melissa
I enjoyed reading your response. when reading about Eden in her interview I saw that as an important strategy as well of connecting with her about her interests and really capturing her personality in her responses.
The article I found most interesting is “Can Afghan’s Leading Broadcaster Survive the Taliban”. I find this the most interesting because being a broadcaster means getting the real news out to the people of the country. Due to the growth they have had over the years I wonder how would the new port be affected. I commend the broader casters for taking their chances and still trying to give news out but also trying to stay safe. In my perspective they are handling the situation in the best way they can which is with caution. In response to the interview essay the writing strategy that I find helpful for student journalist is getting to know the client or the person your interviewing by asking personal questions. This helps let the reader to connect with them and see a raw part of themselves that is not being glamorized.
Excellent response Jasmine. I really like your line about how you “commend the broader casters for taking their chances and still trying to give news out but also trying to stay safe.” Being a journalist today is all about courage and those in Afghanistan right now are truly bold and deserve worldwide support.
Egor Kurgachev
“Ebony Returns to Chronicle a New Moment” I loved it because it was interested about it said how ”
EBONY: The Kentucky Derby is such a huge event in Louisville [where Eden and older brothers Ryan and Justin grew up and where their family business is headquartered]; if you had a horse in the race, what would it be named? A: Well, selfishly you’d probably want your name in it, so I’d say, “The Garden of Eden,” but, you know I think I would have to try to put together a name that [honored Derby history] from an African American standpoint. Isaac Murphy [1861-1896] is still to this day considered the No. 1 jockey ever… is there a play on something about his story? Murphy’s Law? … I would want that name to tie to people in the past who hadn’t gotten their due.” This shows how she took it serious about her career and something meant for her to do that and let her describe who she is .
Egor, You might also want to bring out the much larger point that the editor and magazine are VERY interested in celebrating and commemorating African American history. Isaac Murphy was a celebrated AA jockey – along the lines of Michael Jordan.
The article in which I found to be the most interesting is “Can Afghan’s Leading Broadcaster Survive the Taliban”? I feel as though just from the title itself, you can already feel the tension towards the article. Reading it give me a broader perspective as to what is actually going on in Afghanistan. Not that I’m being oblivious to what’s occurring, but reading the ripple effects into someone’s life especially as a female, I can just imagine how she’s feeling by trying to see it from her perspective. Having to pave such a huge way for women to have it being stripped away in one instant must feel as though you have no power to interject. It’s just unfortunate and it makes us realize (more so for me as a female) it makes me embrace the opportunities set before me when so many others are fighting for their own.
On Ebony’s story, it gave me an understanding unto who she is. Her piece of writing captures the questions the audience would want to know about her. The perspective was very much on a personal stance which I enjoyed as a reader.
Thanks for sharing this strongly feminist post about the courage women journalists especially need to possess.
hi
The article that caught my attention was “Did I Really Just Buy Ebony?
Eden Bridgman Sklenar is a 34-year-old young lady who is the only daughter of the famous NBA player Ulysses aka “Junior”. And now former owner of the famous company of the magazine Ebony and Jet. In this interview, Eden demonstrated to be very humble and someone who knows what she wants now and in her future. Thanks to her father’s career they are the people they are now. She states that watching the Olympics she likes how the world comes into one competition and competes. Basketball will always be her preference not because she grew up with it but because of how it helped her family out.
The Impact she wants on this magazine and wants to bring back to life is to allow people’s voices to be heard. Back then this was a famous African American documentation about their life and accomplishments which she would like to be heard more now in this period where more protest for black lives peoples matter movement and hate speech towards them should stop. She also spoke about Breonna Taylor and speaking about the incident and various ones happening now in day and many topics like these would be spoken about but as honest conversations and hoping healing to happen.
I think a helpful how the author speaks about her personal life and then the accomplishments she would like to reach. We can understand what type of person she is as a woman and also as a business women.
Excellent reply Caroline. I particularly like your emphasis on how Eden will be looking to covering events and topics important to the African American community.
After reading the three articles I have to say all three were quite interesting to read. In the article “Can Afghans Leading Broadcaster Survive the Taliban” , it was informative on a topic that right now I am sure all of the US is concentrated on. The article is centered on Tolo a news broadcaster that has gone against injustice regardless of the threat. The news media outlet are now facing uncertainty due to the Taliban taking control of Kabul and they still are broadcasting regardless of the danger. I admire their broadcaster even when faced with persecution they still broadcast their news and hope they stay safe during these uncertain times.
On a more less threatening note the article “Ebony Returns to Chronicle A New Moment” I admire Eden who decided to take over the family business. Ebony and Jet is known for covering important moments in history and also known for sharing and broadcasting news that others feared or refused to share. I am glad that they overcame and triumphed. What I liked the most is both of these articles discuss how valuable broadcasting the news that others are scared to, or do not want to broadcast. In the article “Did I Really Just Buy Ebony?”, it is an interview with Eden Bridgeman Sklenar where she shares her views and what she hopes to continue with Ebony. One writing skill that would be valuable to a student journalist is transparency. Throughout the interview Eden shares what she hopes to give her daughter, and shares the values she hopes to instill in her. She also shares what she hopes Ebony and Jet will stay committed to providing a voice to the voiceless.
Excellent post Sean. I particularly like your concluding line: “She also shares what she hopes Ebony and Jet will stay committed to providing a voice to the voiceless.”
Marina Rodrigues
Intro to Journalism
Prof.: Mark Noonam
Unit #1
1- I think the most interesting thing about “Can Afghanistan’s Leading Broadcaster Survive the Taliban” is the transition period from a freer media society under U.S. occupation to one in which the Taliban will have control over the media and can censor what the population can access. There are already countries in which the government controls the media, such as China or Iran, so the Taliban having control of the media in and of itself isn’t uniquely interesting. However, Afghanistan has a very young population (46% are 15 years old or younger) so a large portion of the population grew up in U.S. occupation and has only known life with a freer media. The transition from a freer society to an extremely controlled and censored media is what makes this transition period of Taliban rule a uniquely interesting one, especially with the breadth of social media young Afghanis have been used too.
2 – I think the writing strategy by the author is “interview” which would be good and helpful for the journalism students in terms of how to get around and lead a simple interview/ conversation. Could be a good practice, and more enjoyable to those who are writing and reading as well.
Thank you for sharing this post Marina. Your point about the Taliban controlling the media in Afghanistan now reminds me how it’s up to the new generation of young journalists to fight for freedom of the press across the globe. This would be an interesting topic to follow.
Judley Leriche
Imagine having years of your hard work discredited and destroyed after decades. That is the reality the Afghan people are facing right now. Freedom of speech, women’s rights and strides towards equal access to education are all being threatened by the return of the Taliban. What I found interesting in the article “Can Afghanistan’s Leading Broadcaster Survive the Taliban?” is how the Taliban tries to reassure the people that they will be ruling in a more “modern” way. However, through media censorship and reports of Taliban punishments in some Afghan cities there is no saying what they can do. It is shocking to see how the Taliban believe they can reassure women and families that they have changed after the atrocities that occurred under their regime in thelate 1900s and early 21 st century. With media censorship, there is no telling what they will do and how this will be hidden from the rest of the world. Especially with their strict enforcement of Islam and the Shari Law.
One writing strategy that stood out to me when reading this interview essay was how the author shows Edens personality and passion through her responses. She also highlights a different side of Eden. Although an Entrepreneur and business owner she was a soon-to-be mother and she was portrayed as more than just a company owner but how her personal values and vision related to EBONY and the effect she wanted it to have on her audience.
Excellent post Judley. I too have little faith that anything good will come from the new Taliban regime. A truly scary scenario for women and journalists – and so many more Afghans. Your point about the values of Ebony’s new editor and how she hopes to share these values with readers is also spot on.