Ready for another class at Orange Coast College
Today marks the beginning of classes at Orange Coast College and
the beginning of my second year teaching a course to journalism
students.
It’s hard to believe a year has gone by since I began at OCC.
For those out there who regularly send me messages correcting my
grammar, I’m sure it’s hard for you to believe also but for different
reasons.
Anyway, the course, which is an introduction to news writing, has
been a lot of fun, and I hope I inspire some of the students to
become journalists when it’s all said and done.
In my first year, I often discussed real-life experiences with the
students and asked them how they would handle things. We discussed
ethics, whether a story is really a story, whether a story is fair to
report, how a journalist should conduct him or herself in interviews
or on assignments and how to make sure the proper balance is achieved
in stories.
Along the way, I’ve had help from fellow journalists who have been
guest speakers and also from Newport Beach Fire Chief Tim Riley and
Costa Mesa Police Chief Dave Snowden, who gave the students lessons
on how they deal with the media.
This semester, I’d like to ask you the readers for help. E-mail me
some questions or suggestions you may have for young journalists and
I will share them with the class.
In return, through this column, I will share with you, the
readers, some of the feedback. So get me those suggestions soon.
* * *
We recently received a rather stinging letter from the folks at
the Piecemakers, who along with their supporters never miss a chance
to call someone a name. It was name calling, by the way, that got
them in trouble with libel law attorneys, but hey, why stop now,
right?
Anyway, the ever fiery Marie Kolasinski was angry about our Last
Word editorial in which we noted the irony of the anti-government
Piecemaker religious sect having to pony up cash to government
officials.
Kolasinski shot this barb to our Forum page editor James Meier:
“When Jesus said, ‘Woe unto you fools and hypocrites, you do not
discern the sign of the times,’ He surely referred to the likes of
the Daily Pilot editor who is too chicken to sign his name.”
She ends the letter by taking issue with the editorial’s Last Word
title: “By the way, Mr. Ed, God always has the last word. Only a
(sic) ignorant imbecile would think otherwise.”
Let me address the issue of not signing names to editorials, a
common newspaper practice.
Editorials are the voice and the opinion of the newspaper. We
think them out as a group and come up with an opinion. Then we assign
one of probably three or four editors to write it.
It doesn’t have a name because it isn’t that editor’s opinion, it
is the collective opinion of the newspaper.
But now that we are being called chicken let me say right now that
I stand by the editorial 100%.
And that’s my last word on it.
* * *
Back to the subject of God.
Some of you may remember that I predicted in March that one day
soon I would see a dome during my morning drive pass the corner of
Victoria Street and Newport Boulevard.
That’s the spot of the new church site being built by Calvary
Church of Newport-Mesa leader Tim Celek. The church, now known as The
Crossing, has been slowly growing before my eyes during the last few
months.
You may also recall that the Costa Mesa Planning Commission tried
to deny Celek’s request for a temporary domed structure at the
church, mainly because it didn’t fit with the aesthetics of Newport
Boulevard.
What aesthetics, you ask? Well, yeah, that’s what a lot of us
asked.
Anyway, the City Council did the right thing and reversed the
Planning Commission’s decision and gave the church the go-ahead to
build the domed church sanctuary.
Sure enough, it’s right there now on my morning drive to the
office.
Man I love predicting things correctly.
I just hope I have this much luck in my football pools and the
November elections.
TONY DODERO is the editor. He can be reached at 949-574-4258 or
via e-mail at tony.dodero@latimes.com.
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