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.