Rewards for Reliable Coverage

On April 15, 2013, the lives of many Bostonians were changed forever.  At approximately 2:50pm, two pressure cooker bombs went off about 10 seconds apart near the finish line of the Boston Marathon.  264 people were injured in the bombings, and 3 died at the marathon. Four days after the attack, following endless hours of searching and outreach to the public, the Boston police were able to identify the two suspects of this vicious attack as 26-year old Tamerlan Tsarnaev and 19-year old Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, both from Cambridge, Massachusetts, having initially emigrated from Chechnya. The day before, April 18, a Massachusetts Institute of Technology public safety officer was shot and killed by Tamerlan Tsarnaev, making it four individuals whom the brothers had killed since their attack at the Boston Marathon. Following the slaying of the MIT officer, the brothers hijacked a car and sought to escape, but police apprehended Tamerlan. In an effort to help his brother, Dzhokhar ran the vehicle into Tamerlan and the two officers attempting to handcuff him, which ended up resulting in the death of his older sibling.  Medical examiners were able to identify the man killed as Tamerlan and his brother as the two individuals who made and detonated the bombs. Due to the extensive coverage of the attacks, a man in Watertown, which is located a short distance from the heart of Boston, was able to identify Dzhokhar Tsarnaev as the bloodied individual hiding under a tarp in his backyard, leading to the his arrest.  Following his arrest, Dzhokhar testified that he and his brother set off the bombs as a political statement against the American wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, which were the primary motivations for their attack. 

Chechnya is an area of Russia that was once an economically and politically stable country.  Its economy and infrastructure were reduced to ruins by years of civil war between separatists and Russian forces, combined with armed banditry and organized crime.  Chechnya has been trying to gain independence from Russia for years, and as a result, has become one of the largest regions for terrorism in the world.  Most recently, Chechens were responsible for the terrorist attacks on Sochi in the days leading up to the 2014 Winter Olympics.  It is believed that the Tsarnaev brothers’ reasons behind their contempt for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan is due to Tamerlan’s newfound obsession with Islamic radicalism, which caused him to misinterpret the call for jihad, leading him to persuade his brother into aiding him in committing the crimes against Boston.  Islam is the dominant religion in Chechnya, though the Tsarnaev brothers warped the religion to favor their radical beliefs and used the teachings of the Quran to favor their behaviors. 
            Today marks the one-year anniversary of the tragedy that struck Boston, though the city became even stronger than ever as a result. The city of Boston rallied to seek retribution for the attack on their beloved hometown.  Many runners continued their trek past the finish line to the Boston hospitals so they could donate blood to the victims of the attack. People in Massachusetts banded together after the attacks and the phrase “Boston Strong” became of the most well known slogans to illustrate the resilience of the city. In addition to the great collaboration and support for one another following the attack, tens of millions of dollars were raised by the One Fund, which was a support effort created by two Emerson students out of their dorm room to provide monetary aid to the bombing victims.

 Yesterday, the Boston Globe was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for its extensive coverage of the Boston Bombing. According to the Pulitzer board, the publication won the award due to their exhaustive coverage of the bombings and the manhunt that took over the city.  They empathetically used photography and a social media to capture the full impact of the devastation, as well as aided in the search for the Tsarnaev brothers who detonated the bombs.  Despite initial miscommunications between several major news corporations (including CNN) and government officials which released information that the suspect had been apprehended and arrested, the Globe was able to correctly release the photographs of the Tsarnaev brothers, which led to the assistance of the Boston public in capturing the terrorists. Over the last twelve years, the Boston Globe has won seven Pulitzer Prizes, though this was the paper’s first for breaking news coverage. (Boston Globe Pulitzer Prize)

Boston is without a doubt one of the most resilient and passionate cities in the world.  From a historic standpoint, Boston has almost always been at the forefront for America’s transformation.  The Revolutionary War for independence from Great Britain started in the streets of Boston, with acts such as the Boston Massacre in modern day Faneuil Hall and the Boston Tea Party.  During the Civil War, Boston was one of the most influential northern cities in providing support for the abolitionist movement, particularly with the creation of the New England Anti-Slavery Society and the first African American regiment to fight in the Civil War. From there, Boston has lead the path in many other societal and governmental changes, such as being the birthplace of youngest and first Catholic president- John F. Kennedy- and being the first state to legalize gay marriage. With such a strong and tireless city, it makes sense that those delivering the news would manifest that same passion and dedication that makes Boston the great city it is. 

Forgetting who the true heroes are

            Throughout time, sports and athletics have been a key focus of leisure activity for the masses.  Beginning with the earliest Paleolithic groups and the early civilizations of the Greeks and Romans, sports became outlets for recreation, as well as subtle methods to display masculinity, strength, agility, and ability.  With the rise of industrialization and technological advancement in the modern era, athletics have progressed to become a crucial focal point for weekend and nightly activity, with many people either participating in the games or simply joining as spectators. 

Athletes have become the heroes of modern society, with media attention focused on the best and the brightest.  While many of these famous athletes use their talents and fame to benefit society -such as Eli Manning’s work with the Red Cross and food pantries or LeBron James with the Boys and Girls Clubs of America- and act as role models to younger audiences, some athletes certainly neglect their obligation as mentors and use their prosperity to allow them to get away with anything.

Recently, Brazilian soccer player Bruno Fernandes de Souza was allowed to sign a five-year contract with the Montes Claros of the Campeonato Mineiro.  This contract allows the goalie to leave prison daily (accompanied by police escort) to train with the team and play in matches.  While the official ruling by the courts is still to be determined, the fact that de Souza was able to even sign a contract is mind-boggling.  Last March, de Souza was sentenced to 22 years in jail for ordering the kidnapping and slaying of his girlfriend, who was dismembered and fed to his pet dogs, because he did not want to pay child support for their newborn. In what world should a convicted murderer be allowed to receive special treatment to leave jail every day to do what he loves?  Due to his fame and popularity, there is a serious possibility that de Souza may be allowed to complete the stipulations of this contract.

The Brazilian legal system has some mild similarities to the American system.  Fernandes seemingly is receiving special treatment due to his celebrity status in Brazil, and while this holds true to some extent, he is taking advantage of a particular legal loophole.  In Brazilian law, any inmate who has demonstrated exemplary behavior for four years while behind bars is given the opportunity to receive more freedoms.  In Ferndandes’ case, allowing the pro-athlete to leave jail each day to practice with his team and participate in matches. This case is definitely a specialized situation due to his celebrity status, as other individuals who show good behavior would typically be granted a smaller freedom such as more yard time.

In America, no such opportunity exists to inmates, regardless of popularity or elitism.  The closest equivalent to the Brazilian provision exists to inmates near the end of their sentence.  Six months prior to the end of their sentence, criminals who have shown good behavior during their internment may be given the opportunity to leave jail and move into a community home, more commonly known as a halfway house. While doing their time in the halfway house, the former inmate is allowed to go out on work release each day, building up a small amount of money that they will be able to use once their term is ended and gaining work experience, but is required to return to the home each night as part of their probation.  However, this exception is made only to those who have committed mild crimes and exhibited great remorse for their actions by being good inmates and working to redeem themselves.  These exceptions are not made for individuals who have committed violent crimes, such as Fernandes.  Despite his fame and popularity, his incredibly heinous offense would not be granted any type of special treatment, demonstrating a fairer and tougher stance in the American legal system.

As time has progressed, media outlets seem only to highlight the deviant behavior of athletes and celebrities. While it is crucial to relay information to the public about the miscreant acts of other individuals as cautionary tales for the dangers that lurk in everyday society, media should also pay more attention to the unsung heroes of our times. 

Miracle on Ice...2014

Thirty-four years ago, two incredible powerhouses took the ice in one of the greatest Olympic stand-offs in history- the United States versus the Soviet Union.  Today, the same two nations (with the Soviet Union now being Russia) competed for the gold medal both nations craved.  The only real difference was the change of players and the location of the competition had shifted from Lake Placid, New York to Sochi, Russia. 

When the two nations competed for Olympic gold years before, the main goal of the Olympics was to prove which nation was the real world superpower, as there couldn’t truly be two world leaders.  It was a heated competition that had become the main focus of the 1980 Olympic Games, and later, the plot to the much acclaimed film “Miracle.”  During this game, the Cold War was fought on the ice. Soviet professional hockey players who consistently bullied "All-Stars" from North America were now up against the infamous Coach Herb Brook's rag tag group of talented, cohesive college aged hockey players. The American population identified with the underdogs. While this may be a bit of a stretch, it also foreshadowed the triumph of the United States over the Soviet Union as a superpower in the global community, with the Soviet Union’s collapse following about a decade later.  Media played a major part in creating hysteria and increasing national pride and patriotism in the United States when US hockey defeated debatably the greatest hockey powerhouse in the world.

The media has always played a crucial role in creating hype around sporting events.  In actuality, the media has always greatly influenced public opinion, regardless of the event in question, but to stay on topic, sports have always been a popular global pastime and thus a major focus of the news.  With the Olympic Games occurring only every four years, this year’s Olympic games have especially created waves in worldwide news outlets, from the bombings close to Sochi a mere few weeks before the Opening Ceremony to each specific Olympic event.  The Men’s Hockey game of Russia versus the United States was no exception.  News articles relating titles such as “Oshie leads US to Epic Olympic Hockey Shootout Win over Russia” or “Russian hockey team carries expectations of entire country…” have blown up social media sites such as Twitter and Facebook and each Internet search engine site.  On Twitter specifically, hundreds of thousands of people have been tweeting about the outcome of the game, from Olympic enthusiasts to major corporations, such as Bounty paper towels and Nike sports gear.

http://edition.cnn.com/2014/02/15/sport/olympics-day-eight-russia-us/index.html

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/02/16/sports/olympics/the-remarkable-one-man-show-called-t-j-oshie.html?_r=0