Toledo's Take Back the Night was held April 25, just three days before Barbara Swiergosz's estranged husband went looking for her at work at an Ottawa Hills nursing home, and held her hostage for hours.

For us news hounds, most of us are aware this is the second time within a month her husband-who-shall-not-be named (Harry Potter reference) took her hostage. In both cases he gave himself up and the incidents ended without loss of life.

 When journalists are dispatched to scenes like this, we expect the worst because we've seen the worst. Photojournalists on the scene, including myself, were obviously relieved when our photos documented a terrified, injured woman coming out in a bathrobe, and a handcuffed man escorted by 5 police officers, instead of body bags loaded into the coroner's van. 

   These kinds of spot news assignments are hard on our psyches, difficult for the families to read the next day, and sad reminders for all abused women, children and men who suffer at the hands of angry, violent, disturbed tormentors. 

   I can only hope there is a lock and key for those who can't control their anger and hurt.

On Censorship

   "Fear not."  Easy to say, but bravery's not so simple when it comes to certain things, like dark alleys, growling dogs and censorship.

    I recently wrote a paper for my master's class on my fears as a high school journalism advisor. I'm not an adviser, but what came to mind was censorship. The following is an excerpt from my paper:

What are my most frightening fears?

1. not being able to find an adviser job at a school that doesn’t make me shed my “constitutional rights to freedom of speech or expression at the schoolhouse gate.” (1)

2. teaching journalism students they have the right and responsibility to cover controversial, sad, pathetic and dangerous topics, but not allowing them to do so.

 (1) 1969 Tinker v. Des Moines Independent Community School District court case on freedom of expression in high school.

Administrators need to give journalism advisers the freedom to teach their students  the craft of journalism, and that includes letting students learn from their mistakes.

 

Baseball is here! Thought I'd post two completely different takes on two separate baseball games - one during the University of Toledo game against Bowling Green, and the other the Mud Hens. Both were shot April 22, and neither will be published in The Blade. But I thought they were worthy of at least a blog...

First blog for Susan

      I wish I would have taken this class before I started teaching my Intro to PJ course. This course has given me many ideas and useful information, like forcing me to face Twitter, Avatars and blogging. This is our future, and to be able to teach journalism, we need to embrace the ever-changing technology.