Absence of Malice.

Write a plot summary of the film Absence of Malice IN YOUR OWN WORDS.

Absence of Malice is the story of Michael Gallagher (Paul Newman), son of a former famous bootlegger. After the disappearance of one Joey Diaz, reporter Megan Carter (Sally Fields) gets a not-so-subtle tip that Gallagher could be a suspect. She prints the story.

Enter Gallagher. One of those men who don’t say much, he demands to know why he’s a suspect in this investigation. A relationship sparks. Megan is intrigued—both by the potential story and by the guy (who could blame her? It’s Paul Newman!). As their relationship grows deeper than either could have imagined, the story takes a turn when one of Megan’s sources—and Gallagher’s closest friend—commits suicide after being interviewed.

Gallagher takes matters into his own hands, convinced that the report has taken a turn which does more damage than good. If he (who has done nothing wrong) is going to be made suspect in this case then he will dig up a few secrets, too. Although Megan plays a fairly innocent role (the pretty reporter who runs on journalistic integrity, or what she thinks journalistic integrity is—absence of malice), Gallagher’s going after those other reporters.

It’s a little payback, and it’s done in such a sly way that Gallagher gets away with it in the end. Ultimately, Gallagher’s not charged with anything and his relationship with Megan is left open-ended.

List ten things you learned from the film, Absence of Malice, which will help you become a better journalist.

1.   Sometimes a “scoop” for a potential article works out for reporters but not always. Be careful which sources your story ideas come from.  

2.   Don’t just get the story (get to the heart of the story).

3.   Consider the interviewees (and respect what they say). As important as your story is, it touches beyond those you interview.

4.   That being said, you can’t be afraid to go where the story takes you.  

5.   A good reporter looks for facts from all sides. Try to be as objective as possible if not writing an opinion piece.

6.   Do not sensationalize.  

7.   Be professional with those you interview. It’s okay to be sympathetic (if the story affects you, it’s likely to affect your readers), but don’t get overly involved. In other words, do not sleep with your interviewee even if he does look like Paul Newman.

8.   What kind of message is your story sending to the public? Is it important? Is it true?

9.   Once something’s gone to press, it is out of your hands.

10. Reporting is a tricky field. Good reporters are those who learn from their sources, their editors, and their mistakes.  

After taking this class...

I know I want to do something that involves writing. I'm not sure that means I want to be a reporter -- I don't know if I have the stamina for hardcore reporting. But this class showed me that reporting wasn't my only option. 

I think I'll give a few different areas of journalism a try. I'd like to see how public relations works and I'd still like to see how a newspaper is run. Maybe editing? I would also love to intern at a magazine -- any magazine. I worked on my high school yearbook staff and remember loving the artsy graphic design that goes into making a publication. 

All in all, I'm still not sure which area of journalism I want to pursue. I am glad that I have a few choices, though. 

Comparing Radio Stations

Listened to 97.9 WRMF Ft. Lauderdale (Best of the '80s, '90s, and today; target audience is adults of any age--young or old)

9:40-9:45: Advertisements (Strax Rejuvenation, Burger King, Lexus, McDonald's, Nova Southeastern University Open House, Boca Tanning Salon)

9:41-9:45: “Good Life” by One Republic

9:45-9:48: “Come on Get Higher” by Matt Nathanson

9:48-9:52: News announcements (local headlines)

9:52-9:53: Weather

9:53-9:54: 60-second traffic

9:54-9:58: “Let’s Go Crazy” by Prince

9:58-10:03: “All the Small Things” by Blink182

10:03-10:07: “Back to December” by Taylor Swift

10:07-10:11: “Someday” by Rob Thomas

10:11-10:16: Host talks to listeners about favorite songs of 80s, 90s, and today.

10:16-10:20: Advertisements (Toyota, Cleveland Clinic Florida, ITT Technical University, Geico, McDonald’s, WRMF local concert that weekend—free stuff if you go)

10:20-10:21: 60-second traffic

10:21-10:24: “Break Even” by The Script

10:24-10:27: “Banana Pancakes” by Jack Johnson

10:27-10:31: “I’m Yours” by Jason Mraz

10:31-10:34: “Love the Way You Lie” by Rihanna and Eminem

Y-100.7 Miami (Target audience: young adult-adult. Plays mostly top 20 songs)

10:34-10:37: “Girlfriend” by Avril Lavigne

10:37-10:41: “The Lazy Song” by Bruno Mars

10:41-10:42: 60-second Traffic

10:42-10:46: "Grenade" by Bruno Mars

10:46-10:50: “Born This Way” by Lady Gaga

10:50-10:53: “Stereo Love” by Edward Maya and Vika Jigulina

10:53-10:57: “Just Can’t Get Enough” by the Black Eyed Peas

10:57-11:01: “Forget You” Cee Lo Green

11:01-11:04: “Written in the Stars” by Tinie Tempah

11:04-11:10: advertisements (Jason Weever from Sunshine Law Group, Nationwide Auto Insurance, NYU Summer abroad program, Sawgrass Ford, Nova Southeastern University, Coral Gables Infinity Car Dealership)

11:10-11:13: “Hey Baby” by Pit Bull and T-Pain

11:13-11:17: “Toxic” by Britney Spears

11:17-11:20: “Rocketeer” by Far East Movement

11:20-11:24: “Larger than Life” by the Backstreet Boys (!)

11:24-11:27: “Raise Your Glass” by Pink

11:27-11:32: “What goes Around” by Justin Timberlake

11:32-11:36: “Just Can’t Get Enough” by the Black Eyed Peas (again?)

Radio: not as easy as it sounds

Timing is everything and the voice makes a difference. Those are the two things I got from listening to Dick Gordon’s “The Help: Nonfiction.”

Creating an audio documentary is a challenge. It takes time and skill to create the finished product listeners hear on their go-to radio station. Gordon’s show consisted of three stories: well, two full-length stories and a call-in that he had gotten a few months before but saved for this show.

            In its laidback, conversational format, talk radio teaches you that everyone has a story, whether it’s exciting and unique or simple and ordinary. I’ll give brief summaries of the two major stories and discuss what I thought of Gordon’s talk show technique.

            The first segment was about a novel entitled The Help about fictional African American maids, the people who employed them and the stories they have to tell. Alma Cousin was a maid for a white household in Jackson, Mississippi and Gordon brought both her and one of the children she took care of, Elizabeth Hays, to tell a few stories of their own. And, of course, to ask them what they thought of The Help.

            What peaked my interest was really the second story, “Down the Hatch Without a Scratch” about a woman who is a sword swallower in her spare time. The “Lady Aye” (her stage name) is a sideshow performer by night and a copywriter by day. She’s even appeared (very, very briefly) on an episode of Gossip Girl.

            All of the segments were well done. And put simply, as a talk show host, Gordon is a listener. He asks questions and occasionally takes part in the conversation to help steer it in the right direction and move it along. He gives background information to summarize long bits of talk that wouldn’t make the timed slot. And he lets the people speak. He lets them tell their story as they would like to tell it.

            Editing is important, that’s true, but so is the voice. The voices of the people speaking tell you about who they are and what they're like. I never realized how powerful that aspect of radio is. Since you don't get a visual, you rely on the subtleties in speech to piece together the people you're listening to a little part of. Sound itself is interesting to take note of, too. The pauses, the rise and fall of pitch and sound combine to make a sort of vocal melody. It’s really like a song or a well-edited TV show.

Because timing is crucial and meant to keep the listener’s interest, I thought the songs between segments went on a little too long. And my other criticism would be that sometimes the conversations would wane a bit before picking up the pace again. All in all, though, the show was enjoyable. 

If I had some cinema know-how and a ton of money...

The Pact by Jodi Picoult was made into a movie by Lifetime back in 2002, but I really don’t think the film adaptation did the book justice. They changed major parts of the plot and the way it was organized. The actors who played the characters seemed off—even Megan Mullally (crazy Karen Walker from Will and Grace) who was cast to play one of the major character’s mothers. This movie was a downright disappointment. 

But maybe I’m a bit biased. After all, if you read a book before it's made into the movie, you go into it with high expectations, and you’re bound to be a little disappointed.

So if I had the chance, I would make this movie a little differently. First, I would have followed Picoult’s original narrative. This book is all about timing. It sets the viewer up with one story (the present) that parallels the backstory (the past) until the two ultimately meet in the middle. Done right, this would be great in film format. 

As for the plot, Christopher Harte is on trial for the murder of his girlfriend, Emily. But Chris claims that the night Emily died, they had agreed to carry out a suicide pact. Forensic analysis tells a different story, though. Chris’s fingerprints were found on the trigger Emily supposedly used. So he's hauled off to jail, awaiting trial, while his and Emily’s families are torn at the seams.

I would cast Emile Hirsch (the guy from Into the Wild, Lords of Dogtown) to play Chris. I think he would give Chris an edge that stays true to the character, but he’ll give the role a vitality that’s innate to Hirsch as an actor. As for Emily, I think Linda Cardellini (Freaks and Geeks, Scooby Doo… she’s Velma!) would play her well. Emily is a multi-faceted character and the face she shows to the world isn’t necessarily true to the way she feels inside. Emily hides her traumas from her loved ones and the actress who plays her has to take on both the character's subtleties and extremes.

No doubt, Nicole Kidman would be perfect for the role of Emily’s mother, Mel. Mel becomes depressed (for good reason, her daughter died) and strangely unsettled. Kidman could play this role with ease. As for Chris’s mother, Gus, I would cast Catherine Keener (40-Year-Old Virgin, Being John Malkovich). I always pictured Gus as the free-spirit type and Keener has this hippie vibe to her that, in my mind, characterizes Gus. As for the fathers, I’d consider Steve Martin a good fit to play Michael and Ralph Fiennes (Schindler’s List) as James. As for the setting, I always pictured a medium-sized town in a woody, semi-rural/semi-suburban area.

The Pact is a story about family, about hope lost and hope found. It moved me when I read it and a good film adaptation could move audiences, too, I’m sure.

JOMC101.001 - A Start

Hi everyone!

My name is Kamila, and I'm a sophomore (English and Journalism double major) from Florida. So basically, the reason why I'm in this class is because I had somewhat of a revelation over winter break. I used to be a Psychology Major (not entirely sure why, to be honest. I think my rationale was based on giving my friends somewhat good advice when it came to teenage-y type stuff back in high school: family problems, boyfriend or girlfriend troubles, class overload, you know.)

Anyway, every time someone asked me why I was so keen on pursuing Psych, and which branch I wanted to focus on, I'd always end up shrugging my shoulders. I gave everyone who asked me that question some sort of response that basically said, I have no clue. And I didn't. I had taken the classes. I studied various aspects of the subject and had professors who were willing and able to give me some insight. But there was one thing missing and I, for the life of me, couldn't figure out what that one thing was. That is, until about... three weeks and four days ago.

Drive.

To make a two-year "major" in-decisiveness story short, psychology just wasn't what I wanted to pursue. It wasn't my passion, if you want to get corny about it. Maybe some part of me was always trying to tell me that, every time I said I didn't know.

So now I'm here. Pursuing journalism and hoping I find some branch of this major that catches my eye. I've always been a fan of writing, and in high school I did some yearbook and newspaper work that I was pretty fond of. Who knows? Maybe, after a few detours, my "collegiate" path has brought me to this place, to this blog, to this class, for a reason. (So much for not being corny.)