Journalism Class - Wednesday, September 7

[jerusalem-s.livejournal.com]

((OOC - This is a lecture and Q/A session. It'll be open daily and Spider will always have something to say... if he's actually there. For student reference at the end of a class session - ie when I get home at night, the entire thing will be considated as coherently as I can manage and placed behind an lj-cut.))

***

The renovations done in the classroom set aside for Journalism lecture and discussion are obvious, beginning with the giant, floor to ceiling video screens which are, for the moment, mercifully dark. There are fairly comfortable chairs scattered across the room, two or three to a table, with the maximum capacity looking to be about thirty. There are plugs set in the floor beneath each table for laptops... and other than the minimal furnishings and the professor's desk at one end of the room, there is no other furniture.

The professor looks as if he spent the night sleeping behind the desk, sprawled back in his chair, feet propped on a laptop set atop the desk and a two-faced cat with a cigarette in one mouth leaning on his feet. There is a trashcan beside him overflowing with cans and an open pizza box with half a congealed pizza in it beside him.

There is a note taped to his foot reading, “Someone wake me at 1100”.

Comments

[jerusalem-s.livejournal.com]

"I'll take that resounding silence as a no." Spider ignored Delerium. Talking over, under, around and even through her was something he was well used to... and he wasn't certain entirely certain that anyone else could hear her anyway.

"Journalism has a wide number of definitions and as this is my course, we'll be using mine. Very broadly, journalism is the act of collecting and/or writing news. News is in and of itself a word that's difficult to define and which everyone has a definition of." Spider raised his voice slightly. "Newsfeed - muted."

The seven huge screens sprang to life, showing various people staring fixedly outward, their mouths moving. "This," Spider told them, sneering at the closest one, "is not journalism. It's barely even news. It's certainly not particularly interesting. Sound."

"... prices fell for the popular fast food chain...."

"The President responded...."

"... for the relatively reasonable price of $19.99...."

"... sports figure...."

"Mute." The talking heads fell silent again as Spider jabbed his cigarette at the young man on the screen closest to himself. "This is predigested pap, garbage for those who are only interested in being told what to think. The job of a journalist is to present the facts in such a matter as to force thought. Empires have been won and lost through control of the media, murders have been lynched or have walked free."

Spider stalked across the room to another screen, staring up at the overly made-up woman, ten feet high, who was babbling on silently. After a moment, he whirled on his students. "You are here to learn how to communicate with the brain-dead horde of your fellow..." His eye fell on Envy and Delerium, "... beings. You will learn how to attract their attention, how to influence their decisions with your choice of words and how to express yourself eloquently. At least that's my hope."

[youngest-sister.livejournal.com]

*raises her hand in the air*

*waves it around*

[jerusalem-s.livejournal.com]

Blinking over the top of his glasses, Spider pointed at Delerium. "You. Speak."

[youngest-sister.livejournal.com]

*grins*

I Attracted YouR atTention!

[jerusalem-s.livejournal.com]

Blinking again, Spider counted to ten and reminded himself that it was this or writing a book of political propaganda. "You did. Very good. Unfortunately, I'm hoping that you'll be able to do the same thing with a piece of writing... and not by folding it into a paper airplane and sailing it at my head," he added.

[youngest-sister.livejournal.com]

*grins happily*

*whether anything Spider just said penetrated is anyone's guess*

[youngest-sister.livejournal.com]

Does this meAn I CAn haVe a 'B'?

[jerusalem-s.livejournal.com]

"You can have an entire hive full." Spider waved his hands at her. "Does anyone else have anything to say at this juncture?"

[marieann-d.livejournal.com]

Rogue raises her hand, rubbing her gloved fingers against each other nervously.

[jerusalem-s.livejournal.com]

Spider pointed at her with his cigarette. "You?"

[marieann-d.livejournal.com]

"So, sir, are you saying that traditional news outlets are basically worthless then?" While still visibly nervous, after speaking, Rogue calms a bit.

[the-envious-sin.livejournal.com]

... *thinks to himself:"Pfft, just because I don't have a soul like these humans doesn't mean I'm brain-dead. Hmph"*