It isn't often that you see school children of any age with so much commitment to school work that they gladly give up some summer vacation time to put out a newspaper.
That is apparently what happened at Jewell High School.
Before the start of the school year there's a fresh copy of "The Jay" that not only greets the student body but manages to get the attention of a professional publication with an editorial that lambastes both Bradwood Landing and local elected officials.
Seriously, here's my question. Who writes this high school paper?
I was told that a version is available on line and that I should be able to review past articles including the one that has gotten all this attention. Alas, I find that all posts have been removed.
Curious.
I'm also told by someone who reads "The Jay" that many of the articles are written by the
teacher who one would presume is supposed to be teaching young journalists and coaching them to excellence by allowing them to write. I can't swear to that just yet but I'm sure those readers in the Jewell district would recognize the name of the instructor that appears in the bylines of past editions.
I have to admit some confusion over the description of this journalistic tome. The Astoria paper that picked up the anti-LNG story calls the school paper the community newspaper for Jewell, while the paper itself clearly states it is a publication of the school. I again presume that the reason for having something like this in a educational environment is for the purpose of teaching young people the joys of the fourth estate. Apparently not?
The few facts presented are based on the assumption that the pipeline proposed is an LNG pipeline. I wish it were. LNG is non-explosive and the technology it would take to keep natural gas super-cooled through a pipeline does not exist as far as I know. It is a natural gas line just like the two that already run through the valley from Mist. I should point out that the NW Natural peak storage facility at Mist has been quietly in operation for years. No explosions. The writer makes a leap in proclaiming that the pipeline will de-value property so severely that the there will be no net gain in property taxes and in fact the County would suffer a net loss. Really?
So that brings us back to the question: Who really wrote that inflammatory and highly dubious editorial?
The lawyer for the school district is quoted decrying the actions of a former school board member for calling the instructor to task over the article saying that the phone call has frightened the children who wrote the piece into silence and has bullied them into compliance..or some such rot. The instructor has admitted he released the information about that call to the Press circumventing district policy. The superintendent was in the dark on all of these matters.
This morning we talked about the importance of teaching young journalists about their right to publish along with instructing them on the sometimes unpleasant repercussions that come with exercising that right and to always take personal responsibility for what you write. It's not always comfortable but if you can back up what you say then "truth will out". If you are wrong you need the courage to admit it.
So lets review. We either have a group of selfless young people who worked to put out a paper on their own time or an instructor who took it upon himself to publish an article without a byline.
We have an article that parrots the narrow views of the anti-LNG mob which ties neatly into the Astoria paper's editorial stance so they pick it up.
The article itself is heavy on assumptions, light on facts and I can't quite tell if it is intended as a news story or an editorial or just a piece written by Columbia River keepers.
I could almost believe it was written by a rookie given it bears all the hallmarks of a first attempt at newspaper writing without benefit of review by a seasoned editor.
And here you are Tom, uisng that LNG in pipelines B.S. and spreading yet more misinformation.
ReplyDeleteIs LNG Explosive?
FERC and The LNG Speculators Say: "LNG is not at all explosive or flammable in its liquid state."
Is LNG explosive?
Fact: In the strictest technical sense LNG is not explosive in its
liquid state. Neither are other flammable liquids such as
gasoline, propane, or hydrogen. Unfortunately, because of the
extreme cold temperature of LNG, the environment does not
want it to remain in a liquid state. Much of the world is
roughly 300° F warmer than LNG; therefore the environment
around it is continually boiling it. The vaporized LNG must
be vented from storage tanks to prevent the buildup of
pressure. This boil-off is released, burned, or re-condensed to
a liquid and returned to the tank.
Vaporized LNG has a relatively broad flammability range,
from 5.3% to 15% concentrations in air. Below these
concentrations the mixture is too lean to combust. Above
these concentrations the mixture is too rich. By comparison,
propane has a narrower range of flammability (2.2% to 9.5%),
as does gasoline (1.4% to 7.6%).6
Whether or not LNG vapor will explode depends on a variety
of factors related to its concentration in air, temperature,
pressure, and the amount of “hot contaminants” included in
the LNG. Studies performed to date are incomplete in
properly characterizing the explosive potential of LNG and its
vapors.
I'd say the teacher is playing out his own personal political agenda through the school newspaper....good job, the riverkeepers rock!! they are getting their message out through a school newspaper, paid for by timber dollars...actually this a sad state of our community, and a new low if there could possibly be one for the mighty Columbia Riverkeepers, they were sending emails to the teacher today congratulating him....pathetic really, wouldn't want to leave my name or I"ll get a harassing phone call from the "will of the people" group for exercising my right to free speech, if it's different than what they think watch out!
ReplyDeleteHaving had quite a bit of experience with high school journalism and journalism students, I can assure you that your instincts are correct. That piece was not written by a student, or if it was, was later edited VERY heavily by an adult. Go over it carefully...words like bamboozle are not used by high schoolers...there are many more examples, but the most glaring problem with this piece is that the facts have not been checked. Journalism I...check every fact, then the Editor and advisor are charged with making sure that nothing is put into print that can not be checked and proven to be true before it goes into circulation(do not use the Daily Astorian for an example). Whoever wrote this junk piece at the least deserves a very low grade. If it was the advisor, their dishonesty is setting a very poor example for students and their communities. Don't these people EVER let up? Answer, NO
ReplyDeletePlease, PUT IT IN and Blow Us All Up (you know all these opposers are always right), so we can be put out of the misery of listening to the pitiful whining, recalling, name calling, endless news inches and dire predictions!
(It's late, hope the spelling will be up to MY journalistic standards.)
The story is that the husband of a County Commissioner who is a former school board member calls up a teacher, demands to knwo who wrote an opinion piece in a student newspaper and then says he'll "come after" them.
ReplyDeleteAnn wasn't even mentioned in the article.
Tom, quit diverting the issue from an elected official who is so thin-skinned she will only debate ONE of her constituents.
I suppose this time next year people will be saying, "they'll never let me forget those 18 1/2 minutes". :) Let's publish both the article and the text of the voice mail (or has it already been erased). The sooner closure can be be put on this issue the better for all, especially the students who will wind up with a good "ethics" lesson when all is said and done.
ReplyDeleteNot to mention that if the bits and pieces of the voice mail released are not a good representation of what Mr. Samuelson said then it would be further evidence of the media using a sound byte to sell a story and how quick many people are to jump on an issue without having accurate information.
What is appalling here is that a member of the public followed school policy and brought his concerns to the school employee that caused the concerns. That employee was expected to follow school policy as well. The employee broke confidentiality. No threats were made beyond one that anyone makes, "Either give me a good reason for what you did or I am filing formal charges". That teacher was in the wrong so went running for protection to the one media source that's already shown it hates Samuelson. Sounds like he was trying to throw up a whistle blower defense to save his job, probably told it was the only that would save his job if it is proven that he wrote the school newspaper and especially that editorial himself.
ReplyDeleteStay on this, Tom, or this guy will get away with this travesty and in the name of "good" journalism!
The Daily A is hard at work on their character assasination ploy, divide & conquer, insult and then give it your best to absolutely ruin people...wonder if they've got an actual dept. with a supervisor at the daily a for this important work...they should, it's happened so very many times it should just have it's own staff....I don't think anybody with brains will fall for this garbage....good luck taking out lifetime residents that have been devoted to kids and community their entire adult lives. THIS LATEST ATTEMPT BY FORRESTER AND HIS MINIONS IS ABSOLUTELY PATHETIC.
ReplyDeleteI had the pleasure of taking a college literature class with a student at Jewell High School (a junior last school year) who demonstrated a level of intelligence that, in comparison, is far greater than I have seen demonstrated by Tom Freel or the anonymous poster who suggested that High School students do not possess the capability of researching and writing a witty and thoughtful opinion piece. This student, in my personal experience was bright and articulate. Perhaps Mr. Freel and the anonymous poster should head back to classroom if they think that a studentís writing abilities surpass their own instead of trash-talking a high school student who has obviously got it goin on. Hey! I have an idea! Maybe these two could benefit from a lesson or two from this student, as there is no doubt in my mind that both of you could learn more than just a thing or two from the student about integrity. Not to mention how to write an honest opinion piece, as it seems like truth, honesty and integrity are the farthest things from these folkís minds.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.dailyastorian.com/main.asp?SectionID=23&SubSectionID=393&ArticleID=63905
ReplyDeletethe lowest of the low, and the sheriffs department is familiar with his behavior....quick somebody help her get out of the furniture rent to own business and get her a job at the Daily Astorian....THIS GAL IS A STAR!!
It would seem that a teacher of journalism would teach his students that some people will not like what they write in every case, so they must have thick skins. Of course, that would require the teacher to actually have a thick skin too. In this case, it just seems like the Jewell HS news staff, including the teacher, are simply whiners who should certainly not seek an occupation in journalism or, for that matter, in the public service.
ReplyDeleteIs there any doubt that the Jewell students are now going to be terrified because "important politicians" and their families and anonymous bloggers are demanding to know who wrote what and why. It is a sad day when someone can't state a legitimate opinion without being threatened with a "slander suit."
ReplyDeleteWe should be encouraging the students for speaking about a controversial subject not scaring them into silence.
Jewell officials of all sorts have been the focus of too much scandal.
http://www.northcoastoregon.com/default.asp?sourceid=&smenu=1&twindow=&mad=&sdetail=1489&wpage=1&skeyword=&sidate=&ccat=&ccatm=&restate=&restatus=&reoption=&retype=&repmin=&repmax=&rebed=&rebath=&subname=&pform=&sc=2954&hn=northcoastoregon&he=.com
ReplyDeleteA true article, a refreshing change from the bright yellow journalism this community is forced to deal with everyday.
Below is an excerpt from Palomar's own website regarding Natural Gas supply to the west coast market in cooperation with Northwest Naatural Gas
ReplyDeleteJanuary 15, 2009
In May 2008, the Oregon Department of Energy prepared a report for Gov. Ted Kulongoski entitled “Response to Governor Kulongoski’s Request for LNG and Natural Gas Review.” The report concluded that Oregon will need additional supplies of natural gas in the future even if the state is able to meet its legislative mandate to use renewables to provide 25 percent of its electricity by 2025.
One of the report’s key findings is that Palomar Gas Transmission would help Oregon meet its need for additional supplies of energy.
“The Palomar East pipeline would provide the NW Natural system [Oregon’s largest distributor of natural gas to homes, businesses, and industry] with benefits in terms of added capacity and options for North American gas, whether or not any of the LNG terminals [proposed for Oregon] were built,” the report states on Page 12.
So, Palomar says that even without these LNG Speculators our Natural Gas supply will not be hampered at all, thereby negating the need for OLNG or NSNG/Bradwood Landing in our community at least and notice NWNG doesn't seem to be crting about it at all as, through existing infrastructure they will still get ample supply to keep that Mist storage facility full.
A true article, a refreshing change from the bright yellow journalism this community is forced to deal with everyday.
ReplyDeleteSo this is what "Real" hard news is supposed to look like?
That's true Pat. Bradwood has stated that the Palomar pipe project isn't critical to them it just represents an alternative. Oregon LNG is the one to look at because they have another company building a pipeline, or at least going through the process..
ReplyDeleteAnd Palomar's primary project is the Palomar East Pipeline(Coming out of Wyoming and linking to the Williams and TransCanada Pipelines), over and above these LNG Projects.
ReplyDeleteI would think, as well, that Palomar along with the likes of Wiliiams and TransCanada would be appropriate barometers of future Natural Gas Markets on the West Coast and the need for more infrastructure over the Market and Profitability of schemes such as LNG Transfer/Storage Terminal siting and development but hey, that's just what I read.
And Jobs?
All over the place and I still invite your buddies at NSNG/Bradwood to layout those endjobs and requirements for us which they have yet to do and how many jobs are going to pipeline maintenance?
And all those Construction Jobs?
Are they all really going to be Union Jobs?
How many of us in Clatsop County belong to Construction Trades Unions?
Tom is right to be suspect of this whole thing....
ReplyDeleteHave you ever heard a student use the phrases:
"dont be fooled by bureaucratic double-speak"
"... mired in so much red tape that it may seem to decipher fact from fiction, but that is just the way Bradwood Landing (the LNG corporation) wants it. The more they can confuse, obfuscate and bamboozle local residents....
Come on. What student writes these things? "obfuscate"... really?
What is the latest on this journalistic manure pile? Anyone proud enough of their piece to put their name to it yet?
ReplyDeleteDon't worry, the Daily A. will protect you from that pussycat Dave Samuelson....any movement towards bodily harm of said "student" will be taken care of immediately!! I have not seen any violence or rude behavior from that side (except that which was purported from the teacher). Come to think of it, could a visit to the Jewell High School Campus and a check of skin color, lead to the "yellowest" person on the campus?
Someone needs to show their pride in this piece of the "written word" which has gotten so much publicity.....a great success, since it does seem that was what it was written for.....it did not seem to contain any "news", just old rehashed, retread propaganda and unsubstanciated facts. Stand up in pride, journalism star, if you exist (as a student, or are you the teacher instead?). I think that we have been bamboozled!!
Rumor has it that a student that does not even attend Jewell School wrote it, some relative of the teachers...making the actions of this teacher even more suspect regarding his political agenda....paid for by Jewell School...much like the riverkeepers get their free PR from the daily A. Oh, I think that the Jay is printed by the Daily A...would someone connect the dots here! We're losing our freedom of speech and the freedom of the press, the truthful press that is!
ReplyDelete